Tal nodded sharply at Deimos's agreement. He would have stuck by his words regardless, but it was a quiet relief to have them vindicated by someone he respected. Still, what-ifs and wishful thinking wouldn't get them anywhere, and he swatted irritably at an investigative fly that buzzed too close to his ear. It wasn't Neron, but it was nice to have something to lash out at, however small.
He looked up with a start, realizing the General's eyes were on him, and the question had him opening his mouth in swift retort--
And then snapping it closed again, swallowing back the bile as he tried to live up to his friend's example. "Uh... well... For what he did before, when he was Warden, I'd say throw him in prison and lose the key. His selfish choices killed a lot of people, and endangered everyone in the Citadel." Tal's scowl took on the angry, wounded edge it always did when he spoke of those days. But then as he struggled with what he wanted to say it faded back into a grim line and he met the General's eyes squarely.
"And since he's an Ascended I guess... in order to keep him in there we'd probably have to find a way to remove his Ascended tricks, an' pull his fangs so he can't bite anyone." He heaved a frustrated sigh, scuffing the ground with one booted foot. "Dunno how to keep the rest of 'em from just stormin' in and grabbing him back, though. Unless Safrin or Frey can make an Ascended-proof cage or something." He looked down, rubbing fiercely at the back of his neck. "Otherwise, only way to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else is to kill him, I guess. But it's not fair to ask anyone else t'do it in cold blood." He glared at his toes, unsure whether he'd be able to do the deed outside of the heat of battle, and even less sure that he wanted to be certain of the answer.
He looked up with a start, realizing the General's eyes were on him, and the question had him opening his mouth in swift retort--
And then snapping it closed again, swallowing back the bile as he tried to live up to his friend's example. "Uh... well... For what he did before, when he was Warden, I'd say throw him in prison and lose the key. His selfish choices killed a lot of people, and endangered everyone in the Citadel." Tal's scowl took on the angry, wounded edge it always did when he spoke of those days. But then as he struggled with what he wanted to say it faded back into a grim line and he met the General's eyes squarely.
"And since he's an Ascended I guess... in order to keep him in there we'd probably have to find a way to remove his Ascended tricks, an' pull his fangs so he can't bite anyone." He heaved a frustrated sigh, scuffing the ground with one booted foot. "Dunno how to keep the rest of 'em from just stormin' in and grabbing him back, though. Unless Safrin or Frey can make an Ascended-proof cage or something." He looked down, rubbing fiercely at the back of his neck. "Otherwise, only way to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else is to kill him, I guess. But it's not fair to ask anyone else t'do it in cold blood." He glared at his toes, unsure whether he'd be able to do the deed outside of the heat of battle, and even less sure that he wanted to be certain of the answer.
