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?"