ISS Downrider
Glasawyr's search did not turn up too much, though his lack of orientation with the ship didn't help. The ship beyond the cargo bay was relatively cramped, with nearly half the ships interior space dedicated to holding cargo alone. He could find slight evidence of rummaging through scent, mostly a gentle walk-through and a jostle of some crew members belongings. The only thing that heavily carried the scent of unions was a black plastic calling card sitting on the dashboard of the ship- a repeat of the card given to the crew way back on Bivona. There was however a strangely foul scent in the vents somewhere, something both sickly sweet and rotten at the same time. The smell could not be described.
But between you and I, it smelled like Folly.
Cargo Bay
Bryce's head hung more and more to the side as Marie's diatribe continued, the lanky bang of hair laid across his head falling more out of place each time. It took the man a moment to comprehend just what the blazing depths this engineer was going on about, but after a moment of processing the chaotic argument he pieced together the key conclusion. "I could say that's true but..." the man pointed a finger over to Tara as he leaned on one foot "I have plenty of reasons to believe your little friend has been deceiving you for more selfish reasons than mere coding."
Alioth rolled her head to the side limply, speaking quietly as she looked down at the newly accused. "I think there's enough anomalies to question that coding, too..." Tara took a step back, staring up at the two with no break in fixation. The Overseer jammed a finger at them in agitation, the folding casing surrounding it blasting away from the arm much more violently than usual. "You don't know the first thing about me or my actions."
Dahlia's eyebrow furrowed as her annoyance boiled over. In temper, the Captain swung the revolver over to point at the Overseer. The robot turned, raising a hand defensively. "I don't think we know that either, and we've been listening to you for months now." Dahlia jammed a thumb in the direction of Romulus. "There is a man on this ship WANTED by my own damn employers who has been more forthcoming than you."
Tara reacted fiercely, stepping to the backfoot. "I've told you everything we agreed to back on Loinia." Dahlia lashed back. "You've snaked your way around every question I've asked you, and the answers you've given could have been told in five minutes." Bryce gave a brief grin at Alioth behind the scenes, quite satisfied with this alternative form of dissuasion.
"Actually," Bryce intervened, "we know quite a lot about you. You've let down a number of people, some of which aren't too happy with how you left them." Tara took another step back, her head snapping between the inquisitor Dahlia and the snake Arvero. She began to have a sharp comeback, but came to a realization of his words just before it could emerge. Beyond frustration, the Overseer did the only thing they seemed to know how, they ran. A process that involved moving or throwing anyone in their stomping path between the Cargo Bay and exit of the ship.
Dahlia shook her hands with anger as OSC-01 fled through the back, eventually having to holster the handgun before an accident could happen. The livid Captain was ready to give chase, calmed only slightly by Vargas reassurance. "You're... right." Before Dahlia could leave, Bryce stepped in to try and seal a deal. "He is right, you know it. I must admit we don't remember much, but what I do remember..."
Without hesitation, the captain of the Arcandum Union stepped off the barrels, hopping to the floor with a swoop. A sign of new trust amid the now split crew, Arvero raised his gauntlet to the air as he hovered a hand- and wing- behind Vargas and Dahlia. "It was beautiful."
From the gauntlet rose a spectacle of orange light, which formed into coherent and colorful shapes over time. What was painted before them was a gleaming metropolis, intricately shaped buildings adorning a skyline that stretched over dozens of stacked roads and walkways. Above the scene laid a most magnificent device, an enormous floating pavilion that stood resting over the city like a watchtower. Hundreds of tiny vehicles dotted the skies in projected lanes, moving around at breakneck speeds. Nature had been cultivated carefully, highlighting the many skyscrapers with perfectly trimmed greenery. "Avisten, the gem of the republic. Technology beyond your wildest imagination, urban chaos quelled. Perfect order, perfect living." Bryce continued, before pointing to Alitoh. "Surely you remember something of it as well?"
Alioth responded flatly. "I remember it was always cold out." Bryce clenched the corner of his mouth, flopping his free hand. "Not exactly helping A-" The man was interrupted as he quickly dodged a swing from the Downrider's captain, interrupting the propaganda film. "I don't have time for this, Arvero." The Captain quelled her rage for a moment, still torn over losing what she was beginning to consider a friend. "You come into my ship uninvited, steal my property, harm my crew. I don't give a rats fucking ass if you were sent by some god themselves. Give me the book, and we'll talk."
Arvero stepped back as Alioth peered down at an attempt to get into the Captain's thoughts. She didn't seem to care much for what she found there. "Ah ah, this book must be returned, Overseer or not." Bryce stowed the book away form the two as Satori approached slowly. "But I'll tell you what, once they're done processing all this I'll have it back to you as soon as I can- fully intact. Then you know you can trust me," Bryce extended a hand, "what do you say? Might just save some folk in the process."
Dahlia stepped back from the man, the Arcadian. What she was looking for was right here at the shake of a hand, but it all felt so twisted. She knew this could be a legitimate offer, or this could be the last she saw of the Codex. However, there was already too much on their plate here, getting crushed beneath Satori for trying to take it wasn't in her best interests. The Captain slapped the hand away, to which the owner shook it out with a grimace. "Fine, but you get off my ship, right now. And if I see you back on it uninvited, I won't be second-guessing tazing you on sight"
Bryce stood up straight, knowing when he wasn't wanted and more importantly when to not get shot. "Very well, you have that radio- we'll be in touch." The three union representatives gathered, Satori releasing the captive bouncer in their approach. The Bouncer and tailing Pixy units scrambled out of the Downrider after their overseeing unit. Alioth readied herself, before seeming to punch her crystalized hand straight out of existence. In a purple flash of light, the intangible hand lowered, ripping open a purple seam of light and sparks into the open air. Dahlia covered her eyes briefly as Satori went in first, disappearing completely as the bright rift enveloped their heavy frame. Bryce Arvero stepped into the rift, stopping halfway to address the Downriders once more as Alioth grimaced annoyingly. "There is still hope for you yet, Downtrodders!" he exclaimed, lifting a hand. "But I must tell you! If you refuse to seek our aid-"
Alioth shoved the man the rest of the way through the conduit, finishing his sentence shortly. "Then stay out of our way." The disfigured Arcadian slammed their hands together, closing the rift with a violently clap as they passed by. A purple figment of the woman and an annoyed looking Arvero could be seen for just a fraction of a second before dissolving into a flurry of purple sparks.
---
The shorted Captain was infuriated beyond description. Standing there in silence for a moment with nothing but the idle tremor of her hand, it took a solid minute for the Captain to register everything that had unfolded. After that time had elapsed, Dahlia straightened up, fixing her coat sleeve as she calmly paced to the back of the ISS Downrider. "I still don't trust those two. We'll deal with them once we get the Vigali back on good terms. Friday, continue triage as necessary. Artemis, we need to be ready to leave in five, Glas-"
The Captain turned, yelling down the hall to the wayward dragon-man. "GLAS! Patrol the ship, keep a lookout for that... thing. I don't want it harming anyone, and we need to verify what we can." The Captain paused, her eyebrow twitching as she grabbed the helmet to her new body armor once more. "On that note- all of you." She pointed to the remaining crew that were still standing. "New orders, detain the Overseer. We're getting to the bottom of this before we make liftoff"
With that, the Captain stomped down the cargo ramp of the courier ship and into the cold desert night.
---
Tara paced out across the hardened dirt, their tantrum continuing briefly in private as she processed all of what had just happened. The blazing desert sun had given way at last to a cool night, bathing the sand in a luminescent blue from the massive moon that hung in the sky. Those two knew, they could know everything. Who was their informant? Her mind drifted momentarily back to Ferrus, but he was incapacitated so they said, possibly ruling that one out. Then that leaves only a few left, but many were lost. It couldn't be Avani, could it? She would never do such a thing.
The Overseers train of thought was interrupted as a crackling blast echoed across the quiet night, a high-caliber bullet whizzed through the Overseer's robes, tearing a hole through them before impacting with a plume of dirt ahead of them. Tara did not swing around defensively nor did they duck for cover, she stood stone still and straightened. "I DON'T BELIEVE WE WE'RE DONE." Dahlia yelled over the desert breeze.
Not now, not now, Tara panicked. It didn't have to come to this, it shouldn't have. "ARE YOU GOING TO LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE?"
Tara straightened, turning their head slightly. "He-" After an internal retake, they spoke calmly. "He's right." Dahlia squinted, not dropping the revolver still. "Right about what. For the love of all that is written, tell me what. The lies?"
Tara turned slightly, resting the blunted end of a glaive on the ground as they remained calm- their wit returning. "He's right, that you need to leave- go home. You're setting you and your crew down a dangerous path- with a child no less. You're going to get yourself killed, or worse."
Dahlia seethed, her aiming hand shaking. "I'm not taking orders or life advice from you, you lying prick." The Captain punched their chest momentarily, deafened by pride. "This is my expedition, MY ship, MY CREW!" Dahlia snapped, "and I am DONE playing around your little personal agenda."
"In the interests of this ship and the Vigali, OSC-01 - Tara, whatever the hell your name is- I am taking you in for questioning whether you agree or not." The Captain commanded as she approached the midpoint of the landing zone, bathed in moonlight. Tara simply stood there, head raised in their usual unyielding manner.