"Snake crawlers can be short-sighted," said Xuiyu. "Too close to the ground." Which made them useful in some respects, but not in others. The Snakes were a good paramilitary force. As a leadership? Not so much.

Xuiyu sat up a little more as Valdis brought out the weapon, but waved off one of her cousins stepping closer when it became clear Valdis wasn't threatening anyone. She reached out to take it herself instead, easily keeping her drink clear of the weapon.

"We've been looking into energy weapons since Stark showed us energy shields," she mused. "How's this harnessing happen?"