[D5LA] Operation Anticyclone

[Verse Aura]

"It's nice up here," Verse said in reply to Vaya's question about coming back. "And who told you about the clone wars?"

That would probably have been Verse, of course.

In any case, the day was soon theirs; the fight over, and nobody had to die! Well, except the stormtroopers. And, apparently Tirali. Oh no. That didn't feel right at all. She joined the others on the ground; again; once the dust had cleared.

"Wait, what will happen to her? You're killing her? There's no need for that now that she's no longer in power, is there?"

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"Verse," Vaya said exasperatedly, about to explain to her that if she was trying to hide her identity, that was the worst thing to say, but then she sobered when she saw the scene below. She left Sasaa on the landing platform and tried to gather the laowai together and out of the action. It was almost bound to fail, being an effort compromised, even if her targets were willing, by her own desire to see what happened.

"We're outsiders here, kid," she said. "I don't think we want to get in the middle of this." She looked around at the corpses, not all white-armored. Fallen, she couldn't easily tell the difference between the Chaldi and Hbande, and if she could, she wouldn't be able to tell which Chaldi had died standing with Tirali, which fighting against her, and which just caught in the crossfire, and found her stomach stronger than she would have expected. "Didn't you Academy types not interefere with other people's internal affairs, anyway?"

[Sinnya]

Valia seemed to know where to land, so Sinnya let the swoopwing find her own way down and then dismounted, picking her way around fallen debris (and a few troopers who hadn't made it out) toward the area where the Chaldi and Hbanu were gathering together. She glanced around to see if Brother Ji was there, and if he was all right.

She saw that Ru'ni had taken charge of Tirali himself, which was fine as far as she was concerned. It wasn't at all strange for a Peacekeeper from another tribe to get involved in situations like this... well, not that she'd ever heard of a situation exactly like this. But as strange and wrong as it was, in one sense this all boiled down to a conflict among the Chaldi elders that hadn't been resolved fairly within the tribe; thinking that made it all easier for Sinnya to get her head around, anyway.

Sinn placed herself just off to the side of the group, watching the scene with arms crossed. If her opinion was wanted, she would offer it, but she didn't feel it was her place to speak up before the other Chaldi themselves had a chance to judge. The Calm was safe from Tirali's plans for now, and that was enough for her.

[Qareme Torth]

There was a small nod from the Zabrak who had joined the others. The scene was not pretty, and Qareme didn't agree with it, but what Vaya said was correct.

"We may not agree with how they are resolving this, but Vaya is correct that it is not our place to intervene. After all, we have come to learn from them, and they may be unwilling to help those who try to stifle their traditions."

[Dapper Dog]

In any case, the day was soon theirs; the fight over, and nobody had to die! Well, except the stormtroopers. And, apparently Tirali. Oh no. That didn't feel right at all. She joined the others on the ground; again; once the dust had cleared.

"Wait, what will happen to her? You're killing her? There's no need for that now that she's no longer in power, is there?"

The elders glance at the Jedi and one motioned for her to come forward, even Mother Yugba who looks very tired leaned heavily on her swoopwing. She stood apart from the elders of the Chaldi, who were a motley of species. They bore injuries from the fighting and their captivity.

A Chaldi elder, a human woman whose head was shaved bald and bore tattoos and face paint said in halting Basic, “We are thankful, laowai, but this is must be, she has betrayed people the Calm, she must know pain and suffering she caused, yes?”

“It is hard truth, but she die for good of all,” she replied. “You understand?”

[Dapper Dog]

"You kill me because the truth scares you," she hissed at the elder.

She turned to the Jedi and added, "I know things, things that could be useful to you laowai... Jedi. You want something... and they always want something and I think I know what that is, those maps are gone now and you will never find it without me."

OOC: Flip a destiny.

[Qareme Torth]

Qareme looked at Verse, then moved forward to stand near the woman.

"What is it you wish to achieve? For us to go against the traditions of your people, to have you spared for your crimes because you hold information? This is not the way someone should act, you do not respect your own peoples beliefs. We do."

She took a few steps back.

"The Force will find a way. We will respect the traditions of your people" there was a nod to the elders before she walked away, motioning for Verse to join her.

[Dapper Dog]

"Here I thought the Jedi believed in redemption," she said bitterly. "More lies... no wonder your Order has fallen!"

[Qareme Torth]

Qareme paused, closing her eyes.

"I believe very strongly in redemption, and you could be redeemed if you truly wished to be."

She opened her eyes and turned back to look at the woman.

"Do you?"

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

She turned to the Jedi and added, "I know things, things that could be useful to you laowai... Jedi. You want something... and they always want something and I think I know what that is, those maps are gone now and you will never find it without me."

Vaya's back was to Tirali, both because she was addressing the others and also out of squeamishness. When she heard the words, though, antennapalps shot straight up and she spun around.

Let's not be so hasty... died in the back of her throat, not because she was quelled by her immediate and obvious hypocrisy, but because Qareme spoke before she could figure out a more graceful way to totally contradict what she had said thirty seconds before.

"What is it you wish to achieve? For us to go against the traditions of your people, to have you spared for your crimes because you hold information? This is not the way someone should act, you do not respect your own peoples beliefs. We do."

She took a few steps back.

"The Force will find a way. We will respect the traditions of your people" there was a nod to the elders before she walked away, motioning for Verse to join her.

"Ngh," said Vaya, choking a little on her words. "Beautifully said," she murmured to Qareme, hoarse with suppressed desire and shame. But she gestured urgently to Sinnya and moved to talk quietly to the Chaldi elder who had spoken before, speaking in as much of the Anzuri tongue as she could muster.

"Honored Sister of the Anzuri, Tirali does not lie when she says we came here seeking the wisdom of the Chaldi. Sister Viati of the Sky-Touched spoke of a Jedi temple on one of the moons above, and told us you might know of it. Like you seek to deny the Calm to the Sky-Devils, we would seek to deny this place to them. Is what she says true? Does she hoard that knowledge to herself?"

[Dapper Dog]

The elders conferred and then the same woman said, “Yes… if she has destroyed them then she alone knows the truths and sutras needed to enter. It is not a thing much studied and she was always the one to keep such knowledge, before she betrayed the tribe.”

[Jenna Karath]

Jenna approached with Vaya, walking up beside the woman, traditions and carrying things out were one thing but they needed that information to accomplish their own goals. They'd come to save the Chaldi, and they did, but it was never totally altruism, just the most appropriate way to accomplish their goal, the right way. Though she didn't say it, she approached with a speed, took a posture, and looked between those who spoke. Those who knew her long enough would know her thoughts well enough for certain.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya nodded, gritting her teeth. Eyes and antennapalps went between the elders, trying to divine whether her plight (or, er, the Jedi's plight? The expedition's plight?) was something they were taking into consideration. She looked at Sinnya, who she had trusted again and again to both provide a less-driven perspective and a more graceful presentation when navigating the Anzuri's needs and customs. I should give that girl a raise, she thought.

ooc: Knowledge check to think about Anzuri/Chaldi customs, some sort of Solomonic solution to this problem? Like, giving her parole and/or declaring her legally/spiritually dead but tolerated as long as she is doing penance?

[Dapper Dog]

Qareme paused, closing her eyes.

"I believe very strongly in redemption, and you could be redeemed if you truly wished to be."

She opened her eyes and turned back to look at the woman.

"Do you?"

"I should be given that chance," she said looking the Jedi in the eye.

[Dapper Dog]

Vaya nodded, gritting her teeth. Eyes and antennapalps went between the elders, trying to divine whether her plight (or, er, the Jedi's plight? The expedition's plight?) was something they were taking into consideration. She looked at Sinnya, who she had trusted again and again to both provide a less-driven perspective and a more graceful presentation when navigating the Anzuri's needs and customs. I should give that girl a raise, she thought.

ooc: Knowledge check to think about Anzuri/Chaldi customs, some sort of Solomonic solution to this problem? Like, giving her parole and/or declaring her legally/spiritually dead but tolerated as long as she is doing penance?

OOC: Average Lore check.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

D5LA Wisdom of Space-Solomon (average lore): 1eP+3eA+2eD 3 successes


ooc: Also Improved Researcher kicks in so if anyone rolls something in the next "round" they get +2 advantages.

[Verse Aura]

Verse was listening quietly; the possibility that the maps could be gone and they wouldn't find what they needed without her was a problem; but she was already against killing her anyhow. It changed nothing.

"She shouldn't just be killed" she said, "not because we need her, but because it isn't right. More death serves no one. It is just more death, and nothing is gained. Nothing is learned. Not by the dead, not by the living."

[Sinnya]

Sinnya tilted her head, listening with a cautious frown as Vaya whispered something for her auditory sense organs only.

"There's another way, isn't there?" The question dropped abruptly into the tense silence between Qareme and Tiralia.

"She could be marked and made outcast. That's worse than being killed, if you ask me. But if she doesn't care about the Calm, maybe she won't care that she could never go back to it."

((Deploying Vaya's Ancient Lore at her suggestion!))

[Qareme Torth]

"I should be given that chance," she said looking the Jedi in the eye.

Qareme held the womans gaze for a few long moments before she spoke.

"Yes, you do deserve to be given the chance, and I would give you the chance."

Then the others spoke, and she paused to see how the elders would react.

[Dapper Dog]

All of the Aznuri look sharply at Sinnya as if she just kicked a puppy, it was a dark thing she was suggesting but after the shock they conferred.


Mother Yugba said with a tired voice, “The Mark is not done lightly, it will damn all that come after her, you curse a lineage.”

The Chaldi elder said, “Mother speaks the truth of it, but this is a most heinous crime. She will be Marked, Mother since your people sacrificed for ours we give you the right.”

The old woman nodded, “I choose Sinnya to act as my hands.” The elders accept this.

OOC: Conflict reduced to 1 instead of 3, for non-execution.

[Sinnya]

Sinnya felt about as grim as the Chaldi and Hbanu elders looked. "I... thanks for trusting me, Grandmothers and Grandfathers." She started to chew her lip and then made herself stop.

Uncrossing her arms, she took a step closer to Tiralia. "Is that really what you want, Sister? No one will ever call you kin again. After you die, your soul won't be able to find the Calm, and you'll be eaten by the great wyrm." In the interest of absolutely full disclosure, she added, "I don't know if that part is true or a metaphor, but there is a wyrm, I've seen it. Anyway, if you'd rather die an Aznuri, this is your last chance."

Those who had spent time with her over the past few weeks would probably recognize that the way the tip of her right lek twitched as she spoke was a sign of deep agitation and nerves.

[Dapper Dog]

"Get on with it," she hissed.

They bring out tools to perform the tattoo, crimson ink that each elder adds a bit of their blood too.

The Mark

[Sinnya]

"Okay. This is what you chose."

Sinnya had a pretty good guess what acting as Mother Yugba's hands entailed, and hers shook a little considering that "tattoo artist" wasn't a part of her career portfolio before today.

Well, what was the worst that could happen if she messed up? Sister--no, just Tirali--would be even more outcast?

((I think I'm gonna give myself 1 extra Conflict if I am in fact the one performing an amateur tattoo job with primitive tools... and not feeling particularly sorry about it.))

[Dapper Dog]

The deed done the people turned from the outcast and got to the business of rebuilding their lives.

Tirali-Marked.jpg (21.79 KiB) Viewed 6682 times

Tirali stood and said bitterly, "Maybe this was for the best." She tore off the shall and pulled her blade and gripped her hair and roughly cut off the rest.

"I am free."

OOC: Acceptable for Sinnya.

[Sinnya]

"Or lost." Sinnya, drying her hands on a barkcloth towel after washing them, puffed out a sigh. "You can't stay with the tribes, and no way are we letting you run back to the troopers."