A Scoundrel's Counsel

A Scoundrel's Counsel
Date of Scene:	09 February 2014
Location:	End Of Line Club
Synopsis:	Warden Thache meets with the Dark Virus LEXUS in an attempt to gain information about the Grid. LEXUS gives him everything he asks for and more...
Cast of Characters:	LEXUS, Warden Thache

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LEXUS has posed:
The End of Line Club is one of the premier energy clubs in the Grid. Even between Wise, Shinra, and Flynn OS, the club stands supreme, with the best service, the best music, the best drinks...

And most importantly, the best intrigue. Two entirely different entities have shop set up here. One of them is Zuse, who plays court on the main floor. The other is in the penthouse suite, which is held by LEXUS, the infamous Dark Virus.

When Warden arrives on site, the bouncers let him in without even taking his weapons. Once he enters the elevator, it takes him directly to said penthouse. The elevator doors open, revealing a wide, spacious arrangement. The atrium look out upon the living area through gleaming glass dividers, with one side of the living area holding a fully-stocked bar. Warden might be interested in the bottles holding a multitude of neon swirling liqueors. There is a low table of matte black with seating around it, but it looks seldom used. The decorations around the area are minimalist and consist of artful geometric pieces that gleam with energy.

The most important area consists of the massive windows that look out upon the Grid, the skies crackling and stormy above and the city below, thrusting upwards with neon intensity and gleaming activity.

There is a single chair there, white. Comfortable. The window before the chair flickers with a constant movement of holographic imagery and data, scrolling incredibly fast around a central icon, an iris-like arrangement of circles in violet, with a triangular sphere arrangement inset into the outer rim. The outer circle nictates back and forth, swivelling rapidly in response to unknown stimuli.

The other important person is the man sitting in the chair. Once Warden enters, the chair turns, revealing the aged Program, LEXUS. "Hello there, Mister Thache." He stands, and spreads his hands in greeting. "Welcome. I've been expecting you. Would you care for refreshments?"

Warden Thache has posed:
The 'program' that the bouncers let into the exclusive elevator to the top doesn't quite look like your normal program. Warden's high collar long coat marks him as a breed apart. The green light pannels, the rakish smirk. The man almost delights in being different from the normal.

He's at least forgone the hat.

It /almost/ suprises him that he's allowed to keep his weapons, but overtly. He's already left most of them behind. The pistol and sword loops are empty on his belt.

He strolls out of the elevator, the coat swirling around him almost like a living thing as he glances around the penthouse suite. Zuse on the main floor has quite a bit of pizzaz and flash, but this place has all the elegance.

"Its Warden along friends and allies," The man drawls, his accent giving a smoothness to his words as he strolls forwards. "I'd be delighted with some refreshments. This is an impressive little setup you have here..." He nods towards the flashing datastream against the back window.

LEXUS has posed:
LEXUS turns and moves towards the bar at the request, and selects one of the bottles, pouring a swirling multicolored neon green and blue liquid into a pair of glasses and offering one to Warden. "Some of my private reserve, to mark the occasion." He smiles faintly. "I've notices a great deal of activity from you and yours in the Grid of late, Warden." LEXUS says. He gestures to the wall, and images appear of Warden on the truck, trying to board, as well as Warden getting up to shenanigans in Purgos. "If I didn't know better I'd think you were planning to expand your operations?" His tone indicates that he does very well know better.

Warden Thache has posed:
"Ah my friend," The human-form pirate replies with that same rogue's flair to his smirk. "There is very little more attractive to a pirate than a new world to plunder. This..." With drink still in hand the man gestures lightly to the room and the datastream. "...is a facinating new world, and one full of more than a bit of plunder I'd wager. So...of course I am..." He takes a long pull from the cup, savoring the drink as he swollows.

Everything is different in this world.

"And since you already know of my little fun on the Grid, well that gets past most of the formalities. Those..." He waves again at the datastream of him on the truck. "...little toys I appropriated. I'd hope you would know a bit more about them, since...yes. I plan on using them to expand things. I sadly know very little of the waters in this little World, and I'd hate to run into a reef before my plans bore profit."

LEXUS has posed:
It's like drinking electricity. There is a tang of ozone in the liquid, it is thick and invigorating, sending a rush through the body. Things really are different here.

LEXUS drinks as well, the purple lines on his body surging for a moment before he sighs, pleasantly. "I know a great deal about this world. I think you will find a great deal of unique items here, things that exist nowhere else." His eyes focus on Warden for a moment, and he notices that the man's eyes... are black. They don't have irises, instead having that strange violet design in each one. "The toys you appropriated are weapons. I am supplying arms and supplies to a petty crook in Purgos to serve as a distraction for a more important operation." He turns to the bar and presses a hidden button, a panel sliding open to reveal several objects: A purple triangle, a short rod, and, in a container, a sphere of a sickly green material. He gestures, picking up the triangle. "These weapons do not exist in thie area of the Grid. I import them from... elsewhere. This is what is called a Mesh Primitive." He pauses, and then plunges his hand into the weapon, which unfolds and lengthens into a nasty-looking gun that seems to have merged with part of his arm. "In the Blaster configuration, it acts as an automatic weapon. It's not all that accurate, but it does a good job with suppression fire." He pulls it off of his hand, the object refolding into a triangle. He shifts it, folding it and then punching his hand through the center. This time, it flows over his hand , becoming an evil-looking, taloned glove. "This is the Energy Claw. It will damage and drain energy from your opponent, funnelling it into you. It is an efficient and brutal weapon." He then peels it off of his hand, letting it return to its inert state.

Warden Thache has posed:
"...mmmm...so /that/ is how you use them..." The pirate seems happy to be enlightened by such a thing as he watches the 'Mesh Primitive' shift and flow. "...I figured you might know."

Warden's own eyes are a brilliant emerald green, the same as the light lines that shimmer as he drinks. The skull-and-crossbones symbol on his coat pulses brightly as he swollows, finding himself quite refresed.

"Unique items that don't exist anywhere else? That means /expensive/ and /profitalbe/ to me, so I like the way this conversation is going."

He reaches into his cloak to slide a Rod out, balancing it on his palm there before flipping it in the air and catching it again. "I've been experimenting with one of these. A rifle and a blunderbuss form. Very useful, I enjoy adaptable things."

He glances up from the weapon and back to the black-eyed program. "If they /are/ yours, I'm glad I stole what I could then. Lady Wolf destoryed a good bit of the shipment. Do you need them back? I had...an idea for the use of them if you didn't...if that is you need a distraction."

There is a vulpine smile that crawls across his face. "See, any Captain worth his salt needs a crew and a ship. I think I have a way to get both at the same time...if...of course that falls in line with your operations here."

LEXUS has posed:
"I do enjoy to see my associates prosper." LEXUS replies smoothly. He picks up the next weapon, the rod. "This is a Rod Primitive. It's similar to the batons you will see elsewhere, but it serves... /different/ functions." He then proceesds to snap it in half. Electricity arcs between the two halves of the Primitive. "This is basically an electrical prod. Good for disabling and easy to use." He then reconnects the two halves, and then slides his hand down one side. The Rod begins to bunch up, becoming a large cannon-like object. "This is the Suffusion weapon. As you might expect, it suffuses an area with damaging energy. Good at short range. It's much like a shotgun." He slides it back, and then breaks off the Rod near one end. It morphs, becoming a long, deadly-looking rifle. "And this is my personal favorite, the Line of Light rifle. Effective at extreme ranges, it requires precision and a delicate touch, as the weapon is slow, but extremely powerful. Watch the recoil. It appears you've already discovered these functions, however. Inventive." He then returns it to normal, before replacing it in the hidden compartment.

He shakes his head. "I don't need them back. Let's just say my margin is fairly impressive on them." He smiles. "Feel free to use them yourself for whatever you like. The military forces here are not used to dealing with them yet, so you should still have an advantage." He thinks for a moment, and then turns to the wall. "A crew and a ship, eh? I can certainly assist you with something that can help." He brings up a map of Argon City, and indicates several positions. "This area is the Argon Coliseum. Prisoners from the fairly repressive rule of General Tessler are shipper her for bloodsport. You will find that they are... quite amenable to a change of profession. I would not recommend going in there without an Identity Disk, however. It's much better to make it seem like you are a more normal program so they do not expect what is to come."

He then shifts to bring up images of the side facing the sea. "On the Sea of Simulation, the docks are a major shipping and military transport area. I can provide you schedules for their ships to return for refuelling. IF you time it properly you can catch them with a skeleton crew."

Warden Thache has posed:
LEXUS can almost /see/ the thought cycles run though the Captain's head. That smile slowly grows as he rubs at his chin and nods. "I've heard of these Games. People talk about them with a mix of awe and terror. Lady Wolf is terrified of getting thrown into them. However...that..." He gestures towards the Coliseum. "...is always the best place to get a full crew. A jailbreak. The former prisoners are almost always grateful, and willing enough to fight against those that took them prisoner in the first place."

He nods, coat swirling as he starts to pace in a short circle. Energy either from the drink or the plotting of mayhem suffusing him. "A less flamboyant outfit, a few little tweaks, and they won't know me from any other program. I break out from the inside, take whoever I can with me..." He taps against the view of Argon Coliseum again.

"...do any of the military ships dock /there/. For R and R or to watch the games? The crew might be larger, but the'll be distracted. And they would never expect something so...audicious."

LEXUS has posed:
"And a Disc. Everyone fights with a Disc in the games. If you don't have one, they'll give you one. And you won't like how they do it. I will get you in touch with someone I know. You'll like her." He smiles at that. As he speaks, he reaches out and picks up the container. "This is a Sphere Primitive. Unlike the others, this one carries... certain risks. You'll see that it is a rather unhealthy green. Look out for anything in that color. It's viral. And viruses in the Grid are very, very dangerous. You can hold a Primitive with no issues, but do not get caught in the explosion. It basically works like a grenade. Use it carefully. It will eat away at anything caught within like acid. Don't use it around anything you care to keep intact... And anyone who finds out will be after your hide."

He replaces the canister, and closes the panel. "That covers more or less anything that you would have found. As far as the ships docking at the Coliseum... No. No ships dock there besides Tessler's airship and Recognizers. You don't want a Recognizer. Far too clunky for your style... Unless you tried to use it to fly to the docks, perhaps?"

Warden Thache has posed:
"My friend, if its a her then I'm /sure/ I'll enjoy her!" Warden replies with a slight smirk slashing easily across his features. The man has no shame, and absoultly no shame in admitting he has no shame.

"I'll keep that in mind with the Spheres...I'd honestly rather use them as a distraction than run the risk of catching a possible ally in one or two of the blasts. I've seen just what they do, not intrested in finding out just how they feel on my skin in this world." The man has a healthy respect for anything like that.

"I'll assume Tessler's airship is that big man-o'-war that I see flying about. That won't be possible for a first strike at least." He's ambatious, have to admit that. "...as shame that none dock there...hoever." He pauses to think.

"Mmmm. This will have to be fast. A crate full of angry criminals can't just dissipear into the woodwork like rats. Even if they are rats. I think the Recognizers...the big flying things with the legs I'm thinking? Right? Anyway. If I can comindeer a few of those, time it right. We could break from the Colisum and make for the docks...just how far would...who is it again that pretends to command around here? CLU isn't it? How far would he actually persue us?"

LEXUS has posed:
LEXUS laughs. "If you ever gain CLU's personal attention, my friend, my only advice for you would be to get off the Grid as quickly as you possibly can. He is one of the most dangerous programs to exist in this digital world." He looks away, out over the stormy cityscape. "No, CLU will not be your problem. Tessler will be the one who comes after you. He will desperately attempt to hide what happens from his master unless he succeeds in capturing and destroying you. You will probably face one of his lieutenants at first, the military-minded Paige, or the clever and conniving Pavel. Go boldly, but do not underestimate them. They will follow you some distance into the Outlands, but you can hide well enough if given... support. The plan is of course, dangerous, but anything worth it comes with a risk, does it not?"

Warden Thache has posed:
"Most nobility don't do the dirty work themselves, doesn't matter if they have the aiblity to or not." To Warden, CLU is just a different kind of noble in a different kind of empire. He won't dismiss him, but he won't expect him to get down in the trenches with his men either.

"Everything worth doing well is worth taking a risk for. This...the profit could be immense, even if most of the risk is on my head." He chuckles quietly though, absetly draining more of his drink. "I know I'm not going to be more than a glorified distraction for what you're plotting, but...this could be a damn enjoyable distraction. I never say no to a new ship. " There is a pause, the man glancing towards the Program with the ebon eyes with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Just what /is/ your plan here. If you don't mind me asking?"

LEXUS has posed:
LEXUS shrugs slightly. Let him find out his own way. "My own plan?" LEXUS replies. "Which one? I have a great number of them. But in general, I think the place has been split too much between CLU and the MCP. I think it's time a new power arose to give people another choice that doesn't depend on rampant and obvious oppression." He smiles. "Instead I will use subtle oppression. Because really, how else does one rule except through the use of applied tyrrany?"

Warden Thache has posed:
"People always deserve a choice!" Warden agrees with a chuckle as he swirls the 'booze' around in his glass. "So I would approve of that, and considering I rule my own ship though a bit of implied Tyrrany who am I to talk?"

"They won't take that lying down though...espicially if this CLU is as powerful as you give him credit for. Those types always think their way is the best and only way."

LEXUS has posed:
"You have a solid understanding of my problem, then." LEXUS replies. "The MCP believes in raw force and pure oppression. His main avantage is he controls a good number of highly defensible areas. CLU, however, is a clever statesman and is adept at unusual tactics. You see why I am in the position that I am, being a... newcomer, to this conflict. Your arrival and interest could help tip the balance."

Warden Thache has posed:
"Do you have a map of who controls what?" Warden asks curiously as he looks towards LEXUS. "I'd wager half my take than CLU will win in the end then. This...MCP...static defenses have never been able to keep out a clever and determined foe. It might take him time, but he'll wear them down....but..." The pirate ceases his pacing, snapping attention back to the map. "...between them they have all the best resources...and if they figure out there is a third player before you have established yourself, they can actually /both/ crush you. Monkey in the middle as it were, mate."

He taps a finger against the side of his leg. His eyes flickering around the map before he gives LEXUS a wide grin. "I always like a challenge. I'd love to throw a bit more chaos into this mess, and turn a profit at the same time. Of course."

LEXUS has posed:
"Once again, you have an excellent grasp of the situation. I have a feeling you're run into this kind of thing before, somehow." LEXUS comments idly. "But there will be plenty of profit for you should you succeed. I will, of course, attempt to support you as much as possible." He gestures, and a map of the Flynn OS is displayed, with the various holdings color-coded and noted with strategic value and resource potential. "While they play wargames, I am working to establish myself in another way. I can't match their raw firepower, but I have access to resources they do not and specialize in espionage, interrogation, and sabotage. But that's something for another time. Right now, you have an infiltration and jailbreak to perform. I'll give my associate a call and have you meet her a little later. She will provide you with a Disc that will pass inspection. Just remember..."

He pauses, looking over his hsoulder. "A Disc will record everything you see and do while in the Grid. Do not let anyone take it, or it will cause you... problems."

Warden Thache has posed:
"Priviteering is just a leadup to piracy, and games like this have been going on for longer than either of us have been alive." The Captain waves at the game board as he comments, smirking slightly as he notes the various zones light up correctly.

"The Bloody Pearl will have to be in drydock for a few days after fighting that Shadow Dragon, so this indeed gives me something to do while my ship is repaired. Yes. I can work with this. Sabotage. Hit and run. Damage supply lines and make them think the other is doing it."

The man seems to enjoy this sort of thing, peering at the map as if already marking targets.

"And I will remember about the Disk. It won't leave my sight..." He nods once. "...thaks however. For the warning. Now..." That grin returns. "...lets aim to misbehave shall we? I think...I'm going to enjoy this."