Log:Knights of Ren: Clear as Crystal Part One
The Knights investigate rumours of an artifact on Berchest.
OOC Date: February 24, 2021
Location: Berchest
Participants: Tarq Najjic (GM), Andro Tain, Imani, Malik Ren, Sebek, Syrus, Tamsin Cas, Knights of Ren
[Tarq Najjic]
The Night Buzzard hugs the hills, cruising low to delay detection. Tarq Najjic is in the pilot seat with a headset on. "Grim Omen, is Night Buzzard. Beginning final approach." Stealthy this smoke-belching monster is not, but surprise is an advantage not to be given up lightly.
Today's mission: find whatever artifact this New Dawn sect of the Church of the Force has discovered and either take it or destroy it. 'The New Dawn are renowned pacifists' went the briefing. But if the sect has a cell in the city, they might just twitch when the village sees the Knights arrive.
In distant orbit, the Gozanti cruiser Grim Omen has its scanners trained upon Calius saj Leeloo, but right here and now, Tarq says over comlink to the Knights, "Get ready. Disembark in less than five."
[Andro Tain]
Archaeology isn't always crumbling ruins, whips, and boulders; more often than not, it is an excessive amount of down-time, research, and dead-ends. This has been Andro Tain's life for the past several weeks - a lot of research, and twice as many dead-ends. Rumors of a dark storm, writhing in an underground cave on Malastare? Just a cave-in caused by construction. A tale of a small child with the power to tell the future on Dantooine? Faked for money. A Wookiee ruin, deep within the jungle, said to hold a powerful crystal? ...Well, that one she hasn't been able to debunk just yet, but her source was recently executed for lying to the Hutts, so...
It's a bit of a dry spell for the Knights of Ren's resident rock sniffing normie. That being said, it's no surprise that she's jumped at the chance for a bit of action and a change of scenery. Andy is all strapped in and all geared up; her vibro-ax hangs at her side, her knapsack drawn diagonally across her back - what's she got in there? It's a mystery. Maybe snacks for Sebek?
[Tamsin Cas]
Tamsin, who had sequestered herself within the medical bay, a token of good things to come, and gifted to her, as she was the current medical personage on the team, when the ship was repaired following Hoth, looked up as she heard Tarq's comment on their impending arrival. She frowned, looking over at her robes, which she had not yet put on, being dressed, as she always was, in her normal doctor's kit. The frown deepened, as she reached over to take them from where she had tossed them, making use of the last few minutes of flight to garb herself, her bag slung on afterwards, and her goggles tucked into the bag for same keeping before she slipped on her mask.
[Sebek]
"I adore pacifists," Sebek of the Desert, Flagbearer of Coret, Conqueror of the Sixteenth Deck, Consumer of Hounds, Wielder of Tei Tenga, He Who Hunts was musing, pacing back and forth in his battle cassock with Tei Tenga idling hungrily in its leg holster. The great thing about a weapon imbued with the spirit and the soul of a hostile cannibal is that... it was basically another hostile cannibal. This is getting out of hand. "For their cognitive dissonance tears their own minds apart at the same time akin to how we flense their bones. A foe that defeats themselves. No challenge, but a marvelous experience to behold!"
[Syrus]
"Strange that this New Dawn managed to escape my watchful eye," Syrus says, hands clasped behind his back as he watches the readouts over Tarq's shoulder. "I suppose their ilk never made a pilgrimage to Jedha. A shame that introductions have had to wait so long" he adds.
Syrus regards Sebek for a time and says, "Our Sebek knows all about minds being torn apart. The same thing is known to happen to him when he's presented with a children's puzzle or two," the Kiffar asides, moving to step down the small series of steps that lead down from the cockpit into the meat of the ship.
[Imani]
Armored and well armed, Imani is seated and strapped in waiting for the signal that it's time to move. She carries with her the rucksack that is now known to hold things as precious as snacks for Sebek. Today's haul including a batch that she cheerily dubbed 'hecka spicy' as a warning to the Falleen in case he's sensitive to spice. She's pretty sure he doesn't actually taste any of it anyway, but it's a courtesy. She hugs the pack closer and waits for the call that it's time to move.
[Malik Ren]
Malik Ren is unmasked, arms folded, quiet and contemplative as he awaits the moment to disembark. The usual jabs of the Knights toward one another wash over him like the warm water of a familiar sea, and he pays it little mind; all is as it should be, more or less. No one's damaged permanently.
"Please keep in mind," he speaks up eventually, with quiet authority, "We are attempting fact-finding through social and mind-alteration measures first, please and thank you. Surely at least some of you have attended to your studies in Affect Mind and Receptive Telepathy, as well as mundane information extraction tools and observations. Knowledge is half the battle." A vague gesture follows. He's at peace with who they are at heart. "The other half is violence."
[Tarq Najjic]
The ship slews to the side as it decelerates. The image of a shepherd on a hilltop herding nerfs passes quickly, but Tarq says over the comms, "GRim Omen, have been spotted. Mark the time." The sky twists beyond the cockpit window, the hydraulics of the landing gear grind into place, and the ship settles softly to the ground, the ramp already settling to the ground.
Outside are simple buildings of stone, clay, and tile. There is one well within sight. Some of the villagers are running, carrying and leading away children, but most of those in the field are still tilling.
The people are of multiple species - mostly human and near-human, but one Gand is visible in the fields. A young twi'lek woman is drawing water from the well, hauling up on a rope.
A building to the right has smoke rising steadily from its chimney, and an old Twi'lek pushes aside the curtains. He has a blacksmith's hammer that he's settling at his belt and a protective leather apron over the plain, earth-toned tunics that all the villagers wear.
To the left are market stalls, though all are empty except a grizzled old Zeltron man who still has some loaves available for sale. He wears spectacles, over which he looks at the ship and its emerging crew with interest and resignation.
The village's other buildings lie further ahead up the middle. Most are residences, but there are others large enough for other purposes. Granaries? Places of worship? Warehouses? The villagers who are not actively laboring or fleeingnare filtering that direction.
[Andro Tain]
"This is more like it." Andy decides as they all disembark, stretching her arms over her head and taking the oppurtunity to tug her gnapsack a little closer. "Unassuming, quiet, withdrawn... Nervous, small-town feel." The Mirialan nods, scanning the area with an easy squint - she's looking for something... Multiple somethings, to be fair, but first and foremost is to locate the culture of this place. They want information? She's going to pay her respects. Or, to be more precise: she is going to be /seen/ paying her respects.
That failing, she wants a damn drink.
The belltower seems a good place to start. "I'm going that way." Andy announces, pointing towards the loudest symbolism she can spy, and beginning towards it. If there's to be a place these people pray, it would be at the feet of the tolling architecture.
[Tamsin Cas]
Had the ship not been spotted, and the Knights had a chance to approach in a manner much more stealthy, Tamsin might have reconsidered her robes. It was not a difficult thing to wiggle your way into a community when you had skills of the sort most people found helpful rather than harmful. But...what was done was done, and Tamsin departed the Buzzard alongside the rest of the Knights, though she kept her bag close to her side. She took a moment, scanning the surround, before she began to make her way towards the market stalls and the sole remaining seller. The people who were not running, well, those bore investigation.
[Syrus]
"These people are simple and pastoral. Far removed from the barbs of Galactic conquest. They will break easily," Syrus notes, flipping his helmet about in his hands before he slides it on and clicks it into place with a satisfying hiss. He looks about at the rest of the group for a moment before he's marching off to meet with the Twi'lek, the alien seemingly a man of good standing in the town.
"You," Syrus begins, his heavy boots coming to a stop just shy of the man. "I'm looking for the New Dawn. I know they're here. Any mistruths will only serve to earn you my ire."
[Sebek]
"Hm." That was the sound of Sebek proving He Who Rises incorrect as he used his brain for something other than MurderDeathKill. Mark the date. "We are beheld. It would be wise to ensure a rapid retreat is actionable. As the superior pilot," he claimed, loudly, to the assembled Knights as he awaited at the top of the ramp, "I shall remain onboard. Summon me should doom need dispensing."
[Imani]
No one wants to see the Knights of Ren approaching, and Imani can't blame them for fleeing, gaze following a pair in the distance for a few moments. The word from Sebek that he's going to stay behind on the ship has her pausing, digging in her rucksack, and tossing a container of the snack mix (which is just a lot of jerky) to the Falleen. "Here, just in case you start to get peckish." He's given a dazzling smile before she turns to trot off the ship, again pausing just long enough to consider her options. She points toward the distant buildings where some people appear to be heading, "I'll check that way."
[Malik Ren]
Malik Ren is not a physically imposing figure -- womp womp, sad for him. But he carries himself with an aura of authority that always reads among any population of civilians as 'fuck around and find out', and he's fairly used to being given a wide berth. A glance is cast to each of the Knights as they pick various directions and techniques to try, and for his own part, he steps forward to accompany Archaeologist Andy toward the belltower. Nobody better fuck around with her either. Or they'll FIND OUT.
[Tarq Najjic]
As Tain, Imani, and Malik make their way further into the village, people are moving around even more. People walk from house to house, only to reappear with crates and boxes and take them to the larger three structures. Two out of three seem to be going into the building immediately adjacent to the bell tower, and the stream of people stops as a man with a white hat swings the double doors closed.
The older Twi'lek looks at the dispersing Knights, but brings his gaze back to Syrus when the Kiffar approaches him. "Kuna, go on. Now." The young twi'lek hesitates, but leaves the well, heading back to the heart of the village - even with Tain, Malik, and Imani, it turns out.
"I am Elder Ragwa. Welcome to Jinnai." He stares into Syrus's eyes. "We are all the New Dawn, here. This is our home. Do you come in peace?"
As Tamsin approaches the Zeltron baker, he adjusts his glasses on his nose and steps forward. "G'morning, miss. Interested in this morning's freshest loaves?" He glances back at the ship, then to Tamsin. "Or 'ill you just be burning us out, then?"
[Andro Tain]
As every horror holo has taught her, this team is taking the best approach in splitting up! Andro nods to Sebek's declaration of sedentation and Imani's dispensation of snackation as she makes her way away from the ship. Noticing Ren following her, Andy slows her step a millisecond to allow him time to join her before continuing her beeline towards the building beside the belltower. Her helmet is already hooked to her belt, but she takes the time to remove her hood and tuck her ax out of sight. A sign of respect, she hopes, but the doors are closed and these boxes being moved around... She spots a wire and swears under her breath.
"Possibly explosives." She asides to Ren before putting on a grin and approaching the man in the white hat. She gives a low bow, bending at the waist with her hands visible and clasped in front of her. "I apologize for our... Unannounced arrival. My name is Andro Tain, I am a scholar and was hoping to pay my respects and speak with one of the religious leaders of this place." Disarming? Charming? She hasn't cussed anyone out, yet, so that is always a good start.
[Tamsin Cas]
Tamsin, stopping close enough to be addressed by the shopkeep, raised her hands to her head, removing the helmet and allowing herself to be seen as he was seen. While she was not one who, as a general rule, much cared about her looks or how useful they might be, she was aware on some level that her countenance was considered fair by most. And that she had a voice to match. "Yes, I would, thank you. Fresh bread is one of the true delights of the day." She set aside the helmet, clipping it to her belt, as she extracted a small bag of credits with which to pay for his wares, "Despite our arrival, it is not our sole intention to destroy you or yours and all you have built here. We come following tales of something precious and rare which you and yours might have in your possession." While she might have tried to lie, the man was already suspicious enough. And so, Tamsin would try another route.
[Syrus]
"Elder Ragwa, a pleasure. Our temperament and the continued pleasantness of your home rests squarely with you," Syrus answers, taking another step forward and lifting a hand in the older Twi'lek's general direction. The Knight's dark, twisted magicks leap forth from his finger tips and burrow into the Elder's mind.
"Your daughter is quite lovely and your thoughts linger on her safety. You are a fine father, Ragwa, and because of your guidance Kuna will no doubt make her mark on the Galaxy," Syrus begins, bending down a bit to speak more quietly with the man. "Unless you withold from me the location of the artifact we seek. If that's the path you choose, I'll have no other option than to crush her living bones to dust in front of you. Her death will weigh heavily on my conscience, it's true, but that artifact ending up in the wrong hands would weigh me down seven fold." the Kiffar near-whispers.
"Make your choice."
[Imani]
"Looks to me like these good people have something to hide," Imani observes to Malik and Andro while she's moving alongside the pair. "Better go see what it is," she says, giving both a bright smile before she breaks away, jogging after the box hauling villagers. When she nears one gloved hand slaps down on a shoulder to try and stop their progress down the road, and whether that works, she does what she can to get a better look at one of the crates with some exposed wires. "What is it you've got going on here?" she asks. There are better more diplomatic ways to gather information, but if you want that you send in a diplomat. Imani is not a diplomat, but she does make an effort to smile. Granted, the smile comes from a person with a hand on a weapon that she's ready to use should the need arise, which takes away from the general warmth of her demeanor somewhat.
[Malik Ren]
"/Explosives/," Malik echoes Andy, in a quiet and displeased tone, as he watches Imani scamper off toward... possibly explosives... she's fine this is fine, but he's keeping an eye on her from afar anyway. "What in stars would they need with explosives? Little off brand for pacifism, is it not?" Both brows lift and he watches as she steps forth to speak to the figure in the white hat... listening in.
[Tarq Najjic]
The man with the white hat was staring at the door after he closed it. When Andy speaks and bows, he returns the gesture, though his bow is not as deep. This close, and facing you, it is evident this human man is very old. The joints of his hands are a larger than they ought to be, and he has a voice that rasps: "Fortunate for you, then, Miss Tain, for you have found him. I am Derra, and these people are under my guidance. Come, walk with me." Derra walks over to the adjacent belltower.
The Zeltron makes a show of counting the credits and wrapping the bread in paper before handing it to Tamsin. "Rare? Yes. Precious? Hardly." He leans forward. "You speak kindly, but Gronhar Minnau is no fool. We were dead when you landed." He takes a long glance over at the blacksmith, Ragwa, and he sighs. "Such a waste. Such a foolish waste."
There are power packs being carried by these villagers, all right. The one with wires coming out? It's a series of power packs for agricultural, hunting, and domestic uses, but they've been wired together. When Imani grabs the arm of a villager, he drops it, and it's clear: this is a bomb. It has no timer on it, and it doesn't appear to be armed, but there were an awful lot of these boxes being carried into the three large buildings.
Elder Ragwa's eyes widen as Syrus leans closer, reading his thoughts and threatening him with them, but his eyes narrow, his hand coming to rest on his smith's hammer. "She is brave," he says, and his voice quavers only a little bit. "This relic, it has no true value. To an archaeologist alone, maybe. You would destroy the innocent for that?"
[Andro Tain]
"Is it a sense of humor?" Andy mutters back to Imani as she passes. "They look... Quaint." Off-brand for pacifism, maybe... Maybe. "I dunno, I mean, I saw /wires/. Like they're moving around powerpacks or something." And, as the Anxiety Foretold, the worst case scenario is the only scenario.
And what is the scenario where Andy, after this short discussion with the man, is separated and led away? Possibly. But it could also offer some opening for the others. Regardless, someone this old and religious couldn't /possibly/ pose any threat to her, how impure could his motives be?! Probably lonely, poor thing.
"Derra." She repeats, following him without a moment's hesitation. "I would like to know more about this guidance you offer, if I may?"
[Tamsin Cas]
"It is never a waste. Tell me where the artifact is and then, go and find your family and those you care for and go." Tamsin might be a Knight of Ren, but she was no Sith and destruction for destruction's sake was not the way. Or at least, it was not her way. And if she could help to find what they needed without death or injury, she would do so. She did wait a moment, to take the bread, reaching first, into her bag to retrieve some of the spare medical supplies she kept there. It was not much and it would not help them all, but it was what she had to offer. And she offered them, even as she took the bread which she had paid for.
[Syrus]
"I get the distinct impression that you don't know the importance of what you have, but that's me not giving you enough credit," Syrus remarks to the Elder. "Looks at this," the man says, pulling the lightsaber from his belt. "It's powered by a single kyber from the mines of Jedha. A crystal gifted to me as a child, as a member of the Church of the Force, and as a prospective Guardian of the Whills. I know your people. I know the things that are importance of you, the things you covet. They are safer with my order than with yours. Or...Force forbid, the next group of robed folks who come along."
"Elder Ragwa, the Guardians of Jedha, spurred on by foolishness and misplaced ideals, fell like wheat to the thresher when they faced us. Don't make the same mistake they did."
[Imani]
It'd be accurate to say Imani probably shouldn't have grabbed the guy carrying explosives, but she wasn't entirely sure it was explosives so she has an excuse, and she's gonna stick to it. The hand on the man remains, and when she realizes they're not exploding, the hand closes in with a sudden steely grip. "That doesn't seem like it was a very smart move, does it?" As she speaks she pulls a vibrodagger that was strapped to her thigh, angling the tip so that it's dangerously close to the man's side. "How many more of these do your friends here have, and where are they all being taken? Also what's your plan?" Her tone doesn't precisely change to one of menace, there's still an odd element of light and cheer amid what is a clear and present threat to the life of the box dropper. "I really didn't have any plans on hurting you, but don't mistake me, I will if I feel like you're not being honest with me."
[Malik Ren]
"Derra -- was that it? Derra?" Malik checks the name of the religious man, but doesn't wait for an answer before he smiles, and continues, Coruscanti voice all politeness. "Please understand that I cannot and will not allow you to ring your bell, or to signal an explosion I consider to be, at this time, grievously inconvenient. We can talk about it, of course that would be my particular pleasure, but if you go forward with your actions as planned, I will shut your throat and break your neck. It is not a threat, it is facts. Shall we discuss?"
[Tarq Najjic]
"It is rare for an outsider to have such curiosity," the priest Derra says as he leads Andro Tain to the bell tower. "We strive to live by the ideals of the Jedi. The New Dawn goes further than most. We forsook violence altogether." He steps into the tower, reaching up for the rope that rings the bell. "Now, child, we have received a sign that forsaking violence is not enough. The Jedi need more than sheep, for what use are sheep against people like the Sith?" He takes the rope in both hands. "Against people like you?" He still sounds kindly, like a tutor.
Then Malik Ren addresses him, and he freezes in place. He looks up at his arms, obviously gauging whether he thinks he can pull it faster than Malik can kill him. He sighs and lowers his arms, one holding lightly the rope. "When they realize I'm running late, they will act on their own. I will not call them off. I am old. My time is past, Malik Ren. Do as you will."
Gronhaur listens to Tamsin and shakes his head, but his gaze goes to Kuna, Ragwa's daughter, as she finally arrives at one of the two large buildings still open, and closes it behind her. He sighs with relief and turns back to Tamsin. "I am sorry, my dear. I never liked this plan."
When Imani holds a knife to the man carrying the bomb, his eyes go wide and the few villagers still outside scatter, some to the buildings, some towards the fields. "Don't kill me! There are- enough for the church door, and two walls of the meeting house and the granary. Please! They're not... they're not blowing themselves up. It's to clear the way for- for the turrets-"
Elder Ragwa's lekku curl briefly, while his face remains impassive. "Then they died for their convictions. How can the New Dawn do less?" Still, he doesn't pull the hammer and try to bop Syrus.
There are still dialogues in this stolen moment, but if you've got something to say to forestall what's about to happen, or something to do, this is the moment.
[Andro Tain]
"I always thought that was a strange phrase. 'Curiosity for an outsider'. Of course those /inside/ aren't curious, when they've been given all the information. /Only/ an outsider could be so curious." Her rant complete, Andy's own monologuing has been sufficient to keep her oblivious for a dangerously long moment.
"Oh, shit!" He's going or the bell -! Malik is preparing violence behind her, and Andro Tain does the only rash thing her body can think to do: she rears her head back and springs forward to headbutt the man with the rope.
[Tamsin Cas]
"You are being given a chance to save all of your folk," Tamsin spoke, undeterred by the man's seeming resignation, and, for the time being, ignoring anything else the other Knights might be doing as she was removed from them in her own way, "Or at least, the opportunity to save as many as you can and to rebuild somewhere...else. Would you allow them to destroy themselves for no good reason? Would you stand by and watch them destroy themselves when you have the ability to prevent it? I came here to secure the artifact, not to destroy the people making their lives here." Her tone hardened, just the smallest amount, a speartip of her intentions, "Tell me where the artifact is."
[Syrus]
"I hope the Force rewards you, then, Elder," Syrus says, his thumb playing with the idea of swiping upwards along the handy little activation switch. He draws a deep breath that's mostly turned into a garbled mess by his helmet's vocoder, and he steps way, his heavy boots turning towards the building where Ragwa's daughter Kuna disappeared into.
[Imani]
"Turrets? What are the turrets for?" Imani asks, having some assumptions to the purpose while pressing for clarification. "Let's walk and talk, you and I. Don't try anything funny, don't try to run, just assume that I'm faster and if I have to chase you it's going to end with you bleeding." The hand gripping the man's arm gives a tug and she tries to guide him off toward the building she saw Malik and Andro heading for. "How many turrets do you have? The more helpful you are, the more likely I'll let you walk away from this."
[Malik Ren]
Do as you will, Derra said to Malik, and the Ren regards him with contempt and pity. "I always do," he assures, and then leaves him to the tender mercies of Andy, who has it well in hand.
This leaves him free to approach Imani and friend, just in time to hear about ... "Turrets?" This is an unhappy tone. He side-eyes Imani. "Everything will blow, pending a signal that's not coming, or... regardless, it seems. Where is Syrus?" We're sure he's fine. Malik stares daggers into the captive. "Speak honestly, please, and know that what you withhold will not remain yours to contemplate in privacy."
[Tarq Najjic]
Derra the priest goes down like a bag of space-potatoes when Andro Tain head-butts him. The only bell ringing is his - metaphorically.
Gronhaur finally listens to Tamsin, not knowing the Force had a little something to do with his relenting. He shakes his head. "You are right. Stand down." He's speaking conversationally, and he raises the comlink that was attached to the underside of his market stall's table to rest on top of it. "We shouldn't get ourselves killed for nothing. That lightsaber is just an old lightsaber, and Mariell took it with her! It is not even /here/!" The Zeltron is speaking to a different audience than the Knights, it is apparent.
Then he's speaking to the Knights: "It is not here. It is the lightsaber of Sarro Xaj. It is broken, in pieces. We are not soldiers. She took it to the city with the others." Then he repeats into the comlink, "Stand /down/!"
When Syrus walks away from Elder Ragwa, the twi'lek blinks, then looks over to the Zeltro. "Gronhaur, no!"
Gronhaur retorts, "You know I'm right. Think of Kuna, of everyone they'll kill."
Imani's prisoner is blubbering like a waterfall. "For killing- any Sith who come- or you! Bombs, then the turrets mop- mop up. Please, don't.... don't hurt my brain." That last to Malik.
[Andro Tain]
Her head connects with Derra's and, Andy staggers backwards with a cry of unexpected pain - even as the other man crumples. "That /HURTS/!" The Archaeologist complains, clutching her bruising head, her world tilting unpleasantly. "Frag. My. Ass." Can be heard as she stumbles off behind the building, appearing to... Search for clues. She may just be vomiting.
[Tamsin Cas]
"Thank you. I will do what I can to help you to save your folk." And then Tamsin turned away, intent on making her way towards where she could see Little Big Show...I mean Malik, I totally meant Malik, "We are wasting time here. He is not lying, and every moment we spend here is one moment longer that it eludes us. Let us go, now." There was little to nothing, mostly nothing, the knightling could do to persuade the Ren, but Tamsin tried, "We have an artifact to retrieve."
[Syrus]
Does Syrus know that all of the buildings are full of suicide bombers? It doesn't seem like it, because the big man is just continuing his walk across the village to the building his saw the young Twi'lek enter, completely unawares. The Kiffar closes the distance between himself and the building, and reaches out to grab the handle, giving it a thorough jiggling.
[Imani]
Imani marches the terrified man right up to Malik, knowing that the Ren would know she wasn't just bringing the guy here for fun. There's a reason. When the waterfall of information begins, she pats the fearful man on the upper arm and then lets go, though the dagger continues to hover near him in case a good stabbing is still required. "I thought you might want to know," she tells Malik. "He said something about blowing out the walls of meeting house, the granary, and the church door?" she adds in case he doesn't yet know this, then she looks back to her prisoner. "So how many turrets are there in total, and where are they exactly."
[Malik Ren]
"Stay clear of the buildings, they are rigged with explosives and with E-webs, and we will not find what we seek there, only..." Malik is speaking into a comm now to make sure that Syrus and Sebek can hear him, but still gestures vaguely. "A hassle." Oh wait, that's Syrus over there. "AWAY FROM THE BUILDINGS," Malik repeats, and sort of preemptively squints one eye as though wondering if he's just going to see the WARDEN OF THE KNIGHTS OF REN blow the fuck up right there. Sad for him. "Tamsin, you may select one person to keep as a prisoner and source of information, if you feel it to be necessary and relevant. Otherwise, everyone else here dies. Anyone who is not in one of the main rigged buildings you will kill outright, and to avoid danger of explosives, we will fire on the main buildings and and surviving persons and structures from atmo. Then we will proceed to the city and our objective. The magnitude of the incorrect choice these people have made cannot be tolerated or ignored, and I will not suffer this cancer to spread. We will excise it."
He smiles at Imani's captive. "Thank you for your cooperation," Malik says with awful sincerity like only he can, then looks to Imani. "Kill him."
[Tarq Najjic]
Elder Ragwa and Gronhaur Minnau are not in on that comlink conversation. They are still bickering like only old friends can, until Elder Ragwa punches the Zeltron lightly on the arm and heads towards the building Kuna fled to, the building Syrus is jiggling the doorknob of: the meeting house. He cups his hands: "Kuna! Deactivate the charges, one of them is at the door but they're leaving." He seems certain of that, and he's at the door, with Syrus out of sight just behind him.
Gronhaur takes his last loaf of bread, wraps it, and follows Tamsin as she goes to Malik. He offers it to the doctor: "For the road. Looks like they'll still be there to share with... except maybe that one." He inclines his head towards Syrus and then walks towards the largest building, the church.
They, the unconscious Derran, and Imani's captive, who immediately screams "NOOOOO!" are indeed the only people outside the buildings.
[Tamsin Cas]
Tamsin, accepting the bread, looked around as Malik gave his command, and she nodded, gesturing with the hand that was not holding the now two loaves of bread, towards the unconscious Elder, "I will take that one. He appeared to be the one they were all following. He may be able to help us identify the one holding the lightsaber. And the sooner we are away, the sooner the work can be done." She did not know if Malik or the other Knights had heard Gronhaur's revelation. Tamsin, flicking her wrist to shake her sleeves back, focused her attention on the unconscious Derran, the man's body rising into the air as Tamsin turned on her heel, heading back towards the ship, the unconscious body bobbing along beside her like a odd party favour.
[Syrus]
There's news happening! Buildings rigged to blow? Oh no!
Sy's hand drops away from the handle of the door and he turns to look at the Twi'lek that's followed him. There's a swiping of a thumb, a flicking of a wrist, and a shower of sparks that accompany the new white-hot saber wound that now streaks across Ragwa's chest. Syrus, now fit to burst with new information and new orders begins marching away from the door, heading towards any folks he can find out in the open.
[Imani]
Imani's attention shifts over to Syrus briefly as he goes about wantonly jiggling door handles like some crazed handle jiggler. "Hope he heard that." There's a momentary smile flashed down at Malik, and then he's smiling too. At the informer with them, the sad and blubbering man she said she had no plans to hurt. And that was true, she didn't have plans to do him harm. Unfortunately for him Malik has different ideas. It's with no compunction and a chilling degree of efficiency that she flips the dagger in her hand so that she can use the edge of the terribly sharp blade to draw a deep cutting line across his throat, and with her other hand she gives him a hard shove in the middle of the chest so that he can topple over and bleed /away/ from them.
[Malik Ren]
Malik Ren seems satisfied with the actions of the Knights -- everyone in open sight has been killed or captured, Syrus isn't dead yet, they have clues to get to the next step in the City, and someone to torture to make sure those clues are valid. Perf. He loves this for them. "To the ship, please, and away from the buildings before we are obliged to undergo an unhappy situation," Malik directs, and then steps off that way, toward the ! NIGHT BUZZARD !. Into the Comm, "Tarq, start the engines, prepare for takeoff, and ready weapons. We're going to glass this village from atmo, please and thank you."
He doesn't look back. Never does. No regrets.
[Tarq Najjic]
People still haven't left the buildings when the Knights have finished their bloody business and returned to the Night Buzzard. Stacking explosives against a door is unsafe. If you needed to leave in a hurry, you might trip or get stuck! Or, say, the laser cannons of a starship.
As the Buzzard gains altitude, for a moment it really does look like it's just leaving. Then it swoops back and fires salvo after salvo into the village. The pyrotechnics are really impressive. There may never have been a farming village that exploded so gloriously that wasn't some kind of industrial accident. The smoke and debris rises into the sky as the Night Buzzard speeds towards Calius saj Leeloo, the crystal city of Berchest. They'll know everything they need to know to stop the actually violent members of this sect by the time they get there. Pity Derran the process of informing them.
The village of Jinnai is glass and craters.
