"The army recruitment ordeal was not literal, Commorrite." Biam responds, raising his voice a bit. "The dragons know nothing of the Void Sharks, if you had just talked once to Nehk'kaar here, the 'Shadowbane' as the Dragons call him, you would know that. They don't give a single damn who did it, for they want absolute power and got their justification for the war they hungered for."

"And comparing this place to the Dark City might be accurate, but only makes you a bigger risk for us. Before we know it we are some enslavers, a Kabal and skinning people for your joy. We are the Void Sharks, we bite hard, but we hunt with wits. We do not poison our enemies, we meet them face-to-face. We are a breed of smart and proud warriors."

The debate between the two Eldar had gained Nehk'kaar's attention away from murder and to the debate at hand , both brought up good points but the Male would lead them to combat , honorable combat which he desired and the fact his debauchry for the beginning of his leadership wasnt actual a thing his opinion seemed more appealing

"Oh, haven't killed each otherss yet?" Sselesstleia comments as she slithers out of her hole and meets others on her way out to pick up the afternoon of melting colors and sounds from her dealer.

"Going to asssert your dominance of the gang? I don't perssonally care much of your sspeechess, ass you both sseem capable leaderss by your sskillss. Though, I'll find Dark City dissappointing sshould it ressemble thiss hive, but I haven't noticed it'ss current leaderss much honorable warriorss either. Leadersship and plotting issn't my interesst nor my talent. Insstead role of sservant, guardian, a sshield. Now before you hurry to dissmisss that, I want to note sshould I have known Artemiss leaving on her own, I would had withdrawn from my tassk at once. I wass wrong to asssume I could trusst on her sstaying behind. There iss no usse for sshield that issn't pressent. I do not know wass it her own decission to to join or wass sshe invited by ssomeone. Sshe took a rissk. Leaderss musst take risskss. Whoever of you becomess the next leader, will continue to take risskss. But sshould I imprint to you, to sserve ass your sshield, I am required to be pressent. I'll be your unbreaking sshield only when you choose to carry me, not paying heed what otherss ssay you sshould do. Once I have imprinted on you, I will die for you. There is no alternative. My bond holdss, to againsst the whole galaxy if needed. Ssort out the election on your own, I sstill need to wipe my mind clean of that ssewer." She slithers out of the door.

"And so, that means the Dragons would have no qualms about destroying the Void Sharks should we get in the way of their quest for power if it suited their needs." Athernia replied, trying to remain calm. As for Biam's remark about face-to-face combat, she then said "And if you are so willing to think that such an honourable way of combat works in such as place as the Hive where even the most innocent of facades can hide the truth.... Suffice to say, Commorragh is littered with the bones of those who thought that honour meant something, only for those who rightly see honour as a useless set of rules to take advantage of if someone's daft enough to follow those rules, something that I believe that all the more canny gangs would also be willing to do to us."

With there being a final point of Biam's that she needed to address, the Lhamaean then said "If you wish to still see me as the bigger risk because of where I come from, then I'll let you be like that. Course, there's always just making the agreement that anything I would do as the leader of the Void Sharks has to be agreed with potential advisers such as yourself, Biam, if you are that scared that I would turn the group into nothing more than another Kabal."

@BuriasDempsey

"I keep getting misinterpreted here", TessSha lamented, turning to face the Verathian. "This isn't about what Artie would want. I don't need to be told she was the best..." The Pelager straightened herself, and threw back her cape. She was talking herself into a rage, and she was aware of it. Her voice's increasing volume, however, escaped her notice. "This is nonsense. Artie passed, and this knife-ear's first idea is booze and whores? Everyone's first reaction is to just nod their heads and spout empty threats? And I can't vouch for Athernia's skills either."

After the Corsair replied to the Darkling candidate, Guppy got up and followed Sselesstleia's example by leaving the main room.

"You keep referring this to Comorragh when humans are sitting on top of the food chain. This is a human world, no matter how many aliens here skidder around, humans rule. And you keep thinking in your Dark City paranoia that everyone here is out to stab you in the back. Unlike you, here are still individuals living who know honor, debt and respect. Such as the Dragons Dynasty. It is not so much where you come from, it is moreso that you cannot let go of your past. Whereas we corsairs adapt to our resources at hand, blend with our surrounding in a cultural aspect. We connect with the locals and work in unison, rather than simply backstabbing everyone who is an obstacle in our path and make enemies right and left. Instead, like Artemis had planned, we build powerful alliances. How else do you think corsair fleets like those of Prince Yriel can stay independent and yet match the power of a craftworld?" Biam responded, crossing his arms until he came to the only logical conclusion...

"But since not all would be happy with either of us leading alone.... How about we lead the Void Sharks into the future together? I handle the diplomacy and the missions we go on, and you handle the funds, from distribution over how we spend it to who we hire... Outside of personal hirings, of course." Biam eventually offered, as if to show his supremacy in aforementioned diplomacy by being the first to compromise.

"I'll agree to a compromise but I'd like a fifty-fifty split on the responsibility for missions, as I don't want to spent all my time counting coins while you have all the fun stuff on your plate." Athernia replied, trying to haggle for just a bit more power as she wasn't going to be content with just being the Gang's bean-counter. Sure, Biam was compromising which was good for demonstrating his skills at diplomacy, but it wasn't a fair compromise for herself.

And besides, the Dark Eldar was sure that things like Honour, debt and respect would prove to be the Corsair's undoing when he came up against someone who didn't care for those things, and therefore gave him his rightful comeuppance when he lost badly by going up against them, expecting an honourable fight but only to instead find himself hounded and humiliated by those using more 'dishonourable' tactics.

"And so it shall be then, which means I also make sure to double check our financials." And so the trap sprung. Atherina had the chance to have entire financial control, but had to give it up for her own desired responsibilities and influence. Biam might seem like a stereotype eldar pirate who is in it for the loot and booze, but that is exactly what made him dangerous - that he was more than just that.

"With that settled... I suggest we inquire from our newcomer of how to have a proper funeral for Artemis and after that recruit additional hands to help us out. At least five more members. Two to handle the bar at day and night, three to guard our new apartment complex, keep an eye on the tenants and overall protect the territory at all times." He transitioned from negotiations to business, merely assuming the Dark Eldar would go with the 50% absolute shared responsibilities. Tan'ku and Vandu surely did not mind.

Athernia sighed loudly before she despondently replied "If you really are that desperate to be the de-facto leader of the Void Sharks by screwing me out of any real power, just say it. I'll then be happy to go back to bean-counting then, given I doubt you have the ability to decide on any fair splits of leadership responsibility given your rather baseless fears that I'd turn the gang into a Kabal. Which makes me think you wouldn't have the mental capacity to understand any of the more complex aspects of finance."

Needless to say, it would be obvious to everyone that the Commorrite was not happy with Biam, but sadly there wasn't much she could do yet to either make him be fair and square with his dealings with her, or just remove him as a problem entirely even if that meant shouldering the burden of leadership herself and any chosen subordinates and having to bury his corpse. And frankly, she'd prefer having him still around but made aware that he needed to be fair in his dealings with her rather than dead.

"Being manipulative as always, I would expect no less of you." He chuckled. "I am a Corsair, not a Craftworlder. I understand finances. But very well if you are so eager to prove yourself and earn your honour compared to most of the Dark City inhabitants who have lost it... Then take care of the finances on your own, while I deal as the face of our gang." Biam at last got off the table and walked up to Atherina who was just a tad taller than himself, offering her a hand for a Mon'keigh handshake. "May the Void Sharks yet enter into their golden age - under Eldar leadership."