Hunted and the Haunted, Part I

[Saerieve]

"So far you've been the one causing me trouble, so figure we're even on that." They're always like this, when you're sitting and they're standing, they think they're the boss. It's a weak act though, because if it wasn't, they could stick with it even after you get up and stand right in front of them, looking down right at them. "Now let's drop the crap. I'm here because you needed me, and based on how that lapdog of yours was acting the other day, you want something done that not many other than me can pull, so drop the attitude because I can walk right out of this place as easily as you claim you can replace me." A woman who looks more of a man than most men on this damn place is sure more of a man than most of 'em, and that deserves respect, but gives her no right to try and boss me around like she's someone. "Now tell me what's this about."

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[Jansen]

"Very well. But I dont think that we should be discussing this here. Follow me." Without waiting for him she moved towards the door, as it opened 2 guards moved to each side of Saerieve to make sure that he couldnt go anywhere else.

Bastia Outpost - Conference room

She led him towards a relatively large room with a large table and a few chairs, as soon as he arrived the guards left the room to wait outside, locking the door behind them. Zito gestured him to sit down, when shebegan to speak again. "You are here because we need your help. As you may or may not know, the Ghosts of Razgriz have been involved in a lot of the research projects that have led our Nation further and further towards its glory. Some of out experiments deal with technology, others however deal with organic things." She sighed, which could have been seen as a sign of annoyance that she had been given this task. "One of he later has gone wrong, you are supposed to track down and return the aftermath. Do you think you can do this?"

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[Saerieve]

"Of course I can, it's kids' play." I was once assigned to assassinate the leader of the Kiretsu and the whore was so frightened she completely disappeared the moment the word got out, and they had to call it off. Don't they know? "What you should've asked though, was the same question with 'will' or 'want' instead of 'can'. Everyone knows about your love for Nomads, ever since Jameson was in charge, or hell even before that, so why should -I- go out of my way to fix your mess?" I didn't want to be here, and she clearly doesn't either, so why the hell is she wasting my time? "Actually, don't answer that. I'm in no mood to through a speech of bull and crap that even you yourself don't believe in."

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[Jansen]

She sighed "This is a tad bit ore complicated than you could imagine. We can not trust our own people to complete this task, otherwise you wouldnt be here now. We require someone from the outside, thats why you have been chosen." She paused for a few seconds. "I know that you search for a purpose, ever since you left the service of the Dragons, I am willing to offer you a purpose. I am even willing to offer you a place among us, should you complete this task. That should be enough of a reason for you to 'want' this, no?"

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[Saerieve]

"No." Yet another self-centered self-righteous group of idiots thinking they know everything and that they're right, claiming to be saints and martyrs and at the same time unable to wipe their own arses, needing someone from 'the outside' to clean up their mess. "I spent three years working for the Dragons, becoming the only 'outsider' they valued more than some of their own pilots, and yet their incompetence was repelling. What makes you think working for you, a group with way lower standards and far dirtier background than Dragons, would in any way be appealing for me?"

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[Jansen]

"We have ties reaching all over Sirius, pulling those leads to things going in the way we expect. How else do you think we tracked you down?" She smiled for the blink of an eye. "We can offer you a live in wealth, should you want it, a live filled with challenging tasks, should you want it, I am fairly certain that, whatever you prefer, we can organize it. However for this to happen you have to complete this one task." She paused. "One single task for an incredible number of options. Would you really want to throw that chance away?"

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[Saerieve]

"And you think being resourceful is all that matters." Sounding confident with such a load of bull takes real talent. She's either a good liar or really can't see the miserable state the Outcasts are in. They at least put the effort in tracking me down, so that should mean whatever mess they're in now is a serious one. "Everyone claims they're right. You're not the first, you're not the last, and also not the only one wanting my ship flying under their transponder. What makes you think you're any different?"

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[Jansen]

"The fact that you have come here. Im fairly sure what effort it takes to find someone that does not want to be found, you could have ran away and we wouldnt have wasted any more ressources in tracking you down. Yet you came here. You were not forced to do so, which I'd consider as a sign of your interest in this task."

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[Saerieve]

"You can say you were lucky enough to catch me in a good enough mood to drop by, but it changes nothing about your group." And they think trying to already take credit for the things I've done would exactly help them how? Why did I even waste my time coming here? "You're knee deep with Nomads and everyone knows it, that's for one. You've been shooting ships with friendly transponder in your home system not long ago. And to top that off, you yourself can't clean up your own mess. You can say you succeeded in making me curios enough to see what sort of delusion would make such a group think I'd help them."

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[Jansen]

"Delusion?" She grinned shortly. "Hardly, what I would call it. You fail to understand that this is a once-in-your-life offer, take it or leave it. If you have no interest of helping us, you are more than welcome to leave this base and never return to a place where we have influence."

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