The Count, Walter, Kheaiftouaw and Samantha head for the private room that the Count arranged.

Although it's primarily intended as a party room, with a lot of bench seating along the walls, there is also a conference table set up in the middle with a dozen chairs around it. The chairs are a blend between lounge chair and office chair--sturdy swivel with high back and padded arms.

There is a self-serve bar just inside the door on the right, and the room has its own private freshers at the back.

Sound and lights are controlled from a panel behind the bar, and various effects can be selected. The dark-red pleather covered benches reflect the decor of the room: subdued.

It's clean, and at the moment, the lighting is set on ambient... not too dim, but no focus.

Count Cromwell walks in, makes sure that the glasses and scotch are properly placed on the table, turns to the staff member that guided us here, "There will be others coming, make sure they get here, also, please contact the head of security and ask him to come here, I need to talk to him or her. By the way, your name is?, I'd like to reward you for your time, attention, and performance..."

He does a quick (but casual) circle around the room, looking at the ambiance...moves over to the controls and sets them for a more work-like environment...

Turns back towards the others in the room, "I was never good at love-making lighting, except a few classics...(chuckles), those were good times..."

As those present sit, he walks around the table filling the glasses, being polite.

Then, he sits comfortably at the head of the table, not just by inclination but by an obviously natural thing, he's a man that's used to being in charge of things.

"And so, here we are, if there's anyone out in the bar that you might know, I'll have them sent for, as an example, there's a man I recognize from years ago...

"My name is Dreva, sir," the staff member replies to Darrel. "Well, in that case, can I get your autograph, Count Dooku?" she asks, referring to one of his roles.


A few minutes later, the security person shows up, escorting a man wrapped up in a robe.

"This gentleman says he knows you. Is he one of the ones you were talking about?"

<quote StarMaster>
"My name is Dreva, sir," the staff member replies to Darrel. "Well, in that case, can I get your autograph, Count Dooku?" she asks, referring to one of his roles.

"Dreva, that's a beautiful name, just as you are, thank you. Pulling out his stock of cards, depending on the movie roles..Ahh Count Dooku...
Pressing his thumb against the card to ensure it's value for her if she wants to sell it later..., makes sure she takes a picture of us together with the card for verification (of course this is flawlessly timed, having done this many, many times)

Gives her a heartfelt hug, "Thank you, without fans, I'm just a guy on the street."

Once he releases her, he leans in close, "Dreva, I can't contractually talk about it, but, I'm working on a role right now, top secret, and there's a bit of danger involved...(looks around) deep character insight, you know what I mean (takes her hand in his), "Everyone here knows this Ms. Blue, she's going to be in the back room at 8pm, I want you to tell her to meet us here.

Gives her a reassuring hands on shoulders and look, "You'll be fine, just make sure she understands, she comes to us, not us to her."

A few minutes later, the security person shows up, escorting a man wrapped up in a robe.

"This gentleman says he knows you. Is he one of the ones you were talking about?"

Count Cromwell stands and comes forward...Having seen so many faces, in so many places...and yet, this person stood out, the many years had past...

He turns to the security guard, although still unsure, "Yes, thank you, he's a friend of mine."

Waits until the guard is out of earshot...

"Sir, I know you but, I am at a loss..."

He says this at the same time he's offering this man a seat, and of course, a shot of scotch...
This message was last edited by the player at 04:24, Sun 31 Aug 2014.

Sam wandered into the room, and gave it a brief sweep - looking for exits, windows, and signs of security survellience - anything that she might need to know if an incident occurred.

And as the conversation with the staff member went on she realised why she recognised the guy - an actor

Khea eyed the group of strangers barging in suspiciously, but said nothing. They were Darrels problem, not hers.

In reply to Darrel Cromwell (msg # 5):

When the guard led Ikram through the open door, Sharik gave him a small shove forward. Now he stood inside the private meeting room, Sharik and a closed door behind him ... and a room full of strangers in front of him.

His career as a fighter pilot may have been mostly spent behind a desk, but he had learned enough of their tactics to know that this situation called for a direct assault.

Vonon checked his rig, as Ikram was seated and offered refreshment -- bright electric-blue shirt, with the ruffles at the neck and down the front, over his maroon trousers and comfortable gray sneakers with silver buckles at the top, the auburn hair of his pelt atop his head combed just so.

Vonon called up images of the last Grand Officers Ball he'd attended, cleared his throat, then spoke up with the Command Voice he was taught in the Patrol.

"Ladies and Gentlemen ... Kind Sophonts ... Grrzgarrezz*" Vonon said in a very official manner, "Dame Kaagira-Mepede."

Vonon swung aside, making a half-bow towards Sharik, and holding it -- and making no effort to hide the amused look on his face.


* = Grrzgarrezz: Vargr for "Members of The Pack I do not know personally", i.e., "Ladies and Gentlemen"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:20, Mon 01 Sept 2014.

As these new additions to the "private party" enters...

Count Cromwell stands and gives a polite bow, "Dame Kaagira-Mepede, a pleasure to meet you, please, grab a seat and enjoy the refreshments, sadly, not up to snuff, but, we must both tolerate..."

There is a pause after he stands, and then the Count moves forward the newcomers,

OOC:pauses for a moment, check "Dame Kaagira-Mepede", translator set for Vargr. Shiekerbox modulated

In Vargr to Vonon, "You are also welcome here, please take a seat. I'm glad to meet you."

Count Cromwell offers his hand as a salute.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:15, Mon 01 Sept 2014.

In reply to Darrel Cromwell (msg # 9):

Vonon snapped to attention when the Count addressed him -- or, at least, when his squawkbox did -- in Vargr.

"Thank you, Excellence." Vonon snaps out in Imperial Anglic, "Commander Vonon..."

Vonon stops mid-sentence with a grimace that only shows a little teeth, then his entire body relaxes.

"Sorry, Excellence; just an old habit. I'm Vonon Ronkunu, late of Cassandra Belt's Space Patrol. I'm an old friend of both The Dame, here..." Vonon gestures at Sharik, "As well as the bearded wonder, over there..." he points at Ikram, the robed newcomer, "Who says he knows you, by the way."

Vonon tilts his head to the side and perks up his ears, looking at Darrel more closely.

"You do look familiar, actually. Ever spend any time in Cassanda Belt?"

Sharik smiled and curtsied to the Count, "Your Lordship, I am honored to make your acquaintance.  Thank you for receiving us."  She gestured to include herself as well as Vonon and Ikram.  The thin dilettante moved to grab a tumbler, not willing to refuse the hospitality of some brandy.

A slightly bemused smiled crossed her lips as Darrel and Vonon spoke to each other in what she presumed was Gvegh.  Her facility with the vargr language was just smattering; so, at best she understood every third or fourth word.  Well, or would have only understood a limited number of words.  If her translation software in her personal communicator hadn't kicked in.

She nodded, and though not seeking to interject into their conversation per se, merely reiterated Ikram's assertion with Vonon had given, while gesturing to encompass the newly mustered Imperial Marine, "Our associate felt compelled to seek you out.  Forgive us, if we are being impertinent."  There was no harm in giving the Count the ability to delay meeting with them until it was more convenient for him.

Shar elbowed her vargr companion gently, leaning in to inform him rather playfully, "Count Cromwell should look familiar, Vonon.  He's been in many vids, though that is all behind him now."  She took another sip, hoping that she hadn't spoken out of turn (again); Sharik dimly recalled the rumor that Cromwell had retired from acting - though the entertainment industry seemed like the Imperial Scout service of sorts, one never really retired from such work.

Then the brown-haired wisp of a girl, added cheerfully - almost nonchalantly, "Actually, My Lord, I believe that we have met previously."   She shrugged slightly, readily conceding, "Though it has likely been a decade or so.  And, I suspect that you made more of an impression on me than I would have upon you at that time..."  It was just the honest truth; as a count, Sharik would assume that Darrel would have met many more important people worth remembering than a lowly daughter of two landless knights as the hostess to a party.  "Perhaps you remember a soiree at a safari resort on my homeworld of Gaargir?" she prompted Darrel, in hopes of jogging his memory.

[OOC:  The 'Mepede' in Sharik's name is a variant of 'Mepade' ('Discoverer' in Vilani ( http://eaglestone.pocketempire...lani_Dictionary.html )) - which as the fifth or professional part of her Vilani name ( http://www.freelancetraveller....ustoms/vilnames.html ) mostly likely means she is a scout or field scientist of some sort.  And her entry in any of the public database would like show that she has dabbled in plenty of recreational activities (even grav cycle racing) for more than a decade during her current 'Grand Tour' of the subsector and that she has a service record in both the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service and the Imperial Navy prior to that.]

Khea stands a bit apart from the rest and watches, with some disdain, how the newcomers all prance around Darrel while waiting for her hand computer to translate the Vargr words.

In reply to Kheaiftouaw (msg # 12):

OOC: just a note, folks, with the exception of that one word at the beginning, there, Vonon has been speaking Imperial Anglic, with a slight, but distinct "growly" Vargr accent.  Only the Count has spoken a complete sentence in Gvegh, via his translator.

Walter waited as the others moved to be seated and for the Count to call the gathering to order as he appeared to be crunching some numbers. For those that have never meet him before, Walter appeared to be a stereotypical bureaucrat.

"Please before we start, since we're not in a formal setting, simply my title Count will do fine, Lord, Highness and Excellency makes me feel like I should smiling for a camera somewhere."

Looks around at the group, "I notice that several of you still have friends out there, it might be best if we make sure they are here before getting too far along, I could have the security ask them to join us or if you want to get them yourselves, whichever you feel more comfortable with?"

With that said, he places Ms. Blue's card on the table, face down, showing her message to meet in the back room.

OOC: The Count is used to keeping track of hundreds of extras on a vid set, he had noticed that one or more of the people here had left their companions back in the bar.

In reply to Darrel Cromwell (msg # 15):

Shar elbowed her vargr companion gently, leaning in to inform him rather playfully, "Count Cromwell should look familiar, Vonon.  He's been in many vids, though that is all behind him now."

Vonon peers again at the Count, looking more closely.

"Oh, yeah, sure!" Vonon says with dawning recognition, "You're that guy...who was in that...thing...with the other guy...and that girl...what was her name?  Anyway, yeah, sure, I remember now! Several years back you did a tour with the Imperial Servicepersons Organization, right? You came to Cassandras Belt and did that great stage show."

Vonon taps the side of his head with a balled up fist, "Duh! That must be when you met Ikram; same time I did. Or, back then you might have known him as Captain Ikram Fahreed of the Imperial Twenty Second Marines. If I remember correctly, he said he was assigned to security for the ISO people."

Darrel looks around at the group, "I notice that several of you still have friends out there, it might be best if we make sure they are here before getting too far along, I could have the security ask them to join us or if you want to get them yourselves, whichever you feel more comfortable with?"

Vonon looks over at Sharik, then glances around the room.

"Nope. I think we're good, Count. All present or accounted for, Sir."

"Heh, we did a shoot there in the belt...rough times, but, it all worked out, the patrols there were very accommodating, perhaps you might be listed in the credits..."


The Count actually blushes, "Yes, yes...I've never considered my fame as given, and if there's any one thing that's truly counted...I hope that my vids have entertained and provided inspiration to the public."


"Honesty is a virtue, and so, sadly, I don't exactly recall something like that, although"....(he ponders), "I do recall a pleasant knight, showing me a speeder..saying something like," "Wait till you see my daughter glide this thing, it's angelic..."..leans back in his chair, looong pause....."Ahh, yes, I understand now, I congratulate on your success and your parents were very proud of you,"

After he personally fills everyone's glass, as he rounds the table, listening to the conversations...

OOC: Keeping in mind we have at least an hour before the "backroom"

Sits at the head of the table, points at Ms. Blue's card. "So, my idea is to get her to come to us. No surprises, we have the homefield advantage...."

Ponders how we have changed events....

"I might be paranoid, but, sometimes it pays to be cautious." glances towards the door, "Unless she's telepathic, there's no way she would have seen this coming..and I want her...unbalanced.

"Just because you're paranoid, does not mean that they are not out to get you." Walter muttered and then quickly covered his mouth as if he had uttered a foul word.

"Walter, you're absolutely correct, however, let's hope that's not the case, this time."

Still not quite happy with the sudden influx of strangers, Khea makes her way to the bar. It would be a shame to waste this opportunity as Count, as he apparently wants to be called, seems to be paying and Khea learned quickly back in the Hierate to exploit unsupervised males when there is an opportunity for it.

When she reaches the bar she pours herself a glass full of the first bottle she gets into her hands. While alcohol seems to work the same on Aslan and Humaniti the taste is a different matter, so any labels the Humaniti give their drinks are meaningless to her.

<Trokh> "Let the adventure begin" she silently says to herself before taking the first sip.

Sharik glanced about for a moment, and it was only then that she noticed that Quinzella was not in the room.  Apparently, her assumption that her friend had been following her and covering her back was... well, unfounded.  With a slightly beleaguered sigh escaping her lips, the dark-haired dilettante tapped away furiously in her dataglove for a few seconds.  When she stopped typing, a brief text message was already spiraling outwards to Quinzella's digital drop address; it contained only a few simple letters:  ++ Q, pourquoi? ++

When the Count potentially, actually recalled her and regaled her with her father's praise, it was Sharik's turn to blush.  "He did not..." the thin brunette gasped, as she reddened slightly and then added playfully, "I don't doubt that my father made a reference to a biblical entity.  But, I suspect that it was not the heavenly host."  She fondly recalled (at least now, twenty years later) that her parents had referred to her as a hellion more than once.

A bemused expression crossed her lips as the Count started to describe the tactics he intended to use with respect to Ms. Blue; there were just so many ways to take the expression 'unbalanced' - especially with such an attractive young woman, like Ceruleanne.  The edge of her tumbler masked the smirk on her features as she nodded in agreement with Walter's conspiracy corollary and Darrel's rejoinder.  Shar motioned to the two gentelmen near her, Vonon and Ikram, for one of them to hand her one of the cards that the blue-haired woman had been handing out.  Sharik looked thoughtful as she flipped the card a couple of times between the long, thin fingers of her left hand.  She sent her digital assistant spiraling outward, searching at the speed of light with the keyword phrases, 'Ceruleanne Blue' and 'AcquireCorp'.  Shar figured that information, any information, was key.

The cosmopolitan brunette held up her tumbler and took a swallow to the Aslan female's toast.  If the translation software had gotten the gist right - and Sharik had suspected that it had given her limited knowledge of Trokh - the sentiment seemed quite appropriate.   "Here, here." she crowed in galanglic.

In reply to Darrel Cromwell (msg # 18):

Sam piped up at the pause in the slightly meandering conversation, leaning forward into the table so everyone could see her.

"So Count, am I correct to understand that you don't have a job offer or business proposal yourself for us?

But that your sole aim was to gather a group of relative strangers, most of whose skills are unknown to you, and only some of whose skills are known to each other, and assume that this Ceruleanne would come to us rather than just deal with any of the many other people she handed her card to who didn't try and side swipe her, and turn up at the meeting?"

Sam took a slug of beer "Just trying to be clear you understand, as I came to this room hoping for a job offer from yourself, and if that's not whats happening, then you'll need to sell me your plan and why I should go with it."

As she finished, Sam sat back, and took another slug, keeping her gaze firmly on the Count.

Walther looked up from his computer.
"For those that do not know me, I am Sir Walter Zeller. Former Merchant and Bureaucrat." he said with a bow to the others.

"We have all worked with each other in one form or another in the past, and from what I am lead to understand, we have a unique talent pool to offer. Rather than being parceled off one by one, if we are organized, we can offer our services at a better rate, if the offer is agreeable to everyone. Considering she was passing out cards to each of us, it might be that they are looking for warm bodies to fill their mission and it might not have a good survival rate." he said

"As for myself, I would be content to get a few people together and go in on a Far Merchant, as there is plenty of systems to trade in this sub-sector that can be reached with that type of vessel. If that is done, and things work out, I can pretty much guarantee you all that in a year from now, we will all be millionaires, having a very personal relationship with the inter-workings of trade and commerce in this area. I would much rather be stuck working on my own free trader than working on someone else's megacorp freighter. Its not the guy loading the cargo, its the guy that runs the company that makes the money. Now for some, running around in a merchant ship might seem boring but the Imperium runs on money and those at the top have lots of it." he added

"I would much rather sit behind a desk and work behind the scenes as that is what I am good at. I am not as young as I use to be and the last few years have not been kind to me, so running around exploring old ruins or chasing after pirates is at the bottom of my list of things to do in my old age. However, a merchant ship does need people to crew it and man the guns so they are less of a target. That is where you come in. While I can not speak for the Count, I believe that he wanted to hear her out and if it was not agreeable, form our own plan." Walter said, motioning towards the Count.

"If what I have seen so far is correct, I am less enamored about Ms. Ceruleanne Blue and AcquireCorp." he said, as he turned his computer around.

"AcquireCorp has two classified ads."

"Now anyone can go to a Travelers Aid Society office and get the lottery numbers in their sub-sector without having to pay a 5% fee. As for Recoveries and Acquisitions, that is another word for Repo work and most people tend to shoot first when the repoman comes to get their ship." he said, looking to the others for their input.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:30, Thu 04 Sept 2014.

To Sharik, via text: **You and those two men quite ran off to a private room.  I saw the door close and a bouncer outside, I am still at the bar if you need me.  May I inquire as to the goings on of this private party?**

In reply to Darrel Cromwell (msg # 20):

Vonon crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, near Sharik. He brought his right paw up to idly scratch under his chin with his thumb, as he listened to the Count plan, and the comments it initiated. His left ear twitched when he heard the faint buzzing from Shariks personal comm.

"Okay, I think I get it." Vonon interjected, "This Ms. Blue is some kind of Corporate Headhunter -- I've seen her like many times back on my homeworld. What you're suggesting, here, is that we Headhunt the Headhunter. That we offer her a cohesive group, more-or-less, that already agrees to work together. That cuts down on her interview time, which saves her some credits, and makes her look good to her bosses. I get that. It's actually a pretty good plan, for dealing with a Corporate Headhunter."

Vonon stops scratching his chin, and instead points at Walter.

"But I also agree with Sir Walter, there. More than likely whatever this AcquireCorp is looking to retrieve, they're looking for offworlders to do it for them. And, in my experience, that usually means that the corporation in question thinks there could be trouble, and they want cut-outs to do the job, so they can distance themselves if the operation drops into the sun."

"Oh, I don't mean to suggest that whatever it is they are doing is illegal, just that I agree with His Knightship -- repo men do get shot at, even though they are performing a perfectly legal job of reposession. Just saying."

Vonon twitched his ears, and curled his lips in the non-toothy smile that Vargr are capable of.

"Of course, off on another tangent, this AcquireCorp could be looking for crew to go salvage something. From the smell of it, there are certainly enough pilots in this room, and I gather the rest must be some kind of technicians. Even Sir Walter, there, says he's a bureaucrat, so he'd make a good administrator. The only one I can't pin down is you, Count. What's a High Noble, and an Actor, doing taking meetings with a two-credit recovery company like AcquireCorp? You know something we don't, or are you just out slumming?"

Listens to the interaction, and notes the issues at hand.

***Sighs***

"Much like my friend Walter, I'm at a certain point in my life where I needed to make a change, although the circumstances are different, the end result, I'm here and so are all of you."

Taps his and Walter's card (and anyone's that presented it with "Back room note").."I checked as we came here, although everyone in the club got a card,it was limited, it was very specific about this message. Understand?"

"I would like to meet Ms. Blue, as a group"

And, I agree with the views of several of you, as a group, we provide a spectrum of skills that would be hard to find if she, as a head-hunter, tried to establish a crew with a ship, understand?"



Count Cromwell pours himself a drink and downs it...

"No, I'm not here to be a patron nor am I slumming, I'm looking to help form a small group, with Walter's and your help, to establish, at least at this point, a small company based on a serviceable merchant ship..."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:40, Fri 05 Sept 2014.

The security company that Darrel calls says they'll have someone there in 15 minutes. Does he want 24/7 security? Long term or short term? Will one guard be sufficient?

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 28):

One person for the evening, with the option for long-term employment.

Sharik glanced down at her forearm for a brief moment, then tapped on her dataglove quickly, ++A meeting of minds++, in response to Quinzella's request for more information.   She really couldn't say more or less at the moment.

The dark-haired dilettante brought the tumbler of brandy to her lips once more to take a sip.  As she did so, Shar leaned forward and gave Vonon's leg a quick rap on the ankle under the table, where no one else could really see it.  Her raised eyebrow shot his way was followed by a slight shake of the head, following his 'slumming it' comment.  The Count didn't appear to be too slighted by her vargr companion's words, but Sharik knew her friend quite well.  She was pretty sure that the comment was more pack-mentality motivated.  She didn't want an Alpha pissing match to start this early.  Especially since they weren't exactly invited - though the Count didn't seem to mind that either.

She leaned in towards her canid companion, speaking softly with only a touch of authoritative insistence, "Play nice."  Sharik smirked slightly and then added quietly after a moment - and some of Darrel's explanation, "Even if the Count is looking to form a new 'pack' ..."  Which was a concession that Vonon might sort of be right.  Not that she wasn't necessarily amenable to the idea.

They could form a union or a free company as a potential bargaining chip for negotiating a deal.  Shar was pretty sure that she had seen Walter before as well in the high society circles.  But her search on his name was far less fruitful.  Still, he had been knighted for 'services rendered' or some such.  And even if he wasn't an administrator, the man looked the part.  Sharik wouldn't have been surprised if the man was a shrewd negotiator - or, like Darrel, just a really good actor.

Sharik leaned back in her chair, knowing that she was a true party crasher.  Of the seven people there, she was the only one that had not received a personalized card.  But she wasn't about to announce that.  Instead, the very youthful-looking socialite ran her fingers through her long hair for a moment, trying to look casual.  "What kind of merchant ship did you have in mind, M'lord?" she prompted, musing aloud, "And exactly what kind of 'jobs' does a merchant ship take besides trading?"  Her interest was piqued, she had enough ship skills that she could do a decent job on a mercantile trader doing all sorts of things.  Hell, she had done working passage as a junior steward just to get to Grendal.  But, that didn't mean that she wanted to keep travelling that way.

And from the looks of it, the Count wasn't exactly a merchant captain (though he was an undeniably handsome man).  And it didn't really sound like that was what he wanted to necessarily be - even if he was looking for a 'change'...

Walter did a few key strokes "With a Far Trader, we can cover most of the subsector at this end. The only problem would be heading coreward as there is it requires a jump 3 engine to get there directly. They can be reached by refueling at Coventry. It is a red zone but should not be a problem refueling at the gas giant if a bit of a long way to get there, just no social calls as I believe that it is a prison world." he said

"For the time being, since I believe that money might be a bit tight, hauling cargo and working our way up to more lucrative ones is an option. As for other missions, I understand that there might be some work but it might be over our heads until we are better equipped. For instance, in Tharrill, there is another planet that was inhabited over 200 years ago that a ship carrying artwork and museum pieces crashed. From what I understand, there was a plague that occurred at the time. Ah, here it is." he said, turning the computer. "If this headhunter does not pan out, here is the craft that I was thinking of along with the TAS information on the crash." Walter said, turning the computer to the group.



"Anatar (world)
Primary: Drathler, spectral class G0 V. ICN S4K0508G0V. Mass 1.04 standard. Stellar diameter 1.03 standard. Luminosity 1.21 standard.

Planetary System: Seven major bodies. One Inhabited world (Tharrill, IV), one potentially habitable world (Anatar, V). Two gas giants, two planetoid belts, one captured planet (Anatar, V), which fails to follow accepted planetary progression laws, in system.

V Anatar: Mean orbital radius, 194.48 million kilometers (1.3 AU). Period, 530.87 days ... No satellites ... Diameter, 11,509 kilometers. Density, 1.04. Mass, 0.697 standard. Mean surface gravity, 0.91 G. Rotation period: 18 hours, 28 minutes, 35 seconds. Axial Inclination, 16°5'5.0" Orbital eccentricity, .100 ... Albedo, .30 ... Surface atmospheric pressure, 1.5atm; composition, standard oxygen-nitrogen mix with viral taint. Requires filter mask to breathe atmosphere directly. Hydrographic percentage, 71%; composition, liquid water. Mean summer surface temperature (at apastron), 11°C. Mean winter surface temperature (at periastron), 9.5°C.

Remarks: Anatar, Tharrill's sister world, was settled by the Carrillian Assembly and was, with the exception of a considerably chillier climate, virtually equal in potential to Tharrill itself. Both colonies thrived until, about two centuries ago, disaster struck Anatar. The Red Plague of 922 was one of the most horrible catastrophes in human history.

Rumor has it that, during the evacuation, a starship carrying a large shipment of valuable paintings, sculpture and other priceless pieces from the Planetary Museum crash landed somewhere in the wilderness northwest of the capital city. Two expeditions have visited the world in hopes of locating and salvaging the lost artwork; both of them contracted the Red Plague - two survivors came back from the first expedition and none from the second. This has caused fresh consideration of the problem and has led to the theory that the virus can be absorbed through exposed skin as well as through the lungs. No one has been willing to test this assumption, however, by another visit to Anatar."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:21, Sun 07 Sept 2014.

Count Cromwell turns and gives a deep look at Sharik and her questions, ponders, "No more My Lords, please Count is fine...one of the reasons I'm here, there's a group that has "congealed" around me over the last couple of years."

Swirls his drink, "All I hear everyday; Title, and titles and titles...hangers-on, groupies, press agents, this, that and whatnot...I'm no longer my own person but, just a face, with strings attached...and so, I'm cutting the strings."

Everyone can tell (maybe, he's a excellent actor), he's upset...the Count points at the card, "I am unsure of her offer, but, I am completely sure, my next course of action here, since I know Walter who is a stand-up guy, is to get our own thing going...Beyond that, well, let's see what the future brings, I would be thrilled to have you all join along."

Khea puts down her glass after having sampled several drinks from the bar and decided that Humaniti have a very different taste for their drinks than Aslan and addresses the group from across the room.

"You are starting to sound like an Ihatei who tries to attract followers with promises of glory and territory.

We hardly know each other including if we are even able to staff a ship with the persons gathered here or if we have three pilots and no navigators. So I find you are a bit premature when you already make plans to buy a ship and decide what to do with it"

She pauses a moment to let the words settle in.
"But I agree that presenting us as a group will give us a stronger position during the upcoming negotiation. And assuming this will be a proper interview we will know more about each other when it is done and also what we are intending to do in the future in the case we sign on. Then we can make plans based on facts instead of desires"

"I agree, but, if we are skilled enough, then our desires turn into facts."

Pauses..shift/modulating to Aslan; "I am not a kitten nor some crazed warrior...I respect what you mean, but, I'm here for just serious business, which, I'm sure you understand."

Salutes everyone around the table with his glass, "Trust me, even though I don't know each of you closely, well, a couple of you...whatever we're lacking, it can be found...Nothing starts off easy, and if it did, where's the challenge?"

Puts his glass on the table, and looks around at the assembled group, gives them each a smile.

"With that said, Ms. Blue should be here shortly, let's welcome her united, as a group."

"Ow! Hey, watch..." Vonon suddenly hissed, hopping on one leg.



"What'd I say? What'd I say?" Vonon pouted, in a lower voice, while standing on one foot and rubbing the ankle of the other.

After a few moments, though, he put down his foot, and leaned in to read the computer screen Sir Walter had turned towards all of them.

"A old A2 Trader? The weapons on that aren't much better than popguns, and the armor is thin as paper, but, yeah, it's got good cargo space. Hmm, twenty years old? Y'never know, though, in that much time, previous owners can make all kinds of modifications. Could actually be kinda sweet."

Vonon read some more, "A treasure hunt? I like it..." reading, "...screwing with the Carrillian Assembly? Oh, I really like it..." more reading, "...viral contaminants? The Red Plague!?" Vonon looks up from the screen, "I am not liking that." he said glumly.

Walther surveyed the group. "Which is why I had suggested that we were not quite ready for it. If we wanted to do try locating the ship, we would want someone with lots of medical knowledge, maybe even a lab ship and staff to make sure that it does not spread any further. No use finding the artworks only to die in less than 48 hours by something that seems to be still lingering around since 922, let alone if the vessel is in a billion pieces, none bigger than a 10 millimeter socket head." he said.

"As for three pilots and no navigator, I am sure that many of us can pilot and navigate a craft. Even thought I left the merchants twelve years ago, I have made sure to keep my dues paid and credentials up to date in flight, navigation and engineering. While I am not healthy enough to lift a J-327 Fuel router by myself, like I use to, I can make sure that the part is installed right. There are other jobs on a vessel beside the pilot. Some of you are gunners, which will come in handy if there are any problems. Others are rather handy with a blaster. I am not." he informed the group.

Khea snaps back
Aslan "I know by now that you Humaniti like to reference everything to the animals on your planets, but I do not appreciate being compared to your non sentient pets like you wouldn't appreciate it when I compare Humaniti to Stii"

"Well you need to work on your sale pitch, Count, because I'm not sold yet. I'm happy to present as a group to this" She checked her card again "Ceruleanne, but your offer is as vague as hers is so far. However, hers appears to have more promise of turning into something that pays at the moment - and I need hard cash, not vague plans."

Sam swigs from her beer and realising its empty places it on the table "I will avail myself of your offer of a refill though" she said, getting up and heading to the bar.

As she poured a drink, she talked back over her shoulder.

"If we are gonna offer ourselves as a team, perhaps we should spend the rest of the time getting an idea of who does what? I'm a pretty good shuttle pilot, a decent security crew member and can handle a bridge post if needed. But what do a retired actor, a bureaucrat and the rest of these folks have to offer a team?"

Sharik watched the others banter with a quiet, bemused expression on her face.  She seemed particularly interested in the exchange between the woman that she had seen from the TAS offices, a woman that she might one day get to know as Samantha, but was also keenly aware of the slightly sniping words that passed between the Aslan female and the Count.

It seemed to her that presenting a consolidated block to prospective employers had little downside; so, she said so.  "Count Cromwell, doesn't seem to be attempting to contractually bind any of us for these negotiations." she offered into the conversation, "Only to help ensure that an equitable and consistent deal, if any, might be reached for everyone."  She seemed to be speaking in generalities, but of course some of Samantha's points were being addressed - if indirectly.  "I for one," Shar noted off-hand, as a sort of vote of confidence, and with a glance towards Walter - who once again seemed very familiar and had already displayed his fair share of efficient administration acumen, "am more than willing to given the Count and his companion the benefit of the doubt."

Of course, her tone was still light.  Sharik seemed to feel that this was all a game; she leaned back in her chair again, holding her tumbler up to join in the Count's toasting salute.

After a moment's pause, the raven-haired cosmopolitonite smiled rather distantly, but turned her head to address Samantha's query about skills more directly - even if she hadn't been called out like Walter or Darrel.  "Usefulness depends on the job, Miss..." Shar insisted rather pointedly, "Though a ship has been mentioned, the jobs to which that conveyance will convey us to dictates the required skill set.  Besides reputation, contacts and the exacting ability to efficiently navigate any red tape all have their rightful place in any business venture."  She hadn't meant to leap to their defense necessarily, for they seemed fully capable on their own; but, Sharik didn't care for the underlying implications in the other woman's statement.

Still, it didn't serve anyone for her to be 'against' anyone, she shifted gears and introduced herself.  "I am Dame Shana Kaagira-Mepede" the thin brunette noted simply with slight bow of the head to Samantha, then also to all of the others assembled, "And have service time in both the IISS and IN; so, I think that I can find my way around a ship's bridge and am a fair astrogator."  Her tone wasn't defensive, but more matter-of-fact.  Still Sharik readily conceded, "But, I actually haven't worked consistently on ship's crew for over a decade."  The brown-haired dilettante shrugged slightly and a gentle smile crossed her lips, "Haven't needed to.  But, that still hasn't stopped me from travelling ... as a general 'consultant' in a lot of areas."  And she seemed completely earnest about that.  For some reason, though, she neglected any mention about the partying and grav cycle racing for the time being.  Instead, she inclined her head in deference towards Darrel, "Or from being on the look out for interesting prospects ..."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:29, Mon 08 Sept 2014.

Puts his hands up, "You're right, and I apologize, I mistook what you meant and should have know better. I'm sorry."

Taking in all the banter, comments and wordplay, he calmly says "Look here, I'm not here to convince you of anything, I'm offering an opportunity, plain and simple. Please, don't make this into something complicated or devious on my part, which it isn't."

He's obviously upset, perhaps the fact that people are questioning him or perhaps he feels his integrity is being questioned.

Turns towards Walter, "Hhhmmm, I'm obviously screwing this up, sadly, I'm the actor..." the Count gets up and walks to the bar/buffet.

As Darrel apologizes Khea relaxes somewhat.

After a pause "If we are to seek employment as a group then we should at least know who everyone is and what he can do."

"My name is Kheaiftouaw, but you can shorten the name to whatever is comfortable for your species" eying Vonon during that sentence.
"I served on a tradeship first an engineering then a the ships master. I think purser is the most similar position on Humaniti ships."

Standing up from his chair, Walter started walking around the room, addressing the others.

"Your Excellency, part of the issue is that as an actor, you are given a role to play and do so. It serves the people as a means of allowing their emotions to come out. Laugh, cry, feel pride, and all the other emotions that we, as sophonts display. The director gives you his idea as to what he wants done in the scene along with a script and you perform. But how many directors do most people know off the top of their head compared to actors? The actor is in front of the camera, the director is behind.  As a 1st officer in the  merchants and a supervisor working for the Ministry of Trade, I am more use to being in the role of a director." Walter said

"If this meeting with Ms. Blue, does not work out, my idea would be a few roles for each of us on a trade vessel. There would be one of you that would be in charge of day to day operations of the vessel. Someone with jump capable spacecraft experience, piloting and navigation. They would be in charge of the others when they are on the ship." he added, looking at the group.

"Your Excellency, you would be the public face of the group in dealing with government representatives and others, except in trade matters. That role is mine exclusively. As one of the top trader's in Reaver's Deep sector, I do not think that there are many that can come close to me in that role. I would not have a problem taking those that wish to learn the art of trade as my proteges, as long as they prove themselves worthy. If you doubt my credentials, my Doctors in Business Administration and Masters in Galactic trade can be produced." he continued.

"There is one other role that will need to be addressed. Due to the nature of galactic travel and hostile planetary systems, we will need one to handle military matters on land and shipboard. They will be in charge of the gunners and any boarding actions that may occur. If there are other roles that the group needs, they can be created at the time, like someone that is well versed in sciences or surveying a planet." Walter said, taking his seat again.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:54, Tue 09 Sept 2014.

Walter continued,
"Kheaiftouaw, having worked with you before, along with Count Cromwell, I am glad to see you with us and hope that we can work together in the future, as I can see your skill of bartering and trading will stand out in your Clan." he said, "I regret that I do not know much about the rest you but let me see if I can summarize it from what I have heard." waving his hand in the general direction, without directly pointing

"Count Cromwell, Actor and rather persuasive Noble. Are there other shipboard skills that you offer that might come in handy if needed that I do not know about? " he asked, almost like he was working as a human resources director.

"Kheaiftouaw, you have mercantile skills, having worked in the Aslan merchants and an engineer will be rather needed to operate a vessel. Also, you have skill in piloting that will come in handy running a watch." Walter continued.

"Dame Kaagira-Mepede, I regret that we have not heard from you directly of your talents that you offer, I am sure that they are many, but others will also need to know, for their peace of mind." Walter inquired.

"Commander Vonon. Cassandra Space patrol, making you a pilot and also able to stand watch. Where you with the Fighter wing or System defense boats?" he asked.
"Samantha Kilgore, skilled as a shuttle pilot, allowing you to stand watch, and sounds like you will be handy if we got boarded. Does that sound about right? Wait a minute, there were others that Ms Blue passed her card around. Are they still outside in the bar?" he asked the group, looking around the room.



Not sure if Ikram is in the room as his last post was outside along with Quinzella

This message was last edited by the player at 03:37, Tue 09 Sept 2014.

"Worked my way up crewing Patrol Cruisers -- about the size of an Imperial Gunboat." Vonon answered, "The mission of the Patrol was mostly anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, and rescue operations amid The Belt; more Police work than Military Operations. Then I got a so-called promotion to command a fighter squadron assigned to defend the capital asteroid of Rockhome. Thing is, that was just an Honor Posting; we did more politicing and flag-waving than actual flying. I managed to get some tactical space training in, though, before the in-fighting completely disgusted me, and I resigned my Comission."

"But I'm a native of Cassandras Belt, an asteroid colony -- I was born in a spacesuit and raised on a spaceship. I've got twenty years of operating and fighting spaceships under my belt, but now I want to see more of the Galaxy than just watching Imperial ships fly by. I don't care about getting rich; as long as we make enough credit to keep a ship flying, I'll be happy."

Walter smiled, "Then Commander Voron, your talents will cone in handy if we had to deal with a pirate attack. Also, while I am not a fan of smuggling, the knowledge will come in handy if we had to deal with one. What about the rest of you?"

"To help me play my many roles, from a streetwise lawyer to a hardcore marine...I've always taken pride in either naturally possessing these skills or I've had some enhancements done, so, I'm somewhat of a jack of all trades. Pertaining to starship operations; Sensors, Navigation, Gunner/Turrets, Engineer/M-drive, Comms, Computers, Astrogation...and if needs be, a small craft pilot."

"And although physically, I'm not as spry as I used to be, I know which way to point a gun and which side of a cutlass is sharp."

Chuckling while talking a sip, "Barring the current crowd, I'm normally pretty persuasive and charming, I'll have to bone up on my Making Friends and Influencing People." He says with a genuine smile.

"Good, you are doing better than me in that department, I can use a blade, but that is about it. Your talents aboard a ship will come in handy, maybe as the first officer but that would be up to whomever ends up being the Captain." Walter said.

"I feel that I may be dominating this discussion. However, I am open to hear from you. It may seem cliche but if you do not speak your mind, then you have little to stand on if there are any problems in the future. Some of you may just be meeting people that you have not seen in years and yet they want to go trampling across the galaxy. Would you rather do it with them or people that you do not know?" he inquired

Sharik merely shrugged slightly and took another sip of brandy from her tumbler, giving herself some time to decide how to answer the question about her curriculum vitae.   Though mostly hidden by her glass, a faint bemused smile crossed the thin brunette's lips when Darrel fancied himself as a jack of all trades.  She did agree that an actor needed to have a good head on his shoulders to be able properly pass himself off as whatever he trying to portray.

Of course, what that might mean in Shar's case was debatable.  Private acting, perhaps?

Best to start at the beginning.  Inclining her head to Walter's request for more information, the cosmopolitan socialite smiled slightly after clearing her throat for a moment.  "As I noted before, I am proficient in astrogation." she stated rather officiously, "In fact, I have a Class Three rating," and she rattled off her certification ID number, in case the noble broker decided to check, "which should be sufficient for any starship rated to jump four or below."

"I also have basic certifications for sensors, comms, and piloting acquired from my time in the Imperial services." Shar noted off-hand, giving one set of discharge duty numbers and another detached service code for reference - both on public record - and then looking at Vonon, knowing that he knew best out of the bunch gather what her actualy bridge operations qualifications were.  They may not have served in the same service, but they were fellow spacers for a while.  "So, I am pretty sure that I can handle myself on the bridge well enough." she concluded, but that seemed to be the case for a number of those in the room.

"I can, and have, flown all manner of gravitic drive vehicles both in the military and privately." Sharik stated matter of factly, "Up to and including, super-modified, high-speed grav cycles.  I still have my Cat 2 racing license."  And she rattled off another alpha-numeric code, which hadn't yet lapsed, though also had not be used in a couple of years.

"I have had a stint within Corporate Operations, in a small security firm." which, of course, meant a work as a troubleshooter, likely the basis for her previous 'consulting' remark.  "During that time," Sharik noted without rancor, "I specialized in interpersonal and investigatory work."  Her public record shows little more about that time than a corporate title, which probably is a euphemism for potential undercover work; and her easy manner does seem to jive with the overall assessment that Sharik is at ease with herself amongst strangers.

"But, honestly ..." Sharik added thoughtfully and with a tinge of seriousness and earnestness not previously present in her more formal display of skills, "I consider my strongest suit to be that I am ... well-read."  The waifish brunette actually seemed to be a loss to better describe her situation, but she offered a slight bit more detail, "It may be a gross generalization, but in most things that I do not have formal training or an education in - which is a fair bit, I do believe that I could still make a reasonable showing of proficiency ..."  She doesn't quite seem to be bragging.  "It's a bit intangible." she readily admits with a slight shrug, before leaning forward and putting down her drink for a moment. "But I have found it to be extremely useful in all manner of situations."  Her fingers are steepled before her and an eyebrow is raised towards Walter in particular.  He wanted more detail; and Shar hopes that she has supplied it to his satisfaction.

"Thank you very much Dame Kaagira-Mepede. It sounds like you have lead a rather interesting life already and there are times where a group can not prepare for all consequences. Your pilot certification means that we pretty much have a crew that are pilots and each of us would only need to work a watch every two days or so."  Walter said, looking towards the others that have not spoken up yet.

The door to the room opened and Ceruleanne Blue strode in, followed (hopefully) by Quinzella.

"Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen," she says with a cheerful voice. "My name is Ceruleanne Blue. Since you've arrived early for the meeting, I see no reason to delay till then, do you?"

"The eight of you are the only ones I invited. As I explained to Quinzella, I'm a fairly good judge of character, and you were the only ones that met my non-specific criterion for a job I have that has some urgency to it. That's not to say that there weren't others that might be interesting employees, but they'll go through normal channels if they are, in fact, interested."

"I'll be honest, I'm not quite sure how you'll take to this, Count Cromwell, but it did seem to me that you might be receptive to the opportunity."

"Now, before we get started, do you have any questions for me?"


Ikram is in the room with you. He's been busy with work, so until he actually bows out, I'll just pull him along. He can watch the horses...
This message was last edited by the player at 04:43, Wed 10 Sept 2014.

In reply to Ceruleanne Blue (msg # 51):

Noticing the person entering behind Ceruleanne, Vonon taps Sharik on the shoulder and points.

"Hey Shar'r, look! It's your buddy the smuggler." Vonon says to her -- then hears the rest of Ceruleanne's statement.

"Who the frack is Quinzella?" Vonon asks Sharik, "Is that another of the Count's names? By the Stars! You Nobles use way too many names, have I ever told you that? *sigh* Screw this, I'm getting a beer. You want another brandy?"

Vonon took a step towards the bar on the other side of the room, then stopped and turned back to Sharik,

"And when I get back, just gimme the short version of this womans story -- just tell me either what I gotta fly, or who I gotta shoot. Be right back."

Again, Vonon headed for the nearby bar. As he passes his friend Ikram, he reaches over and smacks the ex-Marine on the back of the head, "Wake up, Drinking-Red-Wine! The Jump Troops have landed! Hurr-hurr-hurr!"

Sam stood by the bar as the conversation continued around her - trying to fix names and faces to possible skills where she could, for future reference.

She was still propping up the bar when Ceruleanne came in.

Expecting the negotiations to get more interesting at this point, she slipped back into her seat as unobtrusively as possible and waited for the pitch.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:13, Wed 10 Sept 2014.

Walter looked at Ceruleanne Blue as she entered and stood up. "Good day, Ms Blue, Pleased to see you." he said.

"While I am sure there might be questions, I may have some after you present your offer." he said, taking his seat,

Khea steps several steps aside to give Vonon a clear access to the bar and to hopefully escape his inappropriate friendliness.

"After this introduction there certainly will be questions. But I agree with Walter that it would be best to hear your offer first."

Quin slowly entered, following Cerulean.  She looked around.  Slowly she approached Sharik, "What happened?"

Count Cromwell stands, "Ms. Blue, you're a bit early, what a pleasant but not a completely unexpected surprise. Please come and join us, we were just talking about you and your potential offer."

Offers her the nearest seat and a drink. Then he sits down.

I noticed that several of my acquaintances had your note about the back room, and that others in the main room did not, and so, I thought it prudent to assemble prior to the deadline, just to do a sit down before we, as a group, (waves around the room), have our discussion with you."

Swirls his drink for a moment, he seems to be considering his words carefully, then leans forward toward Ms. Blue, "Frankly, I'm not on-planet for job offers, but, when an attractive woman like yourself, hands me a personal meet and greet, well, I'm intrigued, and would like to see more of your presentation."
OOC: Trying to be charming...what a start...snake eyes!
18:38, Today: Darrel Cromwell rolled 7 using 2d6+5. Charming Ms. Blue +3 skill, +1 Aug, +1 program, +? other. EDIT NOTE: Forgot to add any stat bonus,+2 Soc?
This message was last edited by the player at 23:45, Wed 10 Sept 2014.

Ms. Blue seems to be unfazed by the Count's charm, just smiles, and begins her offer.

“Very well, here's my... offer..."

"Let me preface it with an important statement: we don’t break the law. We may, however, on occasion, bend it considerably. We like to think of ourselves as picking up where the law leaves off. At least, sometimes.”

“Our client has filed a petition with the court to have Ondrac BioCorp turn over all research on this Shenarra Project. We have every reason to believe that the judge will sign the order in the morning. They will have 24 hours to comply before a warrant is issued to seize said items.”

“Regardless of what the courts think, we are under no delusion that the company will comply. We expect them to destroy all evidence of the project by the time the authorities get there.”

“Needless to say, we would not like that to happen.”

“What we’d like you to do is go there tonight and ‘secure’ the project files and notes or the physical project itself... preferably both.”

“Is it legal? Ah, well, that’s part of the issue. Let’s just say, it’s quasi-legal. Right now, the company is claiming that they do not have such a project, so they can’t very well claim it was stolen. If they were to change their stance and claim that they do have such a project, but it isn’t what we say it is, then we have a morally legal right to safeguard it, even if we ‘jump the gun’ a bit.”

“The primary reason for hiring you is that we are currently short-staffed. I simply don’t have the manpower to do this right now.”

“There are other benefits as well. We’ve skirted the law on a few occasions, so our... integrity, shall we say? ...Lacks a certain amount of credibility in the courts at the moment. Plus, it leaves us in the position of being able to help you—from a legal standpoint—should things go pear-shaped without the spotlight getting directed at us.”

"I trust you will keep this meeting confidential, even if you choose not to accept my offer."

Walter gave a stern look like a subordinate had done something wrong that will cause them to get fired. "I am speaking for myself and I have a feeling that you are not telling the whole story. Your ideal of bending the law is considered by others, in many parts of the galaxy, as breaking them into little pieces. I can not agree with your statement that it is "quasi-legal". It is highly illegal. Even if the judge does sign off on it, and there is a possibility that it will not occur, it is illegal. Not knowing the exact details, if Ondrac BioCorp stated under oath that there was no project, the judge may not sign off on it at all, even less likely if he was paid off." Walter said.

"Even then, it is still against the law to break into the facility for theft of intellectual property. If the project does not exist, then it is a wild goose chase and we can get caught. I can just see the vids "Three nobles were arrested today breaking into Ondrac BioCorp, more at the top of the hour." he said with shake of his head.

"You might talk to your "client" and suggest that they contact the senior techs or whatever. Maybe suggest that they not show up for work tomorrow, after they had been suitably compensated. Better yet, maybe bring some of their notes with them. Take them to a nice hotel for a few days or so to pick their brains. As another option, bring them to court with you to disprove what Ondrac had stated  No kidnapping." he said, wagging his finger.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:33, Thu 11 Sept 2014.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 58):

Vonon returns from the bar and places a brandy down on the table in front of Sharik. Remaining on his feet just behind his old friend, with one hand resting on the back of her chair, Vonon casts a curt nod towards Shariks nameless Human female friend (who has just followed Ceruleanne into the room), then takes a heavy gulp from his beer as he listens to the blue-haired lady.

Considering he's had three rum-and-cokes, and is now slogging down a beer, all in the last two hours, anyone looking at the ex-Patrolman can almost hear the gears in his brain clanking together.

"Errr...Lemme see if I got this straight..." Vonon says to ceruleanne, gesturing with his beer glass, "Your client has gone to the courts to lay a claim on this research stuff, which is in the hands of this other company, even though they are claiming they don't have it."

Vonon pauses for a sip of beer, "Questions I have are," he adds afterward, "Did your client come up with this data first, and if so, how did the other guys get their hands on it?"

"I mean, I'm all for making a preemptive strike on a bunch of miserable claim jumpers! I just want to know that your client -- our indirect but very 'deniable' boss -- is the original claim holder."

"It isn't as illegal as you think, Sir Walter," Ceruleanne responds to Walters opinion. "It's called 'exigent circumstances', and it's only a criminal act if the courts say so."

"Besides, when have you ever heard of a noble being accused of breaking and entering, let alone getting arrested for it? The Count here would just spin it into 'research for his next role', get huge amounts of publicity, and probably just get probation if even that."

"You don't visit reality too often, do you, Sir Walter?"

"Yes, Mr. Ronkunu, you are correct. It is a case of corporate espionage. Someone gained access to my client's facility, accessed confidential information, and got away with it. It wasn't discovered right away, but the evidence is clear. That's why the courts are expected to rule in favor of my client."

"So, are any of you interested in this offer?"

"While you say that you expect the courts to rule in your favor, that would only be the case if you had some inside connections to the local judiciary system. Hold that thought before answering please, Ms. Blue " Walter said as he started scanning in local net for information concerning Ondrac BioCorp, Shenarra Project, AcquireCorp LLC, along with searching the courthouse documents.

OOC:Computers or investigate?

Her piece said, Sharik gave Walter a curt incline of her head to acknowledge his compliment.  Then she leaned back in her chair, the leather creaking as her weight shifted.  The cosmopolitan socialite was eager to hear what the others might say about themselves of their perceived mission, as what what was said and how it was said always seemed important.  Though what was omitted was also generally important.  So, many things to think about.

But then Ceruleanne Blue sauntered into the room, trailed by Quinzella.  The latter of which caused an eyebrow to quirk upwards.  Curiouser and curiouser she thought to herself, a slightly bemused smile crossing Sharik's burgundy lips.

As soon as she realized blue-haired woman had arrived, Shar slipped her sunglasses off the crown of her head and back over her eyes.  It gave her a bit of an aloof, distant look.  It also gave her a better poker face.

"I was about to ask you the same thing..." the thin brunette responded quietly through the corner of her mouth to her wayward companion's request for a situation update.  Her tone carried both a tinge of concern and bemusement.   "Since when do you preferentially hang with her?" she added quickly with a slight incline of the head indicated Ms. Blue.  Conspicuously, Sharik's eyes remained fixed upon the blue-haired woman's visage; she hadn't turned to towards Quinzella at all.

But, then the potential employment spiel started and Dame Kaagira's brow furrowed.  She listened to not only what Ceruleanne had to say (and didn't say), but how it was said.  One of her hands strayed idly to the back pocket of her riding leathers where Shar discovered that she indeed had been slipped a personalized AcquireCorp card from their VP of Talent; an audacious act and no mean feat, as far as Sharik was aware for she'd been on the dance floor for a significant time, which piqued her interest.  Once names where bandied around, her own personal assistance software went spiralling outwards over the local connections to try and see what kind of hits and fact in the story were corroborated ... AcquireCorp, LLC ... Ceruleanne Blue ... Shenarra ... Ondrac ... were all unique enough to warrant stream space.

"As of yet unknown and potentially highly malleable target acquisition and objectives.  New crew.  No lead or prep time.  Limited information gathered.  Potential maximal exposure and public profile." Sharik noted softly after letting out a gentle whistle under her breath, "That is a pretty tall order, Ms. Blue.  I'd almost say impossible without more specifics."  She carefully regarded their potential employer, prompting the colorfully-coifed woman, "What type of compensation are you offering?  I generally don't work gratis."  Having made the mental note that Ceruleanne had purposefully not brought that up - preferring instead, to talk about legal contingencies, as if they were a foregone conclusion.

"To be honest," the thin, cosmopolitan brunette noted rather matter-of-factly, not really waiting for an answer on the compensation front, "I tend to shy away from grey ops, especially ones with thick dirt or potential wetwork, on a first date."  It was a lot to ask of total strangers - at least in this context.  Apparently, Sharik wasn't really sold on the deal.  Or she felt it necessary to appear as though she wasn't sold.

Quin leaned closer to Sharik, "You and the others left me alone, as conveyed in the text.  The only one that allowed me to feel any modicum of welcomeness was Cerulean."

She turned to face Sharik and smiled, "I like the shades, and no I do not prefer her company, just you know me and work.  She offered me work."  She giggled, it was really all she could do to alleviate this possible strain, apparently caused by here misinterpretation of a one word text.

She listened on and heard the job, sounded...fun.  She gasped when she heard Sharik's question, "Yes compensation."  Her eyes scanned the small room.  Apparently not only a VIP room, but a private bar with no service.  She gasped again.  "Sam!"

Quinzella's response did elicit a response from the thin dilettante, as she chuffed slightly and turned a touch to bring her friend into view out of the periphery.  One of Sharik's thin, cultured eyebrows shot up over the edge of her shades and the corner of her mouth twitched; a quick, silent, extremely-bemused expression that denoted her incredulity at being to blame - as if to say: I have never know you to require that much hand-holding...  Shar knew that Quinzella was far too self-sufficient for that.

But, then her attention was back to Ceruleanne and the discussion of the job at hand.

And, it appeared, that Quinzella had moved on as well - having discovered another acquaintance in the room.  Her raven-haired space.  The woman from the TAS offices.  Sharik made a mental note, compartmentalizing the information and tying to the skill set, attitude, and questions that 'Sam' had revealed earlier.

Turns to Ms. Blue, "Actually, I agree with what Walter said, there's far too much of a chance this could go wrong, just from a quasi-legal standpoint, and NO, I'm not up to the possibility of some court case, even if it's sure I would win, I don't work that way."

OOC:Moving into Advocate mode.
Flips her card over several times, "Exigent circumstances, that would be correct, however, what I would require, is an "Immediate need" blanket warrant, before even thinking about entering the premises. If needs be, although I'm sure you have the pull, perhaps I could help you with that..."

Makes sure she gets her brandy, "For my part, I'm not turning down your offer, but, if I, and my friends agree to this, it has to be done our way."

OOC: Let me know if I need to roll anything?

"Count, Sir Walter, you seem to be laboring under the impression that you are still in the Imperium. This is the frontier... at least for a few more years," Ceruleanne responds.

"Our courts still work on a preponderance of evidence, not on who has the biggest wallet. I am under no delusion that money doesn't grease the wheels of justice, but in the current situation, no amount of money can buy a contra-verdict. There is too much evidence, and a deviation on the outcome would rock the whole government. Dominoes would start to fall. I can assure you that those currently in charge and in office would never let that happen."

"Should the judge rule against my client, the government would step in, overturn the verdict and remove the judge from office. Judge Thallos is neither that stupid or that naive. And I doubt if Ondrac would even try to buy him off, since it wouldn't change the verdict in the end."







"There are more details but there is no point wasting your time and my time with them if this isn't something you are interested in and willing to do."

"Due to the nature and urgency of this endeavor, I am authorized to pay each of you Cr75,000. That is not contingent on success."

"A warrant is not going to happen overnight. That's what the court case is meant to provide. And, as I explained, that guarantees nothing."

"I'm not sure what your way is, but if it gets the job done, that's fine by me... short of an airstrike."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:18, Wed 17 Sept 2014.

Vonon puts down his beer and belches...loudly...for attention.

"Aw, crap, Miz Blue, you took the fun out of it -- wait! Do you count an orbital kinetic bombardment as an air strike? Hurr-hurr-hurr." Vonon, chuckles, then suddenly straightens up and doesn't appear as drunk as he had a moment ago.

"Now, I'm no Corporate Advocate, like yourself. And I may not have the education of some of you..." Vonon gestures towards Count Darrel and Sir Walter, "...But I was involved in Regulations Enforcement and Peacekeeping for twenty years in one of these so-called 'frontier' star systems. And I've seen enough civilian repossession operations -- even been involved in a couple due to jurisdictional issues -- to know that we're getting ahead of ourselves, here."

Vonon looks around the table, then sets his sight on the Count.

"First off, you -- that is, we -- can't make any kind of promises to accomplish this job the Human Lady is offering -- our way, your, way, or any way -- because she hasn't given us any details from which we might assess the dificulty of what she's asking. How can we say we'll do it our way, when we don't even know what that way is gonna be?"

Vonon then looks to Sir Walter, "As for the issue of this operation being 'quasi-legal', again, I was a Patrolman -- maybe not on this planet -- but like Miz Blue said, on the Non-Aligned worlds, we tend to favor the concepts of Justice and Fairness over exacting adherance to the exact tenets of Jurisprudence. If I had to bet, I would bet that that big mouthful of Legalese Miz Blue just gave us was a load of crap, and that her company simply bribed the judges legal assistant to find out how the judge was going to Rule on the matter, tomorrow. Journalists used to do that all the time, where I come from. The Patrol just ignored it as nothing more significant than supplemental income for a hard-working judicial bureaucrat."

Vonon now turned to Ceruleanne.

"I'm convinced that you do have a quasi-legal foot to stand on, Miz Blue, and that this offer you're making is just a case of Pre-emptive Reposession, so I have no problem listening further. However..." Vonon made a wide gesture with both hands, encompassing everyone around the table.

"It is apparent that some of these good folks are not as comfortable with the...finer...points of Frontier Justice, to accept you at face value. I propose this -- you agree to pay everyone here 1,000 Credits just to listen to the details of what we would be up against, should we do this job for you.  We -- that is, all of use, here -- will agree to sign a Confidentiality Contract that will let you sue any of us for every centi-credit we have if we say anything about this meeting before your client takes actual possession of the materials, or they are proven to be lost or destroyed."

"This way, after you have told us about where we are to go and what forces or dificulties we must overcome to gain possession of the materials you want, then we can decided if this venture is for any of us, individually. Those of us interested will go and get your materials, and earn seventy-five grand. Those not interested can just walk away with a grand in their pockets, and a contract to keep their mouths shut."

Vonon finished, and leaned down to stage whisper to Sharik, "Did that sound right, Shar'r? You know I hate thinking like a frigging lawyer. It's like getting inside the head of a psycho-killer. Brrrr"

"While I leave the legal evaluation of this to the others as your law is obviously very different from clan law I do find it suspicious that you are seeking out strangers for this. Yet I am willing to listen to the details of this job and will consider it, assuming the compensation will be appropriate to the less than honorable nature of it."

Sam followed the merry go round with out saying much. As Quinzella greeted her she gave a big smile and raised her glass in toast, before continuing to follow the merry go round.

When 75K was mentioned she tried to keep a poker face, but that was very interesting to her - for the amount, but also the potential risk involved and the value of the items to the Client.

She had worked for Space Patrol, and had bent the rules a few time to make sure her view of justice was carried out, so the legal nature of this didn't bother her.

"Vonon's suggestion sounds reasonable to me, if you need some security on us keeping our mouths shut Ceruleanne, but you can count on me to be sitting here listening even if your paranoia is not worth the 1k."

Quin nodded back at Sam, she had thought she saw Sam outside the VIP room, but this convermation certainly made her feel better about her observation skills.

She looked back to Sharik, "I recognize a few people in this room, some I should like to work with again.  I do know Cerulean said she did not wish to hire JUST me.  But I am in and soon as I see some sort of confirmation of the payment.  For the most part in the legal we are talking about the client being liable, not us."  She nudged Sharik lightly, a smile on her face.

A moment of annoyance flits across Ceruleanne's face, but then it's gone.

"If I had the kind of details you seem to want, I could send a 10-year old to do the job," she comments. "You also seem to be worried that it might be a bit dangerous. Again, if it wasn't, I could send the aforementioned 10-year old. Maybe even her little brother."

"Since I am trusting you, you could extend a little trust towards me. Sure, you could sign some sort of non-disclosure document, but it wouldn't be worth the flimsy its printed on. If there was anything illegal in this venture, that would nullify the agreement. And if you wind up disclosing the confidentual information, sure, I could try to find you... and sue you for all your worth, but, except for the Count here, I doubt if any of you are worth even the effort."

"Okay, whether you are in or not, these are the details that I know."

"We believe The Shenarra Project is being conducted by one Dr. Shenarra Vanager, ergo the name, in an underwater dome somewhere off Ogalapago Island. I don't know how far the project has progessed, so that's why we requested both the project itself as well as documentation."

"Any other questions?"

Walter looked up from the computer at Ms. Blue "So far you have spent your time obfuscating the details, making me rather suspicious of the whole thing. As for looking at an underwater dome that might near Ogalapago Island, I am a bit long of the tooth to play secret agent." Walther said  "The others may contemplate the notion." he said in Trokh, watching her to see if she understood the language.

Khea looks a bit puzzled to Walter as why he switched to Trokh, then resumes her discussion with Ceruleanne.

"Your trust and generosity might be the issue here. We all wonder why you are so forthcoming with this information to complete strangers. But I think all will be cleared up as soon as Count confirms that this is not illegal on this world.


In the meantime you might tell us what you expect us to do.

Taking in the data, and pondering... The Count, glances towards Walter then takes a look at the rest of the group and finally settles eyes on Ms. Blue, "Honestly, I have a substantial amount of hesitation/trepidation on my part in this venture, just as a number of our band has mentioned  issues involved that are potentially, not only illegal, but, has a chance of becoming violent, and then also, that violence could lead to future other criminal capital cases perhaps even murder What if an armed guard came around a corner and bumps into one of us, draws his weapon and in a panic starts firing, and we defend ourselves and he is killed? What then???

Swirls his drink, and leans forward...again earnestly tries to take in the measure of the group around the table....

"And yes, I know there's a difference between frontier law and Imperium law, however, unless you've been in a backroom legal meeting between high-level nobles accompanied by prestigious law-firms, trying to settle a 5TCr inheritance, trust me, it's as brutal as you can imagine."



Looks down at the table, with a scowl on his face and then back up, "If there is one most disturbing thing to me, the fact that, this government would overturn a judgement of the courts so easily, that's a sign of 3 things; systemic corruption, dictatorship or some hybrid of both. I'm not one to support that sort of activity.

After a long pause, Count Cromwell simply asks, "However, not knowing all the details, which must be extensive, as you mentioned...can you personally give me your word that what you have said is true and your cause is justified?"

This message was last edited by the player at 00:33, Tue 16 Sept 2014.

Walter typed in a few entries in his datapad and let out a low whistle. "I am sorry Ms Blue, I am not use to this more "intense" end of Business and Trade."he said. addressing the group with the data that he found.

"Ondrac BioCorp has been under investigation by the local Justice Machine twice in the past three years, fined MCr2.5 in the same time for trade violations and illegal business practices. In the case of the investigations, there was never anything proven.
"Sounds like they know how to cover their tracks." Walter said

"Dr. Shenarra Vanager, a pharmacologist and freelance researcher."
"I guess there is no other information, just doing a quick search. Maybe an offworlder?"

"AcquireCorp LLC appears to be a standard public traded corporation. They've had a steady growth over the past 10 years. Seems to be keeping their nose clean as there are no bad press concerning the company. It might have helped your case with data like that at the start of things. I can not speak for the others but I am now curious. Companies like Ondrac BioCorp make it harder for other companies to work on new ideas without it being stolen or they file a patent and then sit on it, using it like a hammer to extort money from other companies, saying that their patent was violated. What is the current share price of AcquireCorp?" he asked "as I was thinking over your terms and might have a counteroffer, 50Kcr and 50Kc of stock in your company per person, since this is a rush job. Also, I understand that you want the data for the project but what about anything else uncovered? Would that go to you or can it be forwarded to the affected company for them to seek legal action?" he asked, almost like it was turning on a light
This message was last edited by the player at 13:53, Tue 16 Sept 2014.

"What I have told you is true to the best of my knowledge," Ceruleanne replies to the Count. "You have my word on that."

"Yes, Shenarra wasn't born on Grendal, if that's what you mean," she answers Walter. "We think she may have come from Lanixohn by way of Daken. We haven't been able to find out any more about her... not on short notice."

"I believe Acquire hit Cr25.92 today."

She pauses while it seems she's doing some mental calculations.

"I think we can do that. 2,000 shares plus Cr50,000 each."

"We have no interest in anything else you find," she adds, though it seems as if there's an undertone that smacks of deniability rather than any firm disinterest.

"So, does that mean you'll take the offer?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:19, Tue 15 Sept 2015.

Sam started as Walter started negotiating on the groups behalf - who gave him that permission? But he had got them more pay, even if there was less cash, and Sam could sell her stock straight away if she wanted. So he was doing well so far - for a suit.

"I'm in" Sam said to Ceruleanne - so far no one else was offering her a paying job, and while this was all last minute and low on information, she needed the creds.

She looked around the rest of  the group to see how they reacted before she started tapping on her own wrist comm as well
This message was last edited by the player at 07:23, Tue 16 Sept 2014.

With this new information, the Count seems a bit more at ease, "After what you said, and with these revelations by Walter, I'm more inclined to agree. Now, that the motivation is there, it boils down to the practical details, can this be accomplished?"


Perking up, it's like Count Cromwell sheds one personality into another, corporate espionage, "What's the tactical plan for entry, location of the data, and egress. We're going to need Blueprints, necessary gear and information on what we should expect upon arrival at the target site."

"And I imagine a few of our colleagues here, that are more acquainted with this sort of mission, have more detailed questions>" , Leans back in his chair, waiting to see questions and answers...

Walter went back to typing on his data pad, looking to see if there was anyone fired recently that may still be bearing a grudge against Ondrac, one ear cocked to hear what the others have to say.

12:51, Today: Walter Zeller rolled 10 using 2d6+2. Computers/find fired employee. If the check requires EDU then add another +1 to the roll

Sam stared at her wrist comm for a brief while tapping a few buttons obviously engaged.

She half looked up, and said to Ceruleanne "What can you tell us about the place we need to get into. Like, how far underwater is it, where is it, and details you know about security, access points. Also what is the size and weight of the item we need to recover."

She then fixed her attention back on her datapad, and carried on tapping, looking up in between goes as she obviously waited for it to process information.

Sharik still didn't look all that happy.  She wasn't visibly phased by all of the legal talk.  It wasn't her forte, but she knew enough about these types of situations that if> it came to a court battle about their actions, they had already screwed up and hadn't done the job right.  Which brought her to the problem at hand: trusting the intelligence offered.  In her experience, a rushed job was often done sloppily.  And that was not acceptable to Shar.  Even with Walter's information, Sharik still had her own searches going and the results were streaming onto her data displays.

The thin socialite watched Darrel and Walter switch gears.  She watched Samantha and Quinzella sit back and let the others do the talking.  She saw Ikram remain deathly quiet.  Sharik observed the Aslan female, Kheaiftouaw, ask some of the question that she would - or at least push the tactical situation.  And the dark-haired dilettante also felt and heard the prompting of her two closest associates to chime in.

She took a deep breath.  "The particulars are telling and troubling, Ms. Blue." Sharik intoned, already tacitly agreeing to hear more.  Which pretty much sealed the job from her standpoint - no one went in 'part-way' with a job, or they were all dead by the end.  "We'll need everything that you have about Ondrac, the facility and its environs and this Doctor Shenarra Vanager.  Holding back something at this late juncture will likely cause collateral damage."  Ceruleanne had said she had more, and now was the time to find out what that was.  And if it would be enough to keep them alive and have a successful outcome (which Sharik was fully aware was not necessarily the same thing to AcquireCorp or Ms. Blue, necessarily).

Shar blew an errant lock of hair from her face then reiterated elaborated on some of Samantha's concerns, "Infiltrating an underwater facility is tricky under the best of circumstances - usually limited access points, a dangerous overall environment with limited space, in general, closed personnel - who often know each other.  If we have to enter or escape in an unorthodox manner, that could cause a lot of collateral damage again.  How far is your company willing to authorize such measures?"  This was beyond the legality, which she had blown past - this was corporate espionage after all - what did AcquireCorp really want from Ondrac.

She paused, but only for a moment, "We'll need as much information as you can supply on the project in question - both versions, your clients and Dr. Vanager's.  The details are important, if we are transporting a biologically hazardous substance, it is very different than a computer file or microchips.  'Samples' mentioned could be anything from testtubes with or without specialize containment protocols to large live subjects requiring coercion or sedating.  Without an idea of those parameters, the deal's off, we have no way of planning for any type of contingency or escape."  Of course, live subjects opened another entire can of worms, the least of which was their disposition which affected transportation and such.

Another pause for deep, thoughtful breath, "Once we have the goods, we need to know expectations on retrieval and rendezvous for transfer: Contacts, timing window, equipment, locations."

All of that seemed like a reasonable place to start.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:57, Tue 16 Sept 2014.

OOC:Smart idea.

Darrel asked: "What's the tactical plan for entry, location of the data, and egress. We're going to need Blueprints, necessary gear and information on what we should expect upon arrival at the target site."

"I have no blueprints of the facility. I'm not even sure it exists, but word picked up in one of the dockside bars indicates it's there. We have a fishing boat out in the area. We're hoping it'll pinpoint the location... soon."

"As for entry plan, location of data, egrees and expectations when you get there, that's all on you. It's why I'm hiring you."

"I can arrange for use of a submersible and scuba gear."


Walter was able to find three employees that were fired shortly after one of Ondrac's incidents. It's all common knowledge as it was in the news. He quickly realizes that this is their corporate tactic. They've always got someone set up as the patsy/fall guy.

The first one was Del Vinian, a minor VP who is now working at another corporation at twice the salary. The second one was Jo'Anne Karamides; unknown what happened to her. The third was Shindar Oolak. He was a financial officer who is now working as a security guard at one of the marinas.


Samantha had then asked: "What can you tell us about the place we need to get into. Like, how far underwater is it, where is it, and details you know about security, access points. Also what is the size and weight of the item we need to recover."

"I have no information on this underwater dome. If it's a prefab, then there's a limit to how deep it could be, but I would guess it's still within the sunlight depth. Lights would show up at night. I have no idea what its security will be. For all I know, only Dr. Vanager... or whoever, is there."

"I don't know how big the project is; it could be a petrie dish, a suitcase or a large piece of lab equipment. It depends on how far along the project has gotten."

"The data file isn't going to be any bigger than a standard data card, but it could be considerably smaller."


"We'll need everything that you have about Ondrac," Sharik then asked. "the facility and its environs and this Doctor Shenarra Vanager.  Holding back something at this late juncture will likely cause collateral damage."

"As I said, I have no data on this underwater facility. It can't be too big, though, or it would have been spotted by now. Other than Vanager's resume, I know nothing else about her, either. We haven't even had a chance to verify her resume. I suspect it will be accurate... as far as it goes."

Shar elaborated on some of Samantha's concerns next: "Infiltrating an underwater facility is tricky under the best of circumstances - usually limited access points, a dangerous overall environment with limited space, in general, closed personnel - who often know each other.  If we have to enter or escape in an unorthodox manner, that could cause a lot of collateral damage again.  How far is your company willing to authorize such measures?"

Acquire isn't going to authorize anything, especially if it's illegal in any way," Ceruleanne answered. "Murder, blackmail, maiming, demolition... all a no-no, and no orbital bombardments. As Vonon put it, this is a pre-emptive strike, backed by the court... even if it's a bit premature. That, however, is just quibbling. Someone jumping the gun will get a slap on the wrist, maybe a fine, and possibly a few days in jail. It's my job to see that the last one doesn't occur."

Sharik paused a moment then before continuing: "We'll need as much information as you can supply on the project in question - both versions, your clients and Dr. Vanager's.  The details are important, if we are transporting a biologically hazardous substance, it is very different than a computer file or microchips.  'Samples' mentioned could be anything from testtubes with or without specialize containment protocols to large live subjects requiring coercion or sedating.  Without an idea of those parameters, the deal's off, we have no way of planning for any type of contingency or escape."

"I don't have details on the project, other than what it might be. We have no idea what direction the project may have taken. I simply can't reveal the basic nature of my client's project. I'm bound by confidentiality myself. We don't believe that it is a biologically hazardous material. The size of the facility kind of limits that. Remember, we're not talking about some crazed nutjob or disgruntled employee."

"And I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve a large live creature. Again, size and location kind of preclude that."

"Does that cover everything?"

Chuckles, "Thank you for your forthcoming nature."

Takes in everything said, "Well, let's make it happen, Captain...."



Waits for the rest of our members to assemble their gear or organize that...

"Um, your Excellency, you may want to wait to see if the others are in before we go anywhere. For the time being, we may want to make sure that we have a secure means of communication between each other.  I have found a few former employees that may be able to provide some key information on Ondrac. One use to be their financial officer, now works as a security guard at a marina so he may have some info on its location. He would be the prime one to work on due to his fall from grace. There is another that is now a working at another company at double what he was getting after he was fired so he may be a harder one to approach. I will have to look into him a bit more. The third, a Jo'Anne Karamides, no idea where she has gone, makes me wonder if something has befallen her. As it is, I will need to get some small bills in case I need to persuade them to talk, say about 30k. Funny, this might be the first time in my life that I may have to give out money without a receipt." Walter said, with a chuckle.

In reply to Darrel Cromwell (msg # 85):

"This is easy!" Vonon assured the group, "I've done this a hundred times, if I've done it once. Just zip in fast, sidle-up to the airlock, clamp yer docking tube, then either use an override signal generator on the outer hatch -- or blow it, if you think there's hostages and you have to move fast -- then rush inside, identify yourself and issue the warrant..."

Vonon suddenly stopped talking, looking a little chagrinned.

"Oh. Right. No Warrant. We're not Officers of The Court.  My mistake. Oh, and just in case anyone didn't get it, I'm in.  It's just...I'm a Spacehound, folks; I understand the meaning of the word 'submersible', I think -- that's a spaceship that goes into the water, yes? -- but is scuba gear supposed to be some kind of vaccsuit?"

Sam snorted "So basically, we're going in blind...great."

She sat up and glanced at her comm unit, before looking at the ceiling as if thinking and talked a little

"Well Im still in. And like Vonon I've done a few of these before - just prefer not to if you can avoid it. Do you know anything about the Doctor? Mainly, is he nutty enough to blow up his own dome to stop you getting the project? Because if not, that might change our role - once we secure the project Ceruleanne can sort out extraction, and have plenty of time to do it right - assuming they can gather enough information..."

Sam let the dig hang, but waited for an answer
This message was last edited by the player at 13:41, Wed 17 Sept 2014.

With a boyish grin, "You're right, my enthusiasm got the better of me, it's just that it's been a long while since I've had a chance to do something exciting."

"We still need to know more about the project. If it are only files in their computer system then a power failure would prevent their deletion until the court order is signed. Unless they are willing to physically destroy their computer system of the facility to protect it."

Khea pauses a bit to see how Ceruleanne reacts to this.

"But if there are samples which need refrigiation a piwer failure would destroy them. So what kind of project are we talking about? Technical, biological, theoretical?

"If it is like most other business/science facilities, they usually have a back up power generator just in case of a power failure." Walter said, looking at Ms Blue for her answer as to the type of project that they were going to raid.

Sharik's expression became a touch dispassionate as they got down to brass tacks.  The look wasn't quite disapproving with respect to Vonon's enthusiasm and dismissal of any difficult, but she obviously wasn't investing too heavily in that vibe at all.  The raven-haired dilettante seemed to be splitting some attention between the live conversation and what was streaming in front of her eyes, the dull shimmery glow on her inside surface of her shades showing that she was already accessing multiple data streams.

After a few moments, she cleared her throat and snapped the fingers of her dataglove softly, softly muttering the word, "Fibben."  The lights of the room dimmed slightly and the room projector of the meeting room hummed to life.  She appeared to start with Darrel's request first, a montage of public advertisement stills, wireframes and close-ups of different angles came into view in the center of the table.  "I suspect that the facility that we are going to be infiltrating is one of BioDome's Karnak All-Environment Modules.  Ondrac purchased the fifty-foot diameter, AC-50, and thirty-six foot diameter, VLD-36 models within the last month and received shipment two weeks ago.  The former is a 'habitation' module, the latter is standard for a multiple vehicle setup - given the airlock structure."

She gave her assembled companions a moment to with the exterior shots to view and memorize the standard layout of access points and viewport on the two domes.  As she did so, Shar seemed to be reading aloud some marketing literature, "'Easily customized, BioDome's Select-n-Click™ systems can be erected and modified in-situ with minimal effort.'"  The cosmopolitan, dirty-brown brunette pursed her lips for a moment, then summarized, "Which means that we can't know exactly how things are situated inside, though the size precludes having too much area to search.  Entry could be hairy; limited access points as originally posited - one into the main dome and one larger vehicle port into the smaller dome and connections between the two.  We should expect guards and patrols, though no more than a half-dozen for a facility of that size with only two entrances."

Another thoughtful pause, and she added, "The Karnaks aren't rated for anything deeper than fifty metres.  Enough to be a pain for random trespassers, though."  Which they weren't, but it didn't make the job easier.

"But..." Shar ventured, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, "that depth limit gives us a viable search radius off of Ogalapago Island.  But the area is still a bit large."  And a topographical survey map of the local cluster appeared in the center.  "We are here in Beowulf," she highlighted, "And the target island is here..." the last island to northwest then was encircled in light blue with habitation sites pin-pricked in red. "Personnel and equipment will need a secluded beachhead or launch point, presumably not too far from the target facility..."  Since was still summarizing her findings so far, she hope that fact would spur another of the gathered individuals, to start running down that path to narrow the search area.

Sharik looked directly at Ceruleanne, "We will need diving equipment for all of us and transportation, say an air-raft or two or other set of submersibles, to and from site.  Are you to arrange that?  Or are we?  If the latter, we'll need a cash advance, a discreet supplier and a contact at this hour.  Post-haste."  It was part request and part direct order given the compressed time frame and the evening hour.  All-in was all-in.

"Dr. Vanager signed for the pieces in person, it appears ... " she mused quietly with the electronic triplicate equivalent on display.  Sharik tsk'ing slightly, as though the document made the trail either too sloppy or too obvious.  Or both.

"With respect to the good doctor herself..." Shar moved on to topic of the retrieval target and potential research, a copy of the woman's public curriculum vitae popped virtual existence for all gathered to see, "she appears to have advanced degrees in Pharmacology and Biochemistry."  After a few moments, she summarized her take, "Plenty of experience in genetics, especially recombinant DNA research - with an emphasis on disease control and designer pharmacology.  My searches are still running to find a viable picture of the woman ... "

There was another pause and a slightly plaintive sigh as she continued stare at the floating document, "Drugs and biological samples can be painful to transport under the best of circumstances."  Her tone seemed to imply that these were not those circumstances, as the thin brunette socialite continued, "I guess that we are going to have to presume physical notebooks and electronic data to be present for retrieval."  Which gave some potential parameters, she supposed.  Sharik made another equipment 'request' of Ms. Blue, "Do we have a supplier of waterproof transport cases and man-portable refrigeration?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:56, Tue 30 Dec 2014.

Sam watched the presentation with interest.

"Actually - I think we need a submersible for insertion. I've never dived before, doubt anyone else has - and I would imagine 50 metres below the surface is as hostile as vacuum - so with no training, I would want to avoid it.

How tall are those domes - ie how far below the surface might the apex be - might be another way in? Top down?"

In reply to Samantha Kilgore (msg # 93):

"Dived? I've dived lots of times." Vonon confirms, "At least twelve times I've been aboard a ship as it dove into a gas giant for fuel skimming."

Ikram, nearby, groaned loudly and dropped his face into his hands. Vonon took a swipe at the back of Ikram's head and missed.

"She was talking about diving, and I have done some diving. Jarhead." Vonon growled, then added, "Hey, wait, you're not talking about actually going out into all that water, are you? I mean, I've swum in the park lake on Rockport, but that was only four meters deep. This thing is -- what'd you say? Maybe fifty meters deep? How the frack does that work?"

Khea bit her lip as she is getting more and more uncomfortable with what she signed up to.

"None of us here is prepared for a deep water operation, so we probably need some of that money upfront for equipment purchases"

Ceruleanne, for a moment, looked quite pleased with Sharik's data, before resuming her business face.

"A friend of mine can provide any diving gear you might need, including a submersible and waterproof cases," Ceruleanne responds to some of the requests.

"If you take the submersible out to the island, maybe an hour's ride, my search vessel may turn up something by the time you get there. The submersible has a refrigeration unit in it, "

"I have no idea what the parameters of the dome are, though Sharik might know."

In reply to Ceruleanne Blue (msg # 96):

Rather than belching, again, to get attention this time Vonon raises a hand.

"Uh, seriously, people...Asteroid Dweller, here. I was literally born on a spaceship and raised in a vaccsuit." Vonon said, "This diving gear you all keep talking about -- does it work like a vaccsuit? Because if not, I may be of limited use, here. Unless..." Vonon pauses a moment, digging some statistics up from his memory, "I know what atmospheric pressure my own vaccsuit is rated for, would that be the same for water pressure?"

"Hahahahahaha!" the shrouded barbarian suddenly burst out laughing. He'd been sitting there quiet the whole time, so far, because he felt he didn't have enough experience to offer anything intelligent.

He finally realized that they were all quibbling over little things... like whether they would get their hands dirty or miss showtime for the opera.

"My apologies for laughing," he offered. "It's just the incongruity of the situation finally hit me. I was born and raised on a desert world. I couldn't even have imagined this much water."

"But I am also a marine. Not active any more, of course. While we didn't do any underwater training, we covered the fundamentals during basic."

"I also now have something to contribute."

"To answer Vonon first, yes, water pressure is like atmospheric pressure. In fact, water depth is often measured in how many atmospheres it is equivalent to. You gain an atmosphere of pressure for every 30 feet down you go."

"However, water qualifies as a mildly insidious atmosphere. It's chemical properties can affect even waterproof systems... eventually. If you wish to use your vacc suit underwater, don't think that makes you impervious to the water."

"A second point. Based on the estimated depth, scuba gear would only be necessary for long term operations. A simple mask and snorkel will let you free dive down to the dome. Likewise, you can easily swim to the surface if the dome gets flooded."

"Now, that being said, I do have some training in military tactics."

"Not that I am saying we should underestimate our target, but we seem to be thinking this is some kind of top secret Imperial base. It's only been in place for two weeks, if Sharik's information is accurate. The nature and location is the security they needed. About the only thing they might have besides guards is passive sonar sensors."

"As the Sarge always said, 'Hope for the best, but plan for the worst'."

"The question should be whether their vehicle dome can accommodate our submersible. I rather suspect it can, because that is also probably how they are getting in and out of the dome. Also, no beach landing would be necessary. What you should be looking for is a boathouse. The submersible could come up from under it without ever being seen."

"If anyone is comfortable with scuba diving, then you can recon the dome once we get there. If not, a direct assault should work. We'll have the element of surprise."

He let his words sink in with everyone as he went back to sipping his wine.

"I hope your contact can find a Aslan sized diving suit on short notice"
To underline her point Khea swings around her tail a bit wider than usual.

"We also might need someone who can drive a submarine unless someone else here has some experience with them."

"Okay, let me put it this way," Ceruleanne says. "Before I transfer the company shares, is there anyone here that does not wish to pursue this venture?"

"The money will be delivered to the local TAS office where you can claim it in the morning."

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 100):

Vonon listens as his old marine buddy lays out some info on vacc suits and water depth.

"Excellent! I'll just wear my suit down there, then." Vonon chuckles, then his eyes widen then he claps his hands together and points at the Count, "Yeah! Just like that vid you did, Count! Years back. That period piece about sailors on some kind of steam powered aquatic vessel, and they had those really primitive-looking vaccsuits with the hoses coming out the top of their copper helmets! You were going underwater to salvage something. At least, I think it was you...Oh, what did they call those suits?"

"Well, I'm in, like I said." Vonon looks to Ceruleanne, "You need us to sign anything? Guarantees or something? I gotta go to the Starport and get a few things from storage. Hostile Environment Suits aren't exactly clubwear, if you know what I mean."

Vonon looks over at the Bureaucrat, "Sir Walter, if I'm hearing you right, you intend to try to gather information from a couple of people." Vonon's electric-blue silk shirt ripples in the bright light, as Vonon flexes his arms in place, "Will you be needing any back-up, Sir? I could accompany you, on my way to the Starport."

Sam sighed under her breath

"Beggars and all that" she muttered softly, looking at her drink

She drained it, and then put it down on the table loudly

"I'm in, and that's my last alcoholic drink - anyone else planning on going in should probably stop drinking too"

In reply to Vonon Ronkunu (msg # 101):

"Ahhh, yes, 'The Underwater Temple of the Troglodyte Queen', not my best work, but, the diving suits were authentic."


Puts his glass down, "I'm ready, although I'm not a battle-hardened veteran, I might be ale to help down below...the question, which we can work on as we head out to sea, how are we going to get in the dome, by trickery or stealth?"

Taps his fingers on the table, "If it comes to defending ourselves and to preclude any charge of murder, perhaps we should have tranquilizer weapons, in fact, if we can get to the air filtration system, we might be able to introduce something to put them to sleep?"

"Ah." she shook her head with some chagrin, giving the others around her a slightly self-deprecating smile, "Here they are."  She obviously felt that the retrieval had taken too long.  Sharik posted the known physical specifications (measurements, layout, and physical properties that were publicly available) for both of the BioDome facilities for everyone to see, "The dome might be able to withstand some small arms fire... but not much."  She seemed to agree with Samantha's assessment, "Best to avoid, if possible."

She noted to Darrel since he had broached the topic of non-lethal weapons, "I have access to a stunner, but it will not work in water."  She looked to Ms. Blue, to see if tranquilizers were going to be an option; they were pretty much at the mercy of their local supplier given the timing.

Sharik pushed a grainy picture of a rather austere woman of indeterminate age up onto the public display.  She noted rather deadpan addressing the conversation flying around her, rather than the photo, "I suspect that if you are rated for HEV use, you'll be fine."  Her brown hair bobbed as she nodded in Ikram's direction, "Water, especially salt water, is considered a mildly corrosive, asphyxiant."  She didn't bother to address his remarks about preparation or planning.  They were all doing what they were trained to do.  And it seemed that Sharik could both compartmentalize and was quite detail-oriented.  In her own fashion.

She added idly, as she started to turn her attention back to the picture (and the incoming data streams flashing on her heads-up display in her glasses), "I still have my full Level 2 salvage certifications for hostile environment suits."

Pointing to the low-resolution picture, "That is the only visual representation of Dr. Vanager that I could find, unfortunately."  She shrugged, "While not the target, I would expect to potentially see Doctor Vanager at the target location.  It doesn't say anything about weapon skills, but that doesn't mean that she isn't dangerous.  Especially around her life's work."  Sharik knew that she would be taking her own precautions.

The still picture moved off to the side, "This is a composite overlay of the island topography with satellite imaging..."  Sharik paused for a moment and a light blue ring appeared around the small island, it's width varying, "The light bluish annular boundary around Ogalapago is the fifty metre limit."  The gloved hand of the brown-haired dilettante gestured and a single red dot appeared on the coast, "There is one documented covered boathouse where the water remains at 10 metres in depth up to the coast.  Probably should check that first."  The hybrid map view zoomed in on the aerial surveillance view of the boathouse, given as much detail as her source could muster.

"Master Zeller," she addressed Walter in a semi-casual peerage, "I'm seeing only one Ondrac employee with any scuba diving training.  A... Damiano Curfo?   Since you appear to have a track into the Ondrac personnel files, can you dig a bit on him?"  She wasn't necessarily expecting much, but you never really could tell when a detail might really matter.

She almost didn't bother to respond to Ceruleanne's prompting about acceptance of the job.  Once she caught the blue-haired woman's eye, Sharik simply nodded and noted, "We have an accord.  Once the funds are transferred, we can begin the operation in earnest..."  Which, if the fact-finding they were currently doing wasn't in earnest ... then the alternative might be truly scary.

A bit hesistant. "I am in as you tend to say. Yet I do hope that we decide on a plan which does not involve shooting up the place. Unless the males over there"  making a small nod towards Vonon and Ikram "are among the best soldiers this planet has to offer I do not like the odds of it."

Walter started checking out Damiano Curfo to see if there is any additional information online. "Let me see if there is anything else on Mr. Curfo. It could be that he is an underwater mechanic to help keep the dome working or maybe he works for them on security matters." he said to Sharik Kaagira with a nod

"I was thinking of heading out to check out Shindar Oolak at the marina, Spacer Ronkunu. Maybe appear that the Trade ministry sent me to look into Ondrac due to their practices causing harm to an imperial company. He might have some knowledge due to being a finance officer. Count me in on this caper even if my "skill set" is not optimal." Walter said to Ms. Blue

12:00, Today: Walter Zeller rolled 10 using 2d6+2. Computers/Damiano Curfo.   

In reply to Walter Zeller (msg # 106):

"Got it, Sir Walter!" Vonon said, "Just like when I was a fresh-minted Leftenant; when the Captain would do all the talking, in a Customs interview, he told me to 'just stand there, keep your mouth shut, and look efficient'. Hurr-hurr-hurr."

Vonon looked down at his outfit and gestured at himself, "I'll need to change into something a little more authority figure. I've got just the thing, I think, back at the hostel."

Khea stops as she remembers something and checks the library data on Beowulf before addressing Ceruleanne.

"What about those Grendel creatures? Do they pose a threat to this operation? I do not want to be diving outside the dome when they are around. And do have underwater domes have extra defenses on this world to deal with them?"

"In general, if you leave the grendels alone, they'll leave you alone," Ceruleanne answers Khea's questions. "They aren't normally aggressive but that attitude may be undergoing a change as they come into more and more contact with Humans as we are increasingly invading their territory. The area you are going to isn't a known territory of theirs, and the water should be shallow enough to discourage them."

"However, there is marginal evidence that they may be intelligent, which would make encountering one only slightly more likely."

In reply to Ceruleanne Blue (msg # 109):

"Okay, then, Mizz Blue, do we need to sign any contracts, or anything? Are we good to go?"

Vonon turns to the bureaucrat, "Sir Walter, it looks like we have a side mission to go interview this ex-employee, yes? Do you want to share a cab, while I run over to my hostel and change clothes, or would you rather some other plan?"

"Sounds fine with me, once we get some hard currency in small bills."  Walter said. "Every bit if information can help before the others go to check out the dome." he said

Sharik had been contemplating some of the data - on the domes, the grendals, the potential targets, &c, when she realized that Vonon had mentioned a cab.  "Vo," the thin brunette called out to her vargr friend, "I should probably pick up some personal effects from the TAS hostel that might help us out here as well.  Mind if I tag along?"  She figured that her old drinking buddy wouldn't really mind; so, in some senses, her question wasn't really a request.

She inclined her head towards the noble merchant, adding almost as an afterthought, "Assuming that Sir Zeller doesn't mind the additional company."  They probably could compare notes along the way.

Before leaving, Shar gave her comm link drop information to Ceruleanne, so that the blue-haired woman could contact her easily, if necessary.  They still needed to coordinate equipment.  And the night wasn't getting any younger...
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 00:43, Sat 04 Oct 2014.

In reply to Sharik Kaagira (msg # 112):

Vonon -- who hasn't had to think tactically in almost a year -- thumps himself on the temple.

"Right! Coordinated communications protocols!" he says in milspeak, "I mean, we should all sync up our personal comms, and establish a common comm protocol. Shar'r, if you wouldn't mind? You were always better at Comms than me."

Sam pitched in, looking pointedly at Walter and Vonun getting ready to leave

"Before we all bomb burst and do are own thing, I think we should agree whose doing what, and when we're reconvening, or what the plan actually is - you know to make sure nothing gets missed."

She paused

"A key factor on who does what and when is travel time to the target, and how much time we need to allow for the operation. Working back from that gives us how much time we have now to prepare before those going in need to embark. So Ceruleanne, whats the travel time to the target, approximately? Or put another way, how soon can your resources get us there with a submersible?"



ooc

What is the actual local time now?

While the discussion drifted into a more military form Khea continueed looking through thr library to see what else could get dangerous on this planets oceans.
But now she stopped her search and listens for Ceruleannes response.
Also, the prospect of getting a cab back to the starport instead if walking sounds tempting.

"My limo is on call all night, so, if anyone needs a ride, it's available, secondly, there's a security professional to assist us coming shortly...if anyone needs an escort...let's work together to get this organized as quickly as we can, then settle down somewhere to finalize our plan...I'm as anxious as anyone to get started, but, let's make sure rushing off to get things done doesn't causes us to overlook something, which might be critical to our success."

After reluctantly putting away the fine bottle, "If I can be of assistance in any way, to any of you, either by my position or reputation...let me know and I'll do what I can to make things happen."

The time is approaching 2000 (8pm), the scheduled time for the meeting.

Ceruleanne seems to be a tad annoyed at all the dithering, but then shrugs her shoulders and lets the 'experts' do it their way.

She walks over to the bar, touches the mirror on the wall behind the bar in some way, and the mirror swings aside to reveal a high-end safe. She taps in a code and places her hand on the scanner, and then the safe door pops open. She reaches in and pulls out two stacks of paper--plasticreds.

She closes the safe and mirror and then walks back to the table. She proceeds to hand out a small bundle of credits to everyone.

"Cr5,000 for each of you. Expense money."

"As I said, the submersible and any diving gear you might need will be available to you at Seacraft Marina. Just ask for Tarl."

Sharik nodded to Ceruleanne and as she took the credit chits from her, repeated, "Seacraft Marina.  Tarl." committing both names to memory.  Slipping the creds into the inside pocket of her leather racing jacket, glanced at the faces of rest of the 'team'.  She wasn't convinced that all of them were in yet; even if no one had left yet.  So, she watched carefully to see who took the money.

She nodded to Darrel's offer of more private transportation.  "Thank you, Count Cromwell.  I suspect that your limo might be a better option than a public cab.  At least to the TAS hostel."  She wasn't sure at about using to get to the marina; but, given the time and the offer - the driver's discretion would have to trusted.

The dirty blonde dilettante cleared her throat softly before speaking again, "I don't believe that we will have the luxury of digging in and staying pat in the dome, even if we manage to take control of all the personnel and materials there."  Her tone was matter-of-fact and her demeanor straight-forward and rather serious.  "Simply put, we won't be properly equipped for an extended stand-off or siege." she stated the assumption right upfront, "Besides, if this project is as clandestine as it has been posited and Ondrac was already planning to clear house by morning, then destroying us along with the dome would not be a problem for them.  That thing is not going to get properly dismantled or moved by the morning."  In her experience, 'improper' dismantlement involved explosions and a mess.

Her conclusion was, "It needs to be a hit and run.  With the limited timeframe and intel, I suspect that the situation will be fairly dynamic and need us to improvise a fair bit.  But, we should limit the body count if possible."  That last statement seemed to be more of a personal preference than solely mission oriented.  But then, wetworks in general were Bad Business™ practice; plus, they weren't really being paid for a true wetworks.  She reiterated the need to arrange for a contact, or better yet a rendezvous or drop point - preferably with Ceruleanne herself, "which means we will likely need to coordinate a drop off point and time, Ms. Blue."  She glanced at her well-crafted (and depth-resistant, supposedly) analog chronometer, "Given that it is just past 2000 hours now, local standard..." Shar paused for some mental calculations: two hours of prepwork, one hour out and back each, two hours of searching potentially, two hours onsite to finish and flush should be more than enough.  "I propose that everyone going should reconvene at Seacraft Marina in two hours, 2200 hours.  Come ready to dive and see a bit of underwater action."  Addressing their blue-haired handler more directly, "We should be done with the operation within seven to eight hours.  I propose that we meet back at the Seacraft - assuming it is a secure location - at 0600 for transfer of material."  That would give the crew two extra hours, just in case things when slightly pear-shaped.

"Is there a secure comm link protocol or drop line that we should use, if the situation changes?" Sharik prompted Ceruleanne, "Otherwise, I suspect that we will have to maintain comms silence for the duration."  It was a fluid enough situation that many things could go wrong.  And unless AcquireCorp was just setting them up to fail - which was always possible - they might need an out.  Or at least a schedule or location shift.  Or, Ifni forbid, medical attention.

The Count slides the chip in his pocket.


"It's a very professional company, the drivers are vetted and sign non-disclosure statements...I enjoy my privacy."

Looks around at the group, with a boyish grin, "I'm ready for some adventure, whenever you are." 

In reply to Darrel Cromwell (msg # 119):

Vonon brings his hands together and rubs them vigorously for several seconds.

"Right. And for those of us who have had more than two beers, that means that right now our merry little band is going to break up into three groups ..."

"One, anyone who's coming with me and Sir Walter to try and get more intel on these blokes, as well as pick up some needed gear, before we go to the sub."

"Two, those folks who need to go get some of their own gear before they head over to the sub."

"And Three, those of you who are ready to go now, and are gonna head straight from here to the sub."

"And -- where'd you say the sub was, Shar'r? -- Seacrest? -- No! Seacraft Marina! Right, the sub is at Seacraft Marina, with a guy named Carl. Right? And, we're going to try for a 22-hundred hour launch time, so let the folks at the sub know if you're going to be delayed."

Vonon looks over at Walter, "Ready, Sir Walter? Grab yer kit, 'cuz I'm sounding lift ship!" he says, starting towards he door.

"Shar'r, Ikram." Vonon adds to his friends, "Unless your cruising with us, I'll see you both at the sub."

As he nears the door, he giggles to himself, "Walking around under the water! The folks back home'll never believe it!"

"Ready as ever, although the notion of walking under water like you say is not an option from my home world. Lets see if we can find some information that might make our task a bit easier." Sir Walter said, stretching his legs. The sound of his knee joints created a popping sound, like gun fire, when he stood up.

Quin was very obviously in her own world.  Everyone seemed happier apart from her, so she found her place.  It began to make sense why her friend had literally run from her, she had been notched out of the conversation so far, it was true that she was not welcome.  But it was not enough of a realization to stir her from her daze, she had been out working recently, odd 24 hour shifts pulled back to back, she needed the doze occasionally, a quick recharge.

"I'm not really sure what reality you all are in," Ceruleanne comments at that point, though it's unclear exactly who she's directing the comment to, "but all I'm asking is for you to do a little... security work, but you seem to be blowing it up into some Imperial ultra-spy conspiracy."

"I can't tell you what you might need to extract because I don't know. I'm not intentionally being vague. Even if I knew the details of the initial project, I have no knowledge of how far Ondrac may have gotten with it... or even what they might be doing with it."

"Your expectations of absolute answers is silly."

"Any body count is unacceptable. If that was what I was going for, I'd have just hired some headbangers."

"As I believe it was stated earlier, it should take about an hour to reach the other island. If the dome hasn't been located by then, it could take several hours to find it."

"As for a rendezvous point, any one we agreed on could wind up being moot depending on what transpires. I've already synced my comm to yours, so when you've accomplished the task, contact me and we'll see where we are then."

"Now, if there are no other questions, I'll see you in the morning."

She waits a moment, and if no one else has anything to say, she leaves.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:02, Wed 15 Oct 2014.

In reply to Walter Zeller (msg # 121):

"Yeah, it'd be nice if this feller we're going to see could give us some new clue as to where the dome might be, that's for sure." Vonon responds to Walter, "Maybe if we ask nice, and give him some of Miz Blue's cash..." Vonon holds up the 5-grand Ceruleanne had given him, and waves it back-and-forth, "And, maybe, promise him we'll do awful things to the Ondrac corporation, he'll open up, yeah? Hurr-hurr"

After hearing out Ceruleanne's exit statement...Vonon holds the door open for her.

"Don't worry, Miz Boss-Man," he says as she passes, "Nothing worse than wounded egos. Promise."

Khea takes the creds and quickly distances herself from Ceruleanne again before the urge of challenging her becomes to great.

And while she listens to the others planning their next moves she seriously considers if it is worth to equip herself for this mission or if she should just take the money and run. It would be very dishonorable, but springing into action with the little information available would be suicide.
For now Khea waits for Ceruleanne to leave before she intends to discuss this with the others.

Sam looks at Ceruleanne with quite a hard stare before taking the cash, saying nothing.

She waits for Ceruleanne to leave before saying anything else.

Those closer by might hear her mutter under breath "Probably ex-Intelligence. Tell you nothing of real use and then seem surprised that you don't enthusiastically rush into the dark."

Once Ms Blue left the room, Sir Walter looked at the others. "I take it that since none of us have left, we are all in on this deal. I will be the first to say that I have no clue as to operations of this nature and look to the rest of you for input but I think we will need to break it down into a few teams, as all eight of us can not go down to the dome. That is a fact as it will more likely cause the operation to be discovered." Sir Walter said.

"Lets pair off into teams of two. Two teams that will be top side and two that will break into the dome. Team A will cover the entry and exit from the watercraft at the marina. Team B will be on the watercraft to pilot it to the site. Teams C and D will break into the doom using one or two entrances, depending on what we find out concerning the dome." Sir Walter continued, looking to the others for their input.

"We never let a lack of information stop us from completing our mission," Ikram spoke up after Ceruleanne's departure. "So we should consider this a fact-finding mission as well."

"To be honest, I don't see this mission as being as dangerous as you all seem to think it will be. We're not going up against a military installation. Walter and Sharik have not presented us with any data that would indicate Ondrac has mercenaries at their beck-and-call--just security guards. True, there's no reason a guard can't be ex-military, but we're still not talking highly-trained personnel."

"Walter's suggestion sounds quite reasonable. It's not too far removed from the way we'd have done it in the Marines."

"So, as I understand the situation, Team D, let's say, would try entering through the main airlock. That would be Vonon in his HEVacc and... any other takers? If no one else wants to go for an underwater walk, then I'll take that role."

"Team C will enter the main dome through the vehicle bay airlock. Right? From what you've all said... and haven't said... I'd put Quinzella and Sharik in Team C. Is that acceptable to you two? Keep in mind, that we are expecting the vehicle bay to get pumped full of air once the sub is inside. However, if not, it will require walking from the sub to the airlock. Can the two of you handle that?"

"So that leaves the transport teams. I'm guessing Samantha and Walter to drive the sub, leaving the Count and Khea to facilitate entry and exit from the marina."

"So, my question now is: does that suit everybody?"

"How about you, Quinzella? You've been rather silent, but I've often found the silent ones to be the most dangerous."

"Count... are you okay with Walter, Vonon and... Sharik, was it, that needed to fetch something? Is it okay if they use the limo?"

"Has anyone a suggestion on how the rest will get to the marina?"

He'd kept silent himself for most of the discussion because there were just too many others to ask whatever questions he might have come up with. It was clear that some of them had the experience to know what to look for. No need for him to add to the confusion.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:57, Wed 15 Oct 2014.

Quin shifted slightly, sort of opening her eyes again, though they were already opened.  She looked at Sam, then at Sharik, then around the room.

"Wha?"  Her confusion quite plain, she was being disincluded after all, so this was new.  That and she was trying to remember if someone other than her friends actually knew her real name.

The barbarian marine chuckles a bit at Quinzella's response. She'd been in some sort of reverie, perhaps even a daydream. It wasn't far from his own attitude.

"Ah, Quinzella, glad to have you back with us," Ikram replies to her one-word question.

"Sir Walter had suggested we split up in four two-person teams. I just suggested possible staffing of those teams. I might be wrong, of course, but it seemed as if you and Sharik had some prior experience in this sort of endeavor, so I thought you two might be best at going through the vehicle dome airlock."

"Are you okay with that?"

If he feels it is necessary, he will repeat his suggestions for the teams.

It's just about then that the door opens and a tall wiry man in a nicely cut gray suit, pale blue shirt and a dark blue tie.

"Greetings. I am Tolman Jackstadt from StarGuard Security Services. Count Cromwell... you called for our services?" he announces from the door. He doesn't enter unless and until the Count authorizes it.

Sir Walter raised a finger at the suggestion of being on Team B. "I was thinking of myself as being part of Team A. I might be able to help as an engineer but I would not have any clue on how to operate the vessel. However, on reflection, it might be better if I am on the vessel as someone better trained in weapons and hiding might be more useful on team A. I agree with your suggestion, Ikram" he said, pondering his lack of military skills that might be more useful in this plan.

Sharik shrugged slightly at Ikram's prompting.  "Hmmm... Vehicle bay entry." she reiterated.  "I'm fine with Team C," the raven-haired dilettante noted off-hand with a curt nod to the ex-Marine, "if she is."  She glanced in the direction of Quinzella then back towards Ikram.

Then Shar returned her attention to dome specifications, quietly studying them.  She looked to be trying to commit certain information to memory before the Count's limo arrived.

Sam snorted and shrugged.

She was in and was happy to let someone else rush in to the dark if they didn't want her to.

"What makes you think I can drive a sub? I've never even been in one. I think I would be better suited to going in, assuming someone else can actually drive it. If not, if its anything like a shuttle, I could try. Might be a bumpy ride though."

ooc
is there a sub driving skill - if so whats it part of - that should help us determine the best driver/pilot/sailor - whatever the correct terms is. Submariner?
This message was last edited by the player at 07:16, Wed 15 Oct 2014.

OOC: Should have mentioned this sooner, but was still trying to decide where to post it. The appropriate skill for aquatic vessels of all kinds is Seafarer. But Pilot (small craft) should work as Seafarer minus 1. The water provides a certain amount of neutral buoyancy which acts a lot like space. It's one of the reasons astronauts are trained in water to simulate zero-gee. Another skill that might be appropriate is Drive.

Khea gives the new arrival a sharp look, wondering how openly she can talk with him in the room.

"I am more than happy to let our more experienced members lead the way considering the approach we seem to have agreed on. But just to be clear, despite what you might have heard of us Aslan woman I am not helpless. If you do need me to get into the water though I would first need to get a suitable suit for it. And just so that you know, while I spend years on a starship I was never comfortable in those things. But if you require me to do some work on the generators I guess it can't be helped, assuming I can even get something that fits me on short notice.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:57, Wed 15 Oct 2014.

Count Cromwell turns towards the new arrival, studies him for a second before saying, "Yes, please wait outside the door for a minute and I'll be right with you, thank you."


Turns back to the group, "Yes, I agree multiple groups makes sense to accomplish multiple tasks, especially as we prepare for this mission...with the idea that we'll eventually link-up before the actual kicking off of this operation. IE the submersible leaves the marina."

He activates his comm unit and instructs his limo to be available to the rest of the group, and not to wait for him(hands everyone his business card with a signature on the back). However, he does want another private car (with driver),  ready... for his own personal use.

OOC:I realize there's alot of moving parts, but, the limo is large enough(?) for a couple of the smaller groups to use it to accomplish their tasks, or at least get dropped off where they need to be.

Before he goes to his newly acquired security guard, he says to the group, "There's a couple of individual things I want to accomplish, 1st being getting ahold of non-lethal weaponry for the group. Secondly, based on some ideas we had talked about, I'm preping for a "movie-shoot"...just in case that's how we approach this...it might be a waste of time, I'm looking at all the options here...and again, if anyone here thinks that my presence might be beneficial to their task, let me know, and I'll try my best to make it happen."

He waits a moment, before returning to talk to his security arrangement waiting outside the room....

Quin smiled at Sharik, "What are the teams I have to chose from?  Wait, curious, why are we splitting up?  Wouldn't that encourage those less honorable to cut and run while we are dependent on them?"

Then she suddenly looked shocked, "Wait, how did he (pointing at Ikram) know my real name?"

"My apologies if you meant to keep your name secret," Ikram says to Quinzella, even though she had not addressed him directly. "Ceruleanne mentioned your name when you entered with her, but I did not know that was your true name until you just confirmed it... assuming, of course, that that is not another misdirection."

"For future reference then, how do you wish to be called?"

"I will join you Count if you do not mind. A stunner is much more appropriate than the weapons I have stashed at the Starport.

But I do not know if you need to pretend to make a movie. It didn't sound to me as if we would be denied entry in the marina. I do not know enough about Humaniti to know if this story would gain us entry into the dome. At least in Aslan space that would not work unless you were of the same clan."

"Of course, I always appreciate the company of an attractive companion. Let's go talk to Mr. Jackstadt, I think he might be helpful in certain matters. Please accompany me."

He will meet up with Tolman and precede outside, moving off a little to wait for the car to arrive.

Sharik turned in her chair, dragging her attention away from the displayed data.  She shrugged slightly - and rather noncommittally - to Quinzella's question about the reveal on her name.  Ikram seemed a straight shooter (at the very least on that one account); so, she let his explanation stand.

A small tsk emanated from her lips, as she concluded that Quinzella may have been letting her mind wander for a moment.  "We are going to need to multiple teams, given the waypoints and the multiple entry points." the dark-haired dilettante explained to her companion, since her old friend had asked.  She reiterated, or at least paraphrased Ikram's tactical breakdown, "Four two-man teams.  One guarding the launch area on the island.  One driving the submersible.  One team, ours, tasked with entering the secondary portal in the vehicle bay.  And the last team will go through the main airlock on the larger dome."

"The allocation seems perfectly reasonable to me." she noted simply, reiterating her own personal position on the tactical situation.  "You are free to feel differently, of course." the thin brunette posited, rather matter-of-factly.  She seemed unconcerned about whether Quinzella wanted to be on a different team; while she had quite liked working with her in the Scouts in the past, Shar knew that they were all a single team anyways.

Sharik answered Quinzella's second assertion about dishonorable behavior and trustworthiness by not saying anything at all.  It appeared that the cosmopolitan socialite was also unconcerned about that particular issue with this crew, as well.

Quin chuckled, "So I must have forgotten someone already introduced me.  Call me...well, yes, my name is fine, we appear to be venturing into something together and since everyone already knows it there is no point to cover it up."

She poked Sharik lightly.  "Of course I will go with you Sharik!"

While we wait for the car, the Count will pull Mr. Jackstadt off to the side, making sure that we're out of earshot of anyone (meaning anyone not from the group), "Based on your resume, I'm confident that you could acquire certain items...
4 stun grenades.
6 stunsticks
2 sonic stun carbines
4 teargas grenades
2 tranq rifles with ammo

I'd need these items in an hour. Is that possible?"

Quin immediately turned to this man (Count), "Stun Grenades?  Are you sure?"

She coughed a second, it was an actual dry throat, not some passive aggressive statement, "Stun Grenades still emit a concussive force, enough to break glass and fracture pressurized walls, the types we will be dealing with."

"Well, honestly, no, I'm not sure, but, I'd rather have them and not need them than the other way round...I was thinking more along the lines, if they are to be used, it would be inside any buildings within the larger structure."

"You might want them just to be on the safe side." Walter said, looking at the others. "Team A can use them at the marina if needed and you could use them in an emergency as depth charges if there are any grendals swimming around." he added

"Has anyone here ever been in an underwater facility? I would expect that their hulls would at least be starship quality, especially on this world with the Grendals lurking in the sea.
That would also include the airlock security. Breaching it from the outside might me more complicated than you assume."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:44, Mon 20 Oct 2014.

"Kheaiftouaw, I can honestly say that I have never been underwater personally other than a handful of times in a spacecraft when there were no gas giant's to refill and I was too busy making sure that the fuel tanks filled up evenly for them to be reprocessed correctly. Hell, I have never even learned how to swim, having been born on a barren world." Sir Walter said.

"So while you guys go and interrogate - I mean have a chat with - this ex employee - is there any more leads the rest of us could follow up? Any other employees we should maybe track down you found so far?"

Sam wandered over to the bar and looked for coffee.

"Otherwise, I am sure we could come up with some ideas of our own to investigate"

ooc
Who ISN'T going to chat to the employee

Sam
Ikram?
Khea?

And just a thought - 5 of you for one guy - might be a little intimidating..?Assuming I'm right and its
Darell
Quniz
Vonun
Walter
Sharik

"There are two other leads that can be looked into Ms Kilgore. Mr. Del Vinian, was a minor VP for Ondrac who is now working at another corporation at a lot better pay and the second one is Ms. Jo'Anne Karamides but unknown what happened to her after she left. Mr Vinian might be more "open" to speaking to the Count but I am not sure. As a thought, someone can go with the Count to pose as his agent or adviser. Say that they had stopped in the area on the way to a book signing or whatever and that they had gotten word as to the misdeeds of Ondrac." Sir Walter said.

"I am not sure what goes on in making vids but maybe you wanted to know if there was anyone that had written a book about it so that a possible vid contract could be explored. Maybe you were thinking of becoming a director and were wanting to see some of the former employees in person so you can get an idea as to whom you would need to cast." he added

Khea leans back at the bar while playing with a half full drink in her hand, knowing fully well that it is a bad idea to continue drinking with such a tight schedule

"I do not believe I will be much help with interrogating those people. The Humaniti ways are still strange to me which could lead to rather unpleasant situations. For example if Ceruleanne would have stayed and had continued to talk the way she did I would have challenged her to a duel right here on the spot."


Khea puts her half finished drink back to all the other half full glasses

"I still don't think we do need to guard the marina, but I could check it out while you talk to the former employees. I doubt that I would be able to get a vacc suit for me on short notice anyway. We are too far from the Hierate for that. They also tend to be more expensive than the advance Ceruleanne gave us.

Still, I will get my toolkit in case we have to create a power outage or something like that."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:21, Tue 21 Oct 2014.

Sam nodded at Walter

"Sam please" and smiled

"I'll do a little poking around on the missing employee then, if anyone wants to join me" she said, looking at Ikram in particular, who so far seemed not to be volunteered for anything.

ooc
Based on skills Sharik may be better placed to drive a sub as with her JofAT skill she will be for most things we lack a skill for. But Sam is happy to have a go unless Sharik wants to step in and swap? Posting this here because beginning to loose the plot slightly with multiple threads

"I have no problem joining you, Sam," Ikram responds to Sam's unasked question, "but I have no computer skills to mention. I even have trouble turning my comm on and off."

Although his expression is deadpan serious, there's a slight twinkle in his eyes.

"I thought one group was heading to the marina to secure the submersible and whatever other equipment we need. Thought I'd go with that group, but if you need assistance..."

In reply to Walter Zeller (msg # 147):

Quin quirked her brow, Mister Zeller seemed to talk rather fast.  Many conversations at once was one thing, but this was...confusing.

"Well, that depends, the Marina might be an outdoor establishment, a good concussive grenade would likely not do well in the open air, but as for like a depth charge, it is more...forward than my usual approach so I had never thought of that, the thought is interesting, quite plausible."

She gasped slightly and looked around, "Cerulean gave us an advance?!"

So, as I understand it, Walter, Vonon and Sharik were taking the Count's limosine to go fetch some personal gear from the hotel and the TAS hostel before heading to the second marina to interrogate a disgruntled ex-Ondrac employee.

I don't believe anyone has actually said they were going to join them.


Khea has now joined the Count along with the new security guard Tolman to... acquire some 'construction equipment'.


Ikram has offered to join Sam as she does some more intel-gathering.


For clarification purposes, Sharik had asked Quinzella if Quin was willing to be one of the two people that would enter the dome through the garage door. That is what Quinzella had said 'yes' to. At least, that's my understanding.

There was no indication that Quin was going in the limo with the others. If that's what she wants to do, that's perfectly fine, as I'd sort of expected her to go with
Sharik so they could discuss tactics for the dome entrance.


Yes, Quinzella was offered expense money to the tune of Cr5,000, which, at this point, I'd say Sharik accepted on behalf of Quin. She'll no doubt hand it to Quin now that Quin has asked about it. Note that this is NOT an advance on what Ceruleanne has agreed to pay everyone.


Also, at this point, everyone has now moved outside. The Count stepped out of the room to join Tolman, and they and Khea went outside to wait for the second car the Count requested. It was outside that the Count asked about the stun grenades. Since everyone joined in on THAT conversatio, that would mean everyone joined them OUTSIDE.

If I've gotten any of this wrong, speak up! (Lots of characters with lots of conversations...)

A slight, crooked smile touched her burgundy lips and then a bit of a chuff escaped those same lips as she stood to follow the others out of the room.  She tapped her dataglove, then drew her index finger across a display on it and is shut down, intentionally taking the room-wide projector offline as it did so.

Sharik flipped a pocketed cred stick in the direction of Quinzella, noting off-hand, "She did indeed leave us some 'spending cash'.  But," the brown-haired dilettante made a slight amendment to Quizella's query, noting off-hand as she walked, "she didn't call it an advance.  It's purely for expenses."  She motioned for Quinzella to exit the room with her and the others, if her friend so desired.

Sharik started to follow Vonon and Sir Walter as they made their beeline to the limo.  Of course, they had to cross the dance floor - or skirt it.  But to the cosmopolitan socialite, where was the fun in that, it seemed.  So, Shar went danced her way through the floor.  And though she seemed to have a purpose and a spring to her step, her moves weren't half bad along the way.

As they walked out, Sam moved over to Ikram

"wanna give me a hand then? My only plan is to head back to the TAS to use the facilities for a little digging, and see where that takes us. Unless you have any other ideas?"

Exit to outside club
This message was last edited by the player at 19:50, Mon 27 Oct 2014.

"I'm still traveling as a man in a duffle bag," the desert barbarian answered... Or should that be 'former' desert barbarian?

He was a 'former' Marine... an ex-Marine, though as they liked to point out, once a Marine, always a Marine. He wondered if that applied to being a desert barbarian. As they stepped outside again, he glanced around at the city and realized that the desert part was no longer true. He wasn't sure about the barbarian, though. He'd been raised that way, and there were times when he felt the old sensations just under the skin. He'd been pushed near the edge a few times, but never over it.

"I can't think of anything at the moment, other than perhaps hitting Galaxy Outfitters for a few items. I'm kind of reluctant to rely on the source at the marina for everything. Not that they won't give us what they have, but they may not have what we want. Maybe we can pick up a vacc-suit for Khea, if nothing else."
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 01:55, Sat 25 Oct 2014.

Quin caught the credit chit, looking at the number on it happily, 5,ooo.  NICE!  This will be helpf...wait, what did Sharik just say?

She was following Sharik out as her thoughts dwindled slightly, "Only expenses?"  She turned as she walked and smiled at Sam, "Good luck Sam!"

Quin smiled as she watched Sharik on the dance floor, her own dexterity would allow her to do the same, but she would find little joy without purpose.  She walked around the dance floor.

Exit to Limo, I think.

"Which is one of the reasons why it's so important that we have a plan to "trick" our way in, the airlock itself is going to be a bottleneck, and although probably not fortified, it's not like we can blast our way in..."

After saying that, a couple of ideas come to mind... "Mr. Jackstadt, would a government agency, say, the environmental animal protection agency, conduct surprise inspections on corporations, perhaps on an underwater dome that might be interfering with the mating grounds of grendels or whatnot? And if yes, can you get the appropriate "false" documentation/logos/credentials...to facilitate that? 

Sharik met up with Quinzella on the far side of the dance floor, the one closest to the outside exit.  She continued to twirl close to her friend as she lead the way outside.

The brown-haired dilettante continued the cash conversation as if there had been no intervening break, picking up by answering Quinzella's question, almost without missing a beat.  "Well," Shar noted off-hand with a casual twist of her shoulders, "We may need to grease palms or acquire things on the fly..."

"Or you it can be used to prop a door open..." Shar noted playfully, credsticks had a myraid set of uses.  And sometimes you had to think outside the box.

She smiled mischievously as one of the bouncers guarding the entrance held the door open for her; Sharik paused as the cool blast of air from the outside settled upon her skin.  "Very nice..." the diminutive cosmpolitanite noted as she passed the burly security man - though whether she was referring to the man, the weather, or something else remained to be determined.  Still, Sharik did wink circuitously at the man holding the door; so, the comment was at least in part meant for him, it seemed.

She took in a deep breath, letting the crisp evening air fill her lungs, and then visually acquired where Vonon and Walter had gone.  Given their path, she assumed that they were headed towards a particular car.  So, Sharik started off in that direction as well.

Khea lets out a small laugh. "Why would they care about the mating grounds of prey? From what I have seen from this planet it should still be abundant, so there is no need to be concerned about it.

If we could pretend to be from their clan we could feign a emergency so that they have to let us dock. Once they find out that we are not one of them will likely have to fight our way in or out. Unless they are very trusting and also help strangers.

Of course this only works as long no one here has the desire to walk up their door and loudly state our intention to steal their research in order to satisfy his honor.

Sir Walter packed up his datapad. "Lets get rolling then shall we." he said to the group. "The Count and Kheaiftouaw are heading out to check out construction equipment, and hopefully make contact with Mr. Vinian, another former Ondrac employee. Sam and Ikram are off to try to track down Ms. Karamides, the missing employee. The rest of us, Sharik, Quinzella, Vonon and myself are off in the limo to get gear and meet Mr. Shindar Oolak, the security guard at the Harbor Winds Marina. Is that correct?" he asked.

"At 2200, meet at the Seacraft Marina in the parking lot so we can meet up with Tarl. We might want to grab some fishing gear and a cooler full of beer on the way over and act like we are off to do some night fishing." he added, as he waited for the others to gather their things and depart.

OOC:Exit to R&I
This message was last edited by the player at 21:10, Wed 29 Oct 2014.