Dawn of Flame Gameplay

"Oh yeah, everything here is very safe! ... And living here you kinda just learn to deal with being doomed if the bubble ever gives way; it's not much different from living in a station in space; hull breach out there will kill you as badly as a bubble failure in here will after all." Taeress chimes in, happy for the change of topic.

"It's none of your concern!" she snaps at Xera.

"It is our concern," says Zaxsha. "We need to know the risks involved in our job."

"Hey stop it! Both of you," Cera interrupts. "You two need to learn boundaries. She's clearly uncomfortable."

"Enough." Misha turns to Taeress. "Is your concern something that is relevant to our part of the mission or likely to put us in danger?"

Composing herself, Taeress responds, "No. It is entirely unrelated to the job we're here to do."

"Then it is none of our business." Misha gives his crewmates a level stare. "Zaxsha, Xera, is bad business practice to pry into employer's personal issues. Next time, ask if problem is personal or professional before giving third degree."

"...Fine. Sorry. I thought it was about the job." Zaxsha nods.

"...Fine, but I have my eye on her." Xera relents

Taeress sighs in relief, "Thank you. Now, shall we finally be on our way?"

An approaching Shirren carrying a toolbox and wearing coveralls emblazoned with "Dawnshore Spaceport", followed closely by a four foot long dragonfly-like robot seems to suggest the answer is still "not yet." When he's closer to the crew, meeting them at the bottom of the ship's ramp, he tips his purple top hat in greeting, "Welcome to Dawnshore Spaceport, my name is Nikkost, and I'm a mechanic for the port authority. Me and my drone friend Lux here need to give your vessel a routine inspection to ensure that it's safe and clean of illegal modifications and unsafely damaged components. I shouldn't need to interrupt your day at all, however, all I need is your permission to begin and I can lock up behind me while you're busy with whatever you came to do!"

"... W-well why would I know about anything illegal like that? I am an upstanding citizen, my good lady!" he stammers.

"I only took a cursory glance before, but I'm sure you won't mind me taking a closer look." Xera then does take a closer look and frowns. "Why do you lie to me? This is an anacite wingbot. Now why would you have one of those? And why would you bring it onto my ship?"

"Well, you see, the thing about that is..." he begins as he pulls a gun from his toolbox, "those hotheads in Asanatown have been planning something since the portal disappeared and I can't be here when it finally happens! Lux, we're fighting our way through!"

The resulting scuffle is quick and decisive, as a grenade from Misha leaves the pair reeling, open for Cate's magic to knock the flying robot out of the air, and the rest of the group to bring it within an inch of its mechanical life. The Shirren immediately starts begging for the wingbot's life, and after bad-aim screws up a one-liner from Misha, earning the bear many looks from his crewmates, they accept the duo's surrender.

Zaxsha glares at him and raises a claw as if to strike him, but ultimately decides against it.

"For you to challenge a group of six - an obviously armed group - you must be quite desperate. Just what is going on in Asanatown?"