Bargains with Swindle

Log Title: Bargains with Swindle Characters: Ar-Gent Silverfinger, Swindle, Vortex Location: Vilnacron Station Bar Date: September 11, 2019 TP: King of Cats TP Summary: Ar-Gent finally gets a chance to talk to some Combaticons! He settles for striking a deal with Swindle. As logged by  Ar-Gent Silverfinger

Log session starting at 13:16:14 on Wednesday, 11 September 2019.

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger strolls into the bar at Vilnacron station like there's cameras on him at all times. Maybe there are. In any case, he flashes his movie-star smile at various patrons and gets a drink, settling at the bar where he can easily people-watch and maybe chat up a prospect or two.'''

'''Swindle enters the casino, trying not to show that he's as hapy to be here as a kid going to Disneyland. His optics are bright and wide as he looks about with an entirely feigned casual air.'''

'''Vortex follows along, watching swindle. "Well I'll be wandering around until you get kicked out for cheating the house. See you ina bit, bro."'''

GAME: Ar-Gent Silverfinger PASSES a LEADERSHIP roll of Very High difficulty.

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger sees not one, but TWO interesting characters enter. He debates approaches, then speaks to the bartender before picking up his drink and heading towards Vortex. "Excuse me, good sir. May I ask you a question or two?"'''

Meanwhile, Swindle is delivered a shot of expensive, high quality engex- from "a Mr. Anonymous".

'''Vortex looks over at Ar-Gent. "Hi, there." he greets, oddly enough rather friendly. "How can I help you?" the chopper's rotors raise a bit as someone talks to him. Normally hes the offputting one.'''

'''Swindle looks over at Vortex. "Ix-nay on the eat-chay, dumbft," he snarls at Vortex, then turns toward the person delivering the drink. "Mr. Anonymous, huh? Yeahhhh, that's not suspicious or anything. Still, a free drink's a free drink. Tell your MR. Anonymous thanks from, uh, Mr. Celophane."'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger leans on a convenient bit of wall. "Am I right in thinking you're one of the Combaticons?" he inquires, lighting an enercig.'''

'''Swindle shrugs, sipping at his drink. "Depends entirely on who wants to know and why," he says, patting down hsi hatches for his own enercigs. "So, who are you an' why are you looking for Cobmaticons?"'''

'''Vortex nods "Yep, I am. Name's Vortex." he says. "Why you looking for us? What did we do?"'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger chuckles lightly. "Do? Nothing in particular. And I'm sadly out of excuses- The nucleon crisis has passed, I've acquired the technology I was looking for. But I'm still wondering about certain rumors I've heard."'''

'''Swindle grunts. 'Look, if it's about that one time, in my defense I'd only been reactivated for less than a terrestrial solar revolution, so I wasn't exactly thinking straight - besides, I got them all back together, eventually," he says.'''

'''Vortex huhs to himself. "So what were ya lokin for anyways? And what rumors had ya heard?"'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger offers enercigs to Swindle and Vortex. "Let's just come out and say it. That your return to the fold wasn't altogether voluntary."'''

'''Swindle takes the enercig and snorts. "We were completely voluntold, yeah," he says. "Or, more correctly volun-taken, but yeah, so? That's, ok, so it's not ancient history but it's mostly cooled slag, so what?"'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger blows a nice, round smoke ring, followed by a square to frame it, showing off. "Well, I found it fascinating how hard it was to rent time with a couple of Combaticons. I was willing to trade quite the pretty penny for it. Fortunately, I managed the goals in another way, but I had wondered just how solid that loyalty was." He grins engagingly. "Not to try to persuade you to join my cause- no. You're not disaffected enough for that. Not quite -villainous- enough, really."'''

'''Swindle's audials perk up at the mention of 'renting time with Combaticons.' He looks over at Vortex, then back to Silverfinger. "It doensn't have to be a pretty penny,' he says. "The ugly one's spend just the same. As for our loyalty...depends who you mean. To the Decepticons or to the Combaticons?"'''

'''Vortex nods "Pretty solid to each other but to the Decepticons..." he says. "As loyal as he has to be. So whatcha need a buncha Combaticons for?" he asks.'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger wells. "I was going to check over how the gestault works, but I managed to find some other source. He's being given the tour of Sci-Nide's facilities at the moment." He hmms. "How loyal do you 'has to be'?" For that last, he briefly and exactly copies Vortex's voice and inflection.'''

'''Vortex tilts his head. "Pretty loyal. Maybe this is somethin' ya need to talk to Onslaught about." He crosses his arms.'''

'''Swindle considers, his inner desire for The Deal warring against the chip that tells him Not To Rebel. "Yeahhhhh," he says. 'If you're lookin' to hire us, that's kinda up to Onslaught. I mean, I can negotiate prices with you, sure but Onslaught makes the final decisions on our, er, side-gigs."'''

GAME: Ar-Gent Silverfinger PASSES a LEADERSHIP roll of Immense difficulty.

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger hmmms. "Well, perhaps we can move on to happier subjects, then. I DO find it terribly inconvenient to dash over to Cybertron every time I need Cybertronian goods. Maybe we can arrange a little transport rather than anything personal."'''

'''Swindle perks up again. "Oh, now, if you're looking for Cybertronian goods, that's a whole different story! Onslaught doesn't need to be involved in that kinda stuff," he says. "For that, you can just go through me. Just gimme a list of what you're looking for!"'''

'''Vortex nods "Yeah thats more swindle's work than mine." he says.'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger beams. "Excellent! I happen to have a small shopping list here in my pocket!" And he digs out an honest-to-goodness paper list out of one of his compartments to offer to Swindle. The list is mostly fairly standard items. Parts, fuel additives. Except for several live specimens listed at the bottom. All non-intelligent flora and fauna, but definitely the kind of thing that requires going to the more dangerous parts of the planet.'''

'''Swindle takes the list and scans it, grunting and nodding as he looks over the items and checks them against what he knows of Decepticon stores and his own personal caches. "...okay, some of these live specimines, they're gonna cost you extra. Like, a *lot* extra, 'cause of the risk involved in obtaining them. The parts, the additives, those're easy enough -- comparatively, anyway, but the animals an' those plants? Whoo..."'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger leans back and smiles, a gleam in his uncovered optic. "Well, let's see what I can afford. Shanix, I have, but I find it much more interesting to conduct trade. You wouldn't happen to be interested in unique weaponry, would you?"'''

'''Vortex pauses. "How unique is unique?" he moves protectively close to Swindle.'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger pulls more papers out of another compartment. "I have a standard list of weaponry I sell on the market, but it doesn't really cover the prototypes. And my boys in the science deparment come up with some things that truly are one of a kind. The latest potato cannon... but you're not interested in that."'''

'''Swindle's optics widen and take on that particular gleam that they get when the subject of weaponns comes up. "..we talking firearms?" he asks, between wary and hopeful. "..or, like, melee weapons or what? 'Cause, I mean, I'm personally partial to firearms but I don't say know to blades or explosives." He reaches out for the list. "Slow your roll, compadre, you'd be amazed what interests me."'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger fakes a couple of times before surrendering his list to Swindle. "This is my standard list. These are the weapons I'll sell anybody. Mostly ranged, since that's what the market rewards best. But for the unique items? Well, there's the weapons my own minions prefer. Fairly modular, the way much of our technology happens to be, which makes it easily adaptable for others. The vibro-trench knife is a favorite among the mafiosos." He pauses to take a drag on his enercig. "But there's also the one-offs that comes out of R&D. Sci-Nide used some of that nucleon we sourced to make a powerful rifle. Expensive to upkeep, naturally, given the power source, but it packs a punch."'''

'''Vortex lets Swindle take over for a while. This is his wheehouse.'''

GAME: Swindle PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Immense difficulty.

GAME: Swindle PASSES a COURAGE roll of Immense difficulty.

'''Swindle looks over the list, and manages to not start drooling immediately -- though Vortex probably recognizes the happy sound he just made. "A nucleon-powered rifle? Niiice," he says. 'I'd be interested in one of those -- an' maybe a couple of the vibro-trench knives, especially if you got some of those spike-knuckled ones. Right Tex?"'''

'''Vortex tilts his head in interest. "Knives? Now we're talking. Acid spiked vibro knives.."'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger beams. "Of course, spiked. We wouldn't have them any other way. There's also brass knuckles and the standard sap for skulduggery. And I have a few who keep trying ways to put more power into a standard holdout pistol. Fewer, now, than I did a month ago."'''

'''Swindle nods. "Yeah, the problem wtih a holdout is you run the risk that if you power it up too much, you're just basically making a device for blowing your own hand off," he says. "'course, if you go for something that shoots, dunno, needles or something, you could do some serious damage that way."'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger nods. "Still, they're undeterred in their efforts. And sometimes they manage something that works." He puffs thoughtfully. "I'm afraid the salad shooter isn't for sale. Sci-Nide laid claim to that one. But the toaster is available. We used it to excavate some of the tunnels under my new palace."'''

'''Vortex quips. "Well I think Im gonna go find where Ons is hiding, see what he has to say about this." he says. 'Tell me how the deal goes."'''

'''Swindle nodnods. "Toaster could be kinda cool," he says. "..so...how about this? I'll find you the stuff on your list for, oh, call it 900 thousand shanix an' call it, another two grand worth of weapons?"'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger hmms. "Seems a bit steep. Keep in mind you're not my only contact- I source through multiple channels. And if the price is truly not worth it, I have my own minions I can throw at the matter."'''

'''Swindle snorts. 'If you had people who could do this, you wouldn't be looking for outside help," he says. "Either your people can't do it or you want someone who you think is expendable to do it. Either way, you get what you pay for. So, make me a better offer."'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger gets a gleam in his optic. "700 thousand shanix, or equivalent in weaponry, as well as your choice of three unique prototypes, not available elsewhere."'''

'''Swindle considers. "Seven fifty; 300 grand in cash, 450 in weapons, two sets of the spike-knuckled vibro-trench knives an' three prototypes," he says.'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger nods. "Done, if you'll deliver to Mars."'''

'''Swindle shrugs. 'Sure, Mars is no problem," he says. "Foot of Olympus Mons good for you? near the Amazonis Planis?"'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger grins. "Quite agreeable." He sticks out a hand to shake on it.'''

'''Swindle reaches out and takes Silverfinger by the hand, returnign the shake. "Pleasure doin' business with you," he says. "You'll get your goods ASAP."'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger beams. "I look forward to it." He also takes a moment to pull out his card and slide it over. "Let this be the start of a long and profitable relationship."'''

'''Swindle takes the card and makes it disappear into a hatch. "Agreed," he says. "Emphasis on the latter, am I right?" He grins. 'If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go find my brother before he does something stupid." He pauses, then pulls out a datapad. "Here's a comcode you can use to contact me."'''

'''Ar-Gent Silverfinger takes note of it. "Good luck!"'''

Log session ending at 15:53:42 on Wednesday, 11 September 2019.