Ereni Intimidation:  13

(Though she's mostly just telling Cole the truth as she sees it... not trying to fool him.)

The bantha happily accepts the globe cactus and stands there watching Thea enter the office. Behind her, it's large tongue briefly extends out it's mouth as if grasping for her before she disappears through the doorway.

Inside the office, Hallius Cole coughs and spits as the gag is removed. His eyes are wide now, and he looks from left to right as he shuffles back until he hits the wall. He stares at the doorway for a moment, waiting to see if anyone else will enter, before looking up at Ereni with shoulders slumping after Cinder and Thea enter. (OOC: With her passive Insight, Ereni assumes he was hoping Stasolya would join them, feeling she might be more inclined to be merciful)

"Look, we both know Vader doesn't care about the miner's or this town. I had a deal with Vader, it's true, but it doesn't exactly mention what will happen to the town or the townsfolk when his army gets here. It was always more of the threat of what would happen if I didn't help, if he had to send someone else to do his dirty work", he says eventually, his breathing now ragged, and his bottom lip starts to tremble.

Eventually, as Ereni stares at him waiting for more, his eyes fix on the safe. "But he pays well, I have a lot to offer if you would help me escape", he says, his eyes pleading.

At the same time, Cinder and Thea are rifling through the papers on the desk. Cinder finds some documents detailing the workers schedules and some regarding their pay, confirmed by Thea who recognises some of the names, including her own. Some invoices are also on the desk, and an inventory of mining supplies. They move onto the chest of drawers, where they find similarly mundane paperwork.

They do, however, discover that one of the drawers has a secret panel at the bottom, under which is a file containing letters of correspondence. Some have instructions and some seemingly are responses to status updates. They detail a location within the mine that they are to excavate and the progress they are making over time, along with the issues with the Kruthiks and an instruction to sort it whatever the cost. The dates on the earliest correspondence go back months, and mention payment for Cole but nothing beyond that.

They also check the safe, which they find locked.

"Where's the key to the safe, Cole?"  Somehow, Ereni's voice becomes even more flat...

Any payment this treasonous maggot received from Vader is forfeit.  Belongs to the town that he betrayed...

She gives him a few moments' chance to tell her before she searches him quite rudely and thoroughly.

Malenia saunters in, albeit behind the crowd. In an effort to keep a watchful eye on the events transpiring. Having no intention to intervene or interrupt the proceedings, as It appears she is getting exactly what she had hoped for. Her ears do twitch at the mention of a Key and a Safe. She pushes pass a few of the the townsfolk in order to get a better look, stepping beside Cinder and Thea. Malenia crouches down to inspect.

Investigation check: 18

Cole is sweating by this point like a falling rain.  He's drenched, and his forehead is broke out with sweat.  

"Can't we just talk about all this?"  He says, like they haven't been talking.  He glances nervously back at the crowd outside.  "Look, the key is in my pocket but...but you've already seen what I had to show!  And I've told you!  Come on, just let me go please, Goddesses, don't give me to them.  I'm scared!  I'm just scared!"  

"You should be scared!"  Someone shouts from outside the door.  

The mechanism concealed within her prosthesis whirs to life, she extends her prosthetic out to allow ample space for her weapon to reveal itself. The plate on the forearm springs open, ejecting her weapon out and into her open palm. Gripping it tight, she flicks the switch and the lightsaber hums to life. A brilliant golden blade of energy that she carefully lowers to the safes door. 

She takes as much time as she needs to carefully cut off the door. 

Ereni uses her rapier to tear open Cole's pocket.  She picks the key up as it falls out, ready to use it, only to see Malenia slicing the safe open with her lightsaber.  She almost grins but her stoicism wins out as she tosses the key back to the profusely sweating traitor.

"Aye.  Scared.  Made a deal with Vader where Vader didn't agree to anything in return?  Now you want townsfolk to let you go for betraying them and get nothing in return.  Seems like a pattern with you, sure as Puffed-Out Petey always pissed his britches whenever he'd see orcs charging over the rise."

She shrugs.  "Death waits for us all in the end.  For men like you and Petey most of all.  So tell me this, businessman.  Is the passage already open?  Under the ocean for Vader to bring his orcs from Fantasia to Hylia?  Or is that what your goons were rushing to do with the explosives before we sent them scurrying?  We'll find out one way or the other."  She glances at the others by the safe.  "Best not lie to us now.  Townsfolk are waiting."

Cinder sits herself on the desk, her feet dangling over the edge. "It's always fun to see how people choose to punish traitors and bullies. Anger makes you so creative when it comes to things like this. Personally If I were to do it, I'd lock you in here and set the building on fire. Make sure that all the doors and windows were barred first. Let everything you have burn to the ground with you." Cinder has a far away look in her eye for a moment as she relives some memory, then she shakes her head clearing it away. "I can't wait to see what the town chooses."

Cole swallows, his adam's apple bobbing as he pauses to catch his breath.  

"Well...the underdark is open.  You know that though.  We were almost through...when we encountered the Kruthiks.  The hole needed to be bigger though but the Kruthik's were fighting us and...well.   You know that.  Can I please go?  Please?  I'm..."

When Cinder starts talking, and gets the far away look in her eyes...in the moments after the door of the safe falls away, Cole looks back to Ereni.  His eyes are practically doing the pleading for him.  

He wets himself.  

"Oh Goddesses...don't let her lock me in here.  Don't like them lock me in here and burn the building down!  I didn't do anything but what anyone else would have done to save themselves!  Have you never been scared before?  What was I going to do?  Say no?  Please...please..."

The safe is full of gold and rupees.  Enough money to buy the whole damn time, which was fitting since that's what Cole had basically done.  There were a few scrolls, each in what they perceive to be Cole's handwriting, as if he was keeping a ledger of his interaction with Vader's representatives.  It outlined all of it.  The price.  The deadline.  Which of Vader's strongmen would be assisting on this end.  Everything.  

Speaking of the deadline...it was tomorrow.  

Stasolya has remained outside, speaking to Jedik and the other villages. "Jappiter is in great danger," she says. "Only the Kruthiks stand between Vader's army in Subterna and this town. Cole has betrayed you terribly," her eyes mist with tears of sorrow and sympathy, "but Vader's forces would have come eventually even without his collusion. All of Hyboria hangs on a thread... we must marshal to those who have the power to hold the foundations of the world in Order against the destruction of Chaos that foes of terrible power like Vader and Blix bring. They are the ones we must stand behind. The Childlike Empress. The Princess Andromeda. The last unicorn..." Stories and images of each of them swirl through her mind as she speaks. Though she has seen little of the recent events in person, having witnessed only Andromeda's kidnapping, the AURYN has sown them deep into her heart, first through Atreyu, and then by its own strange voices. Again she feels that terrible shard of pain. As the world breaks, so does the Empress, and vice versa.... not to mention all of us whose lives are tied to Hyboria itself.

Carefully taking from her saddlebags a carved, inlaid lute, she plucks it gently and sings.

"The sun that shines does not withhold
Its rays of warmth and light.
From anyone who crawleth forth
From shadow, dark, and night.

So the Empress, Childlike, fair,
White as star and snow.
Does not cease to reach her hand
To all who wish her to.

Who once among you has not failed
And hurt a heart dear loved?
Who once has lived without regret
For evil deeds thought of?

The lowest creep and vilest crimed
Can turn its heart around
Repent of sin and death and wrong
To run heroic bound.

But Chaos sets itself apart
From Order so and thus.
By growing anger, vengeance, pride
Til hate turns all to dust."

Thea remains quiet as she helps go through the papers and materials, trying to find anything useful. Her eyes go wider and wider as she listens to Ereni and Cinder talk and she keeps her head bowed over her work so she can hide behind her hair. When Cole starts to break down, she steps outside for some air to try and clear her overwhelm. She emerges just as Stasolya is trying to rally the townsfolk behind the Childlike Empress, Princess Andromeda, and the Last Unicorn. Hearing this, a resolve seems to come over her again. She stands up straighter, she brushes her hair away from her face- as she does this a faint shimmer shines from her forehead while her butterflies flutter about and find their places again. She stands with Stasolya, awaiting instructions and also makes herself available to try and help the townsfolk as best she can. 

Malenia sheaths her weapon and spends the next few minutes figuring out just how much Cole was paid to betray his people. 

"That's where you're wrong Cole.  Many there are who would have done differently than you.  Like that centaur out there for starters."

Ereni turns away, sick to her heart.  In her mind she hears her last captain's orders to burn and loot the defenseless town.  The Ivory Infantry... under attack from the outside by Vader and from within by the rot of its commanders' pride and thirst for power.  Defeated now.  Should I be back there?  Dead or captured with them?  Did I serve them well by deserting or serve myself?  What would father think?  Mother...  She chokes back a sob.

She leaves her companions to present the evidence from the safe and return the blood money, and the townsfolk to sort out the fate of Hallius Cole.

Walking away without another word into the desert, headed for the mine.  Alone.

The Mayor finally arrives on the scene and looks into the room, completely aghast and sweating harder than ever.  There is a big man next to him, a male Firbolg who has hands built like sledgehammers and a face that is scarred, pitted, and discolored from a lifetime in the mines.  The big fellow clears his throat as he looks at Cole.  

"Hallius."  He says to Cole, over the Mayor's shoulder.  

"Oh Farore..."  Cole says.  He starts to protest, but the big guy lays a steady hand on the Mayor's shoulder and steps into the room with the remaining members of the Fourth.  "Oh Nayru...not you."  

"Yeah, it's me."  The big man says, stepping into the room.  "Since it seems the last town guard force was corrupt, our dear Mayor here has asked me to fill in.  And my first duty is to place you under arrest and in my protection."  

"Ivo..."  Cole says in protest to the Mayor.  "You can't be serious!  I fired Daelar for..."

"For not going along with your money schemes in the past."  Daelar says, continuing to walk lithely forward.  "If I had known then what we know now, I'd have made more of a stink.  I suggest you keep quiet for now, Hallius.  These people you're blathering in front of will be deciding your fate in the coming days."  

Thea, seeing Ereni walking on her own out into the desert, calls out “Wait!” She trots after her to try and get her to rejoin the group until they can formulate a plan. “If you just need a moment- well. I can understand that.  This is an awful lot to deal with. But please don’t leave us. We need to sort out what to do?” She looks at Ereni with pleading lavender eyes, looking very young and uncertain. “Please wait?” Some of her butterflies flit over to Ereni landing on her shoulders for whatever support butterflies can offer. “We need you, Ereni.”

Ereni turns, a tear halfway down her cheek.  She almost smiles.

”I am not leaving you.  Not any of you.  I… I left the Ivory Infantry once.  But I am done running.  Going to warn the Kruthiks below the mine as Stasolya said.  Vader’s vanguard arrives as early was tomorrow.  The Kruthiks need to know.  They owe us nothing, but if they can help block the tunnels to protect themselves, it protects us too.  What happens to Cole, I leave to you.  And to the townsfolk.  Whatever it is, it won’t be enough.  But I am not leaving.”

Two slender but rough fingers brush Thea’s cheek as gently as a butterfly’s wing.  “My lady.”

Thea’s cheeks flush a little at being called “My lady.” She stammers. “B- but shouldn’t we stick together? What if something happens and V-Vader’s troops arrive early? And maybe we can help them? Your friends- the Kruthiks?”  She looks lost. “Im sorry. I just don’t know what to do. And it seems dangerous for any of us to go alone?”

Ereni turns and continues walking towards the mine.

"If Vader's troops arrive early and you are all there, you will die.  It is dark in the mine and I am invisible to darkvision.  No one can see me there unless they have blindsight or tremorsense or whatever the Kruthiks have.  I'd at least have a chance of hiding.  And I'm the only one that can speak to the Kruthiks, unless maybe you can speak with animals too?  Otherwise, you should go back."

“I can speak with animals! That’s how I made friends with Curly, here!” Looks a little embarrassed to share she named the Bantha. “It seems like we can turn things over here to the townsfolk maybe? And we can all come along to help? If I could take an hour before we go, then we could have Skot to help?”

Ereni shakes her head but accedes.  "Should have known you of all people can speak with animals.  'Course, speaking with Kruthiks is mostly tapping and stomping, not speaking.  What's more, if Vader's army arrives, I will be invisible to them and you won't, unless you can do that too.  Your choice though."

Ereni keeps heading to the mine, loping along now (move speed 35', dash 70' but keeps it down to 60' for Thea).

"You want to scout ahead with me, best keep up."