Arcus Sol's Story

Aiyanna inclined her head slightly. "And as a wise man once told me, Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning."

"Bullshit Aiyanna..that is plain bullshit and I refuse to accept this. The Aschen have always been greedy men and women who will not stop trying to take what is not theirs. If you 'Divine Shadow' wants to truly undo all that has been wronged, get off Terra and go sort out the rest of the Galaxy" She said with a glare so strong, it would go through her visor and into the other's eyes

"Your kind are nothing but conquerors that deserve no place in this universe...insects scurrying about to find a new hole to call theirs. No one wants the Aschen here damnit" She sighed and made her weaponry vanish into thin air

Arcus Sol rises to the challenge that Aiyanna provided for his actions.

I don't want to fight you, you see. I'm only after one thing.

It paused. "What is bull shit?" It had no clue what was happening now. It was very confused indeed. "Whats an Aiyanna?" Oh yes. It was lost, confused, and needed to go home...but had no home to go to. Sometimes, things were trickier than they ought to be.

Aiyanna kept her glare steadfast. "So you kill this Divine Shadow and your contract is fulfilled? What happens when another takes his place?"

It took Arcus Sol a moment to ponder his response, uncertain of whether or not he should reveal his motives. He finally responded,

Ah, but you see--one is all, and all is one. The reality of the circumstance will soon be revealed.

It was still confused, and sighed. "I think you are all silly, whatever silly is. I don't know. And I think you must all be men. Cause men fight, and stuff." It remembered that much. It was proud of its newly remembered knowledge.

Arcus Sol walked back over towards the bar, disregarding Aiyanna entirely this time. He reached out, grasping one of the remaining two drinks in his left hand and raising it to his lips in a long, deep drink.

Arcus Sol slams the empty glass back down upon the table and summons the bartender again.

Sir! Thing! Another round for the beautiful ladies, will ya?

The Shadow followed Arcus rather like a puppy and probably throwing the man's mojo with the ladies off. "What's a round? Can I have one?" It sounded fun.

Arcus Sol turns his head, causing the blonde hair again to bounce from his shoulder onto his chest in luxurious fashion.

A round? How old are you, child?

Arcus Sol snaps his wrist again, returning the blade in his right hand to a closed position before it disappears in a flicker of scintillating light.

"Am I child? I don't know. I don't know what I am." It didn't either. "I think I'm a big old." she said happily.

Arcus Sol glances around carefully as he made his way towards the shuttle waiting to take him back into orbit. He was soon to be a wanted man, was he not already. This wasn't something he particularly feared, but he needn't the trouble--especially not now, with the Syndicate's attention being drawn to Terra.

Something the matter, boss?

asked the granite monolith of the sun beam.

Arcus said nothing, and instead stared stoically at the elevator wall in front of him as it descended. His mind was elsewhere, elsewhen. The upcoming announcement would have grave consequences, and all possible combinations of moves needed to be accounted for.

Dante didn't think much of it and returned to his normal duty as the elevator slowed to a halt. He pulled on the cuff of the leather gloves adorning his massive hands, which made a soft creaking sound just as the ding of the arrival made itself known.

Please mind your manners, Dante.

Arcus quipped, signalling his preparedness for the business ahead. The door opened, and the pair of them stepped out into the dining hall's foyer and made their way towards the frosted glass doors that were adorned with the Sol crest. One of the two females on either side of the door greeted them as she leaned over to open it.

Hello, Mr. Sol. It's good to see you again.

Arcus nodded in response, and his blue eyes led their way back up her slender figure as he walked past. He strode into the meeting just as his hid rose back up to attention, and his arms unfurled from behind him in a welcoming gesture.

Good day, gentlemen! I trust you've made yourselves at home?

he chided as he made his way towards the men, palms up and arms outstretched.

Dante folded his hands in front of him and made his way to the side of the room, flanking the group and staring at them from behind the eyes of his darkened eyepieces.

Vidious rose when Arcus entered, offering a polite bow in greeting before returning to his seat and settling his gloved palms upon the table. "I have found your staff most welcoming," he answered with a cool nod. A click of his fingers to the side had the kitchen hands calmly wandering off to begin preparing the meals or collecting what was already cooked.

One of Norrington's palms immediately pressed to his angled face, staring on from behind his all-concealing costume as he locked eyes on Dante. He was quite sure combat wouldn't break out. Didn't mean he liked the situation. Meeting with strangers... Bah. How the hell did business men do it? The threat of unwashed hands alone was enough to keep Norrington from social interaction, let alone potentially dangerous strangers in close quarters. He shuffled in his seat, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"As ironic as it may be," Vidious offered with a gesture of his hand to the table laid out before them, "Be my guest. I ordered them to prepare a few dishes. After all, I had no idea how many I would be meeting with today. Such large corporations normally involve a dozen business men. Especially for the amount of money I am willing to simply drop into your lap." A small curt smile of self appreciation, both probing at the mans business practices and throwing out the bait of profits at once.

Arcus slid a chair out from the table with a smooth motion of his left foot, his arms still outstretched. Perfectly in step with his gait, he settled into the chair across from Vidious, his long leg folding over the other as his hands came to rest gently on his knee.

Ah, excellent.

he responded. A quick glance to the side door gave Arcus the chance to indicate his appetite; for sustenance, or for profit?

I look forward to enjoying their efforts, Vidious. I'm sure they've made good use of our resources here at Sol Enterprises,

he deflected, before returning his gaze back at the man who had gone through all the necessary security checks to arrange such a meeting.

Yes, and for something... quite special indeed.

he continued. Arcus was far less interested in the immediate profit than he was getting the opportunity to showcase his most recent opus.

Have you had the opportunity to review the available options?

he said, leaping straight to the point. He knew full well that the report he'd sent over had contained only the most basic of details, but perhaps just enough to whet the appetite of the most discerning pilots.

You see, with the commoditization of mobile suits over the past decade, they had rendered themselves effectively obsolete in the developed part of the galaxy. Almost a cold war of technology, with no companies daring to develop further technology that would bring these types of weapons to the battlefield, even while battleships and tactical fighters waged war overhead and ground troops fought it out on land. The golden age of the mobile suit had come to a grinding halt.

That is, until now.

"Ah..." the tone was immediately sounding unimpressed. He needed say no more, really. Only offer a patient smile and a his hands calmly resting in his lap. Wandering in came the servers, placing down plates of freshly cooked spaghetti, steamed fish and one or two other other gourmet dishes. From the bored look on Vidious face as he evaluated each, he dined like this regularly. He pointed out one such dish and a plate was hastily served for him.

Norrington stared on hungrily. Oh god how he loved fish. He knew what he was having for dinner. But his own paranoia meant he would not be eating with them. Just idly sitting by.

"See now had I come to you normally this would be a request for a dozen units of your most standard and practical mechs. I am a business man after all. This time however my business is not with practicality, but with appearances. You could say its advertising. But I seek something more... Unique. Both physically and in technology. In fact, you could say, give me five utterly experimental units."

He reached for a fork, which held a strange pair of prongs on either side. The purpose became apparent as he guided food for his mouth. It pushed his lips aside to stop them from touching the food. He swallowed quickly, after having given it all a moment to sink in. "I have a mere few specifications. The height, the cockpits, and a request that they all mesh thematically, though that can be a matter of names."

The tip of Arcus' mouth curled up into a smirk as his potential customer's words fell on his ears. Arcus had something special for him indeed.

Dante put his hand to his ear, where one of his cochlear implants had summoned his attention. He turned his head from the men in the room, and glanced out the window, where the setting sun was casting crepuscular rays of light across the horizon. He surveyed the buildings surrounding Sol Tower, glanced down at his watch, and returned his attention to the meeting.

Finishing a bite of the food he had been served, Arcus pressed the cloth napkin to his lip and folded it across his lap.

Quite the meal, don't you think?

he toyed, slying away from the topic at hand.

Vidious offered a mere nod. "Adequate, but to be expected of a hired catering company. I really must acquire my own personal chef. Norrington, could you please take the specifications to Mister Sol?" He turned his head sidewards to the assassin expectantly.

"What? Me? I thought you brought the notes."

"Norrinton, could you please take the specifications to Mister Sol?"

Norrington's innocent wide-eyed stare lasted only a second more before he grumbled and climbed to his feet, reaching into his clothes to retrieve a clip board. How he concealed such a thing against his body was a mystery. Well, no it was magic. As he walked for the opposite side of the table he cast a glance over his shoulder in the same direction Arcus and his companion looked, as if suspicious. He held out the board and the few sheets of paper on it. "Here's your checklist."

Vidious specifications seemed peculiar. Each mech was to be between eight and twelve meters tall and capable of moving quickly on road-like surfaces with a focus on high-maneuverability in tight places. Likewise, he requested that at least one of the mechs could fly and that the leader of the group should be a half-times larger than the others. Cockpits were intended to be adjustable to suit multiple different shapes and sizes. He wanted a variety of melee and ranged weapons, either on each or spread amongst the group.

"I hope everything is within your bounds. I would hate to take my business elsewhere after arranging this meeting."