[center][h2] - K'Vari, Saint's Chariot - [/h2][/center]

As the tension in the room shot up, K'Vari was seemingly the only one to maintain a cheerful disposition, although few of the others could have been counted cheerful when the meeting begun. As opinions were flung here and there he simply sat back and smiled. For one who counted knowledge as at least as valuable as any material gain, such a heated debate was like Christmas. There were few ways to measure humans as well as by how they conducted themselves in a crisis, and K'Vari committed to memory the acts and words of those gathered here. Overall this simply reinforced his previously held beliefs, although some small things did stand out. The assassin was dangerously perceptive, but he demonstrated the Eldar folly of arrogance, somehow believing he could take on six elite Space Marines wielding some of the most dangerous weapons in the galaxy. The Relictors Captain was stunningly blunt and, while loyal, also rather sensible, a trait rarely found in the super soldiers of the Imperium. He would definitely need to look into that. The canoness was predictable as always, immediately leaping aboard the heresy train without rhyme or reason. If not kept in check she would indeed destroy this imperium. And the black-armoured Space Marine seemed more tolerant than he had previously believed, very level-headed. A useful trait. Most notable was the Inquisitor, Alexius.

Over the years K'Vari had dealt with many people claiming to be a part of the long dead Inquisitorial orders, often fools and fanatics but occasionally shrewd men. They were above all else united in their sense of self-importance and their devout hatred, a trait inherited from their predecessors. But this figure, who according to rumour truly came from the time before the New Devourer and the Fall of the Imperium, was of a completely different stock. If the Inquisitors of the long-dead Imperium had truly been such people, then that might have been the only thing keeping it's rotting carcass from collapsing in on itself for all those years. For in Alexius K'Vari recognized a very dangerous fellow, a man who was planning far ahead, easily dropping self-importance and zeal as obstacles to whatever course he had set. He could very well be K'Vari's most dangerous adversary in this game. The thought brought a smile to his face, for this would not be the first high stakes game he had won, and he'd been courting danger for all of his long life.

But, all hesitation aside, it was time to make his move. In the silence left by Captain Tyros he stepped forward, calmly marching to the middle of the room flanked by his two immense homegrown bodyguards. He ignored those in the room as inconsequential for the moment, and instead of encouraging the little feud that appeared to be developing in this fledgeling little nation addressed Gregori himself. For now his business was only with the leader - his minions could be talked to later, in more privacy. Gathering the attention yo himself, K'Vari began his little presentation, knowing that by the end he would have played his trump card, and he would need to either ally or kill every person in this room.

"Honoured biped Gregori Amastov. This discussion of divinity is of no importance. It is not gods who decide the fate of your empire, but it is those within this room, and the weapons they wield. We are here to discuss our assistance to you in expanding your empire, not to debate theology, and while I may not be one of your commanders I believe I can be of some assistance on that front." With a smile the Stryxis trader bowed. "The ambition of my race is to gather both knowledge and technology, to hoard the secrets and valuables of the world, and to trade them for ever greater treasure troves. Even as the ambition of you honoured bipeds carried you across the stars and allowed you to take a billion-and-one worlds, the ambition of my own people allowed us to speak to all who would listen, and to exchange goods with races your own Imperium never once encountered, much less learned from. My honoured biped trading partner, I wish to extend an offer that none of my race have ever extended before, to the Imperium I see fit to receive it." Reaching up with one grubby hand, K'Vari snapped his fingers.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. The diminutive figure scanned the expectant faces of those surrounding him, awaiting with anticipation the storm to come. Then, like a wave, alarms and flashing red lights slammed into the room. Navigators, secondary commanders and simple messengers burst into the room as Gregori's vox-caster was suddenly nearly overloaded with messenges. The topic was simple. Out of nowhere, three immense voidships had popped into existence less than a hundred meters away from the Saint's Chariot, flanking it. And while they could be seen with the naked eye and the cameras clearly detected them, even the most powerful of augers found nothing but void when they attempted to scan these ships. It was as if they weren't truly there. The only thing that had stopped them from being immediately fired upon was their careful positioning away from the weapon's batteries, and the fact that all of their weaponry was disabled and powered down, most of it in fact dismantled for the demonstration. Two of the ships once more disappeared as the third remained, taking some more distance as it once again floated away from this impossible display.

When K'Vari was certain that Gregori had been fully informed, he continued. "Allow me to introduce one such secret that we have sequestered away for centuries. You may consider it a far more advanced version of the Eldar Holofield, capable of making entire vessels impossible to detect by any known means. Merely two years ago I used it to escape an Eldar Farseer, and merely a few months ago it saved my life when we were ambushed by a fleet of Chaos vessels. This is a tool my people have never granted to outsiders, but I believe that we might make a deal for it. After all, if you were to recreate the Imperium, I am certain I would stand to benefit greatly." Smiling smugly, the little xenos bowed once again. He knew that if he had pulled such a stunt without reason that he would have been hanged, but the power of the weapon he now offered was too great to ignore. And he judged Gregori an intelligent man. "Others may offer you strength of arms and loyalty, I offer you the simple chance to use my ambition to fuel your own, that we might both grow rich together. And with my ambition I offer many secrets, just one of which would make you the unchallenged ruler of an entire sector. So should you resolve this little squabble between your subordinates, I would proceed to matters of business."

K'Vari looked the human straight in the eye, and there was no fear in his disgusting little face. There was no loyalty. There was no evil, nor good. Only an insurmountable greed, and excitement at the prospect of the deal ahead. "I offer you the galaxy in the palm of my hand, Emperor Gregori Astamov. What are you willing to pay for it?"