In reply to M'kira T'shal (msg #114):
"Relax M'Kira" T'risa pulsed a thought to M'Kira.

"He's telling us indirectly how to defeat this army. Their queen is under Her power. Their Queen is directing them to obey her, because they obey She. So if we take out her....The Q'sa queens will no longer be under Her control. It may still not end the war, but it gives the opportunity to end it without having to exterminate the Q'sa"

Elsbeth nodded and then attempted to quietly repeat the names of the blades, "Varða óvinr ... Verja allr."  She met with only limited success, stumbling over a couple of the more nuanced inflections; Elsbeth smiled sheepishly while her cheeks reddened.  "I-I'll learn the names properly by the time we see Aunt J'dai." she promised dutifully.

She watched Balkiir's movements during the kata with a keen interest, as if trying to memorize them, and then noted, "I'll practice that technique as well."  Her expression seemed blank for a moment, and then as her eyes refocused, Elsbeth noted, "I'll need to see it, at least, once more."

"How did your aunt become guardian of the blades," Elsbeth asked with innocent curiosity, "if they are normally passed down through the male side of the family?"  Her questioning spoke not of jealousy or envy, but only a deep and abiding hunger for knowledge of a family and a lineage that she never had, something that she didn't quite understand.  Something that Elsbeth hoped that she might one day be a part of.

   " It's not to tough" balkiir sheathed the blade and wiped his forehead and arms with a towel from his pack." Her father didnt have any sons, and she has never married....
   Balkiir paused as if the memory was unpleasant. setting down and policing up the guns and spare ammo for a moment "She lost her circle, and her man. He was a pilot, and one of the crew of a ship that went missing about fifteen years ago...she's been waiting for him since then." Balkiir looked angry for a moment an old deep seated anger that felt as if it were a part of him and had been for a very long time. when he glanced at Elspeth the anger faded quickly and elspeth could feel a sense of peace from him.
    "she spent a couple of years and everything she had to try and find them.        She keeps waiting and she's always taught me like I was her own. when I decided to leave she gave the blades to me.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:14, Mon 27 Sept 2010.

He exited the doctors, the scans would be available for T'risa later. Cradling his rifle in his arms he made his way back towards the Crow. He had little to do and not many friends and he wanted time alone. As he walked though his steps took him back to his perch where he could see the area around them. It felt more comfortable here and he liked the solitude.

His mind played over what him and Poppy had discussed and the meaning to what he had discovered. He would live and take this second chance for what it was a chance to do something important, but what could he do to help. He didn't know who their enemies leader was or even where their base was, if he did he might just be able to bring this all to a close with a single shot. He wondered if he could gather that information and quietly slip away to do so. A single sniper could slip past guards and find a perch to make the assassination attempt.

Nodding M'kira doesn't question T'risa's decision though she still watches the Q'sa wearily. She really didn't like being in the same room as it particularly if something were to go very, very bad. Still T'risa was right not that it took a genius to figure out if you kill She then problem was solved. Well at least part of it as there were a lot of fingers in this pie. New and solid Intel was a very nice thing to have though.

For now she paitently stands by ready to act should there be need. She wonders for a moment what poppy and tiny were currently up to. It wouldn't hurt to have a little extra firepower around for interrogations.

"Do your queens want to fight this war? Or are they forced to by She? How are you being equipped? How many soldiers are here? How many more are on the way here? Who do you report to?" T'risa though she would try to make things easier on the Q'sa by not forcing him to work against his own divine entity.

  do not know.... what you wish to know...", the Q'sa rasped" Queens order we obey, blue women tell us where to wait, we obey, She orders we not kill all humans, we obey..."

    "you ....humans do not obey , you do not obey your queens, yu are feral, you do not have... guidance... Feral do not serve as they should, do not submit as they should, do not serve.... must tame feral, make them obey....

"I obey my queen, in the spirit of her commands. She asked that I come here to look at what happens here and stop it. So, who is funding this war? It takes a lot of resources to fight a war. Where are all of your ships?"

" Then you know why we fight...go away...I no can tell you what you want ...they no tell me....they no tell soldier...only blue women know...

Poppy sat watching the ship and it's crew sighing slightly she began to wander around the compound looking for something anything to keep her busy, and keep her mind fro wandering too much.

Elsbeth snorted discreetly, "It is 'not tough' because you already know it, Friend Balkiir."  She stood and mirrored the first motion in the kata.  "Do you dip the shoulder by tradition or is there more to the action and that placement of the blade?  Does the flat angle of attack mean that you invite the cross-cut feint or that you have I misjudged that angle?  And what of the finger placement on the handle..."  She smiled sweetly, "There are many, many more questions that I have.  And they are only in first couple of swings."  A crooked smile crossed her face, "And don't tell me that I am overanalyzing it..."

The smile faded as Balkiir related the story about his Aunt.  She reached out and touched his arm gently.  "I do not understand, Balkiir." Elsbeth noted quietly, as she stooped to police more brass and help him to collect items.  "Something does not sit well with you.... Does your anger stem merely from your treasured Aunt's loss?  Or are there those that wish her ill and block her attempts to know the Truth of it?"

"I would not suffer to see you or her hurt so." a faint smile touched her lips, tempered with sadness in her eyes, "I have given you my Oath, my Bond.  Your well being is now my Purpose.  If we can correct whatever injustice may exist, please tell me."

  <ble> I put my thumb against the flat of the blade when I come in low, or at and angle since it's easier just to think of the blade as my thumb and touch my thumb to th target.</blue> Balkiir explained. Valkiir styles are Instinctive, Intuitive, mind body and universe moving as one. <blue> Balkiir's easy going big dumb blue guy feel seemed to fade slightly as he spoke. His eyes seemed more intense more focused, far more lethal.<blue>" You dont have to fight theInfi to move, you dont have to fight gravity or avoid te obstacles, Only feel them move with them let the universe move you. This is A'Kavnii the way of all..M aunt taught it to me and told me I could only teach it to someone I knew and trusted."

     It's not that I am mad at anyone, or anything. It's that i;m mad at everything, and everyone who ever turned their back on her and treated her like ...like she was already a ghost. It's not easy for us to be alone to lose your circle, and it scares the hell out of Valkiir so sometimes people avoid someone who's the last ember of a circle. It scares the hell out of me.... he stepped close to Elspeth put his hand to her face them simply kissed her the physical act sending a wave of his emotions through her. calm, confident and powerful on the surface, chaotic and intense beneath the surface a mixture of overwhelming passions fears, doubts and certainties beneath.." I need someone like you , someone to give me a center for myself.

T'risa nodded at the Q'sa. She stood up and left the cage. "You will be cared for as best as our circumstances allow. I will return with more questions and see how you are doing from time to time."

She closed the gate, telling the guards to lock it and unshackle the prisoner.

"That was actually more productive than I'd hoped. You heard him say to ask the blue women about the war. That is my warrant. Our O'maedan prisoner is now a soldier and the rules of a prisoner of war apply. This allows us to interrogate her."

She waited for the guard to open the door to the O'maedans cell, entering it, she sat down opposite the woman and crossed her legs, placing her hands on her knees as she waited for the woman to talk.

  " so you didnt forget about me" the woman looked up still slightly loopy from the drugs" At least you have the good coon sense to keep me out for a bit."
   "so how do you want to play this marshal, "

"No I didn't forget about you. I had to review the data we captured before I dealt with you." she pursed her lips considering the woman "How do you want it to be played? There are more than a few ready willing and able just to end the problem here and now. And we have grounds.... an enemy combatant without a war being declared. You're an insurgent. What could you possibly offer me to let you live?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:20, Tue 28 Sept 2010.

" Except for the fact I haven't fired a shot at anyone, and am in my uniform, and I am employed to carry out a specific mission on a planet not registered to the T.A.E."

   and to answer your question I was hired to locate a specific individual, isolate her and remove all evidence of her presence on this planet with specific instructions that I was not to allow you to learn of my targets Identity."

T'risa smiled "You may be registered as a merc, but that doesn't quite get you off the hook. You were involved in combat operations despite no war being declared. Some might call your actions terrorism."

T'risa leaned forward "So...the question might be...what is your price? How might we induce you to reveal this information? What are your demands?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:24, Tue 28 Sept 2010.

" Your up against N'uan D'voka, and two of her acolytes. <blue> Te woman replied without stating any demands<blue>" One of them is J'in I believe you already Know her. She;s my target for extraction. My job is to get her off planet and take her home to auntie, no doubt to disappear off to some gods forgotten backwater never to be heard from again."

    "she wont get the same opportunity you did." The woman paused for a moment as if waiting for an response her smile at delivering her news was smug, self satisfied and a bit predatory.

T'risa nodded slowly "I know her, yes." T'risa paused for a moment. "So how much were you offered for this?"

T'risa found herself conflicted. Letting the mercenary go, would no doubt put a dent in the enemy's plan......but the fire burned inside T'risa to catch J'in herself. "You are good at what you do, I think you would stand a chance against her."

T'risa now had a name for the enemy. With that she could figure out patterns. "So, you've given us two of the names. How about the third? And any other information you have on location. After that we'll determine what to do with you. What is your rate and per diem?"

>the merc smiled thinly, If I break my contract I wont be getting paid to clean up family messes. it's how my family keeps from being eaten alive by ... certain factions..If I give you the names and the images of your targets, I want what you want, three unmarked graves in the desert. Not that I expect you to resist the urge to put her in front of a tribunal and then watch as the Impi puts a noose around her pretty little neck and lets her do a gallows jig."

   "My price, you do what your good at, being a righteous pain in the ass. I go do my little clean up detail, and you do your best to beat me to her."
   " I'm a cleaner, not a killer. I've stepped over too many dead kids and men to get close to her. working with the Q"sa, wiping out entire towns, smuggling Black Tech. If i help her i'm just as guilty as she is. A little gene peddling, Getting caught in bed with the wrong person, some family espionage, blackmail, whatever thats just Women's work, sure I'll clean that up but not this mess, this is treason, mass murder.."

T'risa raised an eyebrow. "I have another proposal. Allow me to read enough to detect truth. If what you are saying checks out and I detect no deception. You join our side for the duration. The pay will not be as good as you expect, and I'll allow you an escape clause if things go poorly for us. You're stuck here for the duration anyway. Better to be helping us and have some reward than to be stuck in this cell."

T'risa quirked her lips "I intend to bring them to trial. Of course, if found guilty and there's already enough evidence for that, there is only one punishment, and I will be pleased to see it. I am willing to live with the shame and lies she brought to me and my name, to see her hang. Of course, I have every intention of ripping out from her brain every bit of information I can to prove my innocence first. I think we can accommodate your goals with ours. They seem mutually compatible. May I know your name?"

The beds a bit stiff but the handcuffs and the locks are a nice touch.  he woman smiled seductively, holding up the handcuffs on her wrist almost purring as she spoke." Might be fun to stay here a while, maybe make you beat it out of me."<blue> the woman glanced toward M'kira or do you keep her and the Big Guy around for that?"

T'risa shrugged her shoulders. "No, when I want information, I rip it from their brains directly. I have no need to tread quietly under these circumstances and besides physical violence would not be suited for your interrogation."

She looked at the captive curiously. "Does that work? I mean I have seduced many in my time. Surely you read a report on me. Did you think it would work? Or is it M'Kira you hope to entice?"

T'risa turned around in her seat to see M'Kira, before turning back to face the prisoner. "No matter. Your unwillingness to subject yourself to mere verification of the truth of your words has told me all I need to know."

T'risa stood up, ready to leave. "Unless you have more to add?"

My mind is the one thing I own. I only let people in I ...trust." The woman sighed, looking toward the doorway then up at the ceiling considering her options." And no, I do't seduce many, outside of business... Anyone I could seduce so easily would be far less than satisfying."
    Proceed with your examination marshal, I;m afraid other than my instructions and my recent experiences you'll find my thoughts less than informative. But, I suppose in the circumstances it is the least i can do to assure you I am not deliberately trying to mislead you. Once we have that out of the way, I might trouble you for a chance to visit the rest room and a shower."

M'kira raise one delicate eyebrow at her bold innuendo of intimate interaction which turns to distaste at the thought she might enjoy being beaten. However she considers it most likely bravado on the enjoying pain thing. "She doesn't beat around the bush does she offering herself up like that."

She decides for the most part to keep her mouth shut. From what she could tell the woman just wanted to complete her specific mission. That and let T'risa go about her business as long as they could see eye to eye on how to dispose of the targets. She wouldn't discourage T'risa though. Who knows maybe she would talk the woman into it. She would welcome extra trained and dependable soldiers any day of the week. Though if the woman really wanted to spend time in a cell that was fine by her as well.

M'kira gives T'risa a inquiring glance while patiently waiting for when or if T'risa might need her.