Day 2, Second Moon Rise - Moonlight Tour

[Kannon]

Since she was in armor, Rey decided to take a look at the thing, "Odd box. Let me make sure it's not trapped or anything first; Would be quite the out of the way and elaborate trap, but you never know with some Houses these days..."

She moved to the box and studied it with the less practical but brighter light of her spotlight.

The box didn't display any such features. But it started ringing. Or something within it did.

[Reyyan Ebrahammi]

Reyyan sighed and closed her eyes a moment, the sigh coming out of the helmet with a Darth Vader like sound before she turned to the others, speaking above the ringing, "You two should probably take cover before I touch this thing. Quickly."

[Cuyler Gray]

"If anything happens, it's my fault for leading us here." Cuyler shook her head. "I should take the risk. Besides, if it is some sort of trap, you may be needed to fight any other threats in the area."

[Claudius Reins]

Addison moves for whatever cover she can find, following the Saudauker orders.

[Reyyan Ebrahammi]

Rey arches an eyebrow at Cuyler... though that can't be seen of course. Surprisingly, she steps aside and motions for the woman to handle it, "If you insist, Lady Gray. I'm not one to argue with you on things if you're as certain as that.

Reyyan stepped aside though not too far. At what Cuyler had said, she also took out her blade and unwound some of its line.

[Cuyler Gray]

She opened the box.

[Kannon]

The box clicked open without resistance. Inside, there was a transmitter, flashing and ringing.

[Cuyler Gray]

Picking it up, she looked around and answered.

"This is a significant effort to recieve a call."

[Kannon]

"That's what you call a secure line."

The voice on the other side of the connection was raspy and slow, making no effort to sound witty.

"Yesterday, a man was spared from carnage. What did he leave without?"

[Cuyler Gray]

"A pistol he tried to shoot me with."

[Kannon]

There was a pause.

"I call you because I want to thank you for saving and sparing the life of my kulon-minded son. And for giving him another life lesson that may make him worthy of taking my place... one day. I take such bonds seriously, it is something I share with the desert folk. This is all the guarantee I can give you on my credibility. My gratitude shall come in a form that holds value to you. Now listen carefully."

The man needed to take a breath.

"I offer you one of two things. You can ask me to provide you with one piece of information the Harkonnen would deny you in your audit. It shall be authentic, though you will not be able to raise it as evidence before any authority, nor reveal how you have obtained it. A thing for your eyes and for your consideration only. I have the power to deliver on this promise with regard to almost any information of this kind, but only once."

The man's voice needed another moment to recover.

"The second option is I can provide you with coordinates of a hidden spaceport outside of effective Harkonnen purview, along with a small but equipped base of operations, in an area they really don't want you to sniff around in. But that would mean you'd have to take your frigate off the grid and so violate the terms of your audit. If they launch a military operation and you're found out there, they will show you no recourse and arrange an accident for your frigate. The desert shall tell no tale of your demise."

A sigh.

"Think carefully, consult people you trust, and get back to me in two days with your decision. After that, I'll consider my debt settled. You'll be reached out to on how we can speak again."

And the monologue was abruptly severed. The transmitter's light dimmed.

[Cuyler Gray]

"Well, I guess we're done." she looked at the other two women. "We'll need to tell the others about this."

[Reyyan Ebrahammi]

Rey went over and picked up the dead transmitter, tucking it under an arm, "I don't like this. Secret calls in caves... it's not above board. And not in the usual way even. Messing with stuff like this outside of official channels... but nothing to do about it now I suppose."

She looked up then at Addison, "Think there'll be any difficulty getting the thopter out of here Miss Addison?"

[Cuyler Gray]

"It's not ideal, but clandestine communication and secret information are a part of the universe we live in." she said as she boarded the thopter.

[Reyyan Ebrahammi]

A small chuckle, "You're not wrong... I'm a warrior though, Lady Gray. And a Sardaukar at that. I solve my problems with my blade."

[Cuyler Gray]

"I'm a chef, Levenbrech Ebrahammi." she responded. "I solve my problems by combining different elements."

[Reyyan Ebrahammi]

A bow, "Then my blade is an ingredient at you disposal."

She looked back at Addison for her opinion on the flight out.

[Claudius Reins]

She shakes her head, "Getting up and out shouldn't be too hard, as long as no one is waiting to get in our way."

[Reyyan Ebrahammi]

"Hm."

Rey nods and climbs back on the thopter, securing both herself and the box, "Good enough for me. Let's not dawdle then, just in case. I trust your explanation, Lady Gray, but I'm still uncomfortable out here knowing someone might know we're here while we don't know who or where they are."

[Cuyler Gray]

"I agree." she nodded. "But, at least he isn't someone unknown seeking revenge for the death of his son."

[Kannon]

On the condition they'd shut off all illumination, their return to the Imperial Basin had a good chance to remain unnoticed.

[Claudius Reins]

Addison plans to keep minimal lights running just like when coming out here, mostly flying by instruments and running dark.

[Cuyler Gray]

"As dangerous as it is, it's kind of beautiful." the chef said as she stared out at the moonlit landscape below.

[Kannon]

Indeed, it was. Arrakis possessed a hauntingly severe beauty, the kind of pristinness few inhabited planets in the Imperium possessed. Minimalistic on first look, it revealed fractal levels of complexity upon a closer one. In the gorge, they had just brushed with a whole ecosystem that somehow survived on it, even thrived. It was not inconceivable to imagine that those who called the planet home, its native population, grounded their anesthetics in this beauty and learned to cherish it.

[Reyyan Ebrahammi]

Rey had taken her helmet off, setting it next to the box in the small cargo hold with it's netting, her platinum blonde hair lightly blowing behind her thanks to the open portal next to her, "I'm still not really used to planets myself. This certainly is a sharp contrast to Kaitain from above though. Less like staring down at space."