"Listening to others, considering well what they say" (Part 3: Maingate Hotel)

[cityship]

The Maingate Hotel was pretty extravagant, and an entire section of it had been eked out for the crew's use during their stay. They had several suites, three communal areas, a conference room, their own kitchen with a chef on call if they required her.

They were all teleported from the main teleport pad of the hotel into the conference room, which was a large enough room to be able to hold a group their size and had plenty of chairs arranged in a circular pattern so they could mostly all face each other or whoever was in the middle of the room.

Everyone had to settle down so they were all able to talk, and the meeting itself would have to be carefully controlled so they wouldn't all talk over each other. But they were up for the task, right?

[ooc: Guardian Setup, General Mingling, Clone Checkup, Newbie Briefing, General Briefing, More Mingling, Back to the Meeting, and The Idea Guy sections are open. Backup characters introduced to the plot can join in the mingling subthreads if they want. The opening of new subthreads will be announced here and the ooc. Please read the linked OOC post for a plot timeline.]

Comments

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"What do I think they can offer us? An opportunity. In fact, they've already given us one already; if it weren't for their efforts, we wouldn't even be standing here, talking about them. They may not have scientists capable of creating the technology we want, but they don't need to, because it's already been created."

"The resistance has done what a history no doubt full of outside attempts to commandeer Gallileean medical equipment could not: it's put government forces on the defensive. They don't know how to deal with it; they've never had to. And that gives us an edge. We could take advantage of the chaos they've provided -- or will provide, and take what we came for while the government is off balance."

He shook his head. "The liberal use of violence? We tried the straight-out attack option, believe me. You're familiar with at least some of those crew members that have been branded, aren't you?

"I don't know if I've ever demonstrated this to you, but I can punch through people's skulls like they were wet paper bags. Kon is even stronger. Jr. is a bioweapon. And I'm sure you're familiar with Kang.

"They dealt with all our powers -- Fate's magic, Jr.'s wave energy, my physical strength, our communications devices, even psychic abilities -- with no effort at all. Further, I have no doubt they used that genetic information they retrieved from each and every one of us to help do so. They knew exactly how to disarm us, and they had no compunctions about using that knowledge to get what they wanted."

When he looked back at her, the lighting of the hotel room seemed to catch his irises just so, turning them that slightly unsettling shade of grey that revealed the irregular shape of his pupils. He had never looked quite so inhuman.

"When they're done dealing with the resistance forces, and they decide to turn on us, their attention will no longer be divided."

[futureisclear.livejournal.com]

Ildraniath sighed, "I believe you're letting your personal feelings get the better of you here, Zouichi. I realize it was a humiliating experience, but try to see past that. Think of this as an opportunity. An opportunity to use what they've done to you and use it as a weapon against them at the negotiating table. Technology or no, there are always alternatives. We are in the employ of the GIA and I highly doubt this planet wants to attract the sort of negative attention annihilating a GIA crew would draw. In any case, there's still the contingent on Stacy to rely on."

She waved her hand in a small, negative gesture. "I do believe the idea of simply taking what we need has merit, but if we can get the technology without having to fight them? So much the better."

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

That got a (tiny) smile from him. "Of course I'm letting my personal feelings get the better of me. I'm a mon-keigh. In fact, someone should probably be commending me for not destroying parts of the hotel premises. Kon certainly displayed no such restraint."

He frowned. "But it's not just what happened to us that bothers me, if that's what you're thinking. I've been treated like property before. In some eyes back home, I am property. These people have built safe, secure lives for themselves, lives of comfort, even decadence -- and expect to sacrifice nothing for it. At least the humans back home gave me a choice. It might have been a biased choice, heavily weighted in their favor... but it was there. And they were on the verge of extinction."

Another pause.

"I do understand it's an opportunity, but I think you might be relying a little too much on the crew still on the ship. These people have repelled outside threats for years; if the technology they use is anything remotely as sophisticated as what they put on display earlier, at an individual level?" He shook his head.

"I think it's worth contacting the other side, especially in case something goes wrong. Would you rather have one extra card in your deck, or one less?"

[futureisclear.livejournal.com]

"That was... regrettable," Ildraniath mused, smile turning wry at the mention of Kon's little tantrum. "I'm not sure what he hopes to accomplish with that display. Does he think it will somehow make them change their minds? Or perhaps he will cow them into submission?"

Ah, yes. There was that arrogance again.

"As for the people here? One planet among millions. Billions. Do not allow it to bother you overmuch. After all, once we leave, we'll never have to worry about this place ever again," She shook her head, tapping her fingertips together. "As for the resistance... It might be worthwhile to speak with them, but I highly doubt that they'll prove to be anything other than the usual rabble that tend to make up resistance movements and rebellions. Under-equipped, if also having much love for their chosen cause. Besides, if the government could prove we'd contacted them, they could use it against us at the negotiating table."

A pause.

"Your point is taken, however. Speaking with them might prove to be beneficial. The challenge then lies in doing it undetected."

[zouichi.livejournal.com]

"Maybe. Or maybe they might have something we could use in our favor."

He smiled a little, the first real one he'd displayed since they'd started speaking. "Anyway, I think we have a few people here who specialize in going undetected. We'll see how things turn out, I guess."

Someone really should give him a medal for not trying to punch out Kanner, though. Seriously.