Ghosthands

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] The Toa grinned. "Good plan." Together, the newly-acquainted partners traversed the corridors back towards the entrance. Syrik waved open the magnetic door once more, and stepped out, medical supplies in hand. If he was relieved or surprised to find the three Matoran were still there, he didn't show it. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long," he said amiably. Although... The Toa's eyes swept around the ice cave, then settled on Kreigero. He tilted his head a little to one side, a quizzical hint of a smile hovering over his lips. "Your Hapaka's gone." OOC: @Goose @BULiK @~Xemnas~ @Tarn

IC (Vrinak the Broker) [The Warrens] Tabakk smoke wisped and coiled in the lantern glow of the Broker's private study, deep in the Warrens. Vrinak sat at a broad wooden desk stacked with papers and logbooks, cigar in hand, perusing a letter. It had arrived that morning from one of his agents: she had made contact with the estranged Nakihl Kalzok, who claimed to have discovered a pristine archive and tomb of the ancient Lesterin, and was offering its contents in return for bankrolling the excavation and access to the information contained within. Quite a claim, and quite a favourable deal, if he was telling the truth — which the agent claimed to be sure he was, though the Broker had reason to doubt her objectivity in this particular case. Fortunately, for verification, the letter came with sketches detailing a memory crystal the contact had retrieved, and a smaller fragment. The Nakihl the Broker kept in his employ had analysed it and assured him it was genuine. All well, then. Vrinak pulled pen and paper from a drawer and swiftly scrivened his reply. I accept your offer. I will have an excavation team and escort ready within a week, together with the necessary equipment and supplies. Come to the Warrens and you may lead them to the location. I look forward to doing business with you. - V. A second letter he addressed directly to the agent who had relayed the Nakihl's offer. Good find. I'm pleased. But don't think your history with this man has escaped my notice. Make sure it doesn't cloud your judgment. The Broker sealed both missives and held them out towards his majordomo. The Kaiakan dutifully stepped forward, took the letters, and left the study to send them on their way north. He returned soon after, with news: "Warlord Garsi has arrived, sir." "Ah, yes," the Broker said approvingly, taking one more tug on his cigar before stubbing it out and rising to his feet. "I take it she's being shown to the usual receiving chamber." "Of course, sir," the Kaiakan replied, fetching his master's coat from where it hung on a nearby stand and holding it out for him to don. "She will be waiting for you there." "Very good," the Broker purred, smiling. Few items in his schedule were as likely to be interesting or lucrative as a meeting with a warlord. ____________ Ipsudir was met by a group of Broker's men of similarly diverse makeup to those who had escorted them from the canyon opening to an entrance to the Warrens proper, Skakdi and Lesterin standing side-by-side. One Skakdi stepped forward as they approached, and bowed. "Warlord Garsi," he addressed her respectfully. "The Broker is honoured by your visit, as always. Please, follow me." There was, of course, no request that she or her entourage give up their weapons as they entered the Broker's underground domain. Cautious as he was, Vrinak knew better than to so gravely insult a warlord with such a demand. Besides, the risk was low enough: despite her ferocity, Ipsudir was one of the more prudent of her peers, and plenty of his own men would be present and just as well-armed as their guests. Mutually assured destruction was the Skakdi way, after all. OOC: @NorikSigma @Mel

Word is spreading on Mata Nui. The Infernavika has made port in Ostia, and her captain has a revelation to share: he knows the location of Zakaz, and is preparing to sail there in the near future. He's more than happy to offer passage aboard his ship, and will provide the location to any captains wishing to make the voyage personally (all for a reasonable price, of course). If you have a character on Mata Nui you'd like to send to the Zakaz region, this is your chance. Also, the 'Vika is a little short-staffed at present, so Lohkar is actively recruiting new crewmembers. If you have a sailor, scallywag or swashbuckler who's looking for some adventure, they'd be most welcome. Lohkar's going back to his piratical roots, and plunder awaits on the seas of Zakaz. To get in on any of the above action, just head on down to Ostia and find Captain Lohkar at the Dancing Crab tavern. Alternatively, if you'd like to skip the introductions and avoid getting bogged down in Meetings™, feel free to shoot me a PM and we can have your character aboard the ship after the voyage has begun. The distance between Mata Nui and Zakaz is considerable, so the bulk of the voyage(s) will most likely take place during one of the traditional mid-arc timeskips, as and when that happens. But rest assured, this will be the start of cross-pollination between the BZPRPG's oldest locale and its newest. Now...bring me that horizon.

OOC: Taking advantage of the current moment to timeskip things forward for the 'Vika. IC (Lohkar) [The Infernavika, Ostia] Today would be a rare treat for the ship-watchers of Ostia. From the casual onlooker to the dedicated enthusiast, the departure of the Fowadi in all her refitted glory was a long-awaited spectacle for the denizens of the port town's dockyards. So imagine their surprise and delight when, scarcely an hour later, the more eagle-eyed among them identified a distant approaching vessel as the other contender for Mata Nui's most famous ship. Tall and sleek in the Lesterin style, triple-masted, carved from red Khacha wood, the Infernavika was an unmistakable sight even before she was close enough to make out her figurehead (the eponymous firebird) and nameplate. Racing across Leva Bay with all the speed for which she was renowned, she cut through the glittering water with the grace and power of a Takea. Her snow-white sails were furled one by one as she neared the port, gradually slowing her approach to a gentle glide, until her crew dropped anchor and leapt with ropes to secure her to the dock. Her main-mast flew a Ga-Koronan privateer flag, though it was evident from mutterings among some of the more lawfully-minded folk present that not everybody was convinced by the crew's heel-face turn of recent times. The gangplank was slid out and secured, and Captain Lohkar came striding across to equal parts cheers and jeers from those around, all of which were answered with the same roguish grin. "Good to see ya all too!" With the ship docked, Lohkar and his crew set to work. Some, coordinated by Gunner, began the process of scouting out, purchasing and loading the various goods that would be needed for their voyage. Others, glad of any excuse to frequent the port's bars and taverns, began a nonetheless equally important task: spreading rumours. A sign posted on a noticeboard here, an easily-overheard conversation there, a whisper and a widget slipped to the right person...word travels fast on an island where people wear the Kakama and Kualsi, and soon it would reach not just every corner of Ostia, but each of the six Koro and everywhere in-between. The word was that Captain Lohkar was back in town, and this time he had the motherload: he knew the location of the islands of Zakaz and Seprilli, home to the Skakdi and Lesterin peoples and full of opportunity for those bold enough to grasp it. The Infernavika would soon be setting sail to make the long and difficult voyage to those distant lands, and was offering passage aboard to any willing to pay. Not only this, the location itself was also for sale to any who wished to make the journey themselves. And lastly, Lohkar was once again recruiting. Ostensibly this was all legitimate enterprise and the Infernavika was nowadays toeing the legal line, but to the right ears, there would be an implication that the Infernavika's activities in Zakazian waters might be of a more piratical nature... *** Lohkar sat in the private back room of the Dancing Crab, generally accepted as Ostia's liveliest and seediest tavern, legs up and lazily crossed on the table in front of him. "And now," he murmured over a mug of the house rum, "we wait."

IC (Lohkar) [The Infernavika, off the Po-Wahi coast] A pause. "Karz. I can't believe we've never thought o' that before."

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] "Mmm." The Toa didn't sound pleased by this development, nor particularly impressed by Aerus' decoy plan. "Well, if you can avoid an ID from anyone but this 'guy' of yours, that's good enough. And he can be dealt with if need be." Syrik stepped into the laboratory, looking around in search of the medical supplies he sought among the various devices, worktops, cabinets, and rack upon rack of instruments and samples. His gaze lingered on the observation window of one reinforced test chamber, built into the far wall. Pain. Pain like he'd never felt before. Jolt after jolt of excruciation, accompanied by the harsh buzz of the voltages running through the metal frame and into his body. The restraints, hard and unyielding, digging into his wrists and ankles as he spasmed. The old man's face beyond the glass, grim, unmoved by a child's screams. "Focus." The voice, cold, muffled by the glass. "Feel this, and let it focus your mind. Channel it." The lever. Metal. Large, heavy. The old man had said it would break the circuit and end his torment. But it was beyond his reach. He looked away, stared hard at the floor for a moment, then continued his search. Soon his gaze alighted on the cabinet he'd been looking for. He opened its metal door magnetically as he approached, with a lazy flick of the wrist. He took a roll of bandages and a vial of disinfectant from within and turned back to Aerus. "Right. Let's get back to our friends before they get any ideas." OOC: @Goose

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] "That so?" Syrik replied, continuing towards the laboratory. The Toa had shown a flicker of recognition at the name 'Merror', but didn't comment. "I was thinking Onu-Koro. Got a safehouse there we can use for the time being. What's the contingency?"

IC (Lohkar) [The Infernavika, off the Po-Wahi coast] "Aye, shouldn't be too hard to get a nice haul," Lohkar replied. "Only question is how much'll survive the journey..." OOC: @Snelly @Void Emissary @pokemonlover360

IC (Lohkar) [The Infernavika, off the Po-Wahi coast] "Backbone," Lohkar remarked dryly. "Much as it pains me to admit it, a lot o' my people are bedwettin' cowards. 'Specially on Seprilli. Always lettin' the warlords push 'em around — or worse, those poncy merchant buggers. That's somethin' we can supply — a bit of good old-fashioned spine." The captain gave a small, self-satisfied chuckle in appreciation of his own joke. "But as for trade goods, that's difficult. Zakaz may be a rough place but it's got plenty o' mineral wealth, an' better tech than you lot. I s'pose there might be a market on Seprilli for exotic food an' drink." A grin began to widen on his face. "I tell you what. If I know my people, they'll go crazy for some o' your Mata Nuian liquors." OOC: @pokemonlover360 @Void Emissary @Snelly

IC (Ageru Tazera) [Bridge of the Chiisai Ryuu] Tazera was just about able to register the Ideatalk between Ayiwah and Koso alongside the spoken words exchanged on the bridge (though parsing these multiple conversations while keeping her eyes on the hostile and wildcard Toa was beginning to give her a headache). Good, more backup was on the way, and it sounded like the Commodore had successfully anchored the Ryuu to the Yukanna too. The odds of a successful hijacking should now be slim to none. That just left the interloper himself, and the other Toa. The latter was now, it seemed, trying to convince the former to focus on escaping over his original harebrained scheme. As much as the very suggestion of letting this would-be pirate get away made her blood boil, and as stubbornly determined as she felt to bring him to justice herself, the rational part of her brain was suddenly struck by the implications of the Onu-Toa's entreaty. Perhaps it would not be such a bad thing to give him the opportunity to escape — or rather, to let him think he had such an opportunity. Letting him leave the Ryuu under his own power might be the right strategy to end this standoff. After all, where could he go? By now half the Dasaka navy would be waiting for him the minute he stuck his head through the hatch, and by rights the local Marines ought to be on the case as well. He'd be the proverbial fish in a barrel. Still, she'd have to be careful not to make her change of heart too obvious, lest the would-be pirate realise his true predicament. Best give them a chance to 'convince' her. "And you expect me to stand aside and let him leave?" she said, once again addressing the Onu-Toa. "Why should I let this man escape justice?" OOC: @oncertainty @Razgriz @Vezok's Friend

IC (Lohkar) [The Infernavika] "Soon as we've picked up all the crew an' supplies we'll need, plus some payin' passengers," Lohkar replied. "I see this as a business opportunity — we can offer safe passage to those who can't make the voyage on their own, an' sell the location to those that can." He winked. "Make our last few honest widgets before the real fun begins, eh?" OOC: @Void Emissary @Snelly @pokemonlover360

IC (Lohkar) [The Infernavika] "Bunch o' weirdos, they were," Lohkar agreed. "Hard to negotiate with anyone as crazy as that." He elected not to tell Gunner about the many, many cultists of Zakaz.

IC (Ageru Kilanya) [Fort Kizuno, Odaiba] Kilanya nodded as Shiki stated her training hours. She had tarried to speak with the young Menti and it was high time she continued her inspection of the Kizuno defences, but her timetable for the evening was more open. It would not be difficult for her to commit some time to overseeing the training yards. She could not devote such time purely to helping one Menti with her struggles, of course, but the training session as a whole would undoubtedly benefit from her oversight, and showing her face among the troops was always good for morale. If she happened upon young Shiki while doing so, and had the opportunity to assess her issues properly, that would simply be one small part of a wider gain. The Toroshu almost smiled, chiding herself. Even now, after all that had happened these past months, it seemed her sentimental streak was still alive and well. Why did she feel so compelled to help this young Menti, to the extent that she was already making excuses to arrange her schedule around it? Did she see something in Shiki, some spark of potential that demanded cultivation? Or was it a more selfish desire for connection amid the isolation her status and responsibility engendered? Or a displacement of her longing for the daughter she had barely known, and now might never again? All of them, perhaps. Or maybe it didn't matter — maybe what was important was to hold on to these little moments of humanity in this long and brutal war. Zuto Nui knew, there had been precious few of them. "Only what I ask of all Ageru," Kilanya replied. "Give your all in the defence of our home and people. Stand firm in the face of terror and pain. And above all...cultivate hope." The Toroshu looked away, past Kizuno's far wall and the distant spires of Sado to the cloud-streaked western sky. "It is a fragile crop," she said quietly. "But it may grow in even the harshest soil." She gazed out at the sky a moment longer and raised a hand to brush at something near her eye. Then she turned back to Shiki, wistfulness gone, commanding once more. "That is all," she said. "Until we meet again, Ageru Shiki." The Toroshu inclined her head in a brief nod of farewell, and strode away.

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] "Good," said Syrik. "If it's any consolation, I doubt this place would've stayed secret for long. Frankly it's a miracle Echelon kept it hidden as long as he did. And besides, it wouldn't have much served our purposes anyway. At least this way we should have a good-sized window to move out everything we need to somewhere more suitable." He glanced across the room to the door that led to Echelon's laboratories. "Lab still double as the infirmary?" OOC: @Goose

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] "You're assuming that if I go for the kill, I succeed," Syrik replied as he resumed his stride (slow enough for Aerus to be able to match, but still brisk) towards the base proper. "Don't get me wrong, I'm good at what I do. But there are three of them out there, plus the Hapaka. And you of all people should know never to underestimate a Matoran." There was a wryness to his words, but the glance he gave Aerus was deadly serious. "Sure, odds are good I can take them all out. But if I can't — if I go for the kill and just one of them gets away — then we have a much bigger problem on our hands than if we simply...let them go." He waved open the door to the central chamber and stepped through. "It's not just about what they know and what they think. It's about what they say to whoever they go blabbing to, and how their story looks. Think about it. A couple of reclusive hermits living in a cave, who gave them some supplies and sent them on their way? That's just another day in the Drifts. Not worth anybody's time to investigate, certainly not when there's a dragon to look into instead. But a couple of reclusive hermits who murdered their friends, just to keep a location secret? That's the kind of thing you investigate. That's how we bring the Sanctum Guard down on our heads, or worse." OOC: @Goose

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] "It's all a calculation, my friend. Risk and reward. You have to consider every outcome." The Toa looked back to where Aerus had stopped, and beckoned briskly. "Keep up. The longer we leave them alone out there the longer they have to pull something stupid." OOC: @Goose

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] "Yes, but not at the cost of compromising it further. We need to control what information gets back to the Koro."

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] "No need for you to come inside," Syrik replied smoothly. "We'll be back in just a moment." He glanced down at Aerus, and the two stepped back through the metal threshold. With a wave of the Toa's hand, the featureless door slid shut. Syrik immediately began to stride along the corridor towards the base's central chamber. "You're overplaying your hand out there," he remarked to his newfound partner, in a low enough voice to be sure it wouldn't travel beyond the door. "They're hiding something, but I think most of their story is truthful. They didn't come looking for this place, and I don't think they know what they've found...but now they do know we didn't want them to find it. And they're scared. That's a problem." OOC: @Goose @Tarn @BULiK @~Xemnas~

IC (Ageru Kilanya) [Fort Kizuno, Odaiba] "That is a difficult question to answer," Kilanya replied. "Clearly you must find whatever it is that blocks you, but that is easier said than done. Introspection and meditation may help, but...sometimes an outside perspective is needed, to see in oneself what the self cannot." The Toroshu rubbed her chin, frowning not in displeasure but in contemplation. "When is your next training shift?"

IC (Ageru Tazera) [Bridge of the Chiisai Ryuu] "Whoever that was," Tazera said in a carefully level tone, eyes still warily flitting from one Toa to the other, "I suggest you listen to them. I am Lieutenant Ageru Tazera, officer in charge of the Chiisai Ryuu, and it is my job to defend her against all assailants. And I think the time for avoiding hastiness, Toa Aeragot — " (It was still odd not to have clan names to address the Mata Nuians with, especially to convey the gravity of a situation like this one, so she reached for the title the locals used for their Menti instead.) " — would've been before this man infiltrated and attempted to hijack a vessel of the Dasaka fleet. Whether by my hand or another's, he will be brought to justice and he will not — " Tazera was interrupted by the loud clank of the bridge door finally being wrenched open, and Inzu burst through, hand already on her sword hilt. ::Hold!:: the Lieutenant quickly Ideatalked to her, even as she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief at this evening of the odds. ::Do not engage these Toa until I signal you, or until engaged.:: As vexed as she was by the newcomer Toa's apparent sympathy for the would-be thief, his current careful neutrality was better than having two hostile Toa on the bridge. And as military-minded as she was, Tazera was aware that this was already the biggest diplomatic incident yet between the Empire and the Mata Nuians (it made that business with the madwoman and the slug-creatures look like child's play). Further escalation should be avoided if possible, however inevitable her instincts told her it might be. She turned her attention back to Aeragot. "...he will not escape with this vessel. You'd be wise to either stand aside or assist us in detaining him." OOC: @oncertainty @Razgriz Apologies for the delay, been a very busy couple of weeks.

IC (Ageru Kilanya) [Fort Kizuno, Odaiba] "No." Kilanya's whole aura had changed. Gone was the gentle curiosity, the gracious if detached praise. Now her single eye looked down upon Shiki with the stern and steely gaze of the Rakumetsu Toroshu. "You do not have forever. If the Rakushi come over these walls tomorrow, you will need all the power of a Menti to defend yourself and our kin. 'Forever' is a luxury none of us can afford." Her face softened. Obviously the girl knew the urgency of the situation the Dasaka found themselves in. She needed encouragement and advice as much as dire warnings. "Perseverance is essential, but effort without progress suggests something is blocking you. Often it means there is something simple, yet fundamental, that has eluded us. 'A scythe wielded backwards cuts no stems, no matter how hard one reaps' ." The quote was from the philosophies of the Ageru Tenshuu-ryu, the venerable school of swordsmanship that was arguably the root and heart of Clan Ageru's reputation for Soulsword prowess. The Tenshuu-ryu claimed direct lineage from the techniques and philosophies laid down by Gestheru herself, a claim underlined by the Ageru ruling family's close ties with its masters. Kilanya knew its teachings well.

IC (Ageru Tazera) [Bridge of the Chiisai Ryuu] Tazera gave a short, derisive laugh. "If you were hoping to sail this vessel somewhere," she growled at the Vo-Toa, "you shouldn't have blasted the controls. I'm fairly sure the only thing keeping us from hitting the reef right now is the Toa Maru out there, and I doubt she intends to be an accomplice to your hijacking any more than I do." She looked to the newcomer. "Pay no heed to anything this charlatan says," she said, in a neutral tone but with plenty of warning implied. "He's attacked me several times already, and under the laws of my people — " She looked back to Rudra pointedly. " — what he's done here would already be a capital offence. The best he can hope for now is to be tried under yours. That's if he stands down. Now." She tugged at the length of Soulwhip held between her hands for emphasis, bringing forth a threatening, buzzing twang from the cord of energy. "I won't ask again." OOC: @Razgriz @oncertainty @Vezok's Friend @Rahisaurus

IC (Syrik) [Echelon's Lair] Something flickered in Syrik's eyes as Aerus spoke, and then again as Kreigero cut the rope around her waist. Something like frustration, or anger. But his expression remained studiously sympathetic. "In time for your contract?" the Toa echoed with jocular incredulity. "I'd have thought any boss would accept a dragon, a blizzard and a fall down a crevasse as extenuating circumstances. Surely there's no need for you to hurry on that account." He smiled. "But I can understand that after everything you've been through, you'd want to get home as soon as possible. And let's not be overdramatic — the wound doesn't look so bad to me. It just needs proper dressing, and a little rest and warmth, and I'm sure you'll be fine. Take my advice: it's better that you all stick together out here. There's safety in numbers, and I shouldn't have to tell you that Ko-Wahi can be a dangerous place. So..." He turned back to Aerus for a moment, and this time there was a hardness, a warning, in the look he gave his new partner before turning back to the travellers. "...just give us a moment to fetch those bandages for you, and you can be on your way." OOC: @Goose @BULiK @Tarn @~Xemnas~

IC (Ageru Tazera) [Bridge of the Chiisai Ryuu] Things were quickly escalating. She recognised the face of Toa Maru Leah, a warrior and hero among the natives, on the other side of the bridge viewport. That was good. But another Toa, an unfamiliar one, had appeared (Kualsi?) out of thin air inside the bridge. That, potentially, was not. Clearly the interloper thought it was a point in his favour, as he quickly began an attempt to recruit the newcomer to his little caper. She took advantage of the momentary distraction to ensure she had both of the unknown Toa in her line of sight. ::Roger that, ma'am.:: Tazera was quietly relieved. She wasn't sure what Aya meant by 'intercom'; perhaps some new naval slang or local term she hadn't picked up on, but she got the idea. Ideatalk but with one's actual voice, eh? Once again the locals' powers were full of surprises. With the Toa hopefully distracted by the Commodore's ultimatum, the Lieutenant began to circle right, Soulwhip at the ready, hoping to get behind the interloper in the (by her estimation, likely) event that reason was ineffective. OOC: @Razgriz @Vezok's Friend @oncertainty @Rahisaurus

IC (Lohkar) [The Infernavika] "I don't know what you two could possibly be implying," Lohkar replied with mock haughtiness, adjusting the wheel a little as he spoke. "An' I'll have you know there's nobody quite like me on this 'ere Endless Ocean." He chuckled. "But aye, there are plenty of our sort around Seprilli, an' also plenty who'd think themselves more respectable than us. 'Specially those bloody merchant princes." His smile turned to a sneer. "Snooty posh buggers, the lot of 'em. More riches than they know what to do with. Back in the day I did my bit to try an' help 'em solve that particular problem, by relievin' them of a fair portion of it. Though I'm sure by now they'll have had the misfortune to come by some more..."