"The First Son" - Mass Effect 1

"He was there on Eden Prime when the Geth attacked. He's seen what they can do to the human colonies."






"And why risk association with smugglers? We can re-assign Spectres, Jondum Bau or Tela Vasir. Shepard is investigating the Geth, why not him?"






"I see...bring him in."


-------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The echo of his forehead smacking into the metal table vibrated off of the walls a few seconds after impact. He recoiled back, hand pressed upon the point of impact underneath a wave of messy, light brown hair.

"GAH! Damn...aren't you supposed to wait for answers before you bash someone?" the human asked, opening one eye to glare across the room. Even in the dimly-lit C-SEC interrogation quarters he could make out two silhouettes. The smaller build belonged to his attacker, the sharp points over his body and the three-fingers he could still feel on the back of his head were undeniable attributes of the Turian species. The larger shadow demanded more of his attention, as the floor shook with every plod it took forward.

He thought he had seen everything, but as the Elcor in the C-SEC uniform entered into the cone of light, he was proven wrong.

"Stern disposition: Consider that one insurance that you will answer when the time comes, Priest." The droning void of all emotion escaping from the flaps on the Elcor's face would've threatened to put him to sleep if the head trauma wasn't competing to put him out first.

The human at the table attempted to respond but was cut-off by the impact of the table once more. The Turian smirked at his actions, offering a chuckle as he stepped back behind the Elcor.

"With sinister humor: consider that one payment for all of the trouble you've given us."

"Agh...yeah, sure thing pal."

A gateway of piercing light cut through the dark of the room as the door slid open with a hum. A slimmer, more elegant form stepped through the portal and into the room, the door closing behind it, and as the light hit their face, the human called "Priest" could tell exactly what he was in store for.

Asari.

Even more than an Asari, but THE Asari. The Asari Councilor calmly stepped around the table across from Priest, the Turain C-SEC officer setting a chair behind her to sit down.

"Thank you, officer. That will be all. You may both leave."

The Elcor shifted his mass toward the Councilor.

"Concerned: Are you sure, ma'am? There's no need to take the risk."

The Councilor turned with a stiff, demanding grimace to the officer, who said nothing more as both he and the other officer made their exit. Before leaving, the Turian turned back to shoot a disgusted face at Priest, who responded with a middle finger shot his way blatantly. The door closed behind them.

"Mason Priest."

"Ms. Councilor."

"You know me?"

Priest leaned back in his chair, a sly grin on his face despite his position.

"If I didn't know who I was up against, I wouldn't have much success, would I? I do my homework."

"Did you even go to school?"

"Figure of speech."

The Councilor only nodded, not finding the humor in Priest's words.

"Mr. Priest, the Council has a proposition for you."

Priest's ears perked up just as his posture did. He placed a hand lightly on his chest, mouthing the word "Moi?"

"Yes, Mr. Priest. As you're well aware, there have been recent Geth attacks upon human colonies."

At the mention of the word "Geth", Priest's calm demeanor shattered. His eyes rapidly darted around the room, the lump forming above his eye no where near the size of the lump forming in his throat.

"That's, uhhh, that's crazy! Everyone knows the Geth don't move beyond the veil!"

"You were there on Eden Prime when they attacked, Priest. We've documented your ship on recordings."

Priest swallowed hard, but did his best to keep what composure he had.

"I was just visiting family. No need to break out the law books."

"Relax, Mr. Priest. We're not aiming to punish, at least not if you agree. We want to offer you a job."

Priest's eyebrow rose so high that it threatened to tear right off of his forehead.

"What...kind of job?"

"A job that would play to your...special abilities. We need someone who can make it onto a planet unseen and carry out a mission. If you agree, the council has agreed to turn their eyes away from your...operations and give you a clean slate."

Priest grinned widely once more.

"That's all you want? You have the best pilot and ship in the galaxy for that, lady. Where we looking to go?"

"Rannoch."

The grin disappeared in an instant, Priest's face slumping back down into a disbelieving stupor at the mention of the Quarian homeworld.

"Can't you just kill me now?"

"It's him Arseg, I know it," Barlas said as he lowered his hand from the chip in his ear, a receptor eavesdropping on the conversation between Priest and the councilor.

"It sounds like he's in council business, Barlas. We can't stop him now without turning a few heads," Arseg replied, scratching his burned arm and sniffing the burned residue under his fingernails.

"You don't think I know that?" Barlas took a moment to breathe in heavily, "But did you hear what the Asari Councilor said? She wants him to go to Rannoch."

Arseg stopped sniffing his fingers and looked over at Barlas with his beady, crimson eyes. Even for someone as insane as him, the idea of journeying to Rannoch was absurd - beyond absurd: it was suicidal. "But, no one has stepped foot on Rannoch for..how long? That place is infested with.." Arseg snarled and spit on the ground as a sign of disgust, "..Geth."

"I know, I know Arseg. So there has to be some reason why the councilor would send Priest there. There's got to be something big, and I want to know what," Barlas whispered, getting wary of unwanted ears and eyes.

"You don't mean...try to join him? That would be suicide, Barlas! Suicide!" Arseg growled, trying to hold on to his composure, "There has to be some other tree we can bark up, right?"

Barlas shook his head and said, "Arseg, you know he is the best. We have been tracking him for what, 2 years now? And now we only just caught wind of him at Eden Prime. And you know how well that went over - that Reaper showed up. Which, by the way, leads me to believe that this has something to do with that thing showing up."

Arseg's bones shivered every time Barlas mentioned the Reapers - something he had no knowledge of prior to his dealing with Barlas. He simply questioned, "How can you be so sure that it was..whatever you said, a Reaper?"

Barlas snapped back, "I know it was Arseg. I know. To have power, one must have knowledge. Although my knowledge on the Reapers, like the information there is out there on them, is very limited, I know that it most certainly was one. But I don't know what that means, I have pretty much gathered that they have long been extinct. This...appearance of one," Barlas took in another deep breath, "could mean for something big coming this way. And where there's something big.."

"..there's money to be made. I know, Barlas." Arseg finished his sentence. "But, what's our next step?"

Barlas' breathing grew heavier, his eyes moved frantically as they surveyed his surroundings. His eyes mimicked his thoughts. He knew that going with Priest could very well mean his death, but he also knew that if he helped Priest, a partnership could almost certainly be made. And, whatever there was to be found on Rannoch could potentially bring him the greatest riches he could hope for. He finished his thoughts and commanded, "We go to the Rosa 2, sneak on board, and wait for the chance to talk with Priest."

"Yes sir," Arseg followed, holstering his assault rifle and changing his direction towards the docks.

Three fingers tapped down on the steel table. Triplets of percussion filling the silence between the Asari Councilor and Priest, legs crossed and a bruise slowly but surely forming over his right eye. After every few seconds, Priest stopped his rattling, passing a contemplative glance to the Councilor, and then continued the motion of his fingers. He cupped his hand around the scruff on his chin, sweating thermal clips.

"Mr. Priest," the Councilor spoke, her brow now slightly furrowed, "would you care to hear the rest of our job?"

"Is there a part where I don't get vaporized?" Priest struck the table with all of his fingertips, his other hand running through his hair. "The way I see it, it's a dead man's gambit. I get blown into deep space either way. I say no and I'm on the first shuttle to Purgatory. I say yes and eat Geth plasma. If I stay here I can get a decent meal first, at least."

The Councilor sighed, folding her hands upon the table. The lighting, while scarce in the room, shone down behind the tentacle-like crests on her head like that of an angel, accentuating the already natural Asari beauty. Even in this position, Priest couldn't help but admire the sight.

"Mr. Priest, isn't this what you've made your living on? We're not asking you to stay, just to deliver a special cargo to the surface of Rannoch and then sneak back out of the Perseus Veil."

"Out?!" Priest scoffed, "Nobody makes it in to the Veil! Nobody makes it near the Veil! The Geth'll have me pinged before I have a chance unless I can magically hide from radars, but I don't have the cash for that."

"You're a resourceful man. Your kind has already come up with the technology to do so, as you probably know, considering the design of your ship. A few purchases and a delivery like any other, and you're free to," the Councilor cringed as she spoke, as if her own words weighed tension on her tongue, "conduct business without interference."

It was suicide, plain and simple...but the chance made Priest's mouth water. A lifetime of free business, never needing to look over his shoulder again. He was screwed either way, yet one option had that thin sliver of gold around it.

"All you need some cargo dropped?"

"You never need to set foot on the planet."

"....I'm in."

"Excellent. You'll be released shortly, Mr. Priest. You'll need to pick up your cargo on a few various planets. It would be dangerous to keep it together, you see. A list of locations and contacts will be provided. The personnel listed would be very useful upon your ship for the short venture." The Councilor stood, bowing her head in a feigned show of respect. "Your cooperation is appreciated."

"Yeah, yeah," Priest grunted as he stood, stretching out, "just get me out of here, and get me my dang hat!"

-------------------------------

The docks of the Citadel were known for their radiant views; a sort of quiet beauty one could lose themselves in before taking off for the deep expanses of space. Unlike the rest of the station where rambunctious business and loud media advertisements numbed the senses to overload, the docks were the last bastion of tranquility where a scarce soul could be found.

This was the scene as Arseg and Barlas arrived.

The Citadel had begun to settle into its "night phase", the skyline below and overhead glowing in shades of violet and orange, preparing to drift to sleep. Sleep like the deactivated ship docked ahead, dark grays and reds coming together in a sleek design that reminisced of both Human and Turian origins. A small ship, the vessel glimmered in the late day light but a closer view would pick out the various dents, scratches, and other defects covered with basic patches or not at all.

It had seen better days, but the Rosa II was still better off than the Rosa I, which could or could not still have been smoldering on the small moon where the band of Batarian raiders had left it.

Barlas and Arseg arrived at the front of the Rosa II, each passing their own judgments of the exterior of the ship. "Could definitely use some work, Barlas," Arseg said with a snicker, "How are we supposed to even come close to the Veil in this thing?"

Barlas noticed that the Rosa II needed a bit of work to improve it, but for what it was in serving Priest, it was a beyond formidable ship. Barlas admired the hybrid of Human and Turian work and was rather puzzled on how Priest came across this vessel. "It's not a bad ship, Arseg. It could use improvements.." Barlas looked down at his codex, going to pull up prototype schematics for ships of this type that he managed to get a hold of in his underground dealings. He pulled up a few and handed it to Arseg while saying, "..and we can help him out with that."

Astonished at the plans Barlas had in his codex, Arseg became enamored with the thought of entering the Veil: they would be fighting whoever came before them, all the while making credits with imaginary items that can only be accessed inside the Veil or on Rannoch that came to his head. Arseg handed the codex back to Barlas and asked, "So, how do we get on board?"

"Excellent question, my friend. In our walk here, I questioned whether it was a completely sound idea to sneak aboard the man's ship. I suggest we wait here, take in the Citadel night life, and speak to him," Barlas replied. He put the codex back, breathing in and trying to scan his surroundings for any unwanted attention.

"So what do you think they're going to have us do, Barlas?" Arseg asked while lighting a cigarette. The smoke was far more welcoming to his lungs than any air on the Citadel. To him, the quality of life on a planet was measured by just how much smoke was in the air on a regular basis. He viewed the Citadel as a "purified floating piece of metal," something his body would easily trade in if it meant spending time on a more hospitable planet such as Tuchanka or Barlas' homeworld of Irune.

"I'm not sure, Arseg. There's an air of uncertainty in the councilor's voice, that's for sure. I believe it's something they cannot fully grasp themselves. Something that I cannot fully grasp myself. I hardly even know much of these Reapers. Information from the public databases is limited, information from our contacts closer to the Veil is limited, and even information from the Shadow Broker is limited. This just sparks my interest even more. Who knows what capital we could come into from working with Priest on whatever he is set to do." Barlas began breathing heavier after replying to Arseg with this. There was something uneasy about the place he was in at the moment. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt uncomfortable.

Arseg shed his previous feelings of fear and said, "Well whatever they're having him do, I'm sure I'll be able to burn a few bodies, rip apart something, and listen to some Mozart. If anything, I'm excited!" Arseg began chuckling at these pleasant thoughts of carnage. His bloodlust hadn't been quenched in some time.

"Arseg, on second thought, maybe we should try to lay a bit more low. We're being careless," Barlas whispered with a clear tone of worrying in his voice. With this, Barlas gave Arseg a temporary cloaking device. The two vanished as they waited for Priest to arrive.
______________________________________

"It's them. I can tell. They're waiting by some ship at the Citadel docks - too open for a firefight," a Drell scout said into his comlink. He had been watching Barlas and Arseg from afar.

"Excellent work, Yarsan. It wasn't my intention to start a firefight at this point anyway. Did you manage to launch your tracking device?"

Yarsan got out of his crouching position while holstering his sniper rifle, equipped with tracking darts. He replied, "Yes sir. I think the Volus felt uneasy about something, though. They used their cloaks."

"No matter, the Volus suspects nothing. Come back to the ship. I have a plan for them, but now isn't the time."

"Right away," Yarsan said. He ran towards the underbelly of the Citadel unsure of what the next step was, but certain that his boss had a calculated plan as usual.

As he stepped from C-Sec HQ into the open canvas that as the Presidium, Priest arch his head skyward to the twisting dust of the nebula overhead. It was one thing to see the blue skies projected throughout the Citadel, but to look into the true sky, if one could call it that, from the station and into the swirl of pinks and purples and the distant sigils of starlight in the distance was something not many humans trapped on Earth could claim they've done.

Priest twisted his face, hoping his pursing lips could, perhaps, locate where his common sense was when he had made his deal, but here he was. It'd be easy to just hop aboard his ship, cruise off back into the Terminus systems and hope for the best, but the temptation of free business for the rest of his life was too good to pass up. Add into the fact that there was one step left should he run from the Council: The Spectres. Having a Spectre or two on his trail wouldn't end well, and Priest knew it. He dusted off the brown cowboy hat at his side, examining it to make sure not a section was creased and everything was as it should be, before placing the article with care upon his head.

"Well," he closed one eye just a little tighter than the other one, "guess we gotta see what this cargo is."

Priest stepped slowly, calmly through the Presidium and toward the docks. The easiest path would have been through C-Sec where he had come from, but it was a rare moment when Mason Priest could walk the Citadel without fear of arrest. He was going to enjoy it.

With the passing of an hour, the lights above the dock elevator illuminated, and with a signalling chime the glass doors slid open to allow Priest to enter the docks. He was alone, just how he liked it. Well, not entirely. His girl was still there waiting, wearing her battle scars just how Priest liked her.

"Hey, baby", he said to his ship with a grin, "we got ourselves a big job, this time."

The duo noticed Priest and his admiration for his ship. In an effort to not alarm Priest too much with their reappearance, Barlas to deactivate his cloak first. The odds of being startled by a Volus were fairly slim, but a Volus and a Vorcha might throw a person off a bit too much and push them away.

"Hello, earth-clan," Barlas said while extending out his hand,"I am Barlas Dol. I'm a Volus who has been tracking you for quite a long time, now. We've been wanting to offer you some sort of 'proposition' in business terms. Without going further into this speech, I will tell you that I have my associate and friend, Arseg with me. Arseg, feel free to deactivate your cloak."

With that, Arseg reappeared. His eyes were fixated on Priest, surveying him up and down. This is the guy we've been after for so long? Hmph, I thought he'd be a bit more...intimidating, he thought to himself. After lighting another cigarette, he motioned his hand in a haphazard wave at Priest. The two assumed nonthreatening stances as to show Priest no harm was meant towards him.

"Now Mason Priest, before we discuss much longer in this widely public area, care to invite us onboard? We have caught wind of part of your so called 'big job,' and we would like to hear more. How about 500 credits for your time?" Barlas asked Priest while reaching for his datapad to transfer the credits over. Underneath his mask was a smirk. Barlas was employing the age-old act of spending money to make money, and when it came to the latter, there would be tenfold of his investment to be made.

"You 'caught wind?'" Priest eyed up the volus from under the brim of his hat, especially the extended hand that hung in the air waiting for him to shake it, taking enough time to pass a glance full of caution to the extra-crispy vorcha. To the average human, the vorcha were judged as dangerous creatures because of all the things they didn't know about them. To a human born on Omega, such as Priest, the vorcha were seen as dangerous because of how well known they were. "I'm sure you boys were just taking a nice, scenic stroll through C-SEC headquarters. You know, with your cloaking devices."

Priest reached out, not to take the Volus' hand, but to dig into his own pocket and follow Arseg's example, producing a cigarette and a lighter. He ignited the end, taking a long drag. It didn't get rid of the anxiety pouring down on him, but it helped.

"I think I've heard your name on Omega, Barlas. Pretty nasty things they're sayin' 'bout you," Priest took the cigarette between his fingers and motioned toward Arseg, "and I'd recognize gorgeous over here, anywhere. Half the Gozu District still smells like smoke."

Priest took a final, deep drag from his cigarette before dropping it to the ground and putting it out with his heel. Without so much as another glance, he stepped past the Volus and his bodyguard, heading toward his ship.

"Next time, don't tell your mark that you've been stalking them. Oh, and thanks for the credits."

"I like him, Barlas!" Arseg exclaimed while chuckling.

Barlas put his hand back down at his side and said, "Heard of me on Omega, eh? Interesting, earth-clan. And I have heard just as much about you - primarily your arrogance and fixation with that hat of yours," Barlas took a deep breath in, "but how about you abandon this standoffish attitude and speak with us? There can be plenty more credits where that came from. We can have a mutual, beneficial relationship. If what you heard of me is true, then you will know that I know how to make credits." Underneath his mask, Barlas was beaming with pride. He had received just the reaction that he had expected in meeting Priest. Barlas knew that Priest was justified in his words.

Barlas continued, "I'm a businessman, first and foremost. And I'm sure you know I can handle my own.."

Arseg scoffed.

Barlas looked at his counterpart and said, "...with the help of my friend here. Whatever you want, I can help you with. All we want to do is talk."

"IES", Priest responded, stopping on his heel.

He turned, looking over his shoulder and back to the volus and the vorcha. "Internal Emission Sink, the whole stealth system shebang. You've been watching me, so you know the story, but there's only so much in my line of work that good flying will do."

Priest turned his eyes to the battle-scarred ship, a small grin creeping up on him. "She's a good ship, like her big sister Normandy in almost every way...except the IES. You want the ladt to let you in, you gotta get her a gift first."

Barlas had prepared for a demand like this. He pulled up his codex again and replied, "Anything you need for your ship, earth-clan, you will receive it."

Arseg never really appreciated stealth and always preferred, well, a firefight. He was one of those types to really fight to the very end; when the black sludge in his veins would burst out and coat his fiery skin, he would just keep pressing forward, setting anything in sight ablaze. He did, however, understand why someone would want stealth on their ship. Arseg thought people like Barlas or rather, anyone who isn't Arseg unless they were a Krogan, would most likely back down when the odds seemed too great. He looked down at the codex and back up at Priest and said, "My fat friend means what he is saying. I haven't seen him not been able to get anything once." Arseg snickered and lit another cigarette.

"Take a look, Mason Priest. Weapons, shields, a better engine, anything... there is nothing that I cannot acquire. I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the possibilities..and this is only the beginning, my friend," Barlas said. He stood there, scanning Priest to see how he would respond. He was sure that he piqued his interest by now: all he had to do was mention the possibilities for improvement for the Rosa II beyond the stealth system.

Priest cupped a hand over the scruff of his chin, stroking it ever so slightly in contemplation. It was a casual move, but beneath it was more: he was taken aback. They weren't discussing everyday ship parts; they were discussing all but classified technology and Barlas spoke as if the threat would be all but non-existent. Priest fumbled his lips a bit. Conversation was his battleground and even though he was the one with his face exposed, they both were wearing masks.

Priest though that either the volus was one of the most well-connected people he had come into contact with, or the dumbest blowhard. That IES though...it would make all the difference. With that installed he would at least have a fighting chance of getting into the Veil without being spaced.

Priest turned his back to the duo, heading once again for the docking bridge attached to the Rosa II. The door slide open with an de-pressurizing hiss, toying with the brim of Priest's hat. Before taking another step, Priest called back to the volus and vorcha.

"You comin' or what?"

Arseg ashed his cigarette on his tongue and threw the butt at the ground. He looked over to Barlas and motioned for him to go first. "After you, my friend," Arseg said in an almost sarcastic sounding tone, but he was sincere in his gesture. Although Arseg was rather insane, he did have an immense respect for his smaller, fatter, counterpart.

Barlas breathed in and walked forward. He began to think of the stops they would have to take and the credits he would have to use in order to get these improvements to the Rosa II, but he also had to keep the endgame in mind. Whatever we find at the end, he thought, it better be worth it. The idea of working with Priest had not completely escaped his thoughts, but the idea that he could be coming in contact with something so classified that only the council knew about had him beyond elated. His fingers tingled, a good omen in terms of credits coming his way. He didn't know what was really behind the Veil, and even if he was one of the more connected people in the galaxy, he wouldn't be able to even guess.

Arseg began humming something resembling one of Mozart's many symphonies..14, 17, 20? It was largely just in his head. It was rather unfitting for the moment, but whenever Arseg started feeling a bit uneasy, he would begin humming some orchestral piece. His knowledge of this music is largely due in part to Barlas, but Arseg had a taste for classical music before he met his friend. There was something about it that was soothing. To him, it could play as fast and as slow as a fire can burn. Often in a firefight he would be playing some piece through the speakers on his armor. Was it practical? Of course not. Did it make for an interesting scene? You bet.

The two followed Priest aboard the Rosa II, anxious to get into the specifics of whatever they were going to do.

With a second gasp, the door to the Rosa II slid open. A light mist wafted past the ankles (and in Barlas' case, knees), and with the adjustment of their eyes, Arseg and Barlas could finally see...an empty ship. The main deck on which they stepped on was dimly lit like a dive bar. The floor was cluttered, piles of boxes stacked on top of each other where ever space could be afforded; each box tagged with different languages, some torn slightly on the top to allow the tech pieces inside to stretch out.

Priest weaved around the hodgepodge of stored junk in the neck of the ship toward a larger, opened segment in the back with ease. Years of practice had done him good.

The section was wide, lined around the outside ring with empty chairs positioned at computer stations, all deactivated. In the center, a large multi-person terminal housing a navigational HUB at its core.

"Welcome, gents, aboard The Rosa II," said Priest with enthusiasm. He still stood calm, judging the two strangers behind him, but this was his lady he was speaking about. Rosa was the loveliest creature flying the stars; why wouldn't he be proud? "She's a beaut, ain't she?"

"Warning: Unauthorized personnel aboard. Warning: Unauthorized personnel aboard."

The lights and screens around the party ignited all at once, 'WARNING' scrolling left to right in pulsing yellow across them all. The digital voice repeated the warning continuously in its monotone fashion.

Priest shook his head, "Damn it. Percy! Hey, Percy! It's cool, they're with me!"

"Warning: Unauthorized personnel aboard. Warning: Unauthorized personnel aboard."

"Percy, Override Beatle Trio."

The recycled air hung thick for a moment, the repeated warning halting. With a jovial chime, the screens and lights returned to a soft white, running through diagnostics on their own as if a crew of ghosts were working the keyboards.

"Override: confirmed! Apologies for any inconvenience, Captain Priest and guests of Captain Priest."

"Don't worry about it," Priest turned his attention back to the volus and vorcha, motioning upward with his thumb. "Let me introduce the crew. This, well, all of this is Percy."

"Correction, Captain," the computerized voice interrupted, "I am Percival: Virtual Crew Interface. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Yeah, whatever, you're percy."

Priest glanced around the deck in searching. He took up a large box and set it down between himself and his 'guests', then repeated the action with a smaller box before taking a seat atop it.

"Pull up a seat, boys. You want to talk business, let's talk business. Percy,play audio track: Rolling Stones 'Gimme Shelter', low volume."

And the music began to play.

Arseg hardly took part in the "business" side of their partnership but nonetheless listened in. He sat down on a chair and began humming to himself.

Barlas took a seat and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Percival," he took a deep breath in while scanning the copious amounts of junk around him. He was unsure of what these boxes contained, but that question would have to be posed at a later time. He looked up at Priest and said, "Well, yes, let's talk business now.

As I said before, my friend and I have been trying to come into contact with you for quite some time. You're an elusive one, that's for sure. Although your record might have some doubting your abilities, I can tell you are one of the finer smugglers in the galaxy. I am an established businessman, Mason Priest. I'm sure you know a bit about both of the sides of me: the business side and well.." Barlas coughed

"The side that likes to work with me," Arseg laughed. He went to smoke another cigarette.

"..yes, the side that works with my friend. I am a Volus who has connections that span across numerous planets. I can acquire things that need to be acquired. I know how to get around obstacles. I can persuade most and if that doesn't work, I can certainly send a few credits their way. If all of that fails, well," Barlas motioned over to Arseg, "he handles it. I've learned how to hold my own. I'm quite useful with a sniper and this tactical cloak of mine.

What drives me is what drives most of the Volus clan: the lure of the credit. I am honest when it comes to my desires in pursuits. I want to make money. If an opportunity presents itself, I will take it. I will go forth with the most direct and efficient path. I don't exactly know what you're planning on doing, but I want to be a part of it. This can be the start of a prosperous partnership, earth-clan," Barlas turned to Arseg and asked, "Do you want to add anything?"

Arseg blew smoke out of his mouth and looked at the two. What did Barlas want him to say that he didn't already say? He decided to go along with the "sales pitch routine" and said, "If it can be set on fire, it will be. If it can't I'll find a way. Don't get in my way when there is a firefight. I'll help you out if you help me out. Let's get some money. Let's bring some havoc along the way. Most importantly: let's burn every motherfucker that wants to stop us!"