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Post by Shaman Odin Alfodr on Feb 26, 2013 16:55:16 GMT -8
*The history is currently unknown.*
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L???? ?o R??
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Post by L???? ?o R?? on Nov 12, 2013 9:42:01 GMT -8
The Darkness departed hyperspace with Lapay no Ken still comfortably seated in the captain's chair, but he had not stayed motionless the entire trip. He had gotten up to survey the cargo hold where he planned to place the prison cells after this little foray onto Kiffex. He had taken his lightsaber out and gone through the training motions of Form V. He had returned to the seat upon reaching the Rimma Trade Route intersection and replotted coordinates to Kiffex. He had stood up again and practiced Telekinesis by suspending himself in midair until failure. He had gone into the first aid kit to apply salve to his bruise from when he failed. And he had returned to the captain's seat when the ship beeped an alarm that indicated his impending return to realspace.
And this begins his approach to the planet. Without delay, he makes to open a communications channel to the planet, but they beckon him first.
= Kiffex Tower Control = Unidentified YT-1930, this is Kiffex Tower Control. Please state your name, affiliation, and purpose on Kiffex, over.
Ken was taken slightly aback. "...I guess they really pay attention here. Never had them ask me that stuff from this far away...well, here they go." He pressed the comm button. :: "Kiffex Tower Control, this is Lapay no Ken, pilot and lone passenger of The Darkness, YT-1930. Affiliation is myself, purpose on Kiffex is to visit the prisons, over." ::
There was a moment of silence, which Ken presumed to be the KTC operator reporting to a superior. It seems like this is a well-regimented structure of commands, doesn't it? After a few more moments, the operator got back on the comm.
= Kiffex Tower Control = Lapay no Ken, we have completed a life form scan of The Darkness and confirm that there is only one life form reading on board. Please maintain current course and prepare to be boarded, over.
"...what?!" :: "Kiffex Tower Control, please repeat, over." ::
= Kiffex Tower Control = Please maintain current course and prepare to be boarded, over.
:: "Kiffex Tower Control, this is unusual. What is the purpose of the boarding party, over?" ::
= Kiffex Tower Control = This is standard procedure on Kiffex, Lapay no Ken. If you intend to visit the prison, then Kiffex security must confirm that your ship carries no potential weapons, and will deactivate your shielding and weapon systems. Over.
"...this is garbage! No prison visit is worth the trouble!" His annoyance was audible as he replied to the comm operator. :: "Kiffex Tower Control, nix that. I will not be visiting the prisons today. Instead, I will just visit the spaceport and be on my way." ::
If that's how it's going to be, he thinks, then I'll just tell them that it's not the purpose, and once I'm on planet, I'll easily be able to sneak in and-- = Kiffex Tower Control = Notification acknowledged, Lapay no Ken. Prepare to receive boarding party, over.
:: "No, I will not receive a boarding party! Over!" ::
= Kiffex Tower Control = Lapay no Ken, adjust course to depart from the system, prepare to receive a boarding party, or you will be acknowledged as hostile and fired on. Over.
The worst part of this, in Ken's opinion, is the complete monotone in which all of these comms are being sent. No hesitation, no emotion, no inflection. It was like talking to a droid, only he could clearly tell that it was a sentient being. But he was talking like he didn't even have to acknowledge how bothersome and intrusive he was being. Especially crippling the ship's systems! He knew, surely, how annoying this was. But still he insisted on talking in such an unaffected way! Ken gritted his teeth and replied back.
:: "Kiffex Tower Control, you may send your boarding party. Over and out." ::
He seethed with rage while he waited for the boarding pod to come into his sensor range.
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L???? ?o R??
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Post by L???? ?o R?? on Nov 12, 2013 16:40:41 GMT -8
Five long minutes passed, wherein Ken considered just how bad the ramifications would be if he were to open fire on the pod approaching his ship. To his disadvantage, the Kiffex defense fleet seemed to be stationed on the far side of the planet...not far away enough that he would be able to jump to hyperspace cleanly, if they were indeed there. And likewise masked by the planet's presence from his sensors, to where he could not determine what ships were there, if any. But alone, he stands no chance against a fleet. And considering that the action of firing his primary requires him to hop in either the top or bottom turret, there's...just no way that he could pilot and shoot at the same time like this.
So all he could do was watch while he waited. What in the name of Chaos is freedom...if it's anything like this? Never, ever, ever again, Ken vowed. But just this once...just this once, he'll excuse it. More power would solve this problem nicely.
The boarding pod docked to his ship and Ken reluctantly opened the overhead hatch. Into the ship came five Kiffu Guardians, whose leader stepped forward as Ken entered the lounge. He was a taller man than Ken, and his dreadlocks were shoulder-length and tied back in a ponytail. Across his face was the gold-stripe qukuuf most readily associated with the Vos clan. The sleeveless uniform of the Kiffar left nothing to the imagination in regards to whether this man weight-trained or not. I guess the police force of a sector needs to be in good shape, though. He inclined his head slightly by way of greeting and spoke. "My name is Deca Vos, Captain of the Third Division of the Kiffu Guardians."
He paused with that, which I guess is the Kiffar way of greeting? Ken took the hint but let the silence linger until it became uncomfortable. Because he's like that. But Ken is also observant. Not all of these Kiffar have the same tattoos, that's the first thing that stands out to him. There's the gold tattoo captain, who by making introductions made himself the center of Ken's hate, and the rest of them have blue double arrows on their cheeks, in addition to swirly patterns. "...Right, let's get this over with. You're here why?"
Deca Vos drew a deep breath through his nose and straightened up, puffing out his chest. "When someone gives you their name, Lapay no Ken, it is generally considered polite to introduce yourself."
"Hmmmmm... ...I don't think I want a lecture on manners from the guys who bullied their way onto my ship. So, second verse, same as the first. You're here why?"
"We are here to ensure that your ship is in compliance prior to landing. Please insert this--" He hands Ken a data socket plug. "--into your ship computer's port. Then surrender all weapons on the craft into our possession. They will remain in Guardian custody until your departure from the planet, so rest assured that your possessions are safe."
Ken gives him a wary glare, and then snatches the stick from his hand. "Fine! If I do this, you'll get off my ship, right?" He slams the device into the computer socket, secretly hoping that he'll break it. Well, they probably have replacements, don't they? In response to being plugged in, the stick lights up and several warning lights go off on the ship's dash.
"...what the--" Ken whirls furiously and glares at Captain Vos. "What the KRIFF IS THIS?"
The captain smiles slightly at Ken's demonstration of his temper, unafraid for his life in the slightest. The other Guardians have raised their weapons, however. Not even a bit of Ken's anger disrupts the calm demeanor of Captain Vos. He's done this before. "It has executed a program that will bring your ship into compliance. Compliance is defined by Guardian law as weapons offline, shields down. Now, if you please, surrender all weapons on your person and on the ship."
Ken's fury is truly building now. What a frustrating protocol, just to gain access to the planet! But he must be mostly done with all of the garbage by now, so...
"Do NOT..." He pulls his lightsaber from his belt. "...DO NOT...lose this." He hands it reluctantly over to Captain Vos. "When the time comes to leave this planet, if I find that you have lost it...your life..."
The Captain takes the saber and holds his hand over his chest. In the same deep, serious voice, he speaks to reassure Ken.
"A lightsaber is a weapon of greatest value, perhaps, to its owner. I understand the responsibility I bear in taking it. You have it on my life that it will not leave our possession. If this is all..." He nods his head. The other four Guardians move about the ship, searching cabinets and storage for any other hidden weapons, an array of scanners at their disposal to assist. While they move about the ship, Ken continues to glare at them. He spits without turning his head at Captain Vos, who remains by him. "This is without a doubt the most trouble I have ever had in coming to a planet."
But, again, this is not the first time that Captain Vos has heard such words. "You are coming to visit a prison world, Lapay no Ken. Did you expect that security is going to be any less than this? Any number of prison escapes have been foiled because they relied on ship weapons being online, or visitors bearing weapons with which to murder the Kiffu Guardians." The other four Guardians came back to the lounge empty-handed and nodded to the captain. He bowed in return, and walked over to them and placed his hand on his chest again, speaking his final words to Ken. "Before you may land on the planet, you must go to the flagship of the General and Adviser to the Sheyf of the Kiffu Guardians, Kusedra Konshi, of the esteemed Clan Konshi. The coordinates are already in your ship's computer. He will conduct an interview pertaining to your purpose on the planet. If you are not of illegal intent, you will be permitted onto the surface and have your freedom to go about your business as desired there. And, one last thing, Lapay no Ken..." He paused just before returning to the pod. "Do not remove the stick from the ship under any circumstance. We will know, and we will consider that action to be hostile. Enjoy your visit to Kiffex."
There is a sour taste in Ken's mouth.
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L???? ?o R??
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Affiliation: The Way of Lapay
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Post by L???? ?o R?? on Nov 12, 2013 17:28:50 GMT -8
"Well...at least this time they won't take so long..." These words slip from Ken's mouth as an Imperious-class Star Destroyer comes hurtling from hyperspace to a position above and uncomfortably close to the YT-1930. Such a feat is only capable when the ship carries a hyperwave inertial momentum sustainer. Reasonably, then, we could expect it to have other gravity-tampering devices. The departing pod of the boarding party precedes him in landing at the Imperious's bay, but it is just a minute later that the tractor beams of the Star Destroyer are carefully maneuvering the freighter into place so that he might have his little face-to-face with Kusedra Konshi.
Rumbles and rocking, without further ado the ship succeeds in docking and thus out of the ship with his head held high and his eyes burning comes Lapay no Ken, deprived of his lightsaber but not his gauntlet, as this was overlooked by the Kiffu Guardians. After all, Ken thinks, it does look rather dashing, doesn't it?
But into the ship he goes...up to the bridge, escorted by a handful of Kiffar, in the usual silent elevator ride type of thing that happens in these situations. Uncomfortably bright and silent. You get the picture. At the bridge he meets the Kusedra Konshi that everyone's been eagerly awaiting. What struck Ken was how he was both shorter and less muscle-bound than that Captain Deca Vos. Then again, perhaps a general sees less field action than a captain, and therefore has less need of such things. Or perhaps has less time due to paperwork and all that. Kusedra Konshi, for his part, is not unfit. He is well built, and bears the blue chevron of the Konshi clan on his right cheek. There are no other qukuuf on his face besides that. His hair is trimmed shorter than most, not even coming far enough to extend down his neck. His eyes are a light green color in the irises, and his skin is paler than most of the Kiffar on the ship. He stands and bows deeply as Lapay no Ken approaches, then dismisses the crowd, leaving just the two of them.
"Lapay no Ken, may I introduce myself. I am Kusedra Konshi, General of the Kiffu Guardians and Adviser to Sheyf Sandine Vos. I need to ask you a few questions before I can let you onto the planet, Lapay no Ken. Please be honest and brief so that we do not have to take any more time than we need."
His pace was rapid and Ken was a bit speechless here, because he's not ultimately all that quick on the uptake, mentally. Unperturbed by silence, however, Konshi moves right along in the spiel. Ken gets caught up entirely with his flow and is swept away.
"I understand that you wish to visit the prisons on Kiffex. Or, actually, you wish to just visit the spaceport and be on your way tomorrow. So, which is it?"
"Uh, uh...just...visit the prisons." Kusedra Konshi's eyes narrow. "Why?" "I, uh, want to find out the best way to use stasis tech." "Why?" "I'm trying to put a, uh...cell in my ship. A stasis cell in my ship. Because, uh--" He's interrupted with a hand wave. "It is not important why. What makes you think coming in person to a prison is the best way to do this?" "Honestly, I ...don't know. I don't know where else to look, so I came here to start." "You are not aware of the identity of any prisoners on this planet?" "No....." "You did not come here at anyone's request?" "No....."
Kusedra Konshi stares at him piercingly for a few moments longer. Ken sweats, wondering if he's failed the interview. But then it is over! Kusedra Konshi dismisses him, and the crowd of escorts flocks back to him to return him whence he came, to his ship, so that he can head to the planet. Someone begins explaining to him about how the stick that's in his ship computer downloaded a map of the planet, and that he's free to go anywhere, and will he please enjoy his stay on Kiffex and not try to break any prisoners out and on and on... ... ...
The Darkness breaks loose from the docking bay and ignites the thrusters to head planetside, much to Ken's relief-- to be free from all the annoyance. There's no question in his mind, as he takes his credit chip out. He's going to the bar to get hammered. He's earned it after all this.
Kusedra Konshi watches the ship as it leaves from his vantage point of the window of the bridge. His right hand holds the lightsaber of Lapay no Ken. When he speaks, it is now in a much more thoughtful and relaxed tempo. "...Lapay no Ken, mm... I wonder what you really are..." The right hand rises to eye level and the left comes to meet it, holding the lightsaber from either end. Kusedra's brow furrows and his eyes begin to glow with an ethereal light. In the background, Ken's ship is entering the atmosphere, far out of sight of these eyes.
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Kel'Al Raganella
The Jedi Order - Corellian Jedi Academy
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Post by Kel'Al Raganella on Nov 14, 2013 20:33:58 GMT -8
A lone starfighter broke through the edges of the system as it reverted to real space and decelerated to orbital speed. The Corellian Tracer, a favorite of the Corellian Security Forces, was rarely seen this far out, but a few had fallen into the hands of pirates and mercenary crack pilots over the years. Many more had been scavanged and used to create uglies, due to their similar size and shape to the ubiquitous Incom X-wings. This unit, in particular, looked unusually well kept, albeit battered and worn on the surface, with at least six colors of paint (red, orange, black, and three shades of grey) covering what a stranger would assume to be carefully patched blast damage.
The look was intentionally deceptive. Jedi Master Kel'Al Raganella did not want it known that a lone Jedi starfighter was prowling Kiffex, nor did he want to find himself suddenly targeted by a much larger force. It was better to blend in until he had assessed the situation, and so he'd opted for a "new" paint job -- one of the worst ever perpetrated by the Corellian Academy flight crew. As the Jedi pilot eased back on his controls and surveyed the planet, he keyed for the external comm and announced his presence.
Kiffex control, this is ------. (He slurred his real name in a thick Olys Corellisi accent from which it would be unlikely that any outsider could reconstruct an accurate enough spelling to conduct a holonet query). I'm a private investigator working a missing persons case. I'm looking for a tourist who disappeared here a few weeks back.
It wasn't anything near the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie, either. He was looking for a missing person, and he was here on Jedi business, not the business of any government. It just so happened that his target was a fellow Jedi. He wondered whether he would be able to find any direct records for Jaylonda. He didn't even know if she'd used her real name or not. But first, he needed to get on the ground. Then he would rely on the Force to lead him to the answers he sought, just like it had so many other times.
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Kel'Al Raganella
The Jedi Order - Corellian Jedi Academy
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Post by Kel'Al Raganella on Nov 19, 2013 21:46:28 GMT -8
= Kiffex Tower Control = Private investigator ------, please give us the name of the missing individual. Our records will indicate the date of arrival and on-planet destinations. Furthermore, please maintain course and prepare to dock to Imperial customs corvette, "Numeral". Over.
The Jedi Master held his course as he considered how much to reveal over the com channel. It was probably better not to lie about Jaylonda herself. He didn't know what they already knew. I am looking for a young Togruta woman named Jaylonda Peters. I believe she would have arrived between 2 and 3 weeks ago, but she never called home. I have some holos that I was hoping someone might recognize.
On board Numeral, the communications chief signals for the records to be accessed. In a matter of seconds, his attendant has swept the database for "Jaylonda Peters" and come up with a matching result. The data file is processed onto a pad while the chief relays communication to the private investigator in the meantime.
= Kiffex Tower Control = Confirmed, private investigator ------. Jaylonda Peters did arrive on the planet three weeks ago. The Kiffu Guardians kept an itinerary of the places she visited while on-planet, which we can provide to you upon docking with Numeral. Please maintain course and confirm docking compliance, over.
The chief scans over the record, verifying that no redactions need to be made. He takes particular note that she met with Kusedra Konshi prior to clearance for the planet, and that she was traveling under the pseudonym Ashiee Saakin [If you don't like this name please feel free to come up with another]. He beckons his aide to send a relay to the flagship Imperious-class star destroyer, since it seemed possible to him that the visitor was going to need to be cleared by Konshi himself before they could let him onto Kiffex. He also gave the order for the Second Division crew to head to the dock.
Thank you, Control. Kel'Al pressed two buttons on the port side of his control board, and smiled slightly as his astromech droid chirped derisively. Sev had absolutely no respect for open space docking with vessels as small as an Imperial Customs Corvette, since the R2 unit could not follow his Master aboard. There was a faint whirring noise as the docking collar above his head unfolded from the canopy of the starfighter. Roger that. Preparing to dock. Up ahead and slightly above his current altitude, the Jedi saw the Numeral loom into view, and nudged his control stick fractionally to the starboard, centering his nose to the V-shaped docking arms.
As the starfighter maneuvers into position, the Second Division's welcoming crew was all ready to meet their visitor. Once Kel'Al's fighter is in place, a space bridge will extend from the dock of the Numeral to his fighter cockpit, impregnated with standard atmospheric pressures and the usual mix of breathable air. There is only one incident in Kiffu Guardian history of this not working out so well, three years ago, when a negligent Kel Dorian had not replaced his breath mask when exiting his fighter. He had promptly gone blind and asphyxiated. But that was the only time.
The crew there to greet Kel'Al and ensure compliance before waving him onward are all Kiffar, all clad in the standard uniform attire of their race. All five present bear the blue downward-arrow qukuuf of Clan Konshi. Arms folded across their chests, they await the arrival of their visitor in silence. The compliance data socket input and datapad to which has been copied the record of Jaylonda's visit create a bulge inside the breast pocket of the Second Division Commander.
There was a soft bump as the Tracer nestled into docking position, and the jaws of the Numeral took hold. No pilot liked the feeling of this particular moment, as he lost the control and independence of flying his own ship, and was seized by a larger vessel, about whose captain he knew almost nothing. But it was a necessary evil. Kel'Al let out a deep sigh, and switched off his unneeded flight systems, then popped his flight retrains, and reached for the handbar above his head. Checking the meters carefully to ensure that a pressure lock had been achieved, and that the tube on the other side contained breathable air, he pulled the safety, and unlocked the tiny hatch in the top of his cockpit. With a hiss, the pressures normalized, and the hatch floated open, then locked in an upright position with a tiny click.
"Here goes nothing." He whispered, more to himself than to Sev, who could still be heard whining in binary over the intercom. Letting go, he pushed off, and rose vertically through the tube. He grabbed a handle at the far end, and pulled himself through the tumultuous meeting of the two ships' artificial gravity fields. A moment later, he stood in the dock before the Kiffar: a young man in his early thirties, with short brown hair, extremely sharp blue eyes, and a crooked smile.
Dressed in a loose-fitting green flight suit with no insignia, and without a lightsaber on his belt, Kel had no visible outward signs of his status as a Jedi. He scanned the dock for a moment, carefully observing the five crew members as he decided how much to reveal. The fact that Jaylonda had used her real name indicated that maybe he could safely use his as well. Then again, maybe that was exactly why Jaylonda had disappeared. He didn't want to run that same risk, did he? Maybe he did. It could be the quickest way to find her.
"So..."
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L???? ?o R??
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Affiliation: The Way of Lapay
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Post by L???? ?o R?? on Nov 22, 2013 19:43:45 GMT -8
The Second Division Commander, the one with the bulge inside his breast pocket, steps forward to introduce himself. At the same time, he withdraws the datapad and holds it outward. "Fortee Konshi, Second Division Commander, at your service. This is the data file containing the information of Jaylonda Peters' visit to Kiffex, as requested--" Before handing it over completely to Kel'Al, he pulls it back quickly and makes the following addition to his introductory statement: "I am giving this to you under the condition that you will remain in compliance to Kiffu Guardian protocol as long as you remain in Kiffex space."
And then does he relinquish it, but he is not fully able to mask the skeptical look creeping across his face. Well...he is from Clan Konshi, after all, you can hardly blame his mistrust. And, given the nature of Jaylonda's visit to Kiffex, there's ample reason for him to wonder as to whether the private investigator's purpose here is only as superficial as the title implies.
Fortee really, really does not want to bring the second division into battle against a Jedi.
When Kel'Al peruses the datapad, the itinerary of Jaylonda's visit reads as follows:
::: DATA FILE 071134B ::: Name: Jaylonda Peters (hereafter "JP") Species: Togruta Affiliation: Jedi (Corellian Jedi Academy)
::: ACTIVITY ::: (t = hours after arrival in Kiffex space)
000.25 JP docks with 'Numeral' and surrenders lightsaber and blaster pistol. JP meets with KK for interview. Clearance granted.
000.60 JP lands at Ven Karya Spaceport. Snubfighter placed in hourly visitor lot, space EE-45.
000.65 JP enters Busted Blaster.
001.45 JP departs Busted Blaster. Declines offer to purchase vibroshiv. Enters fighter, leaves spaceport. Departure vector towards Deadend.
003.05 JP enters Deadend, docks fighter in overnight lot, space DA-02. Locates hotel, moves luggage to room. Remains inside for the night.
010.50 JP departs hotel, heads to town hall. Enters visitor center, acquires map. Eats lunch. Retrieves fighter, departs town in direction of Ven Karya Spaceport.
015.00 JP returns to Deadend hotel room.
015.50 JP walks to Deadend prison complex.
016.00 JP retrieves fighter, flies towards Ven Karya Spaceport.
018.20 JP arrives in Ven Karya Spaceport, enters Busted Blaster. Fighter docked in hourly visitor lot, space CD-19.
021.00 JP departs Busted Blaster. Retrieves fighter, departure vector towards Wilds.
033.75 JP enters Deadend, returns to hotel room. Fighter placed in overnight lot, space BF-65. Leaves hotel room, enters Black Hole. Encounters NZ. Declines offer to purchase blaster. Returns to hotel room for remainder of night.
043.00 JP departs hotel room, retrieves fighter, flight vector out of Delack Holeadend in direction of Ven Karya Spaceport.
046.50 JP arrives in Ven Karya Spaceport, enters Busted Blaster. Fighter placed in hourly lot, space EE-31. Eats lunch, departs Busted Blaster. Walks around town.
047.50 JP encounters CR at town edge. Converses. JP returns to retrieve fighter, leaves town in direction of Wilds.
054.35 JP enters Deadend. Does not place fighter in lot, fighter impounded. JP walks to prison complex.
054.95 JP enters city hall to inquire of fighter whereabouts. Fighter returned after fine paid.
055.05 JP departs Deadend, flight vector towards Sheyf's Palace.
056.05 JP arrives at Sheyf's Palace, goes inside.
056.30 JP departs Sheyf's Palace. Departs for Ven Karya Spaceport.
056.35 KK transmission requesting to meet with JP again. Location updated to KK. Pending message delivery at Ven Karya.
060.00 JP arrives at Ven Karya Spaceport. Message of request from KK to meet with JP delivered. JP acknowledges, heads to Busted Blaster. Departs Busted Blaster, prepares to leave Kiffex.
060.25 JP leaves Kiffex to meet with KK.
060.60 JP arrives in orbit, meets with KK. Leaves Kiffex space.
"...And now, Mr. Private Investigator, one last thing." Fortee pulls the other thing out of his pocket-- the compliance data socket plug. "If you would be so kind as to place this into your USI port on the astrodroid you have, your ship will be put into compliance mode. And while you do that, please surrender any weapons within your ship to the Kiffu Guardians. Our honor is at stake when we pledge that your belongings will be kept in utmost care. But you understand that this is the detention world servicing the entire Azurbani system. No weapons are permitted on the surface."
A hint of nervousness slips into his voice as he makes that final request.
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