STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- The Council of Taneshla

Retiring for the evening can give Rianna some time to rest before pulling a nightwatch.

Rianna will do that, then, if Tanic will keep watch for a bit while she naps.

You do not rest enough to heal fully but it is better than nothing. You can remove another 5 damge.

Tanic rouses you later and informs you that Geful has men on guard to watch the manor's hall and protect the Staff. He asks if you still want to go on watch.

The alternative is more rest.

Rianna is mistrusting and nervous enough that she'd prefer to keep watch herself.

No more healing for you!

Geful has men stationed in every hallway (you are not sure where he gets all these thugs!) and so it is noticed when you leave your room that night to keep watch. The guards don't stop you, obviously; that's mostly due to Tanic's connection rather than yours.

The Staff is kept in that locked compartment in Geful's study. You can choose where to patrol- inside the room, outside, etc.

Hopefully, the lack of healing won't come back to bite me later.

(somehow I'm sure it will)

Outside the room, though she's going to keep her senses open.

Alright!

The night passes without any event, and so you are simply tired when the sun rises over the Lord's Manor on Taneshla. Geful relieves you both in the morning, more annoyed than anything.

"I need you rested and focused for today," Geful says. "I had men on watch for a reason."

"I can focus perfectly fine," Rianna replies. "Sleep isn't something I normally get much of. What, will I actually be allowed to talk today?"

"No, but I need you to be watchful," Geful says. "Go rest. You have a few hours before the talks."

Rianna will go and do that, irritated at the prospect of yet another day spent being more or less useless.

Today, Rand and Gallador look well rested! So does everyone that isn't you or Tanic. Geful's nightguards have been replaced by fresh dayguards.

"Had trouble sleeping?" Calthell asks you as you come to the table. You missed breakfast.

"Oh, am I allowed to say something?" Rianna says as she takes a seat. "And no, I slept fine."

"That's not what I heard," Calthell says. "But no, you aren't, are you?"

"I have never required much sleep," Rianna says, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair, preparing for yet another day of utter frustration.

Calthell just smiles smugly.

Today they continue addressing territorial disputes and then move on to allying forces and hiring hands from the other's organization for various criminal endeavours. As before, it is awful yet dull, and you drift out of focus on whatever they're talking about...

... but you snap back when Rand produces a crimson cloak.

"We wish to discuss the assassination of Mecrossan operative Vayla, the Crimson Queen," Calthell says, "by an Imperial operative, Tanic Starguard."

Tanic frowns. "What? She was working for you?"

"Yes, she was performing raids for us. Less subtle than we prefer but there were targets that required her particular brand of violence. And you caused her death."

This, of course, brings on a whole new set of bickering...

I thought Rand wasn't allowed to participate at all either, or can he simply not talk?

Anyway, Rianna is annoyed at that being brought up - Gallador is the one that hired us to kill her. And she wound up killing herself, anyway.

And then of course she's slightly troubled by this red cloak that keeps haunting her for some reason...

It is the same cloak, that much is certain.

The argument settles down when things come to a focus on Tanic and Calthell.

"It was YOUR man that employed me to end the Queen, NOT the Empire of Pity!" Tanic claims.

"What proof do you have?" Calthell asks.

"Lord Geful, you must have records showing what you HAVE assigned," Tanic addresses his superior. "It won't be there."

"Eh..." Geful grimaces. "I don't keep tangible records. It would be considered evidence of my own involvement in criminal activities. What does your man have to say for himself?"

"I deny involvement," Gallador lies. "I have much more important things to trouble myself with."

"But the Queen killed herself!" Tanic exclaims.

Rand wordlessly unfolds the red cloak and reveals a lightsaber burn that goes through it.

Rianna is about ready to ignore the fact that she's not allowed to participate and speak up. Plus she and Tanic do have a witness as to what happened there...even if she's not there.

It is at this point that Tanic directs attention to you.

"She was there!" Tanic says. "She can testify against Gallador and for me."

"If she speaks, she'll be expelled," Calthell says.

Attention goes to you- if you speak on Tanic's behalf, you will be removed from the meetings permanently. If you do not, Tanic will suffer that fate instead.

Rianna makes her decision quickly - she's starting to feel like there's no point to her being there anymore anyway, and Tanic is far more useful for this sort of thing.

"This is completely ridiculous," she says. "Yes, I was there with Tanic. Yes, it was Gallador that hired us to kill the Crimson Queen and her little band of troublemakers. She killed herself while we were still fighting her minions, before we even got to her. The entire thing was a setup by Gallador, who then tried to bribe the other mercenaries that went with us to kill us. One of them was smart enough to not try and still lives."

She glares at Calthell. "And I grow tired of being forced to sit here, unable to do anything, for no reason whatsoever."