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“My survival isn’t guaranteed by the divine. The Winds won’t come to my rescue and my ancestors no longer have a corporeal form to take a bullet for me. And despite my efforts to show the Guristas I am an ally, I should never assume they would go out of their way to protect me. If protection is what I desire, then I look no further to the gun at my waist. This weapon is what stands between me and whatever threat out there aiming to do me harm. While I’ve never shot a man, I must be ready to do so in order to secure my own life.”
- Suha Raibuya
“Why? You trying to whack your dealer or something?”
April 15th YC 122
6NJ8-V - The Rabbit’s Warren Fortizar, Prosperous Venal Depository storage lock-up B098
"That right there is a PalDinch S600 Blaster - lightweight handgun that fires low energy plasma that can for sure deliver some pain to unarmored targets. Though if he DOES have armor, you’re kinda ■■■■ out of luck I’m afraid. Company that designed them went under generations ago around the first Caldari-Gallente war. Kuvakei’s bald ass blew them out of business. The weapons they still had in public circulation were used as expendable equipment for slave revolts, petty clan squabbles and a few Democratic revolutions here and there in Federal low-sec.
“Well…That’s nice and all just…I dunno, very ugly looking?”
“Yeeeeaaaah, the PalDinch models have that kind of look throughout their entire series. More or less what you expect with any kind of tech that’s designed to be cheap and quick to make.”
“I mean…Is it reliable?”
“Eeeeeehhhh…Maybe.”
“Maybe? You’re trying to sell me something that’s “maybe” reliable?”
“I’m trying to sell you something that’s “affordable” like you asked when you messaged me over the Network. Can it kill a ■■■■■■■■■■■■? Yeah, it can - so long as they don’t have any armor…Is that reliable enough for you?”
“I-I mean sure…Just…I had different guns in-mind when I came to meet you.”
“Like what?”
“The stuff you see in holo-reels, you know? Stuff the actual State and Federal army uses.”
“Oh, like Bolt and Ion Pistols? Rail and Assault rifles?”
“Yeah!”
Why? You trying to whack your dealer or something?"
“-What?! No-no-no-no you got me messed up-”
"Because if you need THAT kind of hardware, wish you’d just said that in our messages so I could get it all out. Instead you had to beat around the bush and say it’s for protection.
It is! Those are my intentions, I assure you."
“Alright…Just for the record, if you did want to kill your dealer - I ain’t gonna judge - I’ll just sell you what you need.”
“I…Appreciate that, but I just need something to protect myself.”
“■■■■ you bitching for then? that piece of ■■■■ PalDinch is good enough for personal protection. The kind of hardware you were expecting is ■■■■ used by god damn supersoldiers and cost as much as a frigate. Using any of their weapons for “protection” is just overkill if you ask me.”
“Well, you seem to know your stuff…”
“And you don’t…What you say your name was again?”
“Rirmo, Rirmo Inasaki.”
“You come off as being a little new to these parts Rirmo…”
“One way of putting it…”
“Only way of putting it you mean. You sure as ■■■■ don’t come off as a Gurista with your lack of knowledge behind small arms. Not to mention you’re so damn frail looking that I’m surprised the conditioned air of this Frotizar hadn’t knocked you on your ass yet. Hell someone like you doing in these parts?”
“I’m looking for someone.”
“To kill?”
“No!”
“Alright then, looking for someone… Why?”
“That’s my business.”
“No ■■■■, but maybe I can help you find them…”
“Why would you?”
"Maybe because I’d be heartbroken if some novice like you buys a gun off me end ends up in a cargo container somewhere with their throat slit and stomach cut wide open like a hog…After All, dead customer isn’t gonna be a returning one.
“…I’m…Im looking for my sister.”
“Check the brothels yet?”
“She’s not gonna be there!”
“Well good, because there’s like…eighty brothels throughout this Fortizar? Ninety maybe…”
“She…Joined the Guristas. I-I can’t even begin to wonder why the hell she would!”
“Better pay? More self agency? No longer a puppet to government agendas? Plenty of reasons…”
“She was a proud Captain for the Caldari Navy one day, and the next she’s a god damn traitor! Sold her entire fleet out and defected to join these pirate bastards.”
“Talk like that is exactly how you’re gonna end up in a cargo container with your throat and stomach slit open…”
“Are you gonna be the one to do it?”
“Me? Nah, I ain’t even Gurista - I’m more of a Cartel man, you dig?”
“Whatever, pirates are all the same to me.”
“Mmhmm, yessir. Anyway, what’s your plan?”
“I…Don’t know.”
“Don’t know? Hell you from boy?”
“Malkalen IV.”
"You came all the way from ■■■■■■■ Malkalen IV and you don’t got any plan in mind to even find your sister? Great! You an entire region and military organization to search though!”
“I maybe didn’t think it all through…”
“You think?”
“You got any ideas where I could start looking?”
“The brothels!”
“■■■■. You.”
“I’m serious! Gurista always hit up these brothels to get their itch scratched and get liquored up until thet forget all the degrading and deplorable sexual acts they proformed during their stay. Maybe you’ll stumble into your sister there trying to get some dick or pussy - but you’re gonna be looking out for Gurista in general.”
“Why?”
“So you could ask them about your sister? Maybe they heard of a raid she pulled off or heard about that fleet you said she sold out…Get some clues from them.”
“And I just walk up and talk to them? Pirates?”
“Pirates are very capable of speaking your language.”
“Not that! They’re pirates…Violent scumbags that would - as you’ve said - Dump me in a cargo container with my throat and stomach slit open.”
“If you go up to them spouting disrespect, yeah. If you show them you’re a cool guy. And give them a little respect…Maybe they’ll open up.”
“I’m not gonna respect pirates.”
"I hope you enjoy getting your ■■■■■■■ thoat slit then you dumbfuck! Look! You don’t ACTUALLY have to show them real genuine respect. Buy them a drink or lap dance - humor them when they boast about the ■■■■ they stole - and maybe you’ll find yourself more connected and informed than you initially were. Hell, getting them boozed up is exactly how you get them to slip and mention some tips.”
“Buying all that gonna get pricey…”
“Speaking of buying! You gonna buy this blaster, or nah?”
“…Yeah. Yeah, I’ll buy this. How much is it?”
“Paying in Ishukone Scrip, aye?”
“Yeah, all I brought with me.”
“Fifteen thousand”
“Come again?”
"Fifteen thousand!
“…You pirates really are thieving bastards…”
"Sticks and stones Rirmo…You want it still or has this entire visit been an entire waste of time.
“Yes! Yes…I need it.”
“Excellent! I’ll toss in a few charges worth of ammo to make it a little bit more worth it.”
“Thanks? I guess…”
“You’re welcome! Now…you do have an account with the Depository, right?”
“Yeah…Honestly never thought I’d walk into a pirate infested region and open a bank account.”
“Clearly you’ve never been to Cartel or Syndicate space…Regardless, you and me can just pack up here and head up front and get the teller to transfer funds to my account.”
“Think that’s wise?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Wouldn’t it be suspicious? That you’re buying and selling weapons within their bank?”
“They don’t even give a ■■■■! People here know damn well what I have in this storage lock-up and know of all the sales I’m running. I’ve verbally listed off every object in here to them, from the small arms to the warhead.”
“Warhead?! You have a warhead in here?!”
“Damn straight I do! Wanna see it?”
“No! Just - ugh! Can we just go? Please? Get this over with?”
“Fiiiine…Never gonna sell that damn thing…”