Iron Stars - dorian

Dorian awakens in his apartment, in Central, the largest human settlement on Gudrun. The apartment is nice, spacious given how many people live in the city, and most importantly in this late winter, warm. It is modestly furnished- enough to maintain a sense of readiness, and keep a certain lifestyle, but far from the luxury many new just a few short years ago, before what experts are calling The Scream. Ads scroll by on the UNW datanet, advertising various shops in the central marketplace, and more select contract work.

Dorian pays half attention to the ads while he readies himself for the day. Breakfast is cold and he checks his commpad for any missed messages. He pays particular interest to the contract work since credits have been more sparse in his life now that he's gone legitimate.

There are a few jobs that look like they might pay enough to be worth your while. Skilled field guides needed on Rawhani for a recon mission Contractor needed by UNW state department to make contact with a settlement on Craytulus Expert needed to look into an industrial sabotage case

10:57 AM

(Any one of them is available, just let me know what you find most interesting)

He's sorely tempted by the off-planet jobs. In the end, though, Dorian tabs over to the sabotage case.

The sabotage case is looking into an island in gudruns northeast where rival mining companies were competing for claims. A survey plane was bombed while on the ground, killing a crew member and wounding another. There’s reason to believe a rival corporation there was responsible but the lead needs to be confirmed

Dorian looks for any sort of information on who to contact or how to get out to the island within the job advert. (edited)

There is a contact for a man named Dimitri at Lazlow Industries, and a comm frequency is attached. More information is promised upon serious consideration of the job. a 5,000 credit reward for successful completion is offered, enough to keep you going for quite a while

His fingers go a bit numb with excitement at the payout. After he notes the contact information, Dorian starts going through his contact list to find anyone who may know about Lazlow Industries and the mining conflicts. His goal is to brush up on information prior to contacting Dimiyri. (Does this have to be a connect roll? Or is it just a part of the Connected focus?)

(Theres really nothing that would be available outside of what youve already been told. Lazlow is a Taros majority owned business, so I'm not sure you'd know anyone there )

(I would not) After coming up empty, Dorian keys up his commpad, “Dimitri with Lazlow Industries? This is Dorian Guerra with Guerra Consulting. I’m contacting you regarding your recent posting about the incident one of your planes experienced.”

There is a voice on the other end of the line that reminds you of a human slavic speaker, though with a certain curious lilt to some of the vowels. "Guerra Consulting, neve rheard of you, but we could use a hand if youre offering it. There was an incident, you are correct. A scout plane belonging to a sister company, the Diamond Dogs, was sabotaged on the runway, and exploded. It's pilot was killed, and co-pilot was injured. Someone ran into the jungle, and was captured, but he won't give up any information about who his employers were"

"What information do you have to implicate a rival corporation? Or at least that the bomber is working for someone and not just someone acting on their own?"

(also, just started a 24hr shift so my responses may be delayed tomorrow)

'He stated as much before being taken to prison but we haven't been able to get anything else out of him. If you're taking the job. I would head there first, before coming out to the island"

Dorian considers for a moment, “I’ll take the job. Send me the coordinates for the prisoners at and I’ll talk to your bomber.” He begins packing for the trip.

The prisoner is being held at the central prison in the Taros city of Carinhold. A plane is chartered for you upon acceptance of the job and the prison staff will likewise be briefed that you are coming, and the reason for your visit. They will allow you to check weapons at the gate there if you insist on bringing one

Dorian will spend the trip there reading up what he can about Lazlow Industries and its interests in the region. Whatever he can get access to. If he needs to rent a room for the time he's in Carinhold, he'll leave his pistol and ammo in the room. Otherwise he'll only bring the monoblade knife and check it at the prison gate.

Lazlow Industries is a startup company, one of six competing for mining rights on the former underhill island in Gudrun's northeastern ocean. It's founder, Svenka Vilanova, has gone on to become an explorer and has taken part in many important UNW off world operations.

7:03 AM

Your travel arrangements are all paid for as part of the job, and a room in Carinhold is reserved for you, in the heart of its posh downtown district.

Excellent. So far, Dorian is enjoying himself and teasing out the problem. Is it a long trip to Carinhold? He doesn’t have any cause to shop around or do anything in town beyond looking up what he can. Plus he doesn’t anticipate being in town long enough to build up contacts.

(Anything not in character or general not RP goes in parentheses so its easier for me to pick out) The trip to Carinhold is a five hour flight, not long by any means, but enough time to allow you to think some things over for yourself.

(Will keep that in mind, I’m good jumping to the prison if there’s nothing that has to be done in the mean time)

Late afternoon, you arrive at the front gate of the Carinhold central prison, pistol in your hotel room. the guards have been briefed you were coming today, and straighten a bit at your approach. "Afternoon sir. Business for visit?' the guard says. You get the sense he is more informed than he is presenting, but rules are rules. His eyes seem to say 'I have to ask'.

I smile, presenting my ID to the guard, “Hi there. I’m Dorian Guerra, on assignment for Lazlow Industries.” (I’m wearing the secure clothing and have the monoblade secured at my hip. What kind of prison is it? As in what kind of security can I expect)

(High security, not because hes especially violent, but because if he dies, the trail goes cold)

7:16 PM

"Ah yes you're expected. anything to declare coming in? are you armed?'

After a moment of consideration, covered by some patting of pockets and waist, "Hmm, oh right. Just my knife." I hand over the blade. "Do you need my commpad as well?"

“No you’re free to use that for notes and whatever else you may want to use it for inside. Prison rules is just for the inmates” he laughs. “Alright. Right this way” You’re taken not through the main doors but to a side elevator on the dingy building

8:00 PM

It is a metal cage mostly for freight and you’re taken up to the secure level security annex where five heavily armed and armored guards keep an eye on this section of the facility and it’s convenient way in and out

(Is the whole prison dingy? I couldn't find any specific info on Carinhold in the Roll20 page. What's the general attitude of the guards? Do they seem anxious or competent? Something in between?)

8:05 PM

I nod at each guard in turn when we make eye contact, attempting to fake confidence over the nervous excitement brewing underneath.

(There isn’t much. It wasn’t a human city and even with the planet unified there hasn’t been a ton going on there. Most of the city is pretty modern. It was the capital city state of the taros confederacy before Gudrun unified and expanded out as the UNW)

8:11 PM

(They’re not anxious. It’s just a normal day)

(Are the guards human or Taros? In the day-to-day stuff, everyone gets along pretty well right?) "Out of curiosity, how many prisoners do you have on site?"

(Theyre taros. And from your ten seconds of observation so far it all looks fine and routine) “Can’t really give that out. All you need is one. Two of us will escort you to the cell at the end of the holding block. See what you can get out of him.0

With a shrug, "Fair enough. Let's get on with it."

8:26 PM

(Did I get a dossier on the guy? Or just "John Doe who we think blew our plane up")

(they dont really know anytihng, he isnt talking, thats why they need help)

(Cool, cool. On to the cell)

The interrogation cell is a similarly cement filled room, with a long table. A thin looking Taros prisoner, bruised, and missing the pointed tip of his left ear, is cuffed to the table with handcuffs looped around a rusted bar drilled into its surface. He looks on blankly, if anything, his expression has him wanting this to be over with already.

8:41 PM

The two guards take position outside the solid looking door, with glass window, as you're buzzed in.

I take a seat across from him, placing the commpad on the table and recording the interview. "Good afternoon. My name is Dorian Guerra. I'm here to ask you some questions," I say with my voice light, but direct.

he groans, and rattles the chains, trying to get the attention of the guards to go back to his cell

"Right. I get that. I'm not exactly the most pleasant company to be around. What's your name? Or what should I call you?"

"You can call me Clip" he says, eyes darting up to his deformed ear

"Better than Rattle," I nod towards the restraints. "Can you tell me what happened? Why were you by the airfield?"

"I was paid to be there. There were some interested parties in the competition." he says, repeating information already known

"Did you cause the explosion that destroyed the survey plane?"

He rattles the chains around his wrists, connected to the table. "Enough people saw it. I'm here, after all" He is smirking

My smile drops a bit, "Yeah you are. But that's not what I'm asking is it?" I deliberately pause, waiting for Clip's response.

“I caused it. I was asked to. You always do what’s asked “

“How’d you do it?”

11:05 AM

(Does he seem like he’s telling the truth?)

(You can make a talk/wis to try to firm things up. So far it’s consistent with what you were told) “Oh I didn’t make it. I just planted it on the airplane. Someone made it for me”

“Do you know who they were?”

2:25 PM

(Just roll in roll20 right?)

(Yes please. Make sure you’re off edit mode too. Pencil in top right of sheet

2:26 PM

Then it does all the math for you)

(That’ll be a 7)

(He seems like he’s telling the truth)

2:44 PM

“Never met any in person. Messages through my compad. They had some gambling debt over me. Said I could get rid of it

2:44 PM

I thought moving to the island project would get me away from them but they found me”

My brow furrows, "They had their hooks in you before you made it out to the island? So you've done work for them before."

“Nothing before the island. They got their hooks in me there, but I guess they’d got things moving before since they found me so quick”

"I'm legitimately sorry they were able to manipulate you like that. I've had colleagues in similar situations, I've seen how insidious people like that can be. If you help me, I can help bring them down."

“I tried to tell them all this and all they’ve done is hit me. I don’t even know if my compad is still around somewhere”

I grimace at that. "I can't promise you that I can get your compad back to you. Can you tell me how to access it if I track it down?"

"They should have it in evidence here. No one will bring it to me, or let me touch it to show them"

“What would you show them if they did bring it to you? I can’t promise you they’d bring it to you, but being able to access it may go some distance in your favor.”

"I can show them the messages, and the map I was sent. The bomb was not given to me by a person directly, but from a cannister dropped into the jungle"

9:23 PM

"They want names, and i dont have any for them"

"Here's the thing," I say with a hint at frustration and gesturing towards the door, "I doubt they're going to let you access your compad. Protocols are there for a reason and it doesn't seem like people in custody are allowed communication devices here. Is it locked somehow? Is there anyway we can access it and see the information without your direct input? I'd like to see you not take the full responsibilty for this. But I need something. If you don't have names, that's fine. I'm not going to beat you in some sort of pursuit of perverse justice. My job is to figure out who ordered the bombing, and accessing your compad is a step in that direction. Finding some bigger fish to fry than you is going to be beneficial for everyone involved."

"There isn't and that's part of the problem. If its tampered with, its going to fry. Standard operational security. They won't listen to me on my own but maybe there's sometihng you can do to get them to listen to you"

“You need to give me something more. I can’t set up for you without something to show for it. Give me something. Anything you haven’t given up already. Please.”

"Something more....I can't prove anything without the pad. Talk to the guards. If they'll let me use it under your supervision I can prove rverything I'm saying"

I grab my compad as I stand up, “you’re really not giving me much to work with here.” I knock on the door to signal for the guards to let me out. Once in the hallway, “who do I talk to about accessing his compad?”

"Chain of custody needs to be kept. One of us will have to go down to evidence with you while he remains here. "

“Yeah that’ll work. Let’s go.” On the way down the evidence I ask the escort, “have any of you tried accessing the ‘pad yet? Or has it been scanned at least?”

(as a head's up, rolling into a 24hr shift tonight so my responses may be delayed again tomorrow)

"We saw the anti- tamper software on it, and progress stopped. We have been trying to go through the proper protocol and get permission to open it, but you know how working with the government is. Thankfully, as a contractor, you're outside the normal chain of custody. You can access it with him without a warrant, so long as the information is shared" (edited)

“Right, of course. I suppose there are some perks to contracting.” (Does it seem like a normal compad? I’m imagining they’re like a satellite phone meets a smart phone meets a radio.)

(Sort of, like, size and shape probably of a current smart phone, but the futuristic part of it , is it has all those other functions able to be miniaturized enough to fit in the same convenient size)

(Awesome. Can I roll a notice to see if there’s anything outwardly off about it?)

(Sure, notice/wis)

(11)

(Everything appears perfectly normal) You head down to the evidence lockup and after a few moments of collecting paperwork and signing some forms, you're given the compad, wrapped in a vacuum sealed evidence baggie. The screen is cracked from the fall when he was captured, but otherwise appears to be working fine

(I assume everyone knows I'm about to crack the seal on the bag so I can have him access it. I'll head back to the interrogation room with the escort.) Upon entering the room, I place the sealed compad and my own on the table, "Alright. I've got it. Before we open it, however, you've got to give me some information. What's your name?"

(Yeah its mostly just showing you that they havent done anything to it)

11:38 AM

(Its as much for their protection as yours)

(Makes sense. Glad they had it nearby lol)

“Malchris. If I had a last name I never knew it. I’m gutter spawn”

"Some of the best people I've known come from the streets, Mal. Let's get to work." I tear the seal on the evidence bag and hand the compad over to Malchris.

He takes it from you and very carefully makes a complex series of hand gestures over the faceplate. you hear something inside click, as the anti-tamper is disabled, true to his word. He hands it back

7:01 PM

(you can ask the device any question you want but certain info might cause a programing check)

“Thank you. Can you show me the contact information for whoever was handling you?” (I want to copy that contact code over to give to the authorities and Dimitri. I’m also going to look to see if there’s any GPS-type history in it that tracks his movements, so we can identify where the drop occurred for the bomb.)

7:10 PM

(Also any sort of message history of communication was text based. Or any voice recordings of conversations)

You do find a location, deep in the jungle near the diamond dog's former camp, though still only a few hours walk around trip. The messages have no number attached to them, and he was never able to reply (think like, if you block someone, the actual text entry box vanishes)

7:23 AM

but they do seem to instruct him through the pickup and operation process

(Will need to look up the Diamond Dogs now. Is there any specific use of blackmail in the communications? “Remember, you need to do this or we’ll make life hard for you” kind of things.)

(They were the victims of the bombing attack, thats really all it was, just plagued by sabotage the entire time, and yeah, theres plenty of that, he could not reply but they did threaten him.)

(Perfect) I sit back after some time spent working through the compad, “Damn, Mal. They really had you tied up. I can only imagine what that was like.”

"I did things I never thought I'd do, but somehow I knew it would always come down to me in a cell somewhere. As long as my family was safe, that's all I cared abotu"

“I can’t tell you this ends with you not in custody. But I will argue to get you a reduced sentence. It’s wrong that they used you as their tool. What else have you done for them? Anything we can use to build a pattern of interests.” (Trying to get as many data points as I can for Dimitri and the authorities to paint a picture. We may not get a name from Malchris but we might be able to narrow it down to interested parties based on what they were having him do. I’m cool RPing the entirety of the rest of the conversation or kind of montaging it and jumping to the end of the interview)

"A couple of 'collections' here in Carinhold before going to the island project. Signing up was my own idea, i thought they might not be able to find me there, but they did, and it just turned into a different place to commit crimes in. Whoever they were, they had a vested interest in interrupting the Lazlow Industries/ Diamond dog deal....especially once they began actually mining, ahead of everyone else"

9:59 AM

(It was a gold rush kind of scenario. Six companies all setting down claims, ect)

“Elaborate on ‘collections’, please.” (So there could be five other companies and even outside interests. Kind of bizarre they were using him before the island. I guess we’ll need to look into if any of the companies operated out of Carinhold, too.)

"Money from people who couldn't pay. So they paid in other ways" he looks dwon at the table, clearly ashamed "I didn't want to do it"

I set my jaw, “Who did they owe money to?”

"Taros First League. They promised to support the insurgency and then held back when the UNW foiled their attack on the unification meeting. They saw Lazlow and Diamond dogs poised to welcome humans, I think. Guessing based on what they've said on the news" he says

My heart beats a little faster at the mention of the League. "Was it the same contact every time?" (Loving this. Teasing out more and more)

"Same number every timer, if the same person was on the end of it I ciouldn't tell you"

“Thank you for your help, Mal,” I stand up and collect the items off the table. “I need to report back to my employer now. You’ve provided more information than I anticipated and I really do appreciate your help. I’ll come back to let you know how this all turns out. If I don’t need to talk to you before that with other questions.” I head towards the door and offer one more, “thank you, again.”

"One thing"

8:51 AM

he asks, as you're about to leave

8:51 AM

"My address, my old one....It should be on that compad. Can you check in on my family? "

“I will. Do you want me to tell them anything?”

"Just that I am safe, and I hope I will be out to see them all again soon"

I make sure to look him in the eyes, “I need to take care of some of this work before I can see them, but I will let them know. Goodbye, Mal.”

11:17 AM

I head out into the hallway.

11:18 AM

(Is there a way I can copy Malchris’ data on to my own compad? Or so I can have the data but still be able to leave the pad with the authorities?)

(You can copy the data, I feel like since you're investigating, they'd prefer that as opposed to having evidence leave their custody)

(Great. Or even just making notes/taking pictures of important data.)

11:21 AM

(Also where is the address he gave me? In Carinhold?)

(Yes, in the city here, and however you think Dorian would have catlaloged things to make it easy for him to review it they'd have been ok with)

(Ok cool. Do I know anything about the Taros First League beyond propaganda stuff? Like where they operated from and such)

(They had a base in the notthern icecap, and another one near vapormills but both were destroyed, most of the fighters disbanded or killed, just very loose and unorganized diehards remain, but have gone to ground)

(So it’s bizarre that this former agent of theirs referenced them in a bombing so recently)

(Well, it signifies at least a small subset of them may have gathered their wits)

(Yeah what I was thinking too. Especially if the public thought they’d been dealt with. Where do you want to jump from here? I’d make the call to Dimitri soon after leaving the prison. Before I got to the hotel room.

Dimitri picks up on the third ring, sounding tired, but attentive "Hello Dorian. News?"

“And then some,” I take a steadying breath, “I think remnants from the League might be behind the bombing. Sounds like they were blackmailing the bomb thrower into acting as muscle. I can send you copies of the interview and information. Or bring it to you in person.”

"I'd like for you to bring in everything you've got. I need to forward this to my boss before we go any further, but you've cracked a case that we had thought went cold"

7:43 PM

(3xp, 5000 credits)

“Alright. I need to complete an errand tomorrow morning here in town. Where should I meet you?” (This has been awesome)

(I'm glad! Another PC was trying to have this looked into, let me just check in with her, see what this might evolve into , there might be a part 2 to this if you end up wanting to do it)

(Creeper

)

(At the very least I want to see what I can do to help Malchris and his family. Also seriously love the interconnectedness. Wasn’t expecting it in the first session) (edited)

8:05 PM

(Would you say rent and such fits the “common” lifestyle?)

(We don’t really use that because honestly you’re traveling so much and their are such bigger things going on. As long as you can maintain your gear/pay your followers/upkeep on stuff you own, then we aren’t too concerned about the rest)

(Good to know!)

(It's cool if you want to skip over Dorian passing the message to Mal's family. Dorian would drop off 500 credits for them, hoping to alleviate some of their debt. Also, want to hit a market to grab some stuff if there's one in Carinhold. Armor, supplies. Also a gunsmith/gun store to get another gun)

(Level up: -New Focus: Close combatant 1, stab free skill -+1 free skill for partial expert-> Talk 0 -+1 SP -> Program 0 -+2 SP -> Shoot 1 -New Goal: Alleviate Malchris' sentence)

(There’s a market here just list what you want and I’ll tell you if something isn’t available. It’s book price for gear)

(Shopping list: Armored undersuit 600 cred Laser pistol 200 cred SMG (do these come in pistol sizes? Their encumbrance is the same as other pistols, I’m thinking like a G18. If that’s not doable, just one that can be easily transported in a bag for trips) 200 cred Glowbugs x10 50 cred Rope TL4 20m 40 cred Survival kit 60 cred Navcomp 500 cred Low-light goggles 200 cred Telescoping pole 10 cred Thermal flare x3 15 cred Solar Recharger 500 cred Type A battery x2 20 cred) (edited)

11:52 AM

(I’m anticipating a trip to the jungle and/or mining locations. Pretty sure I’m overpacking but it seems to fit the character)

(It'd imagine the SMG is handgun sized, probably with a collapse-able stock or something to compensate for the recoil, everything else is available)

(So big question about that is can I conceal the SMG per the Assassin focus?)

(we ruled that its just melee weapons)

2:25 PM

(since sniper deals with shooting executions)

(Oh ok. I thought it was just to get a free surprise shot. But good to know! Going to have to adjust some plans for the character then lol)

(Gotcha) your contact would like you to come to the office but cautioned that unless he totally misjudged your employer ; she is going to want to become involved personally before this goes much further. All the same, reports need to be made

Perfect. Following my retail therapy session, I head back to the hotel room and begin packing up for the next day. I let Dimitri know I can be at his office tomorrow afternoon/evening to give the full report. In the morning, I head to the address Malchris gave me to make contact with his family.

(Also change that laser pistol to a laser rifle)

(Reading over 'Assassin' focus again. Is it ruled that the execution benefit is only for melee weapons? But you can still conceal a pistol type gun and use it per the first level of the focus? Or is it the whole focus only applies to melee weapons?)

(Its as is, a point blank ranged attack is different from an actual execution attack, so they sort of sidestepped the issue with it)

(Got it.)

(If we’re waiting to do the second part of the job until Svenka returns to planet, I’d like to see what options there are for mitigating Mal’s sentence.)

Mal's family lives in a home, though it is dingy and run down, at the northern outskirts of the city. There was a complete picket fence around the yard once, but some sections of it are overgrown, and the planks in a few places have been kicked over entirely, rotten sections sticking out of the lawn like broken teeth.

9:59 AM

A once vibrant but now very dim and peeling red door sits in front of the house, glass top section yellowed and covered in a haze of pollen

I take a moment to observe the entire house, drawing parallels to families I knew when I was younger. Finally, I make my way up to the front door and knock loudly.

There is a crash of something inside and a muffled curse before the door slowly opens. A disheveled looking taros woman opens the door, a faded pink dressing gown hanging off her wraith like skinny frame, even for a taros

“Ahem,” I shuffle a bit, “I’m a fr- acquaintance of Malchris. He asked me to come by and check on you all.”

Her eyes get a bit wide. “You’ve. You’ve heard from him? You’ve heard from my Mal?”

I feel uneasy, “I have. He got into a bit of trouble, but he’s alive and safe. He wanted me to tell you he’ll try to get home soon.”

she seems to straighten a bit as if some kind of weight has literally fallen from her shoulders. "I thought he just ran off on me....I...Thank you, for telling me this" The sun seems to shine a bit brighter on the front of the house, in sympathy, perhaps

“No. Not that,” I say. “He recently did some work for me, and I have his payment. Can I leave it with you?”

“You can” she says with relief. “You can’t tell me what kind of work he was doing, can you?”

“He’s helping me with some consulting work. He’s been pivotal in the case,” I say with a smile. “Honestly, if he’s up for it, I’d like to work with him again. Try to lay into him a bit about it, not sure how good of an impression I left on him. Anyways, here’s his payment.” I transfer over the 500 credits.

“This is going to help with some bills we fell behind on. I can breathe a lot easier now”

3:17 PM

She almost slumps into the door, her expression contented. “I’ll see what I can do Mr...”

“Guerra. And,” I add tapping on the compad screen, “here’s an advance to try and convince him to keep working with me.” Another 300 credits. “Mal seems like a good man, just caught up in some shit circumstances. I’ve been there before.”

3:47 PM

(I’ll adjust credit level when I get home) (edited)

(Sounds good) “It’s a common thing for us especially after the wars. Thank you for this kindness. Thank you so much” She is such a light thing that you hardly feel her clutch you in a hug until she’s there

I squeeze back, “of course. A Little kindness goes pretty far in this world. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything.” I pass along my comm frequency. “I wish I could stay longer to chat. But I have some prior obligations.”

"Of course. you've been kind enough already giving us the time you have. Thank you" She hesitates in the door for a moment, before it softly closes, and the latch is thrown on the other end

I take a moment to gather myself. After brushing some nonexistent dirt from my coat and eyes, I turn on my heel; heading towards the closest transit center. (What city is Dimitri’s office in?)

(This one) The office is downtown, in a tall building made of a ghostly green steel, and glass a crystal light blue. It is flecked with sparkles of some sort of silvery material mixed into the alloy, and it catches the sun like a dazzling glitter coat. The lobby is open to the public and you see on the elevator registry he is located on the 8th floor.

(Cool. I left my bag and most of my guns at the hotel then. Just the smg and monoknife concealed on my person.) I sign in at the guest check-in if there is one. Does Lazlow Industries own the whole building? Or just rents a couple floors?

Lazlow has a small office here, mostly used just for interviews before people who are deemed acceptable are sent to the island out east

I call an elevator car and head up to the 8th floor. (How tall is the building? Is 8th towards the top? Also are there a lot of buildings this height in Carinhold?) (edited)

(8th is toward the bottom, its like NYC as far as size/style)

2:21 PM

(but futureeee)

(Green steel is Gudrun’s chrome. Got it.)

The floor is empty but for the Lazlow industries office, there is a clerk typing away at a computer when you first enter. The interior is very dated, with wood paneling and a laminate floor that has been valiantly polished, but still losing the battle of yellowing with time

“Good afternoon, or is it still morning?” I say, cheerfully, “I have an appointment with Dimitri. Is he in?”

'I never know either" the clerk replies wearily. "Dimitir is in,. who should I tell him is calling?"

“Right, sorry. Dorian Guerra with Guerra Consulting.” I give my best professional smile.

There is a loud electric buzz, and the secure door hidden in the wall opens, and you see the faint blue electronic glow of an office on the other side. "Head in"

I grin widely at the reveal. “I really hope the bathrooms are marked better than that,” I say and head into the office.

You step in as a man approaching elderly for a Taros sits behind a desk, typing away and putting some notes in a drawer , he motions for you to sit down

I sit, leaning forward to offer my hand out in greeting, “nice to put a face to the voice.”

"The same, you've been a busy man"

7:05 AM

"So I'd like to take your report, so i know what to forward on to our employer"

“Right. Busy, but not as busy as others have been. Your bomber’s name is Malchris. He’s been blackmailed and coerced into operating as the strong arm for the people handling him. From the sounds of it, they’re remnants of the First League. They’ve an interest in disrupting your business with the Diamond Dogs, probably because of our people’s’ cooperation but I can’t be sure without some more digging. I imagine they have some presence on the island, as they did the drop for the bomb there. Otherwise, I have no real clue where they might be hiding out.”

7:10 AM

“I have a few suggestions regarding how to go forward, but obviously I’ll defer to Lazlow’s judgement since you’re signing the paychecks.”

7:12 AM

I sit back, arms resting on the chair.

The door opens again and Svenka walks in, observer drone in tow. “Sorry I’m late, had some business to take care of. I didn’t even know we had an office here.”

9:56 AM

“I got what you just said” She points to her earpiece, taking it off “So, Malchris? And where is he now?”

I stand and turn to face her. "Afternoon. Dorian Guerra," I say with hand outstretched, "As for Mal, he's in lockup here in Carinhold. Been put through the ringer by the looks of it, too."

“He has been mistreated? Oh, sorry - Svenka Vilnovha. I kicked off this investigation.”

"I'd say so, though I'm not going to assume the specifics of his capture. He wasn't talking, and so the authorities took to some rather more direct methods."

“The whole point of releasing someone to the authorities is that they don’t treat them that way... is he willing to work with us? I didn’t think this would be this big. The First League cutting down Taros - What is the connection to the other companies that were vying for the resource rights on the island?”

I grunt something noncommittal, “I’m not sure how willing he’ll be to work for you, all things considered. But I think he may work with me.” I shrug before continuing, “I don’t know if the First League was targeting anyone besides your company’s interests. Honestly, I’m not even 100% sure it’s them. The evidence is certainly pointing that direction but it’s all circumstantial at this point. We need to figure out how to get ahold of Mal’s handler. Possibly scout the island or even see if we can backtrack flights through the area when he received the bomb. Honestly, I’ve exhausted my contacts currently. I’ll need more time and resources if you want to pursue this. And I’ll need Mal.”

She nods “He did something unconscionable, although it sounds like there were mitigating circumstances... I’m interested in getting to the bottom of this and holding those who are behind this publicly accountable. What do you need?”

“Oh absolutely, I’m not trying to gloss over that. Mal’s actions resulted in the death of at least one person. I’d like to think his employment with me would be a sort of recovery,” I take a moment before continuing, “as for what u need to continue the investigation; I’m not really sure on specifics. I’ll see what I can find in Carinhold. I think heading to the jungle by the mining sites is a good idea as well. See what I can find by the old Diamond Dog camp. It’d help to have Mal there to show me where the drop occurred.”

“And resources wise? Financial or other? I’ll support your bringing ‘Mal’ along, and I hope he can make better choices in future.”

“I’ll need travel paid for. And access to whatever information we can scrounge up about the League and known or suspected bolt holes. Whatever wasn’t cleared out after they were removed from play. I don’t know how you’d like me to proceed if I find whoever is behind this. Are we going to the authorities? Or dealing with this,” a pause, “in house?”

*she rubs her forehead, you can see the forced professional demeanour slipping. “I don’t want to see anyone unnecessarily hurt because of this. I’m not happy that Mal was mistreated - we are measured by how we treat our prisoners... let’s keep it in house for now. So, what is your rate and how much will you need for incidentals?”

(I’m about to throw out some numbers, let me know if they’re crazy) I wait a moment before responding, “Fifteen thousand a month would be a flat fee. Otherwise seven and cover whatever may crop up with extra costs. Bribes, equipment, injuries, et cetera. Plus whatever bonus you deem fit for completing the jobs and meeting objectives.” (edited)

Svenka smiles, keys in on her datapad and slides it over - $60,000 “4 month contract - if you finish this sooner, I’ll have other work for you-either for me or the UNW. You have any issues with going offworld?”

I try to cover up an incredulous laugh by coughing, failing pretty spectacularly, “urgh, excuse me. Yes that’d be fine. As for trips off planet, I’d be more than willing to go.”

“Good - we are going to need people like you in the coming days.” She types in details on her datapad and a new contact pops up on your device along with a money transfer. “Keep me appraised, I’ll be heading offworld in a few days.” She gets up and heads for the door, then stops. “You should get a drone if you don’t have one already - very handy for surveillance.” with that, She leaves

(Thanks for stopping by!) I turn back to Dimitri, “well, that was productive. What do we need to do to get Malchris out of custody?”

"Well, we need to get a writ filed that...well, its not an exoneration, but it would release him to you as an asset for an ongoing investigation. Almost like a modified police informant deal. "

8:16 PM

"Problem is though, if he gets away, or otherwise escapes justice, you're going to share in the crime. It's an ill favored but effective legal vehicle"

“I understand. That’s about what I was thinking.”

I rub my chin in thought, “how long do you think this’ll take?” (edited)

"I could get the writ out by tonight, but you're going to need to demonstrate your investigation is moving forward after that, otherwise he goes back to jail"

"That's more than doable. I'll explore my contacts in Carinhold over the next few days and see what I can scrounge up. If nothing runs out from the rocks I flip, I'll head out to the mining island with Mal and see if we can track down any First League trails. Can you look into pulling aircraft data from the date and location of where the drop occured? See if any unregistered flights or anything just out of the ordinary. These guys have been hiding out for some time, it's not going to be easy to find them; and they're going to scatter into the wind when we do. So let's be ready for that eventuality." I stand and offer my hand to Dimitri again, "Thank you for the oppurtunity here."

“Thank you for what you’ve done so far. Svenka has money but that doesn’t mean she enjoys spending it where it doesn’t bear fruit”

(Yeah, get me some

!)

(Gotta get that

) "Send the writ to whoever needs it. I'm going to head back over to the prison and grab Malchris. Let me know when we get those flight plans, or if something comes up and I need to do some grunt work to get ahold of them." I head out of the office, making sure to say by to the assistant. The trip to the prison is spent thinking about ways to start making contacts in Carinhold (Connected Focus, I think I've been here 2 days of the 7 needed to start taking advantage of it). Hopefully Mal will have some leads we can hit sooner than that.

(yeah that is correct) The writ is in place by time you get to the prison and Mal is in the process of getting his street clothes on. A small red spot on his neck is a source of irritation for him, and he keeps rubbing at it through the discharge process. You're permitted to watch and ensure he is being treated better, and after an hour he is given his belongings back, and turned loose to your custody

I smile as warmly as I can when he gets to me, “Hey, Mal. Welcome to the other side.”

"Good to be on the other side" he says, with a bit more confidence than he feels "So what happens now. I'm assuming there's some kind of path you had in mind for solving this?"

I start walking, “We’re starting in Carinhold for now. Get our ears to the ground and see what information we can find about any Leaguers still active in town. Any direction you can point us in for that? An area they frequently had you working in for example?” My brow furrows after watching him rub the spot on his neck again, “What’s that?”

"Tracker I think. They gave me some kind of shot as I was getting released. I've heard of them doing that to other people before."

“Hmm...well it’s not necessarily a huge complication, but it’s definitely annoying. Anyways, any ideas on where to start here in town?”

9:46 AM

“Oh!” My eyes widen, “Lets start with the list of people who owed money to the League. You don’t need to tag along for this tonight. Pass me the list and I’ll make sure you get home alright.”

(I don’t think I did this right on the level up, but I added a goal to reduce Malchris’s sentence. Honestly thought I was going to have to bribe some people lol)

(Nah take it, you bothered enough to follow up)

(What’s the reward for goals?)

(Its on your character sheet. I assigned XP, I believe I have this one at a 4)

11:25 AM

(*3)

(Sick. Thanks!)

"I mean, I know I owed money, but I don't know who else may have. I never worked with anyone else on my little jobs. ....wait a moment..youre asking about my victims?"

(I was under the impression he just beat up people like mob muscle. Was he saying he killed them?? haha)

(no he beat them up but they were still victims of a violent act)

(Ok just making sure I read that right) I shrug, "Yeah, your victims. Another reason why you don't need to go with me to meet them. If they owed money to the League before, maybe they still do. Maybe they've been contacted since the purge." I stop midstep, "How did they keep tabs on you before?"

"Gumshoe stuff, and luck. Just asking around the neighborhood. I was dirt poor, not like I was going anywhere"

“Do those people they’d ask before know where your family lives now?”

"The people I beat? or my former handlers?"

“Either? Both? Aren’t you worried they’ll know you’re talking to the authorities? Or at least Lazlow’s hired PI?”

"I think if we can roll this up fast enough it won't be a problem in either case, but we're going to need to work fast. Cat's already out of the bag, as it were

“Then we’ll be fast. If you think your family might be in danger, you need to tell me. Dimitri and Lazlow Industries might have contacts to get them safe. Are you coming with me to talk to those people? Or are you wanting to spend the night with your family while I work through the list?”

10:07 AM

“Unless you have a pro-First League contact or two you can point me in the direction of. Or if you think you can contact your handlers without them first initiating contact.”

"Let me see my family. Seeing me there again with you might give them the wrong idea, and will be a waste of time we already don't have. Just come by tonight and pick me up, and we can keep going"

(What time is it?) “Sounds good. Call me if anything is awry. And don’t stick around if your gut is telling you to leave. Take them with if we need to hide them.” I discuss the contacts a bit more with Mal and work with him to decide which one is most likely to still be in contact with TFL members. We part ways, and plan to meet back up in a few hours.

11:12 AM

On my way to the first contact, I send a quick message to @Svenka [Tig/M’Ranni] regarding the family:

Ms. Vilnovha,
I realize I forgot an important part of this investigation. Our asset’s family may be at risk if the Leaguers find out he’s working with us. Any protection or suggestions for how to keep them out of danger would be appreciated. Considering setting up a safe house for them for the duration.

-Guerra

(edited)

(late afternoon by time we did the meeting, getting him out of jail and now getting your bearings)

(Great. I’m going to strongly suggest to him that we hide the family until we’re done when I see him next. But for now let him have some time with them.)

++Encrypted:Unknown++
 How quietly and quickly do you want this handled? I can get them someplace safe today, but it wont be quiet. Send the details.

(Dorian has no idea what the League Lingerers are capable of. He’s working off the assumption that they’re still as nefarious as ever and potentially as deadly. Just in a more shadowy way and smaller group. During the walk I want to use my Connected Focus and make contact with an old friend in Central who can help set up a safe house in preparation for moving the family.) (Message to Connected friend, fun code words from Dorian’s criminal days)

Re: Moving day
Hey Perry!
I need to set up a storage unit for some antique furniture I want moved. Can you get one ready by tomorrow? It’s a full dining set, table with a few chairs.

Let me know what you got. 
-Guerra

(Message to @Svenka [Tig/M’Ranni])

++Encrypted:Unknown++
Setting something up. For now, do you have any spare eyes and/or guns to watch the place until I move them? I have some leads I’m following up on.

(edited)

(we're on 2 of 7 days still though, i dont think it works yet, let me look)

11:36 AM

(oh central, gotcha)

(

)

eyes yes, guns no, not right now. Are my operations imperiled?

I don’t think so. Just an abundance of caution where family is involved.

How soon is the move?

Movers show up tomorrow morning.

++Encrypted:Unknown++
I’ll get something quiet set up. Heading there now.

The message is read, and not replied to, but then again, they so rarely are when matters like this are on the line

(Great!) I breathe out some tension, shaking my fingers loose. (If I can, I swing by the hotel and grab my pack since I don’t plan on staying there again.)

(yeah we can just say you picked up your gear)

(Alright cool)

You get an automated reply that help is moving, but otherwise are now left to continue things

I continue heading towards the contact provided by Mal. (Is it a business? Or house?)

The first location is a home. It looks to be a split home, down the middle with a second unit on the back side

9:46 PM

The siding is a neon blue while the front is a bit plain. The yard is unkempt behind a chain link half fence

I make my way up the path to the porch, taking my time to not disturb whatever might be on the ground. After a quick glance towards the windows, I knock on the door; carefully standing to the side.

The door has a small hatch set into the top middle, with a metal mesh over it. It opens "Yes?"

7:19 AM

You see two bloodshot, pale green eyes looking back at you

I give them a warm smile, “Good afternoon! My name is Dorian Guerra with Guerra Consulting, I’m looking for (whatever the name is). Can you help me?”

++Encrypted:Unknown++
Onsite with the family - 4 of them, have protections in place. Let me know ETA.

++Encrypted:Unknown++
Will relieve you this evening. 
Transportation being arranged.

10:11 AM

@Svenka [Tig/M’Ranni]

"Might be me. What's Guerra consulting want?"

My smile turns a bit more genuine at their suspicion, “I’m currently investigating some acts against Lazlow Industries. I think your past might be tied to it. I have a few questions.”

11:05 AM

I put my hand out placatingly, “To be clear, you’re not under suspicion of the acts. I think information you may have can save some lives down the road.”

"I'd be happy to answer your questions if you're able to ask them from out there"

I shrug, “fine by me. Have you ever owed money to the Taros First League?”

++Encrypted:Unknown++
People here - they yours?

++Encrypted:Unknown++
No. I’ll wrap up here and head back.

1:26 PM

@Svenka [Tig/M’Ranni]

++Encrypted:Unknown++
Understood, prepped to engage.

"I did, I squared that debt with them a long time ago"

“Who did you owe the money to specifically? What’s their name?”

"A bookie, Torian, he worked at the fighting gym here working the amaterur bout circuit "

“Hmm, alright. Is Torian still around? Or have you had contact with anyone in the League since they were brought down by the UNW?”

"Torian's still around the gym. I don;'t think he could stay away from the fight clubs if he tried"

“Thanks. You wouldn’t happen to have any contact information for him would you?” I’m starting to wrap up the questioning and request a car through the compad to come pick me up.

He thinks for a moment. "Wait here"

7:04 PM

You see the hatch stay open, but he moves away from it, deeper into the strange home, and you hear him shuffling around some papers, before the mail slot opens

7:04 PM

a yellowed photograph, an honest to the gods actual printed out photograph, is being fed through the mailslot

I take the photo and examine it, “people still use these? Is this Torian?” (edited)

"Thats him. He can't stay away from the gyms. You'll find him without much trouble"

“Thank you. I really do appreciate it. Best of luck to you,” I turn and start walking to the street.

8:18 PM

My mind preoccupied with the messages sent by Svelka earlier.

The gym in question is not far away, and a small crowd is gathering to watch an exhibition match scheduled for today. Betting is occurring rapidly, and small piles of credit sticks change hands. One man seems to be at the center of it all, but there are too many bodies in the way to see him clearly

(Is there somewhere I can get an elevation advantage? Like bleachers? Or does the crowd have enough space to let me through?)

++Encrypted:Unknown++
Unsure - potential attackers onsite, ready.

(Theyre milling about in front of the doors waiting to get in. this isnt organized at all. Nowhere closeby to get an elevated perch)

I start pushing through the crowd to try and see who’s at the front.

(On a 24hr shift. May be slow responding through the day tomorrow)

You see the man identified in the picture , and he is in the center of all of it, taking small handfuls of credit sticks here and there as his fee for organizing the betting

I push up, trying to get in shouting distance, “hey! HEY! Who’s favored tonight?”

“The iron duchess! She’s back!” Someone from the crowd says as money keeps changing hands.

“1000 on the Duchess!” I yell, trying to get closer to Torian. (edited)

4:07 PM

(Quick edit to 1000, seems like a bigger bet, more likely to get attention.)

Most of the gamblers move aside, and Torian begins moving toward you, eyes hungering for the fee that comes with such a large bet. "1,000 on the duchess eh? someone's confident!" he booms with laughter

I smirk a bit, “you have to be in my line of work.”

“Fair enough. Let’s have the stick then” he says as he reaches out through the crowd for it

(Stick for credits? Like a thumb drive?)

(Yeah)

I start to hand it over, “hey you look familiar! Have we met? Out on the circuit?” (edited)

“I see so many faces friend” he says, his tone affable. He doesn’t seem to suspect anything untoward

“Nah, that’s not it...” I stare off into the middle distance for a moment. (I have some responses, but one of them would put a human/Taros gang into the world. The goal being to piss him off or get a rise for suggesting he’d work with humans. If you’re not cool with casual worldbuilding stuff like that, I’ve got other things I’d want to say to him) (edited)

(Normally I wouldn't mind, but the players have done an absolute shitload of work to make Gudrun pretty lawful, so another issue for them to deal with because someone just said something casual would not go over well)

(Works for me, glad I asked) My eyes light up, “Oh shit! You ran with Malchris!”

I pull the stick back and begin hastily making my way out of the crowd, hoping he follows.

He follows, the excitement of the crowd continuing as lesser numbers men try to fill the sudden and unexplained gap

I pick up the pace, not running but heading towards the closest alley. When I turn the corner, I palm my monoblade and continue walking down the alley.

(Lets get a sneak/dex vs his notice, if you're leading him away and readying a weapon)

12:03 PM

(This even to him probably looks pretty sketchy)

(I believe it, kind of the goal here) (7)

(9) "Whoa, whoa, this isn't my first day on the job, I'm not leaving the crowd. I know you've probably got a whole bunch of your buddies over in that alley who are just begging to beat the living daylights out of me and take the bets I've collected"

“Oh it’s just me, Torian. And i have a few questions, but I wasn’t about to take a chance with you in an alley.” I make a point sliding the knife back into its sheath. (edited)

"You can ask me whatever you want to ask me right here. Your voice works just as well"

I shrug, “Suit yourself. Are you with whoever is trying to disrupt the mining operations up north?”

++Encrypted:Unknown - voice message++
4 heavily armed cyborgs - I need backup if you can make it here. Location attached.

(Alright, depending on how Torian responds to the question, this may get messy lol)

"I'm not sure what you mean, the charitable causes I donate to arent under any obligation to disclose how they use the money"

“Did you order the hit on Malchris?”

12:22 PM

(Already calling a car to pick me up if I can do that)

12:23 PM

(How long will it take to drive to Svenka and Mal?)

(You won't make it in time)

12:28 PM

"Order it? I am a finance manager sir, not a common criminal or thug. I simply make money, for a fee, and make others rich too"

“Cut the bullshit. I know what you are. You’re a handler. Call the hit off.”

"oh that's out of my hands. They won't listen to me"

“Make them,” I step closer to him, closing the distance.

12:31 PM

“Five grand, in your pocket right now. Get them to call it off.”

"I cant!" he says, growing frustrated. "I do not have that sort of relationship, I don't even know who's doing this!"

“Do. Not. Fuck with me on this. Kids might die tonight, and if they do I’m coming back to you to collect. So ANYTHING you can do to stop this, you need to do it now.” I’m right in front of him.

(You can take a talk check if you want, to see if hes telling the truth, talk/wis)

(12)

(He's telling the truth)\

2:56 PM

"I can't do the things you accuse me of being able to do. I'm not going to reveal my clients, either, because then I'm just as dead as whoever you're trying to protect"

“How do they contact you? Can you give me anything on them? Point me in the right direction at least.” (edited)

"We have a drop, once a month, we meet in The Silicon, in Vapormills, and money changes hands. Different person every time"

(Would I know IC what The Silicon is? I don’t recognize the name OOC.) “When was the last meet? And when’s the next one? Are you the only one who shows up or do you bring muscle with you?” I tap away a message while talking to him.

(its a dance club in Vapormills. IC you would probably, its a pretty upscale nightlife sort of thing_

5:55 PM

(rich kid playground, lots of taros there with purely cosmetic cybernetics, ect, basically like any club on the las vegas strip)

(Surprising they work in such a high end place. Opens up a lot more questions about who exactly is operating here.)

"Last meet was last month. Next one is next week, we pushed it back one since the fights were tonight. I'm allowed one guard due to the amount of credits I'm carrying"

6:01 PM

(Your talk check before was really good, so JSYN, he's telling the truth)

“How bad would it look if you showed up with a human guard?” (edited)

"Incredibly. They'd shoot me only nanoseconds before you"

I let out a wry chuckle, “Figured as much. Fine. Give me your comm freq. I want whoever you meet with, and I’ll provide you a guard as well. One with the correct racial traits, of course,” I gesture with the credit stick; hinting at payment.

He thinks for a moment, and hands over his compad, for you to copy it, grabbing at the credit stick

“Three thousand. Two more when I have the contact.”

6:17 PM

“And,” I add with emphasis, “you don’t bolt on me.”

(All the information would be transferred, contact included, you'd just have to sift through the messages yourself to grab the thread. Basically like going through someones texts on their phone)

(Awesome. When I said contact, I meant whoever he meets with as well)

(I think that's where I'm getting lost. as far as electronically communicating with whoever it/they are, that frequency would be included in what he's giving you. He doesnt have a consistent person he deals with, like he said)

6:20 PM

(Or did you mean once the meeting happens)

(Right, so I want the electric contact info of whoever contacts him. I also want the person he ends up meeting with on this next one)

6:21 PM

(I really need to spell my intentions out better in this format haha, been doing a terrible job)

(oh okay, gotcha, so its not that important he is probably never going to meet again for however youre planning this, with you now)

(Ah. Makes sense. Then I’ll just pay him for the contact info. 3k)

He looks around nervously as the data copies, and as soon as it looks like you might be done, he makes to reach for the compad

I hold it away from him, long enough to make sure it copied over to my compad. Once it verifies the transfer I had back the pad and the stick. “I’m leaving. I think it’s in both of our interests that you don’t tell anyone about this transaction.” I turn and leave without getting a response. When I reach the street I flag down the first cab (if there are cabs in Carinhold) I find.

(3xp, 5000 credits)

8:40 PM

The car arrives after a moment of waiting at the end of the street for it, previous traffic clearing out as the signal changes. The car is a towncar, with two rows of seats and privacy screens between the driver, and yourself. It is also secured from outside observation

(How are cars operated here? Actual person or automated?)

(It was 100% automated for a long time, then there was an incident where the TFL tried to false flag attack the city VI core controlling them all, it was stopped, but the VI was damaged, now its a mix of VI and people for the ones it can no longer stretch itself to drive.) The screen is up inside the car right now, so you cannot see if it has an actual flesh and blood driver.

I keep the screen up and indicate I want to be dropped off a block from Malchris’ house. “If there’s a person driving this car, an extra 50 if you get there fast.” Then I start assembling my laser rifle from the pack and getting ready for whatever might be there. I send a message out to Svenka.

(Shes quite a bit further back in time atm , so let me see how things resolve there, and we'll see where into the scene you come in)

(Yeah perfect. I figured there’d need to be some sort of catch up here. I’ll adjust my character sheet when I get a chance for the level up to 3. If they’re still fighting or whatever, I can move to her channel since I’m crossing into her side mission)

(Level 3- Hit points rolled as 12, same as before improved by 1 hp to 13hp total Part Expert 1SP into Heal-0 3SP into Shoot-2)

(if it matters: on the drive I'm tossing most of my kit into the backpack. On my person is the laser rifle, 4 power packs, low-light goggles, monoblade, compad, and a pair of lazarus patches. Everything else is stowed.)

(As long as you only have readied the amount you can, everything else is good)_

(Meant is there a document on the Sons?)

(there isn't)

8:36 AM

(Their founder died before he could really do anything with them, and they've only been tangentially related to Svenka's efforts so far. It's only a few dudes on grav bikes, they dont really have the clout to merit a faction)

(Ah alright. I’ve got a shopping list for some stuff I want to buy and I’ll get it in discord some time today. Kid had a rough night so I’m trying to catch up on sleep today.)

(No worries, I'm going to have an early tonight myself)

(For shopping, are combat armor variant available to civilians on Gudrun? Also what city would the Marshals/CIS be in? To update them on the TFL problem)

(Central for the cis. Everything but the storm armor is available but obviously walking around the city in combat gear is frowned upon if you’re not working in an official capacity)

(Great, since everyone made it out of Carinhold in mostly one piece, I’ll start heading back to central. I’d also send a message off to Perry apologizing that their services aren’t needed anymore but I’ll be in town in case they need anything. Goal is to hit up the CIS office and then grab some equipment to try and get my kit more in-line with the military grade enemies.)

The office of the CIS is in Central, and you're met at the desk when you arrive by a clerk, busy typing up reports under the light of a sunlight bulb plugged into the ceiling. The windows are open letting the cool spring breeze blow in.

Feeling a little embarrassed for not even calling ahead, I smile at the clerk, “Good morning, or is it afternoon? Good day. I’m here at the request of Lazlow Industries.” (Is it reasonable to assume Svenka gave me a name to ask for when I got here? Or anything so I don’t look like a conspiracy theorist waltzing I’m off the street lol)

(She would know Marcion's name, having rubbed shoulders with intel agents during the operation to take Creusa. Sadly, the actual field agents she knew are both deceased)

(Yes - she would have given you his contact info - and he is the one you talked with in the council meeting)

(Perfect. So let’s say I name dropped Marcion with the clerk. Also wasn’t sure how much of the council conversation is applicable to real time events)

(Fair enough, appreciate the asking first) "Ah you're looking for Provost Marcion? He's off world right now, but depending on the nature of the visit, we might be able to get a call through. Can you give me some information about what CIS can do for you?'

“It’s information about an ongoing investigation that we feel the intelligence service should be aware of. I can hand it off to one of his subordinates if he’s unavailable.”

(If youre trying to work for them in an official capacity, we can tag him. I dont want you to feel like this was fruitless)

(Oh no not that. This is just to IC read the CIS into the problem and investigation, and to ask for any resources they may have. I know it’s a goal and it still is but Dorian’d feel weird starting to work for someone else while still employed by Lazlow/Svenka. Totally open to working with them for this, and joining them later on.)

Gotcha) “Alright well if it’s taking a report I can certainly assist with that. Can you be as detailed as possible about what occurred? And where?”

(Did we ever stop to see what race the cyborg/revenants were? Also is this just like a welcome desk guy or someone who looks like they’ll know what to do with the info?)

(You didn’t stop and she’s a marshal she’s just doing her admin day)

(Cool cool) If there’s a chair at the desk I sit down. If not, I lean forward, “Alright, so buckle up. First off, there was a shootout in Carinhold last night. That’s all related and you should probably take the case from the local cops. Secondly, we’ve reason to believe the Taros First League wasn’t wiped out and is in fact still active and capable of serious damage to UNW assets. They’ve already bombed a Lazlow Industries survey plane and are probably behind the attempted hit in Carinhold. Frankly, it’s a bit beyond Lazlow’s private capabilities and we feel it was best to alert you all to the situation.” I sit back, breathing a little heavier after relaying it all.

“Plus, we were hoping you might have the capabilities to track down a comm freq for us to hopefully give a location on where the source might be.”

"I see. We do have an EWF ship we can get the information over to, they can review the frequency and scan the area for communications over the last few days, thats certainly an option. Likewise, we can make a recommendation that further efforts to weed out terror cells are conducted. The provost is going to have to decide the next course of action on this, but the cybernetic assassins is certain to get his attention"

"That'd be perfect. I'll give you my comm freq to reach me at so you can update me on the progress. Ideally, we'd like to work hand in hand with CIS on the matter. I hope that won't be too much trouble for your agency." I smile, attempting to seem endearing.

"Above my paygrade, but we can't keep people safe from situations we don't know about. I'll see you get the recognition for your work so far"

“Appreciate it. I’ll be in town for the next day or two at least. Please let me know what you find with the data.” I offer my compad to transfer the information over.

(After handing off the data, I’d like to go do some shopping. Mainly want to buy a drone, second apartment/residence/storage place I can turn into a safe house, and car)

(Alright. I would need specs for the drone and the car is book price. If you want to modify it there’s rules in engines of Babylon

(Ghostwalker 5k with stationkeeping 1,000 and Observation Suite 250= 6250 Motorcycle TL4 5k with cargox1 and smuggler comp 1k= 6k Total 12,250)

(Alright. Drone looks good.

(Great. I’ve got some equipment I want to buy as well. More military grade stuff, don’t know if I need to RP contacts for that or what. CDU, maybe a milspec rifle, sniper, and some various other things. Dorian’s decently rattled by the cyborgs, definitely a step up from the usual toughs he’s dealt with in the past)

Youre given contact information for a man named Pops who recently in addition to becoming the UNW master at arms, is now in charge of the old colonial fabrication shop as well. It's previous owner, Hals Kelbore was recently incarcerated and is awaiting conviction as a spy. His trial is expected to be a long, drawn out, and very public affair

(Who was he spying for?) I make my way to Pops’ shop. A little on edge moving through the city. It wasn’t long ago where I could move through Central and recognize at least a couple faces during a trip. Now, though, assassins might be in any alleyway or shadow. When I reach Pops’, I see the message from Marcion. I respond before going inside.

(The Remnant, and the Brothers of Fenris, but the Remnant is no longer a problem)

(Oh so some heavy hitters then. What’s the shop like under Pops’ supervision?)

Mr Guerra,

We can meet at the Marshal building in Carinhold. I have work I can do there, they will let me know when you arrive.

Marcion Delgato

I'll meet you at the office in Central then.

( @opscomm I’ll head over once I buy the stuff I want from Pops)

(Yeah, no rush dude)

Pops is a middle aged man with a large belly and a grease stained leather apron. He’s hard at work on a mag rifle when you get there but quickly halts his labors when you arrive. The hundreds of other technicians in his shop all working on weapons and armor do not cease their labors

I start speaking, realize that my voice isn't carrying over the din and start over, "Hey! Are you Pops? I was told you could help me with some armament issues I might have!"

“I can help if you’re looking for some weapons and armor. I’ve got plenty on display in the showroom and of course I’m here to assist if you need it. I didn’t get your name”

“Right sorry. I’m Dorian Guerra. I’m doing some consulting work with Lazlow Industries and turns out I may need some better hardware.” I shrug before continuing, “I guess I’ll start with armor. I have an undersuit that seems like more than enough day to day activities and misadventures; but I could really use something that offers more protection. Military grade armor. I’m not looking for anything powered since that’s a bit outside of my logistic capabilities,” I hastily add.

“Well we have some refurbished woven armor, and a combat field uniform here in a few different sizes. Just a matter of your ability to pay at that point”

“Does cash work?” Laughing at my own I continue, “the combat field uniform with some webbing will most fit what I need. Willing to splurge if it means less chance of gaining new ventilation.”

“The gods saw fit to already give you the right amount of holes. Combat field uniform it is then”

"Glad you agree, now for guns. I have a laser rifle currently, but we had an encounter with some folks who were a little bit more resilient than the normal person. I know I'd like something that can reach out and touch people, but I also need something that packs a little more punch for closer in engagements. What sort of options do you have here?"

“Depending on how handy you are we could modify your existing weapon. Aside from that , for range I’ve got a selection of sniper rifles. Closer in is tricky. If you’re fighting in confined quarters like that you’ll be using fists and rifle butts before you can draw another weapon”

"Let's add a sniper to the cart then. What sort of modifications are you talking about? I'm not terribly handy unfortunately." (Fix is on the list to improve haha)

(Also, If Marcion’s waiting on me, we can hand wave the rest of this after the mod discussion. Ease your DM load for a day or two lol)

(Head over there just since I’ll be gone for the day. As far as mods let’s make it easy on ourselves and install only what your current maintenance score can support

(I don’t think my fix level let’s me maintain any mods. I’ll just take the sniper and armor for now. And come back for other stuff as I need it. 1400 for both.) I thank Pops for his help, and take my new purchases out to my bike. The armor, sniper, and laser rifle are moved to the smuggler compartment; plus some ammo for each gun. Eventually, I’ll have a go-kit for when I expect trouble in there. Once satisfied that my equipment is stored, I head back to the Marshal office in central. After getting checked in with the Marshal at the desk, I sit back and wait for Marcion.

Marcion comes down the elevator and walks up to him "Mr. Guerra, pleasure to see you again. Please, follow me."

1:28 PM

He leads Dorian to a conference room

After shaking hands, I follow behind the Provost. “Equally a pleasure to meet you as well. I hope we’ll be able to set up a joint investigation that pleases my employer and your agency.”

Marcion sits down at the table "I am confident we will. We take the TFL very seriously here. So, let's start from the beginning, what brought you into this mess?"

I breathe out a long breath, “it feels like ages ago but really only a few days. Are you aware that one of Lazlow Industries’ survey planes was bombed up on the island? One person died, another badly injured. They ended up catching the bomber and turned him over to the authorities. Unfortunately for them and Ms. Vilnovha’s people, he refused to open up about his activities. So, Lazlow put out a job opening for someone to figure out what the hell was going on. Which is where I come in. I was looking for work, and figured this was up my alley. I teased the strings Malchris, the bomber, presented and found a cord that could be tied to the Taros First League survivors. I removed Malchris from jail, and requested Ms. Vilnovha to watch over him and his family. Turns out that was in everyone’s best interest when military grade cyborgs attempted to perform a hit on the bomber and his family. They managed to escape with their lives and are in Ms. Vilnovha’s care. So far all I have is a comm frequency used by the League when they contacted Malchris’ handler.”

2:38 PM

“Which I passed along to one of your Marshals. “

Marcion absorbs the information and thinks for a bit before speaking. "I will start by saying I'm somewhat disappointed we were not contacted earlier, but that is not a big deal. Our first step should be to track this comm frequency, see if it leads anywhere and also investigate the cybernetics. They should have some information that can tell us where they were made and who manufactured them. What kind of business was the survey team doing on the island?"

I shrug, “That wasn’t my decision to make but I get where you’re coming from. My understanding is that the surveys were related to further mining efforts in coordination with the Diamond Dogs.”

"Diamond Dogs?"

“Honestly I don’t know. I didn’t look much into them before the whole cyborg hit men thing.”

"Alright, we can look into their operation after." He takes out his compad and finds where the bodies are being autopsied

(I’m going to work on the assumption that Svenka would have told me about the revenants even though we didn’t explicitly talk about it IC) “Beyond the whole cyborg thing, too, is those attackers had revenant wiring. I’m not sure how common that sort of procedure is, but it may narrow it down to find who may have implanted them. I don’t know if that’s something TFL could manage on their own in their current state.”

"That's why I want to look at the bodies, we may find something in them, some maker's mark that tells us who did the wiring. This kind of tech is expensive and rare, so there is still a broker behind these people. If we find them, we unravel the whole operation."

(I’m following. Just don’t want to interrupt)

I rub my chin a bit, noting the stubble that had built up over the past few days, “Fair point. You definitely have more legitimacy in pulling those records than I do. It may also be worth looking into the owner of Silicon, the club in Vapormills. It’s been a meeting point for the handler and TFL reps. I’d be surprised if something like that has been going down without the owner’s knowledge; if not direct input.”

"Ok, signal, then bodies, then club, lets go."

9:28 PM

Marcion heads down to see Dr. Light

Caught off guard, I hurriedly get up to follow. “Nice to see the Marshals don’t wait around to get things done.”

Dr light is on the orbital platform and as you’re shuttled up to his temporary work space, you cross paths with him about to leave it, discarding a pair of thick rubber gloves into a biohazard burn bin. As always he is wearing a suit under his lab attire

Marcion walks up to him "Dr. Light, do you have a moment?"

(Starting a 24 hr shift tonight. May be slow to respond tomorrow.) I smile and nod in greeting, allowing Marcion to drive the discussion.

“I do. How can I help?” He asks, adjusting his glasses

"Do you have any experience tracking comm frequencies or cybernetics?"

"I'm a man of science not a back of the van black hat, my provost, but I've made some cursory studies into cybernetics. I've been thinking of getting a few myself"

"This is Dorian Guerra, he was amongst a group of individuals attacked earlier this week by cybernetic assassins with revenant wiring. I need someone I trust to handle the autopsies so we can find as much information about these pieces as possible, it has possible connections with the TFL. With the fleshshaper threat looming, we can't afford to have these people committing terrorism and distracting us."

12:21 PM

"Would you be able to perform them?"

12:22 PM

"If you need some assistance from someone with more cybernetics experience, I can see if there is someone who would be able to provide it."

“Hi, pleasure to meet you.”

"Dr. Ahn is back now as well, it might be good to loop her in on this issue, as she's quite a talented surgeon, bioscopic powers aside"

1:57 PM

"I do not know how her strength has come back since her time in captivity, but perhaps some work will get her mind off things

“We could always bring her the autopsy report of her condition doesn’t allow her to travel,” I suggest.

2:21 PM

(How common is revenant wiring? The rule book seems to suggest it’s at least moderately rare with cost and tech level. Would I recognize whether or not tracking down who performed the procedure is worthwhile/possible?)

(It would be extremely rare, and super maltech)

"I'd prefer her to look at them in person. Would you mind taking a trip to the Academy Doctor, so you both could work on it together?"

3:12 PM

Marcion taps on his compad and requests the bodies be transferred to his jurisdiction and to the academy morgue.

3:13 PM

(We've never had him interact with the police commissioner in character, I'd imagine they get along either really well or very poorly)

3:13 PM

(I'd hope for the former)

(It’s also a her , so there’s that)

(Graven is a her?)

)how did he come into this)

(I'd assume murder would fall on the Gudrun police first, then go to us if it needs to)

(We are over complicating things.) The bodies will remain where they are at, in the current carinhold morgue. Transporting them will be too difficult , but Dr. ahn will meet you there

(Alright)

3:27 PM

"Dr. Ahn is feeling well enough to travel to Carinhold, shall we head out then?"

“Works for me. Thank you for your time, Doctor.”

"Well, he is coming with us if he wants to."

“Right.”

Marcion calls up a shuttle, and has them transported to Carinhold, including Dr. Light if he decides to join them

I spend the time watching Gudrun’s surface grow closer, “It’s been awhile since I’d seen it from this high. Can’t imagine what it must be like for you to casually do these sorts of trips.”

Marcion chuckles "I suppose I have gotten used to them. Part of the job I guess." (edited)

3:46 PM

He looks to Dorian "What let you to taking this job anyway?"

“Money mainly. And it seemed like halfway decent resume padding. Never thought it would go this far.”

3:55 PM

“That being said, I’m glad I’m here and a part of the investigation. If it means protecting the UNW and bringing these people to justice, I’m all for it.”

"Well, if you are looking for a job after this is done, we have plenty of openings. Its not going to pay as well as working for any of the more independent factions, but it pays well enough."

3:57 PM

"People who are genuinely interested in making their home a better place don't come along too often."

4:00 PM

"Although getting shot at on a regular basis seems to be part of the job description."

I sit back in the seat and turn to face Marcion, “Money isn’t really an issue. I have what I want, and the people I know are more important than material things. The UNW gave me a second chance, the least I can do is put it to good use.”

"That's about how I feel. I've been paid all this money over the year or so I've been working for the UNW, and I honestly don't know what to do with it all. I spend most of my time working, and when I'm not working I'm at home with my dog and my wife."

6:07 PM

"This place is my home now, and I can help protect it, so I will."

(i dont want to interrupt. Let me know when youre ready)

(This is his thread, gonna let him finish the talk)

“I can understand that; respect it, too.” (We can skip now)

The transport back to the surface has you dropped off on the roof of Carinholds morgue in just under half an hour, far faster than even taking a plane from Central. You’re met on the roof by a coroner and a police officer, holding the access door open for you against the downdraft of the lighter

I hustle towards the door in a half-crouch, trying not to be blown around too much. (Did Dr. Light come with us?)

Marcion follows Dorian into the building

(He did not. He's not a medical doctor, more of a engineer/physicist. He's as out of his depth here as you two are, and this would be happening after the probe investigation, so he's got to get rid of that)

"Take us to the bodies please officer."

Youre brought into the dark stairwell that rounds back on itself ten times, before heading into the basement. There is a thick door with a rubber seal, and a flywheel that opens, bathing you in cryogenic air. Four bodies lie on steel surgical tables, under sheets, though there are blood stains soaked into a few of them

I shiver, pulling my jacket a little tighter, “Do we have any idea how many people know the bodies are here? Or at least how many people know about their augmentations?”

"I'm not going to give you that information." he says matter of factly "but you're free to inspect the bodies, and I'll answer any medical questions you might have." There is a knock at the door, and after a whispered exchange, a small, still partially frail looking Korean human woman is allowed entry. "Hello everyone. I'm Dr. Ahn. I overheard a bit of that discussion, and I will likewise be able to answer any medical questions

“So we’ll just assume everybody knows and nothing is secret,” I say with a crooked grin. “Good afternoon, Dr. Ahn. I suppose we’ll get started if it’s alright, Provost.” I move to the closest body and pull down the sheet, revealing the corpse’s head and upper torso. “Is there anything exceptional about the bodies beyond the revenant wiring?”

The bodies have been mangled by blunt instruments, which you saw first hand. Bats, clubs, rebar with cement on the end in a makeshift mallet. It didn't matter if it was flesh or cybernetics, everything was crushed until the body was unable of further locomotion. "The wiring itself, makes them exceptional. It's an extremely invasive, dangerous, and frankly, downright evil practice. "

I shudder again, not from the cold this time, “From my understanding, a back alley surgeon couldn’t do this. I imagine even well trained physicians would struggle. How many people on Gudrun do you think could perform the implantation?”

"Well, before the Tri-Green raid, maybe 100 or so. Most were arrested, some were killed later on Aliah, back when the Marshals were first formed, but its entirely possible a rogue doctor here and there might have vanished into the woodwork under an assumed identity"

I direct the next question to Marcion, “Can we get a list of all the Tri-green physicians that were on roster and compare it to the ones who were removed from play?”

"We've done that. Routine police work. They should all be accounted for, but evidently we've had one or more slip the noose"

“Alright, good work. Didn’t mean to assume you weren’t doing your jobs. Do we have any ID on who these guys were?”

"Organized crime connections, looks like people who escaped the fighting in either Atrovia, or Egons, and ended up all under the same organization after. Tells us they were recruited somehow, at least."

“Any way we can get a list of those connections? I assume you all followed up on anything that looked promising already.” (I want to see if I recognize any of them.)

"There is some evidence to support connections to TFL remnants."

(you werent in Carinhold long enough to benefit, and none are human) "Its likely, we have suspected matches for three of them. That one in the corner didnt have intact facial bones anymore to base anything off. I think he might have been dead already from the gunshots when he got hacked apart. They weren't taking any chances"

"As long as their cybernetics are roughly intact we should be able to ID the makers, will give us a starting point."

“This might sound like a shot in the dark, but does anyone here know if The Silicon employs augmentists for their clientele? Does Carinhold Police have a working relationship with Vapormills’ authorities to pull that info? It may be tangentially related to the investigation.”

The officer in charge, silent thus far standing near the door thinks for a moment. "Well, that's a lead certainly. You'd need to ask the club themselves. They're a secretive bunch. high society and all that, you know"

8:31 PM

"But you may be on to something

"We would need a Taros to do this I think. A bunch of humans walking in asking questions will likely get us killed. I'll see if anyone from the Carinhold Marshal office is interested in helping out."

“Good point,” I glance back down at the body, “maybe a rhetorical question here, but if you had the resources to make four revenants, you would probably have enough to make more right? Dr. Ahn, is there anyway to identify an individual with the implant short of killing them?”

“Revenant wiring? No. That’s what makes it maltech. It’s insidiously done, isn’t it. As far as being made to look like a taros, I know someone who might be able to disguise you”

(White chicks Taros style)

(Oh god)

"I don't even speak the language. I've got people who could get inside the building, just a matter of making a few calls."

11:16 PM

"But, we can see this person regardless. Knowing them might prove beneficial in the future."

“Truth. I don’t speak Taros either. Unless we get a crash course in the language, I feel like that could be a problem.”

"I'm working on it, but I've only recently started making progress."

"Alright, that's out the window then..." she thinks. "Good catch"

7:19 AM

"I think the lead is worth following up on"

"Give me a minute, I'll see who's available." Marcion contacts HQ about looking into a Taros Marshal capable of undercover work

“Depending on time constraints, we could always see if Ms. Vilnovha is available. Otherwise I’ve just come into contact with some Taros that may be willing to help.” (Sons of Corn)

(Wicked guitar riff and explosions)

There are no Taros Marshals currently able to assist with so many other trouble spots right now. "Lets follow up on your lead Mr. Guerra, with your contacts. Makes sense to keep it all in house"

“Right. I’ll get in touch with them once we’re done here.”

"I don't think I have any further insight to lend here" Dr. Ahn says, taking her gloves off "We have some questions we need answers to, that extend beyond just examining the bodies here"

“Thank you for your time and assistance, Doctor,” I turn to the Carinhold PD reps, “and thank you for your assistance. Your groundwork has been helpful in streamlining all of this.”

(3xp, 5000 credits both of you)

(Sweet)

"I'm glad you were able to pull something useful from all that. We'll do what we can to turn up anything left over in the city"

"Appreciate it. Anything to add Provost?"

"Aside from finding a maker's mark on the cybernetics during the autopsy, there is not anything else we could find here. I think we are done here for now though. Thank you all for your time, let us know if anything else shows up." (edited)

I hold the door to allow Marcion and the others through before heading back to the roof and the lighter, “Alright, Provost, What’s the game plan?”

He sighs contemplatively "Well, we have some time to wait for them to finish the autopsy. We can go to some different cybernetic shops, see what we can find. After that we can setup some surveillance of the club, try to identify where the comm frequency is coming from, maybe nab them in the act meeting people."

There is no mark on the cyberware. It’s designed for ill games and a mark would do nothing but bring unwanted attention. Stupid criminals don’t live long.

Marcion notices this part of the autopsy report "Apparently I'm losing vision in my old age, they already checked the cyberware and found squat. We are dealing with intelligent terrorists, the worst kind of terrorists." (edited)

“Are there good kinds of terrorists?” I chuckle, “It sounds like they meet at the club approximately once a month. There probably won’t be another meeting for another couple weeks. At least with my intel source. I can talk with the Sons about infiltrating the club. Do you want to handle tracking the comm frequency down and setting up surveillance on The Silicon? I can physically run the source down once you give me a bearing.”

"Are there any Taros in this group?" (edited)

“There are. They’re responsible for our friends back there chilling. Plus, they’re trusted by Ms. Vilnovha which is a pretty high mark in my book.”

"Okay, contact them. I'll find us some property overlooking the club and see if I can get this comm frequency tracked." He rubs his eyes "God we really need some more hackers, don't suppose you would know anyone?"

With a grin, “I know a lot of people. I’m sure I can track someone down. You wouldn’t happen to have more...legitimate force at your disposal than a bike gang would you? I won’t be surprised if this goes ass up on us.”

"I've got plenty of legal force at my disposal. Let me know when you find someone who can track the comm frequency, I'll get the logistics all setup and visit some cybernetic shops in the meantime."

“Great. I’ll meet with the Sons here in town and make my way back to Central to track down a hacker. Then I can meet you in Vapormills, unless the comm freq leads into something better or more urgent.”

Marcion nods before leaving for Vapormills.

9:07 PM

(I'll head back to my own thread now, we can meet up again later)

(Sounds good! Was fun having you visit. Don't forget the exp and cash!)

9:17 PM

I send a text out to the Sons of Corn, letting them know I'm in town and would like to meet somewhere to discuss a job.

They drop a pin on your map for a biker bar they've been frequenting now that Svenka is off world, and Corn is gone

I call a car and start heading that way. While en route, I send some messages to friends back in Central; asking them to let me know if they have any hacker contacts who are looking for work.

(lets get a connect/wis here)

(6)

You don't have any criminal contacts here, as expected, but there is a government white hat you used to play a pirated copy of Dabloonscape with before the last update made it unplayable on current UNW systems. The chat looks to still work at least, and you see that KrustyKannoneer69420 is still online

3

Oh man, Dabloonscape. I put way too much time into that game. Wonder if my pirorcerer got wiped I think before sending a message to Krusty. Barrrrelomonkees: Krusty! How’s life?

KrustyKannoneer69420: Hey buddy! You know. Same Soup. Just reheated. Whats up?

Barrrrelomonkees: Are you still looking for new and exciting job prospects?

KrustyKannoneer69420: Whats the job? I might be in the market

Barrrrelomonkees: Comm trace. It’s a legit job, you’ll be working with the Marshals.

There is a long pause, he seems to be taking his time thinking about this. KrustyKannoneer69420: I want your platinum parrot mascot as payment. Then I'm all yours

“Motherf-“ I bite down the curse. Barrrrelomonkees: You’ve got me out on the plank. Deal. I send him my personal comm frequency, information on how to get in touch with the Marshals to start working on the trace, and have to look away when I press the transfer button for the mascot.

The parrot squawks a pleasant goodbye "I'll miss you captain!" it says, as it heads over to your friends ship. Ten minutes later you see he is listed on the roster as a temporary aide to the marshal service

(Stupid parrot that didn’t exist five minutes ago tugging at my heart strings)

2

11:27 AM

I send a quick farewell to Krusty as the car pulls up to the bar. (edited)

The gull doors open, and it flashes its lights once, the automated pilot letting you know it is here for you

I hop into the seat, directing the car to where the Sons of Corn indicated.

The sons are inside of a bar known as "Knives and Fives" where card games and gladiatorial bouts to first or second blood are common. There is a fighting pit sunk into the floor, with card tables set up around it. it is the middle of the day and the sons are almost the only patrons

I give the group a “what’s up” nod and head in their direction; specifically to whoever was acting in charge when I met them.

All six of them sit around a table watching the fight in the pit right now with a fair amount of disinterest, it’s enough to keep them entertained but hardly. The combatants themselves are skinny wretches, string because they’re lean and not because their bulk. Lazy punches are thrown back and forth

“Oh wow,” I say sardonically, “I didn’t realize the Iron Duchess was here.” I pull a chair from a neighboring table and sit with the crew.

“Could you imagine” one laughs. “In a place like this. Svenka recover?”

My grin sobers, “From my understanding, yes. She’s already out-system on another assignment. She took the family with her to keep them off-planet until this whole thing wraps up, or cools off at least. It’s actually what I wanted to talk to you all about.”

(started a 24 tonight. May be delayed in response tomorrow) (edited)

(24 ounces? Damn!)

(I’m a lightweight, what can I say)

"Glad to know she's alright. So whats going on?"

“I wasn’t with her that night because I was tracking down another lead. It’s pointed me towards The Silicon in Vapormills. It sounds like the people who sent the hit have been doing business out of the club, and I think we can find some members of the organization there. Downside for me is that it’s a Taros club; which, as you can see, I wouldn’t blend in with. Doubly so because I don’t know Taros. I was wondering if you all wouldn’t mind some undercover work.”

"You buying? or are the marshals? Silicon is an expensive place. I've only ever looked at the outside of it during the day"

I laugh, “The Marshals for sure. There’s no way I can afford it, unless we manage some windfall.”

"Betting on this?" another one narrows his eyes, and lazily jerks his head toward the pit, where one of the wiry fighters have fallen over from exhaustion, and is being weakly and emotionlessly punched by the other.

“Sure,” I say with a shrug and grimace, “15 on the one on the ground.”

They laugh, and then stop laughing, as he breaks out of the weak hold, kicks his opponent in the teeth and knocks him out.

8:40 PM

there are golf claps and a small pile totaling 120 credits is pushed toward you

"Can't help that I'm a sucker for the underdog," I laugh, feigning a bow. I toss 50 credits into the ring for the winner, and order a round of drinks for the Sons and I.

"So tell us more about this issue with Silicon" their acting leader says, sipping his drink

"Alright, bear with me because there are a lot of moving pieces that bring us to the club. Those guys that came after Ms. Vilnovha had revenant wiring, as you obviously noted. They were going after a man responsible for bombing a Lazlow Industries' observation plane. This man, who's been working with me to help expose what was going on, has been used as muscle to extract payment from those who owe money to the TFL. During the hit, I was interviewing one of these people and was directed to a Taros named Torian, who acts as a middle-man/financier/handler for the organization responsible for the bombing. Torian told me he met with representatives of the organization, who I believe to be survivors of the TFL purges, at Silicon. Silicon also happens to be a high-life augement point of interest in the Taros communitiy, from my understanding. I think our augmentist who implanted the revenenat wiring is working with the TFL survivors and operating out of Silicon in some capacity. My gut is telling me the owner is in on it, but I don't have anything to back that up." I pause for a breath.

9:12 PM

"Obviously, I don't really fit the Taros body type. Plus I don't even speak the language and lack any implants. I'd stick out like a sore thumb, and probably get my throat slit. What I need from you guys is to help me infiltrate and scope out the club. I need to know who the big names are in back-alley augmentation, who's spreading or even gossiping about Taros First ideology, and a way to catch the owner out of sorts. I don't need you to crack heads, but I need people who can if it comes to that. We'll have the Marshal's rolling with us on this, providing the calvary should it come to that. I'm not going to lie to you, though. If it comes to Marshal SWAT kicking in the doors, a lot of people are going to end up dead. I'd like to not be one of those bodies, but there's always a chance.

9:13 PM

"You don't owe anything to me, and I know Ms. Vilnovha asked you to help me; but I feel like this is going a bit beyond what she may have had in mind. You guys are hard, and don't stray from a fight. But I'm not asking you to do this because I'm expecting a yes. I'm asking because you're trustworthy, and I get the impression you want these guys as bad as I do."

"We weren't forgotten, even when our founder Corn died. Ms. Vilhonova took us under her wing after that and made sure we had what we needed. We're in. It's time to repay the favor"

I raise my glass to the assembled Sons, “Thank you. Give the Marshals and I some time to set up preparations, I’m going to see what sort of overwatch options are available. It’ll be worth our time to move operations to Vapormills in anticipation, however.”

"We'll need a couple days of driving or at least an overnight on the train to get into position. Ideally, a day to get ourselves sorted after that would be a nice boon. So you've got time. We'll be ready when you need us"

“Perfect. I need to fly to Central and meet a guy about some weapons. I’ll meet you in Vapormills and we’ll establish a base of operations. I’ll make sure the Marshals are briefed on your involvement but I should be your point of contact should anything change. Do you need any specific equipment before we start rolling? I’ll see what I can get.”

"Sounds like just having pointy ears is enough for this one, which thankfully all of us but the unfortunate most recent knifefight accident victim have." the group chuckles a bit around the table

"Your shenanigans sound like my type of shenanigans. Any ways, I need to head out so I can get everything done. I'll be in touch and we'll see you in Vapormills." I shake the leader's hand, and nod to the rest of the crew. Before leaving, I signal the bartender for another round and pay it off with the rest of the winnings.

4:16 PM

(If we're good here, I have a couple things I want to do before hitting Vapormills. I'll update Marcion in transit to Central, meet with Pops, and then head over to the city to meet Marcion and the Sons.)

(yeah we have time. You can fly places, they can't. So you can hit all that before we punt this op)

I leave the bar, calling a car to take me to the airport. From there I book a flight back to Central, texting ahead to Pops to let him know I’m on the way. I’ll also send a message to Marcion and update them on my progress.

Dorian,

I was unable to find any property overlooking the club, but I can use my drones to survey the area around it from a distance. Let's give the hacker some time to work on the signal, I want to get as much information as possible before we try anything. If we are able to find what we need without going into the club and endangering civilian lives, that is what we are going to do. I will also be doing some scouting of bio-waste disposal plants, the TFL cybernetics plant may be hidden amongst one of these compounds to disguise their waste production. I think tackling this together may be the safe option, while we wait for the hacker and let my drone gather data.

Marcion

(edited)

(Are we keeping the plan as is then? I have parallel messages in opposing channels with two different plans)

(Sorted it out) I arrive in Central. After sending a quick message to Svenka to update her and another to Malchris to check on him, I make my way to Pops shop with a project in mind.

Pops is just finishing a small break outside when you arrive, and he breaks into one of trademark grins, with a wave. The red lunch pail clacks closed with a sound of metal buckles

I match his grin, striding over and offering a hand in greeting, “Hey, Pops. Sorry for taking off so quickly before. Had a thing come up. You know how it is.”

+Encrypted Message - Svenka Vilnovha+
Attention: Dorian Guerra
I may be required for further work on Miriam, I will be in touch as to plans - i will try to return ASAP to assist.

"Thats how it is for all of you" he says with a tone of understanding in his voice. "I assume you're back to do some shopping?"

“You assume correctly. This time I have something a little more specific in mind. I’m looking for something with a little bit more punch and range than your run of the mill military rifle. Something that won’t leave me in a bind if I’m going after multiple targets.”

"Do you have specifications on something like that?"

I pull out a poorly sketched outline, “it’s sort of like an accuracized combat rifle. A step up from a battle rifle. Full sized caliber, smaller magazine, and some optics.”

"A DMR..." he says under his breath. "I can see the use for it. Was too niche to put into mass production, but it can certainly be done"

“Exactly!” I say, a little too enthusiastically.

“Interesting. Well I think it’s possible. Off the shelf components for most of the gear and we just have to rechamber it for something a little heavier.”

7:16 PM

“Preference on the sights?”

I sit and think for a second, “I’d really want a magnified optic on it. Especially if I’m shooting at anything at range. But some offset irons would be nice.”

He takes some notes on his compad. “No problem. Come back in a few hours and I’ll have a prototype”

“Great. You’re the best, Pops.” (If I wanted to grab some rappelling gear, would his shop have it? Or would I need to go somewhere else? I’m looking for a harness or two, and maybe a lot of rope)

(It's not strictly what they do but I'd imagine he'd have that stuff around since he makes slings and all that too)

(Cool, I want to get 100m of TL4 rope and two climbing harnesses; working on the assumption that those would allow users to rappel down a building/elevated location without too much difficulty. Unless you think a grav chute would fit better? I'm not sure if they would work from building height)

(tthe harness and rope works fine for your purposes)

(120 for 2xharness and 100m TL4 rope. I don't really have anywhere to be in Central. I'll spend the time booking a flight to Vapormills, planning to bring my mini-armory with me so hopefully space TSA won't complain too much)

It takes almost four hours for the permits to be filled out for the various heavy armaments you are bringing with you, along with a few calls to the Marshal service to verify, re verify, and re-re-re verify your identity and affiliation with them as a contractor, for now. You arrive in Vapormills late in the afternoon, gear neatly packed into a grav ruck for your convenience

(Friends in high places. How is this timing working with Marcion's mission? Do I need to wait for his current thing to end? Or can I meet him as he's getting to the plant?)

8:56 PM

(Also, how much do I owe Pops for the rifle? Same amount we talked about?)

(same amount, you're in time to meet Marcion)

(Alright, I'll rent a car and go meet him. I'll jump into his thread.)

After collecting my gear, I make my back into the city proper. During the drive, I send a message to the Sons to see where they are in their travels. (I think we've only had 1.5 days at most past since the last time I talked to them.) Also, I'll ask them if they know any hookups for downtown apartments by the club. Otherwise I'll need to do some legwork to find a closer location.

an apartment that close to the club is laughably beyond anything the sons could afford even after pulling off an incredibly dangerous job. Most have already drank through the pay they got from recovering Oilheart. They only laugh when you ask about close lodging.

A little charigned, I start looking for anything affordable nearby to act as our base of operations. Something with ample motorcycle parking. I make a note to try and track down some workers in the nearby buildings and start being friendly. Won't hurt to have a backway to a roof somewhere I think.

(Alright so for clarity sake, you’re letting marcion track the car and are just working your own plan now?)

(Correct)

9:35 PM

(Following my own approach here)

You find an apartment 5 blocks down the street , to the west, with a doorman who loves talking about the neighborhood. there is an offset underground parking ramp, and the building manager is relieved that your bike takes up one of the sub-compact spots, as he had no regular parking left to give. "Up and coming neighborhood near a club, you're lucky to have scored a rent controlled apartment while it was still a thing"

“Can’t help but agree with you,” I say, “I’m Dorian. Pleasure to meet you.”

"I'm just the building supervisor, but pleased to meet you. Not many humans in Vapormills even with the planetary union and whatnot. In town long term? "

I shrug good naturedly, "No sense in being confined to Central, y'know? I'll be here for the foreseeable future at least. Can you point me to the stairs? I'd like to explore the building."

1:54 PM

(I'd like to find some roof access and see if I have a view of The Silicon. I realize I'm 5 blocks away and that's pretty slim.)

1:54 PM

(Also, not sure what the timing is like, but if I can get eyes on it in time to see the mystery gang show up if Silicon was their destination)

(You would have time, since you werent trying to drive and also fly a drone at the same tiem)

(Cool, so I'll take my drone, the long rifle broken down into a backpack, and some binoculars and see what's what from the roof)

(Actually, I want to ride my motorcycle to somewhere near Silicon. I want to see if I can get actual eyes on these guys. I’ll have my drone in stationkeeping high and out of sight following me.)

(So youre just driving down the block a bunch of times or trying to find somewhere else to post up)

(Trying to find somewhere to post up. Maybe wandering around like a tourist and just trying to blend in as much as I can) (edited)

(Lets get a sneak/wis roll, as you do so, and we will see what you come up with)

(7)

8:09 PM

(finally a skill I have double bonus in haha)

You get a flash of color near the door of the club, and recognize one of the individuals from the factory quickly ducking inside

8:13 PM

they do not seem to have noticed you

Looks like someone owes me some credits, I think. Since I’m in the area around the club, I’ll walk the perimeter, noting possible exits and entrances. I’ll also see if I can see the club from my new apartment building.

You can just barely make out the roof, it is plain, carpeted in gravel with a few weeds growing there, it is uninspiring compared to the club itself.

8:33 PM

It has the recomended number of fire exits, two on each side, and two in back, along with its main doors

(The Sons aren’t here right? They’re still in transit?)

8:40 PM

If possible, I have the drone log the group’s faces and to alert me if it sees anyone matching them on the outside. Then, i have it check to see if there’s anyone on the roof of the club and if there’s access to the club up there.

(They're in the city now, its been about a day of observation prior to this. They'd be just getting into town)

I call them up and fill them in on what’s going on. When they’re able, I want them to meet me at Silicon and go in to try and track down that group. No contact, just observing.

(you want the whole gucci gang?)

(As long as they’re dressed to the nines. Don’t all show up at once but let’s all be here if shit goes down. Not all of them have to go inside.)

(got it)

11:23 AM

The sons, but one, kept back in the apartment you've rented as a safehouse, arrive, each of them dressed as best they can. It's a bit under what the club would normally consider as passable, but this neighborhood is still up and coming, and nothing strikes you as marking them noteworthy

11:23 AM

the bouncer out front seems bored, tapping away at some kind of game on his loremaster

“Looking good everybody,” I say over the shared comm. I’m across the street, doing my best to take pictures of the new buildings and people like an embarrassingly oblivious tourist.

11:28 AM

“Let’s not start any trouble. I just want a layout of the club and to find out where my mystery gang went off to. There’s probably some VIP rooms we won’t have access to so mingle and learn what you can.”

11:30 AM

Do I see any humans going into the club?

(Would be a mix of humans and taros but I'd say 80% taros)

11:34 AM

(most humans arent rich enough to travel like this let alone go into a highly exclusive club)

(Oh awesome! I was thinking it was going to be super exclusive.) After taking a few pictures of the line, and specifically the bouncers, I cross the street and get in behind those waiting. (edited)

The cover charge looks to be a few hundred credits, and after a quick review for dress code, the patrons are let in a few at a time. More than one couple is separated as a woman is let in but her male escort is forced to wait outside.

1:55 PM

After a few moments, you are next. "Cover?" one asks

While not the best dressed, I’m thankful for my tendency to dress presentably. When I reach the bouncer, I transfer a the cover as casually as I can. “What’s the ratio like tonight?” I ask, and wave a disposable credit drive (like one you can hand off as a one time thing. There’s a few hundred credits on it)

2:08 PM

(To ‘tip’ the bouncer)

"You'll do just fine, 4 to 1 odds so if you strike out you know its your fault." He deftly pockets the stick, and the ones produced by your friends, and opens the door. Industrial pound music softly spills out into the street as the heavy wooden and padidng doors are lpened

2:45 PM

*opened

I grin as the music hits us, “Alright, guys. Let’s have some fun.” I split off, looking to see if there’s a second story or more I can look down from and spot the gang. If there’s a bar up there, all the better.

There is a second level to the building with a sleek cream and orange streaked stone bar. The club itself is dark, and surrouded by booths along its walls, with a bar occupying the western wall on both the upper and lower levels. There is a private room closer to the back with four security members standing nearby it.

(Private room on the bottom or top floor?)

(only bottom)

(Giggity) I stroll over to the second floor bar and order a drink. I do my best to chat amiably with the other patrons at the bar while sipping the first one. All the while I’ll be watching the bottom floor tracking the Sons I can see and looking for any of the mysterious group I saw before.

You see them sitting in a booth, right next to the private room, all but one are present at the table. Security is close enough to act if approached

“Hey, mystery gang by the private room. Let’s see how much they’re drinking, I have a plan starting to form.” I watch them until I finish this drink. Then I order a second one. When I’m halfway through it, I’ll move away from the bar and ‘accidentally’ spill the drink down my front so I smell strongly of alcohol and look disheveled.

You succeed in making yourself look like a disorderly klutz who did not pace himself. It must happen often in here, because nobody pays it much mind

I fumble with my compad and send a text to the Sons,

I’m going to go make myself look like an ass in front of those guys. Pull me off before security gets to me, and rough me up a bit. Then use it as an in to drink with them.

I make my way downstairs and wait for the Sons to get in position.

They do not answer your message but you see them respond to it, and likewise begin to get into position

I take a breath, put on a sloppy grin, and start stumbling towards the table. “Hey!” I slur, “Whash the cover like for thish?” I finish with a wide gesture to encompass the table and stumble to the side a bit.

"More than you can afford" one of the male Taros spits, the dark black spot appearing on the floor, a hair from your boot

11:58 AM

"Clear off, next time I won't miss"

I squint down at the spot, “Now thash just impolite! Only trying to be friendly.”

I stumble forward a bit, smiling dumbly.

12:24 PM

(Not a big step, but like I had to catch myself.)

They rise, and security makes its first steps over, not yet intervening, but looking to see amongst themselves if it will be necessary

My smile grows, appearing to misunderstand their reaction, “Hey! Now we’re talking! What’re you drinking?”

you feel strong hands around your arms, and you're yanked from your feet, pulled back toward the doors, as the sons of corn make their move. You feel a few fists hit your chest, one getting a bit overzealous with a stomach punch, before you are taken to the club doors, and tossed onto the street

4:22 PM

Your last glimpse is the target group shaking hands with the leader of the sons of corn, and then the club doors slam shut

While struggling to my feet, I swear loudly at the door and turn to the bouncers, "So much for the ratio!" I stumble off, continuing the drunk charade until I'm around the corner and heading back to the apartment I'm renting. On the way, I send a message to the Sons,

Perfect. If you can get information from them this way, all the better. Otherwise, we may need to find a way to get one of them alone for some more _thorough_ questioning. I'll be nearby watching if anything goes wrong.

Your boys get in with them?

I hope so. Or they just really like punching me. Could be both, though

5:22 PM

I continue on to the apartment complex. I change from the soiled clothing and retrieve my bike. Then position myself where I can see the club, hopefully far enough that the bouncers can't see but wearing riding gear all the same so they don't recognize me if they do. I bide my time, tapping away on my compad and watching the area through my drone's eyes.

We might need to give them a few days to work undercover.

Could be the case. They might also get us one of them tonight. I'm worried they know they have government forces acting against them if they spotted the flyer earlier. Some aggressiveness may be necessary. Plus, we can always try and mark it up as gang on gang violence.

An hour of watching passes before the doors of the club open again, and the sons come out, along with the suspects, each of them have at least one female on their arm, most more than one, and everyone- even the sons, seem fairly intoxicated. The hour has grown late, but you get the sense that even if this was a more active time of day, the scene here would be just as unremarkable

I close out of the Dabloonscape Bazaar app on my compad when my drone alerts me to their presence. I really need to hang out with these guys more, I think. I trail them with the drone, and remain on my bike. (edited)

The two groups shake hands and part ways. The sons begin heading back to the apartment. Most are buzzed and playing it up but not seriously impaired. The other group begins heading nextdoor to the clubs attached VIP hotel and they head inside

I turn on the bike, and take a back way to the Sons’ apartment, parking a block or two away and walking up to it to meet them there.

The sons are laid out on furniture, and a few on the floor, trying to recover from the over indulgence. One of them yelps as the door shuts loudly, it already not cooperating well with his ears

“Well that seemed like it went smoothly. Are you guys in?” I ask, finding an open piece of furniture to sit on.

"Sort of. They told us where to meet them if we want in"

9:23 AM

"but they're focused on other things tonight"

“So we’re left with limited options. Are you all still up for this? Infiltrating terrorists?” I stand to find the fridge and a drink. “This has a good chance of getting even more complicated.”

"It does. We can turn over where they're meeting, but we want to live, we have other responsibilities and there's a good chance we're going to be shot either by your overzealous friends or the TFL themselves once things go down"

“That’s fair. You’ve done plenty for us, and me. Thank you.” I raise the bottle in their direction.

Those with enough coordination to raise one in return do so. "The meeting is taking place on the penthouse level of silicon's hotel portion. I think its just a recruit meeting, nothing official like planning"

“When’s it happening?” (We can montage some of this if you want)

The meeting is scheduled to happen in the morning when the pleasant company has left and those left behind can make themselves presentable again. The information was sparse, on purpose, but it seems some like minded folk will be there. What happens after he didn't say"

10:29 AM

"but we can presume"

I take a minute, staring off into space, “if you were a secret terrorist organization recruiting new fighters, how long would you wait before shipping the recruits off to your training location?”

"I'd want them in the mix almost as soon as possible, especially if I was beaten as badly as the TFL have been"

“Agreed. Thinking out loud here, but I think raiding the hotel would be the wrong course here. We need to see where they go after. Follow the recruits and we find their nest.” My drink sits on the table, forgotten.

“I have some preparations to make then. You all rest and recover. You have my number, I owe you.”

"Stay alive, Dorian. It's been a pleasure" their leader says, there is a hint of solemnity in his voice

1:51 PM

(It hink at this point probably a good idea to coordinate with Marcion about next steps so you guys can devise a plan)

I shake his hand, giving a quick embrace. Then turn to leave. (Agreed. I’ll post into his thread and we can go over it)

(What sort of view do I have from my apartment building to the hotel? Can I see the penthouse?)

+ENCRYPTED+
I am back on Gudrun and we should meet to talk.

+ENCRYPTED+
I’m in Vapormills over night. Address attached

(Or if we need to do it out of time we can)

(Tempted to do an airdrop on to your roof, then I’d die like corn, splattered on the side of your building.)

1

6:54 PM

+ENCRYPTED+
I’ll be there 8PM.

(Timing is so weird in this haha. Lots of handwaving)

6:59 PM

+ENCRYPTED+
That’ll be fine

(I have a Tardis now, don’t worry about it.)

Dorian’s rented apartment is sparsely furnished, located several blocks away from Vapormills’ more affluent districts.

(So Svenka visit? then mission continues?)

(Yeah to get her stuff out of the way. I don’t know if you want to run Marcion’s in tandem. Just having Svenka’s visit happen before.)

(Ill need to go in a bit for dinner etc. We can do it in my thread after the current bit so I don’t hold you up?)

(Sure! Though I think im hopping into Marcion’s for the next part lol)

Svenka arrives a few minutes before 8 and texts to Dorian that she is outside.

I head out to meet her, "Evening, Miss Vilnovha. Do you want to come inside? Or is this a walk and talk situation?"

“I’ll come in. And please, call me Svenka.”

(The first person thing has been bothering me, so bear with the POV change) "Sure thing, Svenka." Dorian leads her back up to the apartment, offering her a beer from an already depleted pack. "Welcome back to Gudrun, I didn't even realize you were back in system."

“Yes... that’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about.” she sits down and cracks the beer “how goes the fight to deal with the TFL?”

"Well, it's going. The Sons were a huge help, thanks for that. I think we're getting close to finding more of their upper level operations. How's Malchris and his family? Did they enjoy their vacation?"

“Yes, they’ve become something of a fixture on the ship. It’s been... nice to have children on board.” She pauses. “I’m going to leave Gudrun, potentially permanently, soon.” (edited)

He chokes on his drink, "I'm sorry? Why?"

“A number of reasons... the image that keeps coming back is needing to summarily execute an intelligence operative who had no business being in the field... I need a new start.”

"Yeah. I could see that leaving a mark. Any idea on where you're heading?"

“Greystar. Already made some inquiries. If you want, I would be happy to offer you a position.”

"It's a tempting offer, Svenka; but this is my home. I owe the UNW everything. Plus, I can't leave this TFL thing hanging."

“Need any help, I would be happy to provide overwatch and covering fire?”

Dorian shrugs, "I honestly don't know yet. I know Arimoto was interested in this getting wrapped up so I don't know what sort of support I could expect from the military when I find them something to hit. It depends on how long you plan to remain on planet for. The Sons have already decided this was too risky with not enough return for them. I'm not about to ask you to stick around and risk you and yours for something you no longer want a part of."

Svenka looks a bit hurt and nurses her beer. “What I am doing is selfish. It’s for me. And I feel horrible for doing it. I’ve seen the upper echelons of power and I’ve been disappointed almost every time. But mostly, I just don’t feel needed.” she pauses, clearly working through emotions. “It’s not that I no longer want a part in this. This is my home, and the TFL are terrorists that need to be put down... I guess it’s complicated.” she gives a half smile (edited)

“That’s fair,” he says with a grimace, “I didn’t mean to make it sound so black and white. You are needed. Or wanted at least. You saved Malchris’ family when no one else was around or able. Those kids are going to live because of you. The Sons follow you without hesitation and were willing to walk into the lion’s den just from me mentioning your name. Svenka, I won’t deny that the UNW is full of important and powerful people and I’m not trying to convince you to stay if your heart is set on leaving,” Dorian trails off before picking up the thread again, “But your contributions to this world and our peoples isn’t anything to reduce either. I’d be thrilled to take down the TFL by your side. You’ve given me opportunity I never thought I’d achieve on my own.” Dorian raises his glass in a toast to her. (edited)

“One more mission?” She smiles and raises her beer

“For Gudrun. And for us because what’s the fun if we can’t be selfish.” He downs his beer.

Svenka does the same “I’ll get my gear dropped”

“I’m meeting Marcion in the morning. Straight surveillance until we can track where these recruits are going.”

“I’ll trail behind and watch your backs... I don’t thins Marcion would appreciate my plan, so keep it to yourself.”

“What good would I be if I couldn’t keep secrets?”

“Best lie is a truth. You can tell them I told you I was going away for a long while after this.”

“You got it, boss. The Sons are in town as well if you feel like talking with them,” Dorian stands, heading for the fridge, “You want another?”

“Please. I could stand to have another.”

He grabs two more and tosses one to her, “So what else is on the board? You taking your ship and everything you can carry?”

“Pretty much. Whoever wants to come and as much gear as I can pack.” (edited)

Dorian makes an agreeing sound. Then sits in silence, enjoying the company and beer.

Svenka does the same, enjoying a rare moment of calm and camaraderie

End Scene

Svenka radios over to Dorian “well this got all fucked, sorry.”

The truck begins slowing, and doing its best to weave back into normal traffic, as the immediate danger seems to have pulled back. Their course suddenly changes from the south highways toward the recycling plant, to northeast, back into Vapormills

“Well shit happens. We’ll stick with them. I don’t want these guys getting back to the hotel if we can help it. Let’s see what we can do to get them moving towards a less trafficked area.”

“They’ve calmed. I’ll see if my drone can pick up any speech in the cab” (can I?)

4:23 PM

(I’m also concerned that this truck doesn’t actually have the recruits on it)

(Yeah same. But they have something.)

4:25 PM

“Thinking out loud,” Dorian radios, “But what if we just flop these guys and take the truck? They’ll have to stop in traffic. I’ll get close, you drop your drones in and just zap em. I’ll grab the truck and move it somewhere we can inspect it.”

“Are we concerned with knowing where they are going?”

“I’d consider that information we can extract from them at this point. Shit’s gone topsy.”

“You are the boss - I’ll get in front of them and deploy”

“Got it, I’ll get behind them. We’ll wait for stopped traffic where they can’t get away without ditching the truck. Use the bikes to our advantage.”

(No speech in the cab right now)

(Reiterating the plan: we get to the front and back, nonchalantly. Traffic stops. Svenka’s drones drop in and flank the cab, flopping everyone. I ditch my bike, run up to the cab, and secure the pair. Then we move it elsewhere. Svenka rides outrider and covers as needed.) (edited)

(Wait, we are on motorcycles... we are the baddies in every chase scene)

(Badasses*)

4:33 PM

(‘Are we the baddies?)

(There is a skull on our jackets...)

(I still need to get one of those...)

(Lets get a Pilot/dex or int check from both of you as we weave through traffic

(8)

(On shift. Should be able to get to my computer in the next little bit. Roll20 and my phone don’t play well) (edited)

5:08 PM

(6)

5:08 PM

(Turns out they do play well) (edited)

Dorian swerves to avoid an oncoming trash truck, forced down a side street that is one way. Svenka is able to keep up with the veering, jinking, and just generally being unsafe recycling truck as it cuts back into the city- news of the raid on the recycling plant has undoubtedly reached them. Svenka is able to pull up behind them, pushing the bike to its limits as she weaves through traffic

“Shitshitshit,” Dorian hisses, “Svenka I’m off the track. I’ll do what I can to get back ASAP.”

(You'll re-join the scene shortly, but she's on her own for a minute or two while you turn around and sort yourself)

Svenka activates the 2 drones, which fly up and forward, she switches the bikes expert system on and approaches the truck from the rear, planning to grab on to the back and climb up it. The 2 drones get in to position and take a flop shot at the driver when they have a clear line of sight.

(we're going to jump into initiative )

9:01 PM

(2 for them ,it'll be as the drones approach. Theyre not quiet so i dont think the drivers would be surprised, especially given they were being chased minutes ago)

(3 - ouch)

1

9:08 PM

(19/6 and 25/13 for the drones)

(3>2 at least lol)

The drones hover to the doors of the van and with a brief burst stun both of the occupants before they have a chance to react. (They’re just normal delivery guys with mook health) A pistol clatters to the floor with the passengers stunning

“They are down Dorian. I think I bruised my face on their truck”

Dorians bike rolls up as traffic begins moving around this very public obstruction

Svenka has her gun trained on the back of the truck, flanked by 2 drones with deployed flop rifles

(Flop rifles drop people for a good amount of time right?)

(Yeah. Even when they come to they’re not going to be in a position to really resist)

“Pop the back?”

Dorian parks the bike to the side of the road, grabs his SHTF kit and runs up to Svenka with his machine pistol drawn. “I’ll pop it, flop anyone and everyone in there. We’ll deal with it later.” Dorian waits for her signal. (edited)

“Go”

He pulls the fabric/tailgate open, ducking out of the way.

The cargo pod is nestled into the back, with its own hatch on it. It has remained sealed.

@opscomm “we have secured the truck. Only thing in the back is the cargo pod”

Do they have a listing of what is inside?

@opscomm “No, nothing listed. What do you want done with the pod?”

Bring it here, I'll have my hazmat people open it.

(up to you guys on that one, youre the ones that have to drive with it)

(I’ll wait for Dorian - this is his shindig, I’m just a tagalong)

Or I can send some people to do it

“We should get it out of the city at least. Help me tie these guys up, and we’ll head out.”

The message sends, but you notice Marcion's frequency suddenly cut, and it is no longer showing up on the CIS comm-web

(Oh shit)

frantically scanning the fuck out of this thing

You sense lifesigns inside, but they are faint, so dormant you almost miss them entirely

9:26 AM

(no need for another program here, your last one was so good)

“What the fuck happened with the feed... nothing else here seems effected.... we can either open here or get to his location - if all they see is me we might be able to get some information out of them.”

“We’re going somewhere else. I don’t know what happened. Worst case, Marcion’s dead. We need to get out of here.”

(Can we visually see that explosion?)

(No, the recycling plant is like 20km outside the city, since, trash ,but you'd probably hear it in a few seconds)

”...I’ll get in back - drive, get us somewhere safe. They are either in stasis or dying, so we need to crack this thing soon.” (edited)

Dorian and Svenka secure the driver and passenger before tossing them in the back. Then he heads out, away from the hotel and the recycling plant.

(Do we have access to the CIS/Marshal comms? Could we call one of their SWAT teams?) (edited)

(You have access to the comms, right now HQ is feeding fine, the deployed teams are all off comms)

“That explosion might have been them... Dorian.”

(Well that’s super awesome. Hopefully they know who we are) He nods grimly, continuing to drive in the opposite direction. “CIS HQ, this is the Vapormills Team. We’re leaving the city, the recycling plant teams are no longer responding. Emergency response teams need to respond to the Provost’s position ASAP.”

"We saw it" a female voice confirms, her voice clear despite the shouting and evident confusion in the background there. "State and local emergency response services are mobilizing. What is your current situation?"

“We have two suspects and a possible device. Unsure of its nature but appears to be shielding life signs. We’re going to open it outside the city and may require further assistance in departing the area.”

Svenka monitors the life signs in the pod and tries to determine if anything of danger is contained within. Also keys in for Mokoshi’s Wings to launch and follow

You see life signs, a number equal to the number of recruits attending the meeting

2:46 PM

but it is unclear if they are dangerous now

“Get us somewhere out of town so we can crack this thing.” I’ll plan to play the part of a TFL member and see if they don’t slip up.”

“On it.”

2:51 PM

(Presuming nothing/no one catches us, Dorian’ll keep heading out to somewhere outside of town where it’s as secluded as possible)

The truck heads north, out fo the city, to the endless forest surrounding vapormills. There are dozens of park paths and log roads threading the woods, and you're aided in finding a secluded area by the drones above

“Okay Dorian, you hide with the drivers - I’ll pop this thing and see if we can’t get any information out of them. Ok?”

"Will do, but I'm going to be close enough to shoot them if they turn on you."

7:56 PM

"Obviously, flopping would be better."

7:56 PM

Dorian adds the last bit hastily.

She nods and gestures to the 2 drones, tossing him a manual control for one of them. Once he is in position she opens the pod

7:58 PM

(If she can open it!)

(Would your programming check have found any explosives?)

(Hope so!)

(yeah it was a 15, you know whats there)

(sweeeet crack that cold one open)

The pod opens easily enough and you see the volunteers inside, unconscious and sedated, in some kind of cryosleep. They are packed in together in a position that would be very uncomfortable if awake

“They are knocked out - I guess we should call in a pickup, or we can use my ship?”

"I'll call in the pickup, so you can get back. The CIS can get them all up to the station or a secure holding facility at least. I don't think we'll be getting anything out of sleeping beauties anyways. The drivers are our in. And the hotel is our last place to raid, which I have no idea how we'll manage depending on what happened at the plant."

9:34 PM

Dorian radios up to CIS command, requesting whatever pickup they have available and officials to take custody of our unconscious traveling companions.

A lifter with fighter escort is being sent down from the cloud, and you're advised to hold your position for twenty minutes as it makes its approach. They are still trying to raise Marcion over at the explosion site

“Svenka, if your truck was transporting new terrorist recruits stopped checking in after calling out that they were being tailed, what would you do?” Dorian starts unpacking his kit, donning his CFU and assembling the DMR.

“I’d assume they were made and try to track them... shit.” Svenka starts looking for a tracking device on the truck “nice gun”

“Thanks, Pops special,” He throws the ghostwalker into the air, putting it on stationkeeping and to alert if it sees anyone within 500m. Then begins looking around the spot for a hiding place.

(Lets get a notice/wis at +2 for checking for bugs)

(10 goddamn)

You don't find any bugs or tracking devices on the vehicle, but there is a radio set (like a CB set) that is currently switched off

9:23 AM

You almost missed the box and handset, tucked under the central console firewall

“Radio In here, I’ll switch it on.” click (edited)

“Ask then to pick up some food before they come murder us. I’m starving.”

9:29 AM

His voice is tense despite the joking words.

Svenka tosses him a ration bar

1

He snorts and tucks it into his webbing.

Svenka unpacks her rifle and preps for a potential shootout, laid down on the top of the truck, also actively monitoring her scout drone

The radio comes to life after a few moments. "harvester, harvester, this is the barnyard. Were you able to collect the crops?"

Dorian looks up at Svenka, shrugs, points at himself before pointing at the radio.

Svenka keys the mike and sounds distorted and more than a bit stressed. “Barnyard, this is harvester. Needed to divert on delivery, some traffic got in the way. Other driver got sick and needed to be dropped off. Instructions?” (edited)

"We're apprehending the farmer now, crops will have to be burned. Mission is compromised. The gods will reward their sacrifice"

Svenka looks over at Dorian like wtf!

“Huh. Wait a minute. Then respond saying they’ve been burned.”

“This... something seems way off here.”

11:24 AM

keys the mic “Understood, where do you want us after?”

He nods in agreement, eyes scanning the area.

"Burn the crops, head back to the farm. We will talk when you're back"

“Well that doesn’t help at all, does it... give them a good search, I’ll see if anything in the cab will direct us to the ‘farm’ they are talking about.”

“We’ve got two people at least who may know the farm. But we’ll need to interrogate them when they’re less...indisposed.” Dorian begins searching the driver and passenger.

(Is there anyway to track someone via radio? Like trace where they are?)

(We had a hacker working on a frequency for us. I dunno if he could do an active trace though)

(you can ask)

11:49 AM

(or yeah, we can try to get some info out of the people you have here)

(Your call Dorian - can do either way)

Dorian sends a message to Krusty: You in the office? Have a time critical project I need your help with.

11:55 AM

(How do flop rifles work? Are they unconscious? Or just paralyzed?)

(unconscious)

12:00 PM

I'm here. Fewer platinum parrots, but same old guy. What's up?

I need an active trace on a comm freq. Find it attached. Dorian gets the radio channel off the set at attaches it to the message. Then walks over to the driver. He crouches down, and roughly drags his knuckles across their sternum. “Wake up, Mac. Time to tell us where your farm is.” (edited)

He gasps but does not answer, mind racing to process everything in front of him

“Morning! I need you to answer that question. Because if what happened is what I think happened, the Marshals are going to be a lot less gentle with you than I will be.” (edited)

“Oh hell yes. Especially with the evidence you were to put the people in that pod to death if this went south, which it did...” flop rifle trained on him

"The farm...the farm" he says to himself over and over for a moment. "Farm. The farm. The farm is in Bladonna. outside the city. The farm is outside the city of Bladonna"

1:06 PM

he is having a hard time tracking your faces, and his eyes are swimming as his body fights to maintain awareness

Dorian leans in close, "Where? Focus now. Your comrades' lives depend on it." (edited)

"Stone....stonepoint heights.....estate" He says, before passing back out

(Any chance we've heard of the place?)

(Bladonna is a major taros city, so yes for that, as for the other thing, as a human probably not. Svenka might know it as just a super upscale neighborhood with estates where the posh taros leaders in Bladonna live. Its a heavily districted city)

(Damn, was hoping it would be like a country piece of land or something. Guess we'll need to narrow down which mansion) "Guess that's all we're getting from him. Unless we try waking him up again. Want to try the passenger? Or wait and see if the pickup has any field interrogation equipment?"

“Bladonna... shit. This goes up high. Want my ship to pick us up, or do we wait for official extract or start driving? I don’t think we are going to get a lot more from the passenger.”

“We need to wait until CIS gets here and takes custody of all of them. What’re you thinking? We go just you and I? Or is it time we get a hammer in place and hit them with some force?”

“I honestly don’t know, but they know we are hitting them hard. I... don’t know what’s happened to Marcion.”

Dorian’s fists clench, “I don’t either. I think running in on our own is the wrong play. I can see if I can get in touch with any spec ops on planet. If the CIS has any contacts. If they blew up the plant to keep Marcion out, they’re definitely not above blowing up an estate if we show up.”

“Agreed. As much as I want to take them down, this needs to be careful.”

“We’ll regroup with whatever CIS units are in the area and get ourselves oriented then.”

“And I really wanted to test out the teleporter on a human.” Svenka sighs

“You have a teleporter?”

“You mean you don’t?!” she smiles and says in mock surprise

Dorian laughs, “Wouldn’t fit in my bag. It was that or my coffee thermos.”

2:02 PM

(Can it grab people? Or only send them?)

(It goes both ways)

(Noice. I guess we could try and see what happened to Marcion. Though I’d be super hesitant to go into the plant without a sealed suit)

(Have those on the ship... just sayin’)

(Yeah so that sounds awesome.)

2:06 PM

(I’m about to walk into an appointment for the next hour. If neko approves, I’m super down for that.)

(what plan am I approving?)

(Super-teleport save Marcion striketeam Omega-Tiger-Thunderpussy)

1

(youd have to teleport outside, onto the grounds, you cannot teleport anywhere on a planets surface where there is a physical obstruction in the way)

(As in we cannot teleport into the dust cloud?)

(correct)

“Mokoshi’s Wings, we have a number of hostiles, unconscious and 2 friendlies to teleport. Send word to the Marshals that we are en route to aid following the explosion earlier today. Additional evidence onsite at current location.” (edited)

“Is this the wrong time to think about the philosophical repercussions of us being disassembled and reassembled?”

“It’s the best time to think that as it might be the last thought you have!” Svenka smiles

(it can take you two, the people would need to be either kept in the pod and it removed from the truck, or removed from the pod and truck. We cant teleport the whole scene) (edited)

(Your call)

(That’s cool -retcon - pod the people and then we teleport, giving the Marshals the details of the scene)

(1200kg is the max, im flexing that a little bit here for ease, but there's a limit too)

(Jesus, how big a butt do you think Svenka has?)

(Badonkadonk)

The pod with its medical prisoners vanishes, and a countdown from five minutes begins scrolling across your datapads as the system recharges

2:49 PM

those left of your crew do what they can to try to secure them and get them restrained

“If my head goes back on backwards, I just want you to know I’ll consider that a poor outcome.”

Svenka shrugs then looks concerned “oh no, I hope they will remember to use the male human setting!”

Dorian looks a little pale, and pointedly says nothing.

2:54 PM

Then he looks back at the cab of the truck, “do you think we should bring that radio with us?”

“Good point” Svenka quickly removes it from the cab

“What sort of suits are we changing into?”

(Gimp suits, of course)

3

6:42 AM

The countdown completes, and you are likewise beamed aboard the Wings with a lurch of disconnecting senses. The reassembly is not painful, or even long, completed in seconds, but you both feel a bit sick after the sudden experience

“Yeah... not used to that”

8:44 AM

walking into the bridge “ok, there was an explosion and the Provost might be in trouble. Let’s get there and take a look.”

“Urgh. Can’t wait to do that again in five minutes,” Dorian says, “Where can I suit up?”

“Yes - Vacc Suits, I’ll come with you to the airlock”

“Anything armored?”

“Sadly, no” (I believe you can keep your light armor on underneath)

“So do you think suits or filters will be best?”

“I have no idea - you were the one saying we needed suits - what’s the possible risk?”

“Yeah, freaked me out when Marcion was calling for a hazmat suit before he left. It’s a biowaste recycling plant, so if an explosion went off all that stuff is airborne.”

“Fuck. Suits. Definitely suits.”

He nods in agreement, “I was thinking we teleport in as close as we can manage, then sweep the area looking for Marcion and any Marshals. Emergency services are on their way, but we’re probably going to beat them there. If you have spare Lazarus patches or other medical supplies, we should bring some. Once we find Marcion, we get out and teleport back here.” (edited)

(Does the ship have a locker fitting?)

(Yes boss - locker and armoury)

(perfect, so where i was going with this was you guys will have as many medical supplies and whatnot as you need, but if you end up burning through a lot of them, the locker fitting will need to be purchased again since you've cleaned it out for operation here)

(Sounds good)

10:21 AM

“Bring is in, do we have any visual? Keep trying to contact any survivors down there.”

Dorian is standing by at the teleport pad, ready to beam down as soon as we get a lock.

The cloud is still expanding, once smoke and dust from the collapse, now fire, as the dangerous chemicals , untreated trash, and other flammable materials in the complex begin to spread to the rest of the facility.

10:28 AM

the scanners and teleport pads are unable to find a locus within the zone

“Okay, teleport us just outside. Once we are in that cloud we won’t be able to teleport back out, so we need to find Marcion, any survivors and get the hell out of there.”

“Don’t bring a laser weapon. That cloud’ll play hell with the beam.”

(Shear or flop ok?)

(No idea haha, and I don’t think Dorian would know anything beyond lasers don’t like dust. Unless you’re asking neko)

(shear would work, too much interference for a flop field)

(Done)

“Ready?” Dorian shoulders his rifle in anticipation.

“Ready”

He puts his fist out towards Svenka, “Let’s hit it.”

Svenka looks at his fist, slightly confused and then bumps it with her own fist “oh!”

You both teleport down about a half kilometer from the complex. The fires are beginning to spread and you see the first of the emergency vehicle sirens coming down the access road a few kilometers from the complex

“Okay, we are going to have to get there. Don’t fight the weight and don’t push it, you will need to conserve your energy.”

“Yep, I should get the hang of this before we get inside the cloud.”

The emergency vehicles arrive at the other side of the compelx from you, heard, but not seen, in the spreading confusion, once they draw in close enough. You are warm inside your suits from the extra exertion, and the rising outside temperature, the closer you draw to the complex. Warnings begin to appear about the extreme conditions

Dorian’s breath is loud inside his helmet. He keys up the radio, “Is this what a spacewalk is like? I hope it’s at least a little cooler in vacuum.”

8:30 PM

He continues walking forward, scanning the area for any Marshal’s or their vehicles.

“Space walks... I assume.... are... easier.”

The flames are spreading from the western side of the compound, and from the previous scouting mission Dorian remembers the main gate was closer to the east. The dust and smoke is thick, but there is a momentary glimpse of the marshal mobile, front end smashed into a brick wall, hood and engine twisted into a metallic knot

“That’s...Marcion’s...truck!” Dorian gestured and starts moving that direction, intending to check the cab for any signs of life or any footprints moving away from the vehicle.

Svenka will stay vigilant, keeping an eye out for any more in the thick clouds

The walk to the truck takes ten minutes in the heavy suits, the both of you are sheeted with sweat from the extreme temperature, even though it is still some distance from creeping toward you. there is no body in the cab, but there is blood on the seat and steering wheel

“Shit”

“Look on the ground. Do you see anything?”

“He was probably driving this when the explosion happened and got dragged out... hopefully by friendlies. Nothing on the ground that I can see in this fucking dust.”

(lets pause here so we can figure out where marcion is and what he's doing in relation to what's going on now)

9:00 PM

(you guys are a bit ahead now, which is fine)

(Yup no worries heading into work so may be delayed a bit. Assume I’m following Svenka and covering her when able.)

(I’m here - no worries)

(Just got back from dinner, sorry guys)

(Don’t worry about it)

(No worries!

As you sift around for evidence of where the Provost had gone off to, you see a bright triple flash of red light, illuminating the wreck, and you for a moment, before going dark for a few seconds, and repeating again

9:19 PM

A red LED type light is flashing in the gloom, further east, away from the fires

Gun up and pointed at the light. “something out there either scanning or signalling.”

trying the radio.

(Do the suits have external speakers? Also, would either of us know what that light is?)

(I don’t think so - vacc suits)

(Yeah figured it could go either way since it’d be hard to communicate with people not wearing radios if you came across them in a pressurized environment)

“Fuck, take cover.” Svenka hustles to the far side of the truck and gets in position to fire

Dorian ducks behind one of the doors, looking the opposite direction of Svenka to cover their six. “What is it?”

“I have no idea, but I don’t want to be facing it in the open!”

(They’d have radios but radio is down)

“Flash them back? Use the headlamp.”

“I have no idea who is over there and if that’s a goddamn targeting system or what is going on... I don’t want to give away our position. This fucking dust... I should have just gone...” Svenka is clearly on the edge of panicking

10:10 PM

(Can drones fly in this?)

(Not really. If you can’t see where you’re going you can’t really see to pilot where they’re going)

forcing her breathing to calm, Svenka grabs a handful of lightbugs, turns them on and tosses them towards the light, resuming cover immediately afterwards

Dorian reaches behind him to slap her back reassuringly, “Svenks (not a misspelling), breathe. This isn’t where we die. Focus on what we can control. Breathe.”

The ramp of the shuttle slams down, and you see marcion being propped up at the doorway (we can move to his channel then)

Svenka pulls Dorian aside before prepping to leave Trivedi Cloud

He’s freshly showered, drinking water after their stint in the vacc suit. “What’s up?”

“I’m... I’m going to go. One quick trip to the surface and then gone. Marcion is right, I shouldn’t have jumped in, should have just stayed away.”

“It was a cheap shot,” he grimaces, “We wouldn’t have obtained the lead on the Farm without your assistance. I appreciate your help. I’m sorry this went so South. Thank you for having my back when I needed it. I owe you.”

“Let me know if you ever want to visit... or work with me again. Just... be careful Dorian. Marcion’s heart is in the right place, but I’ve seen too many of his people die. All the ones I’ve met, actually. I’m no marshal, but I know well enough when not to dig in an unstable cave.” Svenka gives Dorian a tight hug “oh and also, you’re fired.* “She smiles”

He hugs her back, “Stay safe, boss. You holler for help, and I’ll come running. Also can I still use you as a reference for other jobs?”

“You might not want to after what comes next, but absolutely.” She waves over her shoulder and boards her ship

Dorian stands there for a long time, even after Makoshi’s Wings leaves the station.

1

(Level 4, not 5! 3SP with +1SP from partial expert Sneak-2 Exert-0 Also completed a personal goal of interrogating a TFL operative, +3EXP) (edited)

The combination of wet hair and chilled environment of the hangar forces Dorian back into the depths of Trivedi Cloud. He wanders for a bit, taking in the sites and enjoying what he can of the station before eventually returning to his borrowed quarters. His nerves are set on edge when he notices the door unlocked and cracked, and draws his knife as he approaches. Inside, he finds the sparse compartment dark and empty. A gesture at the light panel illuminates the interior, and the jacket hanging from a chair. Clipped to it is a handwritten message: Welcome to the gang. Thanks for everything you have and will do. We will speak again - Svenka Dorian reads the note a half dozen times before tucking it into his back pocket. The jacket's leather is cool against his skin, emitting soft creaks when he flexes his arms. After a moment of admiring himself in the mirror, he wipes his face and begins collecting the belongings that didn't require decontamination.

2

As you finish collecting your things you see news coming in that the war has started on rawhani. House draconis and the UNW expeditionary forces have committed themselves to the fight but the battle lines seem contested in many areas, threatening a stalemate at the campaigns opening moves

Dorian frowns, then starts walking through the station looking for one of the SWAT Marshals he's met since returning from the plant. He's intent on finding a way to help with the war effort, and hopefully one of them will have a contact for him to use. (edited)

There is a small security team standing guard at the end of the hallway, as they wait for a personnel transfer shuttle to cme in and pick up the Provost. They eye your approach

"Hey," Dorian calls as he approaches, waving to the group, "How is he?"

"Asleep now, but he's going to live. Lots of internal damage"

“You all were put through the ringer. I’m sorry you lost so many.”

"It's war" he shrugs "People die, but the sentiment is appreciated. You're a good man. "

6:12 PM

The wall television has coverage of the rawhani battle

6:12 PM

currently a segment is playing showing the super-heavy mech of house draconis executing a corpsec mech with a point blank shot from its rail cannon

1

“I hope what I’m about to ask isn’t crossing any lines. I want to take the TFL down, but I need some more experience if I want any pull with those up top. Is there anyone you know running missions in Rawhani?”

8:11 PM

“It looks like I could be helpful there, but I’m outside the traditional UNW circles.”

"I think if anything that makes you an asset on this. There's a small Specop team running there, near the main battle lines. They could use a marksman to round them out. We all saw that fancy rifle of yours"

“Sounds like my kind of party. I need to report back to Pops anyways about how the rifle works. So far all I know is the scope makes tiny things bigger,” Dorian says, laughing a bit at his own joke. “Do you know when the next transport out of here to Rawhani is?”

"Two days, you've got enough time but if you miss it, there wont' be another wave of flights

“I’ll be there. Anyone I need to look out for in particular? Also, will i need to kit myself out for the mission or will there be equipment assigned?”

(what were you trying to get ahold of?)

(Icarus harness mainly. I don’t think they go around in power armor? Also I need to set Krusty on task for seeing what he can find out about the TFL movements/activities in the estates. Figure he can work on that while I’m off planet so the investigation continues in my absence. I don’t know if I have enough sway to direct other people in the intelligence service to help him.)

3:18 PM

(All stuff I don’t really want to RP. Unless Pops has some suggestions on equipment to bring.)

(Not a specops team no, most of what you have now is what they'd be using anyway, which is why i was kinda wondering what you needed )

7:40 PM

(We dont need to RP, just make me a list)

(Shopping list: Comet suit 6000 (If we’re orbital dropping) Dandelion chute 5000 (If we’re paradropping and/or orbital dropping) Icarus Harness 8000 Demo chargex2 500 (If I need my own) Liftx2 100 Lazarusx1 30)

7:51 PM

(19630 total)

7:52 PM

(Assignments: Krusty- continue digging into the TFL and finding out what their cyberspace presence is. Also what sort of talk is coming out of the Farm and if he can get an address)

(You won't be dropping, theyre inserting on foot through some mountains)

8:27 PM

(saved yourself 11k right there)

(sweet, everything else applies then)

(NO ORBITAL DROPPING!)

(I mean is it that bad if you're totally kitted for it?)

(It is if you miss a floating city and tumble into a glass giant.)

(Pffft haha)

8:49 PM

(At least Rawhani is terrestrial. I'll be sure to hit the ground at some point)

(Don’t pop the

)

A rickety transport is assigned for you, carrying ammunition, and some desert uniforms for the last of the UNW elements to land at Nova Heavy industries where you'll likewise be inserting. A special forces team is waiting there to proceed and explain the mission to you.

(How long is the trip?)

(3 days)

(What are all the options to learn/do stuff during Spike transits?)

(pretty much just limited to languages, modding gear, building drones, ect right now. Nothing skill related )

(Can I do 3/30 Taros?)

(sure can!)

Dorian spends the trip speaking with the Taros loadmaster and exchanging their favorite coffeeshops in the various cities. They even let Dorian practice the Taros he'd been learning through the VaporStone language app in a more practical environment. There's plenty of correcting of pronounciations but it goes well. It's not long before the transport arrives in Rawhani space. It's a short trip that went faster with good company.

In orbit, the UNW troop ship, and a pair of escorts lazily bask in near orbit. Anti satellite missiles on the ground have made orbiting ships a favored target, but ships quickly exiting and entering the atmosphere on the way to the ground are too fast for corpsec gunners to get an accurate firing solution for

This'll be interesting, Dorian thinks while strapping into the crash harness in preparation for the high-speed insertion. He's in his Icarus harness, hoping he won't have need for the pressure suit function.

2

The crew sees you preparing to jump and laugh "No cowboy shit on this one. We're landing at Nova Heavy and you're taking a modest-speed truck from there to your insertion point"

(I meant like a jump seat on the shuttle/ship/whatever)

2:11 PM

(Wearing the icarus harness like the light pressure suits astronauts and folks wear during take-off and landing since I don't have any pressure suits in case we get shot at or whatever)

(Otherwise just retcon to it to Dorian strapping in and enjoying the ride)

(Was just thinking about this today. Could I spend the trip tearing apart a uniform or two and creating a ghillie suit type thing? Something to give me a +1 to sneak while prone?)

The ship lands with a crunch of landing skids and you see the mentioned special forces team standing near a truck. Some of them are smoking. Others are sleeping under bed rolls extended from the side of the truck to make shade

Dorian ambles up, pack thrown over his shoulder, "Hey, I'm Dorian Guerra. Was told you could use a marksman."

"We could. Got your gear? We're looking to step off as quick as we can"

"I packed light. Let's step off. We can go over particulars en route." (edited)

“Long story short there’s a bunker complex at the foot of a mountain pass ahead. It’s the only way to get to the central core of the panopticon. Corpsec is pretty smart , they fortified the foot of the pass, anything coming down it has to clear the fortifications before pushing on”

“Are we taking the bunker? Seems like we’re a few platoons short to pull that off.”

“No. We are going to sneak in and destroy the command bunker. Secondary objective would be to capture the garrison commander if we can.”

11:00 AM

“A mass attack to take it would be too costly, and sneaking a larger force in would get us seen”

“I’m always down for being ninja. What sort of role do you want me in, beyond marksman? I have demopacks in addition to whatever you all have.”

(do we have a map of the bunker complex or is this theater of mind?)

(I can draw one if you think it might help)

(I'm cool with imagination

. Are we hoofing it?)

(Yeah you’re going through the mountains rather than the mountain pass, so it’s a much longer and harder terrain trip but they’re probably not watching the peaks, is the thought)

(Awesome. Am I infiltrating the bunker with them or being put on overwatch?) (edited)

(Let’s play and find out)

3:22 PM

“We will need a marksman as we get an idea of the lay of the land. Your demolitions experience is certainly an asset as well. We aren’t sure what kind of opposition we might be facing down there”

“I’m not sure how much ‘experience’ I have. I do know how to set a timer and stick them to expensive looking equipment, though.” Dorian shrugs his pack to a more comfortable position while they hike, “I’m good with flexibility.”

"So are we, you'll do well here" the beared special forces sergeant says. "We're going to insert on foot through the mountains, and head south to their fortifications. We'll watch for a day or so, and figure out the best way to do this"

11:59 AM

"The UNW regular forces aren't going to advance into the teeth of those guns as is. Their commanders have some sense, at least"

“What sort of backup do we have if things go pear shaped?”

"We've got some limited air support, but they've got anti-air, we might lose them before they can get close enough to drop anything

"Then let's not need them." (That answers my questions)

(basically you have latitude but it might cause some other complications)

(Yeah, risk vs reward thing)

"Agreed. We could end up recovering pilots instead of accomplishing our mission. If you're set, we'll be off then, we've got a deadline to meet"

“Let’s roll.”

They say little else and begin getting their belongings aboard the truck. It is a grav model, low profile and it looks to be armored. A machine gun sits in a pintle mount, overlooking the cab and providing a 360 degree firing arc if the shooter is willing to stand on the cab to aim behind. You can see it was an ad-hoc addition to the vehicle

(How many soldiers are there?) If no one else is taking the seat, Dorian moves behind the machine gun and begins familiarizing himself with it.

(5 other than you, rounding you out to a half squad)

2:44 PM

No one seems to challenge you for use of the gun. It looks to be a standard heavy caliber machine gun

“Anyone have a good road trip playlist?”

(https://open.spotify.com/user/1133204200/playlist/27LXgC5xD1s1vpB7E0pA3W?si=KKO3SCO-QcuasifoG9TkvA)

Roadtrip USA - Classics (60s, 70s, 80s), a playlist by Jesper Thor...

A playlist featuring Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and others

(some ancient ass music right there. current year is what? 2668? 700 year old music?)

They laugh a bit grimly. Everyone is saying prayers, looking over maps, someone is asleep, a small compact launcher tied to his pack. "I don't know what we're expecting down there, but we all need to remain sharp." The truck begins heading up the mountain pass, leaving the UNW command camp behind, the lines of prefab tents growing smaller and smaller. Sounds of battle elsewhere carry through the pass.

3:42 PM

"I heard those Draconis boys have a nice tally running for themselves already. Killed three mechs during the assault on Nova's gates"

“What’s the going rate for command bunkers to mechs? One to three?” Dorian scans the area ahead, coming to terms with being on an active battlefield. It’s unsurprisingly worse than the other fights he’s been in.

"What do you mean?" one asks, head bouncing along with the uneven terrain below

Dorian thinks for a minute, “Like a currency exchange rate. Unless you guys aren’t the competitive sort.”

"still not sure what you mean, friend" he shrugs, going back to his prayers. It sounds like the battle lines around nova Heavy are holding for now, Corpsec keeping back in the light of losing their mech support, and UNW forces have not yet assaulted this bunker complex, waiting on the results of this mission. Further to the west, the battle for the panopticon right module is moving in UNW favor, as under-equipped corpsec units begin to rout

(Is he just not getting the joke or am I explaining it poorly?)

(Also, I don’t know if it matters for being on the look for ambushes, but definitely looking around and scanning the area)

(he's not getting it because I'm not getting it lmao, and yeah ill ask for a notice if anything comes up, right now im just setting the scene)

8:51 PM

"Dead even, almost" the squad corporal says, looking at a blue force tracker in his lap. "Maybe slightly to our advantage. Just the opening moves though. This is going to be a long campaign"

"Hopefully we can speed it with this, and save some lives in the process. When do we dismount?"

"An hour or so, perhaps a bit more. Rest while you can"

Dorian tries to rest, but finds it difficult in the rocking vehicle. He stays quiet, however, in an attempt to let those that are resting continue to do so.

After an indeterminate drive you are gently shaken awake. The mountain rock and soil below you is a stark red, almost rust, pebbles with deep silvery black. There are skinny trees climbing the cliffs, along with scrub plant. The sounds of battle resonate louder up here. Soldiers begin unpacking equipment

Dorian helps unload before grabbing his own kit. During the process, he gets the sergeant’s attention, “Where do you want me?” (edited)

“Let’s get up the pass and try to get some eyes on what we are doing. I have no idea yet. Everyone ready to move?”

Dorian falls into step with the rest of the squad when they start moving.

The ground element moved on, the six of you heading up a rough path, to the peak of a hill overlooking the corpsec compound below. A nest of bunkers surrounds a heavily defended command nexus, where a three floor security center directs the action of nearby troops. The building is octagonal and it’s roof has a sandbag wall around its outside. A dozen soldiers, three with anti air rockets stand or crouch on the roof

“That’s something,” Dorian mutters. He begins setting up his rifle and observation position.

You begin to observe the complex. The glass in the windows looks to be armored and you make out a few more soldiers lounging in the various trench lines , along with a cunningly concealed mortar pit

(Any sign of the commander?)

(He would be inside if he’s here based on what you can see right now)

“So we’re going in there?” Dorian directs the question to the sergeant after a few hours of observation.

"We are. We need to try to lure some of the guards out and take them quietly. Get uniforms, se what we can do. Just trying to think of how"

“Do you have any flares we can shoot off in a specific place? Try and lure them into somewhere we can ambush them. Maybe see if we can get an artillery strike on the base? See if they do a patrol following that to assess the area? Hell, I can shoot a guy and they might send antisniper teams out. Downside to that last one is if they have countersnipers set up.”

“Any one of those could bring our target out but they do come with risks. You’re the one putting yourself on the line it seems”

Dorian shrugs, “No sense in coming up with the plan if I make one of you all do it.”

“I know the artillery doesn’t have the range. Not compared to theirs. The counter battery Fire would wipe our guns out, and the mechs are elsewhere. We do have some trip flares”

"My worry is shooting one of them will just put the base on high alert. Let's try the trip flares. Hopefully we can take them without bloodying the uniforms too much." (edited)

“Be ready to cover us. If things really start getting busy a lone sniper can suppress a wide area if you’re well hidden enough. Hit that mortar team first if you do. They’ll drop rounds on you up here “

"You got it. Mortar team, then I'll try to pick off any leadership or radio operators I find. I'll keep you updated on what kind of forces you can expect as well."

"When you see the green flares, start shooting" he says, gathering the rest of the company. "If you have to leave, push west, not south. We're going to leave some claymores in the path so they dont flank you. You hear those go off, you get the fuck out"

“You got it. Are we meeting back up if things go south or am I on my own to return to our lines?”

"We're going to try to leave together, but if your position is compromised don't wait for us"

6:32 PM

"Get out alive. That goes for any of you"

(My regret for picking close combatant over sniper increases haha) Dorian grimaces, filing that in the shit I probably won’t do folder. “I’ll be ready. Let’s do this.” (Am I within optimal range of the bunker complex or do I need to sneak closer?)

(Optimal for sniping yes)

(Cool) Dorian double and triple checks his position. He starts ranging out to the mortar teams and looking for any potential countersniper nests. He does his best to settle in, waiting for the flare.

You do see a sandbag berm on the roof of the command building they could easily use but it doesn’t appear a team is out there now. The mortar team is 750m out, a long shot but not an impossible one

Dorian takes a moment to assess his egress west, planning a route and identifying possible pieces of cover and concealment.

There are some rocks that would serve as decent cover, but there is some space between a few of them, it would be a full sprint for several seconds to make it to a leapfrogging sense of safety

“Smoke grenades might’ve been useful,” he mutters to himself.

There is a two tap on the comms and a moment later the first flare shoots skyward to the east, a fair distance from the complex. Alarms begin to sound as an investigation is put together

(Not green correct?)

(Also I didn’t ask IC but are we worried about them overhearing our Comms? Would Dorian have been briefed on that?)

(not worried about that)

7:27 PM

(and not green)

(cool cool) Dorian updates the team on what the patrol is looking like, providing numbers and arms.

the patrol begins forming up outside the base, six soldiers, a four legged horse like bot for their gear, and finally some kind of floating camera drone, trailing the squad engineer at least until they leave the base. The mortar tube begins ranging in on the area where the flare popped, trying to see if they have the reach should they be needed

Dorian keys the radio, “Head’s up, they’re pre ranging the mortar. You guys out of the potential splash zone? Otherwise I’m going to have to drop the loader if he makes a move to fire.”

"Unable to determine. We are setting the ambush. Any sight of the attackers?"

“The patrol is about to head out. Looks like they have a spotter drone. Six strong with a cargo bot.”

“If that drone goes up you think you can knock it out?” The sergeant asks

(I imagine that’d be a pretty tough shot right?) “If I can’t hit the drone I can hit the operator. At least until they’re out of my sight.”

(The shot is normal. Most drones need a notice check before you can see them to shoot at them but in this case you know ones going to be in the area possibly so we can hand wave that)

(Makes sense)

The flares are fired again, and this time, as the patrol leaves your direct line of sight, you see a silver glint, as the drone is released from its handlers pack, and sent skyward to try to locate the source of the disturbance

“Drone’s out. You want me to hit it?”

"If you've got the shot, take it" the reply comes back (and like i said, waivign notice roll here)

(So first combat roll. +2 for firing from prepared position? Then the normal shooting roll?)

(Right exactly)

Dorian steadies his breath and settles the crosshairs ahead of the drone. A squeeze of the trigger sends the round down range. (14/10)

The drone wobbles as its hit but keeps airborne, barely

Dorian updates the squad, “Hit but still airborne. Firing again. I’ll have to reposition after this.”

(Assuming the shot is heard by the squad and bunker. Not sure how well all the battle sounds cover it)

(they're going to take a notice)

7:27 PM

(and shit the bed) The patrol is probably aware that their drone has been struck, but the base does not yet seem to be reacting to the shot. Your squadmates have not engaged, likely drawing the enemy in

Dorian squeezes off another shot. He waits long enough to see if he knocks the drone down. (10/9)

The drone falls, tumbling from the air and you hear the thud as it hits the ground. A few moments later their is a short, but furious bark of gunfire. There is a single click on your radio as the area falls silent. *Get down here. Our demolitions expert was killed during the firefight. We've got uniforms"

Dorian moves, keeping low and trying to find a blend between stealth and speed.

You make your way down the winding mountain paths to find a wounded but mostly still intact special forces team. They are halfway through stripping uniforms from the dead, and tucking away the bodies- leaving special reverence for their own loss. "Thanks for the help with the drone. This wouldnt have worked with that thing spying on us"

“Yeah no problem. Wish I’d hit it on the first one.” Dorian glances in the direction of the fallen demo specialist, “Sorry about your guy. Where do you need me?”

8:05 PM

He begins stripping one of the enemy after he finds one roughly matching his size while waiting for the response.

demo pack. We're going to head back to the base and pretend to be the patrol. I don't expect we'll get far, but if we can at least get into the defensive works, we can get that explosive satchel in through a window"

(Is the DMR going to look out of place in their uniform?)

Dorian grabs the dead man’s pack, quickly familiarizing himself with the contents

(not really, could always say it was a trophy)

(Works for me)

8:50 PM

Dorian settles himself into the new gear. “Ready when you boys are.”

Inside the bag you see a complex series of demolition charges wired up together. The bag also has a few weighted plates into the bottom to give it some additional heft when thrown. A small two button igniter will start a short timer, and the bag can be quickly closed and thown

7:54 PM

the rest of the gear looks standard military survival, and would serve only to duplicate what you carry yourself already

Dorian’s eyes widen a bit at the pack before he gingerly hooks it to his gear.

“It won’t do anything until you start the timer. It’s chemically inert” the sergeants says as he notices your look of discomfort

“‘Chemically inert’ would make a good band name.” Dorian falls into step with the squad as they begin to head out. “Game plan just bullshit our way as far as we can before we start killing people?”

After a moment and before he gets a response, his eyebrows raised, “or we try to leverage the fact that we’re a returning patrol who just eliminated a UNW spec ops team who had critical intelligence on them so we can meet with the CO.” (edited)

"The second thing you said is the ideal situation, but it would not at all shock me if we end up with the first. Still, let's see what happens"

“‘Hope for the best, prepare for the worst’. Let’s go be ninjas.”

the group moves on, nerves replaced with a swagger almost no one feels, as they round the corner and make the 1km jog to the Corpsec bunker complex. Soldiers in the trench hold their weapons loosely, and two sentries emerge, bayonetted rifles cautiously low. "You're all still there then. Good. They give you any trouble?"

Dorian speaks up from the group, “Nothing we couldn’t handle. Picked up some interesting intel from them, too.”

“Oh yeah? Alright I’ll radio the commander. Head inside” he says (failed the notice check) There is a loud buzzing sound as the door to the bunker complex command center opens

Dorian strides through, walking with a purpose and hoping the squad picks up on his lead. Along the way through the command center, he tries to identify a location he’ll be able to dump the demobag in on their way out.

(Also counting the soldiers that’ll be between us and the exit)

You enter into a security room where a soldier reading a very smutty book nods at you and buzzed you into a second secure door

10:27 AM

He looks to just have a sidearm on the desk. As you enter, the area is open but for a staircase on the north side of the bunker leading up. Computers line the edges of the room

10:27 AM

With data techs and experts working at them

(Do any of the spec ops guys have flop pistols? I should have bought one.)

(No they’re here to kill. Corpsec isn’t taking UNW prisoners either)

10:32 AM

(Due to a long black ops campaign before the actual shooting started)

(Did they ever really have a plan to secure the CO or were they just planning on blowing the place up?)

(They need the head cut off the snake however it happens, blowing the place up is obviously a lot easier)

(Did all the squad follow into the command bunker? Any chance some of them could have just nonchalantly stayed outside and covered the various parts of it?)

10:07 PM

(Last question: what kind of kit do the spec ops guys have? Specifically any icarus harnesses or rappelling gear?)

(They have rappelling gear. Everyone’s inside because separation means capture or death. Also there aren’t enough of you to sweep rooms with less)

Dorian strides through the control center towards the stairs, making seemingly idle conversation with the spec ops sergeant, “Remember that time we went rock climbing out on tower rock and we had weather blow in on us? My plan was to free rappel down the leeward face. What was yours again?” (Hoping he picks up on the double meaning of Dorian’s escape plan from the complex rappelling down one of the bunker sides. And giving him an opportunity to offer his own suggestion.) (edited)

"I didn't have one" he says after a slight pause, picking up on what you're saying. "We did yours. I tihnk you saved the whole squad that day"

“Ever the humble one,” Dorian says, “let’s go report to the CO. Then we go get some rest.” Dorian begins heading up the stairs.

Two guards at the top of the stairs watch your approach but do not raise weapons. “How did it go out there?” One asks, the one on the right. “Heard you lost your drone”

Dorian shakes his head, “Yeah we did. Got their sniper back though.” He gestured to the sniper slung behind his shoulder.

“That’s a nice piece you’ve got there. Quartermaster would pay quite a bit for something like that” the guard says as they move aside to let you pass up the stairs.

Dorian laughs a bit as he passes by, “I bet they would! But if I sold it, who else would believe me when I told them I killed a sniper?”

He shrugs, unable to really counter that argument. You are permitted to pass and wait in the lobby on the top floor, the sound of a conference coming from the only room here, behind a pair of thick double doors to the left. Two Corpsec soldiers in power armor, rifles held across chests stand outside, their expressions unreadable behind full face helmets. Still, you can feel their eyes settle on you as you file into the waiting area, unable to do much else less cover is broken

Dorian doesn’t say anything, his apparent boastfulness giving way to intimidation in an attempt to seem like a regular foot soldier cowed by more elite soldiers. He attempts a friendly nod.

One of them inclines his head back as much as he can given the full seal of the helmet and gorget in the way. (If you decide to get squirrely you’ll have surprise but obviously things change as far as the situation downstairs

(Not trying to get squirrely yet. My plan is to at least try to get alone with the commander if possible. Does the demo bag seem like it has enough boom to level/severely damage the entire structure or do I need to somehow get it on the same floor as the command center?)

(You’ve got enough boom to pancake the place)

(Hell yeah. That simplifies things lol)

You hear the meeting inside get loud and the shouting goes on for a few moments. The contents of which are muffled by the door. There is a click as the door opens and the other staff members come out

(What sort of impression do I get from the staff members?)

(Think like dogs who have been shown up by their alpha. Kinda dejected feelin. Ect)

Dorian gives them a half smile and a nod, one soldier to another who recognizes an ass chewing. Otherwise he’ll wait until called in.

A few moments go by as the officer cadre files downstairs and you smell cigar smoke from within. They smell expensive. “Alright. Report” he calls out. He’s out of sight but the intention for you to file in is clear

Dorian leads the way into the room and motions for the last trooper in to shut the door. He does his best to stand at attention. (What’s the office like? what does the CO look like and what kind of vibe can I get from him at first go?)

(You can tell he’s still mad) the office is very plain and has the hallmarks of new construction. This base is less than a year old , likely made in response to all the UNW black ops occurring on planet. He has the swagger of a man who knows what he’s doing and along the walls the only ornamentation are photos of former squads and military friends he served with across a number of planets

(Shit. He may actually be loyal to CorpSec haha Do I know how long the timer on the demobag is?) “Good evening (day/afternoon), sir. We’re fresh back from investigating those flares. Had our own flare up with some UNW forces. Found some actionable intelligence.”

(You can set it for up to an hour)

7:35 PM

“I see that. Bit of trophy taking too I see” he says, eyeing your DMR.

“Did you? Pretty nice, huh? Guess those UNW weapon shops aren’t a total crapshoot.” (Trying to gauge what kind of person he is in these exchanges. Possible plans are threatening him, misleading him, possibly offering asylum (which may be impossible to grant but I’m not super worried about that), and killing him. To help you figure out where I’m heading with it.)

“Remains tk be seen. You’re back and they’re not.” He says, the foul mood ebbing a bit. “So what’s going on out there. They’re opening up a whole front on us here”

Dorian appears to take a steadying breath, "I'm not going to lie to you, sir. They're pushing hard. We found some evidence of special forces in the area, beyond those we made contact with. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if they're attempting to get at you. This sniper was no joke, he shot a drone out of the air. Wouldn't be hard to pick you off. Sure he's dead, but who knows what else is out there."

He sits back in his chair for a moment, deep in thought, the only evidence of his breathing is the flare of his cigar ember. "Evacuating with them this close is a bad idea too. I can't think of a way to get out that wouldn't have them strafing us on the road or dropping special forces in ahead of us"

2:19 PM

"I think we're safest dug in here for now"

“We can’t get the whole complex out, but,” Dorian leans forward, “we can get you out. We know where the Unies left their exfil ride. My squad hasn’t told anyone. We can return to CorpSec lines. You’re too valuable to be lost defending this strongpoint.”

“You’re kidding, surely they couldn’t be that stupid. There’s. There’s no way. Right ?”

“Forgive me for saying, but fanaticism and stupidity are two sides of the same coin. And we both know the UNW was founded by fanatics.”

“So was the remnant” he grunts but seems to be warming up to the idea. )talk/cha(

(12) "If we are going to go, we should go sooner than later, sir. We took the squad by surprise, but it's only a matter of time until they miss a check in. You of course know what that will imply," Dorian says, glancing upwards. "They're less likely to fire on one of their own vehicles moving behind enemy lines if they still think they have a squad operating in the area."

“You’re right.” He sighs. “Give me a moment to grab a few things before we leave. It doesn’t sound like I’ll be back”

6:48 AM

He begins gathering some pictures from the shelves and throwing them in a small case

Dorian glances at the spec ops squad to get an idea how they’re reacting to all this.

Otherwise Dorian attempts to set himself up to be the last one out of the door so he can leave the demo bag in the office where it hopefully won’t be disturbed.

theyre all doing well so far to mask their emotions, you sense unease, and possibly even a bit of nerves, but if anything, it plays well into the situation.

9:02 PM

The officer falls in between halves of your fire-team, and you are the last one to leave the room. the two soldiers at the door look at you quizzically. "Whats going on here? Sir, do you have orders?"

(that pack is set to detonate in 1 hr, if possible tucked behind the desk) "We're escorting the CO to investigate our findings from the sortie earlier. Don't worry, we'll have him back before eleven," Dorian says upbeat.

The CO nods, not wanting to spread panic inside the base, knowing if his men capitulate the UNW will over-run the node that much sooner

9:24 PM

they stand down, back to guarding his office

Dorian moves to the front of the group, casually leading the way down the stairs and through the command center.

9:26 PM

(Trying not to jump too far ahead. Just going to keep walking like we own the place)

(The CO believed you and still does, so i think you can more or less just waltz out)

(Well let's do that because holy crap it's working?) After they exit the base he addresses the group, "Alright, let's get moving. Eyes up and on a swivel." He uses this as an excuse to scan around them and above them, wary for any drones or soldiers tracking their progress.

There are no drones and the soldiers were momentarily interested but have gone back to their duties seeing that their commanding officer is not worried

Dorian continues leading the way towards where the vehicle is parked. (I forget how far away it is. Plus I imagine we’re going to hear the boom after a bit.)

12:31 PM

(Is the CO armed?)

(he has a handgun that he has not drawn or undone the button flap on)

8:02 PM

The lander is parked in the shadow of some cliffs, engines powered on their quietest idle setting. The pilots will likely be outside, keeping watch for your return as promised

(I thought we drove? In a Humvee kind of thing)

8:05 PM

(Not that it really matters lol)

(You got dropped off in a truck yeah, the lander was for your extraction_

8:25 PM

(even if you ddint take fire or level the plac,e you were going to need to get out in a hurry)

(Ohhhh ok. How long has it been since I set the demo charges? Would we have heard the explosions)

(It’s only been about half an hour since you’re not sneaking)

8:50 PM

(It’s not going to level until agter you leave. You not having to fight your way out saved a lot of time)

(Ok just worried about it not going off.) As they near the lander, Dorian nods to the spec ops soldiers. To the commander he says, “Sorry about this, sir.” (Using the Assassin focus, I’d like to quick draw my blade and slice his gun belt off to prevent him from drawing it.)

8:57 PM

(Hoping the soldiers take this as their cue to subdue and secure him)

The commanding officer had just enough time to realize what is happening before a rifle butt knocks him onto the ground, out cold

He stands there holding the holster for a moment before shrugging, “Well, that works. Let’s get him searched, secured and loaded up. Time to head home.”

A search has his compad, two cigars, a small photo of his family in the breast pocket, and a small vial of what looks like medicine for a sinus infection, but otherwise aside from his sidearm he has no other belongings

8:23 PM

(And the briefcase full of photos but you saw him do that)

(Cool. I’ve got nothing else. Figure we can wait a bit and confirm the explosion goes off, I can send my drone out over the bunker just to get confirmation. Otherwise I have nothing else to do beyond the return flight.)

There is a blossom of fire on the horizon as the bomb goes off, a few minutes ahead of schedule. The lander revs its engines and makes it skyward, back to the relative safety of the orbiting UNW fleet

9:32 AM

(6xp, 10000 credits)

(Woo fun times. I’ll update my sheet sometime today.)

When they return to the fleet, Dorian says his farewells to the spec ops team; expressing his sorrow over the death of their teammate again. At their parting, he trades contact information with the sergeant. “If things on Gudrun keep going the way I’m worried they will, I could use you and your team. I’ll stay in touch and you guys stay alive here.”

(Level 5! New focus: Alert 1 Notice 0-> Notice 1 with one extra SP since not quite enough to get up to Notice 2 Cha 12-> Cha 14 (3 SP, 2 from level up and 1 from Partial Expert Banking 1 SP New AB +4 from Partial Warrior New HP 31) (edited)

They nod and pass a few pleasant words , handing their prisoner over to a guard detail that will process him and send him back to Gudrun or the space capital depending on what is needed from him

(I'm ready to head back to Gudrun. Dunno if I should check in with Arimoto and let him know where the investigation stands into TFL. Figure I ought to get recruited into CIS and officially try running the investigation.)

(I know marcion was waiting for an in character convo with you to officially hand it off. I think now might be a good time

6:39 AM

Ari and I need to resolve the mass combats)

(Alright let’s head back to Gudrun)

The trip back to Gudrun with the secured prisoner is quick and uneventful, he seems to have understood his plight and has remained quiet and respectful. This likely isn’t the first time he has been captured given the long history of skirmishes on Rawhani

(6/30 Taros) Dorian avoids the prisoner for the duration of the trip, unsure of where his own authority lies. Instead focusing on cleaning his equipment and studying Taros. Upon arrival in Gudrun system, he sends a message out ahead of the ship informing Marcion of his return.

11:51 AM

( @opscomm in case you want to do the IC stuff soon )

Marcion meets him a few days later at the Marshal headquarters on Gudrun, walking in wearing a white suit and fedora (edited)

(Before we jump too far forward, anything we needed to do prior to the meeting, neko?)

(Nothing comes to mind at the moment)

Dorian’s waiting in the lobby, scrolling through his compad. He stands up when he sees Marcion, “Morning, Marcion. How’s retirement?”

Marcion gives a small smile "Its interesting, especially since we have the baby coming. Part of me misses the chase, but that kind of chasing hasn't happened for quite some time anyway. How are you doing?"

8:22 PM

He says, sticking his hand out for a handshake.

Dorian smiles as he returns the handshake, "I'm alright. Just got back from Rawhani. Ran with some of the spec ops boys in a mission that ratcheted the pucker factor up. I made it out in one piece, better off than some of the others on that mission." His face sobers for a moment before he seemingly shakes it off, "Anyways, I suppose it's time to get the official recruitment stuff on track. We've been circling it since we met the first time, afterall."

Marcion sees the look on his face. "It's never easy dealing with that loss, even if you really didn't know the person. Don't keep it bottled up, it will eat you alive." He sighs. "Anyway, we can have that talk in your office."

He starts, "My office?"

"Yes, your office." He says, walking over to the elevator.

9:10 PM

"Or we could go to my old house here on the base, which us also now yours, if you want it." (edited)

"I- Wh- Marcion," Dorian stutters, "This is all a bit unexpected. I guess let's head up to the office since we're here."

"Its about the same amount of time really, house is across the street." He says, pushing the button on the elevator. "I had hoped to ease you into this, but getting blown up was not exactly in my appointment book." He says as the elevator dings and a few people walk out, before he walks in.

"Morning," Dorian says before continuing with Marcion, "No kidding. I was expecting to work as an agent. What floor?"

"Third floor. And don't worry, you won't be getting thrusted into the big chair, not immediately anyway."

9:29 PM

Once they get to the third of the four floors, Marcion leads him to a spacious corner office and closes the door behind them. (edited)

9:30 PM

"So, what do you think?"

"It's about half the size of my apartment," he says from the window, "Not a bad view either."

"Bet you are wondering why I chose you and not some career intelligence officer or something like that." *He says as he sits down in one of the chairs at a table next to the window."

Dorian joins him, "Yeah it's been running through my mind pretty much nonstop since the lobby."

Marcion sighs. "You never got to meet him, but the man who founded this agency did so with the idea of upholding the law and protecting the people. Since his death I've done my best to keep it aligned with his ideals. At the same time, the person who runs this place needs to understand how to get work done, utilize creativity, get his hands dirty and take cases on hinself from time to time. You inpressed me out there because you always were trying to analyze the situation at hand, being smart with your resources and use them to come up with unorthodox solutions to problems. And you always have civilians in mind when you are doing so. This agency needs someone in charge who will prevent it from going to far, someone who will keep the public safe, someone like you."

9:49 PM

"But, before you get there, you have to put in some legwork as a regular Marshal field agent, more because I suspected you would want to than anything, and also to make sure everyone here knows what I know."

He sits back, the weight of the potential responsibility sinking in. After a moment, Dorian responds, "I see what you're saying, Marcion. I'll do what I can to follow the example put down in front of me. Who will be running the Marshals in the meantime?"

"Jerud, one of the original Marshals recruited by Desmond, will keep the seat warm for you. He agrees with me about you, he also doesn't want the job permanently. He is the Director of Operations."

"That seems reasonable enough. Who else will know about you all grooming me for eventual leadership? Will it cause problems within the agency?"

"It will be announced to everyone in a memo. I hired almost everyone here, and I don'y expect there will be problems. I don't hire egomaniacs, everyone here has a job, and everyone gets paid the same regardless of position. We are all here to help protect people, not make money. Though I will admit the pay issue had more to do with me trying to limit my paperwork load."

“That’s fair,” Dorian says with a laugh, “Though maybe not a public memo. I’d like a chance to make a name for myself on my own merits.”

"It will be an internal memo. As far as the public is concerned, you are an agent."

He shrugs, “Fair enough, I guess. What else do I need to know?” (edited)

"Don't trust Greystar. The head of their council was sold to them after he was arrested for three murders (Might be two, cant remember), murders he would have been convicted for after he tried to flee. Kincaid signed off on the deal, and they attempted to pay me two million credits as a thank you. Trust your gut when you are dealing with these people in places of power, they will choose political points over justice whenever it suits them. The rule of law must be upheld, no matter how useful someone's skills may be." (edited)

1

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he says gravely, “What’s the plan moving forward? I intend to continue investigating TFL and running those threads down. I assume Jerud’s been briefed.”

"Yes, he has. And the path moving forward is for you to decide, I am just a visitor here now. If you ever need advice though, my door is always open on Terezhino. Take care of yourself." He says, getting up from his chair.

Dorian rises with him, extending a hand, “Thank you, Marcion. Your advice is appreciated. Best of luck to you and yours, don’t hesitate to holler if you need anything.”

Marcion shakes his hand again. "I appreciate the kind words. I'll let you know if I need anything, but if I can handle a pregnant Wind, I think I'll be fine. I'll leave you be, I have to pick up a few things for Wind while I'm on Gudrun." He gives him a tip of the hat before leaving the room, closing the door on the way out.

Dorian settles back into the chair. He stays there awhile, gathering his thoughts.

After some time, he leaves the office to go find Jerud.

(Used the training bonus for joining the agency to boost Punch -1->0) (edited)

Jerud is ever dutiful and is at his desk, hurriedly scratching away at some reports, insisting on using a pen rather than anything modern

“Morning!” Dorian calls cheerfully from the door, then checks his watch, “Err, I guess afternoon! Name’s Dorian Guerra, do you have a minute?”

“Suppose so. What’s the problem?” He asks, putting his round glasses on and settling down his own

9:08 AM

Pen

Dorian sits across from him, “No problem. I felt like I should introduce myself since Marcion appears to want me to helm the agency after some time and he spoke highly of you. Plus I had some ideas going forward. The first is how we can address the ongoing TFL problem. That’s a twofold problem as I’m sure you’re aware. First, is that we should continue isolating the plant from intrusion until our probe into ‘Shaper space returns. They may come back with valuable information. Figure we work with whatever government agencies are already on scene. Second part of this is ‘The Farm’. We know it’s rough location but not much else. I’d like for us to organize a task force dedicated to TFL and investigating the estates. Nothing overt, passive surveillance only. Once we have some actionable intelligence, we’ll decide our next move.” He pauses for a moment, letting Jerud take whatever notes he needs before continuing, “The second problem is it seems like we as an agency don’t really have any way to bring intelligence in. I get the feeling CIS and the Marshals have been reacting to threats instead of anticipating them. So in that line of thinking I’d like to facilitate a contact within Greystar. Marcion’s parting words to me suggested that they may be a security issue. I know someone who was, lets say moved to Greystar before consequences back home could catch them. I think he could potentially be a valuable resource. Plus I can lay some groundwork for a station if it’s appropriate.”

He sits back in his chair taking in everything you’ve just said, and is thinking of the best way to give you a measured and thoughtful reply. “I agree with everything you’ve said but I have a hard time trusting Greystar, let alone defectors with anything. What are you planning to offer in exchange?”

“That we won’t come after him and pursue charges. If I can find him there, I’m pretty sure he can assume the rest. I think he’s a decent man despite everything that’s happened to him. He didn’t defect so much as get caught up in situations outside his control. Plus,” Dorian adds, “he’s not really a defector. He just wants to protect his family.”

“Not having a bullet in your forehead is a good bargaining chip” he concedes

Dorian gives him a little bit shrug and nod. “Main problem I foresee with this whole endeavor is that Gudrun and Acastus aren’t really on speaking terms. So I’m not sure how they’d react to an intelligence agent knocking on their door.”

1

After a moment, “I guess we have a couple options. I can hitch a ride with a civilian or government vessel on nominally friendly business. Or we try and sneak a stealth ship into Acastus space. The latter seems like an extreme measure I don’t feel comfortable taking.”

“It could be considered an act of war. Or at least aggression. Greystar specializes in this kind of work. We do not. Not to speak I’ll but you’re our third director in as many years. They’ve got us beat when it comes to gray tradecraft

Dorian scowls, “It really seems like we’re playing catch-up in a number of areas. My only experience with Greystar is what I know of Svenka, prior to her defection. Is the relationship between Acastus and Gudrun that tense? Plus, do we need to inform the government if we intend to build an intelligence network in Greystar? I intend to do the same on Rawhani after we hand it back to House Draconis.”

“It is not, but relations are neutral and if anything , cool. They’ve capitalized on a number of UNW failings and have made a niche for themselves.”

“I guess I can do what I always do in tight spots and try to talk my way out if anything happens. Besides,” he adds with a lopsided grin, “you’re the one running the place officially. So if they string me up by my toes and have at me, it’s no loss to the Marshals.”

“It would still be a loss. I’d like some consistency at the helm. It’s been hard working for a new boss every year. Madison and I are all Thats remained static”

“Ok fair point. Related question to all this, what sort of shipbuilding or buying capabilities do we have? I’d like to have some sort of Q-ship or two we can use without relying on outside sources. Plus no harm in supplementing the coffers with some trade to cover our movements. Right now we don’t seem to have a way controlled by us to move agents around.”

(They have 4 ships, all corvettes)

5:15 PM

(Just fyi ooc)

“Presidential mandate won’t allow us to trade as we aren’t a faction. We are a government agency. We would still need permission to lay anything cruiser or above , including the imago dei hulls”

(Should’ve clarified OOC. Didn’t mean we’d supplement any meaningful income. Just meant to have a good cover. If it’s still not approved, that’s alright)

(it was a good moment to point out a finer rules point, but no worries)

“Fair point, Jer. I still feel that something that can move overtly would be a good investment for the Agency, though. Otherwise, we’ll need to do some legwork to see if there are any rides we can hitch to Acastus. I have no intention to bring a warship with me or any reason to stir up anything foul. Plus, it may be beneficial to have some sort of back door communication open with Greystar. Especially since governments operate with so much inertia. We may be able to improve relations with them if we talk to them in a language they understand. Cloak and dagger, with emphasis on the former.” Dorian takes a breath before continuing, “So, I guess that’s what’s happening. I’ll leave the finer points of the TFL investigation to you and whoever you delegate to. I’ll talk to Krusty and see what sort of travel options are available to Acastus. Hope to be out system within the week. Questions? Comments? Concerns?”

(It’s about a week and a half to spike there I believe, like 9 days iirc, so round trip I’d say about 20-22 depending on how long you stay)

(I’ll probably be there at least a week, and giving myself a week on Gudrun to find suitable transport. I know Hailey is trading Gudrun-Acastus this month. Don’t know if PsikeTV uses a physical ship though. Do you want me to ask around and look for a ship or are we letting Krusty use his mad hacking powers?)

9:15 AM

(Also Krusty is Hackerman as far as I’m concerned lol)

(yeah he is, and i know we PM'd about a solution for this, stats incoming)

Dorian leaves Jerud’s office after a bit more small talk. He searches the complex for a time and stops more than once to ask directions. Finally, behind an unobtrusive door, he finds his quarry. “Ahoy, matey!” Dorian calls from the threshold.

“Yo ho!” He calls back and you hear the faint dabloonscape theme song

“How’s life with Intelligence treating you? I imagine it’s better than tech support for sanitation or whatever the hell you were doing.” Dorian strides into the dimly lit office and looks for a seat.

“It’s better. Still get to play our favorite game too. Hard to complain “

“Knowing you, you’ll find a way.” Dorian’s tone sobers, “Anyway, I’m here because I need a ship and I need credentials to get on to Acastus. I found reference to a vessel the Marshals impounded a way back but couldn’t find anything more specific. Called Swallowtail.”

“Alright. doctor thorns ship. That’s a great idea. It’s neutral flagged. I’m not sure anyone but a small number of people in intel and higher levels of government know it’s even been captured”

7:14 AM

“Miss Clements got a kings ransom for bringing it in”

Dorian snorts, “Of course. Is it flight ready? I don’t want to find out it’s been mothballed and we’ll spend a month getting it back up.”

“It’s flight ready. The ship was swept and repaired in the event we needed a reserve fleet here at Gudrun”

“Was it just going to stare menacingly at our enemies?” Dorian laughs, “Either way, I’m glad we have something close to incognito transport. Let’s have Jerud write up some marching orders for a crew and get it staffed. As for credentials; what can you do for me?”

“It being neutral flagged is already better than I can do. I can make you a false id as an NMC merchant but it won’t hold up to a thorough check. Should be enough to get you in station though

“Well, that’s better than nothing. Though I may be better off with my legitimate identification when it comes down to it. Glad to have options.”

“Best I can do given the circumstance. You’ll be detained certainly if they knew your true identity. Director Kensh wasn’t exactly treated kindly by the UNW

“Ah. Wonderful. Guess we’ll go with whatever you cook up,” Dorian says. “Also, lets add ‘ability to make better fake identities’ to the to-do list.” (edited)

“That’s a funding thing. And time. So basically your job” he winks as the ship specs are loaded

“Ha...shit you’re right. Send me the credentials, I don’t intend to spend much more time on planet. It was nice chatting with you, Krusty. We’ll need to get some raiding in soon.” On his way out from the office, Dorian shoots Jerud a message requesting a crew be sent to the Swallowtail. He heads towards the armory to check out a flop pistol prior to obtaining his own transport up to where the ship is berthed.

Youre avble to secure the supplies and good you need before getting transport to the swallowtail. You get the feeling of a ship seldom lived in, but home to dozens of lives. It is an interesting mix of factory fresh, heavy lived in useage, and the sterile after-investigation smell from police work. The testing chemicals and their residue still hangs in the air.

8:50 PM

The bridge is populated with a few crewmen who all look almost entirely unnotable. None of them speak or look away from their duties

Not wanting to disrupt the crew, Dorian greets the captain and says, “If everyone’s aboard, lets get out of here. No time like the present to violate sovereign space.” He then moves to whatever living space has been set aside for him to get some rest.

(Without having the map in front of me I believe the trip is nine days

(Alright. 15/30 Taros) Dorian spends the trip brushing up on Taros and occasionally interacting with the crew without being intrusive.

They sound the translation alert an hour before spike exit is expected, depositing you in Acastus local space. No one is sure exactly what to expect and the crew is expecting some kind of briefing or at least some standing orders

Dorian makes a point to be on the bridge leading up to the translation. “Alright, gameplan time,” he settles into an unoccupied seat and swivels it to look at the small crew. He holds up three fingers and ticks one down, “First and foremost, we get out of this in one piece. If anyone is concerned we’re in active danger of being shot, we get out. I’m not about to lose my life or yours just because I want eyes and ears inside Greystar. That being said, we’re going to have to take risks.” Dorian ticks another finger, “Secondly, just fly casual. I know Greystar has a shoddy reputation at the best of times, but I doubt they’re in the business of shooting unarmed Free Merchants. Finally,” he lowers the last digit, “keep your heads on a swivel. If you have something you think I need to know, voice it. Also, don’t shoot anyone unless we’re shot at first; and even then let’s try not to kill anyone. Questions?” (edited)

They all seem to understand the orders as best they can without seeing what you’re about to exit spike space into. They begin to take their stations and wait for the alert warning to tick down

Dorian does his best to outwardly relax and appear unperturbed. (I realize I should’ve asked earlier but do we have any info on how Acastus handles unknown/foreign ships? I know we’ve had some people from Gudrun visit recently but they were expected.)

(No idea at all)

7:37 AM

The ship exits spike space at the edge of the Acastus gravity well. The night world and it’s three moons, each inscribed with a different snd utterly massive precursor glyph bask in the pathetic and dying light of a pale blue pulsar. Scanners have yet to come online to check for ships

“Well, that’s a sight,” Dorian says under his breath. (Is the ship still marked as the Swallowtail or did it get a new name after being impounded by the Marshals?)

)they didn’t change anything about it(

8:59 AM

(Since it was evidence and the good doctor is still out there somewhere)

(Alrighty then.) “Comms,” Dorian says, “Make sure we’re broadcasting our IFF tag (or civilian equivalent) for whatever pickets they may have set up. Let’s wait a moment and see what’s out there on our scopes before we start moving in system.”

(Let’s get a program/int)

(6, having trouble getting the program/int roll macro to work on my phone so just rolled 2d6. No modifiers from the skills)

(I’ll check what they should be I don’t want to cheat you)

(They’re both +0)

The scopes are blind as a patrol boat swings out from behind the closest moon, and it begins vectoring in on your position. There are hundreds of thousands of kilometers between you, but it clearly has identified you as a new arrival in the system. The comms station has not reported a hail, yet.

(Is there established protocol for identifying yourself? Like is it expected in most systems for the new ship to hail the pickets or if they typically wait to be hailed)

(Greystar has one yes but part of how it works is people who aren’t Greystar not knowing what’s asked and whatnot)

8:50 PM

(And yes. That is expected. Which is why it’s curious this one isn’t)

"Comms," Dorian says, "Transmit a general ship identifier to that patrol boat, and a request for vector. Helm, let's cut down to about half power; don't want to seem like we're rushing in system. At least until we hear back."

The maneuvers seem to relax the patrol@boat crew who likewise comes about in a following vector. The comms station light begins to flash and the station chief puts his hand up for your attention

“Go ahead.”

The bridge speakers crackle to life as an elderly and authoritative voice comes over the airwaves. “Swallowtail. This is outbound patrol, state your business in Acastus system space”

(This is me assuming Krusty’s NMC false records extend to the vessel as well. If that’s not the case, I’ll retcon the response) Dorian keys his station’s microphone, “Fair skies, outbound! We’re in system to further our government’s mandate in extending trade though nearby systems. We plan to make some new business contacts with your esteemed merchants.”

“Cooperative flagged now I see. New flag for the hull finally? Falling out with Silvano’s mob?”

“Falling out and seeking new opportunities are two sides of the same coin. Life seems less deadly under the Coopertive’s flag.”

“Is the good doctor aboard?” The ship calmly slips into an escort vector with you and it’s gun ports have remained shuttered thus far

“That’s a negative, outbound patrol. She went her own way some time back.”

“Sad. Proceed to the starhab. Transport to planet surface will be arranged from there if your business needs it. Welcome to Greystar space Swallowtail”

“Received, glad to be here. Thank you for the escort.” Dorian lets out a breath and turns to helm, “Bring us in.”

(Anything you wanted to do aboard before I fast forward to docking?)

(Just download references on what we know about Greystar and NMC to the compad. I would think I spent the trip studying up on them but wouldn’t hurt to have a reference if need be.)

The starhab looms closer , the truly massive space structure opening a bay door. Sick yellow light spills out into space and running lights begin to flicker, guiding you in

Dorian returns to the bridge after getting his gear for the trip, “I won’t confine you all to the ship, but ensure you’re able to return to the Swallowtail with minimal notice. And let’s keep at least one person here at all times. We may be in system for some time while I track down my contact. Keep a lookout for anything interesting but don’t go looking for trouble.”

Everyone is prepared and they all take sidearms into the station, concealing them expertly. Everyone seems to know what they’re doing. They promise to keep their ears to the ground while aboard

Dorian conceals his flop pistol within the folds of his clothing, and tucks his monoblade into his belt. Then he heads out into the station looking for a watering hole near the docks.

There is a large four sided stall with a robot cook in the middle, it’s many arms flipping burgers, stirring pans of mushrooms and seasoning on a burner, and flipping large flaky pieces of battered fish.

6:05 AM

Cold beer is advertised as in tap

He takes a seat at the stall before ordering a fungal beer and fish. Then takes a look around him to get a sense of the other patrons.

One of suhas two patrol boats must be in port, you see a few here in their what must be new naval uniforms. The rest of the ten patrons here look to be station crew of some manner

(Would the false identity have a fake name, too?) (edited)

(Id day with your real one being so high profile now yes , but it’s up to you what you want it to be

Dorian makes his way over to a lone station worker and introduces himself, “Hi! Name’s Will Turner, fresh in from the Cooperative. Was hoping I could bend your ear?”

“Ah , Mr. Turner. Come to get me to join your crew?” He smiles, setting down his frosty drink and leaving a few credit coins in the tip jar

Dorian laughs, “I’d have to pry one of my current crew off of the ship to make an opening. Actually, I’m new to the system and am trying to contact some old business contacts. They’d have recently immigrated here and I just need to be pointed in the right direction.” (edited)

"I see, know their names? or what they might be doing for work?"

(Would Dorian know that Svenka took the engineers back to Acastus?)

(word will be reaching UNW capital this month, which is why it wasnt in the news,s o not yet)

8:24 PM

(right now you're aboard the starhab, but you'd be able to see the stolen shipyard either as you approached in system, or out a porthole here)

Dorian shrugs, "Yeah, but he's not all that recognizable. He'd stand out being Taros and I'm not sure you have many running around here."

8:41 PM

(Also can we have some of the Swallowtail's crew ask around about the stolen ship yard? I'm sure that wasn't in any of our briefings)

(It was not and yeah you can send them a message to ask around as delicately as they can)

(Perfect lets do that)

Dorian texts out some orders for the crew while speaking with the stranger.

“More than you’d think. Especially Now. It’s a strange new day for Greystar”

9:10 AM

A mug of frothy beer is placed on the counter and slid in your direction

He lifts the mug in a toast, “To a brighter future.” After he takes a swig he continues, “and what do you mean by ‘especially now’?” (edited)

“The combine is growing and as we do we bring in more cultures and more people. I’m sure you saw the shipyard on the way in. He shrugs. “The UNW’s misplacement is our gain. All I’ve really been hearing”

9:42 AM

“Suffice to say, lot of taros came along when that thing arrived. I don’t think they were crew though”

“They came with the ship yard I saw on my way in? Where are they located now?”

“All over the place. Some in the city. Some here. Some on the yard but they won’t let you on i can tell you that much already”

6:37 PM

“They’re regular people just like us. They’ve got jobs too “

Dorian shrugs, "That's not a problem. Not much interest in the building of ships. Plus, I'm really only trying to track down my friend. Is there a terminal where I can look for specific residents or ships docked with the starhab? That may put me in the right direction."

“Not sure what’s available to the public but there’s a comms computer for the public in the next shuttle terminal , no food there thiughL

"I may give that a look after I'm done here," he says before taking another drink. "I appreciate you being so open with me. It's always exciting being in a new place. How have the people adjusted to Greystar coming in? Does it seem they're running the place well?"

"Acastus has never known rule on its own, but they seem to be trying as best they can to include everyone. At least for right now. There are no firing squads or secret prisons so its a step up from The Still Lady, at any rate"

“I believe that! Not that the bar was very high to begin with,” Dorian says. After some more idle conversation, he finishes his meal. Before leaving, he pays for the stranger as well, “Thank you again. Here’s my contact info. Lemme know if there’s anything I can help you with while I’m in system.”

He takes the card and slides it into his wallet. “Kind Thanks my friend. May your travels be safe and your burdens light”

“Keep the wind at your back.” Dorian heads off in the direction indicated by the stranger. He keeps an eye out for the public access terminal.

It’s not hard to find, a row of input terminals all attached to a central databank. It is caged off and not able to be directly touched by the public. (Think of it like an old school row of bar phone booths but with computers instead )

He walks to an open terminal and looks to see if he can query a list of the vessels currently docked with the ‘hab.

There are no out of system vessels currently here, just two Greystar corvettes in for refit and reading their crews. Acastus space has been empty for some time, though you do see free merchants belonging to Aiya technology and campagna Corp have been making steady ins and outs in system

8:15 AM

(So you know the factions exist they just don’t have vessels here right now )

(If I search for Mokoshi’s Wings does anything come up?)

9:05 AM

(Since Mal and his family can’t in with Svenka)

(That one would too. I wasnt sure what you had planned but yes)

9:31 AM

You see that the wings has made several stops in and out as well and is currently within the hab where more important traffic is kept

(My b. Is there a crew manifest tied to it? If not, is there anything like a yellow pages on the hab where I can search by name?)

The crew manifest is not listed but it does have contact information for Svenka for contracting work

6:28 PM

It also lists a small stall office location here in the hab for direct inquiry

6:28 PM

)not with her but with an agent sort of oerosn(

Dorian takes a note of the stall location before continuing to search other ships' information in an attempt to not be overtly obvious if someone pulls the inquiry records. After a half dozen more searches, he heads out in the direction of the stall.

There is a worker there, a human woman with goggles that click and chirp as they adjust to read the article she’s reading on her datapad.

2:18 PM

The stall itself is modest but in a well trafficked area of the station

(Is she from Svenka’s crew? Would I recognize that?)

(No she’s hired help. One of the people that come with the holding)

(What’s the holding called again?)

(Lazlow Holdings)

(Oh it carried over. Cool) Dorian waits a bit before walking over to the clerk. “Hi!” he says, “Name’s Will Turner, I’m fresh in from the NMC. I was hoping you could do me a favor.”

Her eyes retract a bit and she looks up from her reading. “Ah yes hello there. Welcome to lazlow industries. How can I help you ?”

He smiles, “I recently got into a conversation with one of your employees and I completely forgot to get their contact information. Is there any way you can point me in the right direction? His name is Malcolm or Matteo or along those lines. He’s Taros if that helps.”

(Hoping that if he is working for Lazlow, she might volunteer some information. Would the old contact codes I have for him/his family still work here?)

(He was supposed to be laying low I think, so not part of the company)

9:18 PM

(if i Recall how that ended correctly)

(Honestly have no idea what happened with him after he left with Svenka. If anything, this’ll help Dorian figure out where he is IC if he’s not on staff with Lazlow)

9:21 PM

(I’m also cool with montaging some of the investigation and leg work. Checking bars, finding gambling dens (hope he hasn’t reverted to old habits), and more or less pounding pavement to find him)

(Confirming what he should be doing with Svenka just to make sure I’m good and I’ll jump back in here)

(I’ll be here!)

(lets get a connect/cha for the pounding the pavement)

(Really dislike how awful Roll20 is in the iPhone browser. I’ll try to log in on my laptop if I have time at work)

(6)

Someone matching the person you seek has been working with a CCE crew on the station recently and later down in grey city

(Were they last seen in Grey City?)

)yeah(

Dorian begins looking for transit to the surface under the guise of being a tourist. (I realize Svenka’s doing stuff to track me down on her end. Is there any way I’d be aware of it or a roll to make it more difficult? It’s not a jump to think someone is tracking his movements, but he certainly isn’t aware it shot all the way up to Svenka so fast.)

(You beat her connect check so you’re ahead of her in tracking him down by a good ways. Dorian is being careful but he would have to be omnicent to@know he’s being actively tracked)

(Awesome, thanks)

You’re eventually brought down to the surface and your information thus far has a name for you , the Forman of malchris work crew, who would likely@know where his employees live

(Do we want to wrap/continue this or move to Dorian contacting Greystar? Not sure how the timing is working.)

(Lets do both)

7:03 PM

(you might want to pop into their meeting, which I can set up)

(Yeah let’s do that) Dorian looks for a place to watch the worksite for a few hours, hoping to see Malchris.

Malchris is spotted after about an hour of watching, showing upt o the job site on a ground truck riding in the bed. Several long steel beams are sitting there, ready to become support pillars for the new governmental complex being built

“Bingo,” he says. Dorian makes his way into the job site, borrowing a hard hat to blend in. He attempts to intercept Mal when he’s alone or somewhere he can pull him aside.

Mal is alone after a few moments, left to inventory some bags of fasteners near the front of the truck, away from Easy view

Dorian quickly takes Mal by the arm and pulls him more out of view, “Hey bud. Long time no see. You haven’t even sent me a postcard.”

He freezes for a moment as he recognizes you. “Oh gods. You’re not here to sanitize me are you?” He asks, clutching the hammer on his belt a bit tighter

“What?” Dorian catches the movement and puts his hands up in a placating gesture, “oh no. Not at all. I’m here to check in. Mostly.”

“I’ve got a job.” He says, showing you the truck and his tool belt. “Family is happy , pay is alright and I’m among my fellow taros. Hard to complain. Just not sure why you’re here”

“Legitimately happy for you, Mal,” he says. “I’m here for a couple reasons. Initially this was just supposed to be a trip to touch base with you. You’re someone I can use as an asset here on Acastus. I don’t want to bring you home, and have you face whatever justice waits for you there. You can stay here, and all I need from you is a periodic report about the goings on on the planet and system. Nothing secret or anything that’d put you at risk. Just things I wouldn’t be able to get without coming here personally.”

“Suspicious activity? That kind of thing?” He asks, as a car pulls up at the end of the street

7:48 AM

@Svenka [Tig/M’Ranni] (though Dorian wouldn’t know who’s in it at first)

“More or less. That way, if someone from the UNW comes asking about you and why we haven’t tried to bring you back I’ll have something to show them.”

Svenka gets out, hood up, and begins making her way to the job site

Dorian notes the hooded figure, but continues his conversation with Mal.

Svenka approaches, noting Malchris and the figure talking to him, trying to stay behind him... noting he seems familiar.

“I could probably help with that. I dont know that I can really provide anything dark or overly detailed but I will help however I can”

“That’s not a problem. Just stay in touch. I don’t want you doing anything illegal, just enough so I can convince anyone asking you’re more use here than you are in a cell. Better for you, better for your family.”

“Better for my family. That’s all this was ever supposed to be about. I’ve tried to stay quiet and out of the way here. I just want something like normal”

Dorian feels something metal pushed against his back

He grins, “We’ll talk later, Mal.” Then he puts his hands up, “Seems like a rude way to introduce yourself.”

“I’m not the one illegally infiltrating Greystar, Dorian.” She holds up a flask “Drink?”

Dorian takes it, “It’s not so much illegal as under false pretenses?” After a sip he hands the flask back, “so yeah, I guess illegally.”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that...” She nods to Mal “So... what the hell are you doing here?”

“Originally I was visiting an old friend. Make sure he got settled in okay since things got complicated last time. I didn’t intend to run into you or the other Greystar decision makers. But,” he says gravely, “seems like there’s some more serious events happening. Maybe we should talk somewhere more secure.”

She motions to the car “quite. Be safe Mal. Call me next time someone like him shows up.”

Dorian starts walking, “As if there’s anyone else like me. See you around Mal. Give my best to the wife and kids.”

“I thought you were another goddamn assassin. I’d hoped he would be forgotten.” She opens the car door

Dorian slides into the passenger seat, “He probably has. Only one other person knows who I was contacting. Nobody else knew I was even here until the damn Shapers showed up on your doorstep.”

“Who else knows?” She starts driving

“The ops chief of intelligence. Technically he’s my subordinate given the shake up in the service.”

“He’s.... wow... what happened to Marcion?”

Dorian shrugs, “Living on a beach with his wife. I’m nominally in charge of CIS and the Marshals, he left it to me.”

"I mean I wondered about his sanity, but... yikes."

12:58 AM

She smiles

12:59 AM

"So... I'm guessing you will be booting it back to UNW space post-haste?"

“We’re all mad in intelligence, haven’t you heard?” His tone sobers, “No. I’ll be staying here to help how I can. I’m the senior UNW agent in system currently so I offered to act as liaison and damage control. I’m sure you know we’re putting our efforts towards Haila?”

“Yep. It’s a reasonable call. Just humans and a spattering of other races here.” She purses her lips “Seung is en route along with a number of non-combatant Ships from Billy. Will evac some people and make a stand.”

“I heard that. Not sure how I feel about us splitting our forces but I’m also glad there’ll be more guns in system. What else do you need? Anything the UNW can provide? I’m honestly not sure what you’re capabilities are here.”

“If Seung comes through with what I’ve asked for, just getting people off planet would be... important.” She gets quiet for a minute. “Could you get someone safely out of system?”

“I don’t think we have the heavy lift capacity to make any meaningful impact.” Dorian furrows his brow, “I can. I have a ship in system.”

“What’s your plan? Fight or get people out? I’d like to make sure that Kade gets sagely out... I’d ask to get Mal and his family out, but I don’t think that would be viable...”

He laughs, “I don’t really have a plan. I’m here to do whatever I can to help. I couldn’t leave knowing I was here and you may have needed me. I don’t have anything to offer beyond a few free merchants and maybe a corvette. CIS and the Marshals aren’t exactly a conventional space force. I have whatever pull in the government that comes with my position. And yes,” he continues, “I can get them out. No reason we can’t be selfish at the end of the world. I’m docked at the Starhab. It may be tight quarters but at least she can make the jump.”

“Okay... I’ve got my ship and we are working on bolstering our combat capabilities... I’ll talk to her.”

“Do your or your people need anything specific from our government? I can’t bring you a fleet, but there may be useful personnel I can have seconded.”

“Scientists... but I’ve put that ask through to Seung... beyond that any data on the shapers and how to fight them.”

“Any specialty in particular?”

“I am loathe to say anything to a spy” She smiles

“That seems reasonable. But I can’t go to Kincaid without something more specific. Wouldn’t want to end up with a spare archeologist when you need a physicist.”

“It’s for a liquid Salt reactor. I’m starting to understand the mechanics behind it if not the science.”

Dorian’s face blanks for a second, “I’ll see what we can do. I assume Seung is getting the fuel?

“Correct... I hope.” She looks somber “Could make the difference we need in this fight.”

“Then I’ll do what I can. I’ll need to get to my ship ASAP to contact Gudrun, and to begin making preparations for our friends to leave. Do you have a destination in mind?” (edited)

2:05 PM

(Interesting development, do we have FTL comms?)

(Not this far out no, that’s something Hailey is working on but it won’t be ready in time for this fight)

(Working the timeframe then: will I be able to get someone back in time for the fight?)

(Not all the way to Gudrun no but even getting them to suha to hop a UNW trade ship or something does what you want to do within time)

(Do I even know if there’s anyone familiar with the science needed to help Svenka on Gudrun?)

(Seung has it already)

( Ah ok) (edited)

(Has it handled. Old pc turned npc )

“If you can get Kade and maybe Mal and his family... along with some others to Suha, then they will be at least out of harms way for now...”

“I can do that. Is there anything else I can do to help here?”

“Be safe. How adept are you as a starship captain?”

2:33 PM

“Or barring that... crew?”

He shrugs, “I can probably shoot a helluva lot better than captain a ship in combat.”

"...We are short staffed, I'll see about getting you a posting if you are interested?"

“That’ll be perfect. Happy to help.”

She nods

3:02 PM

"Ok, I'll be in touch... it's good to see you again, Dorian" She smiles

“You too, Svenka. I’m glad you’re doing well. Hopefully next time isn’t under quite as dire circumstances.” He smiles before exiting the car and heading off to let Mal know his part of the plan.

After giving Mal a choice to leave Acastus with his family ahead of the impending invasion or to remain on planet, Dorian heads back to the Starhab. A quick message sends the recall code to his crew. He adds an addendum that there’ll be a change in itinerary and passenger list so they’re not surprised when strangers start showing up.

Once at the Swallowtail, Dorian composes a message.

Jerud,

I made contact with the asset but things are looking grim here on Acastus. I approve of the Council’s decision to assist Halia, but I can’t leave this system without offering what help I can. Plus, if they happen to survive the incoming attack, it’ll be useful to have a government representative here to assist in the rebuilding. Obviously, if I don’t survive this (all too common in the Marshal Service it seems like), please continue as you’ve been; running intelligence. See you on the other side. 

-Guerra 

P.S. let my parents know what I did if I don’t make it back.

(edited)

2:14 PM

He adds the message to the ships mailbox, set to deliver once back in UNW space, then waits for the crew and passengers to arrive.

(6xp, 10,000 credits)

8:54 PM

(I know you have a free merchant there, if you want to get into the mix proper, theres some NPC factions there and you can control their ships)

(I’m cool with whatever. Crewing a ship, leading a group, whatever holes need filling basically.)

(Forgot to track my level ups here. Level 6-> Shoot-3 with improvement to HP and AB, used previous unspent skill point. One unspent skill point from partial expert Level 7-> HP to 54. Talk-1 and Connect-1 for 4 SP (3 from level up and 1 from partial expert), Fix-0 from unspent skill point)

(I’ll grab a mag rifle and pistol from Svenka’s armory with associated ammo. Plus a CDU)

8:16 PM

(Unless I can use the Taros Rifle Seung offered. I know it has a certain amount of Face requirement and I don’t really know the implications for a human wielding one)

(Humans can use them, it’s just the taros preceded battle rifle. You have enough face)

8:37 PM

(Taros preferred*)

(Then I’ll grab that and a mag pistol if it’s still ok with @Seung Whitaker (Severus/Marina))

(Go ahead. It's my own that he's using neko.)

Dorian takes a moment in his assigned quarters, laying out his accumulated gear and inspecting it. While moving through the familiar motions of stripping and cleaning the equipment, he begins dictating a message to Jerud: “Jerud, looks like I’m still alive. Greystar managed to beat the Fleshshapers back here at Acastus; thanks in no small part to Ad Astra and Governor Whitaker choosing to act of their own volition. Can’t really fault them on that, considering I was here right along side them. I’m not returning to Gudrun just yet, however. A piece of the death moon broke off and formed a fortress on planet. I’ve offered my help to clear it out in the interest of improving relations between our governments and because it’s the right thing to do. I imagine Kincaide may have some words for me when I get back but I’ll deal with it as it comes.” Dorian finishes reconstructing the rifle, “As for the agency, this encounter with our voracious enemies has opened my eyes to our need for a functioning space presence. I’d like you to start spooling up our yard space in preparation to lay down some new hulls. Darkstar and Lone Star aren’t enough for my purposes. I’ll be heading home after we deal with the fortress. Stay safe. Guerra out.” He puts the message in an outbound cache, waiting for the arrival of Swallowtail with attached instructions to forward it to Gudrun. After that, Dorian gathers his kit and heads out to meet the ground teams.

(Would the Swallowtail have a medbay capably of finishing Dorian’s recovery?)

(Not for mounting a cybernetic

6:41 PM

But for keeping your long term care needs yes)

(Yeah, going to get a prosthetic back on Gudrun. Just wanted to see if I had to continue to be in Greystar’s care or not)

(Nope. You can leave

(Well I’d like to stay long enough to see the results of the Singularity Gun at least. And meet with Kensh if he’s willing or whoever he deems appropriate)

Dorian stands in his quarters aboard The Swallowtail, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The holomonitor projects the Singularity Gun’s effects on a loop with local talking heads providing their own commentary about the event. His eyes are still sunken after all the stress over the past week. He meets his own eyes in the mirror, and words that had been rote memorized years before come unbidden to his lips. A mantra passed on by his parents. With little warning, the face staring back at him changed. Becoming more pale and morphing to look like an Acastan native. The stranger in the mirror grimaced with a familiar twist of the mouth. “Shit.”

(Kensh will meet)

11:44 AM

You get a short message from Kensh that he is willing to meet and discuss what has happened over the last couple weeks

Some tension Dorian hadn’t been aware he was holding dissipated, only to be replaced shortly after with new anxiety. He dresses himself, opting for some of the nicer clothes he’d packed in a Gudrun cut. The left sleeve is rolled and pinned close to his stump. He grabs the monoblade before leaving and makes his way through the hab to Kensh’s offices.

(Are you concealing the blade?)

1:26 PM

(Not to hold things up but I feel like that’s impotent to be clear about

(Yes but if any guards or officials ask me about weapons I’ll let them know about it.)

(Unless it’s specifically against some law on the hab)

You’re brought to his office not down in the Greystar capital where your last conference was held but now on the star hab, on the far side of the system. Outside, the star field of space glitters intently. The silhouette of the battleship cuts across the first of Acastus’ moons.

8:34 PM

Three security troopers halt you in the antechamber outside kensh’s office

"Pleasant first rise to you all. I believe Director Kensh is expecting me." Dorian attempts a disarming smile.

“We have to scan first. Please hold a moment and this will be over quickly.” A small metal wand is passed over you and chimes gently around the mono blade

6:05 AM

“If you don’t mind. It will be on the desk here and returned to you upon leaving.”

“What? I’m not unarmed enough already for you?” Dorian says with a laugh.

2

You can’t see their eyes behind dark and reflective visors but one stifles a smile and one coughs into her hand to suppress a laugh. “A formality. We must unfortunately insist “

Dorian sighs melodramatically, “Let it not be said Greystar’s security forces are anything but diligent.” He grins while pulling the knife out and ceremoniously places it on the table. It’s since been cleaned, no sign of the amputation it performed visible on its surface.

They linger on it for a few seconds before the door opens with a pressurized hiss and you’re led inside. “Director kensh. Dorian Guerra, UNW intelligence and survivor of the space battle.”

2:20 PM

The door shuts behind you

“Director,” Dorian says. His tone is more serious now that he stands ahead of the Greystar leader.

“Have a seat. Is there anything I can get you?” Kensh asks, his grey suit immaculately starched and pressed. His black tie is knotted neatly and his black beard is close cropped, a different picture from the one in UNW records

Dorian sits as indicated, “Some water and referrals to your barber and tailor would be great.” He tries to get a feel for the room, and the criminal turned autocrat.

He smiles and laughs a bit under his breath. “I’m sure I can pencil some time in for them to meet with you. How are you feeling otherwise “

Dorian takes a moment to gather his thoughts, “As good as can be expected. I’m relieved your people managed to overcome this latest attack. I’m conflicted as well, though. You’re at odds with what I’ve been told to expect about Greystar and you personally. I’m sure you’re not ignorant to the opinions of my predecessor.”

“He did throw a fit that I wasn’t executed in the streets of port nieu Rotterdam back on Gudrun” Kensh says, eyes distant with thoughts of the past. “I don’t have much respect for someone who sees the world in such black and white terms. Retirement on a resort planet is probably the best place for him.” The room is sparse and you can tell that he does not use it much, but you do see a rifle cabinet with a marksman rifle similar to your DMR in build sitting inside

9:05 PM

It’s been painted a woodland camouflage pattern and the stock is a rich walnut

"I like to think I have a more pragmatic approach. Marcion's beliefs had more inertia behind them than I think even he realized. Enough that it prompted my," Dorian pauses, "visit to your star system."

He laughs gently. “I agree with that. I would have done the same if I was not chained to the desk. But I’m sure you’re here to do more than talk about how things used to be, so I invite you to speak, please”

“I’ll be frank then, Director. I believe Acastus and Gudrun would be stronger as allies than suspicious neighbors. I’m willing to sacrifice some of my own political capital to bring the matter to Kincaid, but I need to know if it’s something you would pursue from your end.”

“We have more to gain than lose. I want to ensure a peaceful border and good dialogue is something that continues even after the shapers have been dealt with. Right now peace is easy with such a strong internal enemy. My chief worry is friction in the future when this matter is done, should we live to see that day”

9:37 AM

“The people of this confederation aren’t that different from the UNW. They work. They have dreams. They want their own corner of the world to be better. War is bad for everyone”

9:37 AM

“And I’d rather not see it happen due to misunderstanding or a lack of communication”

“Agreed. Paradoxically, that’s why I’ve been attempting to set up an intelligence network. I wanted proof you weren’t plotting against us beyond your own words.” “I’d like to set up a mutual intelligence agreement to that end. Whether that’s establishing diplomatic channels and declaring our agents in each other’s polity or something else. I’m open to discussing it with you. I can’t make any promises yet since I’ll need to run it by Kincaid.”

“I have to run it by the board of directors here as well, i would need to bring their concerns to you and vice versa before we could have a meaningful talk. I’m not sure what an agreement would look like”

“Hopefully it’d look better than the shifty glances we’ve given each other up until now.” Dorian leans back, taking a sip of water, “What are you prepared to offer? Something I can take home and show Kincaid and the council you’re willing to act in good faith?”

“I couldn’t offer more on my own than cooperation. Like I said, I need to talk to my sub directors first. Something for both of our councils to talk about. Together

8:30 PM

I think our next meeting should be a joint one”

8:30 PM

(It’s not fair for me to dictate an agreement for two groups

(Yeah that’s fair) Dorian nods, “I can understand that. Could you broach the subject of opening embassies on our respective capitals? I would like to operate a station out of the one on Acastus. My agents would be declared and we would share any intel gained that could be a risk to Greystar’s interest. I’d offer the same to your intelligence division and work on getting it cleared by Kincaid and the council. I think it’d be a step in the right direction.”

8:43 PM

“CIS has a ways to go towards learning the fine art of subterfuge, something we could benefit from learning from Greystar. Plus I’d be willing to offer our more overt assistance should you request it.”

"On its face, I don't see a problem with it, but we need to make sure both sides agree"

“That’s fine by me. If we can demonstrate that we can work together in practice, it should help sway some opposition.”

(theyre all good ideas but we loop back to the fact he cant approve anything on his own, i think both sides need to have a joint player meeting)

(Sure thing. We can move it along. This is accomplishing more than I had hoped anyways.) Dorian smiles at Kensh, “This has gone better than what I was initially concerned would happen when I snuck in system a week ago. Well, beyond cutting my own arm off I guess.”

After some minutes of small talk, Dorian begins to wrap the meeting up, “Director, I appreciate you making time to meet with me. Moreover trusting Governor Whitaker and myself enough to allow us to help you during the crisis. I’ll try to avoid sneaking in again.” He says the last part with a smirk.

“Next time I will have you shot” he says, this time without any levity.

3

2:51 PM

“We will talk again and hopefully have a cooperation agreement ironed out by time it’s done”

He grins wider, “Wouldn’t that be something. I’m glad we had this talk and I look forward to the next ones. Is there anything you’d like me to pass on to Kincaid?”

“Nothing further. She knows where we stand on the important issues, and you’ve already been put on notice for the territorial incursion. What you’ve done is appreciated all the same”

9:42 AM

“I hope to see you made whole again”

“Of course. Always happy to lend a hand to friends in need. It’s been a pleasure, Director.” Dorian stands to shake his hand before leaving.

11:32 AM

(If there’s not anything else Kensh wants to do/say, I’m happy to head back to Swallowtail and Gudrun. I’d also leave a message for Malchris reminding him of our talk and to keep on track since he’s doing so much to help his family now. Also to holler if he ever needs help)

(Nothing else comes to mind or can really be said until that joint meeting)

4:51 PM

(Can only promise so much without the actual players telling me what they want)

(Yeah 100%)

(We can head back to Gudrun then. I’d like to talk with Kincaid if she’s available when we get back. Otherwise I’ll just go into shoring up some CIS stuff then get a new arm)

Kincaid makes herself available when she hears that your ship has made Gudrun space. She clears her schedule and you’re expecting to face the same security measures that you underwent when director Kensh met you for a conference.

(How long is the travel time back again? I’d like to keep learning Taros)

(It was nine days out, so I assume nine days back. 24/30 Taros)

(Yeah it’s the same back)

Dorian stands in the Swallowtail’s bridge as they slide into Gudrun’s orbital lanes. He thanks the crew for their hard work on the last mission, even if they spent most of it babysitting Mal and his family. Once docked, Dorian looks for a shuttle to take him to Kincaid.

Conveyance down to the surface is an easy matter and before long you meet in the former Greenbriar admin building. It’s now the home of Gudruns Governor, but franz has graciously allowed the president to re take her old office during her time here debriefing others

Well, this is going to be interesting, he thinks to himself as he disembarks. He sends a quick message to Jerud informing him that Dorian is back on planet and will swing by CIS HQ following the meeting with Kincaid. He looks to the nearest security guard or staffer, “Can someone point me to the President’s offices?”

You’re taken up to the highest floor where she has re taken her old office. The security detail frisks you for weapons before you’re permitted entry

(I'm unarmed)

2

President Kincaid is behind her old desk, cybernetic right arm curling and uncurling on gently shifting servos and gears inside. The craftsmanship is sublime and if it was flesh colored , you would barely be able to tell it was artificial at all. Her black hair is shoulder length and right now hidden under a white cap, with a black rose pinned to the right side. It’s a warm July and the rest of the garb is condition appropriate. She looks tired and the desk is littered with reports and compads

Dorian takes a handful of steps into the office before stopping, standing at something approximating attention. His left sleeve is pinned up to the stump, the rest of the shirt wrinkle free. “President Kincaid. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Dorian Guerra.”

"Mr. Guerra, sit, please. I understand you made a trip to greystar, and I'd like to hear about it" she says, reclining slightly in her chair

Dorian sits, "Yeah, so about that. It's a bit of a doozy. I initially was there to try and substantiate Marcion's claims that Greystar was a threat to us. I was made by Svenka after contacting a mutual acquantance, which was not entirely surprising. She had a pretty quick response all things considered and I learned some steps to not take if we have to go back again. Unfortunately, that's when the Shapers made their move. I figured, since I was in system, I'd lend them a hand," he punctuates the last part with a lopsided shrug, "and learn what I could from the experience. Turns out Greystar not only found themselves a shipyard, not sure if you knew about that, but also a fuck massive battleship that shoots black holes. Best part is that they let me shoot it, too." He pauses, offering Kincaid an oppurtunity to interject with questions.

"Seung corroborated that story. I saw the reports showing his ships making full burn for Acastus as soon as the attack waves were detected."

9:34 PM

she pauses , taking a sip of some kind of warm purple liquid from a china cup. She winces for a moment, before putting it down and clearing her throat. "What happened on the ground?"

"The breaker guns on Acastus failed to intercept a tendril that broke free of the Death Moon. It made landfall largely intact, then reshaped itself into a fortress. Allowing the Fleshshapers to create a beachhead that Greystar had to pry them out of. With Seung's intel about the Death Moon's 'brain', Greystar made the logical assumption that there would be another one in the fortress. So," Dorian presses his lips together before continuing, "We opted to infiltrate the fortress under cover of a larger assault. One orbital drop later brought Governor Whitaker, myself, and Eisheru Tidecaller- a Merlon Greystar agent- into the fortress. The Tidecaller is a telepath, and once we were within the main brain chamber, he attempted to communicate with the Shapers. Turns out, in a force of wills between a Merlon and whatever greater entity drives the Shapers, the entity wins. He turned on us, shooting me twice before I tried to take him down without killing him. Figured if I was trying to improve relations between us and Acastus, killing a prominent agent would be bad form. Plus, I liked the guy."

9:52 PM

"Anyways, he- it- they, did something to my arm. It began to shape and change like the Shapers do. It was," a pause and quick inhale, "crawling up my arm. In a fit of desperation I cut my arm off to keep it from getting farther. I passed out after that, and came to when Headmaster Fate arrived to work his magic on me."

"I remember the pain, cutting off my arm as well. I was pinned under debris. The ceiling had fallen in during the bombardment of New Kershel. It was my second year in university and I thought for sure, they wouldnt be so bloodthirsty enough to attack a research academy. Too much natural talent. Too much risk of discoveries being lost. Well. I was wrong. I can recommend an excellent Taros doctor. He's been wonderful in getting the kinks and tics out of mine, and I think you might benefit from a visit with him as well. We need you in fighting shape again"

"Thank you, Madam President. And, I'm sorry you can empathize so well. " Dorian steadies himself, "Eis- The Tidecaller debriefed us afterwards. He gave us the system location for what may be the locus for the Fleshshaper intelligence. (OOC totally forget the name right now lol) I also met with Director Kensh, apparently massive bodily injury is a surefire ticket to being something close to tolerated after being identified as a foreign spy. I proposed a joint intelligence agreement. I've identified some shortcomings in CIS that could be supplemented by Greystar's intel division. Plus, it looks good diplomatically."

"This will have to go before the council for their input and ratification. We'd need to see what their demands are, as well"

"You sound a lot like Kensh," he laughs.

10:09 PM

"That's fine by me anyways. I want to focus on shoring up the homefront. It feels like everyone up and left after this last Shaper incursion, and I feel like we're more vulnerable than ever. Especially with those reports of the Shaper-like creature in a market. Can't help but smell TFL all over that one."

“They did leave. We need someone to watch the shop while the gang is away. That’s the two of us and the rest of CIS. It’s on a much better heading

8:06 PM

“Kensh did a few things on this side of the tracks, true, but he’s done well being responsible for such a huge number of people. They don’t deserve to have their quiet lives overturned like that”

“I have some ideas regarding that. I’d like to expand the Marshal’s reach in system and supplement the system defense forces. I’m willing to fund some hulls. I just need the people to crew them. To that end, I’ve already asked Jerud to lay down a cruiser and frigates. I’ll still reserve the right to pull them out of line duty for CIS ops but they can function as the more overt arm of my departments.”

8:19 PM

(kind of like ships that pull double duty as Coast Guard and whatever else I need them to do. Stop-gap until we build up the forces in system)

"Also, I wanted some direction in regards to the upcoming election. Do you want CIS investigating, shadowing, or even protecting the candidates? We're living in tumultuous times here. and I wouldn't want anything nefarious to happen. At least, not anything I'm not directing."

“I have a security service that is going to accompany myself and the other candidates. I don’t want to pull resources away from field work or more active investigations like the ones your office is conducting”

He gives a lopsided shrug, “You make a valid point. If you change your mind, you know how to reach me. As for Greystar, my personal view is that we can’t afford to not have them as allies. I think a joint council meeting will be a step in the right direction and I’d like to organize what cooperation I can with their intel departments when the opportunity presents itself. Other than that, I don’t have anything else to report.”

“That’s Plenty to report. I would have you propose this at the next meeting and back you where possible. Go see Dr Videra about your arm. He’s worked wonders for mine and some days I forget I only have one organic arm”

“Thank you, Madam President. I’ll go pay the doc a visit. Looking forward to more of our talks.” Dorian stands to shake her hand before departing. He looks up Videra’s address and sends a message to Jerud letting them know he’ll be later than anticipated.

The doctor is here in town at the central hospital, usually working alongside chief of surgery Siegfried to help patients the bioscopic master is unable to assist. Some wounds go beyond even psychic healing, and you are one of these cases

6:41 AM

Small, even for a taros, and elderly, he none the less has a sharp mind. His head is a brillo like surface of soft gray hair and his features are sharp

6:41 AM

You can see why Doona likes the soft spoken taros almost immediately

Dorian extends his hand, “Doctor, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dorian Guerra. You come highly recommended, and as you can tell, I need a hand.”

(Can I do a prosthetic arm with the Body Arsenal Array built into it? To act as the advanced medium weapon and laser rifle equivalent?)

(You can have one or the other I believe)

(Well...having two arms seems pretty important. So I’ll go with that)

(Unless you meant either a projectile weapon or melee weapon)

(I believe the internal array is one weapon

(

The details of the array vary from user to user, but usually act as advanced medium weapons that can be used with either Punch or Stab skills and at least one integral energy projector equal to a laser rifle, one that must be powered by an insertable type A power cell

) (edited)

10:48 PM

(There’s a weird “and” in there between the two weapon descriptions. I’m fine with one or the other, just pointing out where I got confused)

(I think they’re counting the arm being metal as a weapon. Okay I’m with you

(Sweet!)

1

“I think I can work with this. Did you have any other special requirements?0

“Actually yes. I was recently on a business trip with a colleague, and couldn’t help but notice some upgrades to his prosthetics. They’re rather appealing due to my line of work. Would you be able to build an offensive weapon into the prosthetic? If not, leave enough room for an armorer to do so?”

“The desired weapon?” He asks, Manipulating the plans for it

“Something equivalent to a laser rifle. It doesn’t need many shots but I want it to pack a punch.”

“Alright. A rifle can work. It’ll be about a week between the surgery and your physical therapy. When can you come in?”

“As soon as possible. I’d like to get back up to 100% before going on any more trips.”

He passes some consent forms over. “Why wait. Let’s get this done then. I’m sure your eager to do the UNW’s work again. I did kincaids arm too”

Dorian reads through the forms, and signs them as long as everything looks to be in order.

The moments and hours after are a blur of changing into a hospital gown, being prepared for surgery and the doctor explaining several times how the procedure is intended to go. “I’ll have more information when you wake up. There’s going to be about a month of medications and anti bacterial treatments you’ll administer on your own0

“See you on the other side then, doc.” Dorian attempts to settle his nerves before the soporific is administered.

You awaken a day later in recovery , your body under linens but you feel in good spirits (not sure if you had a specific way you wanted the arm to look)

(Since the guy seems part artisan/part surgeon it probably looks sleek af lol)

(For sure. All segmented and doesn’t take up any more space than your original arm)

(Like Genos from One Punch Man)

6:27 PM

(But without the bulky shoulders)

(Right. Gotcha.) Dorian wakes up, and the arm is sleek and the shoulder mount is cleanly fastened. It whirrs gently as you clench your knuckles and spread your fingers

He blinks at the arm, “Isn’t that something.” (Do the prosthetics have full sensation, too?)

(I think it would be duller than you’re used to but it would still feel things

(Cool cool. I don’t really have anything I wanted to RP about the physical therapy and other recovery. Figured Dorian would run what he could from the hospital/surgery center)

You’re released from surgery and recovery a week later, the arm still taking a bit of getting used to, but it works , and you’re able to complete your daily physical tasks without trouble. The stump is healing nicely

Dorian summons a car to take him to CIS HQ. He texts ahead to Jerud to see what the other’s schedule is like that day. Dorian lets him know he wants to touch base about plans for Acastus, Rawhani, the ships being constructed, and Gudrun operations. Plus the Brotherhood and what sort of intel CIS may have on them. (Assuming it’s in the same city. Otherwise he’ll be bougie and order a shuttle)

(As for rawhani I need to finish something with stev first. The mass combat is getting a little long and I think I have a satisfying way to put a bow on this. Expect it to come up in the council meeting)

(Works for me!)

Dorian makes preparations to depart for Rawhani. Armor, weapons, and fashionable accessories.

(This migjt he a group mission. Meetings unclear)

(Yeah just was making the note)

(Can I use the travel time from Gudrun to Rawhani to continue my Taros?) (edited)

(Yes you can)

(27/30 Taros)

Aboard his ship, Dorian changes the flight plan to take him to Terezinho before it returns to Gudrun. He also sends a secure message to his Chief of Logistics to deploy an Outrider team to meet him in system with the Dark Star.

8:30 PM

(Figured Outriders is a cooler name than “strike team” haha)

(We might not pick this up until after the meeting and some behind the scenes planning. )

(No worries. Wanted to get that part out of the way)

Dorian,

Thanks for helping. Not keen to be governor at all, ever, so I think I'll let Draconis take the reins. Lord Kaleb is a good guy and he's been fighting for longer than I have.

Maybe we can meet up somewhere in the black, if I can get this command tank running and a ship to carry a small army. Might be a while...

Cheers,
Stev.

(edited)

(Can I have agency NPCs investigate the house where Marcion and fam were kidnapped to look for clues? If that’ll even have a tangible result. Otherwise I’ll head back to Gudrun)

(It’s gonna be tied into the coming Pc mission)

(Ok cool, then back to Gudrun for Dorian if that works. Will finish Taros during downtime 30/30)

(Level up: Level 8-> HP 40, Talk 2->3 (4 sp, 2 remain banked))

(Perform 7/90, for reference)

Dorian returns to Gudrun after ensuring the Delgados' safe return. Stepping inside his office aboard the UNW Capitol Station, he hesitates for a moment. The weight of the of the lost agents weighing heavily upon his shoulders. After a slow breath, Dorian walks behind his desk and settles into the padded office chair. The computer system activates after a retinal scan, and pulls up status reports from the CIS stations and section chiefs. He skims through them, sighing as he settles into the administrative monotony of running the agency. Almost as an afterthought, he dials a number on the comm system, "Jerud, it's Dorian. We've got a lot of work to do. Let's meet for lunch." The camera pulls back out of the office, and fades to black.

5

(Dorian pays 100,000cr for backstage passes to the Chris Fury concert)

Dorian finds a familiar silhouette staring morosely into the distance behind the stage. He walks up beside the Tidecaller and taps their arm with a fresh drink, "So, helluva song Chris opened with. From Svenka's reaction, I can imagine where he got the inspiration from."

10:55 PM

@Eisheru, et al.

Eisheru is startled out of his own thoughts to find Dorian coming up beside him, "Huh? What? Oh... Yes... You always were the perceptive one. It seems as though Mr Fury has used a deeply personal moment to be his inspiration... Caught both of us unprepared... Thank you for the drink. Could definitely use it." Even for his normally stoic self, the song has affected Eisheru. Dorian has spent enough time with him over the last month to know he is extra contemplative

"You know, I know we didn't really talk about the whole Svenka and you thing on Galatea. We haven't really talked about deeply personal stuff since your whole," Dorian pauses before gesturing vaguely, "'Liberation' thing. I get why you did it. And I know you knew how it'd hurt those who cared about you. I can also see how the Boss wouldn't really take kindly to it and it sort of puts into perspective how she was behaving the last time I saw her."

11:44 PM

Dorian sighs loudly, turning to lean against the railing and take another drink, "Kind of makes me wonder what you've done to heal your own wounds from it."

"Yes it... Certainly strained things between us. Likely snuffed whatever spark was there between us. It's just... Different now. I still care deeply for her and I know she does for me. But it's not what it was just a couple months ago. I don't blame her. My serenity would just make her angry, especially when she is trying to get a reaction." Eisheru continues to look outward but takes a drink matching Dorian, "Heal my wounds... Had I not taken the liberation? I... Well... It was a toss up between eating my gun or lost in the bottom of a bottle"

"Hmm," Dorian says by way of acknowledgement. "I'm glad those didn't end up being your decisions. I do miss the Eish I knew before, though. You were a good person then, and you're a good one now. I'm sorry for my contributions to the trauma you experienced, but I'm glad you were there watching my back." Another sip, "Are you interested in romantic entanglements any more?"

"I'm still that same Eisheru. Just... More emotionally stable. There is no need for you to apologize to me... If anything it should be the reverse... If you never met me you wouldn't be missing your arm for one... And you know I will always have your back. The fact that it didn't put two in my skull back on Acastus... You forever have my gratitude." Eisheru turns towards him and takes his own drink. With a deadpan look he stares into Dorian's eyes. "Why do you ask? You offering?"

"Eh I'm sure I would've lost it one way or another. Besides, it's real easy to offer people a hand now," Dorian demonstrates by briefly disconnecting his left hand before putting it back on. "Jerud hates that joke by now. And no, I'm not asking you to jump into bed with me. I have my own interests outside of you Greystar folk y'know."

Eisheru let's out a small chuckle. "Why aren't you asking me?" Eisheru flashes a wink "Are my scales not green enough for you?" "In all seriousness, probably not. Hard enough as it is to make friends with new people. Wouldn't want to subject that kind of emotional torture on someone else who doesn't understand the decision I made. Probably for the best that I remain romantically untangled."

"That sounds difficult. I can't imagine having to make that kind of sacrifice without the aid of the Liberation. The Confederation is lucky to have you helming it. Have you found anyone outside of the Red Sangha who understand what you've taken on?"

Eisheru shrugs a little while finishing the drink "Besides you, Svenka and the Director not many know. Some psychic academy members. And there is a difference between understanding and acceptance. It certainly takes away the pain of loneliness."

Dorian looks Eisheru in the eyes, "Eish, I may not always understand the weirdness you go through but I'll accept you regardless. So," Dorian adds, suddenly uncomfortable with the seriousness of the conversation, "If you ever need a job, I'm sure I could find you one here."

"And I will always appreciate that, Dorian. Always appreciate you." The glass floats away to a small table not too far from where they are standing. Eisheru's lips curl into a small smile at the mention of a job, "Ha. That would be an interesting turn of events. There is never a shortage of things that need to be done in the Confederation. Perhaps I should be offering you a job." "So... Who are these romantic interests of yours that you alluded to?"

There’s a ghost of smile as Dorian says, “An intelligence chief has to have some secrets, Eish. I wouldn’t mind visiting Acastus again. Hopefully Kensh would avoid shooting me this time.”

Eisheru lets out an overly exaggerated sigh "Fine. Keep your secrets, silly spy man. I'm sure Jerud will be much more helpful with that endeavor anyway." He gives dorian a sidelong wink. "Depends if you decide to actually announce yourself next time. Instead of letting Svenka finding you snooping around"

“You guys are no fun,” Dorian says with a laugh. “What are your plans after tonight? I know the vacation on Galatea was sorely needed for us both.”

"We have a new planet that just elected to join the Confederation... Will likely be spending a majority of my time there. Helping the background. If I am not on Arana. I will likely be in my city of Marmora on Acastus. But it will be a much quieter life... At least for a few months. Unsure of where life will take me at the moment." Eisheru turns towards Dorian, "What about you? Surely you aren't still kicking down doors."

“Honestly, I wish I was. At least fieldwork was more straightforward. I’ve been helping the new President with moving CIS’s responsibilities under the other government arms. I’m not really sure what I’ll have left to do once the process is completed.”

"Greystar always needs more agents" Another wink and a slight smile before returning to his emotion neutral visage "It did have a rather... simple quality to it, did it not? Field work that is. Shoot the bad guy and don't blow up the town. Far easier in some respects than diplomatic and political work."

“It did. Plus shooting people is cathartic, but it’s apparently frowned upon in my new role. I’m not sure I could ever work for Greystar proper. Maybe a consultant later on. Gudrun has been getting mighty crowded as of late.”

"Could always come work for me directly... Aiya Tech has some openings in our Corporate Intelligence division. Our compensation package is rather generous if I do say so myself."

“I may take you up on that if it won’t cause problems here at home.”

"It's a standing offer.Whenever you feel done over there, call me. We will keep you kicking in doors and not bogged down in paper work" Eisheru feels her walking closer before he sees her. "Seems we have company," he says as he turns towards Svenka. What he wasn't prepared for was Natalia being here... and the pair holding hands. His surprise is shared briefly along their connection before he quickly stops any further reactions being sent through the connection. He gathers up his persona of picturesque calm and tranquility. Where as before Eisheru's mind was elsewhere and lost in thought, now Svenka is just receiving nothing. The connection still exists but no thoughts are exchanged. At least not coming from Eisheru. (@TheWallofFlesh @Svenka [Tig/M’Ranni] whenever you are ready to pop in)

“Tha- oh shit,” Dorian swears under his breath. “Hey Boss! Nat, nice to see you again.”

Natalia looked about the same as she always did - a deep-grey tank top with fitted black pants and boots to match, her sheaf of black hair tied back. Pale blue lensed eyes, a small metal plate on the back of each hand and on her temple. Up her left arm was a spiraling sleeve of a phosphor tat, displaying a the sillouettes of a dozen birds in flight, each made of softly glowing stained glass. There was a bit of a nervous edge to her expression. This felt awkward. Really really awkward. Didn't want to let go. But holy SHIT was this awkward. She elected to keep quiet, just putting on a small smile. Didn't really trust herself with words just yet.

That good hm? She looks at Eisheru, Dorian, tries to ignore anyone else who might be looking at her. “So.... sorry I... ran off. My thoughts of murdering Chris with his guitar are... lessened now, so that’s good, right? Nat came and got me... convinced me to salvage what remains of the night. So... yay!” She is clearly more on-edge than Dorian has ever seen her, giving off an almost frayed feeling. Intently vulnerable and not like she would usually be. If you want me to leave, I can leave.

Eisheru shakes his head in response to Svenka's mental question. Was unprepared. Didn't know she was here He puts on his best smile that he can manage. Nothing more than a small tight lipped curling of his lips. "I... The feeling is mutual, but pop-stars have their uses. Good to see you again as well, Natalia. Thank you for rescuing Svenka, hardly a way to spend one of the few evenings we all managed to have off for. Hopefully the galaxy won't fall apart with all the movers and shakers here for an evening."

Nat, for whatever reason, had the distinct feeling she was about to be stabbed or something. "Yeah," she chuckled nervously, "heres, ah, here's hoping." (edited)

Dorian puts his drink down, awkwardly saying, “Thankfully we killed all those terrorist people! I’d be a lot more concerned otherwise. I’d ask how you’re liking the concert and stay on Gudrun but that seems like a nonstarter. You all do any galaxy saving deeds recently? That seems like the only reason we all get together anymore at least.”

“Uh.... we came too late to prevent a horrific attack on... I should shut up. The show is great! He has such a wonderful voice!” Her voice drops in volume. “Would be a shame if something were to happen to it.” She bursts out laughing.

"Nothing, ah, too special, no." Sure she wasn't really being asked there, but fuck it. "We were on Danae a while, but, at least lately, I've mostly just been in a lab... and keeping the, ah, lights on while you're gone," she added with a little nod to Eish.

"Well... I've been ensuring that all the food on Galatea is safe to eat. Good thing we left when we did Dorian. Evan was starting to put on a little weight." "I appreciate the work you are doing Natalia. I still read the transcripts and it is good to know the Confederation is in competent hands when the Director or I need to step away for a time." "Thankfully the universe isn't conspiring to send us flesh warping aliens again."

“Hear, hear!” Dorian says, downing more of his drink, “Only nightmarish ghouls and Sunblade slavers.”

“The Extaurrens... we have encountered their aftermath.” She sighs. “Should have come over to Greystar, Dorian, we have all the fun. Did Eisheru already try to recruit you to Aiya? I have a very fun line of drones I’m working on, there is a sneaky one that shows up unannounced and doesnt almost cause galactic incidents!”

He snorts, “if you have one of those, why would you need me?”

“Because we like having you around? If you were ANY other UNW intelligence officer, you would be behind bars. Well. Maybe.” She eyes the drinks, then shakes the thought off. “So, how’s the show going?”

"Hell if we know. Been out here planning our next romantic vacation to the ski lodges of Galatea. They have hot tubs in the room!"

(I know we're kinda going around a circle for this but there's no need to wait on Nat) (edited)

“It’s about what you’d expect from Chris. Exceptional and hard hitting.”

She looks at Eisheru, suprised at the show of excitement. “Oh come on, too soon.” She mock glares at Dorian. “I’m glad you two have had a good time catching up. Galatea seems so incredibly decadent, but maybe we deserve a bit of that sometimes.”

“It only cost an arm to stay there, too!”

“I’m not even going to groan at that...You should talk with Natalia about chrome, she has had some amazing work done. I mean... she chose to, you were fleshwarped into it sooo.....” She scrunches up her nose “Sorry.”

"Oh, it's not, um, incredible or anything." She shook her head. "I-I like it, don't get me wrong, but yeah."

Svenka feels a mental laugh from Eish. "What can I say... I'm a sucker for soak tanks." "Probably far too decadent for my tastes. I just find their society endlessly fascinating." "And technically it was melted off, Svenka"

“If we’re getting technical, I cut it off when it started melting.”

"So what you're admitting to is that it's your fault you don't have an arm?"

Svenka rolls her eyes looking at Natalia with a smile. “They don’t get tired of talking about that arm. Be careful or he might ‘offer you a hand’”

“Whethrr or not is why my fault for not shooting you, or your fault for trying to commune with the Scream beast is forever up to debate my amphibious friend. The important thing is,” he waves his left arm, “I’m all right now.”

"He seemed like he would be a pleasant fellow. But he really needs to work on his conversational tone... Always yelling!"

Nat looked up at Svenka. "So... how many times you heard these jokes?"

“Too. Many. Times.” Her voice quiets. “I’m glad to see them both having a good time though.”

"Mhmm." And with that, she went back to idly standing in the social background.

“More times than you can count on one hand!” Dorian laughs louder, maybe too loudly.

"Who are you kidding, Dorian? We all know you can't count that high... Pretty sure it's a requirement for your job."

Svenka watched the energy pass between the two men, the sound of Chris and his band in the background. She had started out wanting to say goodbye to something and welcome something else. Then it all came crashing down around her. She smiled. She felt like a stone in a river, edges worn with time but still solid, still real. Life cascading around her. An unspoken thing, a feeling. Less the death of something and more the changing, the continuing. There was love here. She squeezed Natalia’s hand, smiling down at her.

Natalia, for her part, had at least come down off the nerves a little. She'd found a niche and settled into it - something between arm candy and an observer. There wasn't much for her to say here, and felt... more than a little unwelcome, given the company, but that wasn't about to make her leave. Sure she wasn't really supposed to be here, but it was worth it. She looked up, squeezed back, and smiled briefly before returning to her resting expression. (edited)

"It's true," he concedes, "I work in intelligence because I was hoping to find some there."

"We all know that the real intelligence wizards come to the Combine." he elbows Dorian in the side. Eisheru sees a waiter carrying a tray of drinks. He extends out one hand and the tray gently lifts up from the waiters upturned hand and makes its way over to the group. "Don't really know what these are but... Smells like a drink to me" He plucks one that looks more like liquor on the rocks and takes a sip The artwork of Natalia's tattoo catches the eye of Eisheru "Natalia... or Nat? Do you have a preference? Sorry couldn't help but notice, is your tattoo... changing colors? That's something I have never seen before... New work?" (edited)

It took a second or so for Natalia to realize she was actually being spoken to, verbally stumbling as her tongue rushed to catch up with her head. "Um, Natalia please. Nat sounds a little like, y'know, gnat, the insect, always, ah, kinda bugged me. No... no pun intended. Anyway. Yeah it's... do you remem... no you never met Lan. Anyway, ah, it's a mesh of small subdermal lights on tiny actuators - reprogrammable, does 256-bit colors and, ah, also textures."

"Truly stunning, Natalia. So you can change the design? Fascinating... Always wanted a tattoo but was unsure whether it could be integrated into Merlon physiology. Complex as it is, makes it hard to mount anything more than a lost limb... Something something about our brains being complex in how it routes the central and periphery nervous systems, I don't know... Never much was the science type. This a souvenir from your trip to Polychrome?"

"Guess I'm lucky that way - nice simple brain, easy to stick a computer in." She laughed a little self-consciously. "Anyhow, uh, sorta? Didn't get it on Polychrome, but... okay so one of my... I guess employees, but I like to think it's closer to friend, anyway, uh, she's from there, and she did the implant work. Knows the designs and, ah, how to put together the stuff they only make there." A pause, and she smiled slightly. "Check your compad."

"Surprised you were able to get someone to leave that planet. Seems to be a place that sinks its teeth into and doesn't let go..." "Huh? What? My compad?" Eisheru pulls out his compad and can see that in the userID field there is a string of text written TheirInterfaceTechIsAMAZING "Ha! That is something else! And you did this while we were talking? Amazing technology indeed!"

"Yeah, I'd thought the Ashen One AR net was impressive, but... the stuff there makes it look like a joke!" A little smile came over her face. "They've got true neural interface figured out - all thought, no gestures, no subvocalization. A little less stable, but a lot more effective. Feels amazing to hook it into a car or a spacecraft, and the response times are..." She trailed off. "Sorry. Um. Rambling a little."

“Seriously? I.... really didn’t realize... that’s amazing!” Svenka’s eyes light up a bit more as she listens. “I looked in to the AR net a while back, did some rudimentary work to facilitate communications... but that... that... we need to talk more about that.”

"Oh, yeah it's, uh... not sure what the right way to say it is..." She paused. "It's... I dunno. Big. A big big difference. Like bow-and-arrow to lasers big." (edited)

“A world beside and over ours. How interesting,” Dorian says more to himself than the rest.

Eisheru waves off the apology, "If we don't cut off Dorian when he rambles about the latest and greatest mag pistol, not going to stop you about something far more interesting. Plus he doesn't have cool tattoos to look at either."

“They were on the other arm, you see.”

"Oh. Oh, um, alright then." A pause. "Don't really have that much to say about it, though, aside from that."

10:54 PM

"About everything you'd expect from having a computer slotted right into your hindbrain," she said, tapping the metal plugs on the base of her neck. (edited)

"I am sure they were, Dorian. Except no one has seen these alleged tattoos to verify your claim" "So what's next for you Natalia? Besides Confederation business, I can look that up easily enough. What is it you want to be doing?"

"Oh. There's, ah... well, a little project in the works." A small smile came over her face, and she glanced up at Svenka for a moment. "Not sure if I want it to... be a surprise or not when it starts in earnest."

“I’ll try to act surprised if you decide to keep us in suspense,” Dorian says with a grin.

"Sorry, what?" She blinked. "Do you know som.... oh, oh! No. Not. Um. Not what I meant."

"Don't listen to him. He knows nothing." Eisheru taps the side of his brain that is opposite of Dorian and gives Natalia a wink "Just an old CIS trick to try and get people to spill their secrets." "Well if you need any assistance please do not hesitate to reach out. You are a friend of Svenka's and, if you would have me, a friend of mine."

"Oh. Um. Thanks. I really... yeah, I really appreciate that." Even if the static lenses neutered most of her facial expressions, her surprise was plain to see. Was still very much of a mind that Eish... probably had it in for her, at least a little. So this was... new.

“I’m not going to say anything about the project, but I am very interested in it.” She smiled, looking like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Best night in a while.

"Well, if you need more assistance than what the wonderful people in Greystar can provide, let me know. I'm always looking to foster better relations between our polities." Dorian's voice is more sincere than you've heard before.

"Fair warning, doesn't involve shooting at anything," she replied with a half-smile. "Might be a little boring."

“I mean it Miiiiiiiight involve that. An eeensy bit?” She made an exaggerated motion with her hands.

“Boring isn’t inherently bad, and if it helps reduce the amount of shooting later that’s a win as far as I’m concerned. Just let me know, your people know how to reach my people.”

"Oh, God, I have people now..." She shook her head. "Oh that feels weird."

She glanced at the intermission holo-curtain, the one playing clips from Buey's ruined landscape to push the charity/benefit part behind this whole thing. "Still really surreal to see all, ah, all that. Practically looks like a whole different planet now."

"Looks like its about to get a whole lot better too. The Fury family has been able to integrate the right mixture of foreign plant life to help mitigate the fungal infection that was destroying the land. Weird to think that we have two planets that are about to change drastically over the coming months. I will be interested to see what Shaila becomes a year from now."

"Mhm." A pause. "Should go back sometime. Been... a while. A-anyway! Um...." Despite her best efforts, Natalia didn't have anything to fill that gap, and looked at Svenka, silently begging for a save.

“I’m working on a ship to facilitate some more extensive exploration, looks to be done in a number of months. Should help us find any more lost souls out in the fringes. Certainly meaningful work.” Hand on the small of Natalia’s back. “Lifelong dream... something I haven’t really been able to realize.”

"If anyone's earned the right to follow their dreams, it's definitely you, Boss," Dorian lifts a drink in toast. "We've all earned some pleasant days and long nights. I'm beyond pleased to hear you two are putting those enormous brains to work for the greater good of us all."

Nat unconsciously leaned into the touch, back into the hand and sideways into Svenka's shoulder. "Here's hoping."

Sensing the conversation winding down to a close "Well... go on you two" he says looking at Svenka and Natalia "Go enjoy yourselves. No need to waste your entire night talking to two old bumps on a log while there is a concert going on. Go go. Have fun. There are too few nights where you will get to do something like this. Make the most of it." (edited)

"Oh, fine, kick us out why don't you?" Natalia glanced up at Svenka again, a small, almost playful smile coming over her face. "So... where to? Get the bats and kneecap a pop-star onstage?"

Dorian smiles at the couple and says, “Try not to do too many violent crimes, but you have my number if you do. It’s been a pleasure, as always.”

Svenka gave a little nod and smiled at the two men. “Until next time, gentlemen.” She looked at Natalia. “No no, revenge can wait. We need to go and awkwardly dance!” She walks off with Natalia