GBG Session 26.5: Who and What to Trust

<Darkling> The battle over, both inside the base and out, the pilots have been gathered outside their Aesirs on a small ledge overlooking the battlefield that just was. Lit is talking with the Vice-comm over the phone discussing what should be done next.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja paces about on that little ledge, arms folded behind herself. She hasn't paid much attention to the battlefield, being occupied in her thoughts.
Rasia clings to her Aryan, chewing on his shoulder.
<Darkling> Engineers are busy overlooking the Aesir in the water where some VTOLs have landed, and troops are escorting a few surviving captives out of the base entrance behind the pilots.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "How does it feel to be up and moving, Corrin?" Lahja asks in a quiet, distracted tone, still occupied with whatever is on her mind.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...it's getting warmer." The Aryan mutters, starting to sweat.
Corrin just stands there, mind in turmoil as he watches the other Pilots. He's still trying to wrap his head around what just happened. Was the officer right? Are they "corrupted"? Corrin scowls at the thought, head bowed and absently scuffling one foot in the muck. He doesn't seem to hear Lahja for a moment.
Rasia swivels her head, not giving up her grip on Wilhelm's arm, but staring at Corrin thoughtfully. "Leash?" There's that question again.
<Darkling> "..and what about the pilots?" Lit asks, kicking a rock off the ledge and down into the water.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan shielded his eyes, looking up at the sky.
<Darkling> Hard to see anything in the sky with the sun bearing down on you so brightly.
Corrin looks up at Rasia's query but doesn't have an answer.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja pauses in her pacing to stare right at Lit.
<Darkling> "Understood sir. We'll check in later." He hangs up the phone and turns to the pilots.
Rasia watches him intently, at least until Lit commands her attention.
<Darkling> "Kids, we're being told to explore the base, now that it is secure."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "So it really is gone." He looks back to Lit, looking miserable in the growing heat.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "The spoils of war. That sounds nice."
<Darkling> "Let's move." He ushers them towards the door.
<Corrin> "Sir." Corrin interjects, suddenly coming out of his daze. "Told by who?"
Corrin twitches, but stands in place.
Rasia blows on Wilhelm's ear as she leads him.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I hope we find a kitchen." Lahja says as she walks over to the door.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> At least they were escaping his nemesis, and the Israeli doting on him was nice.
<Darkling> "By me Corrin. What's the problem?" Lit looks confused.
<Darkling> He keeps moving towards the door with the rest of the pilots.
<Darkling> "If you don't want to come, you can stay here." He points to a guard and orders him to watch over Corrin. "We've work to do trying to find out what the renegades were doing here."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "They've already accomplished something."
<Corrin> "I want to know what happened." Corrin snaps, actually snaps, limping forwards. "Sir."
<Darkling> "Lots has happened, and we don't have time for this. If you want to be filled in you can stay here and Officer Warnell will fill you in." He turns again, heading into the base.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "We killed a Jotun or two while you were asleep. Berlin is still standing. Ivy's gone. My old home is gone. I'll tell you about the specifics later, but Lit is right. We need to see what's in this place, and an extra pair of eyes never hurts." Lahja stops just long enough to say that before she follows inside.
Corrin freezes at that, blinking, then limps after the others, movements almost frantic again. He had to have heard Lahja wrong. He had to. "I'm coming."
<Darkling> Inside the base is mostly empty, save for the soldiers checking, double-checking and triple-checking every room for any stragglers. "We'll head to a few of the main areas where we think there will be some useful informationa s to what was going on here." Lit explains.
<Darkling> "We already know one thing that has changed as a result of the goings on here."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "And that is?" Lahja asks expectantly.
<Darkling> Lit looks to Wilhelm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "The Black Moon is no longer eclipsing the Sun."
Rasia frowns, eyes fixed on the Aryan.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "That's something." Lahja says as she follows along, looking around. "I didn't think something like that would have a remote control."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "It wouldn't. I'm...concerned about it."
<Darkling> "As are the powers back home. It is an ill omen." He brings them into a control room overlooking the combat field that Rasia and Corrin had fought drones in.
<Rasia> "Combat." Rasia happily fills in. "Use real bullet for Corrin. Fake bullet for me."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "That says something." Lahja says as she looks over the area.
<Corrin> "Sir, isn't that a good thing?" Corrin asks, still following. This is something he can deal with. Lit and the others back, and if he just acts like everything's okay...
<Darkling> "For the environment, maybe. I'm no meteorologist though. For us, it means something else entirely." He starts flipping through what papers he can find on desks and in cabinets. "Help me look for anything that looks important."
Rasia breaks away from Wilhelm for the first time to join the search, though who knows if she'll have any idea what an important paper would look like. ...can Rasia even read?
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm clasps his hands behind his back, starting his own search.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "If nothing else it means the enemy can control it. Think about what kind of political power a person or group would have if they made it known that they could control the environment to such an extent." Lahja says flatly as she begins looking through papers, preferably those in out of the way places.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "The Black Moon isn't something for controlling the weather. That's just a symptom."
<Corrin> "The enemy." Corrin repeats, still looking down as he goes through the motions of rummaging a desk.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I got the impression your Aesir didn't like it very much."
<Darkling> "Wilhelm is right, the Black Moon hasn't just moved out of the way of the sun, it is gone. Any trace of it has vanished."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "If its gone, it may be starting in on what it was summoned for." He sorts through a pile of papers.
<Darkling> "Which is what we are searching for clues on." He tosses a f older aside after having flipped through it, pulling another out of the filing cabinet.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "If you want to know what it's for, I can tell you."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Summoned. What a peculiar choice of words. "I'm interested. But I'll still look for the paperwork." Lahja says while skimming through some papers.
<Corrin> "Yes."
<Darkling> Lit looks up from the files.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "The Black Moon is a tool. By eclipsing the Sun it brought on Fimbulvinter, the beginning of Ragnarok. It facilitates the reconstruction of this world."
Rasia frowns, biting her lip between her two canines.
<Corrin> "Reconstruction? The world's frozen because of that thing!"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Ragnarok. That's worth a twitch.
<Darkling> "I'm finding nothing here useful. Let's keep moving. Wilhelm, keep talking." he leads them from the room.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "According to the tales, Ragnarok will remake the world into a place of peace, burning the old away in fire. I can only guess the same is going to occur."
<Darkling> Down another hallway, the soldiers becoming less scarce.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I guess that's what that voice was talking about." Lahja says without much in the way of concern as she follows along. She almost sounds flippant about it.
Corrin stares at Wilhelm, certain stray comments making sense now. "But...How do we stop it?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I don't know. That wasn't my purpose."
<Rasia> "...smash moon?"
<Corrin> "Purpose?" Corrin echoes, staring daggers at Wilhelm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan stops and turns to face Corrin. "That's right. I was created to be part of the process."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'm the one meant to use it."
Rasia chews on her tongue, stopping just behind Wilhelm.
<Corrin> "You can't." Corrin states. "If what you're saying is true, you...”
<Darkling> "Funny that the old men couldn't tell you more about it though." Lit observes aloud as he enters another room. Looks to be an observatory above the cages. It circles around each of the cages that the Aesir were kept in at this base.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I doubt they even know everything. It is a means to an end, that was all they needed to know." He follows after Lit. "So how do you know about them?"
Corrin follows, biting back his response and listening. For a change. He glances at the others.
<Darkling> "I did my own digging." He starts looking through the single filing cabinet.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Hm..." Lahja looks away from Lit and Wilhelm, taking a look at the cages.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Your father is one of them." The boy looks to Rasia.
<Darkling> The center cage has a ring of runes circling where the Aesir would have stood.
Rasia scowls, clenching her fists briefly. "Not father."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "What's with those funny markings down there?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> A stroke of Rasia's hair and the pale boy moves to get a look at whatever Lahja sees.
<Darkling> Lit moves over to the window as well.
Rasia chases after, peering around Lit's bulk by creeping under his arm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Protection." He mutters.
<Rasia> "From Aesir?"
<Darkling> "Or for it."
Corrin follows, brow furrowing as he looks over the edge. "Wait.." he mutters to himself. "I've seen those before."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Have you?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I might have, too. But I think I was high on cow gas at the time, so who knows?" Obvious sarcasm is obvious.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Cow ga--, I see. The first was there. That explains why I don't remember them."
<Darkling> Lit pulls out a camera, taking a picture.
<Corrin> "So you're not the real Wilhelm." Corrin says flatly, looking away from the cage.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'm quite real. Ask Rasia."
<Darkling> "Wilhelm's real, just not all human. Still, this one isn't the enemy." A loud clang echoes from another room adjoined to this one.
Rasia jumps, head jerking around.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja welcomes the distraction, looking toward the clang.
Wilhelm_Faustus turns to look.
Corrin doesn't reply, turning too after a delay. He seems dazed.
<Darkling> Lit pulls out a pistol, checking it and turning the safety off before handing it to Lahja. "Just in case." The machete strapped to his side comes free and he moves towards the doorway opposite the one they had entered from.
Rasia moves in tandem with Lit, keeping just behind his flank.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja takes the gun with a smile and a salute, watching Lit closely and repositioning herself as he moves to get a better shooting angle if things go poorly. "Just give the word and I'll shoot. Or scream."
Corrin limps forwards, moving to one side.
<Darkling> Another clatter as they reach the door.
Rasia growls, deep and throaty, teeth clenched.
<Darkling> "All of you stay clear, do not move without my orders." His face looks dead serious.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja stops on the spot.
Corrin stares at the door, one hand on the wall and the other tightening into a fist. His gaze flickers to Lit but he doesn't argue.
<Darkling> Lit pushes the door open gently, making no sound before slipping it, and peering around. There’s a clash and a strange chattering noise followed by a squeal and footsteps running away at a fast pace.
<Rasia> It's almost slow-motion, watching Rasia's muscles wind up, tense, and release to no avail, every instinct almost visibly urging her forward to help. "Lit!"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks a little ill at the sound. "That... sounded like a glorified... bug?"
<Darkling> "I didn't see it, but the room is clear." He straightens and motions for them to enter.
<Rasia> Out comes Rasia, nostrils flaring to try and hunt down the scent.
Wilhelm_Faustus enters, hands clasped behind his back.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja goes in, but keeps a bit behind Lit and Rasia.
<Darkling> The room appears to have been the monitoring room for the cages, a few computers and a large screen up on the wall. There's a body in a chair, half its head missing, poor guy doesn't look like it was pleasant going for him. Cloven footprints leads from the blood splatter on the desk through another door that sits ajar.
<Rasia> "Hoof?" Rasia drops down to look closer, catching the scent.
Corrin moves in, gait unsteady.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan follows the trail to the door, looking quite calm and perhaps a bit curious.
<Darkling> Lit gets on his radio, calling for a cleanup crew, then moves towards the door, pushing it open. The trail leads down another hallway.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Lit, if I may? I can guess what we're dealing with here."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "A troll?" Lahja asks, eyes locked on the dead body.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Exactly so." He peers down the hallway.
<Darkling> He starts down the hallway, the trail slowly starting to fade. He turns to Wilhelm. "If it comes to that, fine, but I'm not putting you into the line of fire. Stay behind me for now."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> A nod to Lit and he follows.
<Darkling> The footprints turn a corner in the hallway and end. "Rasia, can you track it?"
Corrin looks to the desk, trying to see if there's anything other than bloodstains on there, then follows.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja keeps her distance as she goes along, reluctantly moving away from the dead body after giving it a quick pat on the remaining side of its head.
<Rasia> "Try." Rasia creeps head, pushing her half-human nose to the limit. Fortunately for the team's dignity, she doesn't do it on all fours.
<Rasia> The Israeli seems to have a lock on the trail, only circling back once or twice. Down one, two, four hallways in total, she eventually comes to a stop, hair on her nape standing up.
<Darkling> "Right, back behind me Rasia." Lit moves up to the door.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Try not to scare it this time."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Scared. Ridiculous. Then again, it wouldn't be the strangest thing...
<Darkling> He pushes the door open again, moving into the room slowly. He motions to follow and close the door.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Right behind you big guy...
<Corrin> Corrin opens his mouth to speak, then just nods and follows.
Rasia stalks forward, teeth bare and grunting.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja goes in last. Looks like she's getting distracted again. And very twitchy.
<Darkling> They enter a small office, a single desk braced by some tall filing cabinets. The room can't be bigger than your bedrooms back home in Berlin.
<Darkling> Lit points to the corner of the room, where a filing cabinet has been displaced from the wall, there are scratching noises coming from behind it.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "You can come out."
<Corrin> "What are you doing?" Corrin hisses.
<Darkling> More scratching and a squeal. The cabinet moves slightly.
Rasia growls, lowering her stance.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks toward the cabinet.
Corrin looks from side to side, then back to the cabinet, fists balled.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Rasia, can you go back to the hallway? All of you, perhaps."
Rasia frrrrown.
<Corrin> "It'll kill you."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Doubtful."
<Darkling> "You're staking a lot on it." Lit opens the door taking a step out.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "There are a few more left."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja steps out with another twitch.
Rasia backs away hesitantly, making sure she's the last one to leave, and only just barely.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Will you come out now? No one here will harm you."
<Darkling> There's a gibbering coming from behind the cabinet now.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Communication. Understanding."
<Darkling> More of the noise.
Corrin looks at the closed door, then to the others.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Take you away from here, if you want."
Rasia thunks her forehead against the door, eyes occasionally twisting in their sockets to look at the copilots and Lit.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "No thuds. He isn't screaming about something eating his face. It's a good sign, don't you think?"
<Corrin> "Yes."
<Darkling> It creeps out from its cover. First a cloven leg, then another, followed by a bulbous form, and two more legs. Two arms with only two digits hand from its midsection, black and void eyes staring back at Wilhelm. There's blood down the front of its body.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He squats down. "No, I won't. Will you kill me?"
<Darkling> The front end where the blood smear is splits open vertically, needle-like teeth glisten with saliva as it chirps at him.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Is that right? Do you know who I am?"
<Darkling> It side-steps out more, then forward.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'll have to ask you not to harm the others. I'm not sure you would survive if you tried."
<Darkling> The mouth closes, hands coming up in seeming contemplation.
<Corrin> "Rasia?" Corrin asks quietly.
Rasia turns her head, focus broken for now.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Live and let live. Tell me your name." He stands up.
<Corrin> "You have to get back." Corrin's gaze flickers to Lahja then back.
Rasia backs away another few steps, palpably stressed.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja backs away as well, not questioning it.
<Darkling> Its body tilts slightly, vacant eyes peering.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Sigurd will do, then." He turns and approaches the door. "I'm opening the door." He announces for them before doing just that.
Rasia ripples, eyes fixing on the Troll and baring her teeth.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Easy."
Corrin stares, half-raising his hands. "What..."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks to the troll warily.
<Darkling> A hiss from the Troll, spittle mixed with blood spray from its needle filled mouth.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Easy." He repeats, looking down at the Troll.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He looks to Rasia, staring for a moment.
Corrin stands in place, swallowing. "What did you do? It's still alive!" This isn't quite a shout.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Observant, Corrin. Yes, it is alive and cooperating."
Rasia looks ready to strike, but she seems content to snarl back at it.
<Darkling> Lit looks deep in thought.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja just stares at the bloody mouth in silence, tilting her head.
<Corrin> "Cooperating? That thing?" Corrin hisses. "Its a troll, if you hadn't noticed!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'm part Jotunn." He shrugs.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "It's frightened of Rasia anyhow, so I believe it will behave itself properly."
<Corrin> "You're part..." Corrin breaks off and shakes his head.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "It looks... kind of neat." Lahja oddly doesn't sound like she means it at all.
<Darkling> It seems to grimace at you Lahja, saliva plopping to the floor in messy blobs.
<Corrin> "We should kill it."
<Darkling> "No." Lit states.
<Corrin> Corrin clenches his jaw. "Sir, it's a threat."
<Darkling> "And a resource. It is worth more alive than dead."
Rasia turns her head slowly, abandoning the immediate threat, as she finally parses something.
<Corrin> "To who?"
<Darkling> "Us. We're going to smuggle it out of here."
Rasia gazes at Wilhelm for a long moment, chewing her lip.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> His head cants ever so slightly, asking the question Rasia.
<Corrin> "Then what, sir? Keep it with Hel?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "That might not be wise."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Hey, Wilhelm... what does it eat? Flesh and blood in general? Brains?" Lahja asks curiously.
<Darkling> "No, don't question me right now Corrin. I'm doing this for you four, and you four only." He stops, thinking again.
Rasia relaxes just a little, clicking her teeth. "..."
Corrin clenches his jaw but is silent.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "What do you eat?" He looked down to the Troll.
<Corrin> "That thing can talk?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "In their own language."
<Corrin> "But they're animals..."
<Darkling> The jagged opening in its body closes before it makes a few guttural noises.
<Rasia> That catches the predator's attention, and she hunches forward, glaring at it.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I see. Essence."
Corrin stands nearby, wary. He's not sure what he could do if it goes wrong but he's ready to distract it at least. "What's it saying?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "It eats essences."
<Corrin> "Essences?"
<Darkling> It gibbers at Rasia, clomping forward on its four feet.
<Rasia> Wilhelm, you've got one chance to stay her hand or the football's in for a bad day.
<Corrin> "Get back!" Corrin snaps, limping forwards a step.
<Darkling> A hand clamps on Corrin's shoulder, and Lit hauls him back. "That's enough!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The boy moves forward, hands slipping into the girl's shoulders. He whispers. "It's alright, Rasia. It knows what you can do if it gets out of line. Even Lit sees its value. Calm down, please."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Twitch. Twitch. "As interesting as this is, we should probably move on now and see what else we can find here."
Corrin glares at Lit from under his grip. "It'll get us killed. Sir."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "It's afraid of you at the least, and may respect you to some degree. It recognizes that you are stronger." He tries to sooth her.
Rasia hisses through her teeth, trembling. It's easy to understand her reaction, of course. Jotunn and Trolls had a special place in her heart. The angriest part. "Rrrrr." But she doesn't attack. Instead she murmurs. "Must talk."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Of course. As long as you want, just you and I." He kisses her forehead.
<Darkling> "You're out of line Corrin, enough, that's an order." Lit looks pissed. "Wait in the hall, Rasia and Lahja, you too."
Rasia snorts, slinking from Wilhelm's touch to sit in the hall.
Corrin doesn't move.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> A salute from Lahja.
<Darkling> A stern look at Corrin.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "You need to have a little trust, Corrin."
<Corrin> "And who's giving you orders, sir?" Corrin retorts. He's trembling, but stands still. "Who's using the Black Moon?"
<Darkling> A sigh from Lit and without warning a hand claps Corrin across the face and out of consciousness, much to the seeming glee of the Troll.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Well..."
<Darkling> He looks at Wilhelm. "Get it to agree to be smuggled out without any struggle, or Rasia can have it."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "No, you can't eat him."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Do you understand what he said? We need your cooperation in smuggling you out of here without struggle, or the girl can have you."
<Darkling> It grunts in reply.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "It will do as asked, Lit."
<Darkling> "Then let's smuggle our fugly little prisoner out of here."
<Darkling> ==================END==================