Ghosthands

IC The Legacy's hostage facility was designed to be inconspicuous; just one inconsequential warehouse among many near the northern edge of the Koro. As such, guard presence outside was kept to a minimum in favour of covert surveillance and concealed strength. But between the driving snow and the labyrinth of buildings beyond, the sentries watching from the warehouse's upper floors didn't see the Maru's advance until it was too late. Their shouts were almost immediately drowned out the crash of Leah's wave as it shattered the easternmost door. The guards on the warehouse floor — eight in number — spun to face the source of the noise, only to be met with a waist-high torrent of water that knocked their feet from under them. Spluttering and wiping water from their eyes, they struggled to regain their footing and seize dropped weapons, many of which had already been swept metres away by the wave. The sentries, perched as they were on wooden catwalks raised high above the warehouse floor, were more prepared. As Leah sprang through the now-obliterated doorway, two Vortixx aimed energy weapons at her and a Toa of Lightning summoned crackling arcs in each hand, while the fourth sentry (a Le-Lesterin) scrambled for a nearby ladder, leading to the roof.

IC (Merror) "I will," said Merror. "You have my word." He owed Jaller (and Dorian, for that matter) that much, not to mention that the boy was clearly connected to this gathering storm. As was Echelon. He felt his jaw tighten at the thought of his old foe. Dorian had said Echelon was going to open the Vault, which meant that was probably his next destination: the depths of Mangaia, to confront the Dark Toa and put a stop to his plans. He would need all the help he could get. And so the veteran Toa's path would once more cross Echelon's. Something told Merror that the stakes had never been higher. That the fate of Mata Nui was now hanging in the balance. And that this, if the threads of Destiny were converging as he sensed, would be a final confrontation with the Necromancer whose malevolence had haunted him all those long years. For good or ill, it would be an ending. He hoped Dorian was ready. Speaking of whom... "Shall we go and see how the interrogations are going?" he asked Jaller. "I think we've been talking long enough."

IC [Raia Veyura, ISD Insight] The Insight's labs were Veyura's usual haunt on the ship, so it was no surprise that she was the first to arrive at the droid workshop. She stopped short of entering, opting instead to lean against the corridor wall beside the door and wait for her colleagues to arrive. Speaking of whom: why had Costa asked for Raine, of all people? His was hardly an intellect suited to analysing subtle intelligence of the sort that would be gleaned from the Republic astromech's innards. Someone like Varis or (begrudgingly) Liare would seem to have been the logical choice. More likely, Costa was playing some casual mind games with her team, pairing up personalities she knew would grate. Veyura smirked. She could respect that, even if she was on the receiving end of it. And it could be worse: some poor soul out there was probably saddled with Kaz for the day. A pair of Imperial techs walked past, carrying what looked like a crate of salvage from the B-wing between them. The labs were pretty well staffed, all in all; the Inquisitorius could generally be relied on to secure a high calibre of specialists. Veyura had found the biotech division to be particularly unburdened by ethics or squeamishness — when your job meant working on Terror Troopers on a regular basis, you had to be.

Going by precedent, I believe a self-taught Force user is fine (I think padawan-level is the permitted ballpark for power) but lightsabers are a different matter. Inquisitors are a special case since they're part of a Dark Side organisation and thus have access to knowledge and resources (i.e. lightsaber schematics and crystals) that are otherwise not allowed for newly-created characters. I don't have the authority to make a ruling, though, so ask Grav or Tyler.

In halcyon days, that would have been the Lavapool Inn, but that was destroyed in the Piraka's attack on Ta-Koro. Nowadays the Magma Lounge probably has the largest market share.

Oh, this game's not dead. Not yet...

IC (Merror, Guard HQ) "True," Merror replied. "Very true. Mata Nui is so much lesser for his loss — for the loss of all the Turaga. It's hard not to wonder how much better things might be if we still had their guidance." Briefly, the memory of Ko-Wahi rose unbidden to his mind, and he looked away, distracted. ...linen robes in the wind...hand upon a staff... Then it was gone. The veteran Toa blinked a couple of times to clear his head, then met Jaller's gaze again. "For what it's worth, I think he'd be very proud of you."

OOC: @Rache: Going by Keeper's post it looked as though Raltz had already picked up Cylund, but I'll assume he just passed him to Isariah. IC [Raia Veyura, The Stray Tach] Veyura gestured to Raltz to escort the Zabrak prisoner after Isariah, falling in step behind him. Seeming to remember something, she paused at the door and turned back to her colleagues. "Oh, Inquisitors: one of you may wish to investigate behind the bar." The Umbaran's eyes briefly met Odiina's before she turned away to follow the smuggler and dark trooper out of the Tach.

Oh, I see. Well, if they were sufficiently far from the gates they might have been​ able to avoid notice, especially if night had fallen by that point.

IC (Ageru Dakte) "You Toa possess a connection to the physical world that is remarkably direct," Dakte observed. "I expect most Dasaka will find it very alien. Even the Mindarm and Soulsword, the most physical of our Disciplines, are deeply rooted in the mental plane."

IC (Ageru Dakte) Dakte pulled his attention away from admiring the Ko-Wahi landscape. Snow was rare enough in the Archipelago, even in the cold seasons; to see that Mata Nui had an entire region permanently blanketed in it was astounding. "A Menti's power is of the mind," he said in answer to Zueya's question. "As such, it demands discipline and focus in the user. I suppose this could come across as a certain...stoicism?"

IC (Merror, Guard HQ) Merror lowered his head a little. "The cost of holding to an ideal," he said. "Just...be careful that it's the right ideal, or the cost may become too great." As it has for me.

Hi all. Sorry about my nearly-two-month absence; it's been a very busy time in my life (but I'm pleased to say a fruitful one). If anybody needs anything from me, just let me know. Her chances of surviving for ~twelve hours would very much depend on her protection from the cold and the severity of any injuries she sustained, but I'm pretty sure it's feasible.

IC (Dakte, Kalta-Dasaka camp) Dakte stood watching the ongoing situation with folded arms and an impassive expression. "Quite." This island is insane.

IC (Korero, Ko-Koro) While Leah went hunting, Korero crept across the Ko-Koro rooftops towards the main square. Guards had been posted on some of the more accessible roofs and towers, but avoiding their view was just a matter of cover and judicious use of the Hiko. Peering over the gable of one of the taller building bounding the square, he looked down at the spectacle that had attracted so many of the city's new residents. Sure enough, the red form of Oreius Maru was unmistakable as one of the two combatants. His opponent, if the spikes of iron littering (and bursting from the ground of) the makeshift arena were anything to go by, was most likely the Fe-Toa Nightfall member they called Eisen. That wasn't surprising — only someone of the Nightfall's calibre would be able to hold their own against his Toa-Brother. What troubled Korero more than the identity of the duelist was their endgame (and Oreius', for that matter). How had this duel begun, or even been arranged? If Oreius had revealed himself, he must have made some deal with the Nightfall or he would've forfeited the hostages' lives. As hotheaded as Oreius could be, he wouldn't sacrifice innocent lives just for the sake of confrontation. Nevertheless, Korero shook his head at his teammate's recklessness. The likelihood of the Nightfall upholding their side of any bargain wasn't exactly high. Even if he were to win this duel, Oreius was still in the belly of the beast. Swift use of the Hiko might be his only lifeline.

IC (Merror, Guard HQ) There was no need for more than two men to an interview, so as Angel and Dorian walked to one room and Agni and Loren to the other, Merror stayed by the conference room. He and Jaller exchanged weary nods. Merror had been a Toa-warrior on Mata Nui for a long time, and his travels had taken him to Ta-Koro many a time. In the days before Vakama's murder he had worked with Jaller (then-captain of the Guard) to defend the Village of Fire against more than a few threats, and the two had developed a mutual respect and rapport. Jaller had undoubtedly changed after accepting the mantle of Akiri (a responsibility that clearly weighed heavy on him), but Merror knew he was still the same soldier he'd fought alongside. "Dark times, these," he remarked. "I have to keep reminding myself that we've lived through worse."

IC (Merror, Guard HQ) The veteran Toa couldn't help but crack a smile, accompanied though it was by a skyward roll of his eyes. "Young people..." he muttered to Agni as they began to file out of the conference room. "Even with everything going to Karzahni...somehow they're both a bane and an inspiration."

IC (Merror, Guard HQ) "Would you prefer to be alone with her, Dorian?" Merror asked. He wanted to help, but he knew that Dorian and Tuara's relationship was a deeply personal and private one. It was best to be respectful of that.

IC (Korero, Ko-Koro Maru hideout) "Wait," said Korero. "Before we move, we need to decide what we're going to do about Oreius." He glanced across to Stannis. "As you said, we have to get him out of there before it's too late. And that means splitting up and going after the hostages simultaneously, or they'll be dead long before we can get to them." The Toa of Air closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath in and out as he steeled himself against the situation. He was well aware that this might be a long shot: there were too many variables to control, and success would depend on all of them. Many lives were at stake, not least those of his Toa-Brothers. "I'll go for Oreius," he said firmly. "With the Hiko I can get him out of there in a heartbeat. You three go after the hostages. All I can tell you is that they're not in the places you'd expect: the Citadel, the Koro vaults...I think the Legacy have deliberately avoided using the most secure places in the city. After all, they're the first places we'd think to look. I think Echelon knows we're coming, so he's hidden them somewhere inconspicuous." He looked back to Leah again. "But they've got to be guarded somehow. Someone must know something." IC (Lohkar, Infernavika) Lohkar nodded his assent. "Sounds like a plan to me." He pulled the Infernavika's wheel to larboard, redirecting her course away from the fjord and its small port. "The Throat's only a couple o' leagues up the coast. With this wind we'll reach it within the hour."

IC (Merror, Guard HQ) Merror turned in his seat to face Dorian. It was clear that the name 'Kitea' meant something to the young Fe-Toa.

IC [Raia Veyura, The Stray Tach] Veyura attention had been diverted by Kaz's 'entrance' and the subsequent escape of the Zabrak's blue-armoured accomplice; the two off-duty stormtroopers were (at least temporarily) forgotten. She nodded in acknowledgement of Costa's orders. Deactivating her lightsaber, she beckoned Raltz over. "Sergeant, if you could secure our prisoners..."

IC (Dakte, campsite) Dakte gave the approaching Mako a nod. His presence was reassuring; the Menti was not yet sure what to think of this 'Toa Team', and had been suspicious of Soraph since the incident with the Parakuka creatures. The old Datsue was the only one here he really trusted. IC (Tazera, Chiisai Ryuu) "Orders are orders, ma'am, whether they're on the record or not," the Lieutenant replied. "You can trust me to get the job done." The slightest hint of a smirk peeked through her stoic expression. "And I'll be as discreet as I can."

IC (Merror, Ta-Koro gates) I had hung back as the others approached Tuara and her hostage, watching as the situation went from bad to worse. One minute Dorian was shouting about Echelon and the Vault; the next he had Jaller by the throat. It didn't look like he was bluffing. I wanted to step in and end this madness. I wanted to call their bluffs, or neutralise their threats, or shout them down and bring them to their senses. I wanted to act. But I didn't. Something had woken in me, the same thing that had made me accept Utu's choice to let go of life, and it held me back. Again I felt old, almost physically weighed down by it, but I also felt the urge to intervene ebbing away. Replacing it was a calm detachment: a feeling of clarity, and of patience. I stood, and I watched.

IC (Lohkar, aboard the Infernavika) "You know, for a do-gooder, you do 'ave pretty good taste in smugglin' routes," Lohkar replied with a grin. "Aye, I may 'ave used the Three Brothers once or twice." The pirate paused a moment, rubbing the palm of his hand pensively against the worn wood of the ship's wheel. "Since you know the place, I assume you know the risks." IC (Korero, Ko-Koro Maru hideout) "Distraction or no, we still don't know where the hostages are," Korero remarked. "I was closing in, but I still don't know the exact location. Although..." He glanced to Leah. "...with your mask, we might have a chance of finding it quickly."

IC (Merror, Ta-Koro back street) Merror had taken a grim look at the severed digit, then turned to listen to what Jaller had to say. "Tuara?" he said, his face showing his surprise. He had travelled with her as fellow companions of Joske, and she had been among those that later tried to save Utu (although they had parted ways after Utu chose his own fate, and he had not seen her since). If Jaller was right, the implications were not good. "Any sign of the rest of the body?"