"Cera's a sorceress!?" Yannika exclaimed. She never knew, never even would have guessed. And Yoeseph was now heir. She had a difficult time imagining that. Yoeseph was barely more than a child when she was sent away. She had been fond of her baby brother, he was always so interested in his older siblings, and just wanted to spend time with them. So full of questions and a very active imagination, she wondered what he was like now. She looked back up at Tymothy, shook her head, and granted him the best smile she could muster, "I've missed so much. I've missed you all so much. Tell me everything. I want to know what's happened since I've been gone."
Spoiler: Disciple Combat Roll 75+15=90 Spoiler: Captain's Combat Roll D100: 83 Spoiler: Jaya and Mechs Combat Roll D100: 67 Spoiler: Enemy Combat Roll D100: 43 The fight is quick, and bloody. Shouting obscenities, the captain turns on his men, raising his rifle and emptying the clip into the man who would dare harm his new mistress. Another soldier tries to snatch away the rifle, and restrain his bewitched captain, but the captain outmaneuvers him, drawing a knife and plunging it into his subordinate's neck. Jaya begins by setting the mechs on the soldiers, before she retreats out of the line of fire. The mechs aren't a match for human combat skills, and are quickly gunned down, but they serve as a good distraction for Vizelle's disciples. Alexandros uses biomancy to turn his skin to metal, and charges into the fray, rounds sparking as they ping off his adamantine flesh. He smashes his way through the enemy, punching a hole clean through one, and crushing the skull of another. Rikkert, a psionic barrier enveloping him, does exactly the same, smashing through the enemies, while Verner uses telekinesis to send the last few men, now retreating, colliding into the walls and ceiling. Spoiler: Biomancy Healing Roll D100: 53+15 (Order of Sorcerers)=73 Now that she's the one who's injured, Vizelle isn't quite as capable at healing, but she manages to exise the round inside her, before healing the internal damage and closing the wound. It still hurts like hell, and the wound will scar, but she's otherwise fine.
"Nnnh. Damn." Vizelle groaned, not really interested in the blood bath. But with her wound healed, she stands up on shaky legs due to the pain. "Khh." The sorceress then looks at her new slave, "You. Who did you use to work for? And what was your goal here?" She asked, despite being in pain.
Tymothy chuckles at her surprise. He begins to tell her, talking about how her mother left after Yannika was forced out, how he and father came to be constantly at odds, until finally he was disowned after a particularly nasty fight. Tymothy left to join the navy, after which Yoeseph became heir. "He...took it badly." Tymothy sighs. "He's still as kind as you remember, but he didn't take well to being alone, since father doesn't make for great company. He's obsessed with drink and loose women, and he has an entourage of thugs around him, parasitic pricks looking to make some money off of our brother. I worry for him." Tymothy shakes his head. "I met Velve on campaign on Ietra, and we're back for the triumph that'll be happening soon. I met with Cera the other day, but she seemed very busy with her work. She talked about it, but I didn't really understand. Sorcery was never my cup of tea."
The man rushes to Vizelle to help her up, caring a great deal about her comfort, and nothing for the men he just killed. "We're from the Hotsdam Consortium, mistress, a private company. The bosses are experimenting upstairs, using some sorcerer to try and 'interface' with the planet, whatever that means. I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't know the details, I'm just here to protect the place."
"I see. And are there any more guards here?" She asked, leaning against the man. Vizelle then looks around, "So an experiment." She hummed, looking at Mary. "Are they the reason the "planet" keeps attacking us, or something else?" She pondered, trying to recall if she knew anything about a Hotsdam Consortium.
The news about Yoeseph troubled her, and going forward she'd see if there was anything she could do for him. But they'd been apart for so long she wondered how well her overtures would be received. Cera was another matter, being in the Order of Sorcerers meant they might actually be able to establish a more normal communication; but Cera had always been an enigma to her, and the two were never close. Tymothy on the other hand... "Well I'm glad you found some kind of happiness at least." She turned to Velve, "I suppose welcome to the family. This is how it always is. So... brace yourself." "As for me, I'm being released from the Church, and I've negotiated with father to return to the family. So I'm Yannika Wulfkin of House Wulfkin again. Or at least I will be once everything is finalized." She looked quizzically at Tymothy unsure of how much he knew. "Tym, forgive me for asking but have you been informed of the whole story of why I was disowned in the first place?"
"Yes, ma'am, another squad." He nods. Mary says "The concept of a person 'interfacing' with the planet supports my original hypothesis, yes." Spoiler: Lore Roll D100: 77 Thinking back, she recalls hearing the name once or twice. It's an intergalactic company that deals primarily in terraforming planets - changing the biome to make it more habitable for humans.
Tymothy blinks in surprise at the news that she's been restored to the family, smiling broadly, before shaking his head at the question. "No, I wasn't. Father never told us the whole thing, only that you'd done something wrong at court. He, um, called you a whore a lot, so I have some idea of what he meant, but no specifics."
Yannika didn't know if Tymothy not knowing was a good thing or a bad one. She wanted to keep the number of people who knew Carius was her son to a minimum, but she also needed to acquire the evidence her father held, and Tym could have been able to help with that. Then again, maybe he had. "After dad sent me away, did he ever ask for your help with... sensitive information? The Emperor is seeking to... attempt something and needs certain items that are in father's possession. Father of course is not being very cooperative and so I was hoping you might know. I know it was a long time ago, but it would be a huge help to His Majesty."
"Well, yeah." He nods. "Father has a vault, where he keeps important items. I don't have access to it, though, especially not after being disinherited."
"Hmm. Interesting. They terraform planets for humans, yet there are none here." Vizelle cooed, "Or were the inhabitants none humans?" She smirks, looking at Mary. "Alright, for now, we'll need to take care of that second squad." She said, still reeling from the pain on her stomach. "Are they patrolling, or simply guarding your former bosses?"
Mary shrugs. "Hard to say. The buildings here seem to resemble human dwellings elsewhere, but not exactly." The guard nods. "Unless they've sent the squad down to deal with us, they should still be posted as guards on the top floor testing chamber."
"I see." Vizelle hummed, "Very well. Rikkert, Alexandros, Verner. Look around and see if you can use any of the guards armor. Jaya, set the mechs on stand by. We'll pretend to be prisoners. And the moment they let their guard down, we kill them." She cooed.
The disciples don armour, before the captain guides Vizelle's group upstairs. At the peak of the spire, they reach a circular chamber. In the center stands a podium, upon which a young non-human is positioned. The young man is shaved, bound arm and foot, and has tubes running from the floor and ceiling into his body. Eyes wide open, he sees Vizelle, looking pleadingly at her, but unable to say anything due to a gag. Using psionics, she notes that the bound figure has the same signature as the person who told her to run, earlier, and curiously, the lighning bolts. Around the room are another military squad, and standing in front of the bound man, are three women. The first shares an appearance with the bound man. "You never said it would be like this! This is torture! It has to end!" The second woman glares at the first. "You agreed to this! You knew what we would do to him. It's too late to back out now, unless you want to see what the Consortium does to people who violate their contacts." She grins menacingly at the non-human woman. A third woman, in scientist garb, coughs awkwardly. "Ahem... If you're done, we have company." She gestures to Vizelle. The woman in the black dress looks at Vizelle angrily. "Who the hell are you?"
Vizelle, still clutching her stomach looks around, checking the guard's position. "I am... Vizelle." She said weakly, going ahead and attempting to turn every guard there to her side.
"That's alright." Yannika replied waving her hand dismissively. "Acquisition is a task I've been given, not you. I'll just have to negotiate with dad that's all." Although she didn't know where to start. "But yes, enough about that. You may not have heard, but I'm on the Emperor's Council and we've established a... rapport." Yannika did her best to hide a prideful smile when she thought of her son. "I'll be here for a bit, so I want to hear all about the two of you."
The guards are strategically positioned around Vizelle's group. Spoiler: Telepathy Roll D100: 77+20=97 Silently, Vizelle manages to infiltrate the heads of the guards. When the white haired woman scoffs and orders them to "take Vizelle to the vats", the guards don't move.
"Ah. Very good." Vizelle grins, "Guards, please secure these women. I'd like to ask them a few questions." She grins, knowing her grasp on their minds was solid. "Mmh. First question, what is it you're doing to him." She points at the bound man, "Second, are you the reason this planet's inhabitants disappeared?"
Velve's eyes widen at the news, and Tymothy smiles. "No, I wasn't aware of that. I'm happy for you." Tymothy is more than pleased to talk all about his wife, and how they met. Apparently, she's the daughter of a high ranking admiral, who was kidnapped by enemy pirates during the invasion of Ietra. Tym rescued her, after which they became lovers. Though Lord Wulfkin had tried to sway Velve to marry Yoeseph, and get a valuable political alliance, Velve wouldn't be swayed, sticking with the less valuable Tymothy. "Your younger brother is a good man," she explains, "but he's too young, and he needs to deal with his issues, before he's ready for marriage."
