Diplomacy

<snip>
Franky/Jaxx smiled as he spoke the language of the Haruk back while doing feminine gestures. Then Franky/Jaxx said, “Oceans to Murgatroyd even, I told them I would translate for you. I am so sure you’re wondering how can this ravishing creature know such a language in a short time right even? Well my dear kiddos my race is telepathic so language is but a small obstacle even, especially for someone who has been around as long as I have. So what did you want to tell them?”
</snip>

"What the fuck?" Cass scowled, her lips curling to reveal her teeth, making the Haruk growl menacingly.
"Now wait just a second..." Jay interceded "Are you saying that you're some sort of psychic entity and that you've possessed Jaxx's body?"
"Oceans to Murgatroyd even" Janky minced bizarrely as (s)he spoke "You are a mighty suspicious couple of bipeds, aren't you, even? There's no need to worry, even"
One of the Haruk, a big, battle scarred brute, sat astride its lizard mount, barked something in its guttural language and lowered the spear it held, to point it towards them.
"Seems like he's getting impatient, even" Janky reported "What do you want me to tell them?"
"This could go really badly" Cass hissed to Jay. Low. Tense "I'm fucking terrified" her eyes darted across to the Haruk "My first instinct is to retreat back to the module. The field shielding's still running on emergency power. We should be able to use our weapons in its proximity to try kill them. Trouble is: there's so much can go wrong - Negotiate?"
"Yeah, agreed" Jay nodded "Tell them..." this to Janky "Tell them that we mean them no harm"
The possessed Jaxx turned away to relay this to the Haruk in their guttural tongue, all the while continuing his bizarre, effeminate posturing. When he had finished, the two Haruk threw back their heads and let loose a staccato series of whooping screams. Laughter.
"Shit" Cass hissed, nervously plucking at Jay's sleeve "We -"
The lead Haruk barked his response, his spear levelled unwaveringly towards the Dwarfers as the triceratops he was sat astride lurched and shied beneath him, the bit in its maw hauled tight; the reins pulled hard by its Haurk master.
Cass eyed the creature and its rider.
The triceratops wasn't like any of the animals she used to have in her schoolbooks. It was thinner, more sinuous. The three spikes adorning its head were battle scarred protuberances of the chitinous armour covering the beasts head, and had been painted with ochre and tipped with metal by its rider.
In Cassandra’s opinion, they'd need high calibre weaponry to put either the Haruk or its steed down with any confidence. Weaponry they didn't have.
"He wants to know what you think you could do that could possibly harm him?" Janky reported
The scarred Haruk waited until Janky had finished speaking before it bared its yellowing set of fangs "Guskuha" it sneered: property / slave / thing
"Minyek guskuha. Bokt see" Cass spat back, making the Haruk stiffen and eye the humans suspiciously.
"Oceans to Murgatroyd even" Janky threw up his hands in mock horror "You'd do well to complete one of my diplomacy training courses"
"Even" Cass finished for him, her lip curling sardonically.
"What did you just say?" Jay demanded, tersely.
"It called us slaves" Cass bristled "I told it that we're not and that we're strong. These animals only understand strength"
"She does have a point even" Janky nodded "They were beginning to consider attacking"
"Fuck's sake. This is going to shit" Jay growled as he turned back to the Haruk "Tell them they're welcome to salvage the module behind us... Tell them that they can make a lot of money out of it and that we don't need it any more. There's no need for anybody to get hurt and that we'll just be on our way"
Janky quickly relayed the message, camply strutting around the beach as he did so. Once he had finished, the two haruk narrowed their eyes and raised their spears to manoeuvre their mounts in closer together to hold a hurried, low conversation.
"What are they talking about?" Jay urged "Jaxx?"
"Well, the main gist of the conversation is the money they stand to make with all this 'precursor' technology..." Janky fell silent for a moment. Listening. "Now they're talking about you guys, even - About what you are and that you don't look much like the local Ssala... They're wondering if you came out of this thing that fell from the sky"
"I don't like the way this is going" Cass murmured to Jay's silent agreement
"Oceans to Murgatroyd, even!" Jankie cried, waving his hands in alarm "No - I..." he babbled something incoherent in Haruk at the two creatures, making them snarl and wheel away from their muttered conference, each wrenching hard on their mounts reigns. The triceratops' reared high, bellowing in protest, making and a deafening sound as the Haruk both lowered their spears.
"The module! Go!" Jay barked, but Cass was already ahead of him, sprinting through the surf and hauling her pistols out as she ran.
Throwing his head back, the largest of the Haruk let out a savage sounding war cry, spurring his triceratops forward as he did so, his spear levelling at Jankie's chest as the massive creature lurched into action and lumbered towards him.
Cass and Jay both wheeled in unison in the shallows, the waves splashing up around them as they raised their weapons, ready to fire, as they flickered back to life inside the the shielding field.
Jankie struck a pose, a fabulous pose, and waited as the huge Haruk on their triceratops' came thundering towards him.


<tag>
It was never going to end well with Haruk, so let's have a bit of action
Cass is just armed with a couple of pistols, Jay could theoretically be armed with something a little heavier and both are able to provide covering fire if Frankie wants to strut his stuff
Of course this is probably very similar to a situation Jay faced back in 14,722 on Sigma VII, so he should be able to handle it all with considerable ease...
</tag>