Krayzikk

IC: "Relisai... Is in... Custody." The Umbraline confirmed, inclining his head slightly. "She was... Apprehended... At the coast." .:You will not mind, I think, if I converse in this manner.:. The words were equally considered, but without the delays that slowed down his verbal response. The Executioner regarded Askha seriously, though he uncrossed his arms to reach for something in his pocket. What he withdrew was hidden from view, for the moment, by the size of his hands; still, it was something fascinating enough that he examined it carefully. .:Your crimes are grave. You enabled the escape, however briefly, of a prisoner of the Empire. The Dastana and those who sided with them are exempt, per the Rora's decree, but Relisai is a citizen of the Empire. Your actions certainly defy the Virtues. According to some, they may even be treasonous. In times like these there is only one course of action for traitors. Sedition cannot be so easily tolerated.:. Rayuke permitted the statement to hang in the air for a few moments, looking up from the item in his hands to lock eyes with the Mashtet. She understood, he knew, the gravity of his presence. Even if his words didn't make the point, his very title did it for him. .:But you are correct. No one was truly harmed. Relisai is in custody. And in lieu of decree from my Empress, it is only my opinion that matters. That gives me some room to make another decision.:. He turned over the item in his hand one more time, then turned his palm outward so that she could see the undoubtedly familiar Mashtet Carving in his hands. Wherever the Hogo were keeping Askha's belongings, he had clearly visited them ahead of time. .:Beautiful craftsmanship. I was fortunate enough to procure a similar carving, before the Mashtet disappeared. It has long faded, now; no one to renew it. I carve myself, but the artistry to repair it is beyond me. Even among normal craftswomen, my skill is unremarkable. It simply relaxes me.:. The large Dasaka extended his hand, carefully slipping it through the same slot used to bring Askha her meals. The token rested on his palm, face up, for her to take. .:There are few Mashtet left. It would sadden me very much to reduce their number, even if only to keep one imprisoned.:. .:I am not quite so brutish as those stories may make me appear. Talk to me, young Askha. Help me find a reason to pick a different solution to your situation.:.

That's the spirit! As for everyone else, I believe I am up to date on the posts that I need to make. If I have forgotten something you're waiting on, please remind me.

IC: “I… Have been called....” The words, slow and measured, broke the silence of Askha’s confinement. The Menti had been in her cell a few days, though the dim light made that nearly impossible to determine. The monotony was broken only by the delivery of food and the blessed comfort of sleep, now matter how uncomfortable the sleeping arrangements were. Once her reverie was disturbed, however, the sound of footsteps became clear. Graceful, but even grace could not disguise the weight behind each footfall. The Dasaka that came into view of her cell was big, with the musculature of a man familiar with manual labor. His hands, rough and worn, spoke of the same. His gait was as measured his words, words that would have been familiar to any courtier even if seldom heard. Even the lowest Taajar was familiar with the immense metal blade, the only such weapon in the Empire, that he bore upon his back. The tool, and badge of office, that guaranteed his identity beyond any hope of imitation. The Imperial Executioner himself had come to see her. “Because they… Tell me that… The last Mashtet... “ Lord Rayuke crossed his arms across his chest, regarding the occupant of the cell before him sternly in the faint light. “Is in custody.” “Such duties… Were for my assistant.” The rise and fall of his broad shoulders, faint though it was, showcased his bemusement. “Yet… She is missing. The Hogo… Took quite some time…. To bring me the news. Noshima herself… Brought me the news. They wished…. Not to break… My sequester.” “It seems… Young Menti… Your fate is given… To me directly. What… Do you wish… To say?”

IC: "If I've gotten used to you sneaking up on me, a Muaka has no chance." The Onu-Matoran deadpanned, walking to the edge of the area and beginning to methodically walk along it clockwise. If there was anything to find, one of them would before long. "I'd remind you to keep talking, just in case, but I'm not sure that's an issue Major."

IC: Stannis Maru. Well, that changed things. If Stannis was there, it stood to reason that at least a few of the other Maru were with him. And if the Legacy was laying siege.... There was something in that building that they didn't want to let the Maru have. If they just wanted the Maru dead they would have brought the roof down on them. Praggos mentioned that this area was most likely for storage, which meant... Krayn's eyes narrowed. It clicked at once. Likely as not the Maru had found the hostages. Which made it even more critical that they manage to take some of the heat off their backs, but without compromising the integrity of their own defenses. Guerilla warfare, essentially. The sort of thing that was definitely going to blow their cover, even if Skyra didn't do something rash. Like it sounded like she was considering. The officer did tend to go with her gut more often than her head, but in this case she wasn't all wrong. They couldn't stand idle. But it seemed as though they were going to need that escape plan soon. "Kale." He began seriously, locking eyes with the Toa of Iron. "Remember the extraction plan. If it comes down to it, you, Skyra, and Four get out of here on Destiny. Arankhe, too, if you can manage. I'll find a way out. For Praggos, too." He didn't spell out the implications this time, either. They'd all agreed to the plan. Praggos was a new wrinkle, but he could read between the lines. If things went south, priorities had to be straight. And if it came down to it, it'd be up to Kale to make sure Skyra didn't do something stupid. The Fe-Toa could manage that. Still, that left the immediate situation to deal with. "No avalanches. We could make one, I'm sure, but we can't risk harming the friendlies in that building. What I'm thinking is more.... Percussive." He drummed a finger against the butt of his revolver, nodding slightly. "They don't know we're here. We hit them, draw as much of their fire as we can, and keep them busy. We have to trust that the Maru inside can seize that opportunity. And I trust my hearing to you, Praggos. Kale, get that little trick ready. Arankhe, whatever you need to do to be ready, now's the time. And Praggos..." The dry smile he gave the Ko-Toa was almost innocent. "Don't we always have a plan?"

Soon, with any luck. I hesitate to give an actual ETA because the remaining items could be quick, or they might require a little time. But the next arc is ready. We just need to cross the last two or three items off the plot progression of this arc to trigger it. We very much appreciate all of your continued patience, we know it has taken a long time.

IC: "I'm quite familiar with Stannis' philosophies." The Matoran sounded a little... Amused, at that. A smile briefly crossed his face at the recollection, eyes passing over the bustling village below. If he was concerned by Lekua's curiosity, he didn't show it; or acknowledge it, for that matter. For a few moments he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Then he turned his head to look at the other Matoran directly, drumming his fingers against the window sill he leaned against. "Many would be jealous. Those without much regard for the Virtues, mind you, but they might feel cheated out of similar fame. Despite your seemingly dim view of the Virtues, you seem principled." A beat, and the drumming ceased. "If I told you that you were needed again, would you listen? If I told you another group required your presence?"

IC: "Ha." The Onu-Matoran intoned humorlessly, though a faint smile sneaked out despite himself. "Perhaps when the wild Rahi come, I'll let them get you. We'll see if it's as funny then." "Still," He continued more thoughtfully, pulling a knife from his belt and lipping it casually in his hand. The area wasn't too large. Between the both of them, they could probably search it fairly quickly. Enough, at least, to know whether or not there was anything to be found. Easy enough to determine if it was worth their time. "I think that will work. If you see anything, hostile or otherwise, shout. I don't want to be caught off guard."

IC: "What do you see?" Krayn called out, though not too loudly. It wouldn't do to let others know that they were there. He was still regarding the tuning fork carefully, brow furrowed in thoughts. their course of action would depend, in part, on who they were trying to back up. "What do you know about this part of the city, Praggos? What is over there?"

IC: "Quite a bit, though later than when you knew them, I think." The Matoran allowed, smiling faintly. The hallway he had chosen was much quieter than the main one, without a soul in sight from one end to the other. The sun was just beginning to reach its apex, casting the hall in mottled light and shade through the leaf-crowded windows. He stopped just short of one and peered outside, seeming not to pay much mind to his companion for a moment. "But I think you misunderstand the question. I'm not here to talk about them, though they're not irrelevant. I came to talk about you." "How do you feel, knowing Stannis was important when his companions were not? Envious? Irritated? Does it bother you, Lekua?" His eyes, in the corner of their sockets, found their way back to the other Matoran. "Are you as resolute in your Duty now, despite little recognition?"

Hey, man! Been a while. I'm drawing a blank on the specifics regarding your exact characters, but in a broader sense... The Dasaka's exploration of Ga-Koro has been continuing, and expanded somewhat to a secretive scouting mission in Ko with a handful of characters. Ko has fallen to the Legacy, and is presently embroiled in a battle between Legacy forces and a couple of the Maru as well as a few disparate do-gooders that sneaked into the city. Echelon killed Joske, and has made his way towards Mangaia. An unknown Matoran has gathered/is gathering a few Matoran, and directing them to Kini Nui. I think that's all the broad stuff, but do you have any specific questions?

I wish you all the best, my friend. I know we haven't seen much of each other in recent years, but I will always remember earlier (albeit perhaps less well written) days we were able to work together more regularly. I know we talked a little, eons ago, about your course load and I hope whatever path you've chosen suits you well. You know how to reach me, I'd love to hear from you now and again. But this game has been made better for your involvement. Good luck out there, and we'll always be here if you ever come back.

No worries, man, everything was running a little slow again for a bit. Glad to have you back.

IC: Krayn blew a breath out through his teeth, considering his answer carefully. There were a few factors. Obviously the forks themselves, there wasn't time to tune them too precisely. How much of the sound he could capture. And of course how much energy he already had on hand. He hadn't used much recently, and small though it was absorbing the waves of that blasted alarm had been a constant trickle of energy. The simple answer was a lot; what he did with it was another question, but it could give him a lot to work with. "Quite a bit," The De-Toa answered after a moment, tapping the grip of his revolver thoughtfully. He was going to have such a migraine after this. "If I do it right, Arankhe, your ears should be fine. A minimum of sound should escape. My ears, well, that's a little bit different. But I can handle it." "We can make a pretty sizable distraction, see if we can help out whoever's backed against a wall in there."

IC: "So, lots of things that want to kill us." A short summary, but pretty accurate; even after Makuta's fall, there were a whole lot of things around the Kini-Nui that meant harm. More, if anything. The Rahkshi had largely retreated into the Darkwalks, and here at Kini-Nui you could descend all the way down into their domain. If you were feeling brave, and Tarnok wasn't eager to try his luck. If the Matoran had been on the up-and-up, he doubted what they were looking for was down there anyway. But checking the rest of the area was a good idea. "You're right. We should look around at the stuff above-ground, but I'm not going down without backup." He nodded slightly, and rested a hand on the handle of a knife again. "See if we can find some idea of what we're looking for."

OOC: This has been much delayed, and for that I apologize. Certain aspects of this needed to be discussed, and at this time of year that proved a challenge. Such things are best left behind closed doors, but publicly; this is the revised timeline of events. I apologize for those of you that are affected by any necessary retcons, but hopefully this keeps them to a minimum. Sulov and Leah should be unaffected, it is only those up top that may need to make any adjustments. IC: "And so—" He stepped. "—transpired—" Jab. Eisen’s sword thrust forward, too far away to strike; yet an invisible force slammed into Stannis’ ribs, driving the air from his lungs before he could finish the sentence. He stepped back, forced to shift his weight to accommodate the force, but remained standing. It would bruise, but the Maru was largely unharmed. “That’s enough.” Eisen said softly, sword returning to a ready position as he continued his advance. Less leisurely, but still measured; the pace of a man confident in his grasp of the situation. “I do not know what you hoped to accomplish, Maru, but it seems unwise to let you finish.” The Fe-Toa gestured towards the floor with an inclination of his head, addressing his comrades with a note of authority. “Lantz, the floor is above the tunnel. Open it up. Karnak, Fyura, take matters up with Stannis’ colleagues.” He tapped the warehouse’s floor once with the toe of his boot to emphasize the point, green eyes fixed upon his adversary. The Maru’s initial plan may have been foiled, but that was no reason to take him lightly. “Unless you would prefer to roast them with such lava, Wanderer? Uncharacteristically dark, though I suppose it would remove the hostages from our grasp. Oreius threatened the same.” “You’re a devout man, Stannis. And confident, to come here with only two of your teammates in tow.” He shrugged slightly, a faint raise of his shoulders, before he took another step. “Shall we find out if your faith is rewarded? Mine has been.”

IC: "Something you'll take the time to rub in, I'm sure." The remark came across a little dry, but a small smile played at the edges of the Onu-Matoran's lips. Tarnok squeezed her shoulder a moment before he let go, too, and surveyed their surroundings again. The terrain didn't seem any more hospitable. If anything, in the slowly dimming light it seemed even more hostile. But at least he didn't feel like he was alone in it anymore. Problems were much more surmountable now. "I'm not sure who else you'd be, but I wouldn't want you to be." A pause, and he pushed himself to his feet again. "Alright. Let's start thinking about this. You used to patrol Le-Wahi, you know the terrain better than me. What's around the Kini-Nui?"

IC: "If you're sure," The Menti acknowledged, nodding slightly. She... Really didn't grasp the joke. It likely relied on knowledge of whoever this 'Dorian' character was, though she had a decent enough idea of Whitehot's opinion of the other Toa to guess. The gist, though, was that she could come. It would have been fine if she couldn't but Sinshi was happier that she could. Venturing out into the island without a guide would have been much more difficult, even with the Commodore accompanying. Someone who knew the way would be much, much more helpful. "Then we'll be glad to have you." "Though," Sinshi paused a moment, thinking. "With any luck there will not be too much staking out involved. I am afraid I am ill suited to such clandestine activities. Or camping."

IC: "Of course, ma'am, that should help quite a bit." Sinshi commented, gratefully accepting the overcoat as a distraction from how poorly she was blending in. She wasn't certain if it was a Mata Nui versus Kentoku issue, or simply a matter of not knowing how to blend, but it really wasn't working. At least the coat could hide that she was obviously a foreigner. She could blend in as a hopelessly suspicious native instead. Not that she was keen on how much warmer it would make her, not in this sun, but from what she had heard... She would be welcome for the warmth later. "The other villages have not encountered us on this trip yet, it would be better to avoid... The first day. All over again." "I'm sorry, White, I hadn't even considered." The Dasaka smiled apologetically as she slipped on the coat. "You probably have work to do. It's of course fine if you can't come."

Covered in the OOC note at the bottom of that post; any rewards intended for the quest are to be taken up with Ghosthands. I had no idea, and to this day don't, know what he intended. I was just handling wrap-up. On a broader note, my sincerest apologies for my lack of activity this month. There were some things we needed to sort out staff side, and on top of that I had a few things I needed to attend to in real life. I'll be doing my best to get the posts that I need to do done over the next few days so we can get back up to speed.

IC: "A body is the only thing we have for sure." Jaller answered, eyes flicking over the Kanohi in Agni's hand. He didn't have any idea where it came from; he had never heard of such a mask. But it seemed, lately, like a whole lot of strange things had started happening. If the Ta-Toa claimed that was how the mask worked, he believed him. And the Matoran wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "It's in the morgue. Tuara directed us to it earlier today. I can hold them for a while without issue." "If you can shed some light, that would be the best news I've had today." IC: "Absolutely nothing. Where do we wanna go? Any ideas, Tor?"

IC: "Like a Revan fan club these days." Liare had padded in after Costa on silent feet, breaking off from his position to circle around to the right of where she stopped next to Kryik. Each step was easy and languid, as though he was simply bored with the proceedings. The con man stood out like a sore thumb in such a sterile environment; he eschewed his usual coat despite the slight, unshakable chill of an Imperial starship and instead wore the usual burgundy underneath. Sleeves rolled up to mid-forearm so there was no risk of touching the workstation he leaned against, palms resting on the cold surface. He listened to the proceedings silently with his eyes closed, at least until Kryik mentioned where the pilot had been. Then he watched his boss carefully from half-lidded eyes. Contrary to popular opinion, he read. He read almost as much as the Chief, no matter how much he teased her for it. He didn't know the details, it was four thousand years ago and whatever details weren't lost to time... He didn't have. It was a nagging feeling, for years now, that material like that was restricted for people with higher clearance than him. Despite their desire for freedom, dark side users were notoriously paranoid, eternally afraid of giving out an advantage an underling might use against them. Justifiably. It was the same attitude they imparted to their students. Which might be why he cultivated the popular opinion; better to be seen as lazy and ill-informed, less of a chance someone decides to take care of you. Or see it coming if you took care of them first. Dantooine had been very important to the Jedi, a long time ago. Supposedly everything had been destroyed, around the same time that beacon would've been from. But if something had been found.... "No offense to any Revan fans in the room," He added quietly, glancing again in Vespula's direction with what might have been a wink if it hadn't happened so fast. There was something she wasn't telling him. Probably a few things. But she had her reasons. Didn't change his job any, or how he'd handle the room. "Does seem weird that we'd end up at Taris and get pointed to Dantooine. Funny coincidence. Any ideas what he might've been doing there? I doubt it was for the locals, met 'em before, such a boring bunch..."

IC: .:Outside the Great Takea, ma'am. The 'Matoran' and her companion are inside. I have notified Soraya and Akimoto of their arrival already.:. The Menti leaned, as casually as possible, on the exterior of the building. She had dragged her Marine compatriot along, with a minimum of protest, reasoning that having local law enforcement around would prevent anyone from questioning too much why she was following a pair of locals. Or loitering outside the establishment, watching through a window. Not to mention the fact that her knowledge of local geography would be indispensable. And she would prevent the Menti from getting bored. Keeping her loose grip on Whitehot's sleeve, Sinshi continued. .:Nothing so far. You can find it further inland and east from the docks. I can give directions if you find yourself lost.:.

IC: "Unwell." The Akiri said the word slowly and carefully, maintaining the utmost control over his tone. Too controlling, if anything. He paused long enough to take another breath, to try and distance himself a little further from the issue. It wasn't easy. "Tuara insists that she killed the guard. That she told me where to find him out of remorse, and took Kitea hostage out of desperation when we found her. Her story is that she was drunk, and doesn't remember the circumstances of his murder. So she covered it up, and tried to take Kitea with her when she fled. He doesn't know anything." A beat, and another breath. "I can't disprove it, not yet. ... And it's possible. But I think she's covering for him. The facts add up, but it doesn't feel right." Jaller searched for the words to explain, sighing angrily when he couldn't. "She says Kitea arrived the morning after her crime, and she went back to get him before she fled because she couldn't bear to part with him. Doesn't sound like someone she would take hostage to me, not under any circumstances. Her brother has been gone a very, very long time. She never knew where. Within a day of his return, she's committed a murder? A murder she's willing to own up to easily, tell me where to find the body even, but desperate enough to take her own brother hostage to get away? And then admitting everything while arguing his innocence once she's caught?" "It doesn't add up. I tried, she's not going to give him up. She's determined that he go free. I need something in the evidence that doesn't fit her story." He drummed his fingers against the opposite bicep, arms crossed. "... And I need to turn them against each other. I can't make her think he's flipping on her, that'd just cement her story. I need him to think she's turning against him. I need to back him into a corner until he says something stupid. They don't have any opportunity to make sure their stories match, I just need to make him make a mistake." A pause, and then more quietly; "I'm going to help her, Agni. I don't care what it takes. If I let her take the fall it will destroy whatever she has left." IC: "Absolutely nothing!" Saeva said brightly, rolling her shoulders and flashing the assembled group a grin. "So where are we going, ladies and gentlemen? Any suggestions?"

IC: "I regret a lot of things, don't think this'll make the list." The medic fell into step alongside, and slightly behind, his boss with an easy grin. There were plenty of reasons for his position. Most of them were not entirely innocuous, but the big one was; he usually walked half a pace behind her so that if trouble ever began he would be out of her way, and with a quarter pivot he could guard her flank. It was habitual, not the least because an ambitious underling had once gone after her in a club. In a place like the Insight, it was best not to trust your allies too much. Which did make him a bit of a hypocrite. It'd be the perfect way to get stabbed in the back, if he didn't trust Costa completely. "Remember, if Raia asks you to smell something say no." Liare quipped, nothing but a gleeful grin on his face. As comments went, it was pretty tame. She was in work mode. He needed to behave a little. "Nokon, too, but I don't think he's smart enough." IC: "Soon. Hour. Maybe hour and a half." If the former intelligence officer was perturbed by how close he had come to being kicked, it didn't show. Mostly because he doubted the Echani would have followed through. Threatened, as he did, for certain. But not followed through. He was much too playful for that outside of a real fight. If he was intentionally skating by the accusations, that didn't show either. Still, by way of appeasement, he reached up high enough to ruffle his sulking partner's hair. "Revolver is minding the cockpit," Krayn elaborated, a little laconically. "We should land quite shortly."