Hwo Thumb
08-12-2014, 12:51 AM
"Miss Tadis. We weren't expecting to hear from you this soon. How goes the hunt?"
"You set me up, Vexal"
"Beg your pardon?"
"Damn right, you 'beg my pardon.' At what point were you planning on telling me about the daughter?"
"You were told that you would be capturing two fugitives: Captain Antero Beaky, and his daughter, Kaya. I don't see the problem."
"You're kidding, right? You didn't think it would be important to mention that the nine-year-old girl is combat trained? By your organization? She practically killed both Yale and myself in five seconds flat. Is this the part where you tell me that you set me up against your pint-sized ninja to test my skills?"
"Not at all. I simply wasn't given permission to disclose the details of Kaya's abilities. You can understand that her program is top secret."
"So I almost died because you-"
"You almost died because you got careless. Never underestimate an opponent. Christ, Miss Tadis, you just spent a month capturing a two-foot tall fuzzball of a serial killer. You should know by now never to judge by appearance."
"That was different. I was told ahead of time that the Kerrik was dangerous. Kaya is literally a goddamn assassin, and I didn't find out until she had knocked out Yale and was coming at me with a knife."
"Look, assigning blame now is pointless. Did you capture them?"
[pause]
"Well, did you?"
"We had to... fall back."
"Miss Tadis, I know that voice. That's your plotting voice."
"No it's not!"
"And that's your 'hand-in-the-cookie-jar" voice. Miss Tadis - Kiri - are you lying to me?"
"What? What would I have to lie about?"
"People have many reasons for lying. Usually when they don't want somebody else to know something."
"You don't say."
"Something like whether or not they were able to capture the fugitives they were hunting."
"And why would I... Why would someone need to lie about that?"
"You must understand that Antero and his daughter are powerful beyond their combat abilities. We trained Kaya to psychoanalyze as well. It's very possible that she is trying to manipulate you. She might claim that she was not a volunteer. I assure you, both the father and the daughter signed the necessary paperwork. She might try... exaggerating... the work we've done - which, by the way, is unfinished, and could be very dangerous to Kaya if left that way. All I'm saying is that nobody would blame you if you were tricked by the fugitives."
"Are you implying something? If you've got an accusation, you best get it the hell out in the open. I haven't got a brain for subtlety."
"Now that was a lie, Miss Tadis. All I'm saying is that Kaya has strengths you might not see coming, and she may try to turn you against us. If you can't capture Antero and Kaya Beaky, we'll send a different Hunter. One who will do whatever it takes to secure the prisoners, regardless of who is in the way."
[long pause]
"If I didn't know any better, Vexal, I'd say that sounds an awful lot like a thinly veiled threat."
"How fortunate that you know better. Now, are we done here?"
"Find the dad. Find the girl. Don't listen to a word they say. Bring them back to the lab on Menta. I understand."
"Excellent. We have nothing further to discuss. Make good decisions out there, Kiri."
[Comm link terminated]
"So. Our Hunter has been swayed by the infallible rhetoric of a nine-year-old girl."
"It would appear so. Damn, I knew we shouldn't have send in Kiri."
"Miss Tadis is our best hunter."
"She's too sentimental. To quick to believe the lies of a cornered girl."
"Well, they're not exactly lies, Vexal."
"I suppose not. Anyway, it doesn't matter. What's our next course of action?"
"We wait. If Kiri comes to us, prisoners in hand, then we will proceed as planned. If she fails to make an appearance, well... We'll just have to find a way to convince her."
"I know a few people who are good at convincing."
"You set me up, Vexal"
"Beg your pardon?"
"Damn right, you 'beg my pardon.' At what point were you planning on telling me about the daughter?"
"You were told that you would be capturing two fugitives: Captain Antero Beaky, and his daughter, Kaya. I don't see the problem."
"You're kidding, right? You didn't think it would be important to mention that the nine-year-old girl is combat trained? By your organization? She practically killed both Yale and myself in five seconds flat. Is this the part where you tell me that you set me up against your pint-sized ninja to test my skills?"
"Not at all. I simply wasn't given permission to disclose the details of Kaya's abilities. You can understand that her program is top secret."
"So I almost died because you-"
"You almost died because you got careless. Never underestimate an opponent. Christ, Miss Tadis, you just spent a month capturing a two-foot tall fuzzball of a serial killer. You should know by now never to judge by appearance."
"That was different. I was told ahead of time that the Kerrik was dangerous. Kaya is literally a goddamn assassin, and I didn't find out until she had knocked out Yale and was coming at me with a knife."
"Look, assigning blame now is pointless. Did you capture them?"
[pause]
"Well, did you?"
"We had to... fall back."
"Miss Tadis, I know that voice. That's your plotting voice."
"No it's not!"
"And that's your 'hand-in-the-cookie-jar" voice. Miss Tadis - Kiri - are you lying to me?"
"What? What would I have to lie about?"
"People have many reasons for lying. Usually when they don't want somebody else to know something."
"You don't say."
"Something like whether or not they were able to capture the fugitives they were hunting."
"And why would I... Why would someone need to lie about that?"
"You must understand that Antero and his daughter are powerful beyond their combat abilities. We trained Kaya to psychoanalyze as well. It's very possible that she is trying to manipulate you. She might claim that she was not a volunteer. I assure you, both the father and the daughter signed the necessary paperwork. She might try... exaggerating... the work we've done - which, by the way, is unfinished, and could be very dangerous to Kaya if left that way. All I'm saying is that nobody would blame you if you were tricked by the fugitives."
"Are you implying something? If you've got an accusation, you best get it the hell out in the open. I haven't got a brain for subtlety."
"Now that was a lie, Miss Tadis. All I'm saying is that Kaya has strengths you might not see coming, and she may try to turn you against us. If you can't capture Antero and Kaya Beaky, we'll send a different Hunter. One who will do whatever it takes to secure the prisoners, regardless of who is in the way."
[long pause]
"If I didn't know any better, Vexal, I'd say that sounds an awful lot like a thinly veiled threat."
"How fortunate that you know better. Now, are we done here?"
"Find the dad. Find the girl. Don't listen to a word they say. Bring them back to the lab on Menta. I understand."
"Excellent. We have nothing further to discuss. Make good decisions out there, Kiri."
[Comm link terminated]
"So. Our Hunter has been swayed by the infallible rhetoric of a nine-year-old girl."
"It would appear so. Damn, I knew we shouldn't have send in Kiri."
"Miss Tadis is our best hunter."
"She's too sentimental. To quick to believe the lies of a cornered girl."
"Well, they're not exactly lies, Vexal."
"I suppose not. Anyway, it doesn't matter. What's our next course of action?"
"We wait. If Kiri comes to us, prisoners in hand, then we will proceed as planned. If she fails to make an appearance, well... We'll just have to find a way to convince her."
"I know a few people who are good at convincing."