Description: Marz administers the annual Shadaloo Loyalty Test to Sagat. The question is, who is really testing who, here? Marz is pumped for data, but she doesn't seem to mind, and Sagat provides answers pretty much in line with what she had been expecting... in ways that don't annoy her nearly as much as she had been expecting. Could dissent in the ranks be being fostered amongst those who have remained closest to Vega? Surely MARZ can't be considering such actions?!
It is not something that is spoken about often amongst the ranks of Shadaloo. Mostly, people are free to get on with their own thing, so long as that thing is in line with Vega's will, of course. But, every now and then, proper steps must be taken in order to ensure that everyone is still on the same page, so to speak. Shadaloo is really one big, unhappy, feuding little family.
Which is why Sagat has been summoned - SUMMONED - by one as lowly as Marz. Perhaps the least respected of all the Dolls.
Marz is sat alone in the Briefing Chamber. Two seats have been prepared, both utilitarian, and Marz is sat on the one facing the door into the room. A clipboard is in front of her, two pencils. That is it. Her uniform is fastidiously pressed, shined, buffed and prepared.
She is about to administer the annual Loyalty Test to someone who had, not so long ago that she had forgotten, broken her face with his knees. This is going to be fun.
Truth be told Marz is probably lucky Sagat even took his time to come out to the base for such a thing. Sagat's loyalties have been questionable as of late, but at the same time when given tasks he has performed them and excuted all of them perfectly for the most part. He is just a hard one to find usually unless Vega is wishing him to carry out a task. Even his team mates haven't seen much of him beyond the short meeting he had with Balrog after the battle they had against the members of Southtown Syndicate.
The large warrior steps into the room and that single eye scans around as he moves forward further in and gives a nod to Marz. If he even remembers the previous time he dealt with the Doll he certainly doesn't seem to be mocking her over such a thing. "It must be a very slow time at the base if you were looking for me." Afterall aren't there several soldiers and the like to deal with? He is curious if this is something Marz decided to do on her own or if Vega perhaps caught wind that Sagat might be up to something. He doubts the latter just because he has been very careful in his actions. The plan is in its early stages and to have him find out about it now would be a bad thing.
He looks down at the seat and he just shakes his head deciding to remain standing as he folds his arms over his chest. "Shall we begin? I am sure we both have more important tasks to do."
"Nothing is more important than my assigned tasks."
The words are, clipped. Unlike many of the Dolls, Marz's demeanor inside AND outside combat has always been rather cold. The truth is, she's never approved of Sagat. He is better than Juri, and Vyle, but only by a hair. Nevertheless, she does stand, and bows as a mark of respect to the larger man, before indicating the seat.
"However. If you do not wish to waste time with pleasantries, I can respect that. The first question, then. Could you please confirm your name and age?"
She is already writing something on the sheet of paper with her pencil. Her eyes focused on that, rather than the imposing man before her. Mostly because the paper isn't likely to hit her if she looks at it too intently. She doesn't KNOW whether Sagat would; it'd hardly be surprising.
Always the loyal one. Sagat used to respect that back when he too was working for Vega without hesitation. Now he just has to have some pity on the girls. There is little he can do about it, though. Not until he starts to work more on his own plan. He needs to be able to free himself before worrying about ever freeing others. There is a slight quirk of the lips that forms a smirk across the large fighter. "Always a stickler for efficiency."
He at least doesn't seem to be in the mood to be throwing punches at the moment. At the same time how long could it last? Some people snicker and say he is starting to become a shell of his former self. People like Raiden and Mr. Big might argue that point. "Sagat, age fifty-five." he calmly replies to the girl, but that smirk never really leaves his face. He also never takes a seat even when indicated. The chair instead is just ignored as he keeps his focus on Marz.
"Speaking of efficiency I have to wonder your opinion on the current state of affairs?" he asks while reaching up to idly stroke his chin. "Afterall you are the one that keeps track of everything. I am sure you would know best."
Marz has had her doubts. Seeds planted in the Southtown Wars... illogical actions, evidence of Vega's... fallibility. Then there's SIN. Juri Han. Seth. The Rogue that there have been, reports of. It all paints a grim picture of the state of Shadaloo. Even Cammy... she had to say SOMETHING. Sagat is, after all, her superior.
"Thank you." Scribble scribble.
"Lord Vega has had, distractions." She admits, which is about as damning an indictment as she is ever going to give. "However. Our current position is strong. There are always unknown variables, but if we all work together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish."
She looks up from her paper, then. "Which brings me to the first question. Could you describe Lord Vega, in your own words, please? Do not use more than five hundred; I realize it can be difficult to rein in enthusiasm about his brilliance, but the box is small."
There is a slight nod from the larger fighter. It was not quite what he had hoped for an answer, but perhaps he can get more out of the young Doll with a bit more prodding. All he has to do is answer her questions and that is more than enough to probably keep her satisfied. Not punching her in the face is probably another good option if he is wanting to get more out of her.
He does seem slightly amused by her telling it to keep his response short. It is hard to get more than five hundred words out of the former emporer in a full conversation. Let alone one question. "A power hungry monster that seems to have not found his limits just yet." he finally says. He keeps it short and to the point. She said it was a small box afterall.
"I do see what you are trying to say, but if you were to go about trying to get everyone to work together properly what do you think is the best way to do it?" Afterall Cammy has been running around causing more trouble than being helpful to Vega. Juri doesn't like anyone and Sagat doesn't seem to really get along with anyone these days either. "Something strange is going on right now and I wonder if it may pose a threat to us given our current state is all."
"Nothing may threaten Lord Vega."
The response is automatic, not really... thought about. And it is a lie. A comforting lie, and for a moment, there is a genuine flicker of emotion across the girl's face. Something like fear. It had been, fun, being in the Southtown War. Being a commander. It hadn't ended well. Now, there is real innocent blood on HER hands. It doesn't bother her, but Sagat is right. Times are changing. Who could say whether she, or Vega, or anyone else, is safe?
As she writes down the response (harsh, but not entirely unexpected), she elaborates a bit. "I have faith that Lord Vega knows what he is doing." She says, "There are powers at work, I can ... see how they are moving in certain ways, but I cannot comprehend their purpose from our data. They do not threaten Lord Vega yet. I doubt that they have the strength to do so."
Tap. Tap. Pencil against the desk. And then.
"... The next question. Lord Vega has given you an order that you are not certain is in your abilities. What do you do?"
Another nod from Sagat and if he notices that brief flash of emotion he does not seem to respond. He may have a single eye, but it is a keen one. There was just a moment of uncertainty in that girl which Sagat didn't expect. "I see. I suppose we will just have to watch and see what comes of things." he muses while his gaze wanders off for a moment as he seems to be in thought about something else.
Of course his attention is brought back towards Marz once she decides to ask the next question. "I have never felt uncertain about my abilities to handle a situation properly. To do so shows weakness and we know Vega does not tolerate such things." His tone in that almost has a hint of sarcasm there. Maybe he is taunting her from their previous meeting? A reminder just how big of a difference there is between herself and the former Emporer?
He closes his eye for a moment and takes in a deep breath. "Then again when I think about it he did bring Adon into the fold so I have to question his motives on trying to keep the organization strong when he is bringing in a coward such as that man."
The response is dutifully written down. "As expected of Sagat." She mutters, absently, to herself. Now her mind is turning to the small corner that she rarely humors. The doubt is, a cancer. It must be excised. She knows in her heart of hearts that she does not agree with Vega's decisions all the time. But she does still have faith in him; who else is there? There is nobody who could rule the world with the strength that Vega could.
"Vega is... understanding of our weakness." She replies, letting her eyes drift up to meet Sagat's. "It is likely different for one such as you, but for we mortals, Vega demands only that we fulfill our duties to the best of our abilities. He hurts us only if he knows we did not try hard enough."
Her eyes fall back to the paper, and for a moment, she hesitates. "Adon is a man who may prove useful. As a sacrifice, for instance."
Was that a joke? Did she just try to make a joke? Did it work?
"Third question. How do you feel about your duties? Are you happy with the demands Lord Vega places on you?"
Ahh so he did seem to hit a nerve with his talk. To see a Doll show doubt towards what Vega can do gives Sagat hope there is a way to perhaps one day break them from their brainwashing. That part is such a long way off, though. He must worry more about gaining his own independence from Shadaloo permanently. He needs to remain focused on that then try to think of ways to help others out when they would be too big of a liability. "Even then I am sure he would somehow mess up his job." he responds to the attempt of humor Marz makes.
"I do what is asked of me. Nothing more and nothing less. He knows what jobs I do best and therefor does not often place lesser ones on me that I may find insulting." Well in the past at least. He has a feeling if Vega felt like it he would put Sagat on more menial tasks just to try to rile the former emporer up. "Tell me. What do you think of Cammy's exploits as of late?"
Now that? That actually makes Marz flinch.
It's not that she doesn't love Cammy; she does, as she would love an older sister. But Cammy is so very different from her. Try as she might, she could not imagine Cammy murdering a child to send a message as she herself had done. She couldn't imagine Cammy giving up her cheesecake, her comforts, and her ... behavior has been so erratic. Cammy is a touchy subject, because Marz genuinely loves Cammy, but she is rapidly becoming an Unknown Variable. Marz hates those.
"I think... that we all have ... hobbies." She says, at length. "For instance, I collect stamps."
Cammy chases young men. It is totally comparable.
Scribble scribble.
"Question four. How open do you feel to raise concerns with your superiors?" A heartbeat, and her eyes come up again. The mask put back on as quickly as it has fallen. The way her face has been twitching, it'd be easy to think Marz is /crazy/ or something.
"I suppose for you, that would be Lord Vega himself, wouldn't it?"
Now she has to wonder if the large fighter is just toying with her. He is the one that should be answering questions and not her, right? He certainly seems to be getting more of a rise out of the Doll than she is getting a rise out of him. Strange how he is being the calm one in this situation and not letting much emotion show aside from the bits of amusementt hat shine through here and there. "I doubt your stamp collection would cause Vega any problems in the long term." he replies before letting himself mull over the other question.
There is a shrug of his broad shoulders. "I do not mind telling him when I think a plan of his may need more thought. Of course I cannot make him listen so if he decides to listen to my advice that is up to him." And here he thought he was going to be bored this entire conversation. Picking at the brain of Marz has lead to some interesting reactions and responses. "How do you feel would be best to handle the current situation with Cammy and her 'friends'?" A brow raises when he asks that, that single eye studying the girl again as he wonders if she will be able to make it through the entire questionair without cracking and giving up.
Marz doesn't get out much. It has also been a long time since anyone actually asked her opinion on ... anything. She's just been quietly getting on with the work she has been assigned. It is easier that way. Power means a lot in Shadaloo, and power is one of the things which Marz sorely lacks.
"I think we should kill them all." She says. A thin smile pulls onto her lips. "They are either unlikely to amount to anything worthwhile, or directly opposed to our goals. If we killed them all, Cammy would not be so ... distracted."
Well that's certainly direct!
"One final question then, Sir." She says, straightening up a little in her chair. "What would you say the biggest source of dissatisfaction is to you in your workday? How could we make Shadaloo." And now it should be obvious that Vega did not write the questionnaire himself. Marz puts on a big, obviously fake smile, beaming from ear to ear. "A /happier/ and /friendlier/ place for you?~"
He should have expected as much. Afterall isn't that the best way to handle any situation to most people in the ranks of Shadaloo? Sagat just gives a nod and he looks amused once again for a slight moment. "Perhaps, but at the same time they are young and could have hidden potential." he replies and and grins just slightly. "But I would admit I would be amused to see what you could do against them. You are confident in your skills, yes?" he asks. "I have considered one a pet project, but I need to know he is growing stronger and Cammy isn't hindering his developement." Maybe he should send Marz to check on Quon at some point in the future.
He then heres that question and he just stares at a few moments before he begins to shake. Not with rage, but with laughter. A big bellowing one at that as a large hand reaches out and lightly slaps Marz on the back. Of course lightly for him could send some people flying across a room. "Happy and friendly do not belong here, girl." he tells her as he shakes his head and starts to wander off. "I hope this has been informative enough for you if that is the last question you have." He knows he feels more informed now. Getting the thoughts of someone that he often doesn't speak with in Shadaloo has helped him out in his thoughts on how to approach his plan that he is working on.
Marz 'oofs' as she is slapped, and bounces against the table in a rather, undignified way. The table doesn't budge, and she coughs a bit, blushing furiously as she attempts to regain some kind of dignity. She clears her throat, and shakes her head. "I, ah, am not... that confident." She says, as she gets back up. The girl does sound a bit apologetic. Truth be told, Sagat had been ... far nicer than she had expected. He had actually listened to her. Spoken to her like a human being, rather than as a tool or an idiot. That is, rare, and Marz does appreciate it.
Standing up, she puts the pencil down. "That was the last question, Sir, yes. I estimate that I would be able to defeat the fighter known as Quon Chen in roughly one half encounters, assuming that I had the element of surprise on my side. One in three in other circumstances. I assume this is the member of the social circle you are talking about?"
Not because Marz knows anything about Sagat's interest in the boy; purely because he seems to be the one Cammy has taken the keenest interest in. Therefore he's the one Sagat is most likely to ask her to kill, right?
There is a pause and it seems the girl has been doing her work in keeping up on everything. Then again there is little else on who he could be talking about. Rust certainly couldn't be the pet project and Ibuki....well Ibuki has some traits that certainly don't qualify her for being the 'he' that was mentioned. "He has potential, but it is raw. I think he would make a good student to make up for how bad Adon had turned out." That certainly makes it sound like he is expecting Marz to kill the young man. Afterall it is hard to train someone that is already dead.
He does look over his shoulder while exiting and that eye narrows some. "Of course that means one thing. Don't kill him or our next meeting might not be such a pleasant one. I just want to know how far he has come since me and him first met." He has done his best to stay away from Quon to save him some trouble, but it seems Cammy provides enough that Sagat doesn't need to be around. All he can do is watch from afar and test him from time to time in ways he deems fit. He can only hope Quon is ready for a test like this.
For a moment, Marz considers this. A ... student. She would be lying if she said she isn't jealous. So she doesn't say anything at all. Nobody has ever tried to train her as a master trains a pupil; only as a weaponsmith hones an edge. She tries so hard to prove herself, and time and time again she is rebuffed. Proven, unworthy.
Perhaps if she could take the shine off the boy in Sagat's eyes... she doesn't need to /kill/ to do that. Paraplegics can live full and rich lives...
"I will do as you ask, Sir." She says, snapping to attention smartly. "I will judge him directly, and compare his data to others I have encountered. I will be able to give you an insight into his current abilities within a fortnight. I swear it."
Log created on 10:56:05 04/02/2011 by Marz, and last modified on 12:43:44 04/02/2011.