Tanya's technical explanation certainly sounded official, but Kosso understood only one word out of ten. Maybe Luek was following, maybe not; his impassive "face" was as unyielding as ever. The Hanar did, however, noticeably shift into a lush burst of fresh color when Tanya mentioned, with all due dramatic effect, that her new tech could be a literal revolution. [i]There it is,[/i] Kosso thought, a bit smugly. [i]He may think himself the biggest fish in the pond, but this is one piece of bait he can't refuse. We've got him.[/i]

But when Luek spoke, it wasn't in affirmation of their proposed deal. Instead, he casually motioned one of his bodyguards towards the two of them. "Refill our guests drinks, Alejo." The Drell nodded immediately before moving to pour new liquor for Tanya and Kosso. The two bodyguards hadn't said a single word since appearing alongside Luek in the main lounge. Tall, thin and dressed in simple suits, they had moved behind Luek with practiced precision, never more than three steps behind their employer. Here in the relative quiet of the study, they had taken pre-ordained positions on opposite walls, hand clasped behind their backs. Though they seemed relaxed, Kosso knew that beneath their cool exteriors they were tensed, always ready to spring into action. Both had a heavy pistol holstered at the waist, but in a close-quarters fight their hands would be just as deadly as any firearms, and it was more than likely that one or both were skilled biotics. 

They would be the hardest part of the mission. Kosso had expected two guards and hoped for one; he knew he was quick enough to take out one before the situation turned into an ordeal. Two, though...he'd have to be fast, and Tanya even faster. He hoped she had managed to smuggle a few surprises in with that omni-tool of hers. At the very least, he didn't recognize either of the guards, and they didn't seem to recognize him. Though both were Drell, he saw no hints of recognition in their dark, ever-wary eyes. That was good. 

As their drinks were refilled, Luek turned to a large, ornately carved ivory desk at the center of the room and pressed a small hidden button. The surface of the desk began to shine, and a shimmering hologram of a planet suddenly appeared, hanging in the dim light a few feed overhead. Upon closer inspection, Kosso realized that it was Kahje, with each city, dry dome, and spaceport mapped out along its surface. Alongside each were long strings of numbers, occasionally accompanied by words emblazoned in a text that Kosso couldn't read. [i]This is it. This is what we came here for[/i] But this was just a glimpse of the prize, one of Luek's many frivolous and ultimately worthless playthings. The source of all this data was elsewhere in the room, hidden away behind locked doors.

Tilting upwards towards the hologram, Luek's already fluorescent body was awash in a vibrant neon glow. "Do you know the name of this ship?" He asked. He had directed the question towards Tanya, but it was Kosso that answered, seeing the confusion on his partner's face.

"[i]Aurelion[/i]." He took a sip of his drink, trying not to let his discomfort show. He wasn't sure where Luek was going with this. "A most noble sounding name, to be sure, but I must confess that I do not know its meaning."

"It comes from an old legend." Luek reached idlly up to touch the surface of the planet above. The hologram was incredibly detailed; Kosso was a bit shocked to see the digital seas of Kahje ripple as Luek's tentacle gently breached their surface. "It is a bit of Hanar folk tale, passed down from ancient eras." Lightly, he flicked the end of his tentacle to one side, causing the Kahje projection to spin slowly, as if in normal rotation. Luek watched the oceans go sliding by as he told the story.

"Aurelion was a king among Hanar, though many would call him a genius, and many more would call him a lunatic. This was back before the Hanar had breached the surface of our seas in any meaningful way, and most were content to build below the waves, amidst the comfort of the ocean's depths. All but Aurelion. [i]He[/i] wished to build [i]upwards[/i], above the surf and swell. He planned a great tower, one that would rise from the sea, atop which he could gaze out over Kahje from his perch within the clouds, as the Enkindlers must have once done. Those closest to him tried to dissuade him from his mad task, but Aurelion could not be budged. It took him many cycles and much toil, and some say the sheer exhaustion of the building left him nearly dead, but eventually he triumphed. He had crafted a brilliant tower of coral, and it pierced the sky and held dominion over every wave. At its summit, Aurelion made his home, and with the coming of each morning he would look over his creation and be satisfied.

"However, from his lofty perch in the sky, Aurelion could not see the base of his tower, and there the waves were slowly eating away at the coral, one particle at a time. The waves worked at his tower for many cycles, but so high was he that he did not notice, until one day his tower came toppling down into the waves, carrying poor Aurelion with it. [i]For as we rose from the sea, so too must we return.[/i] So the saying goes.

"On Kahje it is taught as a sort of cautionary tale: 'take care that you do not grasp at things that you cannot have, or risk finding yourself amongst ruin.' When this one 'retired' from the political sphere, several years ago, this one could hear them whispering behind its back, mocking it. 'There goes Aurelion, born again. His desire extended past his reach, and look where he has ended up.'" Kosso could sense that low rumble again, as if something vast and deep was stirring within Luek, something he suspected was anger, boiling somewhere deep below his calm exterior. The Hanar reached up again, pushing the rotating planet harder, sending into a wicked spin. Waves washed up and over the great cities of Kahje, swallowing them in pixellated seafoam. 

"They called this one a fool, but they had it all wrong. Aurelion may have ended in ruin, but at least he had courage, and determination enough to build towards something greater than the rest. While others languished below, he was as a king within his tower, all because he dared to reach out and make his plans a reality. Truly, our dreams are not limited by our reach, but only by our will. Aurelion should have been praised, not pitied.

"So it was that this one did not feel insulted by the comparison. In fact, this one welcomed it. It was this one's badge of honor: this one did not allow the petty constraints of its fellows keep it chained to a lesser life. This one reached where others did not, and that it is what sets this one apart." Abruptly, he reached up and stopped the spinning hologram. The thrashing oceans continued to slosh and spill along the planet's surface, carried by momentum. Luek watched the waves crash together for a moment before turning towards Tanya. "Do you understand? There are two types of people in this galaxy: Those who are content to toil along lines of tradition, bound by 'morals,' or by 'conscience.' And those who realize that the only thing that matters...the only thing that sets the good apart from the great...is how far one is willing to reach.

"Before this one does business with a stranger, especially business of this scale, this one must be sure that the matter at hand can be carried through to completion, no matter the cost or consequence. So, Ms. Piers, of the two types of people...which are you?"