Right Side of Wrong.
Resting leisurely in a huge suspended throne, the massive Fallen reaches out a hand in greetings. "Velask, Guardian. That's how my kind says 'hello', in case you're unfamiliar." He withdraws his hand and places it atop his round belly.
"You're the Spider?" Klutz notices the numerous leg-like appendages attached to his dangling chair.
"The one and only." The Spider raises all four of his arms proudly. "And what is it they call you? My curious little friend."
"My name is Klutz. I'm a Guardians from the-"
"'Klutz!?'" he interrupts loudly. "Ha! That scoundrel had me waiting all this time, thinking I'd never see the item I paid for, only to have it left in the care of a New Light named Klutz!?" He laughs heartily in equal parts amusement and annoyance.
The Guardian twists his face under his helmet.
"And where is your Ghost, New Light? Did it stay back on Earth?"
Spark appears beside the Guardian with her shell narrowed. "My name is Spark, and we are here on business, so there's no need to be so rude!"
"Ahh, there it is! I do find these little contraptions interesting. They are often so delightfully enticing… Appetising." The Spider pats his belly softly.
Quickly, Spark turns to look at Klutz. Her shell spins just as quick as she disappears.
"Shy?" The Spider laughs. "No matter. You said you have my package? Not just here to take the fall for ol' Drifter?" The rotund alien leans forward in his seat.
Wordlessly, Klutz raises the long tube from under his arm and presents it to the Spider.
"Ahh, good. Lets hope you haven't lived up to your name and damaged the item." He reaches out to grab his prize. Only inches away, the tube is retracted by the courier. The Spider narrows his glowing eyes. "What's the meaning of this? You've brought it this far, now make good on the delivery!"
Klutz holds the tube at his side and looks up intently at the large Fallen. "Need to talk about my payment first." He gets the words out strongly, despite the incessant thumping of his heart.
The Spider sits up straight and scoffs. "Your payment!?" he yells. "I already paid for the goods. Any deal you made with that rat is outside of our agreement!" He grasps the arms of his chair. "I'm not about to let you strong arm me, if you think that's where this is headed."
Hearing the commotion, two of the spear-armed Fallen enter from a side door.
With the tube still firmly in his grasp, Klutz notices the threatening posture of his former guides. "You made your deal with the Drifter, not with me. Now I'm here, and I'm not parting with this thing empty handed." He turns back to look the Spider in the eyes. "If you want this thing, then we're gonna have to cut another deal."
Crackling electricity sounds from the spearman's weapons.
The Spider glares at the man menacingly, silently.
Tension fills the room as Klutz worries this deal may have soured before it started. He starts to channel Void Light in his hand.
"Fine." The Spider sits back in his throne. "I'm willing to hear you out. But I won't agree to anything unreasonable." He clasps two of his hands together. "And here I was thinking that sending the Skiffblades to retrieve you from those scavengers would have won me some gratitude!" He lets out an exaggerated scoff.
A sigh of relief escapes the Guardians lips. "Not looking for anything unreasonable. Just information."
"Information, huh? You've come out a long way for information." He idly scratches at the underside of his masked chin. "Now, what kind of information would I have for a Guardian?"
Reaching into his pocket with slow telegraphed motions, Klutz grabs hold of the black card and raises high for the Spider to see.
"Well, well, well. The Black Armory?"
Klutz gets the feeling that he somehow already knew the name. Like the fading familiarity of déjà vu.
The Spider leans back once again. "So what is it you want to know about such an old secret?"
The Guardian's mind races at the thought of uncovering answers to questions he has had since the beginning of his short life. He holds the card closer to himself and looks at it for a moment. He steadies his mind to focus on what he came here for. "This card worked as a key to a door in Old Chicago. I found a similar door near the Last City, but it didn't respond when I tried to use the card again."
"Different door, different lock, different key," the Spider says plainly. "If you're looking to access whatever enticing little secrets the Black Armory has locked away, you'll need to find the key that fits."
"And where can I find that?"
The Spider chuckles. "No idea."
Klutz feels his stomach sink. His shoulders drop as well, betraying his disappointment.
"Although, I may know where you could find something of a… master-key."
Klutz straightens his posture with interest.
"A free ticket to access all manner of Black Armory treasures. It could be yours… for the right price." Opportunity fills his words.
After one last look, Klutz pockets the card and faces the Spider. "Something other than this?" He holds up the tube shaped package.
"You traded that for the information I was just generous enough to provide you with!" the Fallen barks.
As soon as the words leave the Spider's mouth, the third member of the Skiffblades appears from behind the Guardian and snatches the package from his hand.
Klutz offers little resistance. He watches as the spearman delivers the tube to his employer.
"Give me a moment to inspect the goods. Want to make sure we are operating in good faith before we proceed," the Spider says as he unscrews the cap on one end of the tube. Tilting the tube sideways, the Spider catches the end of a long roll of canvas as it comes sliding out. He unrolls the canvas to observe it. "Ahh. Brilliant." He looks at it for a moment before flipping it around for Klutz to see.
On the canvas is a well preserved oil painting, depicting a sky of dark blue and yellow swirls above a quaint village.
"Van Gogh!" the massive alien says as he shows off the art proudly. "A remnant of your peoples old world. I have something of an interest in these things." He rolls the painting up gently and hands it off to one of the Skiffblades. "It's a wonder anything survived when your worlds were destroyed!" He blurts out almost mockingly. "Seems both of our people have a knack for survival, eh? Although that so-called 'Great Machine' definitely gave your kind a fighting chance. The Eliksni were not so lucky…" He stares off silently for a moment.
An awkward silence fills the space.
"I'm glad the painting is in good shape." Klutz says trying to get things back on track. "So what is it you want in exchange for this 'master-key?'"
"Ahh, yes," the fat Eliksni says as he shifts his attention to the man. "I appreciate your focus on business!" He relaxes and clears his throat. "You can think of me as the 'law' of this forsaken rock. Most others do."
"I'd heard that the Awoken ruled all of the Reef."
The Spider squints slightly. "Officially, you are correct. Unofficially, I have something of an agreement with the Awoken. They leave me to do my business as I see fit, as long as I maintain order. But, as I'm sure you're… intimately familiar with, some cretins have no respect for the law!" He huffs loudly. "There's a group of the ne'er do wells a short hike from here that have become… an increasingly annoying thorn in my side. I want that thorn removed."
Klutz feels a heaviness in his stomach. "That's where I come in?"
"Of course!" the Spider snaps. "I'm asking you to use your 'Machine given' abilities to wipe that scum off my shore. To sweeten the deal, I'll even make arrangements to have your ship repaired to spacefaring condition. That way you can leave my shore as well. As soon as our business is concluded."
The Guardian looks down for a moment. Thinking over his, admittedly few, options. He looks back up. "Fine. I'll take care of 'em."
"Excellent! Glad to see we can come to an agreement," the Spider says. "As for the job, I have an unfortunate lack of details. I know they are poorly equipped, so you shouldn't have to worry about being out gunned. I also know they have a working Servitor, and it's important that it stays that way. No sense wasting a perfectly good machine just because its handlers aren't sucking Ether anymore!" He laughs cruelly. "I can't understate the importance of that bit. If that Servitor gets destroyed, then you don't get your key! My associates will stop by when the job is done to assess your work."
"So where exactly is this group held up?" Klutz asks. "Don't plan on wasting time if I don't have to."
"Eager, huh? I'll send your shy little friend the location in time. For now, I'll send a crew to get to work on your ship. I already went to the liberty of having it retrieved before more scavengers showed up. I also have a few arrangements to make, so why don't you rest a while? While I get things sorted."
"Any idea how long that will take?"
"Half a day at most. Fortunately, this club is a welcoming establishment. So find a corner and get comfortable, if that suits you." The Spider gestures towards the hall Klutz entered through.
"Just let me know when it's time." Klutz turns away and passes through the beads.
"I look forward to seeing how you perform!" the Spider shouts as he watches the Guardian leave. "Who knows, this could be the start of a wonderful business partnership!"
The door slides shut as Klutz exits the Spiders den.