Hytar's Ship

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Vicky was busy setting up her quarters, after some negotiations and the like she had join Hytar group for a while. Busily she set up her gaming system, though knew since the new upgrade she wouldn't be playing all night. While many races found sleep annoying she found it delightful being able to do it now.

Hytar led the way to his 'office' and dug a couple of items out. "You're a ssspecialisssst yess? Tell me." He put a set of shackles in front of her. "Isss there a way to open thesssse" they had no lock, no seam, they seemed to be forged as one solid piece which was weird. He knew they could open, but he was seeking an alternative solution.

The specialist picked up the shackles and turned them over, inspecting them carefully. "Are you going to let me use my tools? A specialist works best when she can use her tools."

Hytar nodded. "but you try to get away or hurt me and i'll ssshoot you, sssomewhere painful, underssstand?"

"Oh don't worry, I heard what happened earlier," the specialist said grimly. She'd heard those screams and the gunshots.

Hytar looked pleased. "Then get to work." He folded his arms and watched her.

The specialist put on her goggles and started looking at the cuffs again. If they were magical, the goggles would help her to identify what the magic looked like, so she could figure out how it worked.

They were definitely magical, magical and radiating negative energy. These were demon shackles, made from some sort of metal that was always cold to the touch found only in the desolate asteroid field known as the Nine Hells.
Legend had it they were one of the only things that could actually bind a demon to the mortal plane. And the usual way to open them was for the person who possessed them to speak the true name of the one they wished to bind or free.

They were a powerful artifact, once bound the one shackled was obligated to do as they were commanded.

Of course they had limitations, they could only work on those with demonic blood and only if you knew their true name.

"Ssso, can they be broken? Can the magic be nullified?" Hytar asked.

The specialist let out a quiet breath, recognizing the shackles for what they were. "Possibly," she said, turning them over carefully in her fingers. "With the true name of a demon, this would be easy enough. Since I assume you won't supply me with one, it's more difficult, but I've heard of people who broke artifacts like these before."

Hytar nodded, his face a mask. "How?" He asked.

"If I tell you, will you kill me?" The specialist asked.

Hytar smirked. "Not till you exhausssst your ussssefulnesss." He told her.

"One method I've heard involved trapping it within a star. Even the most ancient and powerful of magics rarely survive nuclear fusion, and rumor has it that shackles like these are no exception. Of course there are other possible methods, using one of the Ancient Knives of Impossible Sharpness, or even possibly trapping the shackles within a pocket realm to isolate them from this universe..." She looked thoughtful. It was an interesting puzzle, and it appealed to her.

"and if they are binding sssomeone? Iss there a way to remove them without killing the perssson?" Hytar asked.

The specialist considered that. She drummed her fingers on the table, eyeing the shackles. "There are certain runes and wards that could possibly be used to protect the prisoner. I don't think anyone could guarantee they'd be effective, but with proper planning and precautions, the chances would be... reasonable. Of course, the demon's name would make things simpler."

Hytar nodded. "how difficult do you think it would be?"

"It'd require a lot of planning and research to minimize the risks. Rush into a project like this, and you're likely to end up with a dead demon or some cuffs that still work. But it can be done, and I think I could do it." She looked at Hytar, "Why do you want to do something like this? It's obvious you don't like slavery, but freeing demons isn't exactly safe, even if you're a demon yourself." He looked kinda demonic, not that she was an expert at identifying species.

Hytar shook his head. "I have my reassssonsss. Call it.. a backup plan." Yeah he wasnt' about to tell her. "are you familiar with Dakkon daggerssss?" He asked, changing the subject.

The specialist shook her head. She wasn't really surprised Hytar wasn't planning to tell her anything. "Dakkon daggers? The drakkan tech that can kill keepers? I'm somewhat familiar with the theory. A few months ago we had some kidnappers waltz into our spaceport and kill a potential seller with one," she said. "Why?"

"Think they can kill anything other than keepersss?" Hytar asked smoothly. "If you could get the metal, could anything elssse fassshioned from it work? Doesss it have to be a blade?" He shrugged. He was curious okay? "Kidnapperssss hmm? Interesssting terminology for a ssslaver."

"Well, any sharp metal object can kill all sorts of creatures," the specialist said a bit snarkily. "I'm not sure if it would work on other immortal species though, dakkon tech isn't very well documented. From what I've heard, the metal does work in other forms, the question is just acquiring the metal, since there are only a handful of daggers in existence."
"Kidnappers, scum, rival slavers. Call them what you want."

Hytar snickered at that. "you think rival sssalversss have access to thessse daggerssss? that could be very bad for bussssinesssss." He smiled. "leave the aquissstion problem to me, I ssssimply want to know how ussseful it could be." He studied the woman critically, deciding her fate. "How do your gogglessss work?" He asked.

"A dakkon dagger could potentially be very useful. Their uses aren't fully known, but any weapon that can kill a keeper can be assumed to be incredibly potent."
"My goggles show the magic within an object as light," the specialist said. "Useful for seeing runes in magical charms, which is the best way to identify the charm's intended purpose. Also very good for noticing when strange girls who seem to be meditating are actually using their magical powers to tamper with the coms."

Hytar chuckled. "Ahh yessss, ssshe isss a ussseful assset. Terrible with people, brilliant with machinessss." He looked the woman up and down. "Where did you get them?" He indicated the goggles.

Kooshie wrote:The specialist was sitting by herself in her assigned room, looking grim. She'd counted the gunshots as best she could, she'd lost count during the fight though. "They're all dead, I take it?" She asked Hytar.

~~
"I am glad for your wisdom," Tala said. "Tell me," she asked thoughtfully, "do you know the sire of the queen's egg?" Starr had mentioned not wanting to meet the guy at one point, as she recalled.

Fay shook her head then shrugged "We were not privileged to know such things, and even if we were, that is only something she should answer." Even without physically meeting her, she was loyal to their queen and her privacy.

"I had mine custom made, they show more detail than the standard magical glasses you can find," the specialist said, a bit proudly.

~~
"That is fair," Tala said with a nod. "I was more curious if you knew at all, I care little who the dragon is myself. Starr might wish to know if you knew."

Hytar nodded. "By whom?" He asked.

Fay frowned then shook her head a little "The only way to know now would be something like a DNA test, any records would have just been destroyed."