Talene attempts to control the mind of the Ogier via Compel, "Stand down fool, you'll not escape this way, only bring death to yourself!"
His mind overcome with the power, Chen immediately stops struggling and stands motionless.
galina, angered by the Ogier, hurls another weave at the the great giant, seeking to encase him, not trusting the Compulsion weave
the weave goes off, but fails to solidify around him. But she does encase the far wall in a foot of solid ice.
Litheene rises from her chair, her cheeks flushed. that was incredible! the power! the brutality! litheene strides up to Chen and caresses his large arm. Such a beast! Perhaps we should make a reccomendation to the Amyrlin to obtain several of these Ogier to protect the White Tower... she trails off.
Standing motionless, as his undergarments burn, Chen shudders at the touch of the Aes Sedai on his arm, which is horribly burnt.
"But not this one. This one is never going to see the outside of this room alive. He killed a Sister and is clearly a darkfriend. Strip that armor off him and break his arms and legs to prevent any further outbursts." Galina is livid, her pale face suffused with an angry red blush. While she might not care overmuch for the death of a Grey, the fact that this monster has killed an Aes Sedai in her presence has clearly enraged her.
She takes a breath, making an effort to calm herself, and nods at Talene. "That was well done, Talene." Especially considering how badly she had missed with her last weave.
Laughing loudly litheene counters If you kill a mouse, shall I call you a cat? No wonder you are a Red and not a White. Stepping around Chen, she nods. yes, he should be punished, but no, not death. Not yet, anyways.
Well Talene, he's your thrall. start asking questions.
"No, not until he is unable to repeat his performance of a moment ago. And call someone to deal with 's corpse." She glared at the woman whose grandmother had not yet been born when Galina had taken the shawl. "He killed a Sister. There are no mitigating circumstances. He will die once we have wrung everything he knows out of his brain."
"I suggest you bind him again, let him rest and question me. I do not wish a fight, and know the potential weapons I face when seeing such accomplished sisters in this room, So I ask of you to let the Ogier rest, heal him, or with the first punishment he will be dead and his potential truths gone forever" she says as she moves back towards the group her face stern, but her eyes a bit fearful every time she looks at Chen.
Talene shakes her head, "A Sister who allows herself to be so easily dispatched by a brute is hardly worth shedding a tear for no Sister Galina? This is a specimen to be studied not a frog to be dissected.
You are not in charge here woman!" Talene snaps at Vala.
"Now then Ogier, tell me, what is your purpose for arriving here and by what means were you able to do so?"
Chen drones in an emotionless monotone. "I purpose to protect the one called Vala and my friends, who were left behind, as I gain a growing understanding of the truth. I purpose to stop the marath'damane Litheene," he stutters and looks at the one in the room. "Events beyond my understanding, have shown me a different woman to be Litheene, one that is a danger, infected, by this 'blight'. We pursued her here and failed to capture her before she escaped and we were captured ourselves. I purpose to serve the Empire, in whatever form I deem best, until I can speak with the Empress, may she live forever."
Litheene smiles and turns to Galina, "You see how cooperative a man can be when pressed using the correct lever?
He will not die Sister, his fate has been entrusted to me and I shall be the one to decide it. Perhaps the words of the Amyrlin were unclear to you?
Now then, it seems that this story has some truth to it. There is another Litheene somewhere in Tar Valon.
Continue Sister what else will he say I wonder". Litheene whispers motioning to Talene.
Talene looks aggravated by Litheene's attack on Galina but continues, "What truth is it you seek? You state that you left Vala's friends behind, does that mean they are not your friends as well?"
Galina sneers at Litheene. "No, child. What the Amyrlin said was 'as for questioning these people, a consortium shall be established of all the Ajahs. Only one from each Ajah can be present, and the consortium answers to' you. Your word extends only to the questioning of the prisoner. Outside of that function, you are merely a girl who has been raised to the shawl so recently that you have yet to forget the feel of an Accepted's bedsheets."
She stabs a finger at Chen. "This darkfriend has killed a sister and he will die in return. Your word holds no sway over the matter."
Chen answers Talene in a less monotonous tone of voice. "The truth I seek is how far the deception goes within ranks of the Ever Victorious Army, how complicit the Blood is, and expose the treachery of the Sul'dam to the Empress. As for your second question, you misremember my statement. I said I left my friends behind, and did not include this woman Vala in the statement. The group I was with contained Vala and several others I would not mark friends, as well as several that I would mark friends." He paused for a moment. "I barely know this woman."
He looked at Galina, "And you're the Darkfriend here witch."
A look of anger crosses Litheene's face, "Slay him at your peril Galina. Raised a century ago or raised a moment ago, I am raised and I speak for the Blue Ajah in the Tower.
Whether the man is a Darkfriend it to be determined. Talene let us gain certainty on that with a direct question".
Talene grits her teeth but asks the question anyway, "Do you serve the interests of the Dark One Ogier?
If this woman is not your friend why are you with her?"
"No"
"I responded to a threat posed. She did as well."
Galina laughs at Litheene's weak argument. "You speak for the traitorous, disbanded Blue Ajah, of whom there is only one sister in the Tower, and that only by the Amyrlin's sufferance. Clutching at straws- especially ones so weak- does not befit an Aes Sedai."
The short-haired Aes Sedai finally looks back at Chen and ignores his comment about being a darkfriend. "Tell us where your Empress is, to the best of your knowledge, and everything you know about the defenses arrayed around her."
Talene repeats Galina's argument to buttress the question, "Tell us where your Empress is, to the best of your knowledge, and everything you know about the defenses arrayed around her."
Chen responded, again compelled. "The empress is across the ocean In the capital of the Empire. Between you and her lies the Ever victorious Army, the Forerunner's contingent of da'mane several members of the deathwatch guard, myself included. In her immediate vicinity, all of her personal guard the rest of the deathwatch, plus the empress's personal contingent of da'mane or in words you will understand, about one hundred channelers."
litheene laughs a perfect silver laugh. HA. a most excellent answer, Master Ogier. A most Aes Sedai answer, truthful, with little substance. her shoulders shake with mirth.
Peace, Sister. Litheene says, holding up her hand before galina or anyone else could say something.
for now, he has satisfied my curiousity. Now, onto more delicate matters. Litheene turns and looks at Vala.
Vala feels herself picked up like a sack of rags and floats into the center of the room. She is placed gently upon the ground; her feet splashing in a puddle of water from the ice melting on the opposite wall.
I think it is time that we question this one. litheene says, walking up on Vala. She stretches out her hand and makes a circular motion around vala's midsection. The shirt and armor that she was wearing falls away, leaving only tatters of cloth and leather chest piece for her dignity, but her swollen abdomen bare.
stretch marks and blood veins stitch a horrid pattern accross her belly, and every minute a small hand or foot pushes out from the tight body.
Litheene steps closer and lays a warm hand upon the bulge.
Child, we just need some answers. As an expectant mother, I am sure that you will not consider doing anything foolish, will you?
Her hand stops over a spot where the unborn child punches furiously out.
It was odd looking at the woman she had once shared a bond with. She was not like her Litheene nothing like her at all save name and look. She did not however flinch from her touch as she did not believe this Litheene capable of evil. even here standing in judgement as her judge she would not do anything to evil. That she hoped was true with this Litheene a spark of good.
As her armor and clothes fell away she did not worry they would be returned. She also did not fear for her safety. She did fear a bit for the child she was baring but she knew that these women respected life and did not care to injure a babe before it even saw the first light of day. So she looked square into Litheenes eyes.
" You look alot like my Litheene, but do not seem to have her more silent and strong vibe." She said so only Litheene could hear her. After that she called to the others.
" If I had sought fooolishness here I would have done so when the opportunity presented its self. That would of served neither me or this body any answers so here I sit in judgement. Ask me your questions and I shall answer to the best of my ability." she said her voice not trembling nor her body tensing.
Litheene simply smiles at Vala.
who are you and why did you come to Tar Valon? Are you really from a Mirror world? What are your thoughts on this rebel tower? How far along are you in your pregnancy? who is the father?
Vala blinked a little at those questions. So with those she answered.
"Vala of House Charise,I came here through a portal following a Mirror version of you Litheene Sedai. She however is twisted and no longer the Litheene I considered a sister," She paused shutting her eyes and not wanting to look at this Litheene.
She however recovered from it after a bit."Yes i am from a mirror world,and have been to a few.I care only for fighting the dark one and his minions. Everything else until the matter is settled is irrelevant until he is defeated by the dragon and his forces. My person thoughts of the tower is little beyond the fact that the sisters need to make amends before forces for the enemy sees the division and strikes." She says honestly and with a sense of concern for if the Aes Sedai of this world fail to come together than the dark one would come. She hoped they were not already here.
"As for the baby it has only been a few days, and yet I am close to conception. The father is a great man and warrior Keelix Andren, a midlander. A man whom seemed to actually stir my heart and lions. A rare feat with many men for they rarely know how to use a sword, be it metal or otherwise!" She says keeping her self as relaxed as possible. Hopefully it would make her answers more sincere from the heart.
Talene watches the questions intently.
She steps away from the large Ogier just in case he somehow frees himself and can start to wreak havoc anew.
what do you mean, a few days?
"Well from the first step through the portal as well as a strange series of events in a place that had horrors I wish to never see again, Me and my group found that we were aged or parts of us aged in my case. I am surprised that this last protal didnt send me into labor. But Litheene, er My litheene thought it was do to some sort of distortion in time or he weave or something. Not sure I am more pointy end goes in the other guy than harnessing the weave" She said still confused about the whole theory as to how and why it happened. Aside that it happened when she went through the portals.
Litheene, nodding with a somewhat unfocused look upon her face, similar to someone who is elsewhere in thought, suddenly looks fully upon Vala. Her gaze becomes that of a Hawk staring at a rabbit across a field.
this place of horrors. How did you come across it? what did you find in it?
She looked at her and her eyes narrowed."We were chasing a group of dark friends. In this manor in the basement a portal was there the rooms were weird and in them...Drakar were born others were eaten and hung. Atrocities I do not imagine to relive. It was awful."
do you remember how you got to this manor house? Or it's description? Or where it's located?
I do not remember but i believe it was Camelyn?She said a little unsure of herself.
"I have fought many things since than, Litheene"
Nodding, Litheene smiles at Vala.
Thank you. she says simply, turning away from her and walking towards Chen.
Suddenly, three things happen instantaneously.
The first item is a lattice work of what looks like red hot wires strung across the door frame. The second is a ball of hardened air envelopes Talene's head. And the third is the air that binds Chen's arms is snapped.
Litheene in a calm voice commands Chen
Kill them. Kill them all.
The compulsion ran in accordance with Chen's own goals it didn't even feel like it wasn't his will. Shifting his footing, he put the armored boot of his right leg under the massive chest piece of his armor and with all his might kicked it at Galina. Following his projectile with a powerful stride he attempted to slam her into the wall she stood against with all his strength.
Talene shakes her head in frustration and signs to Litheene using hand signals that only a Dark Friend would know...
Vala scowled as she saw Chen freed. Something felt wrong and she would need to try and get out of here alive. In doing so she tried to fight whatever bonds she had on her.
Feeling himself free, Chen falls to his back and snaps a leg out, kicking his breastplate at Galina. THe improvised missile skids along the floor toward her.
Galina, seeing the missle slide along, leaps nimbly out of the way as the armor clangs into the far wall.
Litheene walks back to her desk and sits down, content to watch the events unfold around her. Spotting Talene rapid hand gestures, She simply shrugs, and then waves a hand, blocking Talene's eyesight, leaving her cut off from the world around her as it slowly dawns on her that she is going to suffocate if she doesnt break free.
The four other women surrender to Saidar, only to find themselves shielded from it by an unknown source. They all howl in frustration and fear, unable to protrect themselves. The gray rushes past everyone and reaches out to open the door. In her haste to open the door, she misjudges the door knob and pushes her hand into one of the red wires. It immediately cuts into her like a hot knife in butter. Where one would expect blood, instead smoke puffs up from seared flesh. She snatches her hand back and screams louder in pain.
Vala, moving quickly away from the violence, strains at her bonds, but cannot break them.
Crawling toward the jumping Galina, Chen attempts to grab her.
And then he slams his massive head into her face.
Seeing the effects of the hand vala rushes to the door and when she gets thier puts the manacles around to sever the chains holding them together.
When free she looks about for anything she could use to fight litheene or stop Chen. These women did not deserve this, and the Ogier would slaughter them.
rolling quickly, Chen jumps up and engulfs galina with his body. his heavy weight dragging her to the floor, the large Ogier wraps his arms around her and begins to squeeze the life out of her.
Seeing the potential with the red wires, Vala leaps forward and drives the steel manacles into the hot surface. the metal screeches loudly as it is cut and melted away. One side of one link snaps under the strain, but the metal is still forming a link in the chain.
Vala continues to try and get the hotwires to break through the msletal of the chain. Once free she hoped she could find something to use to fight with.