Quoted By:
HASDRUBAL, QARTHADAST SLAVER EMISSARY
(his voice has an unctuous and soothing quality, yet the tone of his disturbing voice is at great variance to the intent of his words. From his two-horned helm and mask of iron, you perceive he too is an offworlder, perhaps from a Nabataean planet such as Dhu Qarnayn. The slaver's bodyguards appear equipped with only primitive weaponry, cruelly curved and hooked swords)
(Hasdrubal susurrates:)
-By the fragrant attar of the desert rose, you mistake my meaning... This planet is named As-sawkat in our old tongue, the Thorn in the paw of the Lion, (al-Mabsutah) Mabsuthat. It greatly pleases my masters in New Qarthadast to remind you that this planet was never conquered by your Isonomy, or even their Gothograec vassals before them either. When the Gothograec empire betrayed their legions and withdrew to the oblivion of their pleasure palaces, the safekeeping of their abandoned armaments fell upon us - as you have yourself cited. You should understand that by "relocating" these local denizens on your behalf, Qarthadast is in truth helping to protect your commercial endeavour... for if those armaments were ever to fall into the hands of these primitive planetary dwellers, I fear your offworld guests would soon come to a regretful end in their journey...
At the sight of the slaver emissary, your old companion and advisor Korchun curses:
- That is a mukarrib, Legatus: one of the priest-rulers of New Qarthadast and the Nabataean Empire. They are a great and ancient power. Gothograec fought them many times, even vanquished and broke their tribes, yet somehow the mukarrib outlasted them... to kill their envoy here would be to invite great retribution from Qarthadast, to break the longstanding peace...
>There is no need for a battle here. Using the cover of coastal rocks, you can circle round and vault onto the dropship from cliff ledges above. Seize the dropship and leave this backward planet
>You have one opportunity here for an ambush attack. Command your legion to kill everyone. They will most likely be dead before they can even respond to what is happening
>Now is the time to introduce the true meaning of "Emerald Dawn": draw a PLASMA CANNON and melt the face of
>Lynn Rosette, Klemperer Orbital VP
>Hasdrubal, the Slaver
with a searing green plasma blast that would quench the fire of a thousand suns
>Kill them both and say to the (deceased) slaver's bodyguards: today you join the legion... the Conclave Of The EMERALD DAWN...join, or die!
>Ask Hasdrubal: why do you say that the Gothograec empire betrayed the Legion?
>Ask Lynn: so, you are trying to turn this planet into some form of historical cosplay space airbnb, very clever. I can help...
(QM: dialogue forfeits opportunity for an ambush)
>Something else...
