[@Fallenreaper] &  [@Hellis] in "Hostile Negotiations"


They were successfull. Bad men were dead, pirates were neutralized and their leaders were about to be cashed in for rewards. But to Drono, he was focused on a nagging feeling in the back of his head. This would send waves. Yestin would know he was alive.

But he couldn't worry about that now. Dronos body was feeling like it had been bashed across a entire office space. Which it had, so it made sense that he hated everything and everyone at the moment. His spine was intact however, and he thanked the ancestors that his condition hadn't flared up. Still. it was getting close to another visit to the clinic, he could feel it. He just hoped they had another job lined up soon, maybe he could afford it after another run. But for now their money was going into the Ship. He bit his lip as he considered what they were going. Banna was a volus merchant who worked both the normal and the black market. Apparently, Vellios knew him as well. Banna was a two bit crook with pockets filled with dishonest cash. So puting the screws to him was not so much immoral as it was simply the way of things. Drono and Banna did go back almost as far as Drono and Yestin had. But Drono knew, from bitter experience that bonds like that meant nothing in the face of large amounts of money.

Like Drono, Vellios felt little attachement to the parasite and the only reason he knew he even knew of the volus was through Groto. His main motivation for going with the odd Drell was to actually learn about his favorite baratian and where he might've been located at. He had heard rumors Groto had set up shop baratian Omega at one point though that had been years ago when he first started off as a merc, the times changed and so did Omega with each new group that ruled over it. 

[color=palegreen]"When I asked around, Banna had apperently moved up in the world since i last met him."[/color] Drono said as they navigated a  backstreet. [color=palegreen]"A large amount of cash helped him scale his operations up. I have a vague feeling he owes a lot of that to me."[/color] Drono said as he weaved trough the crowd of a bigger streat as their little stroll trough the alleys ended for now. Indeed, he had an idea he knew exactly where those credits had come from. 

"Interesting. I only know the volus through Groto, a batarian I met once, but he seemed to have impressed him with his influence at least. Gotta to say, that always bothered ol' shit face how that happened." Vellios stated as he followed closely behind Dronos, his feet easily keeping up and even shortening his strides so not to leave the Levos in the dust.   

[color=palegreen]"Banna always knew how to talk a good game if nothing else." [/color]They ducked into a another side street and up a pair of steep stairs. The drelll rapped his knuckles across the metal twice, then waited, then repeated it. Two knocks were heard in response before he he rapped three times hard. The door opened slightly ajar. The Drell didn't wait, he kicked the door with all the force his battered muscle could muster. A yelp and a violent tumbling was heard before Drono stepped in. A shocked looking Banna stared up at him.

Vellios had considered asking the drell if that was really necessarily then stopped. He knew, deep down, if the volus had seen not just Dronos but him as well, there was no way in spirit's wrath he would've opened up. Following the drell in casually, he stood nearby the door as he closed it tightly shut behind him. 

"D-Drono... T-they told me you were dead." The tubby little Volus tried to scrabble backwards. Drono just walked past him. The merchant spotted Vellios and his breathing all but stopped.

Naturally, when the volus noted him, the turian waved a talon in greeting. His figure leaned against the frame and watched, idly the scene unfold in silence. 

"W-what. Why are you two working together" The merchant demanded to know as Drono kicked a chair towards the panicking Banna. [color=palegreen]"Sit"[/color] He pulled up a  chair for himself and sat with the back forward, leaning his forearms on it.

[color=rosybrown] "It's a long story but I don't think we have the time to chit-chat about it."[/color] Vellios stated calmly, his head jerked toward to chair as if agreeing with Dronos' suggestion. 

"Fine" Banna mumbled as he hopped onto the chair, he would have fixed them with a stare but the Volus mechanical goggles made it impossible to tell where the eyes were really looking. 

[color=palegreen] "We need coolant and ammunition for a Ship mounted cannon. Oh and explosives to."[/color] Drono said as he picked up a bag the Volus had at his workbench. Rummaging trough it Drono found a grenade, half assembled.

"You didn't have to kick the door in for tha-" The Volus began but was cut off.

[color=palegreen]"You owe me money."[/color] Drono interrupted him. "Money Yestin gave you."[/color]

"...What are you talking about" Banna spoke, his voice shaky. The hesitation and clear change in tone told Drono all he needed to know. Fury built up inside him and he snarled as he kicked the Volus and his chair over. 

[color=palegreen]"Don't play fucking dumb" Drono said as he went for his gun. The merchant tried to crawl away from the now really angry looking Drell. Drono caught himself and sat back down before he did something stupid. "You said you heard I was dead, right?"[/color]

"Y-yeah"

[color=palegreen]"Who told you that"[/color]

"..." Banna looked at his feet.

[color=palegreen]"WHO." Drono put heavy emphasis on the word as he narrowed his eyes.[/color]

"Yestin." Banna said, his voice dropping to a whisper. Drono threw his hands up in surrender.

[color=palegreen]"....You talk to him Vellios. I am about two second away from killing him."[/color]

[color=Rosybrown] "Don't worry, I would've stopped you. At least as long as it looked like we were going to get what we came for at a reasonable price."[/color] Vellios stated calmly and unfazed by the drell's violent outburst, the alien's hissy fit was a small drop in the bucket compared to his youth. He wasn't stupid as he listened to the conversation and the fact it escalated over this Yestin character wasnt' lost on him. It was something he might have to look into later as he knew the danger an individual set on revenge could be, mostly cause he had been one himself and had the unfortunate chance to witness the aftermath. 

As Dronos stepped away, the turian pulled closer. His taloned hand pulled his favorite knife from his holster and proceeded to flip it up then caught it when it fell back down. He did it a few times in full view of the volus, letting the smaller alien's head watch in growing anxiety over the action. They both knew how...unstable he could be, Groto had naturally made a point of emphaising that to the volus when he first introduced him and suggested not to get on his bad side.  

He held it on the third catch and idly examined it, admiring it a bit. [color=Rosybrown] "You know, it might be best to alter the subject, don't you think? Since you know why we're here, how about you start off with your best price and we'll work from there. The ammunition and coolant needed are for a.. what was the model again, Dronos?" [/color] 

Vellios' eyes shifted to the drell for an answer since he wasn't the ship's gunner. 

[color=palegreen]"Turian V.2 Mercy 440 millimeter. Technically it is a Turian gunship model, but someone tacked it onto our scrap heap of a ship."[/color] Drono said as he seemed to have calmed down. He was playing with another pair of not yet finished explosives from the workbench.

[color=rosybrown] "Never could get into ships so I'm terrible with names and remembering models, or how they go together. Though I'm sure our machine wizards will make the fine tuning."[/color] Vellios commented, then turned to Banna with an expected look that told him it was his turn.  

"That's expensive stuff.." Banna began slowly but was once again interrupted.

[color=palegreen]"Not for us it ain't. How much of MY money did Yestin give you"[/color] Drono was trying to be more casual, but his left hand twitched and his eyes remained narrowed as he stared at the Volus merchant.

[color=rosybrown] "Tsk. I think you're pressing your luck with a can of worms right now, namely as getting a puncture in your suit could very well answer the age old question of what happens to a volus when he's exposed to gravity not his own."[/color] Vellios stated as his head continued to watch Dronos, noting the high tension in the drell's voice. [color=rosybrown] "A bit curious myself as there wasn't many volus from where I came from."[/color]

His hand flipped the blade as he walked closer and into the volus' personal space, he was nearly close enough to sent the blade though the volus' throat with one swift movement. Vellios smirked, knowing he could do easily do it and at any time. Though the volus was clearly more worried about the drell then the very turian that could kill him right now. 

[color=palegreen]"Look. Don't rush this now... We could start with his toes."[/color] Drono said. "or." He suddenly clicked the bomb together that he had been toying with.[color=palegreen] "We could tie him up with this attached to his head. They'd think his stash missfired"[/color] Drono said the last part with a bit to much enthusiasm then was probobly sane.

[color=rosybrown] "Maybe. Though I have to admit, those bombs look rather shoddy to me. It might not even do the full job after all unless our friend has something to say?"[/color] Vellios said, his own smile widening at the tone in Drono's voice. It was like being around a younger version of himself... almost. The memories that passed were gruesome to say the least, his mind shoving them aside for the time being while he heard the volus perk up in a shaky voice. 

"Wait! Ok. Okey. Please do not kill me." Bannas lenses widened as if to emulate shocked eyes opening. "Please Drono. I spent it all. Scaled up my buisness"

[color=palegreen]"I know that. That is why we are getting a discount. Let's say... 90 percent."[/color]

"You can't be serius" 

[color=palegreen]"Ninty percent. Or I turn my back and let my friend and his knife do their thing. He has issues man."[/color]

[color=rosybrown] "Groto didn't hire me for my good looks alone after all."[/color] Vellios commented, his knife still moving up and down though his words continued without missing a beat. It was almost soothing in its motion and he admired how easily the knife glistened in its sharpeness that was almost as good as sex. At least close to it. On the final toss, he caught the blade's handle then flipped it about to press it tightly to the volus' throat with speed that showed he was a very highly trained in its handling. There was little warning in his action and since the foolish business alien was too concern with Drono's temper to realise how close the actual snake had gotten... there was little time to stop Vellios from getting his answer to a volus' anatomy. 

[color=rosybrown] "Can't say I ever got a chance to cut up a volus and see what them tick..."[/color]

[color=palegreen]"Don't knock your looks man. You are one handsome psychopath. But let's keep the autopsys to a minimum."[/color] Drono was finding himself back in his element. This was similair to how he and Yestin had done things. Only then it was Drono who was the scary one.

[color=palegreen]"90 percent. We will take what we need only, I promise. That is rather nice of me really. Seeing how you sold me a location with armed guards you forgot to tell me about... Wait a minute"[/color] Something occured to him. [color=palegreen]"Did Yestin know?"[/color]

"He.. He did."

[color=palegreen]"Son of a bitch.. He planned to double cross me all along."[/color] Drono leaned back and then stood up from the chair. [color=palegreen]"I changed the deal. Ninty-Five." He said as he stared at the Volus.[color=palegreen] "Or we will open you up like a fish filet and post the findings on the network."[/color] He said, his voice dropping back into agitated coldness for a brief second. [color=palegreen]"Deal?"[/color]

"D-deal." 

[color=palegreen]"Oh. And I am sure Vellios have some questions for you. Better answer them truthfully. He is a good liar. He can spot bad ones."[/color]

[color=rosybrown] "Damn, I was looking forward to my first volus."[/color] his face looked a little sadden by the fact he was being called off that it would hard to tell if he was earnest or merely keeping up his act. 

[color=rosybrown] The learning an art of lying was a talent that was a must have in my youth sadly."[/color] Vellios shrugged then slowly withdrew his knife. However, he didn't return it to its holster but once more started to flip it about, letting his words distract the volus a bit. [color=rosybrown] "So, first question, you wouldn't happen to know where I can find Groto? I know you've contacted him with your new acquired forunate before it all was emptied out, mainly as he knew how to play the middle man for some of the cheapest prices around. As well as hide under the radar from the hierarchy too."[/color]

"He moves around a lot... But last I heard he runs his operations from a small place just on the border to citadel space." Banna spoke hesitently, eyes flickering from Drono to Vellios. Back and forth, as if he expected to get killed any second for some unknown transgression.

[color=palegreen]"Oh. Good. That's a good start."[/color] Drono said.[color=palegreen] "And, do you know where Yestins gone?"[/color]

"No clue. The second he made the haul. He left man. Gone."

[color=palegreen]"Shit. DO we have anything else to do here Vellios?"[/color]

[color=rosybrown] "Ummm...Not that I can think of currently, though I can keep in contact should we need more. I have my own sources after all and it shouldn't be hard. So, think I can trust you not to kill him whlie you get our stuff? I'm pretty sure my curiosity will get the better of me really."[/color] Vellios commented. he wasn't interested in discussing the reason why he wanted this Yestins' fellow found until much later, and obviously not in front of a guy they were suppose to be strong arming into cooperating. Showing a soft underbelly tended to put a target on his back and often gave the prey courage or hope they weren't complete monster, a fact he knew would've done more harm than good. 

[color=palegreen]"I can try. It is very tempting."[color=palegreen] Drono said. "Let us just say I have trust issues thanks to people like Banna."[color=palegreen] He tossed the hastily put together explosive to Banna who fumbled and almost screamed in fright before he realized it was harmless, the detonater taken out of it.

[color=rosybrown] "Understandable. Though if you think a volus' insides might be interesting, you should see the inside of a krogan.  Those back systems are hellish but fun to trace with your finger and try to find the source cluster. Even more then you have to play hide and go seek."[/color] Vellios smiled with a geniune enjoyment on his mandibles. He chuckled at Drono's shitty little trick as he watched the volus slowly realise the grenade was useless now. [color=rosybrown] "Nice though you really don't need to give our volus friend here a heart attack before we're done with him."[/color] 

[color=palegreen]"Oh. No worries. Banna doesn't have a heart."[/color] Drono scoffed. 

[color=rosybrown] "Good," [/color] The turian placed his knife away then turned, his figure moving toward the exit. [color=rosybrown] "I'll meet you and the others on the ship later, though if Serena asks where I went... tell her I was out shopping to restock on my sleep medicine."[/color] 

With those words, he waved good bye on his way out.  

Drono waved to him  [color=palegreen]"Don't worry. I will:"[/color] He turned back to Banna. [color=palegreen]"And now. Let's look at what you have in stock. Shall we?"[/color]