So yeah, basically my internet is out due to maintenance being done in my apartment, so even though I bought TTK on the 15th, I can't really play it right now. As a result I got really, [i]really[/i] bored. Now I used to write for fun, so I decided "Why not?" and set to work typing this whole thing out on my phone (internet is down, so I had to use 4G to post it, figured I'd just do it all on one device). Keep in mind, I did this whole thing (including proofreading) in roughly thirty to fourty-five minutes, so don't be too critical. Then again, I wouldn't be posting this here if I didn't want criticism, so go for it I guess. Hopefully you enjoy reading it, and if you do, drop a reply and let me know what you think about it. Enjoy. :) [u][b]FWC: The Arrangement:[/b][/u] Lakshmi-2 led an interesting life. Yes, she was an exo, which, to a human, or even an awoken, would seem interesting in its own way. Yes, she was the public face of the Future War Cult, a shadowy organization whose origins and true purpose are a mystery, even to some of the most elite members. But these were not the reasons she considered her life to be more exciting than most. She knew too much, was privy to too many secrets, to believe that was so. For her, it was for an entirely different reason altogether. It was a day as any other for Lakshmi. She stood, as she always did, next to the large window that made up one of the walls of the Future War Cult lounge, watching ships and people come and go. It was a kind of game she played, to break the monotony. She looked for those who seemed interesting, those who moved with purpose, and made little bets with herself on whether on not they would come to speak with her. It wasn't an act of loneliness or boredom, but more a game of chance, a battle against the odds. After all, as a member of the FWC, war was everything, and conflict was a way of life. The sound of footsteps behind her startled Lakshmi slightly, though she didn't let it show. Someone had entered the room, having done so in a rather inconspicuous fashion. He did not hurry, nor did he linger. He simply ascended the steps as any other would, as Lakshmi herself did every day. As he reached the top of the stairway, the visitor paused and looked around, as if he was searching for something. The interior of the Future War Cult lounge was sparce and functional, but it maintained an air of elegance, due, in no small part, to the meticulous decorating, done in part by Lakshmi herself. She couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride as the visitor looked around the room, but she kept her emotions contained, and set herself towards figuring out who this visitor was, and why he was here. Even in the dim light of the FWC lounge, or perhaps because of it, Lakshmi could tell the visitor was an awoken. The glowing blue eyes, steel-grey hair, pale blue skin, and his delicate, yet handsome facial features were a dead giveaway. He seemed to be a warlock as well. His dark blue robes were neat and elegant, but tattered around the edges, and seemed to have seen their fair share of battle recently. His boots were caked with rusty martian soil, and his gloves were splattered with the strange black liquid that the Cabal valued so highly. His bond glowed softly, the light reflecting off his ghost, which hovered beside him. Its single eye flitted back and forth as it scanned the room, shifting its moving parts nervously, as ghosts often did. It seemed he had come in a hurry. After all, warlocks value their appearance almost as much as hunters do. He wouldn't be seen like this if he had time to clean up first. "Welcome to the Future War Cult warlock." Lakshmi recited, as she did hundreds of times a day, "What brings you here today?" "I have information," the warlock replied, "And I believe [i]you[/i] are the one I should see about it. "[i]Oh[/i]?" Lakshmi replied, her curiosity peaked. Secrets and information were two of her favorite things. "Come then, sit down," she sat at a couch in the corner, motioning to the place next to her, "tell me what you know." The warlock, rather awkwardly, strode across the room, and hesitantly took a seat next to her, but kept a fair bit of distance between the two of them. His ghost was quick to follow, hovering next to him for a second, before drifting off to stare out the window at the passers-by below. The warlock thought for a moment before speaking. It only made sense. After all, warlocks rarely did anything without thinking it through first. "From what I hear, the War Cult trades in secrets. You believe knowledge is power, correct?" "Correct." Lakshmi replied, "I have yet to have seen it proven otherwise." "Well," the warlock continued, "I have something that might be of interest to you. A schematic I found on Mars, deep within the Clovis Bray research complex. For the life of me, I can't seem to figure out what it is." Lakshmi chuckled, "Well then, why bring it to the War Cult? We appreciate the gesture, but why do you think we'd be interested?" It was at this point that the ghost turned from the window, and floated back towards the warlock. Silently, the two ehanged eye contact. Solemnly, the warlock nodded. Having gotten the confirmation it required, the ghost flew over to Lakshmi, beamed a packet to her datapad, and swiftly hovered back to its guardian's side. Lakshmi quickly glanced at the pad, and was completely taken aback by what she saw. No gaurdian should have this information, especially not one outside of the War Cult. It would be too dangerous to let this info fall into the wrong hands. The struggle had come full circle, and once again, she found herself on the front lines. She had to act, and quickly. "Guardian," she spoke, her tone now deadly serious, "This is quite a find. You were right to bring it to [i]us[/i] first." She paused a moment, looking back at her datapad, then back at the warlock. The warlock shifted nervously, and Lakshmi could tell he was getting a little uncomfortable. To him, her cold blue eyes seemed to stare straight through him, right into his soul. Even his ghost began to back up a bit. Lakshmi broke the silence, her voice regaining its calm, professional demeanor. "I have a proposition for you. You promise to bring us more like [i]this[/i]," she said, raising the datapad slightly, "and we'll give you our full support, and make you an honorary member of the Future War Cult." The warlock pondered for a moment. "Is that so?" He asked, hesitantly. "Quite." Lakshmi replied. "Well then," he answered, and suddenly a smirk broke out on the warlock's otherwise serious face, "I thought you'd never ask..."