Post by Charlotte on Mar 6, 2007 16:49:52 GMT -5
( I'm missing the very beginning of this transcript. Mike, if you've got it... paste it in. )
[12:09] assassindaaku: "You know," he said from behind him, "the defensive part of a ship is the most important. Without a good defense system, the strongest weapon in the world is rendered useless. The Death Stars, for instance, had weak defenses. Hello, Mechanic."
[12:11] sadhric: Turning his head just enough to acknowledge Ith'li over his shoulder, Sadhric said: "The Death Stars might as well have been held together with string."
[12:13] assassindaaku: Ith'li smiled. "They were held together by the greed of an old man. The lust for power...and that is why they fell. If he was so great, he would have designed them himself...but those that built it for him only wanted to make it work, not make it functional." Ith'li came around and stood beside him, gazing at whatever Sadhric had been. "You called for me. I'm beginning to think I should have your commlink on speed dial. Anything wrong?"
[12:17] sadhric: "I've been reconsidering your proposal," Sadhric told him bluntly. He was still for a moment, and then he shifted enough to eye the other man squarely. "Concerning your granddaughter."
[12:20] assassindaaku: "What brought you to such a decision? I imagine you don't take on any requests lightly," he said, looking at him in the eyes as well.
[12:24] sadhric: Sadhric was the one who looked away first. His mouth worked; he looked like he wanted to grimace, and like he wanted to say something, but for a moment he managed neither. Finally, he sighed, and met Ith'li's gaze again. "The same thing, I suppose, that leads me to any decision like this," he said lowly. "My control has slipped. If I don't adjust, I'll be crushed."
[12:36] assassindaaku: "Well then," Ith'li said, "what do you suppose that we do? If you want to be in control, what's a way that you can be? I want my granddaughter not only for her safety, but for a bargaining chip. I must confront my son. It is the only way."
[12:43] sadhric: Sadhric was frowning, deep in thought--fighting himself, fighting his instincts and his paranoia. "It's not that kind of control that I mean," he told Ith'li. "But it's irrelevant. It has occurred to me that ensuring the BTC dominates galactic policy may be the only way to dig our way out of the hole we're in." He glanced up. "Despite obvious drawbacks. But I'm no longer sure that's the case. There are too many things that hint of old cycles. For instance...." Cocking his head to one side, he licked his lips a little, and his gaze sharpened. "... do you have any concern whatsoever for the well-being of one Marcus Thorne?"
[12:55] assassindaaku: "Marcus Thorne is a friend of mine. For a time, I tried to lure him to the Dark Side, and it worked. He was an honorary...Captain, I believe it was? -- for the AFS. Over time, though, I couldn't bring myself to do it. The arrival of Twelve on Bastion made me think about the innocence of such a young woman, and how I lost my innocence long before I was young Thorne's age. I didn't want to take anything from him I couldn't give back. It was one of my first steps away from the Dark Path." He turned from the weapons systems and said, "I don't know why his well-being is in jeopardy. Is it?"
[12:58] sadhric: "It is." Sadhric made a little offhand gesture. "Thorne's a complete fool, but what's about to happen to him makes that meaningless."
[13:00] assassindaaku: "And what is about to happen to him," he asked.
[13:04] sadhric: "He's about to be dissected while still alive. Tested. Poked and prodded. Experimented on, as if his link to the Force could be quantified."
[13:05] assassindaaku: Ith'li's eyebrow pointed up, and his interest was gained. In the Force, his anger was starting to form...he didn't bother to quell it. "Where? How do you know this? By whom?!"
[13:07] sadhric: "I believe, but have not confirmed, that he's on Coruscant. And so the next two questions are already answered, no? I know because Maltez Buffton told me. He wanted me to oversee the work, and like a complete idiot I refused."
[13:09] assassindaaku: "Coruscant? Who in the Nine Hells would want to go there?" Ith'li shook his head. "Can you return? Say you've changed your mind?"
[13:11] sadhric: "I can, but Buffton won't buy it." He was obviously disgusted with himself.
[13:14] assassindaaku: Shaon shook his head. "Can you...I mean, what can we do? I will not allow this to happen. This is an atrocity, and Thorne...I...I tried to protect him..." Ith'li shook his head and looked at the ground, going through in his mind what he needed to do...what he could do.
[13:18] sadhric: "There is a possibility that the Bufftons will be highly distracted very soon," Sadhric told him. "Thorne may simply have to endure until then."
[13:20] assassindaaku: "I say we go as quickly as possible." Ith'li patted at his waist. "Lotus is capable. You're capable. And I'm..." He let out a deep breath. "I hope Halran is not behind any of this."
[13:22] sadhric: The Mechanic froze. He was still physically, but more than that he was frozen between habit and ethics, with the shadow of commitment cast across him. He knew what the right thing to do was. And yet... "You need to take the larger view...."
[13:24] assassindaaku: "The larger...Sadhric, there couldn't be a more atrocious thing. The Force is not something that can be dissected, it is a natural energy field. It is the antithesis of practical science. Everything must have its opposite...its balance. They're torturing him, in essence. That's all."
[13:27] sadhric: "I know that," Sadhric hissed, showing real anger now--though it was not directed at Ith'li. He shook his head, baring teeth. "Doing this now--for ONE man--it could so easily lead to open conflict! Can anyone sustain that right now? You have to consider how much Thorne is worth...."
[13:30] assassindaaku: "How much am I worth? How much are you worth? I have no alliances, Sadhric, not anymore. If I act, I act on my own, and it will only effect me. If I die, I died trying to help someone. I will die fighting, as it was meant to be."
[13:33] sadhric: Sadhric's hands were fists at his sides. "Do what you must," he said. "I can't make this choice so lightly."
[13:34] assassindaaku: "What do you have on the line, Mechanic?" he asked. "What aren't you telling me?"
[13:38] sadhric: Gathering himself quietly, Sadhric made himself breathe slowly. Then he said: "I sense that if I assist with Thorne, I sacrifice any leeway I have to assist in bigger ways. My pull with Buffton is solely based on respect, and that's already ebbing. So when I act, I must commit. And I cannot commit to Thorne. I know that helping him is right and good. I know that I should simply do it for its own sake. But... Gods damn it, Ith'li. My whole life has taught me that people who choose that course are pawns, and expendable. Worthless."
[13:41] assassindaaku: "Then get me in," he said. "No commitment. Nothing on the surface. Point me in the right direction and tell me what you know. I will save him, and I will make the Bufftons pay if they are foolish enough to oppose the will of the Force."
[12:09] assassindaaku: "You know," he said from behind him, "the defensive part of a ship is the most important. Without a good defense system, the strongest weapon in the world is rendered useless. The Death Stars, for instance, had weak defenses. Hello, Mechanic."
[12:11] sadhric: Turning his head just enough to acknowledge Ith'li over his shoulder, Sadhric said: "The Death Stars might as well have been held together with string."
[12:13] assassindaaku: Ith'li smiled. "They were held together by the greed of an old man. The lust for power...and that is why they fell. If he was so great, he would have designed them himself...but those that built it for him only wanted to make it work, not make it functional." Ith'li came around and stood beside him, gazing at whatever Sadhric had been. "You called for me. I'm beginning to think I should have your commlink on speed dial. Anything wrong?"
[12:17] sadhric: "I've been reconsidering your proposal," Sadhric told him bluntly. He was still for a moment, and then he shifted enough to eye the other man squarely. "Concerning your granddaughter."
[12:20] assassindaaku: "What brought you to such a decision? I imagine you don't take on any requests lightly," he said, looking at him in the eyes as well.
[12:24] sadhric: Sadhric was the one who looked away first. His mouth worked; he looked like he wanted to grimace, and like he wanted to say something, but for a moment he managed neither. Finally, he sighed, and met Ith'li's gaze again. "The same thing, I suppose, that leads me to any decision like this," he said lowly. "My control has slipped. If I don't adjust, I'll be crushed."
[12:36] assassindaaku: "Well then," Ith'li said, "what do you suppose that we do? If you want to be in control, what's a way that you can be? I want my granddaughter not only for her safety, but for a bargaining chip. I must confront my son. It is the only way."
[12:43] sadhric: Sadhric was frowning, deep in thought--fighting himself, fighting his instincts and his paranoia. "It's not that kind of control that I mean," he told Ith'li. "But it's irrelevant. It has occurred to me that ensuring the BTC dominates galactic policy may be the only way to dig our way out of the hole we're in." He glanced up. "Despite obvious drawbacks. But I'm no longer sure that's the case. There are too many things that hint of old cycles. For instance...." Cocking his head to one side, he licked his lips a little, and his gaze sharpened. "... do you have any concern whatsoever for the well-being of one Marcus Thorne?"
[12:55] assassindaaku: "Marcus Thorne is a friend of mine. For a time, I tried to lure him to the Dark Side, and it worked. He was an honorary...Captain, I believe it was? -- for the AFS. Over time, though, I couldn't bring myself to do it. The arrival of Twelve on Bastion made me think about the innocence of such a young woman, and how I lost my innocence long before I was young Thorne's age. I didn't want to take anything from him I couldn't give back. It was one of my first steps away from the Dark Path." He turned from the weapons systems and said, "I don't know why his well-being is in jeopardy. Is it?"
[12:58] sadhric: "It is." Sadhric made a little offhand gesture. "Thorne's a complete fool, but what's about to happen to him makes that meaningless."
[13:00] assassindaaku: "And what is about to happen to him," he asked.
[13:04] sadhric: "He's about to be dissected while still alive. Tested. Poked and prodded. Experimented on, as if his link to the Force could be quantified."
[13:05] assassindaaku: Ith'li's eyebrow pointed up, and his interest was gained. In the Force, his anger was starting to form...he didn't bother to quell it. "Where? How do you know this? By whom?!"
[13:07] sadhric: "I believe, but have not confirmed, that he's on Coruscant. And so the next two questions are already answered, no? I know because Maltez Buffton told me. He wanted me to oversee the work, and like a complete idiot I refused."
[13:09] assassindaaku: "Coruscant? Who in the Nine Hells would want to go there?" Ith'li shook his head. "Can you return? Say you've changed your mind?"
[13:11] sadhric: "I can, but Buffton won't buy it." He was obviously disgusted with himself.
[13:14] assassindaaku: Shaon shook his head. "Can you...I mean, what can we do? I will not allow this to happen. This is an atrocity, and Thorne...I...I tried to protect him..." Ith'li shook his head and looked at the ground, going through in his mind what he needed to do...what he could do.
[13:18] sadhric: "There is a possibility that the Bufftons will be highly distracted very soon," Sadhric told him. "Thorne may simply have to endure until then."
[13:20] assassindaaku: "I say we go as quickly as possible." Ith'li patted at his waist. "Lotus is capable. You're capable. And I'm..." He let out a deep breath. "I hope Halran is not behind any of this."
[13:22] sadhric: The Mechanic froze. He was still physically, but more than that he was frozen between habit and ethics, with the shadow of commitment cast across him. He knew what the right thing to do was. And yet... "You need to take the larger view...."
[13:24] assassindaaku: "The larger...Sadhric, there couldn't be a more atrocious thing. The Force is not something that can be dissected, it is a natural energy field. It is the antithesis of practical science. Everything must have its opposite...its balance. They're torturing him, in essence. That's all."
[13:27] sadhric: "I know that," Sadhric hissed, showing real anger now--though it was not directed at Ith'li. He shook his head, baring teeth. "Doing this now--for ONE man--it could so easily lead to open conflict! Can anyone sustain that right now? You have to consider how much Thorne is worth...."
[13:30] assassindaaku: "How much am I worth? How much are you worth? I have no alliances, Sadhric, not anymore. If I act, I act on my own, and it will only effect me. If I die, I died trying to help someone. I will die fighting, as it was meant to be."
[13:33] sadhric: Sadhric's hands were fists at his sides. "Do what you must," he said. "I can't make this choice so lightly."
[13:34] assassindaaku: "What do you have on the line, Mechanic?" he asked. "What aren't you telling me?"
[13:38] sadhric: Gathering himself quietly, Sadhric made himself breathe slowly. Then he said: "I sense that if I assist with Thorne, I sacrifice any leeway I have to assist in bigger ways. My pull with Buffton is solely based on respect, and that's already ebbing. So when I act, I must commit. And I cannot commit to Thorne. I know that helping him is right and good. I know that I should simply do it for its own sake. But... Gods damn it, Ith'li. My whole life has taught me that people who choose that course are pawns, and expendable. Worthless."
[13:41] assassindaaku: "Then get me in," he said. "No commitment. Nothing on the surface. Point me in the right direction and tell me what you know. I will save him, and I will make the Bufftons pay if they are foolish enough to oppose the will of the Force."