Pasted

[CIVILIAN CARGO-FREIGHTER - "LYUTEN'S COMPASS" EN-ROUTE TO GALACTIC SUBSECTOR: FORMIDINE RIFT, LUVONA SYSTEM, LUVONA PRIME, STRONGHOLD-CITY "CHALKOS"] - [PRIORITY USEAGE OF HYPERSPACE-RELAY-04 / ETA: 00:08:32]
 [BLACK BOX LOG MANIFEST]
[CO: ANDREW WALTHERS [AN.W]
[XO: MARKUS FRING] [MA.F]
[LFS RYQ-322] - [PRIORITY EVACUEE FROM: HĴALMAR STRONGHOLD]
 //BLACK BOX STATUS: RECORDING...
AN.W: "Markus! How are the Skells?"
MA.F: "All hooked up, charging. Longest down-time will be eight-ish minutes. Nothing major."
AN.W: "Fantastic... Woah, hey- easy there, friend. We can't have you trying to walk around right now- I'm not sure how stable your Lilim-made Starships are, but Human-made hardware isn't the stuff of legend anymore. One patch of Hyperspace turbulance and you'll go flying about the cabin... Please man, just take it easy, we'll have you at the drop-off soon enough, just hang tight."
RYQ: (Hoarse/Gravelly) "I... Need to walk..." 
AN.W: "Listen, friend. I know you're Foundation Staff, but If I deliver you to your associates more battered than you are- I- I've heard myths- more like horror stories. I don't want to end up as some log entry that'll never see starlight. You get me?"
RYQ: (Hoarse/Gravelly/Certain): "You won't."
MA.F: "Not to overstep- uh, Rico?"
RYQ: (Gravelly): "Ryquo."
MA.F: "Ryquo. Hm, uh- not to overstep, but you really should sit down, Sir. We've got a rough patch coming up."
RYQ: "..."
 	*RYQUO BEGRUDGINGLY SITS BACK DOWN AND ACTIVATES HIS SEAT-HARNASS*
 [...]
 	*THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS SUDDENLY SHAKES AND RUMBLES IN THE HYPERSPACE TUBE, THE ENTIRE SHIP CREAKS AND GROANS...*
 AN.W: "Hate to say I told you so..."
RYQ: (Hoarse/Gravelly) "No -*Cough*- need..."
 [...]
 MA.F: "Hey uh- Ryquo? You're a Lilim? Yeah?"
 	*RYQUO TURNS HIS ENTIRE SEATED BODY TOWARD THE XO...*
 RYQ: (Hoarse) "I am... -*Pained wheeze*- First time meeting one of us?"
MA.F: "Aye, Sir. It's... An experience. To say the least."
RYQ: (Hoarse) "Hmm... Well. It'd be unfair -*cough*- to compare me to my cousins. In a word; I'm... Unique."
AN.W: "Care if I make a joke, Ryquo?"
RYQ: (Wheezing/Gravelly): "Eh..." *-Ryquo rolls the idea around his thoughts for a moment-* "Knock yourself out..."
AN.W: "Alright- Now, I've not met many of you Lilim-Folk. Right? But of the few that I have: I can safely say you're all tough bastards. So how in the nine hells did you lose a fight to a Toaster-Oven?"
 	*RYQUO LETS OUT A MIX OF COUGHING AND LAUGHTER, THE GRAVELLY HOARSENESS OF HIS VOICE UNABLE TO MUFFLE HIS AMUSEMENT, THE XO AND CO BOTH LET OUT A FEW RESTRAINED CHUCKLES.*
 [...]
 AN.W: "Eh? Eh? See, what'd I tell ya Markus? I knew I could make the man Laugh."
MA.F: "First one's always a fluke, bud."
RYQ: (Gravelly/Chuckling) "Ahh... Thanks, needed a laugh. -*COUGH*- It's been a rough thirteen hours..."
 	*THE TRIO ALL CHUCKLE... MARKUS SLIGHTLY LESS SO...*
 [...]
 MA.F: "Hey- Ryquo?"
RYQ: "Hm?"
MA.F: "Those horns of yours real? Or are they some kind of cranial implant?"
RYQ: (Hoarse) "Ah, yeah. As real as ever. -*wheeze*- They'er part of my bone-structure."
MA.F: "Huh...."
RYQ: (Hoarse) "Mmh..."
AN.W: "I've gotta say Ryquo- As mangled as you are, you've got an air of calm about you... You used to the stress of the job? Or is it the recent stuff making you stoic?"
RYQ: "Ah... Well..." *RYQUO PAUSES...* "...It's... It's been a rough day..."
 	*RYQUO SUBTLY LOWERS HIS HEAD, LOOKING DOWN AT HIS RAVAGED AND BURNT BODY UNDER THE PATIENT-GOWN. AT THE STUB WHERE HIS HAND ONCE WAS. AT HIS MISSING ARM...*
 	*MINUTES PASS... THE SILENCE STRECHES UNCOMFORTABLY LONG... THE SHIP GROANS NOW AND THEN... BUT THE SILENCE MUFFLES EVERYTHING...*
 	*FINALLY, SOMEONE BREAKS THE SILENCE...*
 AN.W: "We're here- Brace yourselves, lads."
 	*THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS DROPS FROM HYPERSPACE INTO LOCAL-SPACE AROUND LUVONA PRIME'S ORBITAL STATION "CHALKOS" - THE ENTIRE SHIP LURCHES FORWARD AS IT'S VACCUM-THRUSTERS ENGAGE...*
 AN.W: (Irritated) "[EXPUNGED] me- I'm never going to get used to that- Markus, which bay is our drop-off?"
MA.F: "Bay thirteen. Amber lights. There- Port-side."
 [...]
 MA.F: "Almost home, Ryquo."
RYQ: "Mhm..."
 [...]
 AN.W: "Hey, Ryquo- Before you go, what even happened back there?
 	*RYQUO SHIFTED IN HIS SEAT AND SET WHAT REMAINED OF HIS ARM ONTO HIS LEG...*
 RYQ: "..."
 	*MARKUS BRIEFLY GLANCES BACK AT RYQUO, TURNING BACK TO THE SHIP'S CANOPY JUST AS QUICKLY.*
 MA.F: (Hushed) "You shouldn't be asking him that."
AN.W: "Oh come on. Don't give me that; I'm just curious."
MA.F: (Hushed/Stern) "Did you forget the part where he's somehow alive after being burned alive and buried under a building for over half a [EXPUNGED] day?!"
 	*THE CO AND XO BOTH SHARE A STEELY-EYED GLARE WITH EACHOTHER... ANDREW EVENTUALLY BACKS OFF...*
 	*THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS SLOWLY SETS DOWN ONTO THE PAD, AND IT'S WEIGHT SHIFTS AS THE STRONGHOLD'S ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY SWITCHES ON.*
 MA.F: "Touchdown... Need a hand, Ryquo?"
 	*MARKUS LOOKS BACK FROM THE COCPIT CANOPY, SEEING RYQUO ALREADY HOBBLING TOWARD THE EXIT...*
 RYQ: (Hoarse) "I can handle this -*wheeze*- just fine..."
 	*UNNWILLING TO ARGUE, OR SIMPLY RESPECTING RYQUO'S DECISION; THE CO AND XO BOTH FOLLOW RYQUO OUT OF THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS INTO THE COLLOSSAL OPEN HANGAR...*
 AN.W: "There really is nothing else like Foundation architecture that makes you feel... so small..."
MA.F: "Agreed..."
 	*RYQUO LOOKS UP FROM HIS CAREFULLY PLACED FOOTSTEPS TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE HANGAR... A SINGLE SILHOUETTE STANDS OUT FROM A LARGER LINE-ORGANIZED CROWD... LARGER THAN THE SURROUNDING CROWD, STANDING FAR TALLER THAN THE ENTIRETY OF THEM, HANDS CROSSED BEHIND THEIR BACK... A DISTINCT V-SHAPED HEAD ATOP A SAVAGE LOOKING BODY... COAL-BLACK SKIN UNDERLYING CHITINOUS CRIMSON-COLORED ARMOR... EXCESSIVE ORNIMENTATION ALL OVER THE INDIVIDUAL...*
 	*RYQUO QUICKLY TURNS BACK TO THE CREW OF THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS... HIS FEARFUL EXPRESSION CLEAR AS DAY THROUGH HIS BODY-DEFORMING BURNS...*
 RYQ: "You two should leave... Now."
 	*THE CO AND XO SHARE A LOOK.*
 AN.W: "Why...?"
MA.F: "Are we not welcome here or-"
RYQ: "Just leave- now!"
 	*RYQUO GLANCES BACK AT THE CROWD... BACK AT THE GIANT... AND TURNS BACK TO THE TWO...*
 RYQ: "I never properly thanked you two- but you must leave- just go, quickly!"
 	*ANDREW LOOKS PAST RYQUO, TOWARD THE CROWD, SPOTTING THE GIANT...* / *HE FEELS THE GAZE OF AN INHUMAN SET OF EYES PIERCE THROUGH HIM...*
 [...]
 AN.W: (Shakily) "XO. We are leaving. Now."
 	*ANDREW QUICKLY TURNED AROUND AND MADE FOR THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS... NOT LOOKING BACK OUT OF FEAR OF THE GAZE, OR SOMETHING ELSE...*
 	*MARKUS LOOKS BACK AT ANDREW, AND THEN BACK AT RYQUO... WHO WAS ALREADY MOVING TOWARD THE CROWD AS QUICKLY AS HIS GRUESOMELY DAMAGED BODY WOULD ALLOW...*
 	*MARKUS LET OUT A SIGH AND MADE FOR THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS'S ONBOARDING RAMP... AS HE STEPPED UP THE RAMP, A CHILL WENT DOWN HIS SPINE... STOPPING HIM IN HIS TRACKS...*
 	*HE TURNED AROUND... LOOKED AROUND THE HANGAR... SAW RYQUO, TRACED HIS PATH TO THE CROWD, AND GLIMPSED THE GIANT JUST AS THE SHIP'S RAMP CLOSED SHUT... A STARK COLD TOOK OVER HIS NERVES...*
 [...]
 	*RYQUO GLANCED BACK AT THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS AS IT BEGAN TAKING OFF... THEN BACK TO THE CROWD...*
 RYQ: (Hoarse) "Let them leave..."
 	*A FAMILIAR HARMONIC VOICE FOUND HIS EARS...*
 RIK: "Your experience has made you lax."
 RYQ: (Hoarse) "Let. Them. Leave."
 RIK: "And let them do what? Prance about the far reaches of space, whisper about how The Foundation is unable to save it's own?"
 RYQ: (Hoarse) "I was already dead! You brought me back!"
 RIK: "Do my words fall on deaf ears?"
 RYQ: (Hoarse) "Let them leave!!"
 RIK: "You knew they were dead when they answered the call."
 RYQ: (Hoarse) "They don't need to die! Nobody does!"
 RIK: "...Woe..."
 RYQ: "NO-!!"
 	*RYQUO WHIPPED AROUND, EYES WIDE OPEN, GAZE LOCKED ONTO THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS AS IT FLEW FURTHER FROM THE HANGAR...*
 	*A SINGLE BOLT OF RED ENERGY SURGED INTO VIEW FROM BEYOND THE FAR-RIGHT OF THE HANGAR'S EDGE, STRIKING THE CARGO-FREIGHTER'S HULL. THE ENERGY-BOLT DISPLACED ACCROSS THE HULL OVER THE SHIP'S SHIELDS AND CYCLED INTO THE LYUTEN'S COMPASS'S SYSTEMS, CATASTROPHICALLY OVERLOADING THEM- DETONATING THE ENTIRE SHIP IN A VIOLENT ERUPTION OF MAROON AND WHITE... THE RESULTING EXPLOSION ECHOING OVER THE VACCUM OF SPACE...*
 	*RYQUO FELL ONTO HIS KNEES, HIS HANDLESS ARM OUTSTRECHED AT THE DISPERSING CLOUD OF FLAMING RUBBLE...*
 RIK: "...I am sorry... Son..."