Ghosthands

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?"

All right, people, let's keep it civil in here. @Timageness: some paragraph spacing honestly would improve your posts' readability. Big, solid blocks of text aren't very easy on the eyes. How you format your posts is entirely your choice, of course, but I do recommend that you listen to your fellow players' advice. You complain that your posts are hardly ever noticed: have you considered that this might be because people find them difficult to read? @Timageness and @Claudio Kilgannon: escalating the argument isn't helping anyone. Hubert's friendly advice is being lost in a storm of "yeah well YOU do THIS". If IC events need to be disputed, then discuss them constructively; if a quest is going slowly, don't throw around blame. Calm it down, please.

IC [Tallik Vao, The Stray Tach] Raltz's stun shots peppered the doorway, some of them buzzing into the back room on Tallik's heels. By the time the Terror Troopers scuttled down the alley to the Tach's rear door, the Twi'lek had already burst through and was sprinting down the back streets like a bat out of . Left. Right. Right. Left. Instinct and muscle memory had taken over, guiding him on a haphazard but effective escape route away from the Tach. Only a small, quiet part of his mind was not occupied with flight, repeating one thought to itself: Cy will be fine Cy will be fine Cy will be fine IC [Raia Veyura, The Stray Tach] Costa was dealing with the Zabrak. Liare and Varis were taking on the blue-armoured being. Raltz and the Terror Troopers would no doubt capture the fleeing Twi'lek. The two off-duty Stormtroopers, however, were still in the bar, and given what she had seen when entering, Veyura had her suspicions about one of them. She flicked her lightsaber into life and advanced on the counter.

IC (Korero, Ko-Koro Maru hideout) Korero was pacing back and forth, struggling to keep his agitation in check. "Oreius should be here by now. I don't like this." He could easily enough avoid the patrols Leah had described, but what was this gathering? Anything important enough to attract that much of an audience was probably bad news. "This gathering," he said, stopping his pacing for a moment and facing Leah, arms folded. "Do you have any idea what's going on, what they're looking at?"

IC (Merror, Ta-Koro streets) "This sounds serious," Merror remarked, aware he was stating the obvious. "I take it my presence won't be a problem, Officer? I know the Akiri, and Agni can vouch for me." He gave Dorian a weary smile. "It's good to see you too, lad."

IC (Merror, Ta-Koro streets) It was difficult to imagine anything making Agni look more beleaguered than he already did, but hearing that yell managed it nonetheless. Merror, for his part, mustered only a resigned shrug. "Look on the bright side, Agni. Whatever Dorian's been up to, it can't possibly be worse than what we've already seen today."

IC (Lohkar, Infernavika) Lohkar grinned. "S'always good to know a hero owes you a favour." He tossed the Toa Maru his spyglass, and pointed out across the water to a small, dark cluster of shapes on the interior shore of the fjord whose mouth the Infernavika was now passing. "That's the port over there, mate," he said, beginning to turn the ship to starboard to approach it. "Looks clean to me from here. You see anything?"

IC [Tallik Vao, The Stray Tach] Tallik Vao had never had a lightsaber pointed at him before. Nor, for that matter, had he ever been pulled bodily through the air by invisible hands. Today was clearly a day for firsts. He grunted as he regained his balance, and straightened up, meeting the Zeltron's eyes with as much steeliness as he could muster. He was outmatched: he already knew that. But if he wasn't going to put up a fight. The Twi'lek loosened the knuckle-whitening grip on his blaster and slid it back into its holster. He relaxed his tension-ridden muscles, rolling toned shoulders, readying himself as he'd readied himself for countless duels. Holding his opponent's gaze, he reached over his shoulder and drew his sword from its scabbard. The polished blade slid free with clean rasp. He slashed left. She dodged back, faster than any duellist he'd ever faced. He slashed right. She dodged again, still not even raising her saber. He brought his follow-through around into a lightning-quick jab — a jab she neatly side-stepped. Tallik recovered quickly enough and tried a different tack, slashing a wide arc for the Zeltron's midsection. She bent over backwards. The sword whistled cleanly over her exposed navel, and she righted her posture again with nary a back crack. Her lightsaber's position was unchanged in her grip, firm but casual and pointed away from her. "One more go?" she asked sweetly, eyes warm and twinkling. Tallik jabbed at her heart. Costa flicked her wrist. The red blade struck his sword a finger's length from the hilt, and sliced clean through. Three feet of steel clattered to the floor. For a heartbeat, Tallik stared dumbfounded at what remained of his sword. The severed edge glowed orange like the wick of a blown-out candle.

IC [Raia Veyura, The Stray Tach] Veyura didn't particularly like taking orders from Liare, but she agreed with the underlying principle: it would be prudent to take the suspects alive wherever possible. Information was central to this mission. She had donned her breather mask when the smoke grenades first detonated. Now that the smokescreen was dissipating, the mask's goggles would only obstruct her peripheral vision so she pulled it back off her face. Her lightsaber was already in hand, ready to be ignited. As a last preparation, she replaced her Disperser's vial with one containing nerve toxin and set it to dart mode. The liquid was infused into its dart with a short, sharp hiss. IC [Tallik Vao, The Stray Tach] Tallik and Cylund moved seconds after the smoke descended. The Zabrak had given them something he wanted protected, which meant it was flight not fight. Finding out what that little data chip was would have to wait. Amid the general confusion, the duo vaulted over the bar, putting them on the far side of it from the Inquisitors — and also on the near side of it to the Tach's back door (which was their best avenue of escape, if the sounds coming from the front door were any indication). It would take more than a little smokescreen to mess with their intimate knowledge of Taris' drinking establishments. "Get it open!" Tallik shouted to his partner over the din of yells and blaster fire, pistol in hand. "I've got you covered!" Cylund darted for the door, hunched low to maximise cover. Tallik followed more slowly, keeping his back to the door, straining his eyes for hostiles in the slowly thinning smoke.

A big hand to Krayzikk for taking care of that. As mentioned in the topic, I'll be taking the loot requests.

never forget. never forgive.

IC (Lohkar, Infernavika) "There's a small port in one o' the fjords," said Lohkar, gripping the ship's wheel with mittened hands. "We'll dock there, assumin' the s haven't taken it over. From then on it's gettin' to the Koro and sneakin' ourselves in, both of which are Captain Icicle's department." The Lesterin shivered, tugging his frost-encrusted coat tighter around his chest. Ko-Wahi never failed to remind him of the craziness of this island's climates. Not half an hour ago the warm winds of Le-Wahi had been blowing through the 'Vika's sails, bringing with them the humidity of the jungle and a soft scent of soil. Now the wind was flecked with snow and bitterly cold, rolling down from the inhospitable slopes of Mount Ihu. Warm tropical waters had become arctic: icebergs reared their white, craggy heads, careful not to reveal the treacherous bulk below. Ko-Wahi was perhaps Lohkar's least favourite region of Mata Nui. He preferred to keep to the eastern coasts, with their golden beaches and warm spray, made ripe for piratical ventures by the shipping lanes connecting Ga-Koro to Po-, Ta- and Le-. The coasts of the west, by contrast, were rocky and treacherous, from the reefs of Onu to the bayou of eastern Le. Ko was even worse: dotted with icebergs, wracked with snowstorms — sometimes even the sea itself would freeze over into ice sheets a bio thick. Pickings were minimal, as the eastern villages conducted trade by Onu-Koronan tunnel rather than sea. And the people were as frigid as the Wahi. A cultist invasion almost sounded like a fun change of pace.

IC [Raia Veyura, Viggy's Lounge] "Only if Kaz doesn't get there first." Once outside Viggy's, Veyura swung herself onto the waiting speederbike and fired up the repulsors as Varis climbed on the back. The two Inquisitors shot off into the Lower City, homing in on their prize. * * * Veyura brought the speederbike to a swift halt outside the Stray Tach. Dismounting, she reached into her coat's concealed inner pockets to withdraw a vial of liquid that she clipped into her Disperser. Her lightsaber remained inside: Costa's signal had been a generic homing beacon, so the trap might not yet have been sprung. She had no intention of blowing cover at this crucial point. Having exchanged nods with her Zabrak colleague, the Umbaran pushed open the door to the bar and strode inside. IC [Tallik Vao, The Stray Tach] The situation was not looking good, to say the least. A quick look at Cy's face confirmed he thought the same. Their new employer had been identified and confronted almost immediately, by at least two Imperials, who would now have had a good enough look at all of them to make an ID. If they fought their way out, even if they escaped Taris, they'd soon be wanted on every world in Imperial territory. That was to say nothing of the nature of said Imperials. Nobody Tallik had spoken to knew much about the Inquisitors, but they knew enough to dread the name. And if those metal cylinders on their belts were what he thought they were, then even the very worst rumours might be true. The Zeltron's promises of amnesty rang hollow in Tallik's ears. There was already enough evidence to mark both him and his partner as collaborators. Given the Empire's (not to mention the Inquisitorius') reputation, surrender would likely mean torture at the very least. Fight, flight, or neither? None of the options were attractive. His shoulders tensed as he resisted urge to reach for his sword and blaster: he would let the Zabrak make the call before taking action. Two women in dark clothes entered the bar. There: the cold hum had increased again, he was sure of it. But what was it?

IC [Raia Veyura, Viggy's Lounge] Veyura responded to her colleagues' disparagement with a raised eyebrow that, despite being a virtually silent motion, somehow carried across the comlink. As Liare and Costa initiated radio silence, she took a sip from her drink and met Varis' gaze. "Still nothing from Raine. Not that I particularly miss his compan—" She was interrupted by a repeated tone emanating from both Inquisitors' communicators: Costa's homing beacon. "Well, well. Seems the Chief's already found our man." The Umbaran produced her pocket datapad and keyed in the beacon coordinates. The location was another bar, this one known as the Stray Tach. The datapad helpfully indicated that it had a higher holonet review rating than Viggy's. Hmph. She rose to her feet, tucking the datapad back into her coat (and surreptitiously checking the locations of her vials and lightsaber). "I say we move, Raine or no Raine." IC [Tallik Vao, The Stray Tach] Tallik was beginning to feel uneasy, and not just because of this 'old friend' situation. Over the years he'd learned he had an instinctive sense for when things were about to go bad, almost uncannily so, but this feeling was different. Over the last minute or so he'd begun to feel an odd sort of headache, a sensation he hadn't felt before and couldn't quite describe even to himself. Was it like a humming sound overlaid with a soft crackling, or a prickling coldness? Was it in his forehead, or the base of his skull — or originating from somewhere else entirely, somewhere outside his body? And had it just intensified a fraction as those two people entered the bar, glancing in his direction before heading to a booth? It might be nothing. But it might not. Tallik felt the reassuring weight of the pistol at his hip and the sword at his back, running through in his mind the well-memorised positions of grip and hilt.

IC [Tallik Vao, The Stray Tach] "Then ain't it a good thing she's nowhere near the spaceport?" Cylund replied with his patented grin. Tallik nodded. "We parked her out in the junk fields, in an old hiding spot of ours. Avoiding run-ins with Imperial customs officers is one of our specialities. Sneaking on and off Taris isn't so hard; the Imps out here don't have the resources for a proper sensor net like you'd find nearer the Core. Our jammers are enough to avoid detection nine times out of ten." The Twi'lek turned to Rav. "What worries me is these rumours about a Star Destroyer in orbit. We should be able to escape any trouble if we charge the hyperdrive quick enough, but all the same..."

IC [Tallik Vao, The Stray Tach] Tallik gave a low whistle, exchanging glances with Cylund. From what he could glean from the ex-Stormtrooper's words, whatever trouble their Zabrak client was in, it looked to be deeper than he'd anticipated. Good. They could handle it. And the bigger the black eye the Empire got as a result, the better. "Well, finding a ship won't be a problem," he said to Rav with a smirk. "It just so happens that my partner and I have a ship of our own, ready to go. She's a blockade runner. Class 1 hyperdrive, sensor jammers, the works. We'll get you to Dantooine in no time."

IC [Raia Veyura, Lower City] "I read you, Kalaf," Veyura replied. "I think I've found a good place to start. Meet me in Viggy's Lounge. I'll find us a private booth." The Inquisitor swung herself off the rental speederbike and walked through the doors beneath the large holo-sign that proclaimed, in stylised lettering, the name of the aforementioned Lounge. It looked to be a quieter and cleaner establishment than a lot of the bars in the area. The multitude of private booths that lined the interior walls made it an attractive place for the Inquisitors to meet and plan their search. The sound of classy music and quiet conversation washed over Veyura as she entered, taking a quick look around in case their quarry was here himself. Most of the tables and stools were underlit in red, as was the bar, behind which the eponymous Viggy (a gangly Xexto) was preparing drinks with all four of his arms. He looked up as she approached, big black eyes twinkling amiably. "What can I getcha?" he croaked. "One Raxus Seabreeze," Veyura requested. "And a booth for three." "Seabreeze, comin' right up," Viggy replied, already snatching up a glass with one hand and beginning to pour liquors with two others. Within seconds, Veyura's drink was sliding towards her across the counter. "Take your pick of the booths." Veyura smiled her thanks, took the drink and headed for the nearest booth. It was a cylindrical alcove, with a table set in the middle and a single padded bench curving around it. Veyura sat down and took a sip from her glass, leaving the door of the booth open for now so her colleagues would see her. After allowing herself a few seconds to savour the fresh tang of the Raxus Seabreeze, she put a finger to her comm. "Got a booth. I expect I'll see you shortly, Kalaf. Raine, what about you?"

Honestly there's not much else to say, but I really do understand (and am primarily responsible for) your frustration, so I'll clarify the situation as best I can. Simply put, the end of the Mangai Quest has been the single worst case of writer's block I've ever experienced. As the encounter with the creature progressed, I found myself struggling more and more to think of what I should write next and how to give the PCs involved as much agency as possible in the quest's denouement. Even after I decided, after much delay, to wrap everything up in one post, writing that post became the new problem. I found it very hard to sit down and work on it, and when I did, I could barely churn out a paragraph at a time. As weeks turned into months I felt more and more guilty for not having got it done, and that in turn made it yet harder to write. With hindsight, I should have let someone else take over a long time ago. More than one person offered to do so, but I said no. I've always found it difficult to let go of anything I consider to be my brainchild (e.g. the Wiki, Echelon plot posts...) and this was no different. A few weeks ago I finally recognised that it was going nowhere, and handed the reins over to Krayzikk, who has very kindly agreed to write the wrap-up post in line with my bare-bones outline. This, however, I have trouble understanding. What disconnect is that? We reply to PMs. We respond here in N&D. And we're pretty much always reachable on Skype. And more broadly, I like to think that we've always made an effort to put the player-base first: to keep the plot open to player involvement, to balance what's fun for the individual with what's fair for the group, and to be receptive to feedback and concerns. Perhaps what you're perceiving as a 'disconnect' is actually just that we're not around as much as we used to be. As Krayzikk says, life has been hectic for each member of the team. In my case, my university studies not only take up a lot of my time, but also use up most of my motivation and creativity. I had hoped that I'd be able to make up some ground over the summer, but I ended up working full-time for pretty much the entire holiday, so that didn't really happen. And I don't think it's something that's confined to the staff, either. As a whole, the BZPRPG's player-base is ageing. As we get older, we get busier — and not only that, but we also begin to expect stronger narratives and more nuanced characters. All of that makes a game like this more difficult to maintain. The staff team are committed to keeping the BZPRPG going, rest assured. We're hoping that the upcoming arc transition will be a much-needed shot in the arm. Krayzikk, our long-suffering dogsbody (<3), is heading that up too, so please be patient on both that and the Mangai front. I'll be catching up with my own most pressing responsibilities (i.e. getting the Infernavika underway) in the near future. And I owe you and everyone else involved an apology, both for the quest specifically and for my inactivity in general. And to everyone: as Hubert says, if something is bothering you, please do talk to us. We'll listen.

IC [Tallik Vao, The Stray Tach] Tallik's hand moved calmly but decisively to the grip of his blaster pistol. "Word of advice," he said to the woman who had approached them. "You think you've found a wanted man? Walking up to him and telling him you know who he is is a great way to get yourself shot." The Twi'lek wasn't one for shooting first and asking questions later (unlike his partner, the cavalier Calrissian), but neither was he inclined to trust random strangers in bars. He often had an instinctive sense for whether a person was trouble, and he wasn't getting such a feeling from this woman, but nonetheless Tallik was wary. That she would not only infer the Zabrak's identity, but approach him in public, call him out, and then ask him for work was more than enough grounds for suspicion. "In any case, I'm not sure why you'd think my client was such a person."

Yeah, to be fair, it's just me who's shirking his duty.

I'm proud of him.

IC (Lohkar) "On the topic of who we're sharin' a ship with, First Mate," said Lohkar quietly, leaning against the railing at Gunner's side, "what's the status of the crew? I'm not seein' a lot of our own men on board." "Yasurek, Lasinia and Mimira are definitely present and correct, Cap'n," the Le-Toa replied. "And Floria might be around somewhere, but I haven't seen Zmija or Doomie since we were in the Koro." "Hmm." The pirate captain looked unusually pensive for a moment, frowning into the middle distance. "If they're not here by the time we're ready to sail—by which I mean in the next five minutes—we leave without 'em. No time to wait for stragglers today, Mate." He clapped the First Mate twice on the back, then strode off up to the poop deck to position himself behind the wheel. He cleared his throat briskly, and switched his voice into hollerin' mode. "All right, lads an' lasses!" the Lesterin bellowed. "Form up on deck, the lot of you! I've a few words to say before we cast off!"

IC (Lohkar) "Personally, I'm quite keen on the ol' depth perception."