Lawless Frontier

Transcript

Introduction

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Spider: Blue! Primitive accumulation! Have you ever heard of it?

Blue: Uh, yeah. It's how money started, right?

Spider: Such a clean way to say it! You rip Glimmer from blood. It's primitive. Primal. Real.

Blue: All right, Spider. Jeez. Say that with a bit less glee next time. You're scaring our hero. Or alternatively

Blue: These syndicates, man. They’re crabs in a bucket.

Spider: You would prefer lobster?

Blue: Come on now.

Spider: [chortles] Or alternatively

Blue: Hey Spider, lemme ask you something.

Spider: I'm all ears, my friend.

Blue: You're like a kingpin, right? So why not just… take it easy? You know what I mean? Hang up your spurs.

Spider: To stand still is to die, my dear. I live for this. Or alternatively

Spider: A bounty today? A bounti-ful day. Hmmm. Nah. That doesn't work. Anyway, let's go kill our target. Or alternatively

Spider: Pulling up your target now. Oh ho ho! They're a mean one. Go put them down. Or alternatively

Spider: Let me tell you a secret: bounty hunting is my favorite work. It's honest, it's simple, and… [chortles] and the pay is excellent. Or alternatively

Spider: I've isolated the bounty target to this region. Leave a mess. Let their allies know it was you. Or alternatively

Spider: I have our bounty target, my friend. I will waypoint their last known location. Make it quick. Much to do today. Or alternatively

Spider: Our bounty target is out there. They are insulated. Protected. Go… interrupt their works. Draw them out. Force them to respond. Then kill them. Or alternatively

Blue: Hey, hey, hey, what’s on deck today? Looks like… bounty hunting! Great, that sounds easy. Or alternatively

Aunor: Your target's on the ground. They don't know you're coming. The game's afoot, Guardian! |title2=Sabotage |content2=

Aunor: Get in. Wreck shop. Get out. Sounds almost therapeutic.

Spider: Do I hear a glimmer of interest? I’m willing to provide some machinery to smash if you need the stress relief—for a reasonable fee.

Aunor: When I want to smash your stuff, Spider, I'll tell you. Or alternatively

Aunor: There's a critical Syndicate asset in-theater that needs to be taken off the table.

Blue: Aunor… you got a way with words. A gift for drying 'em out. Or alternatively

Spider: Ah, my syndicate brethren. So straightforward. No games of intrigue or clever ruses, just the application of overwhelming firepower. Destroy it all. Leave nothing for them to use. Or alternatively

Spider: If you see it, destroy it. Simple enough for a Guardian, isn't it? Or alternatively

Spider: Our mutual friends on Tharsis are fighting again. Their self-destruction is our gain. Or alternatively

Spider: The benefactor wants a rival faction’s vital tech destroyed. Navigate this war zone, discover the asset, and annihilate it. Or alternatively

Spider: I could tell you why these targets are strategically important, or their monetary and strategic value, blah, blah, blah… But I think, you'd rather get to the part where you blow them to smithereens, eh. Go on, now. Or alternatively

Drifter: All right, all right, all right, what do we have here? A sabotage op? Oooh, getting nasty. Some bad people out there are about to have a very bad day. And I get to watch. Or alternatively

Blue: Hey, ace. Got a fun gig today: bit of B and E, bit of smash-and-grab. Little bit of everything for ya. Let's get to it! Or alternatively

Blue: Yo, welcome back to the frontier. Got some syndicate infrastructure to sabotage. I'll be on the ones and twos—let's get after it. Or alternatively

Aunor: Keep this under wraps, but today's sabotage target is a Praxic priority as well. Don't change how you operate. In fact, forget I told you anything. Have at it. Or alternatively

Aunor: Our target today is Syndicate infrastructure. All tactics are on the table. Nothing is off limits. Enjoy, Guardian. |title3=Smuggle |content3=

Spider: How much to smuggle a load of City contraband on the Derelict?

Drifter: No deal. I've gone straight.

Spider: Er… by "No deal", do you mean, "Name a bigger number"?

Drifter: Eh… Could be. Could be. Or alternatively

Spider: A little bird has been asking after some misplaced valuables.

Blue: What are we, the lost and found desk? Or alternatively

Spider: I've received a juicy little treat of intel from a local source I can't name. There's a profit for us all in it—and all we need is a pickup. Er, w-what are you writing? Is-is that my name? Stop that!

Aunor: Confidential. But, on my oath, Spider — when it's time for you to know, you will. Or alternatively

Spider: Your benefactors need high-value cargo prepared and escorted from the frontier. I've negotiated payment. Signed, sealed, and delivered upon your arrival. Fortune is just a short stroll away, hero. Or alternatively

Spider: Our syndicate handlers are paying handsomely to get Imperium contraband off the frontier. Don't worry about who they are. Your pal Spider will handle the specifics. [Pikers are making a move on territory, bolstering their hit-and-run vehicles./Tharsis Reformation is looking to upgrade their Vex intranet./ The Totality wants a sample of the Imperium's new Psi-Ops tech in their own hands.] Just get the perishables secured and ready for transport to the exfil zone. Or alternatively

Spider: Guardian, my dear collaborator. Your old friend Spider has found a mutually lucrative opportunity. Go relieve the syndicates of their… excess inventory. We'll work out the split later. Or alternatively

Spider: It seems someone has lost this shipment in transit. It would be a shame if they couldn't pay the retrieval fee in time. Or alternatively

Spider: Now, make sure you "smuggle" these goods. Do not "sabotage" or "bounty hunt" them. I don't know how you'd do that, but you always surprise me. Or alternatively

Spider: One of our backstabbers-in-arms on Tharsis is expecting a shipment and doesn't want to share. I give you their location and a cut of the profits, you give me the goods. Deal? Or alternatively

Blue: I've triangulated the location of some very sensitive intel. [chuckles] Sending the coordinates. }}

Preperation

Stolen NLS Crusier Cargo Bay

The Guardians select their Renegade Abilities and board a Hawk to fly to the surface and begin operations.

Spider: Happy hunting, Renegade. Or alternatively

Spider: War in front of you, war behind you. Welcome to the frontier, Renegade. Or alternatively

Spider: Hope you've got something high-yield and combustible. Or alternatively

Spider: Bring Spider something shiny. Or alternatively

Spider: The border wars are forever. It's a good thing you are too. Or alternatively

Spider: The syndicates already fear you. Confirm that fear. Or alternatively

Spider: The syndicates goons are lively today. Ha! Or alternatively

Spider: Out here, there are no laws. No Kells. No Vanguard. Heh. My Ether-soul is in heaven. Or alternatively (if the Guardian is allied with the Pikers)

Spider: Helping the Pikers? That Riliks is so dashing. Or alternatively (if the Guardian is allied with the Pikers)

Spider: You're with the Pikers? They're atheists. Make sure you steal something. They probably stole it too. Or alternatively (if the Guardian is allied with Tharsis Reformation)

Spider: Unlike most Vex, the Tharsis Reformation are… high on life. Ha! Or alternatively (if the Guardian is allied with Tharsis Reformation)

Spider: You signed with the Reformation? They'll betray you just to make one more bet. Or alternatively (if the Guardian is allied with the Totality Division)

Spider: You're fighting for the Totality? Looking to bribe the law, eh? Or alternatively (if the Guardian is allied with the Totality Division)

Spider: Don't fool yourself. Totality Division is just another syndicate run by the Psion morphs.

Arrival

The Guardians touch down to being operations.

Spider: And without delay, here is our first lead. Or alternatively

Spider: Our client is watching, impress them. Or alternatively

Spider: Let's close this contract, friend. Or alternatively

Spider: Much work to do, friend. Little time. Or alternatively

Spider: Good, good. You're here. Get to work. Or alternatively

Spider: Your time on task starts, now! Or alternatively

Spider: Ah, let's get to work. Or alternatively

Drifter: Bael and Lume are out of the picture, but there's still work to do. Let's go. Or alternatively

Drifter: Let's make Aunor happy and do this one by the numbers. Or alternatively

Drifter: Dark times ahead. Focus on this task now though, hero. Or alternatively

Drifter: You get to it. I'll keep an eye out from up here. Or alternatively

Drifter: Still a mess out here, hero. Let's get to work. Or alternatively

Blue: OK, let's see… ah, got it. [chuckles] Start here. Or alternatively

Blue: Go long, ace. Or alternatively

Blue: Boots on the ground already? Look at you, go-getter. Go get 'em! Or alternatively

Blue: Got a whole lot of tasks for ya. So… start here. Or alternatively

Blue: We'll start with an easy one. Waypointing now.

First Objective

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Second Objective

Aunor: I've retrieved and cleaned up a speech from Bael. It's un-dated. Here, listen:

Bael: To the brave legionnaires of our Imperium—Do not fear death. Sing! And march in defiance of it! With my power, you persist beyond your end. You exist—eternal. The mountains of your home await beyond the ruins of this system. You will see them, one day. Or alternatively

Eido: Spider, I just spoke with my father. Have you heard of strange events back on Earth?

Spider: Huh, odd things happen constantly. The world's known for it.

Eido: I… I mean things wrong with time. With elements. Iron turning to mercury. Eggs hatching after being cooked. Nobody else has said a word, but my father wouldn't lie… unless something's wrong.

Spider: Keep your mask on, Misraaks hasn't gone funny in the head again. The whole earth has. Someone's keeping secrets from us. And I don't appreciate it. Hmph. Or alternatively

Drifter: How you living? Doing good, kid?

Eido: I haven’t been a "kid" since my last molt.

Drifter: Hey, fine, I'll pick on someone my own size. Still asking, though. Haven't checked in with you since… everything.

Eido: Drifter… I'm not mad at you, exactly. But… things aren't the same anymore. And I need time to think them through. On my own.

Drifter: Can't say that's not fair. Or alternatively

Eris Morn: You were on the ground when Nightfall struck Tharsis. You don't have to share before you're ready. But I promise, it helps.

Eido: It's not just Nightfall. I could almost deal with it if it was only that. Isn't that awful? I wake up every morning and think I need to brew new tonics for my father. We talk, and I hear Nezarec in his voice. There's never time to deal with one thing before another happens.

Eris Morn: My heart to yours, Eido. You are not alone in your feelings. Or alternatively

Drifter: Biggest con I ever pulled won me a gun made out of a rock. Owner tried to chase me down over 62 years. He died on me; outlived my own mark. But that dumb gun will never be pretty as the look on Bael's face when his hand hit the ground. Kid wanted to play Dredgen, so I showed him what it was like. I'm done caring what the Nine think I should do. I call my own shots, damn what comes next. Or alternatively

Blue: Hello! Bael's talking about you. Cans on:

Bael: …Legion is tearing itself to pieces across the system, leaving us weak. Vulnerable. Because of one Guardian. One Guardian! [laughs] No more excuses, Lume. Correct this. Kill them and crush their Ghost.

Blue: Your ears must be burnin'. Let’s keep kicking at 'em! Or alternatively

Bael: Show me the territory maps. I need you to carve a new sector. We need more ritual sites.

Premier Lume: Out of our rapidly shrinking territories? The syndicates are emboldened by Nightfall's destruction.

Bael: There's always a way. Find another square on the game board. We need more Dredgens.

Premier Lume: [sighs] The Psions failed us in the construction of Nightfall's core. We'll dip into Totality first.

Bael: Assign Rao directly if you have to. No more failures. Or alternatively

Premier Lume: You've defeated us, and I knew that you might. I've fought alongside you before; I know your strength. But Mars remains Imperium, the syndicates notwithstanding. You haven't landed the deathblow… yet. All I and the Barant Imperium want is home—Torobatl. Now infested with cursed brood. Nightfall and its Eclipse weapon were intended for the Hive. You were just the test case. And then there is our Empress. You sapped her will. Poisoned her against her own folk. Do not fear—your Prophecy will never come to fruition… I will have your head long before. Or alternatively

Bael: You don't know how much trouble you've caused.

Drifter: Eh… Coulda caused much worse, all things considered.

Bael: I don't understand. You could've had everything.

Drifter: I already do… Except your other hand.

Bael: I'll only need the one when we meet again. Or alternatively

Bael: VI's presence is a tight embrace. Like everything within me is pressed into itself, condensed and perfected… Did you know the pressure is high enough it rains diamonds on Saturn?

Premier Lume: Is that what VI made you into?

Bael: Metaphorically, though they could, if they wanted to. I'd do it, too. Being a vessel is worth the blood.

Premier Lume: Blood is nothing compared to a life confined in armor. What, are you losing fingernails now too? Bael? Or alternatively

Bael: I see myself from three seconds ago. They're superimposed on top of myself. I—I don't know what's happening. It feels like I'm burning from the inside out, but every time I lay down, suddenly I'm two, and my mom is reading me a book in bed. And now as I open my eyes, I'm in a room I don't recognize—there's blood. I'm missing my—my—oh no. No! No, no, no! NO! No. That's… later. That's not now. Lume? I don't know when now is! Or alternatively

Bael: Is that you, False Weapon? The moments are mixing—I can't tell the colors and tastes apart anymore. Our fates are linked—brought to this cosmic edge together. You promised me a reprieve from the pain. Called it an alliance. If you've abandoned me like they both have… I'll take more from you than a hand. Or alternatively

Bael: I found you. How could I not? You are my reflection. My twin. This is a revelation that has sharpened my focus: You are form, without purpose. A hammer, beating the dirt. I move through time and space with gravity. I know who I am and I dream of who I will become. Do you dream of anything? Or alternatively

Bael: I was not made, like the Emissary was, but chosen, so VI sears my flesh and shears my mind. It's not fair that Neanderthal Emissary can channel with ease, while I burn from the inside out every time VI speaks. But… because I'm not dead yet, I prove my right to exist. EXPAND A STAR BY CONSUMING A SYTEM, as VI put it. You see, False Weapon… He needs me. Or alternatively

Bael: VI. Can you heal me?

VI: NO BUT YOUR SOMATIC COMPONENTS ARE REPLACEABLE

Bael: [whispers] My hands are your hands… My hands are you hands. I thought Dredgen Hope was… I thought he really wanted to help. VI? Do you still need me?

VI: IN EVERY FUTURITY MY HANDS ARE YOU HANDS Or alternatively

Premier Lume: I've heard nothing of your progress lately, Lord Bael.

Bael: Why would I waste time on progress updates instead of getting the task at hand finished?

Premier Lume: I hadn't realized communication with me was so useless to you.

Bael: Watch that tone. You will hear from me when I want you to. Or alternatively

Blue: Drifter? You there? Wow, Eris… You're so pale.

Drifter: What? What's happening? Blue?

Blue: That's just her natural complexion, you weenie. I knew you were there!

Drifter: I've always hated you. And now you can talk. Or alternatively

Blue: Just wait till we find Bael again! We’ll hit him where it hurts.

Drifter: The lower back?

Blue: No.

Drifter: The knees?

Blue: Not where it hurts for you, dingbat. Or alternatively

Blue: Ready to put all this behind us?

Drifter: I dunno. I'm kinda hoping for a medal or something at the end of all this.

Blue: Why? So we can sell it?

Drifter: So we can sell it. Or alternatively

Drifter: Well, did you miss this?

Blue: Sure. You?

Drifter: That's it? Been running your mouth nonstop, and now I get nothin’?

Blue: I dunno, Drifter. I—I haven’t had to articulate feelings like this for a while. Give me time. Or alternatively

Blue: Something on your mind, Drifter? You care to share?

Drifter: Thinking about the Tharsis Cantina. I remember when a hard drink was my only worry.

Blue: And you only friend.

Drifter: Oof! You cut deep, Blue. Or alternatively

Blue: You still got a stomach for Hive?

Drifter: Sure do, though eating with Eris has gotten me havin' a more… palatable cuisine nowadays.

Blue: And I thought it couldn't be done. Or alternatively

Drifter: Hey, boss.

Blue: Don't call me that. Champ.

Drifter: Yeesh, whatever you say, buddy!

Blue: That's right… ace.

Drifter: Well, just calling to let you know the cargo bay's on fire. Again. Pal. Or alternatively

Drifter: Finally, I'm getting Aunor off my back.

Blue: Oh, she's not that bad, once you actually spend time with her.

Drifter: I think I’m good on that front.

Blue: She's especially nicer when you don't run away.

Drifter: Heh. That ship already left the station. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with the Pikers)

Aunor: What's your take on the syndicates?

Spider: Fishing for free intel, Praxic?

Aunor: We'll trade. You've got an ear to the ground with Eliksni all over Sol. Do the Pikers sympathize with the Imperium?

Spider: Ha! They don't even sympathize with other Eliksni. They'd be ecstatic if the Imperium fell today, so we could brawl over the wreckage tomorrow.

Aunor: We'll see. Now you've got a favor of your own to cash in, Spider. Think carefully before you do. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with the Pikers)

Eido: Other than Boss Riliks, none of the Pikers have a rank. No Dregs, no Captains. They remind me of your crew, Spider.

Spider: Hey, compare my organization to that squalid little gang of upstarts again and I'll have you thrown out. Small-time criminals who think atheism is shocking. As though we haven't been fielding heretics since before the Whirlwind!

Eido: And of course Spiderkel sings praise to the Great Machine every moonrise.

Spider: You should praise the Great Machine your father isn't here. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with the Pikers)

Eido: How far does your work go, Aunor? I thought Praxic Warlocks only policed other Guardians.

Aunor: My remit includes any threat to the Last City. And, yes, the Tharsis syndicates count. Some of the Pikers are wanted by Tower leadership and the Kell of Kells.

Eido: By my father? What for?

Aunor: Classified.

Eido: If it's both House Light and Tower business that's what? Tech smuggling? Leaking ciphers? I'll ask him. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with the Pikers)

Eido: We've done so much together—you, Eris, Blue, Drifter, me. And the Guardian. We're like a real fireteam. We should get jackets!

Aunor: Jackets?

Eido: Like how Guardian clans and Eliksni Houses have banners.

Aunor: Who are you trying to impress with a cool jacket?

Eido: Nobody! Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with the Pikers)

Eido: Aunor, can I get your opinion on something as a Praxic? Boss Riliks keeps asking me strange questions.

Aunor: What information do they want?

Eido: Everything, it feels like. My father. How I know the Guardian. Where I get my rebreather filters. Where I learned my apothecary work…

Aunor: You do have the City perspective. But I wouldn't worry until and unless they try involving you in Piker business. My professional opinion, as a sword of the Praxic Order, is that Boss Riliks just… wants to talk.

Eido: Wow… do you think? Wow. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with the Pikers)

Eido: Um, Eris, how do you know when you like someone? Romantically?

Eris Morn: I've always found that difficult to know. But if a positive space is unreadable, it can be understood by its negative shape. Ask not, "How does their presence, their affection, make me feel?" Ask "How would their absence? Their scorn? Their pain? Their death?"

Eido: If I want to know how I feel about someone, I should think about them dying?

Eris Morn: Precisely. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with the Totality Division)

Eido: Barant. That word keeps showing up in the Totality Division's internal comms.

Aunor: Yes, the Imperium seem to wish for it to mean something more than it does. Caiatl and the other Cabal reject the Imperium's desire. Barant refers to the people of Torobatl, that is all. Lume's legion is a mess of revanchist entanglements.

Eido: Hm. Perhaps that animates the Division's opposition to the greater Imperium. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with the Totality Division)

Blue: Yo, ace! Our bug in the Div is paying off. Tell 'em, Eido.

Eido: We've been wondering where the Totality Division gets their numbers from, right? Well, I'm pretty sure that Rao's pulling strings inside the Imperium's logistics system to re-deploy Barant units.

Blue: We're smoking Imperium troops that don't even know they're being used by the Division!

Eido: Rao's using the fog of war to get pinpoint, expendable reinforcements at no cost! Clever. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with the Totality Division)

Aunor: Guardian, got something for you to chew on from Rao's dossier. Since Caiatl's settlement in the Last City, 37 Cabal named "Rao" have been born. The last is listed as dead, her parents missing. She was only one year old. Of those 37, only three are Psions. Two of them are alive and accounted for. Given the Nine's manipulation of time, I wonder if that's our Rao. I'll continue following this thread.

Invasion

Invader down

Completion

Drifter: Bael's still out there. Runnin' silent. But his message—it's growing. At least that's one less Dredgen we need to worry about later. You did a good thing today, among all that gutter work. Come on back. Or alternatively

Bael: False Weapon. I see your throat slit, I see you buried. Because I do so. So why is your grave empty?

Premier Lume: The Legion awaits your command, Lord Dredgen.

Bael: Ask them to find the grave.

Premier Lume: What?

Bael: I hear you. Tell them I'm on my way. Or alternatively

Blue: The second-worse thing about a massacre is the aftermath. No time to grieve or pick up the pieces; bureaucracy's gotta keep rolling.

Aunor: We've had some unexpected help. Zephyrus and his people helped us gather the bodies and collate their info. There were so many of them.

Blue: All the more reason to blast Bael—when we catch up to him. Or alternatively

Eido: Drifter, are you out there? Need to ask you something.

Drifter: What's up, Crabcakes? How you livin'?

Eido: When did you know that Eris was the one?

Drifter: Uh… [laughs] I guess it was the time we were trying to help civilians in deep space. The crew was just trying to get to Earth. The City. Sent out a distress call. Oxygen failing. She reached out to speak to 'em, a Strand trick. We didn’t get there in time. But she never stopped talking. I think that was it. Why do you ask, kid?

Eido: I gotta go. Thanks. Or alternatively

Aunor: Contract complete. Good work, Guardian. I've relayed your rally coordinates to flight control. Sit tight, Hawk's coming. Or alternatively

Blue: Alllllll right! Gig's done and dusted. Gonna make some Glimmer. [laughs] Definitely made some enemies. We'll, uh, we'll see about friends. Or alternatively

Blue: Ugh, that Zephyrus. I swear, he's gotta have a new opinion, like, every five seconds! "I lack respect for the Guardian and assign them menial tasks. I venerate the Guardian and believe they are a god-killer capable of atomizing all life on Tharsis. I am apathetic to all existence." It’s like he's addicted to changing his mind. I can't believe those bolt-brains reinvented waffling. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with Tharsis Reformation)

Drifter: The local Vex are… funny. They've discovered one of humanity's greatest vices: gamblin'. You'd think the novelty would wear off, since they can simulate a million rolls in a day. But they're still coming 'round to lose at cards.

Spider: That lot would play for an empty Ether tank. They're in it for the love of the game.

Drifter: That so? Hey, that gives me a Gambit-shaped idea. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with Tharsis Reformation)

Spider: It isn't all bad for the Reformation. They've learnt independent will. Personal preference. They have things they want. Music, and drink, and merriment. Games of chance. Fine art. Speeding in a residential zone, ha! Epicures after my own heart. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with Tharsis Reformation)

Eido: Guardian! Zephyrus approached me to ask if he could help us change "the future, which is Vex."

Aunor: I've heard this theory. That the Vex take over in the far future, until it's only them, everywhere. He doesn't want that?

Eido: He said it would be boring.

Aunor: Of course that's his reasoning. We've got our hands full as is, anyways. The Vex Apocalypse will have to wait. Or alternatively (If the Guardian is allied with Tharsis Reformation)

Eido: The Tharsis Reformation could have done just about anything with their new free will. Instead of leaving, they stayed in Tharsis. They seem quite attached to their new freedom. They certainly enjoy mingling with the rest of the outpost's people. I suppose you could take it as a compliment. The Sol System is still the most interesting place in the galaxy.