Oct 7th 107 PA - War Crimes follow-up
From Chronicles
Logfile from Rifts.
The trip back is uneventful as planned, Tirzah riding on her hovercycle and the others in the truck. She opens the comm to the truck for a change of plans. "Brian we're going to detour to the greenhouse at the landing strip before meeting with jermy to close the deal." She intructs plainly.
Once the trucks are loaded, Sage climb into the one with the women that seem to need the most assistance. Her goal being to check them over for the extend of their injuries (or damages previously inflicted). Time will likely also permit her to perform a psychic diagnosis on one of them to see what else might be done that would be less obvious to her eyes.
Gabriel remains mobile, but without any real knowledge of medial care, the best that he can do is try to just comfort women like he would any of the women in his life that he has loved. Which would be wife and children. But knowing what they've been through, he also knows that the last thing the probably want to see is a man. So primarily he just sits and looks out the back, making sure that no one follows. "Yes. I'd like to see Mr. Black before we move on," he suggests, not looking anywhere but out the back.
The trip back is uneventful as planned, Tirzah riding on her hovercycle and the others in the truck. She opens the comm to the truck for a change of plans. "Brian we're going to detour to the greenhouse at the landing strip before meeting with jermy to close the deal." She intructs plainly.
Daeni makes use of the transition time for rest, if not genuine sleep. What marks remained upon her from weapons fire knit and vanish as her body reallocates resources for recuperation. Her eyes are closed and her seated position relaxed in as much as she is able.
Gabriel remains mobile, but without any real knowledge of medial care, the best that he can do is try to just comfort women like he would any of the women in his life that he has loved. Which would be wife and children. But knowing what they've been through, he also knows that the last thing the probably want to see is a man. So primarily he just sits and looks out the back, making sure that no one follows. "Yes. I'd like to see Mr. Black before we move on," he suggests, not looking anywhere but out the back.
Once the trucks are loaded, Sage climb into the one with the women that seem to need the most assistance. Her goal being to check them over for the extend of their injuries (or damages previously inflicted). Time will likely also permit her to perform a psychic diagnosis on one of them to see what else might be done that would be less obvious to her eyes.
The women keep quiet but thank Sage as Sage looks over them. They keep away from Gabriel for the moment, being mistrustful of men at the moment. The children and women sleep while the few men amongst them look over them. conversation is kept to a minimum inside the large tracked truck. Brian calls out over the radio. "Well the medical treatment center that Mr. Black set up is before we reach the town. He wanted to fix people up as best he can before taking them in the town. In order to minimize questions. Then he has some homes set up after that I believe. If you want we can go to the greenhouse though. I mean you all are the bosses here."
Tirzah nods as her cycle flys along beside the truck. "Yep. We just have to verify Mr' balcs arrangments and their appropriateness for the freed prisoners. A meer formality." She relays lightly to the driver.
"Why red one Black do all this?" Daeni inquires for her own curiosity without opening her eyes. There are any number of possible explanations for the apparent philanthropic act, and generosity is generally the least likely motive in her opinion.
With a shrug, Gabriel answers Daeni's question with a rather bland, "That's what I want to know. Most women can't do much to protect themselves, and that's much of what I've devoted by life to doing - protecting those who can't help themselves." There's suspicious smirk. "We should all just be sure."
Sage gets a grim look from what she finds from the various observations and what she's been able to find with her sense of the single woman she explored with her psychic senses. "These women are in bad shape... I'd exhaust myself several times over if I tried to heal them all." She comments, unsure of how she could put this all to right when she's only one person. At least she has herbs to numb pain.
"Well I'll radio Mr. Black to meet us at this greenhouse, but we need to get these women help as soon as possible." Brian says over the radio. "As for why he is doing this? His wife and three daughters died in that camp. He is obsessed spending everything he has to try to stop it. I guess that kind of thing would happen to any man who lost what he lost." Brian cuts off the radio after that and continues to drive in silence.
The tracked truck pulls up to the greenhouse after traveling through the night. Waiting at the greenhouse is Mr. Black and a small group of nurses, doctors, healers, and paramedics. A look of relief and determination appears on Mr. Blacks face as the truck pulls up. He ceases his pacing and waits impatently to order the other team he has to take care of the former prisoners.
Tirzah lands her cycle and waits for Sage and the others to disembark before approaching Mr Black. "Jeremy, the prisoners freed as requested. Sorry about the detour but if everything is sincere it will be but a minute and you will understand the precaution." She explains before gesturing to the greenhouse. "If we may speak with you in private."
Still clad in armor up to the base of his neck, Gabriel is simple and blunt this time. With an easy gait, he takes up a position near the redhead, and says, "We just want to clarify some details before moving on.'
When Sage exits the truck, her attention will be drawn by the medical personnel standing by. "The women are a mess... I was only able to check most of them over a little bit, but... they're all exhausted with a combination of torn muscles, bruises, broken bones... and signs of rape." She informs them grimly, before looking to the others and begining to move towards her greenhouse.
Daeni dismounts the vehicle and stretches. "Soldiers much worse." Her recently acquired skin coloring yet remains, if much is now covered by her clothing. She approaches the horned devil to ask, with a wave of her hand towards the former prisoners,"What do with?"
Mr. Black looks towards the group he employed and nods his head before waving the medical personnel towards the large truck. As soon as he sees them heading towards the truck he walks into the greenhouse after Sage, Tirzah, and Gabriel. At Daeni's question he looks over at the elf and frowns slightly. "I will see to their needs as best I can and try to resettle them so that they can continue their lives. It will not be easy for them..." He shakes his head and lets out a slight sigh as he looks over Daeni before continuing on to the greenhouse.
Tirzah looks at Daeni momentarily from the boldness but says nothing. She follows Mr. Black into the greenhouse, holding the door for Sage and the others. "Brian told us what happened to your family in a coalition camp. If thats the case i'm sorry for your loss and am sure this will only take a second." She says before gesturing to Sage. "My partner Sage is psychic, she will look into your mind as we verify your intentions for the women. You will not resist." She instructs, being very plain.
Resetting his hands easily around his waist, his right is raised to mid-height, palm up. He looks to his companions before speaking, and clearly clearly changes his words from what he was going to say. "Mr. Black, I apologize for the apparent distrust. But I've dealt with this exact situation in the past, regarding a number of innocents who became very dear to me. I, and perhaps we all, are simply looking for everyone's best interest. I don't mean to take away from your loss - it's just that I don't always trust strangers implicitly and without question."
For her part, Sage knows that her main role is to focus on simply taking impressions from the other man once Tirzah introduces this concept. She will either pick up impressions or not. The man being of a different race than her might cause her to focus a little more to sort through the alien.
"Live not easy," Daeni rolls her shoulders. Without any psychic abilities, she must be content with appearances and instincts concerning Mr. Black. The suspicions and doubts have now been voiced by all, so she adds nothign further for the moment.
Mr. Black frowns slightly as he looks from Tirzah to Sage. "Very well if you wish to verify my words then be quick about it. There is much work to be done." He looks Sage in the eyes with his piercing blue eyes. "I wish only to help these women recover and to save as many as I can from that camp. Will that do?" He asks impatently as he looks out of the greenhouse and the bustling medical personal. After making sure that they are doing their job he turns back to the small group and a little bit of patience seems to take him now. "My apologies. I am sure that you mean well, but I have never resuced so many. I want to make sure these women are caared for."
There is no flinching from Sage as the man directs his gaze toward her. She isn't sure whether to be apologetic or not, but that seems to have already been covered. "If he has ulterior motives, I do not sense them." She comments simply before following his gaze. "If there are any cases requiring severe treatment, I can handle those myself." She offers as she glances towards Mr. Black.
"None of them will perish or suffer in the few minutes you are not watching over the professionals." Tirzah points out his impatience matched by her distaste for it. "You have no intnention to gain any sort of profit from these women at any point in time?" She asks, finding that a broad enough question to cover their bases. "And given that we did this with no lasting losses, no causaltires, and gained detailed intel on the base, can you consent to looking into hitting it next?"
Gabriel's shoulders shrug politely. "Mr. Black, I'm sure that you have their best interest in mind. Please be careful when you relocate them. I'd hate to find that they were being mistreated." It's not said in any threatening tone, just regular conversation on a weird topic. His only questions are, "Do you mind if I look in on them now again? Just to be sure in my own heart that they're being treated well? I'm sure you understand." Then, "By the way, I assume that if you feel so strongly about these women, you'll also be looking to stop this whole vile trade in its tracks? Certain generals that we know, camps that we're aware of?"
Mr. black shakes his head. "I have no desire to profit from them and I will not. I have already but everything I have into stopping these atrocities. They will be well taken care of, and I after all took great pains to help these women." He says to Gabriel. "I have a large amount of intel on the camp already far more then you likely gained from and infantrymen you captured. There are a large number of men and women in the Coalition who do not approve of what is happening in Operation Hardball. The camp and the others like it are defended well enough that it would take more then just a small band to free it. The best way right now is to make sure people don't make it to these camps by misdirecting, capturing groups in transport, and smuggling people out of the camps."
Tirzah says, "I'm not proposing a 'small band' take the camp. Know when it is eliminated it will be by an expert assault squad experienced in disrupting fortified Coalition positions. It will not be safe. It will not be easy. But it is well within the realm of possible given the right people and resources." Tirzah counters with a firm confident expression. "So then, if you have better intel please do forward it for the planning of that operation, if you want it to succeed.""
Sage takes a breath as she sifts through the impressions that she's getting from the man, before she glances towards Gabriel. "He's on the level. I would start thinking on things that could help on this check up visits or I think our dear Mr. Black may have good reason to be upset with you." She comments before looking over to Tirzah before looking to Mr. Black. "And, Tirzah has a way of accomplishing things... the two of you might be able to do more things that either one of you can do alone. Given the investment you've already made... which is heartily appreciated." She comments before she begins to wander closer to the exit. Her gaze shifting to the medical personnel. "Perhaps, we should shift our focus to the here and now... and see what plans lay in the future with time and cooperation... instead of suspicion and interrogation."
Gabriel shrugs once more, nodding to Sage, a woman of powers he is beginning to understand. Unfortunately, he then offers the nugget of wisdom: "In football, once they blow the whistle, you play until it's over. You don't quit and go home because their defense is bigger than your offensive line. You win the game with a reverse to the wide out and score before they realize that the ball's moved." If that actually has any military bearing on the subject whatsoever is left to anyone paying attention. "Under the right conditions, small bands of soldiers can hold up an entire army." He then sighs and looks over to Tirzah for a time, then simply states, "If attacking a camp would really be suicidal even for you and us, and more, there's always General Drogue himself. Cut out the heart and see what happens." As he falls silent, he raises his voice as a last, "My apologies, Mr. Black. Not to take away from your loss, but if you knew my past, I'm sure that you'd understand my wariness."
"If attack more Coalition," Daeni finally speaks again, "will go. Maybe more challenge when go again." It is not a surprising statement, either in content or simplicity. Her shoulders roll. "Kill leader, kill warriors. Kill all is only way end."
Mr. Black looks a little bit relieved as the interogation seems to stop. "The various camps are well secured. If they are to be assualted then a large band will have to be ready to take the camp and hold it against the counter assualt. Crow's Commandos might be able to do it. I am not saying it can't be done, but resources like power armor, robots, an air force and others would be required. I have been doing my best to get as many out for some time now. While it could be done it is not something that I wish to talk about right now. Also an assualt like that would alienate any allies I have in the Coalition and they would be much more reluctent to misdirect shipments of prisoners to me. You have verified my intentions. Setting up the long term care of these women is my chief concern right now. I would be happy to talk with you more, but this is not the time or the place to plan an assualt."
Tirzah nods with a warm smile to Sage, looking quite satisfied. "Just forward me the intel and that can be the end of your involvement if that is neater for you. You can claim deniability and keep your contacts. A win win situation." She suggest before turning to take her leave.
<< I am not sure that he will see it quite the way you do, my love. >> Sage silently comments to her partner rather than speak it out loud and bring irritation to both sides. She steps out of the greenhouse herself looking towards the medical staff, "Need any help?" She asks, "I might be able to help those with intense injuries recover a bit faster..." She offers.
Daeni also turns her attention from the closing discussion to elsewhere and begins to move off. The obvious suspicions appear satisfied and there is little for her to add. Most pressing for her now would likely be bathing. War is a messy affair, afterall.
Gabriel, too, turns to leave, glancing somewhat curiously at Tiamat. There are times when thorough planning is necessary, not jumping into action. He gives his now-trademark to-a-civilian salute: left hand, thumb and index finger looped, then snapping a little tap at his hairline. "Thank you, Mr. Black. Good to have worked with you, and I'd be glad to do so again. You know where to find me. I'm sure we'll meet again, even if it's in a somewhat distant future. I wish you luck." His black cargo bag is hefted up off of the ground, he spins gently and begins to walk away, already peeling off armor with his free hand. "Thanks for keeping me alive, ladies. Stay safe." To them he offers a genuine salute, then fades away.]
