"Who's your friend, Elleira dear?"

"One of the mercenaries."

"Oh? And what's she doing here?"

"Investigating," Ira says lightly. "Much like you."

"How strange. I don't recall telling you to be here."

"Call it initiative. This is definitely the more interesting part. Besides which. I took care of my assigned task."

Zash taps her lips with a finger. "I suppose you did. Well. Let us table that for now, and deal with the matter at hand." She moves forward, brushing carelessly past Ira.

Ira doesn't yield, or flinch, just tracks Zash with her eyes, seeming surprisingly relaxed.

Part of her (a deeply buried part) hopes that Zash will provoke Ira into attacking her. A wiser part points out that in such an event, she would be required to pick a side, and quickly, and if she made the wrong choice, it would go poorly.

"Now. You three. Who exactly are you?"

<"We are the caretakers of the Infinite Seed that was entrusted to us by the Revan. It is our solemn and sacred duty to see that it comes to no harm and to preserve it against his return. For what purpose have you come?">

She taps her lips again. "To take the Seed from you."

<"You cannot-">

Zash gestures, and the alien who spoke falls to the ground, clutching its head.

"Do not presume to direct me."

<"The Seed sustains us. It gives light, power, clothing, food, water, air. Without it, we will die. But we can offer you a fragment. In time, it will grow to be as mighty as the original.">

"Very reasonable." Ira's eyeing the main set-up, her fingers itching to see how it's set up. But she isn't going to ask right now.

"And how long will that take?"

<"It is said that when the Revan planted the Seed here with us, it was half the size it is today.">

"Mmm. No. I think that will be too slow. I require present results, not future promises." She gestures again and the remaining two aliens collapse alongside the other.

Ira's only visible response to that is a raised eyebrow. She's not going to flinch at killing people.

Although she is rather curious as to what results, exactly, Zash is looking for with this.

She walks up to the Seed's pedestal. "Apprentice, come take a look at this. You can dispose of your captive, I think."

Elleira slams the alien she's levitating against the wall before walking up to join her master.

Ira continues to have no apparent response to the violence. She does drift closer as well, circling carefully to stay somewhat away from Zash. (Regardless of her confidence, instigating a fight when she isn't entirely sure which side Elleira and her Dashade will choose would just be idiotic.)

She and Zash are examining the wires running between the Seed and the rest of the room, probably working out how to disconnect it.

Ira begins her own investigation of the wires, although she's more concerned about the Seed itself. She moves close enough to rest a hand against it.