Exigency: The Old Guard

Reave is severely disorientated by Pudge's unexpected counter-attack. Wilhelm's fist snaps her out of it, but just as she's lifting her sword Serana grabs the Enforcer around the middle and athletically slams her into the ground, hard.

Reave is out cold, for now at least.

No alarms blare. No frantic guards run by, no officers scream directions. The courtyard is oddly peaceful, with only the gentle murmur of background conversation as people go about their business, oblivious to the chaos outside.

Graves-Burton is sat near the centre as he promised. He looks calm, in a mildly bored way, with one arm stretched out over the back of the bench. He's not dressed casually, but he's not in the full dress robes of a Lord Councillor either. He's trying to scan the crowd and is yet to spot Darghibous. He drums his fingers.

The Lord Councillor has one hell of a poker face, but Darghibous is one hell of a reader. Despite his outward calm, Graves-Burton must have secretly been dreading a no-show: he's relieved, his muscles unclench.

"And a good day to you. Your correspondence didn't provide a name, so you have me at a disadvantage." He looks at Darghibous intently. The confident, superior gaze of an intelligent man who nevertheless feels he's far more intelligent than he actually is. "All the same, I am glad to see you here.

"We have a great deal to discuss."

"Certainly." Graves-Burton adjusts his posture so he takes up less space on the bench. "This is a fantastic opportunity for us both. Some of your ideas were ingenious: it had never occurred to me to check ancient phase beacons for pre-Schism traffic records. With the right research, and with access to your findings, of course, we could determine exactly what was left behind in the Vault.

"My opening question, if you'll excuse the bluntness, regards what you want in return. What are you expecting to happen here?"

Graves-Burton looks thoughtful. "That sounds reasonable at face value, although I suspect you and I might have different notions of 'irresponsibility'." The Lord Councillor affects a crooked smile. "Your concern is noted all the same. I've seen the same action movies as everyone else: everyone knows these Schismatic vaults always hold some superweapon that spits singularities, or a nano plague that eats whole worlds. We can be careful, and considered.

"Which leads me to my next and arguably most pertinent question: why, exactly, did your friends assault my security detail if you were intending to go through with our meeting? I was half expecting you to try and stick a knife in my back." Graves-Burton leers. "Which would not have gone well for you, incidentally."

Lord Councillor Graves-Burton doesn't look entirely convinced, but he nods all the same. "Well said. And on that exact topic, I have a proposal for you and your friends. Perhaps this will keep their, hah, tools locked away.

"I shall provide you all safe passage off Valon. I have a state-of-the-art cruiser with a Mk III phasedrive: it can phaseshift without the aid of a beacon. Various dignitaries have already made a bid to travel on it, but I can guarantee you seats. In return, you will leave me and my allies to access the Vault. And I will even allow you to veto who we sell the contents to."

Pudge quickly gains access to the doors but they each have manual overrides: if it came to it, a member of staff with a hardkey could bypass a lockdown. Pudge helps himself to the embassy's records (they're encrypted, but shouldn't be too hard to crack given a little time) and assumes control of the maintenance drones, mostly just because he can.