Waldin remains bound to the chair beside his neglected terminal. Rodney sorts the copied ledger records while Maya and Caelen examine old Helix correspondence, and Daven watches the sealed corridor.
Rodney
Sorn Vey used Waldin’s credentials as legal cover, but the payment trail shows he bought access to Jostan’s identity profile. That is the part we cannot ignore.
Maya lays several brittle notices beside the terminal. Their dates overlap the altered transfers, and each bears a different debt collector’s seal, as though Sorn kept changing the account’s ownership.
Caelen
The relay should be approached as a controlled contact. No forced entry, no open weapons, and no assumption that the kiosk is the broker’s only security layer.
Daven
I can take the corridor and watch our retreat. If the relay flags a threat, I will get everyone clear before the system locks the sector.
Waldin
Sorn will expect someone desperate and alone. He uses the kiosk’s maintenance channel to screen clients before showing his face. If you look like a team, he may run.
Rodney finishes grouping the records by credential, payment, and relay address. The apartment settles into tense preparation, leaving the approach to Habitation Sector Seven ready for Jostan’s direction.
“hmm i say outloud, who looks the most sad and most pathethic out of all of us, I look at waldin, its time to put our cards on the table, daven hows your ki-nen control? caelen idenitfy the command relay, I call rodney to the side and get vunurable for a second, its weird rodney, its like I theres more then this ring around the rosie bullshit, I gotta bad feeling, mt ribs are healed and I need to my shit straight, you wanna spar? and you know we can use waldins maintenace habits to BAIT sorn, using the mind chip I ask orin how the gun is coming”
FAILURE (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
Jostan Ordomo
Who looks the saddest and most pathetic out of all of us? Waldin, it is time to put our cards on the table. Daven, how is your Ki-Nen control? Caelen, identify the command relay.
Waldin lowers his eyes, while Daven checks the pilot-cell readout and Caelen turns toward the terminal. Rodney follows Jostan aside, leaving the others to begin their assigned work.
Jostan Ordomo
Rodney, it is weird. There is more than this ring-around-the-rosie bullshit. I have a bad feeling, my ribs are healed, and I need to get my shit straight. You want to spar? We can use Waldin’s maintenance habits to bait Sorn.
Rodney
I will spar, but not to help you outrun the feeling. Waldin’s habits can make the bait credible, and the kiosk gives us a controlled place to see whether Sorn takes it.
Daven
My control is steady enough for a short engagement. I can keep the Ki-Nen flow contained while watching the retreat, but I need clear signals from the team.
Caelen
The command relay is not in the apartment. The copied records point to the municipal relay beneath Habitation Sector Seven, with the service kiosk acting as its public interface.
Jostan Ordomo
Orin, how is the gun coming? I was going to use the mind chip to ask, but it is not here. I need the actual status before we move.
✓ Quest Accepted
Make the Ki-Nen gun usable
“Orin finish the Ki-nen gun before we leave, daven I want you to sit down criss cross apple sauce, its night right now but that doesnt mean ki is not around nen is just more potent at this current time, its hard to harness this energy and even harder to use it to enhance but its possible and your energy readings are already naturally strong, I spar with rodney with no weapons she starts the attack with a left hook I block and flip her over my shoulder she catches her self and fronts kicks my chest we contiue to spar and rehearse the bait using waldins habits, asking waldin if he thinks we should wait before any sudden move cause a escaltion we cant afford”
SUCCESS (Mediocre Melee Combat, rolled +1)
Jostan Ordomo
Orin, finish the Ki-Nen gun before we leave. Daven, sit down. Ki is still around at night, while Nen is more potent, but both are hard to harness.
Daven sits cross-legged beside the pilot-cell readings and steadies his breathing. Orin locks the bulky weapon into its cradle, fitting the Nen condenser around the surviving emulator and sealing eolite into the handle.
Daven
The readings are strong. I can feel the difference at night, but the flow still fights my control. I will keep it contained and follow your signals.
Rodney steps into the cleared space without a weapon. Her left hook starts the rehearsal; Jostan blocks, turns, and flips her over his shoulder. She catches herself, then drives a front kick into his chest.
The spar continues through measured slips, locks, and reversals. Jostan lands the bait sequence, but Rodney’s kick leaves a sharp bruise beneath his sternum and forces him back a step.
Orin
The gun is finished enough to carry. The condenser stabilizes the transfer, and the emulator now has a controlled path. Do not overload it on the first engagement.
Jostan Ordomo
Waldin, should we wait before any sudden move? We cannot afford an escalation. Rodney and I will rehearse your habits as the bait, then we leave together.
Waldin
Wait long enough for the corridor to settle, not long enough for Sorn to change the kiosk pattern. Use my maintenance channel, move like I would, and make the first contact look ordinary.
Quest Complete
Make the Ki-Nen gun usable