Prisoners

[srwu_mods]

"Not too long ago I said Unity Group is not a prison, but..." Commander Antov looks over his reports. Since when did UG accumulate so many prisoners to take care of?

A chance for you to converse with some of them (well except Sielje, she gets her own thread).

[1]
Ilinka Venczel doesn't do much - she mostly sits around in her cell without any displays of emotion, as if used to it. Despite not being a prisoner but merely someone under house arrest, Desta is similarly not too communicative, brooding by himself (presence of guards non-withstanding).

Apollonius, on the other hand...


"Aaah! I'm sick of this shit!"

He throws a book he was reading on the floor.

"I never expected being held hostage to be so fucking boring! Is that your plan? To bore me to death?"

"At least let me pilot once in a while! I see BrightSaber and it's collecting dust! Are you guys really so stupid to let a good unit and its pilot go to waste?"

[2]
"It is over..."
Aaron Anso Antema, the sole remaining Lady's Good Men member, is pacing around his cell.
"My uncle is dead and his cult has fallen. Our dreams, shattered. All because of that one man..."

"Loni Gavin. You have bested me." He admits bitterly.

[3]
Serak - Peola's mother for those of you who are not Ashe - unlike the other prisoners who are either emotionlessly sitting around, brooding, throwing tantrums or moping while pacing is...


"DI'SARTHI! KRA SATH KURS'HUK! ER'KITHARI MAR YARSARATH!!!!"

Screaming out things that Peola has continuously refused to translate while trying to pummel her way out of the reinforced cell she was placed in. Not only that but every time her fist rams into the walls she recieves an electric shock. The lack of damage to the walls and the faint scent of burning hair has yet to deter the scarred woman from her futile escape attempt. Eventually she would slam her head into the wall only to end up getting launched to the floor by the next jolt. The tirade of alien curses has yet to cease as she gets to her feet and tries again like a clawless cat trying to scratch a curtain.

Comments

[srwu_mods]

"Are you making fun of me? Twist the knife in the wound even further?!"

[tiger_ken]

Better than drawing it out so you bleed to death.

[He sighs a little.]

But, I've long realised that arguing with you is pointless. I wanted to ask Ilinka something.

[Naturally, of course, he couldn't resist passing up the earlier opportunity.]

[srwu_mods]

"Arguing with me is pointless? Same to you! All you do is look down on me over and over."

"You know where to find Ilinka so why don't you go to her! Or did she escape? Tell me she escaped. That'd make my day."

[tiger_ken]

You look down on everybody that isn't in your little clique, or family. Name one person - one! - outside of them that you have some actual respect for, and I might be convinced you're not a narcissistic fanatic who has been pampered beyond reason.

[Ken had been meaning to move on, but now? He's taken Loni's remark as a challenge.]

[srwu_mods]

"You want me to respect you, after all you've done to me?! And I even asked to start from scratch a long time ago and still... no."

Loni shakes his head.

"Tough luck. And to think we were rivals."

[tiger_ken]

I'm not asking you to respect me. I'm asking who you respect. At all. The way you're dodging the question as well...

There actually isn't anyone, is there?

[srwu_mods]

"Everyone's the same. Doesn't matter if it's you, or someone else. All of you treat me the same."

[tiger_ken]

'You', huh? Makes it sound as if the whole world were your enemy, in your mind. An Other to fight. That's normally how a villain has to see it...

[Ken leaves on that little musing, despite what yelling Loni might give. Thankfully, he doesn't have to go far to find who he was actually after.]

Hello.

[And almost immediately, his tone is gentler.]

[srwu_mods]

"You calling me a villain now?!"

As you leave Loni's surroundings, you hear the sound of the wall being kicked in frustration. Hard.

Regardless, it's time to greet someone else now.


"Yes?"

[tiger_ken]

I presume you've heard the news by now, regarding the Lady's Good Men?

[Doubtful she'd miss it, given a nearby neighbour, but best to be sure.]

How do you feel about it?

[srwu_mods]

"Loni will be very disappointed."

[tiger_ken]

That's not an answer to the question I asked.

[Though, he supposes, you can tell they're connected as a result.]

But that's beside the point. I wanted to ask if... With that threat dealt with, and if the opportunity presented itself... would you be willing to make amends?

[An awkward shuffle indicates he isn't so sure of how much he can promise in this.]

[srwu_mods]

"Make amends?" Ilinka's gaze strays away from facing you, back to staring in front of herself.

"For what I did in the Lady's Good Men base?"

[tiger_ken]

[Ken nods.]

The thing is, whilst the way you handled it was wrong, your intentions had little to do with ego or vanity, unlike some. Your skills are also genuine, and genuinely being wasted if you're stuck here because of that mistake.

[His hands twitch with trepidation.]

I... don't know what I can guarantee, but there might be an opening for a pilot, soon. And... I thought maybe it might be worth extending an offer, since... it could let you work off what you've done, maybe give you a chance at the life you largely haven't had. It'd be sad, if you went from being a slave to living your years behind bars.

[srwu_mods]

"If there really is an opening..."

Ilinka looks you in the eye again.

"Let Loni take it."

[tiger_ken]

[Ken lets out a sigh.]

I was worried you might say that...

But it really, really wouldn't be Loni. Because from the moment he'd step into the cockpit, he'd just run away with you and Desta, defeating the entire point.

[srwu_mods]

"And I wouldn't?"

[tiger_ken]

...Well, that depends, I suppose. I imagine you might at least see the benefit in not being fugitives for the rest of your lives. Makes it easier to be with someone in the long run.

[srwu_mods]

Ilinka says little as usual, but it takes even longer than before for her to say something this time.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

[tiger_ken]

...Number of reasons, I guess. I mean, I can - vaguely - sympathise with not getting to decide your own life, and...

[Ken sinks his head into his hands.]

I dunno. It just seemed like it'd be good to give someone a second chance, with the opportunity that presented itself.

[srwu_mods]

"An offer extended to me is the same as an offer extended to Loni, or Desta. I am deciding my own life, now. What I do, I do because I chose to."

Ilinka shifts on her seat.

"Once again. Why me? Is it because I am most likely to listen?"

[tiger_ken]

...Maybe. Thing is, this isn't just getting another person into a Genoace or whatever. It'd be about joining a team. The Saviour Team. And of the three, you're the one who... would probably gel most if you had to make such a move.

[srwu_mods]

"Saviour Team?"

Suddenly, Ilinka gives you a curious look.

"Are you talking about your own team? The Sol Savior pilots?"

[tiger_ken]

[Ken, slightly hesitant, nods.]

I dunno how much you know of the Sol-Void conflicts... but basically, Mizuki's powers run counter to almost all life on Earth, and so whilst we tried to work around it, the incompatibility issues have meant she and the rest of Solaris find it safer if SolSaviour is put on ice until a replacement is made.

[srwu_mods]

"I see." Ilinka nods. She looks really focused and interested right now.

"But it remains for a fact that I am a prisoner. If you can change it in any way..."

"Please tell me."