The Galaxy was in a moment of grey, anticipating silence. From the perspective of the rest of the Universe, little had changed in this regard, but for those that called the millions of stars and their respective planets home, the silence was one that could bring any stomach into knots, make any eyes turn to the sky with wariness, and any mind wander exactly what lay hidden behind the corners of time and the future that had been already woven. Anyone could wonder what exactly was to happen next, if they so chose to pay attention to it.<br/><br/>From the bustling business sectors of the numerous UF worlds and stations, to the bright holographic adds, whirlwind of spaceships and the darkness of the underground, to even the grand golden statues, bright and light-threaded flags and gargantuan war ships that was the Empire, everyone turned their attention and interest to the unknown. For the last thousand years, advancements in technology had brought  all of these civilizations to the brink of their intellectual limits. There was little any could not do in the possession of such marvel advancements in science; With the help of numerous cybernetic implants, anyone with the right amount of currency could have what seemed to be super-natural powers. With the assistance warp drives and even<span style="font-style: italic">warp gates</span>, Ships could be thrown to the other side of the Galaxy, and no world was too far to be left uncharted. With the variety of hyper-aggressive energy-based weaponry and high quality battle-suits, warriors could become Demigods on the field of battle with the right amount of experience and skill. A "Golden Age" of information had been entered, but that was not the end of what wonders were to be discovered.<br/><br/>The "Ancients". An entire culture and civilization of people who had otherwise remained nameless. It was long thought that even science had its limits, that there were certain laws of the Universe that would just not bend at the will of a sapient mind. These strange and enigmatic beings proved otherwise long after their deaths, with the strange secrets they had been harboring beforehand somehow being able to bend and go against even the most solid of scientific principals, and do things others may have thought only plausible in tales. The ability to create energy without destroying matter. The power to have extra-enormous amounts of gravitational force without mass. The effect of somehow slowing time within an area for that was within the effects borders, but not for the observes just outside.<br/><br/>The United Galactic Forces shrieked. Such power could mean the destruction of the Universe in itself, and had to be protected.<br/><br/>The Holy Empire of Tara'zhel gasped in awe and amazement. The secrets of their very Gods were embodied within these artifacts, as well as the power to conquer and finally rid the Universe of their opponents, to rule in absolution.<br/><br/>The Neutral Powers smiled. These artifacts and objects could fetch a hefty price on the market, one that they knew anyone would be willing to pay.<br/><br/>Each of these groups of distinct, different view-points looked at one another quietly from the safety of their own territories, knowing that if either made a too obvious move, the other would spring up and revolt in disagreement, breaking the coordinated peace that they so desperately needed for their own plans and plots.<br/><br/>Instead, they turned to another force in turn, their currencies held swiftly in their hand for some, and their interests weighing down upon beings they knew had the reach that their will did not.<br/><br/>*********************<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Welcome to ARI Corp : Archaeology and Research Investment Incorporated!"</span>The holographic message relayed out to all its recipients, the bright and simple image of their starlit logo and thick symbolic lettering being made clear.<br/><br/>It spoke in the common language of "Trade & Commerce", Or Tren-Co for short, that everyone whom received it need not worry of a translator of any sort. Whatever alignment any of the recruits had, they were expected to know this tongue by now.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">We are very pleased to see that you replied back to us in the positive about our recruitment notices. As you may have guessed from the initial welcoming message, we have reviewed your application and found you an excellent addition to our team of technology and archaeological Recovery Operatives!</span><br/><br/>A F-male Gailu spoke to them with a strong, melodic voice, typical for an advertisement that was geared towards numerous viewpoints and opinions of the galaxy. Perfectly neutral in every way that it was needed to be.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">We have processed your data-work and entered all information necessary in our system, and as promised we will cut directly to the briefing and mission-statements. Please make your way to the coordinates and location address enclosed within this message on the given date.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">We hope to see you soon!</span><br/><br/>As promised, enclosed within the message is a typical system address : Nuana (Planet), Irvianus Prime System for familiarity, and the exact coordinates numbered down for any private ship to lock on and auto-pilot its way to.<br/><br/>Afterwards, a location is also given : Archaeology and Research Investment : Incorporated - Center, Address : 4-42-162, Vaeswi Section. The Address marks the entrance height, as the building is implied to be in stories from the set of numbers given, the longitude number, and then the latitude - All resetting depending on what Section the address was given in, as each Section tended to be in squares when it came to entire planets.<br/><br/>*********************<br/><br/>The light of the bright-orange star of Irvianus was one to behold, a thing of true beauty within the far reaches of the galaxy. Weroul had been staring at it for sometime now, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and directly by the clear, reinforced window that surrounded a large part of their temporary suite. The rays seem to bend and move through the endless towers of city-scape, their bright and flashing lights of various advertisements and holograms not at all taking away from the strange and ethereal gleam the sun seemed to hold over the planet. Nuana had a slow rotation, only turning once every month at a time if they were using the general agreed time-system of the galaxy. She had been staring at a similar sunset for the past three days now.<br/><br/>Her tail twitch upwards and swished off the left, tracing the metallic ground before it wandered forward and rested on the young Ryun'Eli's lap, her clawed hand reaching up to gently rub under her lower left horn. Flexing her feathers upwards for a bit of a better reach, her head became a fuzzy voluminous mess of long, iridescent threads before it finally settled down again. Her bright, bluish cyan eyes blinked away for a moment before they closed, the youngling letting her back fall on the floor as she spread her limbs out and wide upon the surface.<br/><br/>She was bored and excited. The coming hours were quite the large deal for her, seeing as what she had been allowed briefly in the past. Her father had been settled down some ways behind her, relaxing away with his eyes closed and his four arms collecting over his legs in a meditative fashion. She gave him a good stare for a while, not expecting him to budge or move despite the obvious state she was in.<br/><br/>"Ba'ho.." She murmured up to him, rolling away and onto her stomach this time as her robing and layers of her suit followed about after her. He did not respond, instead exhaling with a rattling sound from his throat.<br/><br/>"Ba'ho!" Weroul repeated more loudly, starting to drag herself forward. His dark, coppery hues finally flicked open with a click of his mandibles, and the hulking body shifted slightly to stare down at her with a lazy expression.<br/><br/>There was no pet-name for "Father" in Taekati. They had always held titles such as "Keri-Tck" for a direct male parent and "To'Keri-Tck" for a grandparent and so forth, ranging all the way up to an Ancestor being called "Halda-Tck". The entire language in itself was almost impossible for most species to mouth away, though the Avian throat of the Ryun'Eli worked in such a way that making sounds was a bit more easier than for other species. The simplest of dialects developed for non-native speakers tended to work with or without this inherit talent, while all non-native speakers were far from capable of speaking the full and extensive detail a Taekata could speak by himself. There was no way to mimic the ability to sound two different tones at the same time naturally, with such a high degree of a tonal system being important for high-description in Taekati, and even more-so if they wanted to encrypt something from non-Taekata.<br/><br/>Even so, Weroul had been taught all the things she needed to know for a proper conversation, and she had gone so far as to developed nicknames for her Father in her hatchling years. "Ba'ho" translated in Tren-Co to "Big-Sun". Her mother had been "Ra'ho", the "Tiny-Sun".<br/><br/>"What is it, Ra'key?" He spoke away to her, lifting up a three-digit hand to rub at his many curving, shell-like protrusions that were his horns. "We are leaving soon, if that is what you are wondering."<br/><br/>She frowned. He always answered her question before she had a chance to ask it, and she displayed her disapproval by proceeding to roll away on the ground from him, moving off to the rightmost wall before her thick legs and taloned feet pressed against the floor and pushed her up, the young girl of a Ryun'Eli proceeding to walk around the suite with restlessness.<br/><br/>"Ra'key" was "Tiny-Moon". It made sense because she was always a tiny Ryun'Eli in comparison. Her mother had said that it would take a good five-hundred years before she even reached the lower heights of their average, and that was saying something. After a few rounds about the suite, staring up at the smooth, contemporary design of the arches in all the doorways and the simple, box-shaped furniture, she took another look at her father, whom had once more closed his eyes in contentment.<br/><br/>He was a large Taekata, about 8'0" exactly. His shell was hard and black, with many razor extensions growing out from his fore-arms and shoulders that could easily cut away at any of the fleshy, mammalian species of the galaxy. His tendrils upon his head had been grown long and pulled back into a ponytail, and he almost always wore his battle-suit on a daily basis, even for the most casual of meetings or chores that he was performing. It made sense, because he had been raised away in the Hive as he had so explained many times to his daughter. To be unprepared was a great shame, especially when they had family to raise.<br/><br/>Weroul hurried on over to his seat, standing beside him for a moment and leaning herself over as she tried to get his attention. She would lift a hand and move it over his face a couple of times, his expression not changing until she finally slapped her palm on his hard, angled cheek, causing him to flick his eyes open and groan before reaching up grab at her wrist and push it away.<br/><br/>"Alright. Alright! You want to sit around and wait over there instead? Fine. I'm up."<br/><br/>He grumbled, his multi-layered and creaky voice something that always brought the young and kiddish Ryun'Eli much satisfaction. She grinned and began to move around the room once more, her thick tail swaying about and curling upwards as she reached on over to his assortment of weapons, leaned lightly against the eastern-left side of the room, and turned to carry them on over.<br/><br/>He carried himself over to where she made her offering, picking each one up with one of his hands and clicking them lightly into place before using his two lower arms to hold up the large rifle, carefully pacing it in a holstered position upon his back. Weroul now held only a pistol in her hand, staring up at him with a look that could only be equated to "begging". With a roll of his eyes he waved it off, and the fledgling let out a chirp of satisfaction before she carefully handled it away and clipped its holster near her belt, moving off to gather her own bags and things before the pair set off and towards the outside city.<br/><br/>They had chosen a suite that was near their location thankfully, her father preferring to walk more than anything else, and Weroul liking to follow about and take a good stare at everything that was around her. She was a short 6'2", meaning that she was by no means imposing by structure. It did not help that she was a bubbling color of pale white, making her seem even more pure and harmless to than she already was. It was not even to say that she was hiding any threatening features, because even her skill-set was something passive. She did, however, soak in the limelight that was the terrifying visage her Father gave, for he was the definition of everything frightening a Taekata could offer.<br/><br/>Bouncing on after him, they arrived to what they expected be the large building that was their destination, the layer of platforms they have been walking on at the same expected level the main entrance had been stationed at. The large holographic logo hung right over the sleek and expensive design of the gateway, and they only paused to stare up at it a moment before they continued under the arch.<br/><br/>Various security droids wandered about inside, typical for a corporation that specialized in such valuable artifacts.<br/><br/>"Now, Ra'key. Remember what I told you. Bringing you with me is a privileged, not a right. Do you understand?"<br/><br/>"Yes, Ba'ho."<br/><br/>"I could have very well left you in the ship, and can still leave you there if you act up."<br/><br/>"Yeah, I got it, Ba'ho."<br/><br/>"I don't want to see you fiddling around with anything you find in here, and I want you to be careful of whom we may meet."<br/><br/>"Ba'ho!" She squeaked in protest, but a frown spread on her face when she realized she had little to no choice if she wanted to come with him on this job. "... Yes, Ba'ho."<br/><br/>"Good." He murmured, though there was some clear suspicion in his voice from her initial reaction, and she could taste that this would not be the first time she was lectured on his demands.<br/><br/>The stopped near the front desk, the chamber quite huge and full of various smooth pillars, many holographic information posters flickering away as if this place was some sort of museum. A human woman was sitting at the desk, peeking up for a moment with a small frown before her face twisted into a forced, happy greeting.<br/><br/>"Welcome to ARI Corp! What can I help you with?" She asked the pair.<br/><br/>"We are here for the initial briefing, as per the recruitment acceptance message we were sent." Her father said, though his tone was one without patience for the secretary.<br/><br/>"Ah, yes, alright. Your names please?" She asked, and was answered rather quickly.<br/><br/>"Khasik Vask. This here is Weroul Vask." He stated, motioning to the tiny Ryun'Eli directly behind that was watching with such excitement and expectation.<br/><br/>"Ah, your<span style="font-style: italic">mate</span>I am guessing?" She questioned with a bit of a smile, flipping through the appeared interface she had brought up before her.<br/><br/>"No, my daughter." The Taekata answered, making the human raise a brow curiously before she nodded away. "You are registered in the system as 'Recovery Operatives'... Alright. I'll set the elevator to your set meeting area. Have a nice day."<br/><br/>"You too!" Weroul clicked in, but she was quickly ushered off at towards said elevator before the woman had any chance to reply.<br/><br/>The travel down was one that did not last long, a light humming noise being heard as a few sparky notes of music played through the speakers until the car came to a stop. The doors opened to a wide hall, at the end a circular conference room that had a variety of adjustable seats and a round table. It was outrageously plain and gray, but it was implied that at this point design and good looks was not important. The information being discussed here would be the fancy treats, and Weroul expressed her interest in such treats by scrambling forward into one of the seats and motioning off for her father to join her.<br/><br/>He slowly settled down into the seat next to her and proceeded to lean back, once more closing his eyes and choosing to relax despite being covered in various weapons that could provide some discomfort. Weroul herself stared forward, taking occasional glances at the door for whom exactly would show up next.