The weight of Roric's new directive – to personally recruit high-value, non-MOD assets for The Ember Knights – settled heavily on Kai. It was a far cry from the brutal simplicity of his Umbra hunts or the structured discipline of his training sessions. This required finesse, persuasion, an understanding of human motivation that he, a boy rapidly becoming more dragon than human, felt acutely lacking. His Draconic Energy Reserves were at a stable 93% after a recent, carefully managed sustenance acquisition. He was still Level 3, (210/300 EXP to Level 4), the System's Faction Quest "The Recruiter's Gambit" a constant, glowing reminder in his vision.
Their first target was 'Whisper,' the freelance information extractor with the rumored (though Roric suspected non-Anima, perhaps highly advanced sensory tech or innate talent) ability for sonic manipulation and auditory illusions. Her dossier, compiled by Shift and Elara from Roric's sources and their own digital deep-dives, painted a picture of a paranoid, solitary operative who trusted no one and valued her anonymity above all else. She was also, reportedly, incredibly effective at acquiring information others deemed impossible to get.
"Approaching Whisper will be like trying to cup smoke, Kai," Roric warned during their planning session in the Epsilon control room. He, Lyra, and Elara had spent days analyzing Whisper's known patterns, her few confirmed contacts (mostly through dead drops and encrypted, untraceable comms), and her rumored safe-houses – none of which had ever been verified. "She doesn't do face-to-face meetings unless the client is impeccably vetted or the offer is too substantial to ignore. Our usual methods of contact will likely be rebuffed."
"So how do we even get a message to her?" Kai asked, feeling out of his depth. His "Draconic Presence" skill, useful for intimidation, would be counterproductive here. "That," Elara interjected, her holographic image showing a complex network diagram, "is where her digital footprint, however faint, becomes key. She uses a series of heavily encrypted, constantly shifting relay nodes for her communications. But Shift and I have identified a potential vulnerability – a specific, archaic data-haven she occasionally uses for anonymous information brokerage, a place called 'The Echo Chamber' in the District 6 periphery. It's old, poorly secured by modern standards, but its very obsolescence provides a layer of obscurity."
Shift, her cybernetic eye glowing faintly, continued, "If we can leave a carefully crafted, untraceable message for her there, one that speaks to her specific interests – unique information, high-value targets, a challenge to her skills – she might be intrigued enough to respond." "The message needs to be from you, Kai," Roric stated. "Or rather, from the emerging leader of a new, ambitious faction. It needs to hint at power, resources, and most importantly, a respect for her… particular talents and her need for discretion. We offer not just a job, but a partnership, a place where her skills will be valued and protected."
Over the next two days, they crafted the message, a delicate dance of veiled promises and intriguing propositions, encrypted using an Old Republic cipher Elara had partially reconstructed from the "Project Griffin" data – a cipher so ancient and obscure it would likely be untraceable by any modern faction, yet sophisticated enough to pique Whisper's professional curiosity. Kai, guided by Lyra's insights into psychological nuance and Roric's strategic framing, recorded the audio component, his voice modulated by a device Shift had created, making it deep, resonant, and utterly anonymous, yet carrying a subtle undercurrent of his Draconic Presence – not enough to intimidate, but enough to suggest hidden power.
The delivery was assigned to Zip – Correction: Zip is still captured by Cerberus in the current continuity. This task would fall to another operative or a method Roric devises. Roric, using one of his many untraceable assets, arranged for the encrypted message to be discreetly uploaded to a specific terminal within The Echo Chamber, timed for when Whisper's known activity patterns suggested she might be accessing the haven's network.
Then, they waited. The silence from Whisper was deafening. Days turned into a week. Kai threw himself into his training with Lyra and Breaker, his frustration mounting. His Umbra hunts continued, a grim necessity, each one pushing him closer to Level 4, but doing little to alleviate the anxiety of waiting. He even spent more time in the school gym, Sensei Ishida's harsh discipline a welcome distraction, though Sera Kaelen's observant, silent presence was a constant, unnerving reminder of a different kind of strength he had yet to attain.
His Draconic Energy Reserves were consistently managed, but the System's underlying hunger was always there.[Draconic Power Source / Old Republic Energy Integration: 98% Complete. Final integration phase approaching. Conduit may experience heightened sensory input, vivid draconic dream-states, and increased instinctual urges.] The "draconic dream-states" were particularly unsettling – fleeting, visceral visions of soaring through storm-wracked skies, of ancient, forgotten landscapes, of a vast, reptilian consciousness that felt both alien and intimately familiar.
Finally, ten days after their message had been sent, a reply came. Not through any comm-line, but as a single, unmarked data-chip left at a pre-designated dead drop Roric had included in their initial message – a loose ferrocrete slab behind a perpetually overflowing refuse container in a neutral D7 sector. Shift retrieved it, her Phase Spider senses on high alert for any traps. The chip contained a single, heavily encrypted audio file. Back in Epsilon, Shift and Elara worked for hours to decrypt it. When they finally succeeded, Whisper's voice filled the control room – cool, precise, and utterly devoid of emotion.
"To the self-proclaimed 'Ember Knights'," the voice began. "Your methods are… unorthodox. Your encryption, intriguing. You speak of power, resources, and respect for unique talents. These are commodities often promised, rarely delivered in this city." A pause. "I am… conditionally interested. You wish to acquire information others deem unobtainable? You seek to operate in shadows deeper than most dare to tread? Prove it. There is a data-broker, a Cerberus informant named Silas 'Silkworm' Vane, operating out of a fortified apartment in the District 6 Sprawl. He possesses encrypted ledgers detailing Cerberus's protection racket payments from several high-value corporate entities – information Cerberus would kill to keep secret, and information their rivals would pay handsomely for. Acquire these ledgers, intact and untraced, and deliver them to me via a new dead drop I will designate. Do this, and we can discuss a more… permanent arrangement." The message ended with a string of coordinates for the new dead drop.
Roric smiled, a slow, predatory expression. "She's testing us, Kai. Setting a trial. Silkworm Vane is a well-protected, paranoid target. Getting to his ledgers will be extremely difficult, and highly dangerous. Cerberus guards his building closely." Kai looked at the holo-display, where Shift was already pulling up schematics of Vane's apartment complex. This was it. Their first true test from a potential recruit, a high-stakes audition. "Then we'd better not disappoint her," Kai said, the amber in his eyes flaring with a cold, draconic resolve. The Ember Knights were about to step into a new, more dangerous game, all for the chance to recruit a ghost who dealt in whispers.