[Lancer HQ, Meeting Room, Time Unknown]
(Footsteps, scraping sounds)
Broker: Coming through! Welcome, welcome. Everyone here? Hope I'm not late to the party!
Dex: We've been waiting for some time.
Pathojen: If you meant to test me with this little lizard, you're wasting your time. Tell me what you want already.
Broker: Relax. It's water under the bridge! We've got no grudge against you, even if you did get, uh...a little outta hand.
Pathojen: Kepler was the one pushing the whole Toy agenda; those experiments were their call. If I hadn't withheld crucial data and materials, you would never have defeated them. Do you even know how far Kepler's anti-Lancer plan has progressed?
Broker: Hey now. You seemed to enjoy the Halloween catastrophe more than anyone else. Now you want to pin it all on Kepler?
Dex: Hssss. We are getting off-topic. Calm down and speak plainly一and please take your legs off the table. Both of you.
Dex: Mr. Bradley is right about one thing: we do not wish to hold grudges. Lancer reality is that we are often friends today and enemies tomorrow. Getting the chance to sit down and talk things out is a rare blessing.
Broker: Exactly! Thanks, Dex. Ms. Voclain, I'm not gonna argue with you for the Association—I invited Dex here to provide a more objective perspective.
Pathojen: Then please stop wasting my time and provide it.
Broker: Alright, look: the Shardverse is getting more and more dangerous. We've got the Chelae, the Parasites, Catastrophe Physics Devices, who knows what else. And all of them are bad news. None of us know what crises Acme will face tomorrow. The days of Lancers fighting each other has to end. We gotta unite our strength and move forward together.
Pathojen: Together? A-ha! I see what this is. You want the Kepler Lancers to join your crew?
Broker: I do. And I'm not talking about short-term collaboration like we've been running into with the Toys.
Pathojen: And what can you offer me, Cly Bradley? Do you really think Kepler bought our services with money alone? I doubt this Lancer HQ can fit even half of my fungal lab!
Dex: Perhaps you should let Mr. Bradley finish.
Broker: I don't mean any offense, but you know what's at stake here, Ms. Voclain. To be honest, what Acme is facing now scares me. We have almost no information on those crab people, the "Chelae." All we know is that they're invaders from deep space who overtook Mariana. They're responsible for the Parasites, which we also know nothing about. And let's not forget the other elephant in the room: Kepler and the Catastrophe Physics Devices they've been collecting. You must know something, right? Those devices are tied to the Smash-Up. Our universe was already shattered by the first one, so what happens if Kepler causes a second one, huh? Can you tell us? I know I act the fool sometimes, but I'm not blind and neither are you: these things are beyond what a few scattered Lancers can handle. We need more power, or at least more information.
Pathojen: See? That's more like it. Go on.
Broker: I think you know better than I do, ma'am, that Kepler is losing trust in Lancers, including you. Just look at what happened with Counterfeit. Kepler is sidelining their Lancers and looking for more controllable tools of violence. We can help you—and help Zephyr break free from Kepler's control. At the very least, we can stay allied in secret.
Pathojen: Hmmm. Tempting, but no. Nice try! Sincerity is the only advantage of mediocrity. I appreciate your offer, but as far as Kepler is concerned...I have my own plans.
Broker: Well...you can't blame a man for trying.
Pathojen: Aw, cheer up. I do have some rather interesting news to share, so it's not a total loss! What is next on the agenda? We have a lot more to talk about, heh heh…
