toasting and debriefing

[zuhrovet]

Sasha has messaged the team, summoning them to a meeting in the common room. After sending the message, she heads there herself, and starts pouring shots of rosemary arak. She gives a glass to Sulen as they enter the room, holding it out formally, with both hands; she gives Reshad a similarly formal presentation, and an equally formal smile. Seyli gets a choice between arak and sparkling water, and a lopsided grin.

Comments

Re: let's fight about babies, cont'd

[hoardingpearls]

"I do not suggest putting any child in Jedao's sole care." That's for Sasha's benefit and Gerae's, the statement as unequivocal as she can make it.

"Rather if Cantata could be compelled to action, they should only be near people you trust." Tap tap tap.

Re: let's fight about babies, cont'd

[zuhrovet]

It was tricky enough keeping track of high language honorifics without a thousand years of language drift. Does that ending on Reshad's 'you' imply a generally pleasant 'all of you, effacing myself as the speaker', or is it false respect for Sasha as captain, daring her to choose whom to trust? Knots and stars.

"I think that is a clear boundary. We keep Jedao from any contact with or knowledge of the mothlings. Also, I would suggest, we keep him away from Mishka."

Re: let's fight about babies, cont'd

[slybrarian]

Alaric didn't quite manage to suppress the eye roll or the exasperated sigh. Honestly, it wasn't as if he'd suggested serving up an omelette for Jedao.

"Of course we keep him away from the mothlings, Mishka, or any other children. I'm not saying to give him a psuedodragon either, just that exposure might be helpful. Or not, I'm not the interrogation expert here, just trying to be helpful." Then, after a moment, he helpfully added, "Not that any of us are all that qualified for dragon-raising either, but that's beside the point."

Re: let's fight about babies, cont'd

[zuhrovet]

"I have a fucking distance-learning certificate in herpetology, Alaric," Sasha points out. "In addition to my qualifications for armed rebellion." The herpetology certificate went into rather a lot more detail than the rebellion orientation, as it happens. But then, it was a two-year course, or longer part time. In some more perfect universe, Sasha's current role probably qualifies as an internship.

"Would anyone else like to establish a boundary condition?"

[side commentary]

[yhlee]

[excuse your GM while he dies in the corner over here

My parents-in-law used to keep the obligatory ball python named Monty, two California king snakes, and rat snakes. They were adorbs.]

Re: let's fight about babies, cont'd

[lleullawgyffes]

“As, more or less, an interrogation expert,” Virmad says, “I take Alaric’s point to be that continuing to think of this as an interrogation isn’t likely to get us anywhere. Jedao is dangerous: we all agree on that, I think; it would be foolish to pretend otherwise. But, having already broached the topic of overthrowing the -archate with him,” — he glances at Reshad here — “the longer we treat him as our prisoner rather than our ally, the more difficult it will be to earn his trust. He’s already offered us a significant token of good faith, in the form of the confirmation that he also wants to overthrow the -archate, and the fact that he’s working for someone already. I think — taking as many precautions as possible — the least we could do, to start with, would be to let him stand up and walk around his room, even if we decide to restrict him just to his room for the time being.”

Re: let's fight about babies, cont'd

[lleullawgyffes]

“But,” he adds quickly, before anyone else can jump in, “we might want to take a lesson from our previous guest” — he inclines his head to Gerae — “and make absolutely sure there's no way out of the room unless we collectively agree to let him out.”

this spaceship is run by the letters S and R

[zuhrovet]

"At the moment, the only people who have the authority to create a door to his room are Seyli, Sulen, and me. I see no reason to expand that list."

Sasha frames her next question for the Rahal, but she's watching Seyli, because if they intend to challenge her specifically, this will be a good opportunity. "Speaking of grid permissions--shall we allow Jedao any means of interaction? There's no fucking way I'm giving him even a visitor's accesses, but we could allow him to dim the lights in that room verbally, or to play items from a list of approved media."

Re: this spaceship is run by the letters S and R

[kese_seyli]

Seyli's still in a way that makes them look like they're posed to fight or flee, but they do nothing and remain silent.

Re: this spaceship is run by the letters S and R

[hoardingpearls]

Alaric gets a nod of approval first, then Virmad.

"My expertise is in gaining trust, in difficult situations, not interrogation," she adds. It's an oversimplification, but it'll do. "As Virmad said, treat him as a collaborator and we're more likely to actually get there. I'd like him to have freedom to move in his room, and I'd like to be able to speak with him. Surveill, if you like. We do have to keep our risk low." A glance at Sasha; one at Seyli.

"Your grid access ideas are good ones, also; he'd make a far better ally than he does a prisoner."

Re: this spaceship is run by the letters S and R--paging Sulen

[zuhrovet]

"The grid responds to gestures," Sasha observes, with some irony. "One would have to go to significant lengths, to prevent surveillance. Sulen, what are your thoughts?"

Re: this spaceship is run by the letters S and R--paging Sulen

[venndaai]

"I approve. Could you get me access to his room's security camera?"

Re: this spaceship is run by the letters S and R--paging Sulen

[zuhrovet]

Well, they can let Reshad in, then. There's an antechamber for a reason.

"You have it. Aymad can walk you through the procedures."

Re: this spaceship is run by the letters S and R--paging Sulen

[yhlee]

Gerae lifts his head and ventures, "Just what media do we want him to have access to? We could possibly find something out about him by tracking his choice of entertainment."

[NPC as proxy for GM curiosity!]

Re: this spaceship is run by the letters S and R--paging Sulen

[zuhrovet]

Sasha shrugs. "We have all sorts of media from the station we just visited. And I think perhaps we should give him a version of the standard rebellion orientation, edited to remove any reference to his own activities. After that--it's really your call, with the rest of the Rahal, that is, though I would choose to err on the early side."

Re: this spaceship is run by the letters S and R--paging Sulen

[hoardingpearls]

"Perhaps a carefully chosen documentary, without reference to him," Reshad suggests. "Let him look at the Hexarchate of my era."

Her tone stays collegial, but there's something edged in the set of her eyes. "And be ready for questions, because I doubt he's seen it all coming."

Re: this spaceship is run by the letters S and R--paging Sulen

[zuhrovet]

All praise to the Prophet, at least Reshad has stopped fidgeting.

"The rebellion orientation cuts off around then. I could never get anyone to say whether there was a reason, or someone in Personnel just thought a thousand years was a nice number."

getting on the same page

[venndaai]

"We should decide how much to tell him about his own actions. We don't want to be inconsistent."

Re: getting on the same page

[kese_seyli]

“Why not tell him everything?” Seyli suggests, somewhat of a terrible joke, partially being honest. “Rather than having him manage to find out anyway and assume our intentions are other than we’ve stated.”

Re: getting on the same page

[zuhrovet]

"He is already corresponding about threshold winnowers," Sasha points out. "And he told us that he had considered a terrible bargain, in exchange for life unending. I think he knows, and knows that we know. But if we are going to talk to him about Hellspin in any detail, I want Ione or the Rahal available, to read how he reacts. And I want to know how he responds to facts, not to hundreds of years' worth of dramatizations."

Re: getting on the same page

[hoardingpearls]

Reshad smiles at Seyli. "Our actions need to leave little room for doubt."

Sasha's remarks get a different response, looking thoughtful. "I'd like to see that correspondence. You mentioned this Nirai; if they're immortal now, and offering the same to him, we may be able to trace them through the history books. Do some reconnaissance based on things they haven't done yet." Or, horrifying: things they already have, if they're a rift-traveler also.

Aside, she remarks: "We need to find out when they became immortal. Past or future." In rapid thought, she swirls the little bit of liquid left in the glass.

"Of course it'd need to be the truth. Or carefully, and with questions. We need to know how his current plans correspond, not what it looks like when he falls apart." That, they know, if his comments are to be believed.

Re: getting on the same page

[zuhrovet]

"I'll post the correspondence to the mothgrid, so everyone can analyze it," Sasha offers. "And I still want to know if Jedao's co-conspirator is cooperating with Quill. That might explain why this mission focused on Jedao, in particular."

"But to start with, we need to learn as much as we can about what the co-conspirator is doing in this timeline. There's a limit to how much I can pull from the lattice while we're in transit, but I may be able to investigate more thoroughly once we reach Autumn Pyre. Sulen and Reshad, can you coordinate to get me a name and description, before then? The sooner the better--Nirai systems are inconsistent, and I'd like to plan out an attack."

Re: getting on the same page

[venndaai]

Sulen nods. "I'll speak to Jedao again soon, after we get him settled in. Anything else you need from him?"

Re: getting on the same page

[kese_seyli]

“No one should go in alone with him,” Seyli breaks into the conversation. “I don’t believe that’s a good idea.”

Re: getting on the same page

[hoardingpearls]

"That's for the best. Two can defend one another; one is a hostage. I'll go with you, and if we can't get the information immediately, we'll at least lay the groundwork."