Log:Goblin Prisoner

2013/05/31 	 Ghost Scrapper 1

Champions Mush - Friday, May 31, 2013, 3:21 PM

Several of the fae have visited in an attempt to see through the disguise. Lately Princess Liandere has visited (well guarded!) herself - she's a Mistress of Glamour and the most competent magician the fae have locally. According to her the prisoner is a shapeshifted goblin - one good enough to fool (most of) the fae.

The embassy has a 'dungeon' (or 'jail' to be perhaps nicer) under one of the towers. This is not least because Lorelei anticipated that somewhere to hold meta prisoners might be useful. The guards admit Ghost so she can question the prisoner.

Ghost takes her sword in with her. A slight risk but the reaction might prove useful if the goblin understood what happened at the end of the Shades incident. She exchanges greetings with Scrapper, and then asks the prisoner if they have food and drink? A nice neutral question to try and get the prisoner to break silence.

Scrapper looks like she has been without sleep but is otherwise none the worse for wear.

The prisoner frowns at Ghost as she appears. "Not the best of fare, but yes," she yes.

Ghost nods, "I'm Jillian Nariliin of House Nariliin. Also known as Ghost. You are..?" she asks the prisoner.

"My name is not for your ears."

Ghost smiles, "Come, come. Be inventive. Pick one. It's better than having to keep saying 'hay you'."

She eyes Ghost coldly. "I have had many, but see no reason to make things easier for my enemies by divulging any of them. But if you like, you can call me Hate."

Scrapper stays silent and menacing. She has been eating the same fare as the prisoner but is certain Ghost could care less.

 Scrapper says, "Hate. Nice to see the classics still abound."

Ghost leans on the wall opposite the prisoner, giving as far as possible the appearance of complete confidence and relaxation. "There's assumptions in that statement you may want to consider. The primary one being that we are your enemies. I'm assuming here that you are in service to the King, just as I have taken service with the Princess. That could be a faulty assumption on my part, as the person most strongly wanting to see the Princess and her companions dead in the ex-duke of Westheath. A fae. Who, we believe, has either subverted or tricked Goblins into doing his bidding... Care to comment?"

The prisoner's gaze grows more hateful, but she says nothing.

Ghost says, "Up to now, for the past many centuries, you and the Fae have shared a rough parity in military capacity. As is evident that neither side has crushed nor even significantly inconvenienced the other. That's no longer the case." She stands and activates her force armor, the high tech belt creating a protective barrier around her. And fires a penetrator needle into a wall of the dungeon well away from any of the people in the cell. The quietish *puuutz* of the weapon is drowned out by the sharp crack as stone fragments fly from a new cratered hole in the stonework. "I came here by accident. I mean Earth and the Twilit Worlds. And that same accident has altered the balance of power between the Fae and you. Dramatically. In favour of the Fae. Your choices have become limited. Defeat or negotiation. And you have that option. The princess, as I informed your King, was born and raised on Earth. She does not have the inborn hatred that the Fae have for your kind. And that you have for the Fae...."

 Scrapper says, "Is this a recruiting session for the goblin commando team I suggested to her highness?"

The prisoner's face become twisted with the hate after which she named herself. "There is another choice - your death. You yourself have declared why you must die. And while I have failed, others will succeed!"

Scrapper says, "Too late. The technology is out, being reproduced. Killing Ghost will accomplish nothing."

A hint of fear is introduced to the hate - but then she says, "It will accomplish justice."

Scrapper says, "If nothing changes, that isn't justice."

Ghost says, "It's too late for that. The elemental is already out of the pentagram. Mmm... Do you have that saying? Anyway, if you succeed in killing me, and I have high hopes that can be prevented, but assume for the sake of debate you do... The knowledge I bought with me has been passed on. And killing me won't even slow down the process. In fact it will probably speed it up. The Fae are traditionalists. New things are not taken up quickly. But they are at least as smart as you or I. If you, I mean the Goblin rulers on Neatherworld, mount an effort to kill me specifically, the Fae are smart enough to relise it's because I posed a threat to you. So, ironically, your best option is to keep me alive."

To this, she says nothing - indeed her face is fixed, as if she's guarding her thoughts.

Ghost says, "You spoke of justice. I've read the Fae accounts of what happened to start this conflict off. Fae accounts. I realise your accounts probably differ. And even with such long lived people as the Fae, the truth gets overlaid by distortions and self serving twisting in such a span of history. If you are engaged in a war of aggression then I will rest easy when, because of what I've brought here, your realm is utterly defeated. But, like the Princess, I was born or raised here. I have no hatred towards you. I have pledged loyalty to the Princess in the same fashion as the goblin folk of your realm pledge to the King. I will serve her, whether her orders are to do the most I can to bring your defeat closer or to work towards a fair just solution. It's up to you, your King, to now decide which path to take.... I can only imagine the fate that usually awaits a goblin prisoner in the hands of the Fae. And I have seen with my own eyes the fate that befalls a Fae captured by your people. This - can - be - stopped. This is a historic moment, a chance to bring this conflict to a just ending. If I can get the Princess to release you, will you take this message to the King?"

That seems to give the prisoner pause. Her eyes watch Ghost's face, as if trying to determine if there is sincerity in the offer. At last she answers. "I will take the message to the king. But why should he believe you? You, who entered his presence - who recently scouted all our lands - oh yes, we know what you have done."

Ghost nods, "I have done that. If the war continues I shall undoubtedly do more. War is what I'm good at. In fact I'm one of the best at waging it. I've watched ships burning off the shoulder of Harmony, a rogue planet, knowing I gave the orders that caused it. I punched in a code override that vented a station section to space to prevent the five hundred mercenaries in there from launching a raid on a Serican colony. I don't know how much that even means to you. I brought peace to the Confederation in my home Nebula. I can look myself in a mirror without flinching. Why should the King trust me. Because tomorrow, next week, next year, when I'm old and frail, I want to still be able to look in a mirror without flinching."

 Ghost says, "Uh, no need to mention the space station incident to the Princess, Scrapper."

 Ghost says, "I don't think she'd understand."

The prisoner nods. "I will take your message to the king. I can make no promise that he will hear it."

 Scrapper says, "You do realize she can hear us..."

Scrapper says, "Why do you think I was here... *in* the cell?"

The prisoner looks at Scrapper.

Ghost steps forward and offers a hand to the goblin prisoner to be shaken, "And that qualifier is why I will trust you." She says.

 Ghost says, "I'm sure I was told we could restrict the communication to one person. Maybe I misunderstood. Oops."

The prisoner shakes Ghost's hand.

Ghost says, "I can make no promise that I can convince the Princess. I am certain though that she also seeks a just end to the conflict and will acced to my request."

Scrapper says, "I'm here to bodyguard you, both from the fae and from yourself. Just as all gobins are not of one mind, neither are all fae ... just the fact that *fae* are opposing Princess Stephanie may be worth mentioning to those with the ears to listen."

Ghost nods to Scrapper.

Ghost makes her farewell to Scrapper and goes to find the Princess and relay her request that the prisoner be released to take a message to the King.

Scrapper sighs and doesn't go anywhere.

 Ghost says, "If the Princess doesn't agree to release the prisoner, Scrapper, do you want me to spell you. You look tired."

 Scrapper says, "No. I'll share sleeplessness with the prisoner along with food."

 Ghost says, "Okay. I probably would too in the same situation. The offer remains open."

Scrapper says, "One question, before you start ignoring me again. When I captured you, were you going easy on me?"

The prisoner answers, "I was trying to flee, not to fight. And almost succeeded. Had I been trying to fight - who knows, things might have gone differently."

Scrapper smiles and nods, "Fair enough."

Scrapper lapses into an easy silence.