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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 4759877" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #473] Githyanki Justice[/PLAIN]Morier stared up at the githyanki snarling down at him, its greatsword poised to strike. He could hear Saelus cursing and grunting with his effort to move and knew that there were two more githyanki that he couldn't see quite close by. Sitting up, he stripped off the scabbarded bastard sword and tossed it over the side of the boat."Take the gods damned sword, you parasite!" he cursed at Akerman. The most basic tennet of Morier's eldritch training had taught him not to let his anger get in the way of his judgement in battle, and he realized that was precipitously close to a breaking point. But the stakes were too high right now, and he felt as though some humility at the moment might be the only option to keep Ackerman from getting far more than he bargained for out of Morier. "Take it and run, far, far away. And hope against all hope that our paths never cross again.""I doubt that they will." the githyanki captain sneered menacingly at Morier.The colonel, pinned against the bottom of the boat, tried to surreptitiously cast a spell, the shout of warning followed by a searing pain as a longsword pierced his shoulder told him that his bluff had failed. Thankfully, with the spell Quickened, he was able to cast it before being struck, and he felt some of his lost strength returning to his limbs."Morier, it was you who attacked first," Akerman shouted. "I wanted this to go peacefully. But now-""Now, they belong to the githyanki," the commander said, still keeping his sword pointed menacingly at Morier. "Now they will go before the Gisir for judgement.""W-what?" Akerman sputtered. "That was not part of our arrangement!""That deal was struck before they killed three of my men," the leader said. "I will have to answer to the Gisir for those deaths and I will not go before him without the guilty parties in hand.""We belong to no one," Saelus said as he slowly heaved himself to his knees. "You are all parasites, trying to get your way by intimidation, thinking we would be compliant.""You will be compliant. Or you will be dead," the leader said. "And if you are intimidated by us, do not feel shame. We are githyanki and you are only a crude human, after all." The colonel regarded the leader defiantly, standing straight despite the fact that he was flanked by the two githyanki sergeants."You all started the offensiveness by trying to imprison us under false pretenses," Saelus said. "If you would have but asked for the sale of the weapon without covertness, we might have been more willing not to spill any gith blood or otherwise..""Do not confuse the githyankis' actions with those of Dr. Akerman," the leader cautioned. "We agreed to this tactic because we have a long-standing trade agreement with Memento Mori and the payment was adequate. Our methods are more... straightforward." Morier got to his own feet, gesturing disgustedly at Dr. Akerman."Had your gracious benefactor over there been straightforward with anyone about what he was doing from the start, this entire operation would have been unnecessary," he told the leader meeting the githyanki's cold black eyes. "If you're suddenly overcome by a need to bring everyone to justice, you can't possibly overlook the man who made all of this possible. Bring Akerman before the Gisir too." The loremaster let out a startled shout and began drifting closer."Now wait just a minute," he began, but Saelus cut him off, emboldened by both Morier's suggestion and Akerman's reaction to it."It was the false pretense Akerman instigated that led to your men's deaths, so if anyone is to blame for the whole debacle he is," Saelus said, looking seriously at the captain. "Akerman is the instigator of all this and therefore as responsible as we are for defending our own right and lives because of his machinations." The captain considered this and then looked at Dr. Akerman."And what do you have to say about this?" he asked the mage and Akerman snorted."You know Memento Mori would never intentionally harm one of your men. We've been business partners with the githyanki for decades," the loremaster said and the captain nodded. "I think that they are saying whatever they can to lessen their own burden of responsibility.""I think you are correct," the githyanki replied. "But I also think that they raise a good point. If you had let us execute my plan we could have killed them and taken the sword without incident. Instead, you orchestrated this elaborate ambush because you did not want their blood on your conscience. Well now you have the blood of three githyanki warriors there instead." The mage gulped audibly."Now hold on, Perragourp," Akerman stammered. "You don't want to anger Loremaster Starsoul. Your Gisir has enjoyed a very profitable arrangement with Memento Mori and- "The captain held up a hand."This is a matter that must be decided by Gisir Okemocik," Perragourp said. "It is beyond my area of expertise." He made a circling gesture with his hand and barked out an order to his men.Of the companions, only Grandfather Plaque understood the Gith tongue: "Take them! Take them all!""I don't fancy the thought of being weaponless," Saelus admitted, causing the captain to pause and look back at the man over his shoulder. "No githyanki would want to be weaponless.""You presume much comparing yourself to githyanki, human. No githyanki would allow himself to be captured thus," the commander snarled turning to face the colonel. "You are no githyanki.""Even if we might be a lesser race in your eyes, surely you can understand the desire to maintain our honor by keeping our weapons and such," Saelus pressed, making the githyanki snarl and raise his greatsword. He aimed it at the colonel's throat, ready to stab it home."I need only bring one of you alive before the Gisir, human," Perragourp hissed, sighting down the length of his sword. "I could execute you now." Saelus met the githyanki's eyes and held them."You really shouldn't antagonize Olin Perragourp," Akerman cautioned, a note of fear in his voice. Saelus ignored him."I will comply to being brought before the Gisir if you but allow our honor to be kept in light of Akerman's failing to have any honor in his dealings," the war mage said and Perragourp's eyes narrowed. Then he let his sword drop and threw back his head."Ha!" he barked once. "I like you, human. The heart of a warrior beats beneath your soft skin. And because I like you I offer you an opportunity for githyanki justice." He gestured to the two warriors flanking Saelus. "If you can best one of my two sergeants in single combat then you and your companion may retain your honor and your sword. If you are beaten then your life and your honor are forfeit."</blockquote>

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