He approached the building carefully, almost gingerly, as if he had never seen it before.
Of course he had passed by it hundreds of times in his daily comings and goings, but he had never once thought that he might enter it. The Council of Elder's building was usually under tight security and access in and out was strictly controlled.
Of course, before this time, he had never had cause, or even the desire, to set foot within its hallowed halls.
That was until Elder Lucendez had called him out.
He paused before the large gate that separated the outer courtyards from the council buildings within. Looking up he took in the place. He smiled quietly to himself, If only the old man could have been here to see this..
He adjusted his combat jacket and set his holster high on his hip, he might be a houseless Corsair, but he'd be damned if he wasn't at least going to look the part of something more. Standing tall he approached the main gate.
"HALT" a stern voice barked. He did as ordered. Two heavily armed Corsair Guards barred his way. Their weapons, polished and chromed, leveled squarely at him. On their arms, he could distinctly make out their Brotherhood badges. "Who are you, and where do you think you're going" one of the guards asked him.
He squared off directly in front on the guards, who towered a good few feet above his own height.
"My name is Ben Laowai" he said simply.
The guard looked him over again, scowling "What of it? Do you have a pass?"
Laowai shook his head. "no, no pass, but i believe i have been asked to attend this little gathering"
The guard shook his head and looked over his shoulder to his partner. "Call this one in will you, claims he has been asked to be here"
The other guard nodded and approached a small comm unit in the wall of the gate. Laowai stood patiently, quietly bemused to be here, wondering where this would go. The guard in front of him looked at him with barely hidden contempt. Ben had seen that look a thousand times before, he had seen it when Corsairs saw he bore no house badge, and more often, when they saw the shape of his Kusari eyes. He smiled at the guard. "It;s a lovely evening wouldn't you say?" he chuckled... the guard, still staring said nothing.
"Yeah he's clear, send him through" the other guard called out. Half disappointed the first guard stood aside as the gate began to slide open. Laowai smirked at him and walked through, he was met, halfway across the courtyard by one of the many Corsair bureaucrats that worked with the Elder's and kept the various cogs of government running. "Er mister Laowai, the council is in session at the moment, i am not sure if you will be asked to attend, but if you could please follow me, we will need to collect your weapons at the foyer and also sign you into a waiting room"
He didn't like to be disarmed, but figured that this far into the compound were shooting to start for some reason he would be on the losing end of it. "Lead the way" he said. Following the civil servant to the foyer, he wondered if he would be asked to speak, and what, if anything, he would say.
