With the quests turned in, Rell explains that while you’ve done what you can by talking, the rest can only be accomplished through actual deeds- the next task as far as the Pearlfin are concerned will be to prove the Alliance’s intent.

He is interrupted when Sky Admiral Rogers arrives, walking past him to greet Admiral Taylor and exclaim over seeing him well.  Taylor thanks Rogers, calling her by her first name, Catherine.  He is thankful for the carrier support, which means that you can push to the North- except that Rogers cuts him off again, telling him that he’ll be going without the skyship.

When Admiral Taylor asks about it, the Sky Admiral explains that she’s been ordered to return so she can provide carrier escort for the full Alliance fleet, which should be arriving in roughly two months.  Baffled, Taylor asks what he’s supposed to do in the meantime, with no intelligence and virtually no troops.  Rogers tells him to ‘put on [his] big-boy pants’, and that she recommends a scouting mission- the SI:7 operatives are going to be left here as well.

The two trade farewells, and Rogers returns to her gyrocoptor to fly back to the skyship.  Taylor sulks for a moment, then tells Rell to go scout out the Horde and the location of Anduin.  The night elf responds in the affirmative, certain that Anduin will be found.

This is when Karasshi interrupts, and points out that even though the jinyu and Alliance are not friends, it would be foolish to wander around guideless as well as clueless.  He offers his brother to travel with the SI:7 agent as a guide.  The younger fishman, Little Lu, is slightly startled as Karasshi requests that he be brought back intact, and explains that Lu is clever for his age, and will be a good guide.

Rell promises to keep Lu safe and that the two will be back shortly.  As an aside, he whispers to you that you are to make friends with the jinyu, as their help will unquestionably be needed.  He even goes so far as to make it an order before leaving with Little Lu.

The first of your next few quests can be obtained from Bold Karasshi himself.  The fishman explains that his people were recently forced to give up Moonwater Retreat due to an attack by the Hozen.  They escaped as best they could, but many jinyu were left behind- and thus killed by the monkeys.

Karasshi further explains that the reason he is bringing this up is the lack of tokens from those who died with which to pray.  He requests that you seek out mementoes of the dead so that they can be properly laid to rest and the grieving can be truly done.  Specifically, you are to collect 8 Pearlfin Heirlooms from dead villagers in Moonwater Retreat.