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Futuristic Roleplay I
Chatterbox: Inkwell
Futuristic Roleplay I
Futuristic Roleplay I Guess
It's...been a while. I kind of vanished off the face of the CB. Does anybody even remember me? Oops. Apologies for vanishing without any explanation. At all. But I'm back! And to celebrate that, why not create a roleplay?
Well, I love sci-fi. Who doesn't? People who don't love it, I guess. But why not make a roleplay that's sci-fi? Everyone loves roleplays. Except for the ones who don't, I guess.
Oh well, let's just get started.
~~The Plot~~
It is in the distant future. There's space travel, androids, self-driving cars, and most importantly---an Intergalactic Council. For the most part, there's peace throughout the universe. Sure, there's the occasional space pirate attack, and the occasional border skirmish. But everything is changing.
There's a rising organization who call themselves the 'Order of Light', who claim the Council's leader, a powerful alien known as Jainnen Tuuli, is corrupt, and dangerous, and wants power. They've been attacking Council installations and spacecraft.
It's up to our charries to decide which side they want to support in the inevitable confrontation.
Rules--
You have basically free will with this. You can be any type of an alien, even a human if you wanted. Maybe your charries will even be an AI or an android. Who knows? But there are some rules.
1. No overpowered or mary-sue charries. This should be obvious, but I'm putting it here because when you make an alien species for your charries, you will need to be extra careful they aren't OP.
2. I will be playing as Jainnen Tuuli, so no, you can't play him. However, feel free to be another Council member or something.
3. Max number of charries is 6, though I recommend 4 at most.
4. You can play as the leader of the Order of Light. I don't mind.
5. Be creative and unique with your charries!
Info Sheet--
Name:
Occupation:
Species:
Home Planet:
Abilities:
Appearance:
Personality:
Gender:
Age:
Alliance: (None is an option, and this can change throughout the rp)
Weaknesses:
Other:
I'll post my charries later, this is just getting really long.
submitted by Sybill, age ????, Kyngdom
(May 14, 2020 - 10:16 am)
(May 14, 2020 - 10:16 am)
Artemis~
We were put in a cell all together, and several times Aigith had to be restrained from attacking Varjo. Soon we all sat in our separate places as Aigith paced back and forth.
“Walking around isnt going to make it any better,” Varjo muttered after several moments.
“Shut up, you Council dog,” Aigith shot back.
I stared at the ceiling, and almost gave in to the regret of not listening to Phillip. But I had made my choices, and now I had to live with them. And I hated myself for it.
I didn’t realise Sihi had come over to sit across from me, and she looked at me with sad eyes.
“Admiral, I’m so sorry about Tambour.”
I tried to say something back, but I couldn’t. If I didn’t talk about it, maybe it wouldn’t be real.
I should have listened to Phillip. He’d make a better Admiral than me. What good have I done?
But then I looked to the people in the cell with me, those trapped and equally as nervous as I was. I was still the Admiral of the Order. I still had that responsibility. I was going to get us out.
Suddenly, an idea sprung into my head.
“Aigith, do you have anything on you that the guards didn’t take?” I asked, and she stopped, looking down.
“No, they took out my com device and took away my weapons.”
“They didn’t take away my com,” Varjo said, tossing it to me. I deftly caught it. “But no signal can get through here. There’s no point.”
I ignored him, and began opening the com’s casing, moving around the wires and crossing one over the other. Then I attached the half of the casing to a stripped wire that stuck up, and I exhaled. If this worked, we may not be stuck here forever.
I began tapping out an SOS signal to Phillip who would in turn know we were alive and still stuck with Tuuli. Then after seriously considering it, I tapped out for him to bring the Silver Guard. They were elite Kkatan fighters in the Order who were only ever used for emergencies. Once I finished, I looked up.
“Morse,” Varjo nodded, impressed.
“I didn’t know our coms could do that,” Sihi said, and I looked at her.
“Some other models don’t. But all the newer ones can, if you do it right. Phillip and I decided to go for a more traditional style of communication in case something like this happened. You don’t need a strong electric signal, it’s its own frequency.”
“So now what?” Aigith asked.
“Now,” I said, inspecting the guards stationed outside our door. Four of them. I nodded my head towards them, and Aigith grinned. “Now we get out.”
~~~~
Phillip~
When the information was relayed back to command, there was complete silence. Phillip dropped back on a chair, his head in his hands. Phillip knew it. Phillip knew this wouldn’t work. If the Admiral wasn’t dead already, he’d kill her. But soon that frustration quickly turned to worry, and he started racking his brain over how this could have happened.
Those in the room looked to Phillip, waiting for his next command or for him to just say something. After recollecting himself a little more, he stood up and focused on the large holoscreen, which now only showed the location of the GSS Titan heading back to the Order. No sign of the Admiral.
“Okay, start scanning for any stray frequencies that might be made by a com,” he said, hoping that one of their coms were still intact. “There’s a chance nothing will come through because the signals at the base are shut off, but we can try.”
He then started organising another team to rescue the Admiral when a commander shouted.
“Sir, I’ve got something.”
The commander played the frequency over the monitors, and soon Phillip heard the faint tapping of a message in Morse.
"It's an SOS signal. She's saying to bring the Silver Guard."
Phillip smiled. "Copy that."
(May 28, 2020 - 1:18 pm)
Aigth~
The last several hours had been one wrong turn after another. It seemed the Council was one step ahead of us the whole time. Admiral Zygo, Varjo, Sihi and I were the only ones left when we were captured. Tuuli destroyed Tambour, but we couldn't destroy him, despite Varjo's efforts.
I pace the cell, my blood boiling. I'm angry at Tuuli, and angry at Varjo.
"Walking around isn't going to make it any better," he comments, and I glare daggers at him.
"Shut up, you Council dog," I snap. It's not like there's anything better to do. I restrain from antagonizing him further, however, because the Admiral looks half-dead in the corner. Tuuli's 'demonstration' had hit her hard, as he'd known it would. Sihi is attempting to comfort her, but it doesn't look like it's doing much good. I kick the wall, pretending it's Varjo or Tuuli. I must zone out, because the next moment I hear,
"Aigith." I stop pacing and look to the Admiral, who has finally spoken. "Do you have anything on you that the guards didn't take?"
I look down and shake my head. "No, they took out my com device and took away my weapons." They'd taken the Order issued blaster, which was a shame, but they'd also taken my spear, which sends a jolt of regret through me. Tuuli had taken my last piece of home, although I know it's nothing compared to what he took from the Admiral.
Varjo speaks up. "They didn't take away my com, but no signal can get through here. There's no point." He tosses the com to the Admiral, who begins to fiddle with it. Curious, I move closer to see what she's doing. She strips the wires, then begins tapping out a pattern. I recognize morse code, and shake my head in awe. The Admiral came through.
"Morse," says Varjo, mirroring my thoughts.
"I didn't know our coms could do that," says Sihi, and the Admiral replies,
"Some models don't. But all the newer ones can, if you do it right. Phillip and I decided to go for a more traditional style of communication in case something like this happened. You don't need a strong electric signal, it's its own frequency." Very impressive.
"So now what?" I ask.
"Now," Admiral Zygo responds, nodding at the guards stationed outside the door. I grin. "Now we get out."
The plan is simple. When the guards open the door, we each take one out. They may have taken our weapons, but we still have fists, and each one of us has seen our fair share of fighting. My job is to irritate the guards until they open the cell, something Varjo comments should be very easy for me. I resolve to punch the guard and not Varjo. Admiral Zygo, Varjo, and Sihi positon themselves by the door, and I lean up against the wall.
"Are you ever going to feed us?" I remark drily, and one of the guards barks an order. A few minutes later, a tray of bread and cheese is pushed in through a slot under the door, barely big enough for me to fit my arm through. So much for that.
After a moment of consideration, I walk over to where Varjo is standing. He gives me a confused look, and I swing a roundhouse punch into the side of his jaw. He folds over in pain, then comes forward at me, fists flailing. I dodge them, and a guard unlocks the door to the cell, yelling at us to break it up.
As soon as the door is open, Admiral Zygo and Sihi are on the guards. Varjo and I rush to help, and soon we have a pile of unconscious Council soldiers. Varjo glares at me, massaging his jaw, and Admiral Zygo gives me a sideways look.
"Was that really necessary?" she asks, and I shrug.
"Sorry, Admiral," I say, not feeling very apologetic. "It worked, didn't it?"
She allows a smile to cross her face. "Yes it did. Just... no more punching our allies, alright? Save it for Tuuli- although you'll have to get in line."
(May 28, 2020 - 2:50 pm)
Artemis~
"Varjo, what's the fastest way out of here?" I asked as soon as we stepped outside the cell.
We were each now equipped with a weapon taken from the guards, and I hoped it would be enough to hold off anyone that would come our way. It wouldn't be long before someone glanced at the cameras and realised we weren't there, so we had to get out as quickly as possible.
"Follow me," he replied.
Varjo jogged down the hall, and we all silently followed, alert. Pure adrenaline kept me going, and I allowed my focus to be specifcally on getting home. I could mourn later.
I sensed someone behind us and I turned around, firing the blaster. A guard dropped, but he seemed to be the lone one. And then we heard the clamping of boots in the distance, and Varjo stopped suddenly, almost causing us all to fall over.
We watched as a flank of soldiers ran past us, luckily none of them turning their head to the side. When it was clear, Varjo motioned, and we continued on our route out of the detention level. We were almost in the clear when we heard a yell behind us. The same group of soldiers had circled back around and seen us.
"Fire!"
Blasters shot at us, and Varjo and I went around one corner of the halls as Sihi and Aigith went around another for cover.
I peeked my head around and fired the blaster several times as soldiers continued to drop. I glanced over at Sihi and Aigith, who were doing well with taking them down when Sihi suddenly yelped. Blood began to seep through her sleeve.
"You alright?" Varjo yelled over the sounds of the blasters.
"Y-yeah," she said. Aigith was already tearing a part of her own sleeve and tying it around Sihi's arm to stop the bleeding. "I'm fine."
Soon we heard the sounds of more soldiers arriving, and Varjo huffed.
"We won't be able to hold them off for much longer. We need to move. We need to get behind that blast door."
He motioned behind us, where a blast door was several feet away. The only problem was, it was literally in an open line of fire.
I looked at Varjo. "A blaster bomb might work."
He shrugged, shooting a solider behind me that had inched close. I gave him an appreciative glance.
"Maybe. I haven't tried before with these models."
"Hang on then," I said, looking to Sihi. "Slide your weapon over here!"
She nodded and then pushed the weapon across the floor. I managed to grab it in time before a blast nearly shot off my hand.
I unscrewed the barrel and jammed it against the wall, causing it to bend slightly. I hoped this would work.
"When I say go," I shouted towards Aigith and Sihi. "Head for the blast doors."
They noddded, and I looked up at Varjo.
"Now or never."
I jammed the barrel into the gun and pressed the trigger, throwing it to the group of soldiers.
"GO!"
We bolted for the blast doors, closing them just in time for the explosion to go off, the yells of soldiers following not long after.
I exhaled in relief, and looked over at the others. Aigith had a smile on her face while Varjo made sure Sihi was alright.
Suddenly I felt the com buzzing in my pocket. I took it out, and felt Morse code playing back. They looked at me expectantly, and I could almost cry from the relief I felt.
"Varjo, get us outside," I said. "The calvary has arrived."
(May 28, 2020 - 4:28 pm)
Sihi Nayemnik~~
"Varjo, get us outside," Admiral Zygo said. "The calvary has arrived."
There was a collective breath of relief from Varjo, Aigith, and I. Varjo stood, removing his hand from checking my makeshift bandages. Aigith helped me stand, and I murmured a quick word of thanks to her.
"Right," Varjo said, quickly becoming all serious again. "This way." We followed him down the halls, clinging to the walls. Now that we were down a weapon, we needed to be a lot more careful. Our feet made hardly any noise as we moved.
"Wait," Varjo said, stopping us at a corner. "Somebody is up ahead." I didn't notice anything at first, but soon I could sense their energies as well. Their voices drifted towards us.
"What do you mean they escaped? Didn't we have four guards watching them?" It wasn't Tuuli, but it was someone who sounded just a powerful as him. Possibly another Councillor, and likely one of the Tuuli loyalists if they knew about us.
"Well, yes, sir, but the guards weren't, uh, elites--"
"You're telling me that you didn't think to put our best guards in charge of our prisoners who were most likely to escape?" The voice grew angrier. "Listen, if you do not find and detain them within the next fifteen minutes I swear I'll throw you in a cell instead. Understand?" I knew who the voice belonged to. Councillor Arakaye Besach, one who I'd had the unpleasant experience of having to meet. He was well-trusted by Tuuli, and known for his short temper.
"Who's that?" Zygo whispered. I was about to reply, but Varjo did first.
"Councillor Arakaye Besach. I used to be on his entourage for a little while, when Besach was visiting a rebellious planet. He and Tuuli are very close. If it's possible, Besach is even worse. Tuuli does horrible things for personal gain, but Besach does them just because he thinks it's fun," Varjo whispered, his face darkening.
"Oh," Aigith muttered. "How lovely."
Varjo readied his blaster, as did Aigith and Admiral Zygo. I felt awkward being the only one without a weapon.
Besach walked towards us, and I involuntarily held my breath. He looked around, investigating, looking like he knew something was awry. The other voice, an assistant of some mammalian species, followed him closely.
"Is--is there something wrong, sir?" The assistant asked, clearly very nervous. Besach whirled around.
"Why are you still following me!?! I thought I gave you a task to complete, you moron!" Besach snapped. There was a long string of apologies from the assistant. Varjo motioned for us to sneak past them while they were distracted.
We moved across the hallway quickly. All four of us had nearly made it across when the assistant turned and noticed us.
"Hey! They're right there!" He shouted, pointing. Besach looked at us.
"Run!" Varjo yelled, but none of us needed to be told. We sprinted, following Varjo. I could hear Besach running behind us. He was surprisingly fast.
Varjo led us down a side hallway. There was an elevator at the end--our escape. Varjo reached it first, the rest of us following soon after. The slid open, and we stepped inside.
"Which floor is your destination?" An automated voice asked. The friendliness of the voice seemed very odd in the situation. Varjo pressed down on the intercom button.
"Varjo Nayemnik, ground level," He said. There was a painfully long wait. Besach and a group of guards rounded the corner. Aigith, Varjo, and the Admiral did their best to hold them off with their blasters.
"Voice recognized," The automated voice finally said. The doors closed, bullets richocheting off them. The elevator began to ascend.
"That was close," I finally said, once we all had a chance to catch our breath. "Will the ground floor be worse?"
"It's likely, yes," Varjo said.
Aigith and I simultaneously groaned.
~~~
(May 28, 2020 - 7:33 pm)
Ora--
I finished fiddling with the communicator and leaned back in my chair. With both the Titan and the Silver Guard ship gone, there was nothing more for us to do. Everyone was restless and irritable. Distracted.
I pulled out my holopad. The day was almost over, so maybe no one would notice if I bent the rules a little. I needed to send another update to my parents.
Two ships have left base. I heard they were headed for Tsikhe, I typed into the encryption software. I paused, then added, Also, Nayemnik seems to be getting a little too friendly. I recalled Zygo's words: "When this is all over, join our ranks. Properly." I shivered.
Encrypting the message and hitting send, I scratched the scales on my arm, not quite ready to go back to work. Between spotty connection and time differences, though, my parents probably wouldn't receive it until sometime tomorrow. So I was suprised when, thirty minutes later, I felt a vibration from the pad.
"All right! Day's over, people!" Big Boss called, waving us toward the door. Everyone streamed out, eager for a good night's sleep. I tried to hide in the crowd as I opened the reply.
My eyes widened with shock, scanning the coded message and reading it like an open book.
Zygo, along with Varjo and Sihi Nayemnik and a bounty hunter, are captive in our dungeons. Varjo Nayemnik is sympathizing with the enemy, and refused to assassinate the commander. He has failed.
A smile broke on my face. They were captive! And not just that-- Nayemnik's mission was up for grabs. And who else was better equipped than I to fulfill it? It was my duty!
Then I realized: the Admiral was already in our hands. I couldn't assassinate her.
But I could take down her second in command.
Thoughts began to flood my head. I would get close to him, then when he was unaware, hit him hard and fast. I would rise in favor among the councillors, especially Jainnen Tuuli. I needed to do this. I knew I could.
I opened a new message.
(May 28, 2020 - 7:31 pm)
Ah, I hadn't seen this post while I was writing mine, so mine ended up being above it. Apologies.
(May 28, 2020 - 8:53 pm)
“Get ready. We have to move quickly out of the elevator’s corridor to avoid being seen,” Varjo said, and soon after, the elevator stopped.
As the doors opened, two guards came into view and Aigith and I immediately shot them down.
“Follow me,” Varjo said, and we all ran out of the elevator, making our way around the corridor. When we stopped at the corner of the hall, the glint of metal on the ceiling caught my eye. There was a big vent, and I nudged Varjo.
“Do you think we could get out through the vents?”
His eyes widened and he contemplated before nodding quickly. “Yeah, there’s an exit at the back of the base.”
“Let’s try that then.”
I blasted the vent, and it swung open as we hurriedly helped Sihi up first. Then we helped Aigith and finally Varjo helped me up before I stuck my hand out and pulled him into the vent.
Varjo quickly put the vent cover back into place before we crawled through. It was tight, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it’d be.
Varjo peeked through each new vent cover so he could see where we were in the base, and through a series of turns we finally reached the end.
“Okay,” Varjo said. “Now I don’t know how many guards are stationed outside. Probably not a lot at the back entrance, so we just need to take out the ones we can and run for the trees. Got it?”
Aigith, Sihi and I mumbled in agreement, and he blasted the vent door open. We all scampered out, finding a few guards around the perimeter who looked shocked at our arrival.
“Go!” Varjo shouted, and we started blasting at the guards, giving us enough cover and time to run into the trees.
“Where to now?” I shouted, sprinting beside Varjo.
“I don’t know, where are they?”
As if on cue, the trees suddenly started folding to the pressure of high winds, and we had to stop and brace ourselves to avoid getting blasted back.
The Angel 2, one of the ships in the series designed specifically for the Silver Guard, lowered and touched ground as the cargo door opened.
Kkatans in Order uniforms streamed out, getting to Sihi, who was visibly injured, first. Aigith rushed to follow her inside.
Then about five Guard came up to me, but I repeatedly reassured them I was fine. I looked around to find Varjo on his knees with his hands above his head, three Guard surrounding him.
“Admiral, we need to leave, now,” a Guard said respectfully but sternly.
I nodded a few times and followed them on board, not looking at Varjo who was now trailing behind in cuffs.
They took me to the helm of the ship after reassuring me that Sihi was being seen to by the medical unit, and we rose in altitude before blasting out of the system.
Within several moments of being on board, Phillip made contact and I explained everything that had happened, albeit sounding drained and completely numb. Phillip could see that and decided not to press farther than the details he was already given.
When we were finally not in enemy space, I went and sat at a bunk near the helm. The Guard left me alone, attending to other things, and I leaned my head against the wall.
I couldn’t think about Tambour or I’d start crying, and I’d already shown enough mistakes today. What I had to do right now was go back to the Order and fix this mess.
I stood up and walked to the extra area where they were holding Varjo.
“It’s okay, he’s not hostile,” I said, tired.
A Guard looked at me, confused. “But Vice Admiral Phillip said-“
“Var-Naymenik here tried to kill Tuuli,” I replied. “He’s not a prisoner. Not right now. We’ll have a thorough review once we’re back at the Order, but I’m sure for now he just wants to see his sister.”
I felt Varjo look up at me, but I held a steady stare with the Guard.
Finally, they nodded. “Yes Admiral.”
They uncuffed Varjo, and we headed to where they held Sihi. He elected not to say anything on the walk there, to which I felt indifferent. To be honest, I barely had the energy to talk.
Sihi’s face immediately brightened when Varjo’s came into view.
Varjo gave a smile, which honestly surprised all of us, and he went to hug her. Suddenly Sihi’s face twisted and she slapped him on the arm.
“Ow!” he hissed. “What was that for?”
“For even thinking about working with the Council in the first place!” But her face softened and she pulled him into a hug. “Welcome home though.”
Aigith walked away from the siblings and up to me, giving my shoulder a small pat. Her casual attitude towards me felt refreshing and kind of funny.
“How you doing Admiral?”
I shook my head, looking down. “Not great.”
There was an awkward pause, but I glanced up at Aigith who still had genuine hope in her eyes.
“We’ve lost this one. And it’s really painful. But that doesn’t mean we’ve lost it all.”
I tried to give a smile, because deep down I knew she was right, but it all still hurt so much. For years I had struggled with who I was and what I should do with the Zendi part of me and now there was a chance I was the only Zendi left. I had wasted opportunities with my family and with the people on my planet, and now I couldn’t stop the feeling of grief mixed with utter regret from seeping in. All those innocent people were gone without warning. And now I’d never see my people again.
I looked away. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Aigith nodded, and I stepped out, exhaling shakily.
I then walked to the nearest empty corridor, collapsed on the floor, and began sobbing.
(May 28, 2020 - 9:24 pm)
Aigith~
The Silver Guard picks us up moments after we leave the Council base, using Varjo's back exit. They take Sihi first, and I find myself following her, wanting to make sure she's alright. The Guard escorting her take her to a medical room on board the ship, but deny me entry. They say the medics will fetch us when we're allowed to be with her.
As I turn to go, I see the Admiral, looking shaky, followed by Varjo, who's cuffed. This brings me a small satisfaction- I still don't trust him. Maybe it was his fault the Council had been a step ahead. Either way, I know none of us will relax until we're safely away from Tsikhe.
Admiral Zygo contacts the Vice Admiral to update him, and I in turn borrow a holoscreen to contact my crew. I turn it on and try to get a connection. It's fuzzy at first, then I see Iri's face.
"Aigith!" she says with a relieved smile. She turns around. "Everyone, come here! It's the captain." A moment later and some jostling of the holoscreen, I can see the entire crew. The seven faces are pressed together, all trying to fit on the screen.
"Captain, you're alright!" cries Malave, and I nod.
"I'm fine, but a lot's happened. We... lost a lot of people."
"I'm sorry, Aigith," says Iri.
"It's okay. I can't say any more over the holoscreen, but I wanted to let you all know that I made it, and that we're on our way back. We should be there in a little bit, as long as there are no complications. So I'll see you soon!"
The crew choruses their goodbyes, and soon only Iri is left. I'd tried to put on a lighter demeanor for the others, but I know she can see the shadows on my face.
"How bad?" she asks softly.
"Worse than you can imagine. I don't know how..."
"It'll be okay."
"I don't know if it will."
Iri sighs, as if she doesn't know what to say. I look up from the screen and see one of the Guard gesturing that I can see Sihi now.
"I have to go," I tell Iri, and she nods. "I'll see you soon."
"Don't do anything stupid," are her parting words, and we both disconnect. I return the holoscreen and walk into Sihi's room. She's sitting on a cot, a fresh bandage around her arm. She gives me a smile when I walk in.
"How's your arm?" I ask as I sit down next to her.
She shrugs, then winces. "I've been through worse. Thanks, by the way, for wrapping it."
"No problem." We sit in silence for a moment, and I glance at her. As much as I don't trust Varjo, Sihi is a different matter. I know her from my time with the Order, and she has my respect and my trust.
After a minute, Varjo walks into the room, followed by the Admiral. He goes to hug Sihi, who beams, then slaps him, then hugs him. I walk away from the pair and stand next to the Admiral. I pat her on the shoulder in a lousy and informal attempt to comfort her.
"How you doing Admiral?" I ask, and she shakes her head.
"Not great." Of course not great. What she's been through today is enough to break anyone. I take a moment to gather my thoughts, then say, in a rush,
"We've lost this one. And it's really painful. But that doesn't mean we've lost it all." I see a painful struggle behind her eyes, then she looks away.
"If you'll excuse me," she says, and I nod. She steps out of the room and shuts the door behind her. I walk back over to Sihi and Varjo
"I thought you were cuffed," I remark coldly, and he glares at me.
"Looks like they let me go."
"You were the mole after all, huh?" My voice is raising- since there are no more Council soldiers, I'm taking my anger out on Varjo. "Providing flies to the Council, Nayemnik. Maybe that was why they were a step ahead, maybe you knew that Tuuli was an android, did you want us thrown in that cell? Did you know about the weapon, about Tambour? Did you-" Sihi places a hand on my arm, and I find that it helps me calm down. Shaking my head, I sit down and wait until my temper subsides.
Varjo is looking like a fish, mouth open in surprise. I guess I caught him off-guard. I take a breath, then ask, as calmly as I can manage,
"Is there anything else we should know?"
(May 29, 2020 - 10:38 am)
Varjo Nayemnik~~
"Is there anything else we should know?" Aigith asked. Her voice was calm, but there was still a sharpness to it. As if she were barely containing her anger.
Varjo hesistated, for a moment. He supposed he had nothing to loose. Might as well tell them everything--it might save his life later.
"I wasn't the mole, actually," He replied. "Well. Not the original mole, anyways."
"What do you mean? You're the one who sent those files," Aigith said. Her gaze had turned to a glare.
"There's another spy in the Order, posing as a mechanic," Varjo explained in a cold tone. "She was there long before me. Actually, she's the one who sent the files--I just found them."
"Who?" Sihi asked. "None of the mechanics seemed...suspicious..."
"Ora Sseddin," Varjo replied. "Sixteen year old Gnax. Least suspicious there is. Her parents used to be spies as well, but they aren't anymore."
"You mean there's been spies in the Order this whole time?!" Aigith snapped, her voice rising in both anger and volume. "Stars, how much information have they discovered?"
Varjo continued. "And...no, I didn't know about the weapon. Not...entirely, anyways. Obviously I'd suspected Tuuli had been behind the planet-wide radiation leaks on Geyja and Ku Bushake, but I didn't realize he had...a weapon."
"What about...the android? Did you know Tuuli used them like that?" Sihi asked, her tone much softer than Aigith's.
"...Yeah, I did," Varjo said. Aigith looked ready to attack him, but Sihi kept a firm grip on her arm.
"You--you KNEW?!? You knew he was--you knew it was fake!" She snarled.
"I didn't say that," Varjo snapped. "I knew he used androids like that, but I'd thought he'd want to give Ar--Zygo the...presentation...in person."
Aigith still looked furious, but she sat back down. Varjo felt slighlty less in danger.
"So, what's your verdict?" Varjo asked. "How terrible of a person am I?"
"Stars, you're worse than terrible. You should be--"
Varjo cut Aigith off. "Executed? Thrown in a high-security prison for the rest of my life?" He scoffed, then continued. "You're telling me nothing I didn't already know."
~~~
This is fun. Sorry if you felt like I controlled Aigith too much, I can revise this a little if you want.
(May 29, 2020 - 11:41 am)
When I finally recollected myself, I stood up and my eyes darted around making sure no one saw. Seeing the coast was clear, I started making my way back towards the medical bunker. The closer I got, the more I heard voices being raised.
I stepped near to the door, not right next to it so it wouldn’t open, and I heard Aigith’s voice prominent above the others.
“-worse than terrible! You should be-“
I heard a lower voice interrupt her, presumably Varjo, and I decided to walk in.
Aigith’s eyes shot up at me and guilt was written on Varjo’s face.
I frowned. “Is everything alright?”
Aigith sighed harshly. “No. No, it’s not. Varjo here says that there’s another mole in the Order, an Ora something. She’s a young Gnax posing as a mechanic.”
Suddenly her face flashed before my eyes. I remembered her. She was the one who had gotten lost in the halls.
My eyes darted to Varjo. “Is the Vice Admiral safe with her there?”
Varjo nodded. “He’s probably still in the command room, so yes. But as soon as you get back, I would detain her.”
“I’m not gonna wait that long. Not this time,” I replied, pulling out the new com link the Guard has given us. I pressed Phillip’s communication channel, and it crackled to life. “Phillip, listen carefully. There’s another mole in the Order. An Ora...”
I looked to Varjo, and he whispered “Sseddin.”
“Sseddin,” I continued. “Have her detained right away. And don’t leave that room if you can help it, she might be after you.”
“Yes, Admiral,” he concisely replied, his voice sounding a little concerned. “We’re tracking your ship. You guys are almost home.”
“Thank you Phillip,” I said, and switched the com off.
I looked at Aigith. “Thank you for letting me know.”
She nodded, and went back to talking with Sihi. Sihi looked to be recovering well, much to my relief.
“Technically, it was my intel,” Varjo interjected, and I stared at him coldly.
“Technically, all you do is lie.”
Varjo raised an eyebrow. “Then why am I free to roam around right now?”
“Because I’ve shown you mercy,” I said, stepping closer to him. “But I cant guarantee Phillip will do the same.”
“He’s an empath,” Varjo scoffed.
“You’d be surprised at how apathetic empaths can be when you lose their favour.”
“Look, Admiral,” he said, tilting his head. “I’m not going back to the Council. Frankly, I don’t want to. And I’m warming up to what you told me before we left. Remember...?”
I sighed. “Yes yes. But that was before-“
“No, technically everything that happened after was still a part of the job. And I tried to end him, but in that moment I didn’t know he had replaced himself with an android. I thought he’d want to make it...personal.”
I shook my head, my voice dropping. “Then why didn’t you stop...Tambour? Why didn’t you...”
His eyes softened. “You know as well as I do that no one could have stopped that, Artemis.”
My heart pained but I knew he was right. “I’m sorry.”
“No no, don’t apologise.”
The tears began to well in my eyes, and I struggled to stop them so I looked away. I couldn’t get the Zendi faces out of my head.
“Sorry I-“
Then Varjo pulled me into a very surprising hug. Albeit, it was a little awkward, as I assumed an assassin and spy from the Council rarely hugged people. But it was mostly so no one had to see the state I was in, and for that I was grateful.
For the first time in a long time, I mourned in the presence of others.
(May 29, 2020 - 12:44 pm)
Varjo Nayemnik~~
Tears began to well up within the Admiral's eyes. She looked away, as if she were fighting to hold them back, though her attempts seemed to be failing.
"Sorry I--"
He interrupted her by pulling her into a hug. It was less to comfort her and more to hide her face from everyone else in the room, though that was probably comforting enough as is. Varjo had a feeling Artemis wouldn't like it if her soldiers saw her in such a state.
He let her cry into his shoulder, trying not to feel awkward. Aigith looked almost entertained, and he shot her a glare.
Eventually, the Admiral stepped away. She wiped her eyes, looking more calm and collected now. "I'm sorry."
"Didn't I say not to apologize?" Varjo replied.
"No, for the tear stain on your uniform," Artemis said, with a small laugh.
~~~
I don't have much time, but here's a short post.
(May 30, 2020 - 4:51 am)
(May 30, 2020 - 3:10 pm)
Ora--
Once the idea had taken hold, it permeated my every thought. I needed to get close to the Vice Admiral, then kill him somehow. I wasn't yet sure of the details. I needed time to think.
A knock sounded at the door of my apartment. I jumped up to peek at the vision screen, and I saw a guard. The badges on his uniform looked like they belonged to a well-ranked individual. I opened the door, heart pounding.
"You're Ora Sseddin, yes?" he asked emotionlessly. His scrutiny was unnerving. I nodded nervously.
He studied me for a long moment before replying, "Guards. Take her away."
Before I could react, guards poured out from around the corners, and shock cuffs were snapped around my wrists and ankles. They surrounded me and began to lead me away. My eyes widened. They knew. I was caught.
"What are you doing? Stop it!" I exclaimed with as much force as I could muster. "What have I done?"
A young guard turned around to look at me. "You've been accused of espionage, miss. Sending information to the Council."
"Who? Who accused me?" I asked, but no one answered my question.
How did they know? I hadn't sent a transmission in days, not since I decided to kill the Vice Admiral. Why hadn't they acted before now? What new piece of information had come to light?
What did I do wrong?
As they led me down the elevator and then a set of steps, my breathing calmed a little. At least I still had my pill. I could destroy the evidence as soon as I was left alone. But my hopes were dashed when we arrived at a cell and the lead guard turned to face me.
"Tell us where your cyanide pill is, or we'll search for it ourselves." My blood chilled.
I lifted my chin. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." My voice came out as barely more than a whisper. The guard shrugged and jerked his thumb at me.
"Search her. We need her alive so she can be questioned."
Obediently a guard came forward, and without further ado, reached for the secret pocket on my shoulder where the pill was kept. She tugged it open and pulled out the small, round death capsule, and my heart sank like a stone. Of course. Order spies probably had a similar hiding place.
The leader nodded curtly, then, one by one, the group filed out. But my lungs froze before the door was locked completely when I saw a figure out in the hall.
It was Varjo Nayemnik. He glanced at me for a split second, then his eyes fell to the floor. Such a simple movement, but it was filled with meaning.
He had given me away. Under what circumstances, I didn't know, but there were no sighs that he had been under particular duress at the time. Maybe he had told them to glean favor? But despite my excuses, the more I mulled over it, the more I realized that he must have told the enemy willingly. He had switched sides. Double-crossed our friends.
That dirty traitor.
(May 30, 2020 - 6:32 pm)
Sorry this is late! I was a bit busy today.
Anyway, first person!
Phillip~
The utter relief that washed over me as soon as the Silver Guard docked almost knocked me over. And I almost got knocked over again when all personnel rushed to greet the landing party.
“Phillip!” I heard the Admiral yell as she spotted me in the sudden crowd of people, jogging over to me. “Are you okay?”
I scoffed. “Am I okay? I’m glad you’re okay! You need to have the med team check you out.”
Before I could even finish, they had already gotten to her and start examining her while she was still standing.
“No, I mean did you get that Sseddin girl? The double agent?”
She hissed as they applied medicine to a gash on her arm, wrapping it.
“Yes, and she’s been detained. You can see her in a moment to confirm.”
“Okay,” the Admiral responded, shrugging off someone that was trying to inspect her face. “I’ll take Varjo with me, he knows for sure what she looks like.”
I winced inwardly. “Don’t we need to detain Naymenik as well?”
“Phillip,” she said sternly, but not unfriendly. “He tried to help, and ultimately he did. I offered him a place at the Order, and I’m not backing down from it. We can do extensive questioning and testing, but let’s not treat him like a prisoner.”
I still didn’t like it, but I understood. “Yes, Admiral.”
Her face changed, and she smiled. “I’m really glad to see you again, Thaddeus.”
I nodded. “I’m glad you’re safe, ma’am.”
~~~~
Artemis~
I headed down to the detention level with Phillip and Varjo. Even though she was contained and she wasn’t a threat, this Ora Sseddin still had me feeling uneasy and angry. I wasn’t sure if I could bear to look at a member of the Council right now, but I didn’t have much of a choice.
When we finally reached her cell, Varjo peered in and then looked down.
“That’s her.”
I took a turn to look in myself, but her face darted away from mine.
“What have we recovered from her?”
“So far, only a cyanide pill,” Phillip responded. “We’re not sure where she might have stored the information.”
“Well, most of the information was transferred,” Varjo said, brows furrowed in thought. “If she has any left, it’s going to be on her. She wouldn’t risk leaving it at her apartment. I would search again.”
I nodded and motioned for the guards to bring her out of her cell. They complied, and soon an angry Gnax was brought out, eyes shooting daggers at Varjo.
“You dirty traitor!” she yelled as the guards roughly searched her. “Tuuli will make you pay for this!”
“Tuuli probably doesn’t even know you exist,” he replied coldly. “You chose the wrong side. How old are you?”
“That doesn’t matter!” she snapped. “And I’m not the one who chose the wrong side.” Her eyes shot to me, then back to Varjo. “You consort with the enemy, and Tuuli will have your head along with hers!”
Varjo stepped forward and I interjected. “Ora Sseddin. That is enough.”
She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but she stopped. Finally, the guards looked up but shook their heads. Nothing. Ora smiled.
But when Varjo stepped forward again, shaking his head, panic flooded over Ora’s face.
“See now, gentlemen, you need to do your research on this species.”
Varjo circled around Ora, but she stood frozen in place. He paused when he was behind her, and looked up at the guards.
“Observe.”
He grabbed the back of her neck and she let out a scream as he nearly ripped a scale off.
I gasped. “Var-”
He held up his hand, the small glint of metal catching my eyes. There it was, a small capsule big enough to contain pages of information.
Phillip frowned. “How?”
“The Gnax have an extra gland in the back of their head. I suppose it helps them breathe, but it’s great as a storage space. There you go, Phillip. You have what you need.”
He tossed it to Phillip and Phillip caught it.
Although Phillip still seemed reserved, he was grateful. “Thank you.”
As we walked away, I shot Varjo a look.
“I thought you were going to kill her.”
Varjo gave a light smirk. “Worried about prisoners and all creatures under the sun still, Admiral?”
“No, just worried we wouldn’t get information if she was dead.”
This time, Varjo gave me a look. “I see.”
I found myself not even checking to make sure Ora was okay as they threw her back into the cell. I felt my heart hardening more and more towards the Council and any members in it. How could you associate yourself with such evil and be ignorant, or even complicit to it?
(May 30, 2020 - 10:20 pm)
Sihi Nayemnik~~
My arm was a little worse than I had expected. Not horrible, but...I guess I didn't expect my arm to hurt so much everytime I moved it. I ended up getting stuck in the infirmary, worrying about everything and knowing nothing. Was the Sseddin girl detained? Was Varjo detained? Was Admiral Zygo okay? And most importantly, how many people wre lost trying to rescue me?
And worst of all, what happened to the three soldiers Tuuli had shown me? They hadn't been in the prison area. I told an ensign about it, who promised they would relay the information to the Admiral, but I was worried they felt I was delusional from being held captive.
Guilt at being discovered was constantly eating away at my conscience. None of this would have happened had I not been discovered. Tambour would still be habitable. Those ensigns would still be alive. My arm would still be working correctly. But I tried to look at the bright side of things. Because I was captured, we learned about Tuuli's secret weapon. Varjo helped the Order, and almost joined it. Like, 75% joined it. And we discovered the truth about Ora Sseddin.
I hoped someone would visit me soon, before my thoughts drove me crazy.
~~~~~~
Varjo Nayemnik~~ (apologies if this was too controlling, I can change this scene if you want)
The Vice Admiral and Artemis turned and began to walk down the hallway. Varjo made to follow them, but then a voice within the cell stopped him.
"You betrayed us," Ora said. "You betrayed our friends."
Varjo scoffed. "Friends. Rich way of putting it." He noted the guards were at the far end of the hall, well out of earshot. The two Admirals were also a fair distance away. It was just him and the Gnax, he realized.
"What do you mean?" Ora cried, in what seemed to Varjo to be a confused voice. "You were admired. Respected. Why would you give all that up? You made a choice to join the Council--why suddenly change your mind?"
Varjo's gaze turned icy cold. "Do you really think I willingly chose to join the Council? Nobody chooses to join the Council."
"I did."
"No. You were just raised being taught there was only one choice--the Council, because the Council was always the good ones. The Council never does anything wrong, huh?" Varjo spat. "And Tuuli is the greatest of them all. Let me guess--Tuuli did so much good for your species, huh?"
Varjo waited for a response, but there was none.
"That's what I thought," He said, voice cold and harsh as a blizzard.
~~~~
(May 31, 2020 - 9:17 pm)