BZPRPG: Onu-Wahi
Onu
IC Flabbergaster
"And there's no-one else under his power aware of his doings?" Flabbergaster said with something of a penetrating sideways glare. "You said he was one of the top officials. Not that I doubt the capabilities of any of Onu-Koro's authorities, but assistants are not unheard of."
IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)
"I don't mind," Nuparu said with a disarming tone, "in this situation, I'll defer to your field experience."
"I think... why isn't it possible for the Makuta to simply do both, though?" Nuparu asked simply.
IC: Rynekk -- Nuparu's Office
"It's possible," Rynekk admitted, elbows on his knees. "But in this case ... I can't put my finger on it. Echelon's grasp on Ko-Koro is, no matter what anyone says, tentative at best, and he's gotta know that. His followers have always had anonymity as their greatest strength. They'd strike from the shadows, sow some terror, hide back in the shadows where we couldn't find them. But now he's put himself in the open, in one easily-recognizable place. Not just that. He's got every village gunning for him, and the only thing keeping him safe from a whole island's-worth of hacked off heroic types is the hostages he's got."
The Sentinel looked straight into the Akiri's eyes.
"Echelon knows that. We know that. Any baddie with half a brain knows that. The Necromancer could offer mercs halfway across the island everything that he's rooted out of the Vault, and they'd be smart enough to stay away. Echelon's too smart to rely on luring people into his fold with weapons. This can't be a power show. He's gonna use these drugs somehow. Someway with the people he's already got with him."
-Void
IC:
Dal's mouth, half-open for another stubborn zinger, shut as soon as the revolver dropped into his hand.
It was heavier than he had expected, than he had remembered it being when he had first held it. Wouldn't it have been lighter without the bullets? Was he just imagining? Had Pink-Eye swapped it out with a fake when he had looked away (not that he could remember looking away) [or believe that a doctor could pull a sleight-of-hand on a fellow who'd seen the best of them pull the wool over his eyes]? No, that didn't seem likely, but the gun definitely did seem heavier. Probably just my imagination, he figured, but he still opened up the chamber to check for bullets.
"Aw jeez, Doc," Dal said, looking back at the Vortixx. "I dunno what to say."
-Void
IC: Rungui
"Promise not to shoot me with it?"
IC:
"Promise you, mate," Dal said, shutting the chamber again. "Need you around to put me back together after I do something stupid, now don't I?"
-Void
IC: Rungui
Rungui feigned a sigh. "That's a relief."
He grinned, then glanced at the dummy.
"Well, I'm fresh out of ideas."
IC:
Very carefully, Dal worked the gun into his belt.
"Might as well find a holster for this thing," he said. "Don't want to be accidentally blowing my leg off or anything."
-Void
IC: Rungui
"Good idea," Rungui said, walking towards the exit. "The quartermaster should have one, I think."
IC:
"Uh, yeah, uh ... you know where that'd be?"
-Void
IC: Dahrak Nade - Onu-Koro (Golden Pickaxe Inn - Wiremu's Room)
The Po-Toa simply said nothing as the Tiokaha accompanying him proceeded to question the Matoran further.
While the knowledge of this... "Koritan" seemed to be promising enough, they still hadn't received the exact whereabouts of his residence, and attempting to expand upon their list of potential suspects wasn't such a bad idea either, as it only served to provide them with other possible leads in the event that Dahrak's theory was still correct and that the Chief Researcher himself actually turned out to be innocent of any wrongdoing.
IC: Azureus
Azi reached out to tap Kanonu on the shoulder.... only to find out it not Kanonu by getting slapped in the face. Turns out it was just another Ga Matoran who looked eerily similar to her from behind. Azi sighed, and walked off.
OOC: Azi OFI.
IC: Rungui
Rungui paused mid-stride.
"Dal," he started. "How long have you been with the Ussalry?"
OOC: Finally I have time to rp.
IC: Kanonu
Kanonu left the Turaga's hut and entered the main street. She looked around in search of her friends. It's been like... how much time did she even spend there? Something heavy was forming inside of her chest; she's completely lost the track of time.
Kanonu hurried to the entrance tunnel where her group had split up. Hopefully she'll find them there.
IC: (Ranir)
She pointed ahead of her and Wasuka.
"Is that Kanonu over there?"
IC Flabbergaster
"And there's no-one else under his power aware of his doings?" Flabbergaster said with something of a penetrating sideways glare. "You said he was one of the top officials. Not that I doubt the capabilities of any of Onu-Koro's authorities, but assistants are not unheard of."
IC: Dahrak Nade - Onu-Koro (Golden Pickaxe Inn - Wiremu's Room)
The Po-Toa simply said nothing as the Tiokaha accompanying him proceeded to question the Matoran further.
While the knowledge of this... "Koritan" seemed to be promising enough, they still hadn't received the exact whereabouts of his residence, and attempting to expand upon their list of potential suspects wasn't such a bad idea either, as it only served to provide them with other possible leads in the event that Dahrak's theory was still correct and that the Chief Researcher himself actually turned out to be innocent of any wrongdoing.
IC: Wiremu (Golden Pickaxe)
"Korritan's still looking for an assistant, last I heard," Wiremu replied, "he's... you see he's only just been promoted, because the position was left vacant due to a... workplace accident I think."
IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)
"I don't mind," Nuparu said with a disarming tone, "in this situation, I'll defer to your field experience."
"I think... why isn't it possible for the Makuta to simply do both, though?" Nuparu asked simply.
IC: Rynekk -- Nuparu's Office
"It's possible," Rynekk admitted, elbows on his knees. "But in this case ... I can't put my finger on it. Echelon's grasp on Ko-Koro is, no matter what anyone says, tentative at best, and he's gotta know that. His followers have always had anonymity as their greatest strength. They'd strike from the shadows, sow some terror, hide back in the shadows where we couldn't find them. But now he's put himself in the open, in one easily-recognizable place. Not just that. He's got every village gunning for him, and the only thing keeping him safe from a whole island's-worth of hacked off heroic types is the hostages he's got."
The Sentinel looked straight into the Akiri's eyes.
"Echelon knows that. We know that. Any baddie with half a brain knows that. The Necromancer could offer mercs halfway across the island everything that he's rooted out of the Vault, and they'd be smart enough to stay away. Echelon's too smart to rely on luring people into his fold with weapons. This can't be a power show. He's gonna use these drugs somehow. Someway with the people he's already got with him."
IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)
"I understand, so we can't expect anything but the worst. Wonderful"
Mind-altering substances and drugs... this is still above my pay grade somehow" Nuparu lamented. Nevertheless, more information to work with meant he was fumbling around in the dark less, and that was an important step up for him.
IC: Rungui
Rungui paused mid-stride.
"Dal," he started. "How long have you been with the Ussalry?"
IC:
"Like, ah, what? Almost a year?" Dal said. "Look, man, I stay in my own bubble for the most part."
IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)
"I understand, so we can't expect anything but the worst. Wonderful"
Mind-altering substances and drugs... this is still above my pay grade somehow" Nuparu lamented. Nevertheless, more information to work with meant he was fumbling around in the dark less, and that was an important step up for him.
IC:
"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, sir," Rynekk said, getting to his feet. "And my apologies to dash off like this, but I need to get this news to the other Akiri as well."
-Void
IC Flabbergaster
He straightened himself out with a quiet sigh, glancing down at his companion momentarily with an annoyed expression obviously directed towards the small Matoran.
"Then something is quite amiss." He said, with as much of an implication as he could force into the sentence. "Is there any possible way for us to meet Koritan?"
IC: Dahrak Nade - Onu-Koro (Golden Pickaxe Inn)
A recent workplace accident? Now that was definitely peculiar, considering the perp they were tracking was known to have a Volitak in their possession.
Granted, this didn't completely rule out the possibility of the current Chief Researcher still being involved, but the timing was simply just too convenient to ignore, and ensuring that someone couldn't walk in on you rifling through their stuff would've allowed for a more thorough search, especially since the guards likely wouldn't be paying that much attention to a currently vacant house. Unfortunately, it also happened to bring one of his older questions back into play; was the motive behind the theft truly premeditated?
After mentally reviewing the facts, he really couldn't see how it wasn't, at least in execution, anyway. The thief still had to have acquired the knowledge of his target, but the exact point in which he acquired it was still open for debate. If Koritan was feeding him, or whoever hired him, information, then the mishap with his predecessor could've either been accidental and completely unrelated, or performed as an alternate method of payment for services rendered in the event that he himself was able to somehow access it before his recent promotion. If the incident was staged, however, that also meant that the former Chief Researcher might've been the one doing the deed instead, and that the reason for their demise was still up in the air. He could've been trying to eliminate witnesses, and in that case, Wiremu would've been lucky to have gotten the drop on him, as the shock of his sudden arrival was likely the only reason he was still alive. Had greed or betrayal managed to influence one side or the other, then this would've posed some risk, as the act itself could've possibly involved losing what he was after, if it hadn't already been obtained beforehand. But in the event that it did start off as a random job, then the thief only needed to be in the right place at the right time in order to stumble upon something pointing towards the existence of the documents, likely the former's recently abandoned property, making both their death and Koritan himself as leads nothing more than a bunch of red herrings. There usually wasn't much of a reason to off someone so far away from their home in advance if there were plenty of opportunities to get in and out before they even returned.
Whatever the case, he still needed to find some evidence in order to figure out where the thief was going anyway, and depending on what it was and where he found it, things would hopefully start to clear up on their own by default. With that in mind, he then proceeded to level a question of his own towards the Matoran.
"Who was Chief Researcher Koritan's predecessor, and what exactly happened to them?"
IC: Rungui
"He's the guy who handles most of the Ussalry's equipment and supplies," Rungui pointed out, somewhat incredulously. "And you're telling me that, in an entire year, you've never paid him a visit?"
IC:
...
"That was the quartermaster?!"
-Void
IC: Rungui
"Oh my god."
Rungui pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What did you think he was?!"
IC: Dahrak Nade - Onu-Koro (Golden Pickaxe Inn)
"Who was Chief Researcher Koritan's predecessor, and what exactly happened to them?"
IC: Wiremu (Golden Pickaxe)
"That's... that'd be... Mekhanta his name was. Onu-Matoran. Brilliant man, but eccentric as far as I know, would make quite a few failed inventions on his own initiative. Six months ago, his lab was completely leveled in an explosion that almost leveled that entire section of the complex... I wasn't there that day but I hear they never found the body among the remains, we assumed the explosion had eviscerated him, it was quite powerful"
IC:
"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, sir," Rynekk said, getting to his feet. "And my apologies to dash off like this, but I need to get this news to the other Akiri as well."
IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)
"You're excused, Sentinel. Thank you for the information" Nuparu replied simply.
IC: Leli
"Alright then... did you have anyone particular in mind?" The matoran realized, rather suddenly, that she didn't exactly know enough people in Onu-Koro to really explain where she was going. Sure, she had met plenty of people, though it was more of a professional acknowledgement than really getting to know them. It was an odd feeling, one that she wasn't prepared for.
IC:
"Same person I need to get my armor from. Come on."
The Onu-Matoran slipped his hands into his pockets and headed towards the headquarters' exit, transitioning into the 'open' space the exterior offered. It was a little later in the day than he had intended, but Ferron's forge should still be open. At least he hoped it was. If it wasn't their departure would be delayed a day, and he got the feeling that such delays weren't wise.
"I hope he's still open."
IC: Leli
She frowned, not exactly certain who Tarnok was referring to. Given the nature of Onu-Koro, and the sheer industriousness of it's inhabitants, that could really be anyone within the village. Nonetheless, Leli followed close behind.
"Who?" she asked, with a mock sound of exasperation.
IC:
The mock exasperation seemed, after a moment, to prompt the Matoran into realizing he hadn't actually explained anything. He gave his (technically) superior officer a look that almost seemed sheepish on his usually fairly neutral face, and pointed ahead.
"Ferron. He runs a forge. I left my armor with him for repairs. I had something of an incident while you were gone."
IC: Leli
"Ooooh-! Did we now?" Leli have Tarnok a teasing grin, which lasted just long enough for her to once again run out of mock patience, and go, "Well? What happened, don't just leave me guessing here."
"...you really don't want me to start guessing."
IC:
"There was a bank robber armed with grenades." Tarnok paused in his explanation long enough to consider how best to explain further. "A female Lesterin. I was first on the scene. Talking her down wasn't working well, naturally fighting ensued. Reinforcements arrived, and Onepu..."
He paused again, this time choosing his next words for professionalism.
"Made a poor decision that resulted in injury to myself and the perpetrator. Her take-down was lethal. I was hospitalized following it."
IC: Leli
She let out a breath between her teeth, eyes going wide slightly. It wasn't exactly what she had expected in response. She snapped out of it within a split second, returning her attention back to Tarnok. "Mata Nui... Are you okay?" Leli paused just a moment, before giving Tarnok a once-over, latching onto his shoulder to rotate him, or rather, her around him.
IC:
"I'm fine."
The answer understated matters a little, and he knew it. His stay in the hospital was brief but mostly because he had refused to stick around once he could move freely. It also sidestepped the matter of his emotional state following it, but that was probably for the best.
"They treated me fairly quickly. Some things are still healing, but I'm okay. I confiscated the grenades in question. I don't particularly trust anyone else with them."
Onepu.
IC: Leli
At which point, Leli took a half step back, putting some distance between her and the possibly grenade-laden matoran.
"You uh, don't have those right now, right?"
IC:
"They're with the rest of my equipment at Ferron's." Tarnok assured her, with the faintest smile at her sudden caution. "Most of it was in need of some repair. Blades in need of sharpening, armor in need of repair, things like that. The bandolier needed to be resized for my use, too."
IC: Leli
"Oh, okay then." Reassured, Leli returned to her previous position encroaching on the limit of "acceptable personal space".
"So, you think we'll be able to borrow some Ussal or something?" Leli asked, changing the subject. "Or do you think we'll have to walk all the way there."
Not that she objected to spending more time with Tarnok, regardless of the situation.
IC:
"Helios can fit two people, we'll just have to leave most of my entrenching gear behind. Not that I get much use of it, since a proper Heavy Ussalry squadron no longer exists." Despite his best efforts, a note of irritation crept back into his voice at the last point.
"I doubt we will have much need of entrenchment, either."
IC: Leli
"The less holes we have to dig, the happier I'll be." Leli chirped. Living underground wasn't so bad, even if not seeing the sky drove her a bit crazy at times.
Not that bad.
IC:
"I was usually fortunate enough to leave the digging to Rubigo." Tarnok commented dryly, with a small smile on his face. "He was the combat engineer. It was his job to handle any and all fortifications. I was just extra labor if it was needed."
IC: Leli
"Sounds alright to me, then."
Leli let out a breath, glancing down momentarily.
"Tarnok... What do you think we'll find there? At the Temple, I mean."
IC: Uyism
Having mentioned digging, it would be remiss to not mention the Iroiit that had chosen to follow after Tarnok and Leli. As a non-Matoran who was vaguely attached to the Ussalry via the possibly now-defunct Seventh Squadron, Uyism didn't actually have much to do on the island, and with all that free time she had, decided to continue along with the comrades. Their destination interested her as well; the metalworking arts of the Matoran species was not one that hers participated in, and observing how it worked would help her immensely in her quest for knowledge.
IC:
"I have no idea."
The Onu-Matoran's admission wasn't comforting, even to him. Onu-Koro, no matter how dangerous his duties sometimes were, was familiar. There was little he could encounter there that could shake him. Little that was external, at least. But that Matoran... Something about him, about what he knew, had gotten under his skin and reached his very core.
It was an unsettling thought.
"Whatever it is, we will have to handle it. We still don't know if he was telling the truth. Or he may merely be crazy, and we will take a trip out to find nothing at all."
IC: Leli
"What do you think Uyism?" Leli asked, glancing back at the Iroiit. "Think he was crazy?"
IC: Uyism
Uyism pondered the question. "He seemed ... gusto."
IC:
"He was, at that."