Mutants & Masterminds: StarGate Freedom - Prologue: Jono and Kor

[z-Servant of Ra]

Charlie sat quietly, occasionally meeting Kor's eyes. "So what's your story, big guy?" he finally asked, his gaze questioning. There was no challenge or insult in the question, just curiosity. There was some wariness - but even Kor knew that was a reasonable reaction for a human slave to have to an Unas.

Jono continued his scanning, but found himself listening to Kor's reply.

[Caesar]

"Sto ree? Kor slave. Kor fight, kill Jaffa," Kor smiled at that, though to the human it didn't look friendly at all. "Kor protect friend," he gestured at Jono, "Kro-nus give Kor to Hef-a-stuffs 'cuz Kor strong, lif' big rocks." Kor leaned over until his face was inches from Charlie's, "How strong Char-lee?"

[z-Servant of Ra]

"Charlie is strong," Charlie said carefully, "but I've seen smaller guys than you who could lift a cow, so I'm thinking that you're stronger."

He frowned and asked, "What are you? I mean, you're not human, like Heff- Lord Hephaestus was." He didn't seem to realize the insult he'd just given to a goa'uld, and Jono guessed he wouldn't have even thought it an insult.

[Jono]

"Charlie, note of caution, a Goa'uld wouldn't want to be called a human, if you are talking to anyone else you might want to call them 'gods'." Jono hadn't even looked up from his work.

"Also, Kor is an Unas. They were the first slaves of the Goa'uld before they discovered Earth over ten thousand years ago."

[Caesar]

Kor looked Charlie up and down, still standing mere inches from him, as Jono explained. "Char-lee not strong," he stated finally and turned away, "Jaffa not strong. Unas strong. Kor strong!"

[z-Servant of Ra]

"Yeah... Kor strong," Charlie said easily, though his body was tense. He looked at Jono to see if the other man would give him a sign about how to deal with the strutting Unas.

[Jono]

Without looking up from his research Jono said, "Don't worry Charlie, you won't find a being more serious about his freedom than Kor, but he's not lying. An Unas can take several staff weapon blasts before dying, where you or I would be dead with a single shot. He could also probably rip your arms out of their sockets, he's that strong, but if you don't betray us you have nothing to worry about, he's like a big kitten really. Well, a fully grown tiger is more accurate, but you get the idea."

[Caesar]

"What tig-ger?" Kor turned to Jono, his eyes narrowed, "What kite-tan? Kor strong." He looked between Charlie and Jono, then focused on Charlie, still waiting for a reply from Jono, "Tell what tig-ger is, what kite-tan is!" His tone brooked no dispute.

[z-Servant of Ra]

"A tiger is a big fearsome animal," Charlie said, "big teeth and claws." He glanced at Jono and then shrugged, adding, "A kitten is a smaller cat, but still with wicked claws. I'm a dog-person myself." He frowned. "I hope Becky's still feeding Rambler."

[Caesar]

Kor smiled, a sight that would make an average man blanch. "Kor strong! Kor tig-ger!" He seemed quite proud of himself as he lumbered over to the view screen as though he had just noticed it. He grew quiet as he stared at the pictures and then turned to Jono, "We go to you home now?"

[Jono]

"No, I'm afraid not. I need to find some things first. I am searching from here." He pointed to the images on the screen. "Also, as much as I would like to visit my home, it is better if I stay here, I can do more to help my people by remaining with the Goa'uld. Once I find what I'm looking for, I'll go out of the ship and get it."

[z-Servant of Ra]

The men were silent for a time as Jono worked. He was starting to narrow down on a signal in Seattle, which was much larger than Jono remembered from before. As he was shaking his head at how much things had changed, a Jaffa walked into the room.

"Lady Persephone wants her slave back," the symbiote-carrier declared, not even looking at the slave he was summoning. "She needs him to help her with questioning other prisoners."

Charlie glanced at Jono, but was already rising to his feet.

[Caesar]

As the jaffa entered there was a subtle noise that started and began to grow. It blossomed outward from Kor, a deep rumble starting within his chest and he stared malevolent poison at the jaffa. His eyes darted about seeking something to improvise into a weapon, or a clear route to his enemy should the situation warrant it, but for all that he stood his ground, teeth bared, chest thrumming, eyes staring blind aggression and hate. Everyone in the room knew that the jaffa was a dead man if the Unas decided that he was.

Click to reveal..

(20:53:21) (Kor): Intimidate (+9)

(20:53:25) ChatBot: (Kor) rolls 1d20 and gets 16.

Result = 25

[z-Servant of Ra]

The Jaffa was afraid of him, but like so many of the golden-armored warriors, he didn't back down. But he was afraid of the Unas that was used on them like a pit bull.

"The slave," he grunted, his frightened eyes locking onto Kor's.

Click to reveal..

Jaffa Will check vs. 25 - FAILURE

(01:26:12) ChatBot: (Servant_of_Ra) rolls 1d20 and gets 17.

[Caesar]

Kor moved forward slowly, his feet thudding on the floor. He stood close to the Jaffa, the low growl still rumbling from his chest, as he appraised the warrior. After a moment he snarled, his teeth bared in an expression of disgust, "Not worth time." He turned his back on the warrior, a gesture that was the ultimate in disrespect for it implied that the Jaffa was no threat at all.

[Jono]

Looking up from his console jono spoke with the deep double reverberation of the Goa'uld, "Take him then, but see that he is returned to me when Persephone is done with him."

Jono quickly punched in symbols in the keyboard. He wanted to keep tabs on Charlie and make sure he wasnt being betrayed. If he was he'd need to make a quick getaway. Time to tap into the surveillance. Hephaestus had done it many times after all.

Click to reveal..

(19:44:09) ChatBot: (Jono) rolls 1d20 and gets 14.

+14 skill (knowledge Goa'uld technology)

28 total.

[z-Servant of Ra]

The Jaffa was given a reprieve to ignore Kor - a god had given him a command. Later, he'd boast that if it hadn't been for Hephaestus giving him that order, he totally would have made that Unas lick his boot. No one would have believed him, but Jaffa are half-bravado anyway. The Jaffa bowed and took Charlie's arm. The man pulled away, but then went quietly after the Jaffa.

Jono kept the surveillance up, following Charlie through the ship to Persephone's suite. Once inside and the door closed, Persephone asked in her double-voice, "Well?"

"He is," Charlie said, "or so he claims."

"Proof?"

"Only his word," Charlie answered, shrugging. "Is it enough?"

"It's enough for now," Persephone replied. A console beeped, and she went to it, sighing. "They have prisoners, from the military. Hades is in charge of questioning them." She looked up at Charlie. "Will you help me?"

"Of course I will," the human slave told her. "What do you need?"

"I need to you convince them to answer my questions freely," Persephone said.

"You got it," Charlie replied, smiling.

[Jono]

That snippet of conversation worried Jono, but it could be just as easily in response to 'is he loyal' as anything else. He would have to be very careful and keep watching, and also be ready to escape. For the moment he couldn't be at all sure whose side Charlie was on and he'd taken a major risk in revealing what he had.

"Kor, be wary of Charlie. I do not know yet if we can trust him. He might be working with the Goa'uld against us."

In the mean time he would do his best to locate Goa'uld tech, prepare for his own escape if necessary and watch Charlie and Persephone, all while trying to find way's to help Earth.

[Caesar]

"Char-lee not good?" This puzzled Kor, Jono and Charlie had spoken in private and now Jono was telling him that Charlie might not be trustworthy. "Char-lee is Onac?" it was less a question and more Kor trying to work things out for himself, "Char-lee jaffa? Slave? Kor not understand."

[Jono]

Jono frowned, "Charlie is human, but he might be loyal to Persephone and tell her our secrets. I just don't know yet if he can be trusted. I hope he can."

[Caesar]

Jono might as well have been trying to explain how Go'uld technology worked to Kor for the reaction he got. The big Unas was confused by the very idea that Charlie could be both human and against them, "Kor not un-der-stan'. Why Char-lee help Onac if Char-lee not Onac?" He looked to Jono for an answer, for some explanation of why a man would turn traitor on his own kind.

[Jono]

Jono thought for a moment then said, "Well, have you ever seen an animal that was beaten so often or so bad that it would do anything to avoid another beating?" Jono looked to Kor to see if he understood, "Charlie may be like that."

[Caesar]

Kor scratched his head with one of the dull, clipped claws that tipped his fingers. "Like bubalis that have crazy fever?" Jono of course had no idea what a bubalis was or what crazy fever was; had he known of the large cow like mammals native to Kor's homeworld or the rabies like disease that drove the placid herbivores into a murderous rampage he would have agreed readily. "Me think un-der-stan. Char-lee not ok here," he said pointing to his head.

[Jono]

"That's right Kor. Charlie was hurt badly by Persephone, maybe enough to make him not right in the head." He pointed to his own head to emphasize. "I will watch him for now until I am sure it is ok to trust him."

[Caesar]

"Ok, I not hurt Char-lee 'less you say to," Kor wandered over to one of the magic panels and watched the blinking lights that Jono was studying. He seemed content to wait for something to happen but within he was eager to be rid of this place, to be able to make the Onac pay for all their numerous crimes.

[z-Servant of Ra]

Jono worked on. There were so many types of power signatures to parse through. It was easy to tell what was Earthling and what was Goa'uld, but he was having trouble with the weaker signals. There were so many of them, all over the planet - it was a storm of energy. Jono was quietly amazed at the breadth of his world's expansion into electronics. In a way, he reflected grimly, the current invasion was inevitable. The Earthlings had progressed to the point where they'd be catching the eye of the Goa'uld anyway.

Jono shook off those thoughts and turned his focus back to his work. Hours passed as he went through filter after filter. The issue was the age and strength of the power signature he sought. It was going to be an antiquated one, and it had to be isolated or insignificant to avoid human notice.

Or course, maybe it had been found. Jono considered that tack, but changed his mind as a better idea came to him. It might be shielded, and that was completely different. Much harder to track, as well. But it might not be shielded by equipment; it might be shielded by natural cover.

Jono began to look into what materials would interfere. Before he could get far, he was interrupted by Hermes. The Goa'uld walked in, staring at Kor for a moment. Shaking his head, Hermes turned to Jono. "Hephaestus, Cronus has called us all to attend to Ra on his flagship. Ra has some gifts for those who aided in the invasion. I doubt you did anything of note, but your presence is still required."

[Jono]

Jono considered throwing an insult back at Hermes, but there was point in making the Goa'uld an active enemy. He did allow his features to cloud in obvious anger at the insult but let the moment pass. "Very well lead the way." With a simply stroke he locked his console making it difficult for anyone who might try to spy on what he was doing, but it would still record the doings of Persephone and Charlie and continue querying Goa'uld power sources and sorting for shielded ones.

As he left the room he spoke to Kor, "I will return soon. Stay here."

He really wished he could take Kor with him in the event things did not go well, but with luck perhaps it would turn out ok. With a heavy heart, but outwardly confident, he went to hear what Lord Ra would say. Perhaps he would be able to request the use of an Al'kesh that would make his search much easier and contacting human resistance far more likely.

[Caesar]

Kor looked less than pleased, "Oh-kay," he said and moved to sit again, dejectedly waiting for Jono to return.