Kel tried not to bristle visibly at the jibe. "Where I am 'from', traitors are beaten to death. There might be some crude torture beforehand, maybe even as part of some savage public spectacle, depending on who was offended. In any case it's an ugly affair, something not to be emulated."
"Their contact may have useful information herself. Though I doubt she could be convinced to help us willingly, surveilling her may lead to the lodestones' source, perhaps even uncover a wider conspiracy if some other organization is knowingly supplying them. It may even be possible to ambush their next meeting and obtain a lodestone, potential prisoners for questioning, and thin their numbers a bit."