Chapter 22: Ch. 22 First Meeting
"Well, this is concerning," Ralios quipped, attempting to use humor to cope with the bizarre situation. Mattie responded with a curt "Quite" before moving back to her central console, taking the mirror with her. She continued, "Something else that's concerning is the fact that the tablet is now in a couple of dozen pieces on the floor."
Ralios looked down at the remnants of the shattered stone tablet strewn about his feet. Meanwhile, the medical officer approached and began examining Ralios with a bright light, poking and prodding at his head and body. When she forcibly plucked one of his feathers to get a better look at it, Ralios couldn't help but yelp in discomfort. He appealed to Mattie, saying, "Mattie! Can you stop having this random person molest me for a moment so we can talk!"
However, Mattie remained focused on her console, typing away and pulling up holographic displays. Without looking back at him, she delivered the unsettling news, "That's the problem, we don't have a moment. The buyers were already informed of your arrival, and they are on their way."
Mattie continued, her voice tinged with regret, "Honestly, this is my fault. I never should have let you touch the damn thing. Now, trouble is heading for us, and he's expecting."
As Ralios observed Mattie's demeanor, he couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. Her usually composed and closed-off disposition had given way to something different, something he couldn't quite place. The sight of this change sent shivers down Ralios's spine.
Summoning his courage, he asked in a cautious tone, "I know you don't want to tell me, but, uh, who is the buyer? Is it the Void Reavers?"
Mattie let out a sigh and locked eyes with Ralios. "No, it's not the Void Reavers," she confessed, her voice laden with concern. "It's this new player. They don't have a name, but it's run by this guy. I don't have much info on him, but from our previous meeting, I've concluded he is barely Aelorian and a psychopath."
The revelation about the mysterious new player piqued Ralios's interest, and he asked, "Barely Aelorian?" But before Mattie could elaborate further, her console beeped, and her expression shifted to anger.
"Hes here," she announced tersely, swiping away her holographic display. She marched over to Ralios and added, "Okay, seeing as this is my fault and you've shown no signs of being any different besides cosmetics, you should at least be untied."
One of the guards promptly moved to undo Ralios's restraints as the tense anticipation of the meeting with the enigmatic buyer hung in the air.
As Ralios stood up, rubbing his arms where the restraints had held him, Mattie gave him a reassuring but stern command, "Just stay back in the corner. He won't try anything. I'll have to pull some of my weight and tell him it was damaged by the Empire during transportation. If he doesn't behave, I already have some of Azazel's Hounds on the way."
Ralios blinked a couple of times, the situation becoming increasingly intense. He responded with a hesitant but friendly tone, "Yes, ma'am." Following Mattie's orders, he retreated to the corner of the room, understanding the gravity of the situation. While this mysterious buyer might be a psychopath, he was well aware that it would be suicidal for him to try anything against Mattie, especially given her casual mention of the Marquis.
Mattie began meticulously collecting the broken pieces of the tablet using a small gravity magnet, placing them neatly back into the cargo container. Suddenly, the screeching sound of the lift moving reached their ears, signaling the imminent arrival of the enigmatic buyer.
Mattie completed her task and stepped back, her guards assuming defensive positions, and the medical officer positioning herself beside Ralios. The lift doors slid open, revealing a lone figure. The most immediate and striking aspect of the buyer was his sheer size. Ralios felt a surge of shock hit him like a wave; this man stood over seven feet tall. Ralios considered himself relatively tall, but this figure was a giant compared to him. Even the Hounds out by the landing pads seemed dwarfed in comparison.
The buyer was clad in a heavily modified and armored EVA suit, covered by a long, flowing black cloak. His helmet featured a single red visor that ran across his eye line. On either side of him floated two modified sentry drones, emitting a muted purple light. As the imposing figure entered Mattie's workspace, an uncomfortable tightness gripped Ralios's chest. It was as if the closer the man got to Ralios, the more his chest hurt. The pain served as an unmistakable sign that Ralios was terrified of this enigmatic figure.
It felt as if he couldn't bear to look at the man, yet at the same time, he couldn't look away. The very shadows seemed to part and retreat as the buyer moved, as though even they were afraid of him. Ralios glanced down at himself, only to realize that he was trembling. This realization stunned him; when had he become such a coward?
The imposing figure shifted its attention towards Mattie, a small part of Ralios feeling grateful for the diversion. In a deep, digitized voice that seemed almost robotic, the figure asked, "Where is it?" The words were short, concise, and bone-chilling.
Mattie, her emotions under perfect control as always, responded calmly, "In this container here. However, there have been complications." The figure glanced at the cargo box briefly, then returned his focus to Mattie.
"The Empire's pursuit for the stolen object was more intense than anticipated," she continued, her voice steady. "The cargo was damaged upon retrieval." The buyer took a few heavy steps toward the cargo box, peering inside for a second, perhaps even less. Then, he looked back up at Mattie, his voice as low and unyielding as an executioner's axe, and declared, "Liar."
If Mattie was shocked by the accusation, she didn't show it. The buyer took a single step closer to Mattie, and as he did, the three guards surrounding her aimed their weapons at him. Mattie's face remained emotionless throughout the tense standoff.
The figure spoke again, each word dripping with malice, "Who touched it?" Ralios's whole body went cold, an overwhelming sense of dread washing over him. Something deep inside urged him to run, to escape before it was too late. Mattie replied calmly, "The only thing that touched the cargo was phaser fire. This is a risk we sometimes have to accept in this line of work."
As she spoke, Ralios watched in horror as the buyer shifted his attention past Mattie, fixing his gaze on Ralios himself, as if she were invisible. It was a gaze that made Ralios feel like prey, like he had been spotted by death itself. In that same low, robotic voice, the buyer uttered, "Forget the tablet," and then, with a deliberate gesture, he pointed at Ralios and demanded, "Just give me him."
"How, how did he know?" Panic raced through Ralios's mind, a twisted joke unfolding before his eyes. His features contorted with fear, but Mattie remained composed. She countered, "That's impossible. He's one of mine. I won't simply hand him over without reason."
The buyer, undeterred, looked down at Mattie and explained in a patronizing tone, "It's simple. What was in the tablet is now in him. He is the cargo now." Mattie's brow furrowed in frustration. "We had an agreement. Give me what I'm owed," the figure declared with an air of finality, leaving little room for further negotiation.
Mattie retorted with a stern tone, "That's not how any of this works. You asked me to deliver a piece of stone, and I did. This agreement has already concluded." The buyer's head tilted oddly, as if he were examining something of curiosity while peering down at Mattie. He responded in the same dry, unnerving voice, "Making an enemy of me, little chick, is unwise."
Amidst the tense standoff, the sound of the lift's screeching arrival filled the chamber once more. Mattie remained unfazed and continued, "The same could be said about me." The figure, unimpressed, leaned in closer and spoke in a lower tone, "Your connections mean little if you're a corpse."
The heavy doors behind the figure slid open, revealing four of the Marquis's Hounds. They entered the room without a word, their presence adding to the tension but not reacting to the new arrivals. The figure held Mattie's gaze, and with each passing second, the room seemed to hold its breath, fearing the worst. Eventually, he straightened up and stared at Ralios for a few more moments before breaking eye contact.
Without a word, the figure pushed past the Hounds behind him with ease, causing them to scramble to make way. He turned back briefly, still fixated on Ralios, even as the lift doors closed, taking Ralios's potential demise with them.
As the lift doors closed, and the ominous figure departed, Ralios was left in a state of shock and relief. The tension in the room began to dissipate, but the atmosphere remained heavy with uncertainty. Mattie, still composed, didn't let her guard down. She knew that this encounter had consequences, even if they had avoided immediate danger.
The Marquis's Hounds stood there, vigilant and ready for any situation, but the immediate threat had passed. Ralios, still shaken, looked at Mattie, who finally broke her gaze from the closing lift doors and turned to him.
"Ralios," she began, her voice carrying a mixture of concern and frustration, "You need to tell me everything you know about that tablet, and what happened when you touched it. We need to understand what we're dealing with."
Ralios nodded, his newfound appearance weighing heavily on his mind. It was clear that they had stumbled upon something far more significant than they had initially realized.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone