The Sydney Games 2066 Session 4

Princess Guard - The New Era 2015/02/12 	 Lorelei Meleryniel Lord Elrohir Lady Nienna Surion 4

Down to the Hotel Lobby
The elevator is nearing the lobby level and the sound of gunfire is getting louder. Lord Elrohir has drawn his sword and Lady Nienna Surion is crouched by the young princess with an extended protection spell in place. The elevator reaches the lobby level and the doors open onto a scene of violence and carnage. The three friends of the young princess are crouched down behind an overturned table. Firing at them are five men and women in business suits carrying heavy pistols. The two children you thought were bodyguards seem to be confirming that theory as they are shooting back with some kind of sonic stunner. As well as the five active shooters there are another seven who are down and unmoving. However the gunmen appear to have successfully flanked the three kids.

Moving into a position from which the kids are exposed and no longer protected by the heavy wooden table the five gunmen prepare to shoot. The two children fighting back push Juan down and shield him with their own bodies. They fire their weapons past each other and take another two of the gunmen out of the fight. But the three remaining fire and Catlin and Marko, the child bodyguards, jerk and jolt as they are hit.

With a curse that hopefully the young princess will not hear Lord Elrohir darts forward from the elevator and lunges, running one of the shooters through the shoulder. "Attacking children! You have no honour." he says in disgust as that gunman drops her pistol and sinks to the ground holding her pierced shoulder. That leaves two gunmen up, of the opposite side of the children. Two men.

Lorelei steps calmly from the elevator, with all the dignity of someone of the fae royal court, and says, in a firm yet gentle voice, "Lay down your weapons. These children are under my protection.

The sheer presence of Lorelei's entrance freeze the two remaining gunmen in place.

One of the two gunmen complies with Lorelei's instruction and lays down his pistol. The other shakes off the compulsion sufficiently to hold onto his weapon but is still frozen in place by Lorelei's regal entry.

Lorelei says, "My lord, have a care. Honourless they may be, but they are but humans. Death comes more easily to them."

Before the lone remaining active gunman in the lobby can act Lord Elrohir has closed the distance and the point of his sword is touching the gunman's throat just beneath his chin. "You heard the Princess," he says, "Drop that weapon else I will slit thy throat with great pleasure and apologize to her highness afterwards."

The gunman drops his pistol. As he does the sound of rushing footsteps on the stairs leading down to the lobby is heard, followed by the arrival of Carlos Rojas and the two men who are always by his side. Those two men have pistols drawn but lowered.

Lorelei warns, "No guns. There is no need now. But call for ambulances!"

Lorelei says, "Calm, my lord. These miscreants are defeated."

Carlos Rojas rushes over the kids, and roughly pulls off the injured children to get to his son. He speaks in Portuguese asking Juan if he is hurt. When his son assures Carlos he is unhurt, Carlos orders his adult bodyguards to bring the car at once and starts hurrying his son out of the hotel. He seems utterly unconcerned about the other two kids.

Lord Elrohir keeps the gunman covered but turns his head so he can see you as well as the gunman. "Attacking children!" That seems to be what is enraging him. "Have I your permission to deal with them as their actions deserve, Highness?"

Lorelei says sternly, "Careful! those two are injured!" She calls for medical assistance herself if no one else does so. She also tries to engage Elrohir, to distract him from anger. "No, my lord. Remember that to us humans are but as children themselves. My lord, have you seen enough battle to know how to tend the wounds of the injured?"

"I have." Lady Nienna says from behind you. "On the field of Sorrysgate." She steps forwards and starts to tend to the injured children.

Lord Elrohir nods to you. His sword moves with the speed of a striking snake but it is the flat of the blade that impacts the temple of the gunman to render the man unconscious. Then with a bow to Lady Nienna he says in a admiring tone, "I would be honoured to aid a healer of Sorrysgate."

Meanwhile, without a thought towards the children who saved his son, Carlos is out of the hotel and climbing into the car that one of his bodyguards has brought to the front.

Lorelei is relieved Elrohir seems calmed. She surveys the room, for others in need of medical attention - or for any sign of remaining trouble. If there is not immediate need of her help, she follows Carlos.

The gunman whom you influenced to lay down his weapon is edging away towards the back way out. The ones the children used stunners on seem well out of it, as does the one that Lord Elrohir just flattened.

Carlos is pushing his son into the back of the car and is clearly intent on following. He is also ordering the driver to head straight to the airport.

Lorelei turns to the gunman. "You. Don't go anywhere. Tell me what this was about."

The gunman casts a glance towards the back way out... but when his attention is drawn to the gunman Lord Elrohir speaks up, "If you want to leave the sight of the Princess and try to outrun a Fae Lord I urge you to attempt it." Lord Elrohir's sword lifts slightly, and the gunman seems to give up the idea. He shrugs, "It was supposed to be a simple snatch. Grab the kid and use him as leverage. Who knew the other kids were metas? We didn't know what we were walking into."

Lorelei says, "And who put you up to this 'simple snatch'?"

The gunman shrugs, "It's all done through cut-outs and dead-drops. But if I was to guess I'd say Estaban Hectoris. The two are in a turf war for the distribution routes into the Southern US."

Lorelei nods. It sounds plausible. Whether Carlos is crooked or not.

Lady Nienna's voice speaks calmingly, "Easy, young warriors. You will be fine." The girl is already trying to sit up. The marvels of Fae healing

Lorelei, keeping one eye on the gunman, goes to talk to the girl. "Warriors indeed! You defended Juan bravely."

The young girl sighs, "There were too many of them. What happened after we were shot. Is our owner's son unharmed?"

Lorelei says, "Yes, he's - wait - owner??"

The girl nods, "Yes. Is Juan all right? He was nice. He treated us like we were real people."

"He's fine - but what do you mean? How aren't you real people?" Lorelei is puzzled - if they were robots surely Nienna would have said something!

The girl shakes her head, "No, lady. We're clones."

Lorelei frowns. "Clones are real people too. Though cloning people is illegal in most countries..."

Lady Nienna is healing the boy now and it's not long before he too is sitting up.

Lorelei says, "Where are you from? Who cloned you?"

The boy seems content to let the girl take the lead and do the talking. She says, "The Doctor. He clones us. And the others."

Lorelei says, "This is serious. But remember - you are no less *real* for it. Do I not speak the truth, my lady Nienna? Your healing would not work if they were not as firmly real as any human, as a glamour has no true presence to reassert itself!" She turns back to the girl. "Tell me about this Doctor."

Lady Nienna nods and tells the two children, "The Princess speaks true. You are people."

Meleryniel stays in the background. In truth she is rather shaken by the noise and the unsporting violence of the human weapons.

The girl shrugs, "He's old. His hair is white and there's wrinkles all over his face. He has the lightest blue eye I've ever seen. His right eye. There's a patch over his left eye. Hw walks with a limp but his back is straight. Like he is always stood at attention. His voice is rough and low toned."

Lorelei says, "Do you know where this was?"

The girl Catlin shakes her head. "No. Sorry. Is it important? We never go back after we're sold."

Lorelei says, "I'm afraid it is important. You're people, and selling people is illegal. But if you don't know, you don't. But I'm sure people will be able to figure it out. Is there anything else you can tell me about that place or the doctor - or any of the others you knew there?"

Catlin is able to describe a couple of the other clones. Marko and her were trained as bodyguards. She says there was a symbol on the wall of the common room, and attempts to draw it. She's not a great artist but she's good enough you can make out the symbol as a swastika behind a snarling wolf's head. She also recalls that The Doctor once called Marko and her the grandchildren of the wolf.

Lorelei sighs. "A Wolfguard faction, it sounds like. Not that I've been keeping up with what's become of them now I'm hardly on Earth any more."

Lord Elrohir asks curiously, "Wolfguard, Highness? Who are they?"

Lorelei says, "They are - or were - a terrorist group, remnants of a despotic regime of over a century ago - a long time, to humans. They have abilities enhanced beyond other humans though, by breeding and by, um, related technologies unknown in the Twilit Worlds. The last I knew the main faction appeared to have become more moderate, but there were splinter factions...."

Lord Elrohir isn't really sure what all that means except that these Wolfguard seem bad humans. He has a more immediate question on his mind. Which he asks as the sound of police sirens is starting to be heard. "What will happen to these children?"

Lorelei is somewhat taken aback that Elrohir thought of the important question before she did. "I'm not sure. It would seem no one has any real claim to legal guardianship. Though I may know some more distant relatives of theirs...."

Lord Elrohir looks at the two human children and then back to you. "They fought well. And were willing to sacrifice themselves to protect another." he muses more to himself than anyone else. There's a pause. Then he shrugs, "If there is nowhere that will be better for them... I will adopt them." he says. The expression on his face suggests he can barely believe he has spoken those words.

Lorelei smiles at Lord Elrohir. "My lord - I am well pleased to hear it! Such honour and bravery as you have displayed today will not be forgotten."

(editor's note: Leg-working reveals that Morlock, a midget fixer figure previously encountered by Lorelei is acting as the middleman in the sale of the clone bodyguards. Lorelei sends another email to Ghost asking Ghost to find out what she can about Morlock and his current whereabouts.)