Hidden safely away on the Outland world Mercyra, Eldon Thorngage and Marcus Lear left Chrysalis in one of the few starship hangars on the planet and made their way into a low-tech city. They wound up in a small bar, where Marcus' appearance shocked the primitive locals, and drew the attention of three loud, racous offworlders sitting at a nearby table: Achanus Drakal, a former Imperial sniper; Falin M'or, an intoxicated monk; and Lothar DeCracken, a strange bard who played heavy metal music on a medieval lyre. Against Marcus' better judgement, Eldon decided to include the three in their strange company (probably for his own amusement), and they returned to the ship.

Once inside Chrysalis, the obviously inebriated Lothar and Falin (whom everyone called "Shaolin") proceeded to do such bizarre acts as teaching Chrysalis about music by playing Rob Zombie's "Dragula" on a lyre (Lothar) and starting a fistfight with the quiet but dangerous Archanis (Falin). Eldon decided to let the two sober up for a few hours before taking the group to see his Resistance contact on Mercyra.

TO BE CONTINUED...