Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Dapper Dog]

Vaylin tries to speak as Emperor Valkorian walks through her dispersing her and said, “Now, now Jedi… this is no place for you.”

“These are my children.”

[Galen Panteer]

"What does that mean to you?" Galen asked

[Tethys Carrack]

Tethys feels a frisson of fear and wills it to disperse. Mostly, it does. Enough, anyway.

"They're their own people, Valkorion. Emperor of the Sith. Whoever you are. Children aren't things you possess."

Tethys is, of course, completely unaware of the irony in the particular words she's chosen just now.

"I'll go where I'm needed. No one asked you."

[Luth Khalan]

What an apt metaphor for all this...

The situation had turned from alarming to terrifying... but then, last night had been, too. It was no excuse not to be polite. And it might at least delay any premature deaths.

"Ah... Hello again." She said, cautiously. "... Children? Isn't Vaylin the only one of your children involved in this at the moment?"

Why is it she couldn't resist questions when dealing with this person?

[Dapper Dog]

Valkorian paced and said, “Ah, Luth, we meet again in this place of all things. I see you are still hamstrung by the inferior beliefs of the Sith.”

“Children are a legacy, Prince-Consort, just as you coddle yours to weakness I hone mine for greatness. They wanted for everything, and their life was struggle and it has made them strong indeed,” he said thoughtfully.

“You have come to this place to steal secrets that are not for you. Not yet,” he finished.

“Don;t they say there is no ignorance, only knowledge, there are none more knowledgeable than me.”

[Galen Panteer]

"They say that. I do not." he shook his head. "I am no Jedi. I am no Sith. I wanted for everything, and my life was struggle and pain and it has made me strong. Strong enough to fight for my children, so they can become who they wish to be, because they are my legacy."

"Are you still listening, Vaylin?"

[Tethys Carrack]

Tethys nods to Galen, taking a step closer to him in quiet support.

"Made them strong for what, anyway?" Tethys asks, building on Galen's point. "So they can do what you tell them to do, like machines? It appears the last thing you wanted was for Vaylin to grow strong enough to choose her own destiny."

[Dapper Dog]

"Vaylin was a problem, a problem easily rectified," he said calmly. "Soon you will be rectified as well."

[Luth Khalan]

"I didn't get a chance to find out why Vaylin was different than the others," she finally said. then she stepped a little ahead, slightly in front of Tethys and Galen. "They're not powerful enough to interrupt your plans to any great degree, are they? No matter what they may or may not learn here."

She'd have to get an answer as to why her pluralized children under the current circumstance another time.

[Tethys Carrack]

While Luth engages Valkorion's attention, in the process placing herself between his dark presence and the other explorers, it occurs to Tethys to take note of the details of whatever is actually being done to the memory of child-Vaylin here. Drugs, from the sound of it, but what drugs? What else had been inflicted on her by these scientists?

[Dapper Dog]

OOC: Perception or Vigilance at hard, flipping a destiny for an upgrade so 1eC+2eD for Tethys.

[Galen Panteer]

Galen smiled when Luth stepped forward. Like Tethys, he returned his attention to the memory. Mostly, he focused on what young Vaylin was experiencing, wondering what she was thinking in this moment.

[Tethys Carrack]

[b[OOC:[/b] Perception or Vigilance at hard, flipping a destiny for an upgrade so 1eC+2eD for Tethys.

Tethys gets a fairly good look at whatever the humanoid but not-quite-human scientists are doing to Vaylin.

D5 Nathema--Hard Vigilance on the creepy experiments. GM destiny.: 4eA+1eC+2eD 3 successes, 1 advantage

[Tethys Carrack]

Tethys's eyes widen a bit at what she observes, brows first arching and then drawing together in a frowning look. She's clearly noticed something. But she can't explain it to the others while all of them are still this closely engaged with Valkorion, so she tucks the knowledge away for now.

[Dapper Dog]

"I didn't get a chance to find out why Vaylin was different than the others," she finally said. then she stepped a little ahead, slightly in front of Tethys and Galen. "They're not powerful enough to interrupt your plans to any great degree, are they? No matter what they may or may not learn here."

She'd have to get an answer as to why her pluralized children under the current circumstance another time.

He offered his hand to Luth, "She was an obstacle, but you could be the solution, if you allow me to show you."

[Luth Khalan]

He offered his hand to Luth, "She was an obstacle, but you could be the solution, if you allow me to show you."

She eyed the hand, then looked up into his eyes, her gaze suspicious. "Don't take this the wrong way, but... I know of some of what you've done before and the vision Sylvain saw. Is this going to end with you controlling my body? And will you leave them alone if I let you show me? No... rectifying."

[Tethys Carrack]

Tethys’s gaze snaps back around to the pair of them.

“I don’t think you’ll like how he solves child-shaped ‘obstacles,’ Luth,” she says in a voice tense with warning.

At the same time, she knows that might be more fond hope than realistic expectation on her part. Luth cares for her own children, Tethys knows that with certainty—but she also knows that the ability to extend empathy beyond oneself is not exactly a survival trait in the Sith Empire.

[Dapper Dog]

"My days of puppeteering are over," he said calmly. "The ocean has brought you to this moment, Luth. Now you can rise or you can drown."

[Luth Khalan]

Tethys’s gaze snaps back around to the pair of them.

“I don’t think you’ll like how he solves child-shaped ‘obstacles,’ Luth,” she says in a voice tense with warning.

At the same time, she knows that might be more fond hope than realistic expectation on her part. Luth cares for her own children, Tethys knows that with certainty—but she also knows that the ability to extend empathy beyond oneself is not exactly a survival trait in the Sith Empire.

She glanced back toward Tethys. "Then I'd better be able to count on you to deal with her your way before things go too pear-shaped." Or kill me, if it ends up necessary.

"My days of puppeteering are over," he said calmly. "The ocean has brought you to this moment, Luth. Now you can rise or you can drown."

She turned back toward the Emperor, staring at the proffered hand for a moment of intense thought. Apparently my days of making poor life choices aren't over yet. Come back soon, Syl. "Fine. I'll listen, at least," she replied. She wouldn't be dropping her guard, though. She reached out and took his hand.

[Dapper Dog]

OOC: Going to need a Discipline check versus 3eC+2eD gain a boost die to possible visions of the future. For Luth.

[Luth Khalan]

Nathema - Discipline, Flip destiny for upgrade: 2eP+1eA+3eC+2eD 5 failures, 3 advantage, 1 Despair

Nathema - Discipline, Forgotten Boost: 1eB 0 successes


[OOC: That's rough, buddy]

[Aphr Ahaya]

The others having taken a huge focus on the Emperor who had finally fully revealed itself had allowed Aphr to hang back and not be in the centre of attention, which is how she preferred it. She could watch on instead and pay careful attention to what was going on...

(ooc: D5 Nathema event. Perception at hard dif.: 3eA+1eP+1eB+3eD 1 success, 1 advantage


adv used to heal the strain lost earlier)

[Dapper Dog]

The others having taken a huge focus on the Emperor who had finally fully revealed itself had allowed Aphr to hang back and not be in the centre of attention, which is how she preferred it. She could watch on instead and pay careful attention to what was going on...

(ooc: D5 Nathema event. Perception at hard dif.: 3eA+1eP+1eB+3eD 1 success, 1 advantage


adv used to heal the strain lost earlier)

Having hung back she sees a new hallway and the sounds of lightsaber combat coming from it.

[Luth Khalan]

The apparition of the Emperor fades away once their hands touch and Luth goes silent. She speaks with his voice, “Now my legacy is secured, I have no need of the rest of you.”

“Time for you to drown in the ocean and be forgotten.”

OOC: Initiative please. Galen and Tethys, since Aphr hung back.

[Lord Draahg]

Meanwhile back in the cave, Lord Draahg lurked and heard the voice of the one true master of the Sith speak to him, “You have done well Draagh, my new form is secured. Kill the rest.”

Draagh nodded and said to the disembodied voice, “As you wish my Emperor.”

He approached the ritual and ignited his weapon.

The voice continued, “Spare Senya, she may yet see reason.”