View source for 1714/Sitting at the Spacedock in the Bay

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/27
|Location=Xandar
|Synopsis=Gothic Lolita takes a quiet moment to people watch, and meets an interesting privateer captain named Coco.
|Cast of Characters=1187, 1242
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Xandar is really something, as plants go. Peaceful, with a wide variety of races and ships coming and going, all watched over by the Xandarian security forces, the Nova Corp, whose ships can be seen flying over in slow patrol routes, keeping an eye on the large alien ships coming and going as they land to disgorge cargo and people, and pick up the same. The spaceport is fairly extensive that way, though this one is a bit different. Other ports are where the big corporate shipping concerns land their vessels and have their warehouses.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This particular port is more where independents land. There are still lots of different transports, but much smaller ones, as well as a scattering of armed vessels, from fighters to corvettes, belonging to a variety of privaters, bounty hunters, and more ne'er-do-well sort of owners. Nothing TOO illegal, but it's why there are regular Nova Corp patrols.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And of course, that's where the Milano is currently parked. Starlord is off looking for some cargos or jobs for the ship to be taken after a reasonable amount of time relaxing on planet. Because of the other two members of the crew, who have just been happily married and are graciously being allowed a honeymoon/vacation on Xandar of sorts.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lolita decided to give said lovebirds some room, and wanted to explore a bit, so she's found a seat in a little rest area overlooking the spaceport pads and is just watching and cataloging ships as they come and go, and all the alien races. She has no idea what many of them are named, so she's absently tagging them in her internal HUD with a variety of names. 'Big Eye Guy'. 'I'm A Shark'. 'IDon'tEvenWhatever'. She has her parasol open and resting lightly on her shoulder, mostly out of a desire to appear proper than a real need.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There are Corvettes, and then there are Corvettes of course. It sweeps in low and slow, with one of those silly Nova-corp patrols off the port wing. It's big for the armed vessels around here, but that's not the notable bit here. As it seems more or less squashed into a arrowhead like shape, it's likely not dissimilar in terms of tonnage. Anyway no the notable bit at range, is the sound of the thing. This low thrum-pulse, the sort've thing that you feel in the pit of your chest more than hear. It sounds somehow all the more nasty for it, predatory. Not just another vintage tub turned cargo ship, they aren't painted quite this black.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's well, whatever the galactic version of "vanta-black" is, and that makes all those dogtooth, sharp angled edges look all the more sinister. It's flightpath takes it just overhead, slowly gliding as serenely as a paper airplane towards it's berth. Settling down slowly, gracefully even before those drives finally power down and it's escort speeds away.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Across her prow in high gloss black, which well you'd likely never pick out in space? Rows and rows of neat little cartoon spaceships with lines drawn through them. The Boshten royal crest which is, well it looks like radiating lighting bolts? Yeah painted over the bridge, but that's nothing. Over the aft portion? "B.D.S Very Best Intentions" below a symbol as uniform as any. A skull over crossed bones. It's a Pirate ship, right? Not that it seems to be getting any extra security mind you.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Coco rolls her shoulders as she cranks open the hatch and makes the twenty foot drop without any hesitation, landing with an audible clatter of armor. Theres a moment there, spent fussing over a datapad which likely represents paperwork..then she's off. Trudging across the tarmac, onto the walkway and well..heading off towards Loli. That glowing skull in full effect, turning casually too and fro likely to mimic the wearer's actions beneath that helmet.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The mecha under her parasol watches with interest. She can appreciate a good well done black motif, and the skull and crossbones is almost gothy. Also, interesting that even in space that's a common signal for being piratical! She guesses no species really likes the idea of their bones being pulled out and put on display. It seems quite messy.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She leans forward a bit, getting up to walk over to the edge to peer down at the new ship, so she can get a better view, zooming in on it as she watches the armored figure disembark. My. That one looks quite tough. And the skull is a very nice touch, she has to admit.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her head turns slightly to follow the individual in question curiously. The armor makes it hard to figure out what they might look like underneath, but the armor itself is striking enough to deserve a second look.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Coco's in no hurry, she wasn't paid well enough to hurry. Hurry is extra yo. So she sort've strolls down the walkway until she's out on the street, before coming to a stop. That Skull slewing around to peer directly at Loli, eyepatch and all. Yeah sometimes the language is bold enough to be universal, skulls for instance? Universal. "Warmest most splendid greetings and solutations, most dearest stranger. You are of unfamilar, though decidedly lovely origin. May I, with sorrowful presumption assume that you are not of this Splendid planet?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Skull's jaw moves, though it's not always perfectly in time with the words. Female certainly, though husky and decidedly exotic. The prose however is decidedly not, well theres no off the shelf translator spitting that flowery nonsense out. "A thousand pardons, I have sadly errored in my actions. Most regretably I have been impolite, it would please me terribly if you could forgive this grave tresspass. I am called GZHZH"The Skull blinks out for a moment, grinding to a halt before popping back up. "I am Captain Cocofantuxian Toremno, My translator is cycling it's libraries. I apologize, did any of that make sense?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh! And an adorable eyepatch! That's just...so very cute. Because Loli is a bit weird in her preferences at times. There's a reason gothic is in the name.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The dark haired girl cocks her head, smiling cheerfully. "What a erudite individual you are." She nods slightly. "Yes, this is far from my planet of origin. Not quite a galaxy far, far, away nor a long time ago, sadly."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She raise a brow at the grinding, then smiles. "Yes. In fact, I found it quite dactylic in structure and form." she says with a hint of humor in her voice. "Are a poet, Ms. Cocofantuxian Toremno? If not, you have a gift. Or your translator does." she allows. She reaches down take her skirt in her hand, falling into a perfect curtsey. "A pleasure to make your aquaintance. My preferred designation is Gothic Lolita."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It is said that all Lumifao ever speak in is poetry, but the only Lumifao most ever hear speak are in fact poets. It's unfortunate, because the most popular ones outside of Lumifao are always the worst ones."One gauntleted hand lifting to adjust a slider under that helmet ring, playing with the translator's settings for her end perhaps? "I am no poet however, I'm from before all of that sweet poison became popular abroad. Just a Privateer, and a Colony cracker."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Theres a little commotion as some youngsters gawk, but well lets be frank. Coco has kind of a wild look, she's gawkable. "How about you join me for some tea, there's a Boshten place not far from here with a lovely menu. The Company would do me good, been spending too long out in the silence between stars."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The dark-haired girl blinks curiously. Tea? She supposes every planet probably has some variety, then again. "A colony cracker? What an evocative term." she says with a smile. "Tea does sound lovely, however, though I'm not familiar with Planet...Boshten?" She'll fall in beside the armored female. "You fly alone, then?" she wonders curiously.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Boshten, who come from Boshtet in the Boshtan system."And so it goes. Coco leads on, and well either the look does the work or her rep. The crowd parts as she moves through it, moving at a rather sedate pace. "They are a farming culture, they are renowned for their agricultural accumen."Veering off the street and heading down a darkened alleyway without a pause. "When colonies, space ships, generation ships or whatever go dark? Insurance companies, loved ones, governments. They hire somone like me, and I go see what happened. Sometimes the radio is broken, sometimes they decided they don't want to talk to people. Other times, there is fighting. Pirates, slavers, terrorists, anything."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tea room is, well it's even recognizable as such. Jars of dried plant matter in jars stacked infront of the glass storefront. Inside it's cool and dim, lit by scented candles for the most part. Neat little tables, delicate elaborate glassware. yep, it's a teahouse! The Boshten behind the desk, well ok no that's a Xandaran teenager behind the counter. She offers a smile and wave to the pair, which Coco casually returns before slumping into a booth with a clatter of armor. "I am still a Privateer, but there is no call for it since the Boshtan raids were stopped. It's regrettable, I enjoyed the work very much. These days though, yes I work all alone."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The petite mecha walks along, parasol over her shoulder again as she tilts her head. "I see. You are a rescuer and champion for those who are lost, then? That is a very worthy goal to have." she says thoughfully as she walks in with you, letting you lead the way somewhat.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As you step inside the shop she inhales slowly, closing her eyes in pleasure. It does small a bit unusual, her olfactory sensors picking up numerous unusual combinations she's not familiar with. But in some ways...it is very much a tea house, and somehow smells like it should. She opens her eyes again, then gracefully seats herself across from you. "A privateer...in the sense that goverments hire you to raid foreign shipping? Or are you more the bounty hunter, seeking out those where law enforcement cannot follow?" She looks thoughful. "These Boshtan are former pirates, then?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Boshtan is a garden system. Over a few thousand years, they transformed almost every planet in their solar system into an agricultural producer. From mushrooms to berries, and even medicines. They were never terribly interested in war, they are not constructed to accomodate it. They're slow, gentle."Coco lifts a hand up to the seal on that helmet, and pops the pressure release with a soft hiss. "They were being raided, killed. Lumifao like me, we had no home. So they had ships made, hired us on. Gave us a home, if only we would protect it."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and off comes that helmet with a soft pop of pressure, wafts of cold mist slithering down over her shoulders before lifting that lid free. The head beneath is, well it's not humanlike. Those enormous compound eyes, mandibles and...yeah ok more like a bug than a person really. Not that she's gross or anything, no she's covered in floof. Dim grey and a mixture of rich browns and golds, complete with enough fuzz to burst out like she's wearing a fuzzy floofy boa. "I rescue yes, but I am no champion. I am just a professional, what the Lumifao were always supposed to be."That helmet then, set just off to one side does the translating still. No She doesn't speak herself, doesn't make a ghost of a sound infact.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those eyes pulse with otherworldly patterns of light and shape, but well that's more or less something you'd need superhuman senses to detect. Such as the Gynoid seated across from Coco, most likely. She lifts a gloved hand to casually ruffle at her own fuzz, before giving her head a shake to sprout a pair of ghostly holographic antenna anchored to a pair of bright metal studs all but hidden by all that fuzz. Kind of...bumblebee and Moth mixed together perhaps? "Have you ever had Boshtan Tea before?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Loli closes her parasol, laying it down on the seat beside her, then leans forward, resting her elbows on the table, her hands one over the other as she rests her chin on it thoughfully, her eyes looking you over with interest. She doesn't recoil...it's...different, but not unattractive in its way, she finds. The fluffiness counters the insectoid nature, in some ways, and the eyes are...quite lovely. She finds herself starting to analyze the patterns, seeing if they match up to what you say. And holo antennae! She smiles more at that. That's just...quite nifty, in its way.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ah, I see, the raided, rather than the raiding, Boshtan. But you've driven off their invaders?" She tilts her head. "I have certainly not. Is there anything special about it, olfactory or in terms of taste?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We murdered those responsible to the last."Coco offers simply, glancing up to the girl behind the counter. "Please dearie, double my order for today. My guest is from far away, and do not spare the Holjek."Which seems more than enough to get the girl to vanish into the back.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Boshtan tea is the combination of a leafy kind of shrub and a Mushroom, which must be grown seperately. Then introduced, they are mixed with other flavor enhancing herbs and spices. Then left age for some years, this place is all fairly green. So two or three years tops, but back on Boshtet? The good stuff is three or four hundred years old, family recipes they do not share."Casually working off the gauntlets for that top pair of arms, exposing more floof and surprisingly human like hands covered in a low black velvet sort've..well who knows what that stuff is. Fur?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It does not effect Xandaran chemistry, but it does have a pronounced effect on some species. At worst it will be a pleasant, somewhat earthy drink. If it agrees with you, the effects are calming and subtle. Only reason they allow it I suspect, it tends to calm more combat oriented species. Lumifao my age certainly, not the young grubs you see around these days."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It sounds quite intriguing. I'm sure I shall at least enjoy the boquet of the mix, even as lightly aged as you say it is." Lolita says with a faint smile. "Is it your favorite, then?" She doesn't react too much to the murder, though her lips do quirk as she considers. She herself isnt' made for collateral damage or genocide, if at all possible, but she doesn't find herself too broken up about pirates out to murder innocent farmers finding their own fates. "If you are no longer employed, then, what will you seek out next." she says, resting her hands on the table lightly as she leans back.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I am employed, Colony Cracking pays very well."And well those eyes are certainly not doing anything random, but the patterns are complex. A language certainly, but it's delivered both quickly and well the same words seem to have several different patterns associated with them. Goodness knows how that helmet keeps up with it. "Privateering does not exclsuively relate to commerce raiding, though it does often include that. Right now my contract, my writ as it were is legitimate. However without a target, I am free to conduct my own business."The tea arrives, and well theres a bowl, filled with a bright orange fluid. The scent is, well it's earthy and sweet, citrusy. Orange honey perhaps if it had to be compared to anything. The cups are simple things not unlike sake cups, with a ladle provided. The "Holjek", well some sort of neat blue cracker with a sweet smelling yellow jelly atop? It's, not entirely unfamilar at least.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I was provided with a home for my service, citizenship. I spent some years living on Boshtet, but was not hatched for peace. I found it, unsatisfying. The Boshten, though kind and generous souls? Annoyed me greatly, It was for the best that I obtained another ship and set into the black oncemore. The isolation is, undesirable but it is a side effect of this line of work."Delicately taking up that ladle, before filling those little cups. "Tea, then Holjek. Either one on it's own, is unpleasant."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The gynoid looks over the arriving tea and..crackers?...with interest. "You must eat the crackers while you drink the tea? Where I come from, we dip such things in liquid." she says amusedly. "But you said your people were poets...yet you are not?" she says, taking one of the cups and one of the crackers and watching to see how you do it. "Is that why you remain solitary, or is it simply happenstance?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's overcomplicated, but pleasant in effect."And without another word, she sips and then nibbles. Eyes immediately erupting in a flury of patterns and colors, yet not a peep from that helmet. "There are five Queens of the Lumifao, there were nine before the first war with the Faxians. These queens resolved disputes in times of old with displays of beauty and artistry, matters settled by the brush and a dance. Whom would breed, territorial issues. In those days, all Lumifao also needed to fend off the predators of our home world."And a pause for another sip and a nibble.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Tea is, just a tiny bit too bitter but it's earthy and there is a decided prickly pop of a citrusy like flavor there. The crackers by contrast are oversweet, but at the intersection between the two? It's creamy and subtle, but it's anything but unpleasant. A delicate delectable unlike anything on earth. "When we learned how to alter our genome, the Queens only produced artists. Soldiers were an ugly thing, but a necessity. After the third attempt by the Faxians to wipe the Lumifao from all creation, the Soldier Caste disobeyed the queens. We finished the job, and insured that no Faxian remained to threaten us for a fourth time. For this we were banished, and with no Queen of our own? We are not going to be replenished, when the last of us dies we will be truly gone forever. Lumifao now are all, snooty and delicate. Hatched for delicate shapes and subtle poetry, they hate us all of them. Loathe the fact we ever existed, and many do not care for the company of Lumifao Soldiers."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The girl nibbles delicately on the crackers, sipping from the tea to mix the tastes, which seems quite pleasing to her from her exprssion and the little 'mmmm' that escapes her as she analyzes the flavors with interest. She leans back, tilting her head thoughfully. "That seems particularly ungrateful of them, if you prevented their genocide. Admittedly, genocide of the race trying to commit the genocide may be considers morally questionable by some, karma by others." Whether or not that word translates is debatable, depending on how good Coco's translator works. "Though it is not unknown for soldiers to not be accepted after the need for them has passed. Yours would hardly be the first race to act that way." she murmurs.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No, it is not the first nor the last time. There are a few thousand of us left still, and age does not claim us."Coco offers a little roll of the head, pausing to ladle more of that tea. "Who knows, in ages unknown we may yet have a queen of our own. Somone to shephard our souls into the afterlife if nothing else, but such is the way of things. I can say we still yet fight with great artistry, it's part of who we are. "And a pause at that, as she finally leans back into her chair. "So how are you enjoying this luxury, and what of you? What are your people called, from where do you hail?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Somehow, the petite gynoid has quickly discovered how to manipulate the small cup and the holjek with a certain refined daintiness as she adapts to the slightly different containers. And of course, nibbling on crackers while drinking is a bit unusual, but she manages to pull it off.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her dark eyes flick up at yours, as she gently sets down the tea. "Those are separate questions, in a way. My family, my homies, are quite different from those who populate my world. But it is, I'm afraid, called a fairly pedestrian name compared to many I've heard. Earth. Or, more formally, Terra."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She taps her collarbone gently. "Though most on my world are organic like yourself, and of the same shape of myself, I myself am not human like them." She sips slowly from the tea, nibbling another cracker. "I prefer to be termed a mecha."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Earth, Terra."The translator repeats as Coco gives a soft nod. "Not so unusual in my experience. Lumifao are not dissimilar to many degrees, we are biological machines in our own way. Designed by engineers, produced in factories. So as to spare the Queens the discomfort of actual traditional procreation, of course."So no, Mecha does not phase spacebugs it would seem.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And what brings a Mechanical Terran, or is it Earther? Anyway whatever brings you all the way out to Xandar of all places, this is hardly a place I would come as a tourist. Everything is so safe, so restrained. Very boring, and space has so many wonders beyond any language. Things without names, without word or light to share with another."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lolita smiles at that, nodding. "I suppose it is unusual. And it would be Terran, if science fiction can be trusted to make sense of the world beyond our atmosphere." she says amusedly. "Hmm. Well." she says, considering that as she sets her mostly empty cup down, then reaches out to gently ladle a bit more into it to refill, with precise, graceful movements.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I am abashed to admit, I was seized against my will, with intent to use me as some sort of display piece for an unknown malefactor." she begins. "So it was not for tourism, sadly, or out of a particular preference on my part. Luckily, I was able to create a distress signal that was answered by a brave crew of....' She searches for the right word. "...mercenaries with strong altruistic streaks?" she settles on finally. "They were kind enough to offer me haven on their ship, and I've grown rather fond of them. Two, in fact, were recently married here, which is why I was passing the time by watching ships arriving and departing. People watching, they call it on my world. A harmless pasttime, but I felt I should give the newlyweds some time to themselves, as I am quite happy for them and want them to take full advantage of their vacation." She smile softly. "On Earth, we could call this the 'honeymoon' for them, the sweet time right after the wedding for lovers and mates."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I understand. Is this, unknown malefactor still at large? Theoretically you should be a citizen of, well I'm not sure what sector you're from. However slavery is not tolerated by most, and it would be a minor thing to motivate the interested parties to hire a specialist."Not that Coco drops any names, of course. She doesn't have to. "Well, I was going to offer to bring you along to Abxir three. Stunning view there, stellar nursery. However if you've already got a crew, and you're happy? I won't tempt you."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The V.B.I may be kept too cold for you anyway, Lumifao do not favor such hot temperatures in anything but our tea."She offers a little shrug at that. "Fairly certain the colony there is going to be derelict anyway, I have a sneaking suspicion it was some sort of illicit bio-labratory anyway. You get to reading these insurance documents enough, and you learn to read the fine print."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a twinkle in her eyes. "Have no fear, I am quite durable when it comes to temperature as well as other things." she assures you. However, when you mention it's an illicit laboratory, she pauses, her eyes shimmering for a moment redly. "....oh?" she says as she gently sets down the tea cup. "This would, perhaps, be classified as a quasi-legal covert research laboratory, then?" Her gaze is a bit more intense, though she still has the faint smile on her lips, as she waits on your answer.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you go out far enough, there are no laws."Coco states simply. "It is neither legal nor illegal, but I was retained by a company to look for three personel. I get a bonus if I can locate them, living or otherwise. The company operating the Lab, of course does not seem to exist. There are irregularities in their tax situation, but I don't know what company doesn't have tax irregularities these days. Galactic tax code is many things, but it is not simple."<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"In anycase, Yes it's out a fair ways. Near a stellar nursery, which grants magnificent views as well as enough background radiation to hide the facility. In these cases, typically when they go this black? Something quite terrible has occured, maybe a meteor struck them or a power plant failure? Maybe pirates, maybe some uncontacted species stumbled into them. Who knows?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The girl considers. "...would you like help? Perhaps the crew I am with would be interested in helping, especially if there might be salvage no one will further require the use of." She looks a bit torn. "...I could offer my own assistance, of course, but I would not want to be away TOO long from Xandar, but that is because my captain is searching for a suitable contract before we'll depart. As well as giving the aforementioned lovebirds time to enjoy their marital bliss. But I do have a certain...interest in seeing such places cease to be a going concern." In fact, her primary directive is quite happily noting that this means there are even MORE labs out ther she could blow up off world. The possibilities!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The facility, if abandoned belongs to none. Legally salvage could be claimed by any interested party to locate the facility, presuming that it is empty of intelligent parties. I do not require assistance, but I would welcome the company."She pauses to sip and nibble in her own time. "I would desire to claim the personal effects of those my contract stipulates, if possible. However beyond that, I'm being payed enough that I do not care to dispute salvage rights. Now just remember, the facility could potentially be a smoking crater. It could be full of horrors, and it could be nowhere to be found at all. Such contracts often take some time for me to complete, this would be no swift payday."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That is sensible, but I would imagine it would be much faster if it was not JUST you searching the area. Especially if there are people in need of aid or enemies to fight. I don't believe the crew of the Milano would be the type to want personal effects, though they certainly would be happy to salvage anything of worth that they could then trade for credits or materials for their own use."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She lightly taps her fingers against the tea cup. "How big of a colony was this supposed to have been, exactly?" she wonders. "You say you believe you are being deceived by those who hired you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well no. The colony had at it's peak north of ten thousand souls I am told. It was set up well beyond settled space, in the middle of nowhere essentially. There are a trio of persons who had life insurance policies, which are quite large. As they have gone silent for more than eight months, they are within four months of being declared dead. These policies would then be payed out. I am thus hired to investigate, and put the matter to rest at worst. In a best case scenerio I can confirm they live, and potentially affect a rescue. That, is typical colony cracking."And a pause as Coco sips. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"However what this labratory was studying, is unknown to me. It is also unknown to the loved ones, and to the insurance companies. A search of the company holdings, turned up fake addresses and forged tax documents. Now that's not uusual, some hypercorp may have them out there developing the next popular brand of beverage. They could also be a clandestine bio-weapons facility, or doing goodness knows what else. So, I'm taking on provisions and I'm going to go see what I can find. It could be nothing, it could be a million pirates."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The tapping becomes a slow circling of her fingertip along the rip of the cup. "I see..." she says thoughfully. "That does sound suspicious. Does your contract take into account the perfidity of your employers, should they have intentionally worked to deceive you?" She leans back slowly, turning it over in her mind. "It does seem like you plan to leap into the unknow...or at least, the uncertain. YOu must be very confident of your ability to handle whatever you may locate?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I have been doing this work for ten years, and in that time I have encountered many things. Despite the rumors, pirates and privateers have a professional respect for one another for the most part. If this facility had been insured, and I was retained? Then certainly I may be obliged to fight, but I am only looking for three persons alive or dead. They could grant me those souls, and I will depart without a shot fired. Hostages where Crackers are involved, is an exceedingly expensive affair."And a casual sip and nibble. "Besides, I am formidable. My Vessel is rightfully feared, and I do not stop once the black flag has been hoisted. Once it begins, there is no stopping. No matter what happens, they will lose."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You seem more the bounty hunter or...operative for hire than a privateer, almost." she says curiously. "Perhaps it's not a perfect translation on my side, then again. I wasn't trying to suggest you weren't capable of it, certainly." she continues. "Such a redoubtable rep is to be envied by many, I'm sure." Another little sip from her cup and nibble from another cracker. She seems quite content to nibble, letting you have the lion's share of both. After all, you'll appreciate much more than she will. "How long have you journeyed on these missions alone?" she wonders.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I have been on my own since the raids ended."She seems to ponder that, antenna twitching in apparent thought. "Eighty seven years, I think. I had a full crew back during the raids, during the war. It was a good time then. Many souls unified in purpose, working together. Now I have, well androids but unlike you obviously. They are, not the same obviously."She nods finally, pausing for tea and cracker. "We all sort of, drifted apart. The crews broke up when they decomissioned my previous ship, the one I had during the raids. I made a name for myself back then as captain."<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Theres a pause as she snags that helmet, and fiddles for a moment before the skull vanishes. Replaced by another hologram, a ship not unlike the one she has now. It's a little flatter, a little more rounded but otherwise it's easily identified as being from the same shipyard. "The B-D-S Utter Despair." A hundred and six seperate confirmed victories, even more orbital bombardments, ships siezed and so fourth. She was a very fine ship, stayed together despite all the damage she took. Usually brought her home a wreck, it's in an orbital museum now."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Lolita leans in to take a look. "A very pretty ship...I'm sorry you were denied it afterwards." she says honestly. "It seems ungallant to simply take a ship that was so storied from its captain, especially if it split your crew as well." She frowns softly. "I suppose they had no reason to give you a replacement of the same size if the battle was over, though may I assume your current vessel was given in recognition of your service?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She smiles a bit. "What is your current ships' name?" she adds, curious now. "And...androids? Not sentient ones, I presume." she says archly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Not nearly sentient at all, no. That would be, ugly of me to do."Or so Coco reassures. "Well they wisely didn't want a huge fleet of privateers hanging out with nothing to do. However, most of the Lumifao at least were unhappy without anything to do. There was debate, and it was decided we sould obtain new writs. So I and others are, in reserve as it were. So we got a bunch of frigates and Corvettes, though mine was prepared for me by the shipyard specifically. I took great care to honor them in battle, and their fine works. They returned the favor."<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The Ship I have now is a Prvi Pediwate class Light Interdiction Corvette, the only ship of her class. The B-D-S, Very Best of Intentions. She is outfitted to my liking, much like my Utter Despair was during the war. Railguns, Defensive laser arrays, and many more guided missiles than a ship of her mass would typically carry. She is not the fastest ship, but she is certainly the fastest ship to carry heavy armament."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The dark-haired girl nods thoughtfully. "I'm sorry that your crew were not able to stay with you then, especially when you had served with them for so long." She wrinkles her nose. "I admit I don't have much knowledge of such ships, I'm still learning. There is a fairly wide technical gap in what I know and what you take for granted here. My world has not really gone into space much yet, only within our system mostly, with some rare exceptions."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sips from her tea, then smiles thoughfully. "If you would like to give me a tour sometime, however, I would be happy to admire it once I have a better understanding of how singular a ship it is?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It is rarely in port, but I would be happy to do so. The shipyard here does excellent drive work, and the BDS shipyards whilst excellent are both far away and slow. Best tasked with her more, exotic subsystems. Sensors, weaponry, the FTL core, the paint. These Xandarans want everything in like, high visibility colors."Which is, well she can't really blech but she gets the point across. "The only "flashy" thing on that vessel, is the plasma bloom of her railguns and I do not grant repeat viewings to those who have cause to view them."<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"BDS ships are strange animals in comparison to other vessels anyway, very mature designs. They went from building very advanced tractors, complex bio-reactors, and simple inner-system spacecraft to legitimate first class warship production in just five years. They're, very honest. With the drives spun up to flank and the ship rigged for combat it's capable of much more than eighty Gs of lateral acceleration. Free three dimensional thrust vectoring, with very broad slewing for the main armament. Her drives run clean and cold, meaning she has a very small EM siganture and on glide her thermal bloom is negligable. Shape is Radar reflective, It's X-ray and T-ray absorbant, LIDAR has trouble returning accurate ranging data."And a little beam there, as she finally sets her tea down. Finished it seems. "She's as fine a ship as any, and she's mine."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The girl across from you rests her chin thoughtfully atop her hands, listening attentively as you list out all of the features. "It sounds very impressive for a race that had no experience building warships previously." she admits, smiling a bit at your excitement. "I can admire a well crafted device such as that, especially when it included such an aesthetically pleasing and elegant design to its exterior. Looking good and being efficient and effective often don't go hand in hand." She herself is sort of the exception to that rule, she feels. Most combat assault mecha lack her obviously superior dress sense and generally superior aesthetics. After all, she's spent some time perfecting her exoshell to her satisfaction, and it's nice to have that appreciated at times.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Looking the part, often enough will preclude you from having to fight some battles. It is worthwhile to be feared, or to allow yourself to be easily feared."On go those gloves with an audible -ssst- as they seal back up. "In anycase, The V-B-I will be in port for another thirty hours or so. Before then, please do feel free to drop by at your convience. For the moment unfortunately, I must take care to fetch stocks for the galley." Those holographic antenna blip off, before she drops that helmet over her head and locks it down. The pirate skull returning in a flash. "Thankyou for the company, it is bad luck to drink tea alone. Not a privelage I have had in many years."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The petite combat mecha says politely but honestly. "It was my pleasure. I haven't had the opportunity to talk to many people here as of yet, and I am quite curious about your mission now." She considers. "The Milano, the ship I am on, is at pad CF-71, if you wish to contact me when you have the time to show me around? Or if you wish to inquire if Captain Quill wishes to assist in your mission. I will tell him about it when I see him next, but I honestly am not sure how long we are planning to stay on Xandar at the moment."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She stands, then offers a hand. "...on my world we clasps hands as a greeting or in introduction, among other things. I've been very pleased to talk with you, Cocofantuxian Toremno." She pauses. "...it's customary on my world, also to shorten the name of an acquaintance, either to their last or first. In my case, I would be pleased if you would call me Lolita, or Loli if you would rather."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1242|Coco (1242)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, Loli. Call me Coco."And so Coco looks at the hand, and well isn't sure exactly...Before she presses one hand in to shake, followed by the other three. A few good pumps, and yeah that should do it. "May you find serenity and peace within the black until our next meeting, be safe and well."It's a slightly different effect with that gold toothed skull for sure.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>Gothic Lolita offers a nice tea and hugs. "We're all friends, none of us are going to jump on you for stuff. There's no reason to be so worried. :)<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>Gothic Lolita says, "...and think of your wife naked if it helps. :P"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>Gothic Lolita says, "Xanshi was the name of the planet that Jon Stewart supposedly accidentally blew up in JLA?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>Gothic Lolita says, "Or there's Sakaar, which is a savage world known for a lot of alien types who have beenstranded there or crashed there."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>Gothic Lolita says, "You could use Daem...granted, it's a wrecked planet at the moment. Home of the Daemonites, originally, and center of their now fallen empire."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>Gothic Lolita says, "It had most of its gravity sucked out of it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1187|Gothic Lolita (1187)}} has posed:'''<br>Gothic Lolita smiles. "Cool. It had dimensional critters called Gravity Miners come in from a neighboring dimension and suck it dry, because gravity is a physical thing in their dimension. Caused the collapse of the Daemonite empire eventually.<br> <br>
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