2019-07-23: A Delicate Situation
- Log: A Delicate Situation
- Cast: Jacqueline Barber, Kaguya Alathfar
- Where: Mi'ihen Highroad
- Date: July 23, 2019
- Summary: Scouting out a safe route for moving the refugees under the Caravan Kinship's care, Jacqueline runs into Kaguya who's working on a project of her own. The two of them share a conversation, in which ideologies clash and some information is shared.
============================<* Mi'ihen Highroad *>============================ Many years ago, a man named Lord Mi'ihen, commander of a mercenary group known as the Crimson Blades, was summoned by the Grand Measter to Bevelle to answer the challenge that his group was a threat to Yevon. Though his followers suspected he would be executed and begged to follow, Mi'ihen ordered them to stay behind and walked along an old path to Bevelle, without stopping to rest. Moved by the display of piety, the Grand Maester formally adopted Mi'ihen and his soldiers into Yevon as a defensive force, known now as the Crusaders. In recognition of the momentous moment, the path Mi'ihen walked now bears his name. ...except not really, because the original one was wrecked by Sin a few hundred years ago. You can still see bits of it as you pass along the Highroad, on which the Djose Temple can also be found.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
The Mi'ihen Highroad was starting to become more dangerous of late. Jacqueline had already caught wind of skirmishes beginning to break out throughout it. None of them had reached hers or any of the other refugee camps yet, but it was only a matter of time.
It was probably was past time to move forward with the move to the Djose region. It had been Riesenlied's idea, and it was one Jacqueline agreed with. It would probably be the safest place for them to stay, at least for the time being.
But, there was the matter of getting everyone there safely. They couldn't just move a large group without any preparation - that would leave them at risk of attacks by Fiends. And so, Jacqueline's decided to do a little scouting ahead.
She rides up the Highroad astride her chocobo, making a mental map of the area and getting a good idea for what paths they should take. Getting a feel for the land would be crucial when it came time to move out.
She's equipped with her adventuring gear at the moment, just in case she needs to defend herself - from Fiends or anything else that might try to waylay her. If the battles weren't bad enough, there were those bandits to be concerned about, as well. She had to be careful.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
Fiends are bad enough; hostile soldiers and Fiends makes for an atmosphere of tension, worry... fear. Of course, this benefits a war footing, in its way, but that doesn't make it any better to live with.
The weather, however, shows little intention of cooperating at the moment. Warm and bright, the sun illuminates the Highroad nicely, and the biggest impediment to visibility is the hilly terrain and significant ruin coverage making up much of the territory. From a high vantagepoint chocobo-perched, though--it's a good day for this kind of scouting.
Also a good day for a lot of other things. Banditry... nice nature walks. Maybe a combination.
For example: Down the hill a ways, a green-grown thing that was once a wal obscuring view at first, is a small blonde figure, seated on a rock, a strange technological device in her hands; she appears to be waving it slowly from left to right, staring into a glass panel on the front, as--
A group of poorly-armored figures approaches from behind her. One woman, two men, each carries notched weaponry that appears Spiran in make, though some of their armor pieces came originally from Guard suits. "Hold it right there. We need your money, not your life--"
Without looking up, Kaguya Alathfar, Veruni and General, raises a hand and waves them vaguely off. "I don't have time for you guys. Go rob somebody else. You'll live longer."
This delivered, she frowns thoughtfully, "Picking up an increase in..."
She starts to turn, machine and all, to look in Jay's direction--though, it's up to whether Jay moves whether Kaguya sees her. Or the bandits do.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline pauses at the top of the hill, looking down...and spotting a familiar figure. Well, a figure that's familiar after she studies her a bit - it had been a while since the last time Jacqueline had seen Kaguya. And right now, she's being accosted by bandits.
...Well, they're trying to, anyway, but they've picked perhaps the worst possible person in the area to try that on. It would probably be best to intervene before they do something they'll regret.
She urges her chocobo down, moving to stand between the three of them and Kaguya.
"Please stand down, you three. This is a battle you cannot win - you will only get yourselves hurt." Jacqueline warns. "With everything that has happened of late...everyone should be working together, not trying to use each other for personal gain. If you require funds, I am certain there are people looking for strong men and women to help them rebuild. You don't need to do this."
Whether or not this would actually work was another matter entirely, but it was worth a shot.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
Kaguya is not in full finery at the moment--she's in nondescript clothing more or less, a too-large collared shirt underneath a draping garment over her shoulders. Her weapons are at her belt, including her old familiar ARM. And--
The lead bandit is scowling by the time Jay shows, reaching for her weapon but pausing as Jay shows up. "What--"
"Hey," her companion says, "That's--the last batch of potions, she's the lady I bought them from. If she says it, maybe she's right."
The other guy is stoic, mostly waiting for the others to decide--as the woman takes her hand off her weapon. "Element of surprise is ruined, anyway. I'm not tangling with a potion seller, that's just biting the hand that feeds you. But watch yourself."
She starts to turn away, and looks over her shoulder at Jay. "Rebuilding sounds nice, but it sounds like a good way to be a target for those Guards too."
The three leave... as Kaguya finally looks up from her device, tapping in a few keys. "That explains it. Chocobo feather dust." She stands up, dusting herself off, and doesn't bother looking at the bandits, not even to make fun of them.
"Hey, Jay," Kaguya says. "Still looking out for strangers, I see. Glad you didn't get assassinated."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline doesn't say anything - instead, she waits and lets them come to a decision on her own. She makes a mental note of their faces, though.
"Maybe so. But life must move on, all the same." Jacqueline replies, as the leader shoots a comment back at her. And then they leave, leaving just herself and Kaguya. ...And her Chocobo, of course. She dismounts, taking a moment to give the bird a gentle pat at the base of the neck to calm her down a little. The tense atmosphere was making her a little antsy.
She turns toward Kaguya, then, offering her a nod of greeting.
"You knew about that? ...Well, thank you. I'm glad I didn't, either." Jacqueline replies. "You're looking well. I'm surprised to see you out here."
She sounds friendly and polite as usual for the most part...but, at the same time, it sounds a little strained. It's probably to be expected. Their last meeting wasn't on the friendliest of terms, and then there was the matter of Luca...
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
Life must move on. The bandits give Jay the last word there--but Kaguya watches Jay for a few extra moments after that statement in particular. Life must go on...
"I hear about a lot of things," Kaguya explains. "Kind of my business to. I especially keep an ear out for CaraKin business, since you guys went and pissed Mauri off. Not that I'll be able to stave off all trouble for you, obviously."
Kaguya leans back on a taller rock then, crossing her arms once she puts away her tablet. It's strained--but then, it's fair to be strained, too. "Am I?" she asks. "That's probably the whole wealth thing. When you're important they prioritize getting you stuff over the grunts. Not that I eat that much anyway."
"I'm out here working on finding a means I can use to track Fiend activity better than just 'waiting until we find bodies.' The assault forces really don't need me out there right now."
"How about you? I don't have to tell you it's dangerous out here. We don't have anybody heading here right now, but some of the patrols are a little trigger-happy." Pause. "Not literally. Mine have guns, but they're also more disciplined."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"...That was...unavoidable, unfortunately." Jacqueline replies, on the subject of Mauri. "...But, thank you. I appreciate that."
She was keeping an ear out, huh...? She considers bringing up the time she stabbed Catenna, but decides it's probably for the best not to bring up that old wound.
"...That sounds about right..." She agrees. That was just the way it was - not that she agreed with it, but there was no fighting against it.
"Fiend activity, hm...? That would be pretty useful. I'm assuming it has something to do with that device you were using?" She asks. She seems to recall Shalune using something similar at one point, but that was reclaimed Hyadean technology. "I can't really help you there, unfortunately..."
She could use technology, but developing it was way out of her league. Kaguya asks why she's here, and Jacqueline nods.
"That's why I'm here, yes. If you've been following CaraKin news, then you probably know we've been helping out refugees from Luca." Jacqueline replies. "So...with all the skirmishes breaking out, Riesenlied and I decided it's about time we move everyone somewhere safer. I've been mapping out a route that should take us around the expected combat lines."
She folds her arms in front of her as Kaguya mentions that her people are more disciplined than the rest.
"...Well, I'm glad to hear that, at least." She comments.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
"It happens. You can't make everybody happy. Not even with good curry." Kaguya hasn't forgotten that particular incident either, apparently. It's familiar, though--the way that talking about a project of hers gets a particular kind of look out of Kaguya, like when she used to talk about particular strains of flowers she was working on.
"That's right. There's a lot of things I can measure, but I need to find some byproduct, some evidence of high pyrefly concentration I think. It's kinda like how you can tell when an area's fucked up, but that doesn't mean you know how to make a machine understand it?"
She shakes her head. "It's fine. But since we decided to tell the Summoners to pound sand, an early detection system for Fiend eruptions would be pretty helpful."
She considers, though. "Yeah. That's cool, makes sense. I'm almost surprised Riesenlied hasn't managed a move sooner... but, in the nick of time is just the Wayside way, I guess."
"Heh. Skeptical, huh? But, it's true. You know how zealots are. We see them all over--the Guard... Yevonites. Guardianists. They stop thinking about things in rational terms and start making it personal. I can get making it personal, but still. A lot of my soldiers are originally Filgaians, though. At least, my personal command."
"Anyway I'm not gonna ask your route. Try to talk any Drifters out of getting smart ideas about launching attacks under refugee banners, though. I'd rather not have to mix military and civilian targets."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline frowns a little at that remark, but doesn't press it - it wouldn't do either of them any good. Instead, she considers Kaguya's talk of her machine. Jacqueline nods.
"...Right, I think I get what you mean. You need concrete data - something it can actually do, well, something, with." She replies. "A machine isn't going to know what a 'pyrefly' is unless you can find a way to quantify it. Does that about sum up the problem?"
She pauses, as Kaguya comments on Fiend eruptions.
"...That's going to keep happening, if you prevent people from performing the Sending." She comments. She probably doesn't need to tell Kaguya that, though.
And then there's Riesenlied. Jacqueline frowns a little.
"...She was...injured, in their escape from Luca. One of the Guard shot an arrow through her arm. I removed it for her, but it was pretty bad. That hasn't really helped matters." She replies.
Skeptical...
"...Just a little. I saw your handiwork in Luca - and I'm not talking about the Golems." Jacqueline replies. Not that she was too thrilled about those, either. "Explosives don't really scream 'disciplined' to me."
Kaguya talks about zealots and Jacqueline frowns a little...but at the same time, it's not like she can really refute what she's saying. She saw how heated things got after Operation Mi'ihen - and what came of it.
"...Don't worry. Most of my bunch aren't too thrilled about getting caught up in the conflict." Jacqueline replies, then pauses. "...Though, that doesn't mean we approve of it, either."
"If anyone tries, they'll have me to answer to. I have enough to worry about in regards to the Guard without having to worry about them coming after us directly." She comments. She sounds serious.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
"Exactly! You got it in one. I might not have time to figure it out, though. It's sort of a side-project." Her answer to the matter of the Sending is, indeed, a little shrug.. "Yeah. But when you get peoples' religion involved--they say the Summoners draw on 'souls trapped in statues', and they clearly have something to do with dead people. To an outside perspective, Fiends and the Sending are unnatural to begin with, and... Althena can put a stop to it when She gets to it, or something."
"I dunno, don't quote me on it. But if we were thinking sheer practicality, I'd be sitting with a Maester talking strategy with our next assault on Sin, not helping supply a war. Unless they vote me President of Lunar, it's the humans' call, not mine."
Kaguya frowns, at the matter of Riesenlied, to match. "Yeah, that wouldn't. The Guard, to my knowledge, still thinks of her as the 'Deceiver'--still holds her past against her. Maybe I should try to take a more active hand."
Hmm. Maybe.
But, her skepticism gets a dry grin back. It's not really humor. "Heh. That's my machines, not my soldiers. You saw some of those, huh? Not bad work, if I can say so myself. Enough booms to take out soldiers and intimidate, but not to irreparably destroy the city. See, I knew people wouldn't be able to resist messing with them, so I set the trigger to apply only after it was opened.
"But war's a nasty business; every one of those soldiers out there is important to somebody. Doesn't stop people fighting."
Kaguya studies Jacqueline's frown though--but since she doesn't argue about zealots, kaguya lets it go, too, glancing past her shoulder at the nothign in particular out there before she returns her pale eyes to the sorceress.
"Oh, yeah. It's ugly all around. I'd be surprised if any of you were happy about it. But you can't accomplish anything big without being willing to get your hands dirty. It's just how the world works--the people willing to exercise their power are going to win out over those who hold back, every time. It's how you guys beat Mother, right?"
"...Still," Kaguya says, "Good. I can't make promises, but let's just say I'd rather they focus on Yevon than on you guys and a bunch of randos just trying not to die. The best I can do for you right now is radio back and tell the forces in my command to avoid this particular section of the Highroad for a bit. I can say I'm doing sensitive work or whatever."
She pauses, and gives Jay a look that seems to be bereft of... much of anything, really. She looks older, in that moment.
"I don't expect you to approve of what I'm doing, or to understand why I'm doing it. You, or any of them. But I have a plan, and if it goes off, it'll be good for your people and mine. So the more you all stay out of the way... the better."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"Well, if you can figure it out, I'm sure a lot of people would benefit from that." Jacqueline replies. Then frowns a little - but from the way she looks past her, this one at least isn't directed at Kaguya herself. "Yes, I had a feeling that's how they'd look at it."
She sighs a little and shakes her head, listening as Kaguya explains how the war wasn't what she wanted, either.
"...I'm afraid one of these days Sin will creep up on them while they're fighting amongst each other, and...well, that'll be it for both of them. According to Spiran lore, it seems to be drawn to conflict..." Jacqueline comments. It might put an end to the fighting, but that wasn't the kind of end she wanted.
"...I'm sure she would appreciate the gesture." Jacqueline agrees with a nod, on the subject of Riesenlied.
But as for the bombs...Jacqueline frowns a little as Kaguya mentions how effective with it.
"...Shalune was with me, so we were able to stop it, thankfully." She replies. ...She decides it's probably more polite to leave out the fact that they had to freeze it in a block of soup.
"...No. Mother wasn't holding back. If anything had gone just a bit differently - if just one person was missing, or we had lost even one more of the Statues, there's a very good chance she would have killed all of us. In your analogy, she's the one who was 'willing to get her hands dirty'." Jacqueline replies. "That sort of thinking is dangerous. I don't think that should be the case - you shouldn't have to hurt people to accomplish anything big. The world doesn't have to work that way - it's all too easy to convince yourself that it's 'necessary' to hurt people to succeed."
She...feels pretty strongly about that, apparently.
She pauses, though, as Kaguya explains that she'd rather the Guard focus on Yevon, and agrees to tell her forces to avoid the Highroad. ...And then, looks a bit older.
Jacqueline goes quiet for a moment, at that. The effect wasn't lost on her. She hesitates for a moment...and then nods.
"...Thank you, Kaguya. I'd appreciate that." She says...then hesitates a little longer. "...I want to trust you, Kaguya."
It wasn't easy, with the way their ideologies clashed. They both had different ways of going about things.
"This plan of yours - I imagine you can't tell me what it is?" She asks.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
"Yeah, hopefully." But... Kaguya doesn't sound entirely confident in that particular machine. Not in the time she has. She notices, though, the look Jay has--"Mm-hm." It is how it is, when it comes to faith. But on Sin...
"Yeah, that's the risk," Kaguya agrees. "The longer the war goes on, the more certain that a battle is going to be interrupted by Sin--and if we couldn't take it out in open battle working together, well..." Kaguya shakes her head.
"Believe it or not," the small Veruni says, "I'm actually not out to conquer Lunar. But that means I'm not calling all the shots, either."
"...Heh. Shalune would definitely look at it, and would definitely be the one I'd bet on figuring it out. Good." Kaguya goes on blissfully unaware of soup, for now. Instead...
"Hmm," Kaguya answers Jay, at least making a show of considering her words about Mother--and smiles back briefly, distant. "Yeah. It is dangerous. But it's how all the power players are thinking--so I can't afford to do anything less. Power doesn't care about right or wrong, good or bad. Maybe by the time I'm done, people won't have to as much. But you took losses fighting Mother, too, I'm sure--did things you wish you hadn't had to, to stop her."
She pauses. "...But I admit. Thinking my people could just handle her worst-case... It was a mistake. I didn't consider that they wouldn't bother in time to save humans. Don't go expecting me to apologize to any Guardians or anything, but I'm glad you offed her."
She can tell Jay feels strongly about it--and the botanist, this time, isn't going to press it too hard. Harder than she has, anyway.
"It's fine," Kaguya answers about her plan. "Just be careful."
She wants to trust her, does she? Kaguya is thoughtful, about that--the once-member of the CaraKin finds herself watching Jay for a few more moments, at that.
"...It's safer," she replies softly, "If you don't. I don't want you assuming I'll do the right thing... and getting hurt because of it."
Rolling her shoulders, Kaguya shifts her stance a little, as if limbering up after sitting down for a while.
"...You know," she says. "There's factions, among the Veruni. My people aren't a monolith. Not all of us think humans are an obstacle that needs to be removed. But a lot of us do. The way the Guardians have put things... it's their 'chosen people' or us. But maybe, if I can pull off even half of what I'm doing, I can provide an alternative. Maybe I can change things."
"...It's why I'm not taking over outright; I'm just... giving these humans and beastmen and everything some help. Handing them the tools."
"I can't tell you everything. I need to get more in order, get more results, before I can go back and show them to my people."
"...Maybe I can make even the Guardians see. But I can't do that if Sin leaves Spira and starts wrecking everything else, too. Nothing else matters if we can't avoid that. So, I'm backing the side that I think can do it. And when I perfect my weapons, we will."
"...I can't really tell you the details. Even this much is risky--I don't need the higher-ups thinking I've jumped ship, joined the Moderates or something. But everything I'm doing, I'm doing for a better world later. As long as I can believe that it's possible--that that horizon can be ours..."
Kaguya looks off to the Blue Star. "Then I can do anything. ...Even if..." She bites her lip, shakes her head. "No. Just--hey. I'm helping you out, right? Keeping the Guard off you long enough to get your scouting done."
"So if you find anything about the history of the world, back when my people left--send me a message, all right? There's... a couple variables, that are still in play. Big ones."
"I dunno if all that'll satisfying your curiousity. But I've got reasons, you know?"
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Kaguya doesn't need to finish the sentence. Jacqueline might not have been there at Operation Mi'ihen, but she saw the aftermath. Two warring sides would be nothing before that level of power.
Kaguya's not out to conquer Lunar...but that means she's not calling all the shots - Jacqueline thinks about that for a moment. In some ways that was reassuring, but in others...it was less so. She didn't exactly agree with the way the Guard handled things.
Kaguya explains her own reasoning - that she can't hesitate to do anything less than what the others are. Jacqueline hesitates a bit, but she nods in acknowledgment. As for Mother, though...
"...I went into it hoping we could talk some sense into her - that she could see reason. ...But I didn't realize just how...how awful she was. ...I got angry. I wonder if things could have been different. ...I don't think so, but..." Jacqueline shakes her head. She still thought about it sometimes. She supposes it's only natural.
"...I wouldn't expect you to - you've got your grievances, and I can't blame you for that." Jacqueline replies. That was a light way of putting it. ...And in a way, Jacqueline had some grievances of her own with them - or at least Ge Ramtos in particular. But she doesn't get into that now.
"I will be. Thank you." She says...but hesitates when Kaguya says she shouldn't trust her. ...It's a little sad. It doesn't seem Kaguya's all that happy about it, either. Jacqueline nods quietly. She supposes it's only natural they'd come into conflict sooner or later. One of these days...it'll probably be unavoidable.
She pauses, though, as Kaguya starts to explain some things. Jacqueline doesn't interrupt her - she lets her say her piece, all the way through. Taking everything in.
Everything she's doing, she's doing for a better world later, huh...? As long as she can believe it's possible... Jacqueline goes quiet for a moment, thinking on those words. But eventually...
"...I understand. It's delicate, right?" Jacqueline replies. It sounds like she was in a difficult position. "But...thank you for telling me as much as you have. It means a lot to me."
As for information about the history of the world regarding the Veruni...Jacqueline has to think on that for a bit.
"Just as long as you let me know what you're using it for, eventually, if I ever do find anything to send your way. Is that acceptable?" Jacqueline decides. She had to be a little pragmatic here - but at the same time, she could appreciate that Kaguya was trying. That was important.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.
Kaguya, arrogant and flippant as she's been shown to be, at least demonstrates seriousness when it comes to Sin. In a way, anyway. It's hard to say what the results will be, but...
"Yeah," Kaguya answers, "That's like you. I kinda figured you would try. I didn't... I still don't know all the details, honestly, of what she was up to. But I can't exactly blame you for losing your temper, either. It's not like I never have."
Kaguya listens to a pretty even-handed reply, and it shows that she was at least prepared for a little harsher of one. "Heh. Very diplomatic. I appreciate you saying so."
Kaguya still looks a bit unhappy about it, really--but then, how many people does she know, who can be so trusting? Who can put trust in places it's not safe?
Kaguya just sort of waits around, during that space before 'eventually' is up, brooding or listening or waiting or... some combination of the above. "Yeah. It's delicate. There's a lot I have to keep track of. And I'm pretty smart, but I'm... You know, I'm a scientist. I didn't exactly plan on becoming a general when I was growing up."
Jay gets a faint smile for a moment. "It might be a mistake," she admits. "But it's nice to explain a little, anyway. Just be judicious about how it spreads. I won't hesitate if I have to do something ugly... But I'd rather avoid it if I can."
Weighing Jay's condition, Kaguya if anything looks troubled by it. She sets her jaw, and then... nods. "Yeah. That's fine. Basically... There's some conflicting reports, about what happened, when my people left, and why. Something about a demon, and something awful happening... and the reasons Filgaia is dying."
"I don't actually know what I'll do with the information. It depends on what the truth is. There's someone that..."
"There's someone that I need to know if I can forgive. That's what it comes down to."
It hangs on the air before Kaguya brushes the dust off her pants and moves away from the rocks. "...Bird's cute, by the way. Tell Riese to stop trying to take everybody's problems on her own shoulders, all right?"
"...And you should think about that, yourself. It was nice to see you."
And Kaguya with that, unless Jay stops her, will start walking off, pulling what's probably a radio as she does.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"It's a long story. Probably too long for me to tell, but...your Sentinel, Elvis, was there when we fought her - you should ask him to fill you in on that sometime, if you can." Jacqueline replies. She doesn't really know what sort of relationship the two of them have, but he seems to be generally alright - she can't imagine he'd turn her down.
Kaguya comments on her diplomatic response and Jacqueline smiles a little, but she doesn't say much else until Kaguya comments on becoming a general.
"...I never really planned on finding myself in a leadership role either, but...here we both are." Jacqueline replies. Life was funny, that way. But they both had to make the most of it.
"Don't worry - I know it'd probably be bad if some of this got out before you were ready for it." Jacqueline confirms with a nod. She notes that Kaguya doesn't tell her not to tell anyone - just to be careful how it spread. She didn't want to betray that.
"...I see..." Jacqueline murmurs, nodding in understanding. It was a confusing story...but then, if there was information missing, it would be. "I can't promise I'll find anything...but if I do, I'll let you know."
She smiles a little as Kaguya compliments the chocobo, who has been very quiet and patient throughout all of this - it's a testament to how well she's been trained. The chocobo does let out a pleased 'kweh' at the compliment, though.
"I'll try, but I don't think it'll help. You know how she is." Jacqueline replies with a slight chuckle - but it's one of fondness. She wouldn't be Riesenlied if she didn't try to do so.
But then, Kaguya suggests the same thing to her, and Jacqueline just smiles before climbing up onto her chocobo once more.
"It was nice seeing you too Kaguya - really." Jacqueline replies. She starts to turn...but pauses, before looking back. "...Take care, okay?"
And, after just a moment of hesitation, she starts continuing forward once more.