Ania grinned as he didn't doubt her words, not only was she able to fight but she was proud that she was capable of doing so. She was then informed that there was an organization that tried to keep the order in a large area of space. "If you know what happens to them I assume you've ran into a few agents yourself." The images were pleasant, but she had to pity them anyway. Yet she wondered why these slaves turned out to be this way, she had never been with a male before so maybe there was something related to pleasure that she couldn't quite grasp at the time.

"That's .. quite generous of the shop keepers .. to allow their slaves to be thoroughly inspected, I mean." At first she was hesitant, although this female was a slave for sale she thought of touching another being publicly and in such a way as unsuitable. She was nude, her form leaned against the bars to her display in such an erotic manner it wouldn't take long for her to seduce the alien if they were alone. Ania wanted to touch her badly and she was only the second slave she had seen so far. Perhaps it was better to get used to this world though, Rahs suggested that they were free to touch the woman and after what she said earlier it might seem a little suspect if she didn't.

The four tentacles not holding the helmet reached out to the avian slave, two of them casually wrapping about each of her arms while pinning them against the bars, growing a little thinner as they brushed against the feathers and skin they could find. The other pair was quick to coil and press against the proudly displayed bosom as if they tried to gauge its size, further draping the female's body as they wrapped around her waist. It was a whole new experience for Ania, never having felt the sensation of feathers she was caught up in this moment.

"I'm speechless. She feels great, doesn't she?" One continued down a leg as the other stroke the feathers of her wings, it wasn't hard to see Ania enjoyed this although she knew well how to hide her sexual desire. After all her guide could take advantage of that. "I've never seen .. or felt one of her kind before. However, my money is destined for something else."

The mercenary only chuckled lightly when Ania assumed he have had encounters with agents from the Directorate before. Few wouldn't describe the amount of times. They had started following him for a while for 'avoiding cooperation', which meant they were very suspicious Rahs for cases where girls were captured, other traders were killed and many more. He of course never intended to go with them, so he had left their precious agents with eyes rolled back and swimming in his cum to teach them a lesson. They have been close to get him, but never successful.

"Well, one should doubt when a trader doesn't permit you to touch or check his merchandise. Like when you buy a gun, you can test it firing before paying, you can see if the slave would please you. But, not that far as I said. Masturbation and quickies are not allowed, unless you rent one. Some don't even rent their slaves though." The mercenary then looked carefully how his companion's tentacles rose and kept the avian alien's hands secure while other two went each for a precious, soft mound covered in very tiny and almost transparent feathers. Her entire chest and abdomen felt softer than the best pillow and her nipples, even though hard as diamonds, felt between a mixture of their arousal and the nubility of her body.

When Ania spoke almost as if hoping for a reassurance from Rahs, he looked at the slave and saw her face filled with lust and a look that pretended to seduce the obviously interested alien. His own hand went for a breast,, though his eyes were casually glancing at Ania to look how she seemed entranced, and squeezed it lightly, tweaking for a second the nipple at the end. The motions caused her tit to be molded by his fingers, moving against Ania's tentacles, making her feel even more the softness of the mound. Rahs did it a bit intentionally, hoping to further arouse his partner by pushing the slave's bust against her tendrils.

"Yes, she feels very great. I've had the pleasure of meeting one avian alien in the past, too. Slaves like this one are very expensive for their exoticness and incredible fit body, along with their precious feathers and obviously soft texture. Wouldn't you like to have your way with this one?" Rahs slowly withdrew his hand, looking at Ania as the avian bird continued with her show. When she mentioned her money, the mercenary was quick to follow her statement. "Ah, indeed. Maybe some other time you will be able to spend some for one of them. Would you like to keep seeing, or shall we go to another district?"

Initially his comment on the merchandise was a reminder of what she wasn't allowed to do, but as it turns out he led her thoughts in another direction. Sooner or later they would end up buying firearms, another item on the list. If there weren't any she could afford, then surely a dagger would do, a sword at best. Then again this had only been the start of their tour, one she thought would have to continue on but with Rahs own motions causing her to feel even more of the slave she was torn between what mind and body told her.

Upon hearing the suggestion, though concealed as a question, that Ania herself desired to have her way with the alien, her tentacles slowly withdrew as she began to shy away from this matter. Somehow she wasn't even offended at his words since they did represent the truth, but at the same time she thought that other ideals came before the importance of trying to blend in with the rest. Her grasp on the female became non existant as her tentacles returned to her side, wrapping around one another.

"I must apologize, but that should be none of your concern, Rahs. Despite knowing where we are and what appears to be the usual attitude I'd appreciate if we kept our good manners, and I count not asking someone whether they would like to 'have their way' with a certain specimen as such." Ania then took a more upright posture and despite their height difference she felt superior to the mercanery, taking her freedom to express how uncomfortable this made her feel with the expectation he'd accept it blindly.

"This is a business relationship, more or less, and I don't know if your usual clientele puts up with what you might think of as appropriate behavior, but I won't tolerate it as much, probably. Then again I'd be stuck here if I was on my own .." The last sentence was spoken in a rather soft voice, as if it wasn't meant to be more than thought but just as earlier she let it slip through. It took her a moment to collect herself, thinking that she was overreacting to something as simple as that, but she didn't want to be thought of as weak, not in the desire of flesh. "While I can't pay even if I wanted to ..", her gaze shifts between the slave and Rahs for a moment, ".. I'm afraid we're wasting time here. I am not in a hurry but I need to know my way around here should I return all by myself, so I suggest we go on."

"Ah, yes indeed. I'm sorry about that. It'd be intolerable if the lack of courtesy here got to me." The mercenary had started thinking that his companion had truly got angry at his words, and even though he wasn't one to lower himself before clients, he didn't move or straighten himself any more when she stood up defensively to her ideals. He remained silent, hoping to remain in a good side of her. When Ania's words trailed off softly, Rahs understood that he made his move way too soon. At least we're moving out of here, he thought.

"Obviously, slaves are the least of your concern if it's your first time here. First things first, as they say. Let's move out then." The taller alien walked back to the stairs, expecting for Ania to follow him. The reptilian slave from before tried to barely stop Rahs, extending her hand and pulling his cloak lightly, but he quickly moved it back to cover his body. She would attempt the same with Ania, not only because it was her job to keep clients entertained, but because after so long of being broken and tamed, being bought becomes a goal in every slave's mind.

"I'd suggest food and other supplies are vital to get now. Though there are places where you can eat here, the cheap ones have terrible food and the good ones are very expensive. You'll have to learn to cook if you're gonna live by yourself. Of course, since I don't think you have any quarters, we could get some to resupply your ship or move on to another thing... Like self-defense." They were out on the streets soon enough, and after waiting for the beautiful alien to catch up with him, Rahs gestured her to follow him down the road. No matter what decision she took, the street where they walked would lead them to one of the closest exits in the gigantic district of slave trade.

Ania paid little attention to the slave as they left, although she made a mental note that once she had enough money she would have to purchase this one in particular. For a moment she tried to see what was beyond the coat of her guide, but failed to see anything specific in the light, not that it really mattered to her as the subtle lust began to subside.

Out on the streets she took in the meanwhile familiar shapes of immense buildings reaching into the sky, the crowd roaming the streets which appeared slightly less dense than before. Despite her little outburst back then she smiled and listened eagerly to what Rahs had to say, the words self-defense enough to shift her focus from food to potential weaponry. This comes in handy, she thought, back home she wasn't given anything to aid in battle, not even one of the older rifles that traders sold to the security forces.

"I can deal with terrible food. I'd rather spend my money on defense since food will be worthless if I end up dead in a meaningless confrontation." Her eyes still on the buildings, she wondered if her quite unique body build would make it any easier to scale one of them. Surely it'd be an advantage to know if she could get away like that in a sticky situation, which brought her attention back to ways of getting money. "What about thievery as an occupation? One with quick hands could make a living from all these species on the short term, or is it too risky?"

Glancing back at her, Rahs could see that Ania kept staring at the buildings nearby. Probably for a longer than mere awe could induce, she could have started to think something more concretely about them. Listening to her response to their next thing in the list, Rahs released a chuckle.

"Is that so? I guess you're taking it safe on the long run with that, but you're right. One should be capable of defending him or herself here. We'll take a platform to get a broader trade district. You may get hold of a few weapons there." The large walls appeared once more behind the buildings as they walked, and the pair went through another wide door to a similar corridor from before. The network of passages was getting bigger as well, and after a few turns they stepped inside a platform that hovered in midair. After making sure Ania didn't stand between the platform and the orange corridor, Rahs set the machine to move to the trading district, the transparently orange hued walls and ceilings giving them an even broader and almost pretty picture of most of the city. Ania's next comment was, however, a very interesting comment that drew out a clear laughter from the mercenary.

"I like how you think," he said, giving the female alien a look at her arms before turning back to the view of Vanejin. "If your flexible hands are as quick as you say, I think you wouldn't have much trouble robbing. There are no security bodies here, but you must be wary that slavers and owners don't like being stolen from, and some, like you, would prefer to have a weapon to remedy such acts. Besides, some of them can have bodyguards... But I guess one with your experience, speed and a couple of good weapons would make it out just fine."

"Sounds great!" Soon confusion became apparant as Ania followed her guide onto a platform which was encased by an orange material, almost like glass although she couldn't be sure with what limited knowledge she had about other alien technology. Said knowledge might have been useful as her mind was left pondering what would happen as Rahs made sure she was in the right place, then the platform started moving. The sudden while not entirely powerful force unbalanced her ever so slightly, just enough for the alien to put her reflexes to the test as she stretched out various tentacles to the closest wall in a swift motion, making sure not to drop her precious helmet in the process. The appendages might look smooth, but if she desired they came in handy when she had to hold on to nearly any surface.

At the same time she was embarassed that after being considered that high in skill she failed to remain standing straight in a place like this. She hadn't expected the small chamber, that was now moving high above the ground, to shift and throw her off. Getting a hold on gravity she straightened herself and released the wall, trying to shrug it off.

"If it wasn't for the fact that the environment around here is .. strange to me, I'd be relieved to agree with you on that. It'll show once I know my way around." Turning slightly to take in the scenery, which surprisingly in a place like Vanejin could almost be considered beautiful, her eyes were gazing through the orange walls, the female yet again fascinated by the technology that was taken as granted by so many others roaming the city.

Ania then turned her head, looking at the cloaked figure beside her. The mask and cloak certainly enhanced his backstory. "So, have you ever used any kind of weapon? You mentioned mercenary work and you know where weapons might be sold, is that out of the sheer habit of staying around here or do you get into trouble sometimes?"

The mercenary let out a clear laugh as Ania lost her balance for a second before supporting herself with her tentacles against the wall. After she excused herself, Rahs couldn't help but chuckle a bit, not ill-willed but rather sincere and playful, and cross his arms as his back rested now against the same orange glass wall that surrounded them. "Yes, I do believe you. Everything here is new to you. Once you get used to this place, you will put your abilities to better use." He wouldn't deny he was feeling a bit curious about seeing her in action, wondering just how creative she could be with those arms of her. Thievery would be clearly piece of cake with them, and possibly had a good chance to use them in casinos.

Rahs couldn't see Vanejin as the beautiful place his companion saw mesmerized through the transparent walls. It had surprised him with its natural beauty once, but after getting used to it and also to the way things worked there, it had grown to be one of those things that you could only find pretty again after not frequenting them for a long time. And that was impossible for beings like him. The syrictae had his thoughts interrupted by the question coming from Ania. He looked back at her and smiled, and after realizing it was impossible for her to see that, he chuckled lightly. "If I have used any kind of weapon? I would find that offensive. My species is a race that is not only used to it, but also likes fighting. Melee and ranged weapons, any is fine with me," he responded calmly, moving his arm inside the cloak to open it and reveal more than half of his full armor underneath and the sheath of a sword. The metal was clean, polished and dark as the rising twilight. It had once been gray, but the new and better armor, was darker still. The sword's handle and its sheath were black, interesting and neatly designed for a warrior.

"It has been mainly business, but I've also grown the habit of staying around. I can't deny I get into trouble sometimes as well. Vanejin is the most important place for business for criminals, slavers, and other aliens that do things usually not permitted by the Directorate. And in this galaxy, that is huge business. I work clean and I work dirty, and obviously many clients I've had reside here. Since I love to fight too, my jobs most certainly involve battles, and weapons are my specialty. I can take you with the best dealers, and even if their prices are a bit high for the better stuff, I'm sure we can work something out for something at least slightly above par."

Ania nodded in response to the mercanery, genuinely pleased at how well things were unfolding. "It doesn't seem like a nice place to be unless you have to, I agree .. and I've not even seen all of it yet." Her eyes remained locked on the scenery for a moment before they turned back to him. "I'll gladly leave the price negotiations to you when we arrive." Perhaps she could get around asking him out about the armor and sword later on, she was eager to discover the differences between her own and his, though for now something else was on her mind. Being the first of her race to enter Vanejin, or space in general for that matter, she thought it would be a challenge, but she somehow managed to reach out to the one in a million mercanery that got her through rather smoothly. However, she couldn't ignore what he said, that whatever species he belonged to was used to fighting which might apply to other aliens as well. All she did so far was fight her own kind and various native predators on her own planet, there was no telling if her species even remotely challenged any other in the universe when it came to a struggle between individuals.

She then turned fully towards him, somewhat hesitant about what crossed her mind. Usually she wouldn't ask during their first meeting, but she intended to use the opportunity while she could. After all the single payment she owed him so far was a favor. "If it's not too personal I'd like to request something, it's more of a personal desire, really. It appears you like fighting and so do I, so I was wondering if we could put that to the test some time? Nothing lethal, I'd just like to see if I need a lesson or two in self defense. See it as another service I'd be paying for, if that makes things more comfortable."

Having said what was on her mind she felt more at ease, though she still didn't trust the moving, automated platform they were on. She'd understand if her request was denied, it certainly wasn't suitable for strangers to ask such a thing, yet it brought up something else that she needed to clarify. "I'm not sure if it's important or not, but I prefer to keep things quiet be it melee or ranged weaponry, so you might want to go from there when it comes to choosing one of the merchants."

It was a weird sight, seeing someone new in awe of Vanejin VI. The world did its part to look pretty, it had not the fault for having such bad reputation. It was the people living in it that made sure it remained a profitable place. From afar, it looked like a nice business center, but it tricked the eyes and many realized it a little too late once they step in and deal with the bad kind of merchants. Rahs shook the thought the way with a very weak chuckle and then noticed his partner, standing there some seconds too silent. She seemed nervous, but soon enough turned to him and explained what troubled her.

"I see." What a strange request, but one he couldn't deny. No job should be rejected as a mercenary, but a promise for a fight, even one as innocent as this one, always piqued his interest. "Getting paid for fighting is how I make a living. Of course, being asked to fight the client is unusual, but I can't say no. It'll be my pleasure." With that out of the way, it seemed Ania relaxed more. If asking for something like that meant getting it off her chest, Rahs could only wonder how much she liked to fight. Probably as much as he did.

"I think I know where to go first then." After they finished talking the platform finally reached the large trading district and stepped off to the wide and long streets filled with shops on all sides and aliens, some of them lucky enough to fly over the crowd. The buildings and roads were taken better care of in that side, with clean and smooth walls and more carefully positioned advertising punctuating the sight. Rahs warned Ania to stick close to him as they moved quickly from street to street, the syrictae being very experienced in moving through the lawless planet. After a few minutes they reached a grey building with the name written in red lights, Cleaving Nightblade
"This one has an inclination for silent methods, which would be perfect for you for a while. Light and quick weapons will serve you well in thievery and with your speed." Rahs got closer to the front door, and opened it for Ania, gesturing to go inside first.

Getting paid for fighting or having to fight in order to survive, perhaps the two weren't that different after all, but she couldn't tell if the habit of his race of getting into fights was redundant or a necessity. Possibly both, she guessed, seeing that something like slaves could even be displayed in stores, meaning they expected constant supply which couldn't come from much besides war or plunder. Then again she didn't know the planet he originally came from, Ania figured it wouldn't matter much if he got her around Vanejin safely, not with the promise of a fight somewhere in between. The fact he accepted her request certainly lit up the mood.

It felt like nearly no time had passed before they arrived in an entirely different environment, surfacing from the gutter into a rather decent part of town. Everything felt somewhat more comfortable, although to someone who had spent most of her life in muddy swamps she couldn't say she disliked the district they were in before. As much as it felt different, as much was it the same once she was told to stick close to her guide, the common dangers still at large as they pressed on.

The establishment they were soon facing seemed rather promising, its name protruding in red letters from the grey walls. Once gestured to step inside she couldn't wait to see what was on display. For a reasonable price, that is.

The mercenary could see that Ania followed him closely, a bit more active again and probably excited about the new part of Vanejin. She looked around trying to take in as much details as she could while sticking close to him, just as Rahs told her to. In the same manner, she observed the building before them before stepping inside and Rahs avoiding that his cloak got caught in the doors closing behind him.

The door led directly into a wide platform overlooking a vast warehouse turned into something close to a weapon paradise. Taking a good look, one could see almost everything they had to offer from where they were. Very little stuff, ammo, and miscellaneous were closer to the stairs that came down from the platform and the sizes of the weapons, and their prices, grew with the distance into the store. At this point, while he let Ania try to see something she liked from up above, Rahs noticed that most weapons and artifacts were designed for a grip that came from humanoid hands and similar limbs from other species. He took a glance to the tentacles in her arms and started going to the stairs, thinking there might be something good for her somewhere.

First they had to take a look around and allow Ania to see if something caught her eye, something she was familiar with or something worth the try. After walking down the stairs, small handguns and submachine guns, along with a fancy display of various types of knives and daggers, were the majority of weapons around them. "Oh, don't touch anything. Forgot to mention that they place everything in display but without the owner's employee's supervision everything will give you a shock if you try to take them." While she looked around for a weapon, Rahs was moving a bit to the back, keeping an eye out for someone he knew in that store. He knew they would take an eternity to find something for her and for the right price by themselves.

The store was larger than what Ania had expected from the outside, but then again so was everything else she had seen thus far. As they entered she couldn't help but notice the sheer variety, the many unknown firearms, their shapes and types. Following the mercanery she kept an eye on the goods that were displayed, more importantly their prices. Understandably she realized that the highly advanced weaponry wouldn't be affordable, but with Rahs company she might as well get something above her limits.

"I'll be careful then." It was harder to estimate if she could use weapons with handles that didn't suit her own limbs if she wasn't allowed to touch them, but then again it wouldn't matter much. She found her arms to be versatile enough which certainly decreased any issues that would possibly occur when handling anything from the store by someone who didn't have a physique like her own. This also meant any knives and daggers were practically useless since she could mimic their shape and the metal's density by reshaping one of her limbs, at least to some extent.

Ania carefully moved from one display to another, focusing mainly on the high velocity rifles and smaller handguns from downstairs. The latter was what had her attention at the time, searching for a high caliber that would sustain accuracy over long distances and wouldn't leave her with high demand in maintenance. This would nullify the need for a rifle that would merely slow her down. Aside from projectiles and darts she didn't know much about the technology she discovered around here either, for example plasma, perhaps it wouldn't be to her liking anyway.

"This might take a while." She sighed, checking and then choosing just one out of all the handguns would be difficult since judging by the prices she wouldn't be able to afford more.

The great variety always seemed to overwhelm new customers, just like Ania as she kept inspecting the weapons, moving through the aisles thinking deeply in how they could help her. It was a difficult thing to do with the stranger ones, the ones that seemed to work differently than the basic mechanism of aim and shoot, weapons with little blue holographic screens and a variety of buttons and mechanisms that no one knew what they did and no one wanted to know.

"Ah! It seems you have a good taste; Rahs didn't mention that." The unfamiliar voice came from her right side. A black-skinned, tall alien with large blue eyes and seemingly fragile limbs was approaching her, and Rahs was just behind him. The alien was clasping his hands as if emphasizing his praise and surprise, but everyone could see that it was almost fake; exaggerated gestures that helped to get new customers to buy and familiar faces to feel comprehended.

"Ania, this is–"

"Oh, how negligent of me. My name is Jinat Edu, expert in weapons of all kinds, be it of the clean, bludgeoning, or at-a-distance kinds, you name it; at your service. I presume you're interested in quite the powerful handguns. I could see you linger around this area as I walked down the aisle. What are you looking for, Ania darling?" Every word he spoke was honey and it always nauseated Rahs every time he went to get new weapons or a replacement. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, watching him do his usual act with the new faces.

"Remember to keep it silent and versatile, Jinat. Not the gung-ho type."
"Powerful, silent and versatile? We obviously have of those, but such ideal weapons are not inexpensive," he remarked turning to the syrictae making a light smile on his face.
"I'm sure we can work out a deal..." Rahs' tone carried something that made Jinat hesitate a little, but Ania would have trouble knowing if it was a threat or something more favorable for the slim weapons dealer. She just knew it made him consider it.
"Yes, I guess we can," he said at last and turned to Ania once more. "You acquainted yourself with a very convincing mercenary, don't go losing him now, Ania darling. Well then... what do you fancy?"

Having little experience with the kind of merchants Vanejin seemed to be filled with, the female alien merely glanced back and forth between the two characters before her, though most of her focus was on the shop keeper. She was surprised that one of his stature would be the head of a store like this, he didn't look like he'd be able to put up much of a fight if someone decided it was time to gather some gear for free. That aside, she managed a soft smile as he nearly wrapped her around his finger with his act, until Rahs cut in and mentioned a deal to lessen the price of the desired ware. Only then did she think again and realized that Jinat might just be lulling her into a false state of hospitality.

"Why yes, I'm looking for something that fits those criteria, but shouldn't occupy me that much. It doesn't have to be lightweight however, and I'd prefer not to spend much time keeping it in shape either." The alien made a few steps around the aisle next to her, searching for a look that might spark her interest.

"It shouldn't cost more than .. this piece ..", she was hardly trying not to touch the specific firearm that was already in the low thousands. "Preferably less."

At this point she could recall that she didn't even have enough credits to purchase what she was pointing at, not even half of it, but as was said before, they could work something out though she struggled to come up with anything that'd be equivalent to what was missing from the price. "If it's not too much to ask I'd like anything, or anyone for that matter, to merely be knocked out instead of .. killed."

Waiting for a response she could only imagine what was going on in their minds since she believed to be one of the less wealthy customers which took its toll on her confidence in this one.