Quoted By:
You stand up, work the stiffness out of your muscles, finish the beer you've been drinking, and abruptly slam the bottle down on the table.
"I don't appreciate being followed," you say to the air, looking down at the pile of hex nuts from the game you had handed to you. "But what I appreciate even less is being 'helped' without my knowledge or consent. You clearly don't know what I'm doing, what my goal is, or how things are done on Barter and why. So, good visitor, I must decline any further assistance. Why don't you go get some shopping done instead."
And without another word, you leave the room through the door that leads further into the node.
It's not hard to navigate your way around the ancient freighter ship - Valsen wisely went for the minimalist approach of only supplying electricity to the areas that absolutely need it, so it's as simple as following the active power cables. It is slightly odd that you encounter no one else along the way, but that issue clarifies itself once you reach the central chamber of Valsen's hideout, located in the portside cargo hold.
The twenty-three sapients inside still manage to occupy only a small portion of the entire chamber. They're all sitting or kneeling on mats, in whatever position their biology allows. Though most of them, you quickly note, follow the common plantigrade biped body plan.
Judging by the reduced bioelectric activity your Vis Sense detects in most of them, they are engaged in meditation exercises with various degrees of success. And walking slowly between them, arms clasped behind his back like the very image of a sagely mentor, is Valsen.
He wears dark, largely form-fitting clothing with just enough trimmings and adornments to make sure he seems like someone of status, especially among the manual labor workers that make up most of his disciples. Still a lot more restrained than you'd have expected from a man like him. But he does actually carry a long, thin sword on his hip, the pompous ass.
But what draws your attention the most is the complex bit of electronics you detect inside the pendant around his neck. A personal energy shield, no doubt. Quite the expensive toy, even though you're certain it's just a civilian model. It also explains the restrained fashion sense - bulky, extravagant clothing would disrupt the shield's protective field.
(cont)
