Through the Dark (Chihuelan Search log)

[redlightgreenlight]

Characters: Valdis and Gene
Date: September 17th
Location: Outside Keeliai
Situation: Valdis has gained information from Malcil on the potential whereabouts of Celauun and the other Chihuahuas, so she and Gene are investigating.
Warnings/Rating: None Yet

Malcil had taken some convincing, but eventually the Chihuelan refugee had told Valdis of a few places where Celauun and the others might be hiding. She hadn't spent much time in the mountainous regions of the turtle, but Malcil had given descriptions of the landmarks she was looking for, unfortunately it seemed that the invaders were searching similar areas. She and Gene had been dodging the Justicar's search parties all day, but now night was falling and the Chihuelans seemed to be settling down, giving her and her ally some breathing room.

The cave Malcil had directed her to was well hidden, even she had almost missed it and she had directions. Valdis kept alert as she moved inside, her low light vision making it easier to see in the darkness. Eventually, as they got deeper into the cavern, even her sight wasn't enough and she pulled out a lanturn and lit it. "How deep do you think they are?"

Comments

[wrathfulkhan]

There was so very much in Zanru's terse rant that Gene could argue with - especially her point about family, he'd killed for his, he'd die for his with or without the resurrection magic, and he was related to none of them by blood - but if he did the same as Valdis, they'd lose her for sure and waste the only good lead they had. So it was up to him to be the diplomatic one.

Hooray.

"Zanru," he said to her back. "We came here to offer our help to Celaunn, and now we're offering it to you. As little as you think of us, this is our home, too. Your people are stuck here, and so are we, and we are all being invaded. There is nothing to be gained by pretending we don't have a stake in Keeliai. We want to work together."

He paused. "The kedan can defend themselves, as you did during the first invasion. But there's a saying where I come from: 'peace through superior firepower'. We are willing to add our firepower, figurative or literal, to yours."

[redlightgreenlight]

Zanru was such a self-involved bitch that she took everything Valdis said as if it were an insult. Admittedly some of it was, but not all of it and Valdis had to keep from rolling her eyes. She appreciated Gene's attempt at diplomacy, but she didn't think that Zanru would respond as he intended.

"I'm not trying to make an alliance," she replied, her voice level, "I'm trying to protect my own. The Chihuelans are looking for something and they are willing to kill and sacrifice their own people in order to obtain it.

"You say that we have no concept of family, but my best friend has left, the man I loved is gone and all the power I possess is not enough to bring them back. We have all suffered in one way or another, so do not make the mistake of thinking that we don't know the pain of loss. I could not even protect the man I call father from the cultists, and feeling helpless to prevent such attacks is infuriating.

"But perhaps you don't care about our feelings, that's fine, I'm not asking you to, however, you just implied that you still care about the feelings and safety of your own people. Without true unity between all the people who live in Keeliai, then we will all lose. That includes the Chihuelans that the Justicar is now hunting."

She took a breath, "But that part is up to you, as I said, I simply wish to know what the Justicar is truly after and I suspect that Celaunn knows. If she retains any loyalty to Evandau and the kedanese people, then I hope that she will at least consider speaking with us."

[forgediron]

It was Gene's voice more than Valdis's that made Zanru turned and fold her arms, her expression flat. "I don't care about your feelings," she said equally flatly, "because none of you have ever shown you give a shit about ours, even when claiming you do. At least you're finally admitting you're only out to protect your own, instead of making a big deal about the things you've supposedly done for mine."

She'd told someone once that that was how it should be: like taking care of like. Stark, maybe. The Foreigners didn't seem to care about each other any more than they cared about the kedan--they only stuck together because they had to. It was refreshing to have one of them actually confess to caring more about their own group than the kedan. At least there was care there. Maybe now they'd be able to think of themselves as a unified group with things to offer instead of individuals getting in everyone's way because they didn't have everything they wanted.

Zanru pointed at Gene. "But you, I like. You get to the fucking point and you aren't all dramatic about why it's owed to you. Celaunn isn't here. But I'll take your message to her, and if she wants to meet you I'll send you a call on your radio. They're more secure than the consoles these days, I hear."

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene? Not dramatic?

This is an historic occasion.

"They are. You never know who's listening on the consoles. But maybe you might." He tilted his head in her direction, a gesture of respect.

"We'll be listening."

[redlightgreenlight]

She felt the darkness shift as her anger rose, but she bit her tongue and stayed quiet, relieved that Gene had managed to get through and that Zanru would help. But unlike Gene, Valdis would offer no thanks, she simply turned around and walked past her partner toward the entrance to the cave. They had what they needed, there was no reason to linger.