going fishing [ open ]

[descens]

who ; Lev, the Underworld and YOU (remember to tag in!)
what ; Lev has invited a couple of Sacrosanct's residents to meet in confidence with him. He may be getting more than he expected.
where ; Asphodel - Underworld shadow market, equatorial tunnel section
when ; after his transmission
warning(s) ; TBD. Please see event notes.

Comments

[cmdr_renegade]

"Alright, biggun," Shepard returned flatly.

The password was a mash of letters, something akin to KKV 41:1. It didn't really matter, this guy didn't look particularly interested in hearing a trail of letters and stories from anyone. If he was here to keep her from getting in, Lev was an idiot, and from what she could tell, he wasn't. That meant the big guy with the gun, had an alternate job.

He was either here to weed out unwanted guests, a task which didn't expressly require that particular caliber of weapon, or keep something else out.

At any rate, he was no more her concern than she was his, and Shepard didn't like wasting time.

"There once was a man from Nantucket. Couldn't carry a tune with a bucket. He stole a slip freighter and made it to Maeter, and if you don't let me in, I'm going to shoot out your fucking knees."

Shepard tightened her grip on her pistol.

"Lev invited me down here for a little chat regarding that AI and just how to unplug it. I want to know the answer, and he wants to give it," She continued. "Now I have no problem with you, assuming you take a few steps to the side and let us through. I'd like to have my covert conversation, whether Lev serves tea or not."

[singularitynpcs]

"Oh, okay," the guard countered. "Let me just check the guest list here and fuck you."

And just like that, it wasn't not just him anymore. And apart from his human backup, there was a ceiling-mounted cannon aimed straight at her head.

So was a small camera. But that was always there, winking its lens in the dim market lights.

"We ain't here to play games, princess, and we don't care about whatever fancy-ass conversation you say you had with Lev. You better turn back around and come back with an invitation."

[cmdr_renegade]

A handful of heavily armed guards and a ceiling mount turret. These guys weren't joking, and they surely weren't here for visitors. Whatever they were really on the lookout for, it was big, and it was bad news. Shepard let her vision slide across them, they hadn't fired yet, but they looked fully prepared to do so.

"You really going to waste this ordinance on us?" Shepard asked evenly. She wasn't particularly comfortable looking down this many long, large barrels, but they didn't need to know that. "Risk us putting more than a dent in your security just so you can hear me jabber back the stupid job-code he passed out?"

A good, old-fashioned stand-off. It had been a while, and she really didn't miss them.

"Or is one of you going to run back there and tell Lev we've arrived?"

1/2

[singularitynpcs]

One of the other guards scoffed-- a woman, obviously slighter but no less tough. The way she moved her balance back and forth on her feet said everything about her potential speed, how she could dart through the doorway and have her gun at the back of Shepard's head in a second's notice.

"Are you done?" she demanded. "You don't know what the fuck you've walked into, do you? This isn't a fucking socialite gathering, bitch. You've got three fucking seconds--"

[descens]

"Stand down."

The voice cuts clear across the market, and the effect is instantaneous. Beyond Shepard, a wall of people suddenly parts, receding to either side of the pathway into the shadows of the tents. The guards, including both grunts which spoke before, lower their weapons to their ribs and step immediately aside.

The ceiling cannon stayed fixed where it was.

Lev had a presence to him, even in person. It was something hyperreal, you might even think holographic, except he was very much solid, in the way he moved, muscles tight in his neck, to the entrance way.

One thing, perhaps, was that he wasn't as tall. 5'11" or so, really, but quite muscular for all that.

"Maybe you should study up on your ancient literature, Commander Shepard."

[cmdr_renegade]

"Yeah, I'll get right on that," Shepard returned and lowered her weapon. She dropped her fist and gave a similar command to those behind her.

So this was Lev.

Lev, who apparently handed out job codes that were references to ancient literature. Ancient literature that was, apparently, the actual pass-code. It was circuitous in a way she neither appreciated, nor regularly dealt with. It hadn't even occurred to her to cross reference their pass-code, and given the distinct lack of Humans currently on deck with her, it wasn't surprising that no one had suggested it.

She, very briefly, wondered if any of their home planets even used a system of catalog like humans, then she remembered that this was a very recently diffused situation, and she was thinking about libraries of all things.

Lev wasn't just some schmuck playing soldier underground. By the looks of these guards, and how absolute their attention was, he was doing far more than playing. He had their loyalty in a way she could, very firmly, respect. This might not have been a ship, but it was close enough, in principle. Lev was the commanding officer, and she'd acknowledge him as such, here.

"So," Shepard prefaced evenly, ignoring the firm beat of her pulse in her ears, "We have permission to enter?"

[savor_last_shot]

Garrus slowly lowered his rifle from where it had been firmly pointed at the mounted cannon that was still disconcertingly pointed at them. Or Shepard, in particular. If things went to Hell he thought he could overload it before it wasted the whole group - that's what shields were for, after all. He didn't exactly like this kind of reception, but with Shepard you tended to get used to it.

Besides, this Lev looked like he had some serious help. Not to mention loyal, even if Garrus was sure Shepard's team could carve through them like a hot knife through a hanar's tentacle. Not particularly eager to find out, of course, but if it came down to it....

Human literature? He'd never heard of it. Maybe Legion would've been better for that kind of thing. "And here I thought we were finally finished with having guns pointed at us."

[eighttotwelve]

Much like his fellow sniper, Thane was prepared to shoot, one way or the other. Protecting Shepard was an unquestionable thought, and if it came down to a shoot out, Thane would pull his trigger.

It's easier to move without the bloodshed, though.

Slowly, his gun is lowered. At least this Lev character kept true to his word, more or less. He glances to Garrus, answering wryly, "Would it be Shepard's crew if there was a lack of hostility from others?"

1/2

[descens]

Lev shook his head, turning, the mere swing of his shoulder enough to gesture Shepard and her men forward into the camp.

It wasn't disappointment, per se, but maybe slight exasperation. There were certain skills he would expect any of his allies to know and how to search for keywords was one of them. He couldn't waste time on some ridiculous cadre from another universe that had somehow advanced to the space age without Google. If nothing else, he didn't consider himself a very good fucking teacher for that kind of thing.

Well. His opinion of Shepard's intellect had taken a hit, but he couldn't knock her bravery. He wasn't sure how he'd deal with that many guns in his face. Probably faster, but that was him.

That could still make her useful, at any rate.

"Come up to the control tent as soon as you're situated, Commander. Try not to agitate my men too much in the mean time."

That said, he strode off, leaving her in the company of the guards once again as the crowd pressed in.

[singularitynpcs]

Guards whose attention was now firmly fixed on some of Shepard's companions. While Lev had only glanced at the non-humans and wavered more explicitly on the synthetics in her party, the armed men seemed determined to make their point about the latter.

"That doesn't come in," the female guard said firmly, pointing to Legion. "Or you're putting it in autistic mode, one or the other."

[cmdr_renegade]

"It's with me," Shepard defended without thought as she holstered her pistol. Her hand never left the grip. She glanced at the guard and offered a short roll of the shoulder before adding, flatly: "Besides, if it does something you don't like, it's a good excuse to put a bullet in both of us."

She lifted a hand and motioned into the camp with a quick flick of the wrist. They'd get a reading of the locale first, then she'd have a chat with Lev.

"Problem with that?" Shepard followed up. "I'd hate to agitate you unnecessarily."

[singularitynpcs]

If Shepard was expecting to get a rise out of the guards, she'd be disappointed. The woman guard's expression didn't flicker.

"Autistic mode," she repeated, stressing it. "And don't take it near any electronics."

The matter was over, though, that was pretty clear. They would enforce Lev's rules to a T, but he'd given them permission and everyone in the camp just had to work with it. She stepped aside, likewise the big guy.

[savor_last_shot]

Garrus just elbowed past one the guards as they moved on, exchanging a long look with them. He was used to this. Two sides eying each other up and waiting for the other side to twitch first. It wasn't anything new - and twitch or not, Shepard's crew could handle a lot. He shook his head and moved on. They were loyal - which was a slight notch in their favor, but Garrus had known a lot of criminal thugs who were loyal to their boss. And they'd all been on the wrong side.

[notyourchauffer]

And Skyfire.

Poor Skyfire who had hung back and towered behind everyone the entire time passed through, wincing a smile to the guards. He looked utterly mortified. He wasn't exactly into using violence or confrontation. Though quietly he was grateful. He was well-read in a lot of human literature, but anything religious was left untouched.

The words 'I'm sorry' were mouthed to them as they passed. He didn't imagine it would make much of a difference.

The one thing that irked him was their treatment of Legion. They apparently had no respect for inorganic life forms. It gave him a small rush of indignant irritation, but he swallowed that and moved on.

All the more reason to keep his identity a secret.

[modelscientist]

Mordin followed the others in, sparing the guards an appraising look before he went back to scanning things with his omnitool. It's nothing he hasn't seen before. Big men who think they're very tough and want to enforce their rules on people. Made sense though, since they were in their territory. On the other hand, such things rarely impressed him. He was smaller than most of them, that was true, but he was dangerous in his own right. All the better that they underestimate him. He glanced at Charles.

"Feeling alright?"

[notyourchauffer]

Skyfire winced again and then smiled down at Mordin. It was... an exceeding comfort to have him around. He reminded him woefully of Percepotor, one of the few amongst the Autobots who had given him the time of day.

"Yes... I'm alright. Just..."

Well. He wasn't unfamiliar with having to apologize for other people. Particularly Starscream and even some of the Autobots (Sideswipe and Sunstreaker).

Regardless, they pressed on.