08-24-2020, 11:18 PM
Marcus kept his face smooth as his mind switched gears- all pleasure at Ryker's broken demeanor vanishing- and processed what he said. The man seemed delirious and out of it, but through the haze, the words provided the clues. As if of its own volition, a mentat projection began, a vortex drawing in every related piece of data: Ryker's service in the US, his capture in Ohio, the meltdown, the burns on his face; an apparent pardon that had to come from Ascendancy himself; his appearance at the the Ball; Oriena and her games; the Almaz and her keeping Giovanni in her thrall; the Grand Ball and her possession by the Ijiraq; the barbed words designed to whipsaw back and forth, yanking people this way and that, trying to get a rise; his first time touching the Force- a Jedi mind trick.
Multiple projections spun out.
Projection 1: Ryker had been pushed to attack Oriena by her use of the power.
Projection 2: Ryker had been in Ohio neat the time of the meltdown. The scars on his face were a result. The CCD and the Ascendancy had been behind the collapse.
Projection 3: Ryker knew where the "bodies lay" but was too valuable or dangerous to merely disappear.
Conjecture: Ryker had used the Force on Ascendancy and had been pardoned.
That last intrigued him. Ascendancy was a merely a man, for all his power. He could die, could be killed even. Marcus had watched him nearly die. It was too soon, yet, for that to happen. But...Ryker had an influence on him, at least of a sort. He could prove to be a useful tool. It would be a one off and thus all the more valuable. It had to count, if and when it came time to use him.
He stifled the exciting possibilities that began to pop up in his mind. Ryker was indeed far more important then he had realized. Which meant Marcus had to own him, body and soul.
Kindness and compassion appeared on Marcus' face and he leaned forward a fraction. A touch of warmth entered his voice. It had to be subtle. The man was open and weak. Too strong and it would set off suspicions. "I am sorry you are suffering Ryker. I cannot release you, not yet. But perhaps..." a hint of a smile, as if shared only briefly and only to him. He waved a guard over. "Please allow Mr. Petrovic to have a night of peace. And a meal." The guard nodded once and then left.
Marcus nodded in satisfaction before looking back at Ryker, observing carefully. Just like that. So simple. A small act of compliance and a big reward. Nevermind that Marcus was the reason for his suffering. No, what mattered was that Ryker saw that Marcus made the suffering go away.
After a moment, he frowned and looked thoughtful. "Tell me about Ms. Ruseyev. Why do you think she wanted you to attack her?" It was designed to distract him, of course. But she also intrigued him. He wasn't sure she was a tool or not. A good one, anyway, had to be predictable, and she seemed anything but.
Well, that wasn't true, actually. She was predictable in her unpredictability. Chaos. As such, she still could be useful. In any case, it was worth thinking about.
Multiple projections spun out.
Projection 1: Ryker had been pushed to attack Oriena by her use of the power.
Projection 2: Ryker had been in Ohio neat the time of the meltdown. The scars on his face were a result. The CCD and the Ascendancy had been behind the collapse.
Projection 3: Ryker knew where the "bodies lay" but was too valuable or dangerous to merely disappear.
Conjecture: Ryker had used the Force on Ascendancy and had been pardoned.
That last intrigued him. Ascendancy was a merely a man, for all his power. He could die, could be killed even. Marcus had watched him nearly die. It was too soon, yet, for that to happen. But...Ryker had an influence on him, at least of a sort. He could prove to be a useful tool. It would be a one off and thus all the more valuable. It had to count, if and when it came time to use him.
He stifled the exciting possibilities that began to pop up in his mind. Ryker was indeed far more important then he had realized. Which meant Marcus had to own him, body and soul.
Kindness and compassion appeared on Marcus' face and he leaned forward a fraction. A touch of warmth entered his voice. It had to be subtle. The man was open and weak. Too strong and it would set off suspicions. "I am sorry you are suffering Ryker. I cannot release you, not yet. But perhaps..." a hint of a smile, as if shared only briefly and only to him. He waved a guard over. "Please allow Mr. Petrovic to have a night of peace. And a meal." The guard nodded once and then left.
Marcus nodded in satisfaction before looking back at Ryker, observing carefully. Just like that. So simple. A small act of compliance and a big reward. Nevermind that Marcus was the reason for his suffering. No, what mattered was that Ryker saw that Marcus made the suffering go away.
After a moment, he frowned and looked thoughtful. "Tell me about Ms. Ruseyev. Why do you think she wanted you to attack her?" It was designed to distract him, of course. But she also intrigued him. He wasn't sure she was a tool or not. A good one, anyway, had to be predictable, and she seemed anything but.
Well, that wasn't true, actually. She was predictable in her unpredictability. Chaos. As such, she still could be useful. In any case, it was worth thinking about.