Skyjacks: Episode 39

## Blurb

With the weight of a dark day behind them, the Skyjacks rest, in hope of a brighter tomorrow. But a shadow of sinister influence and conspiracy looms over the city, threatening grave consequences, and the Broker takes action to bring it to light. With the Joust approaching and Tiberius Youngblood exposed… it may just be the chance to kill two stones with one bird.

### Content Warnings:

None listed. [Interrogation scene and arcane animal death after the midroll.]

## Transcript

[This is only a partial transcript, exclusively of The Broker's scene immediately following the midroll.]
 Spoilered Transcript

James: We open on the darkness.

Johnny: Ah-

James: A room that has no light in it whatsoever.

Liz: Yeah sounds dark to me

Group: \*laughter\*

James: The air is cool, but not damp. It's crisp and it smells... well, it smells like something you can't quite put your finger on. You open your eyes and you hear some glass break not too far from you and then the room suddenly lights up with a faint red glow. Two orbs are facing you.

The Broker: "Hello!"

Liquid Swords Monk: "\*sounds of groggy wakening\* He-Wus'- What's- what's goin' on 'n here?"

Broker: "I trust you're not too uncomfortable?"

Tyler: This person, uh, tries to get up; stand up

Broker: "Oh uh- uh b- don't-don't struggle too much. You- you've been bound. I-I wouldn't want you to, uh-"

Monk: "Where-where am I? Where am I?"

Broker: "You're someplace unsafe. B-b- Do you understand?"

Monk: "Oh I understand. I understand that you're making a big mistake buddy. Do you know who I am?"

Broker: "I assure you that I do. Yes. Uh- uh, you might not know me, though. Uhm you've mostly been dealing with the Keeper of the Trader's Skull. I... am something of a business person in this city and I'm here to just clear up something that \*tongue clicks\* I'm sure -- water under the bridge. This is going to determine if you go back to the monastery or we deal with you right here. Does that make sense?"

Monk: "I don't know what you're talking about. But I do know that the people of the monastery are-are looking for me, and they'll-they'll be- they'll be on your tail sooner than you think! They'll probably, ha ha, right b- right on the other side of the- wherever the-the closest wall might be!"

Broker: "Well, I-I- I absolutely know that uh the Liquid Swords are-are famous for protecting their own-"

Monk: "Oh you better believe it!"

Broker: "-and really standing up for *anyone* who hasn't disrespected the Wutang. But you **have**, haven't you?"

Monk: "I don't know what you're ta-"

Broker: "Your sacred oaths! You swore to uphold the honour of your monastery and comport yourself in the most professional fashion possible but, we're here because you haven't done that. And you're going to tell me the *extent* of what that is. Or... and I'll let you fill that in but I can assure you that I have a staff of people with imaginations far more vivid and horrible than **yours** could conjure."

Tyler: In that moment this guy starts like a guttural hum and then like starts to like do a little chant like \*demonstrative hum\* where he starts to try and conjure something \*further hum\*

Broker: "Oh, I- \*sucks teeth\* afraid you'l find that the room you're in is made of salt. There's no moisture in the air. Now, you *could* use the moisture in your blood or in the blood of my messenger but its not going to get you very far, and you're going to need that to live."

Monk: "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just- I'm just a- I'm just a servant of the Liquid Swords or have we-we- we-we-we- you-**you**, Burza Nyth has hired **us** to keep pure this water and if- yo- anything happens to *me* then the water system \*laughs\* is- it's- is gonna go to hell."

Broker: "I can assure you that Traveller Kwan is"

Monk [simult.]: "\*muttered\* Traveller Kwan..."

Broker: "performing to the best of their abilities to ensure that that water system stays safe. Right now, to be perfectly honest with you, uh we have you here and your partner elsewhere and *one of you* gets to be the lucky soul who tells us what we need to know and they'll be able to go back to the Liquid Swords' monastery-"

Monk; "We've been skimming money. We were skimming money."

Broker: "We were able to figure that out with accounting. The question that I had... is why? Why would money cause someone to disrespect the Wutang? Especially knowing how serious the consequences would be. It couldn't just have been for the skim: that's barely enough to live the high life style for a year. Who else have you been working with?"

Monk: "There are people in this city that have access to resources you-you-**you** \*chuckles\* Mr. Mystery Man... you have no idea, and you can't comprehend alright? And those people come knocking at the door, you better answer and you better be very nice and cordial and you better invite 'em in. Alright? So I'm just- I'm trying to get by."

Broker: "**Help** me comprehend. I need names. I need to know who you've been working with and... how much they've given you. When they first made contact, how long you've been working together. If you do that for *me*, I can make sure that you return to the Liquid Swords with documentation that shows that you were *overworked*. And you'll be dismissed and you'll be allowed to go about the rest of your days relatively happy. Or... \*clicks tongue\* **or**. You understand?"

Monk: "Youngblood."

Broker: "Youngblood..."

Monk: "Tiberius Youngblood. A lot of money, lot of gold."

Broker: "To do what? Gold to-to skim off the top?"

Monk: "He paid me... to not perform the purification ceremony."

Broker: "Did you follow his instructions?"

Monk: "Yeah. It has not been done. It has not been done, the water has not been purified."

Broker: "Do you understand the consequences for that type of action?"

Monk: "Do you know what it's like to tell a Youngblood no?"

Broker: "I have a feeling that I'm going to understand that very soon."

Monk: "Well when that happens, and if you're alive, come back and we'll have a chit-chat about it."

Broker: "I see. So, Youngblood approaches you with a large sum of money and tells you not to perform the purification ceremony and you think that you're just going to leave town before The Mariner shows up with his fleet?"

Monk: "Look, alright? It's-it's not a huge deal alright, it's-it's mostly a *formality* alright? There's no need to purify the water at the same time of year, every year, okay?!"

Broker: "Perhaps this is just a matter of perspective - I think 60,000 human lives *is* a big deal!"

Monk: \*Nervous sigh with unintelligible words\*

Broker: "Do you know... Driftwood?"

Monk: "Driftwood?"

Broker: "30 years ago up the coast from Burza Nyth, Driftwood was a small fishing village. Nothing near the size of our place but before skyships were the end-all, be-all there were a few fishing vessels that would come by and try and sell their wares in Burza Nyth."

Monk: "What is your **point**?"

Broker: "My point is there were around... 600 people living in that fishing village. They did not have the benefit of having a Liquid Swords monk come in and purify the water or the Red Feather Syndicate to protect them from the skies. They had a levy. That levy held for a very, very long time. But one day, a rainstorm started and it lasted a week. And those water levels they just keep rising until The Mariner was able to land his boats ashore. And all the drowned sailors stormed off those ships and they butchered **everyone** in that village. **Everyone**. I assume! I don't have census data. Maybe some decided to join The Mariner and their fleet of drowned sailors but... that's a fate worse than death in *my* opinion. And you're proposing to *me* that you were comfortable with that happening here-"

Monk: "It's a formality!"

Broker: "**-in my city!**"

Monk: "It's a formality, alright? The city's fine, the water's *fine* alright?!"

Broker: "The water's fine for how long?"

Monk: "I don't know. I just know that it's- it- it'll-it'll hold, it'll keep! Alright? It's-it's not a big deal, okay?! And-and-and-and... and I'll talk to Youngblood, alright? There's- I don't know why he-he wanted the purification to not happen s- on schedule but lo- we can make something work, okay?!?"

Broker: "I have some... assumptions. Your information is going to be considered and it will be weighed against the testimony of your partner."

Monk: "\*clears throat\* alright, that- alright uh. What-what can I say? Is there anything that I can tell you? Alright, because... my partner... ain't my partner alright? And I don't trust... I don't trust that he does- has my best interests in mind, okay? So you tell me what you need to hear to let me go right now, and then we'll see if-if I can get that to you. But I am very good at delivering."

Broker: "Interesting. \*smacks mouth\* I'll update you if we have any further inquiries."

Monk: "No, don't leave me here-"

James: And then the red lights that were in the raven's eyes fade and because it is absolutely, perfectly dark, and there is nothing else for this man's eyes to focus on he sees the bird's soul torn to pieces by the arcane energies as The Broker's voice leaves the creature's body.

Monk: \*shaky exhale\*

James: You hear a soft thud as the bird falls off a perch in the dark. And we fade out!