Sea of Stars - IC II

[Blarghy]

With his credit block in his lap and his staff leaning against his shoulder, Echo just silently observed the argument--he agreed with Armengarde that the Captain should've called out Quinn, killed him here and now, and had it done with--then the debate--he wasn't sure about the best way to lure in their enemy, but Kennoch did think it unwise to discuss the Terminus in such an open setting, for fear of hidden recording devices--and then the opening lots. He gave Anika a single nod to congratulate her successful bid, but said nothing more. He waited, outwardly patient and inwardly tense.

It's almost time.

Spoiler

Show

Is Lorenzo here with the Monk, by the way?

[Destro_Yersul]

Echo spotted Lorenzo sitting next to the Monk. The other Navis caught his eye and smiled slightly. He looked relaxed, waiting patiently. Rather like a large cat, Echo thought.

With Macharius' bid, the floor opened up a little further. Saul stayed in, for two-eighty, and Alexander put it right up to three. Morwenna dropped out at that, and for a moment it seemed as though the bidding would hold on Anika's top estimate, but then Saul raised to three twenty-five, and Alexander shook his head, leaning back and conceding the point.

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius waited patiently as the others dropped out, flashing a pearly-white smile at Morwenna. After Saul seemed to have cleared the competition, he speaks out. Three fifty.

[Destro_Yersul]

Saul countered with three sixty, a token increase considering the previous bids, and Macharius got the impression they were just about pushing the limit of how high he was willing to go.

[PotatoGolem]

Three seventy-five.

[Destro_Yersul]

Saul considered a long time, while the auctioneer continued to call for more bids. Eventually, he sighed, frowned, and folded his arms across his chest, remaining silent. The auctioneer reached for his hammer, calling "going once..."

Again, a last moment bid came from Captain Quinn. "Four hundred!"

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius whispers to Anika and the others. Watch him. See how he reacts if he thinks he'll actually win it for this much. Maybe we can cost him a pretty penny. He makes a great show of hesitating and pausing, looking like he's not sure he's able to pay. Finally, at the last moment, he leans forward. Four ten.

[Destro_Yersul]

Watching Quinn, Anika wasn't sure if he seemed nervous about actually winning or not. He was quite far away, on the other side of a large group of people. She thought she caught a mocking grin aimed their way just before Macharius decided to place his final bid. Once he did it faded slightly, but Quinn placed no further bids. He'd clearly decided not to push them too hard on this one, but it was still early. Macharius won the relics, and the auction moved on to the next lot. A case of Quaddian wine was a rare thing, and very expensive. Bidding was fast and fierce, and this time Quinn was in it for real. The final bid was his, at one hundred eighty thousand, just edging out Morwenna, who clearly didn't want to go higher than one seventy five.

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius smiles at his crew. Well, let's see how he likes having a taste of his own medicine. Perhaps we can toast his failure with nice wine. He raises his voice. One ninety.

[rax]

Suddenly, Hannabel's hand rises languidly into the air. "Two hundred and ten."

[Destro_Yersul]

That *did* irritate Quinn. Two bids in rapid succession from, effectively, the same party. Scowling, he raised his bid to two-twenty.

[rax]

"Two hundred and fifty," Hannabel purrs.

[Destro_Yersul]

Quinn muttered something under his breath, too far away for any of the group to hear. Perhaps he was considering saying something, but then thought better of it. "Two seventy-five!"

[Haval]

Macharius whispers to Anika and the others. Watch him. See how he reacts if he thinks he'll actually win it for this much. Maybe we can cost him a pretty penny. He makes a great show of hesitating and pausing, looking like he's not sure he's able to pay. Finally, at the last moment, he leans forward. Four ten.

'I could always go and sit closer, just to see what happens.'

[Leon]

++Such competition for some dusty old bones++

[rax]

"I do believe he's beginning to hurt, wouldn't you say?" Hannabel leans over and whispers to Anika.

"Two hundred and ninety five," she bids with a mischievous smile at Quinn.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Three hundred." Quinn said it through clenched teeth, and then exhaled, and repeated himself a little louder, to make sure the auctioneer heard.

[Haval]

"I do believe he's beginning to hurt, wouldn't you say?" Hannabel leans over and whispers to Anika.

"Two hundred and ninety five," she bids with a mischievous smile at Quinn.

'Then he really shouldn't start fights he can't win.'

[rax]

Hannabel begins to raise her hand as if to make another bid, but then lets it drop at the last second and addresses Quinn with a devilish grin.

"I'm out, Captain, but in the future perhaps you'll now think twice before being so boorish as to refuse a lady a dance!"

[Destro_Yersul]

Quinn called back "I'll dance with any lady that asks me," as the auctionner banged his hammer. He had paid almost half again what the wine was worth, though.

The next lot was the mixed firearms. These took up several large crates on the stage alone, and there were plenty more they hadn't bothered to carry out. For all their numbers, though, most of the weapons themselves weren't rare or expensive, and after some mixed light bidding from a variety of the assembled traders, including Charlabelle Armelan and Aoife Armengarde, Hannabel took the lot for four thousand thrones.

Then it was Echo's turn. Katarina's memoirs were brought out - an unassuming looking leather-bound folio in hardcover. "A first edition," the auctioneer said, holding up the book for everyone to see. It wasn't small, but neither was it so large that he required both hands to lift it. "Finely bound by Fenksworld Publishing, this copy is nevertheless superior to the edition held by the Library of Knowing, as it has been annotated by both Tinde Alois, the famed Imperial lexographer, and by Katarina herself, several years after the initial print run." He flipped open the cover to display the title page, pointing to a scrawled name across the lower portion of the parchment. "See here, the author's signature! The bidding for this one-of-a-kind treasure will start at three hundred fifty thousand. Ladies and gentleman, can I hear three hundred fifty thousand for this spectacular book?"

Echo caught Lorenzo watching him and smiling, but the other Navis refrained from bidding, instead leaning over to whisper something to the Monk. The Rogue Trader chuckled and nodded, and sat back himself to watch. This was to be Kennoch's show.

[Blarghy]

And he intended to keep it that way, whether the other collectors liked it or not. Kennoch barely let the auctioneer give a starting price before snapping his right hand up, arm held stiffly like he was taking an oath in court, to claim the opening bid.

[rax]

Hannabel merely laughs at Quinn's retort. "Why with a dry cool wit like that, Captain, you could find gainful employment as a fool in any court on Scintilla!"

She then settles back to watch Kennoch's bidding.

[Haval]

'I do love a good annotation.' Anika is curious to see who else is interested in the book.

[Destro_Yersul]

"We have three hundred fifty from the Navis of House Castermire. Three hundred fifty for a totally unique copy of a truly exceptional book. Can I hear three seventy five?"

Sun Lee entered three seventy five, the first bid she'd placed thus far. Aoife Armengarde put it up to three ninety. Hadarak Fel, who was sitting near the Monk, nudged the smaller man and whispered something to him, but the Monk merely smiled and shook his head. Fel shrugged, and made it an even four hundred.

[Blarghy]

Echo waited a moment for the rival bids to quiet, then raised his hand again. "Four hundred four four four and twenty-five and five twenty-five." The level of interest so far was more than he'd hoped for, but not particularly unexpected. Sun Lee worried him the most; Kennoch wondered if she'd been waiting for this prize just like him. She seemed like a tough competitor.

[Destro_Yersul]

It seemed as though Kennoch was at least partially correct, because Sun Lee didn't seem inclined to give up. She placed a bid for four forty, and Hadarak Fel made it four sixty. Aoife tapped out - clearly she'd been hoping for less interest.

[Blarghy]

One down.

"Four hundred hundred and seventy-five seventy five," he raised.

[Destro_Yersul]

After a moment of hesitation, Fel placed a bid for four ninety. Sun Lee held off, watching Echo to see what he would do.

[Blarghy]

Unlike them, the Navis had no hesitation. "Five hundred five hundred hundred." He smiled behind his mask; victory felt like it was almost in his grasp.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Five hundred twenty," called Sun Lee. Fel hrmed, and consulted a dataslate, and tapped his chin, and put in a bid for five twenty five. Sun Lee immediately upped to five thirty, and Fel withdrew, shaking his head.