Krayzikk

IC: "I'm not going to be able to sleep, anyway. I can stay up. I probably will stay up, even if you take watch."

IC: "Do we really want to head towards a volcano, however? If the Rahi are this much larger for prey species, I shudder to think what the dragons must be like."

IC: "...?" Hanabe tilted her head slightly, trying to process what this Hogo was talking about. "We just finished a fight, that is about it."

IC: "Yeah, we'll find out when we get there."

IC: "That's what freezing cold coffee is for." Krayn waggled his unfortunately almost empty mug with a hint of tired humor. His coat was pulled tightly around him to ward off the cold, now that he was further away from the fire upstairs, and the dampening fields around his ears were turned way down. Muffled though her footsteps were, he had heard Four coming long before she arrived. He shifted a little in the chair he had rummaged through the first floor detritus to find so he could look at her better. "I don't mind doing it. Time enough to sleep when the caffeine gives me a heart attack."

As promised, folks. Mangaia Quest is wrapped up.

QUEST IC: I’m still not quite sure how we managed to kill that thing. Loraan paused from her writing to dip her pen in the inkpot, and took a moment to look out the window of her Guard HQ office at the afternoon sun glancing off the rooftops of Ta-Koro. It was funny how a good night’s sleep and the comforting familiarity of home could make what happened yesterday seem so long ago and far away. She pulled her attention away from the window and back to her report, dabbed an excess drop of ink from her pen, and resumed writing. Once all of the thralls were freed, we were able to focus on the monster itself. Easier said than done: for each one of us there was a dozen tentacles thrashing around, and no matter how many we cut off, the creature just kept pulling more of them out of tunnels and cracks in the ground and Mata-Nui-knows-where-else. We were holding our own, nobody was getting latched with those mind-control pod things, but we needed a plan if we were going to take the monstrosity down. Just thinking about it brought back a mix of feelings. Fear, revulsion, but most of all exhaustion. Even for the Ta-Matoran just thinking about fighting in the depths of that volcano called to mind the leaden, sweaty feel of her limbs as the battle of attrition continued. It wasn’t an experience she ever wanted to repeat. It was Venemi, the Lesterin of Plant-Life, who finally figured it out. For whatever reason the creature, I struggle to call it a plant, was actually thriving off of the heat. Not just the heat but the lava specifically. Given that it had proven almost invulnerable to anything else, this fact was the closest thing we had to a plan. Depriving it of the lava seemed to be the only solution. Those of us without any relevant powers, myself included, acted as a distraction. The creature seemed to be motivated in large part by its wrath, so while it of course did not ignore the others it did not pay much attention to them. Mirin, the Toa of Water, was essential in cutting off its lava supply. Our other Toa aided as well, one of our more bombastic Ta-Toa helping by reducing its temperature in the first place, but without Mirin’s water dealing with the lava would have been much more difficult. Loraan paused again, a drop of ink splattering on the page as she unconsciously shuddered. The creature’s screams of rage still echoed in her head when she recalled them, the sheer hatred behind the sounds. Once cut off from the lava, we struck more directly at the weakened creature. It seemed to expire shortly after, though I cannot say whether or not this was due to cutting it off from the lava or our efforts. I must also note that my report of its demise is difficult. As the nature of the creature defies anything I am familiar with, it is impossible for me to verify with absolute certainty that it is deceased. Pardon the break from professionalism, but I dearly hope that it is. I am advising a quarantine of the area for the moment, until we can be certain. I digress. After its defeat we explored the dig site of its thralls, and in doing so Vaisaga’s Arthron detected that one of the ‘walls’ had a hollow space behind it. Breaking through to it did not take much effort using the thralls’ equipment. The chamber contained a number of artifacts of varying natures, and most notably a pool of an unidentified fluid-like substance.I must emphasize ‘fluid-like’ because while it exhibits primarily the characteristics of a fluid, it has some… Abnormalities to it. I have attached a vial containing a sample from the pool, and advise extreme caution in its handling. For reasons that I am unable to properly express, I am quite suspicious of it.I did my best to lock down the pool but due to the disorganization that occurred when he discovered the chamber, owing in large part to the group’s curiosity, I cannot say for certain that this was the only sample removed from the premises. I permitted those involved to take something from the chamber. There was little I could do to stop the more curious ones, anyway, and as no crime had actually occurred at the site I had no jurisdiction to claim the artifacts as evidence. Locking down the pool was done under suspicion of its connection to the creature we encountered. We collected the ex-thralls on our way back to the village, and brought the deceased to the Corp for autopsy. In closing, I have already dispatched Guards to secure the area and informed the Investigative Corp of the sample’s impending arrival. I am, at my immediate superior’s request, submitting a copy of this report directly to the Akiri. In addition to the sample a list of what was found at the dig site is enclosed, with the knowledge that its completion is not guaranteed. Penning the last words, Loraan spent the next few minutes busying herself with making a second copy. As always she was dedicated in her work, and ensuring that the two copies were identical in content was no different. It was important that the information she conveyed was the same. … Strictly speaking, she could have handed it off to a secretary to do the job for her. The secretary, in turn, would hand it off to a courier who would bring it to Jaller. Her duties could be finished as soon as she handed the report to a subordinate. Copying it by hand was soothing, though, something she was in real need of. The day before had challenged what she considered to be impossible and taken her very far outside the usual scope of her duties indeed. It was calming to be doing something routine, something to get her back into the groove of everyday work. The creature was dead, and the relevant materials isolated. The assignment was over. It just might take some time for her to get past it. Loraan interrupted her own thoughts when she finished writing, and carefully folded both reports before rolling them up and tying a short bit of twine around them. The two reports were sealed immediately with hot wax and the Investigative Corps’ official seal to ensure that they were not tampered with, and Loraan dropped one on her boss’ desk before leaving the office. Jaller, it seemed, was out of his office too. Once she reached the Akiri’s secretary she was apologetically informed that the detective had just missed him, and he had left instructions not to be disturbed unless it was important. Her report, while important, was not urgent; she left it in the care of the secretary and started walking back to her office. Soon, she hoped, the whole extended affair would seem like a bad dream. OOC: As promised, an end to the quest. I apologize if this post seems a little lackluster, but the goal was to wrap it up rather than protract it. Ghosthands might have written it a little differently, but the basic premise (that it was written as an after-action report) remained the same. The handing out of any rewards should be taken up with Ghost, as I have no knowledge of what he intended. I was just handling wrapup duty.

IC: "He was, at that."

IC: "I have no idea." The Onu-Matoran's admission wasn't comforting, even to him. Onu-Koro, no matter how dangerous his duties sometimes were, was familiar. There was little he could encounter there that could shake him. Little that was external, at least. But that Matoran... Something about him, about what he knew, had gotten under his skin and reached his very core. It was an unsettling thought. "Whatever it is, we will have to handle it. We still don't know if he was telling the truth. Or he may merely be crazy, and we will take a trip out to find nothing at all."

IC: "I was usually fortunate enough to leave the digging to Rubigo." Tarnok commented dryly, with a small smile on his face. "He was the combat engineer. It was his job to handle any and all fortifications. I was just extra labor if it was needed."

IC: "Helios can fit two people, we'll just have to leave most of my entrenching gear behind. Not that I get much use of it, since a proper Heavy Ussalry squadron no longer exists." Despite his best efforts, a note of irritation crept back into his voice at the last point. "I doubt we will have much need of entrenchment, either."

IC: "They're with the rest of my equipment at Ferron's." Tarnok assured her, with the faintest smile at her sudden caution. "Most of it was in need of some repair. Blades in need of sharpening, armor in need of repair, things like that. The bandolier needed to be resized for my use, too."

IC: "I'm fine." The answer understated matters a little, and he knew it. His stay in the hospital was brief but mostly because he had refused to stick around once he could move freely. It also sidestepped the matter of his emotional state following it, but that was probably for the best. "They treated me fairly quickly. Some things are still healing, but I'm okay. I confiscated the grenades in question. I don't particularly trust anyone else with them." Onepu.

IC: "There was a bank robber armed with grenades." Tarnok paused in his explanation long enough to consider how best to explain further. "A female Lesterin. I was first on the scene. Talking her down wasn't working well, naturally fighting ensued. Reinforcements arrived, and Onepu..." He paused again, this time choosing his next words for professionalism. "Made a poor decision that resulted in injury to myself and the perpetrator. Her take-down was lethal. I was hospitalized following it."

IC: The mock exasperation seemed, after a moment, to prompt the Matoran into realizing he hadn't actually explained anything. He gave his (technically) superior officer a look that almost seemed sheepish on his usually fairly neutral face, and pointed ahead. "Ferron. He runs a forge. I left my armor with him for repairs. I had something of an incident while you were gone."

IC: "Same person I need to get my armor from. Come on." The Onu-Matoran slipped his hands into his pockets and headed towards the headquarters' exit, transitioning into the 'open' space the exterior offered. It was a little later in the day than he had intended, but Ferron's forge should still be open. At least he hoped it was. If it wasn't their departure would be delayed a day, and he got the feeling that such delays weren't wise. "I hope he's still open."

IC: The steady drip drip drip of hot blood to snow wasn’t exactly reassuring, Eisen knew. But the Fe-Toa wasn’t concerned and it showed; he examined the wound briefly with little more than a flick of his eyes and used his element to withdraw a strand of metal from within his cape and set it to stitching the wound shut. It would not impair his ability to use the arm, much, and the fight would be over long before bleeding might be an issue. That only left pain, and pain could be ignored. To his surprise Oreius had managed to escape the bind he was in, thus prolonging the duel. It would have been cleaner to end it with that move, leaving no doubt as to the Maru’s defeat, but this was fine. It would just take a little longer. He directed his javelins outwards while Oreius tunneled, sending the deadly rods scattering out into the snow where they lay flat on the ground. The Ta-Toa’s mask didn’t grant him anything in the way of enhanced senses, so these prepared resources could strike from outside his vision. He made a few more while he was at it, sending them towards the far end of the courtyard to lay in wait. Once his foe surfaced Eisen didn’t waste any time in advancing, shield held ready to block any attacks coming in. He had permitted the hero to take the offense, and Eisen in turn had taken his measure. It was time to go on the offensive himself. His steady advance turned into a jog, sword held at the ready and defenses prepared, bringing him towards the Ta-Toa at an ever-increasing rate. While he did two of the javelins to Oreius’ left and his right rose from the snow, rocketing towards the Ta-Toa’s torso.

IC: "I'd appreciate it if you do it quickly." The statement was probably the most understated entrance he could have made, but Jaller wasn't in the mood for grandstanding. He was usually friendly at all times but the Akiri's face was deadly serious, and he hadn't come in his usual attire. The Ta-Matoran had brought back out his service armor, lacking of course his old Captain of the Guard insignia but not lacking the blades he had used during his service. "I'm sorry for the oversight, Commander, but this one's important."

IC: "Thanks." The Matoran's smile widened a little and he held out a hand to shake, keeping the other in his pocket. Though the Gukko Force's headquarters were crowded as usual, no one seemed to pay either of them any mind; not once Lekua acknowledged him. "Been a while since I spoke to one of Stannis' Companions. Would you mind walking and talking a little? Le-Koro is a great place, but I'd prefer somewhere quieter."

IC: “I see-” Liare’s hand, originally going to the pouch at his waist, instead went for his earpiece. Something about the way the armored being moved, the way they went for their helmet, seemed wrong. It was something in the movement itself, what little body language he could read, something impossible to place; when the grenades went off the earpiece was in place and his hands were already going for the weapons on his belt. Left for his blaster, right for his saber. He’d given diplomacy a shot. His best shot. They’d decided to throw it away, and now they’d gone and taken a literal shot. The Zabrak and his compatriot started a fight in a civilian establishment without regard for their safety, and he took a shot at the boss The Inquisitor sensed the bolt before he saw it, and reacted before he knew it. The crimson light from his blade caught on the dissipating smoke, rendering the room in shades of red while the sound of plasma deflecting off plasma explained the shot’s absence. The bolt was returned in a sense to sender, deflected towards where he knew the armored being to be. This was the part he hated; the part where he felt the rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins, the promise of a fight, and the demonstration of his power. This was the part where he felt the dark side burning at the edges of his consciousness. Promising the power to defeat his foes, protect his friends, and feel this alive. It really was tempting. “Stay down. You’re going to be okay.” Liare commented softly to the civilians at the bar, the calm in his tone at odds with the unfolding chaos. His next words weren’t as calm, radiating with an unspoken menace. “Raltz, back us up. But stay out of my way. Non-lethal suppression only, we want them alive. I can patch up anything short.” “Veyura, Varis, no one gets past me or the Chief. If they do, you’ll answer to me before Vespula ever gets the chance.” “And you.” The armored being was quick, having already found cover during the initial blitz, but his defenses meant little to the Force. A solid push destabilized him and Liare used the opportunity to flank him, raised barrel of his DC-17 and ignited saber indicating the change of demeanor his threateningly neutral expression reflected. “You’re not going anywhere. You kinda ###### me off.”

IC: "You can put down your hands." Liare said and raised his free hand palm out in a calming gesture. He gave the faintest smile then flipped his palm up in a slight shrug. "I promise, we're not here to cause problems. Our Zabrak friend is guilty of causing not insignificant damage to an Imperial ship, and accused of both obstruction of justice and the murder of an Imperial officer. You're right, they don't send us for the small fish." "Which is exactly what my boss means. We just need the Zabrak and any collaborators. The bulletin on him only went out earlier this evening, we don't blame anyone for not being aware of his status. We need him and anyone who knowingly helped. We're not going to hold ignorance against anyone." His smile widened, becoming almost conspiratorial. "Believe me, I'd love to wrap this up and get a drink. I don't get to be social much." His expression took on a note of genuine concern as he noticed the ill woman on the bar, and he patted a small kit at his waist. "She doesn't look so good. I'm certified as a medic, I would be happy to help once we can calm things down."

IC: "I have to second that question."

IC: "That would be our preference." Liare, for his part, knew his job. While Costa moved to intercept the suspects he placed himself between her and the Togruta at the bar. He didn't look particularly imposing, but he didn't need to; the hand resting lightly on ther hilt of his lightsaber spoke volumes. "We don't want any trouble. We need the fugitive, everyone else is free to go." He smiled, a genuine effort to ease tension. He really wanted to be allowed back. "I hope we haven't ruined anyone's evening. We'll collect our man and be out of your way before you know it." "That said, if things get hostile... It won't be on my conscience."

IC: "Might just be you." The comment slipped out half as a low purr while Liare shrugged off his coat, letting the garment fall to the bench beside him. None of the targets had lightsabers but blaster bolts would burn through fabric just as quickly. Losing his favorite coat wasn't really on his to-do-list. "You are looking a little red, Costa." The tension in the room continued to spike, climbing towards its frenetic climax. The con man loved a good bit of tension but this wasn't quite right. Tension of the right kind left you feeling electrified, every increase was anticipatory; it was excitement of the purest variety. This was built on anxiety. Everyone in the room knew something bad was about to happen but no one was sure who'd move first, who'd bring the tension to its crescendo. For once it wasn't going to be Liare. Flirting was always a good way to keep his mind occupied, it was so familiar it was relaxing, so he slipped into the routine without, Flirting with the boss was always fun, anyway. "Togruta over there's eager." The Inquisitor commented quietly, pulling his shoulder blades together and feeling the familiar stretch of taut sinew. He twisted to either side feeling each pop of his back with a soft 'mm'. A roll of each shoulder followed, accompanied by the unclasping of the strap keeping his DC-17 secure in its holster. "Blade out. I'll keep an eye on her. Two of the people over there are troopers, three unknowns, and the target." "Hope you're limbered up."

That was Loraan.