OOC Not sure I understand the structure of the underground bosses but this roll if needed is to be sure Alex understands.
00:51, Today: Alex rolled 12 using 2d6+3.  Understanding the structure.
Streetwise. I assume there are several crime lords of organizations. Are they divide turf by geography sometimes and business type others.
The Bitch is one, the Coven one, and there may be more .... Or is the Coven something else?

Alex nods thoughtfully. We each are playing a piece.  CASAR, the Marshals and the military have the firepower. But someone or many someone's are working to give up vital info that is getting that firepower destroyed.

... Would The Bitch, COVEN or any "business associates" have the power to know who is getting paid off? Who is giving info? Or even help ID the offices that must be giving up the flight path, time and manifests for these ships?

That's the working the underground can be strong that the military is weak in. You know things without asking new questions. How would you get the info if you were wanting to hit these ships? Is there anyone in that nerve center you would use that we know is getting extra cash for whoring and gaming?? That is someone Tal and I would visit assuming none of the bosses takes offense at us asking and risking our own skins.

You see - we are flying one of those military ships to the war. So involved we are. To be keeping our distance is like to close our eyes and be walking through the sewer, ignorance will not be keeping us clean. We mean to cut the spies and misinform the master. Then we mean to kill the hit squad when they come. Help may be needed after we draw the fire onto ourselves.

OOC: Alex give me a streetwise check 8+, and a social check.If you make you social check ad a +1 DM to your social check.

In reply to IooOoo'NackhAa (msg # 118):

As if by magic a half dozen Adult M'n'Kuhl popped out of the water in near perfect formation, two were equipped with manipulator frames and small arms the others were wearing sensor arrays. one sporting the logo of the local news agency, and radio station on his rig.

all squealed squelched and popped a greeting the accents varied showing they were form different bans but had formed a small pod of their own.

"Jaooooriiikiiii iiiiikiiiikooooosiiii kakhokrii" the leader of the pod introduced himself a big bull male with scars, and patches of skin discolored by old burns and abrasions introduced himself. "Joker" to humans. come. play. eat. talk. big fight/hunt coming. false kraken come soon. raid. kill. steal home/freind/pod. Need play talk eat first then hunt. kill. Drive kraken from home/freinds. big fun! make lots of new home/freinds!"

I assume you mean: if you make the streetwise add +1 to the Social
I rolled:
05:36, Today: Alex rolled 8 using 2d6+1.  Social.
-2 social +2 from streetwise +1 from adding with enhanced charisma

05:35, Today: Alex rolled 14 using 2d6+3.  Awarenes charisma.
Error - meant to be personal enhancement and would be +1 for total of 12

05:33, Today: Alex rolled 15 using 2d6+4.  Streetwise
beat the goal by +7 I think that means I can add +2 to the social

Alex glances over at Tal as he is speaking so see if he is going to add anything. Feeling the import of the moment he draws energy to put into his words and works to connect as he knows they would have the best chance of survival if the mobs would help with intelligence. The official channels and police are likely corrupted.

In reply to Prometheus (msg # 125):

Big fun! Yay!

IUOU dives in plays and eats with joy and abandon. She moves quickly in and out of the water and goes with the pod.

False Kraken? Machine? Kraken? Fish? Food?

She seeks to understand the hunt they want to make to consider if she should get a weapon or just hunt naked.

In reply to Prometheus (msg # 122):

Tal is pondering two seemingly innocent facts while the exchange is going on, and that is why he is keeping quiet.   One that our future host is involved somehow and that the Coven is in on the information already leave him a little unnerved with the powers that be already in the know, what else are they hiding?, especially his excellency, BLOOD-GLUTTEN.   With that Tal will voice, "With all the players staying quiet down here in the slums, underbelly of society or the city's undesirables etc., no disrespect intended, gesturing to the contact.   How do you know that much of what your saying is fact, I mean about the passengers and other noncombatants on those ships maybe they just disappeared like in the good ole days of yesteryear, been kidnapped or sold into slavery.   I mean someone talked or you wouldn't have that much information."    Tal than puts a hand on Alex's shoulder for support and to signal about the dinner party.   "Here is my contact information if anything else comes up."   Tal will say to her at last.   "Here is 2500 cr. for the information as well, thank you."   Tal says as well, holding out his hand to her for her to shake and to take the money.

" Alright, I'll make a call." The woman replied with a grunt.Waving away the credits She simply took a cell phone from her pocket and dialed a number by memory. followed by what seemed to be  security code when the other phone answered." I have two people looking into some shipping errors. Who do you have that can find out some info from inside the network....it's a personal favor...it's a bit risky...I'll give you the details personally, dinner tonight.."

a few seconds later the phone chimed as it received a data message. she took out a blank data chip, peeled off the protective wrapper and transferred the data to it." One use only it will burn itself out afterwards....now tell your skipper that her crew is annoyingly persistent...It may take a few days for the source to find anything out. and I am going to have to have dinner with an EX over this...One of you two better treat a lady to a damn fine meal in return...I'll call when I'm hungry..stay in touch..especially if anything interesting, or violent happens."

OOC: a woman comes in from the back room with a pair of packages and sets them on the table. Inside are toss away cell phones, fake IDs connected to a dead drop data/financial account. and a list of Net-mail accounts that messages can be sent to.

Joker breaks into a broad grin not a freindly smile considering how many small pointed teeth are exposed by his retracted gums. Kraken, ...not kraken.... made by men...hides. watches. listens. hunts ships...we find, we kill, man pod/friend happy...get guns..get frame...get freinds..we hunt big pod! take all friends..all guns...all frames..."

In reply to Prometheus (msg # 129):

Tal says to the lady after pocketing the credit chip again," if all this checks out all works out, and if the skipper is snippy of anything like this, I will take you to dinner myself in her place."   He says with a big smile upon receipt of the packages and leaves.

Alex smiles broadly at the woman. It was nice for Tal to give her money that she can pretend to the others to be acting for mercinary goals but he senses another truth.
He stands and shakes her hand.
Your choice can be makeing every difference in the war from right here in the bar. The other crews were not having this chance.
So, When we are calling...is it Suri? Or do we use a different name to be contacting you?

Suri will work nicely." Suri replied with a chuckle." If I am not willing to have my name connected with something I am doing...I don't do it."

Farewell then Suri, May our steps be guided, if you believing in such things.
Alex smiles - gathers what he's been given and steps out after Tal. He arranges the coms gear into his vest discretely and withdraws his own comm.

That was well. He says to Tal as they go back to the street. Now I must find something to be wearing... Will you be shopping for a side-arm? Or just return to the others?

He checks his com for something in the formalwear category expecting to go to the nearest place.

IUOU eats and plays signaling agreement with Joker she watches the others to see what kind of weapons they are preparing. Does anyone have vehicle or heavy weapons? She is deciding what toys to bring to this play date.

She finally indicates herself.
Soldier - big gun - Nut Shell Armor
She points back to shore and flies off if it's not overkill to return in her CAS microfighter.

In reply to IooOoo'NackhAa (msg # 135):

The rest of the group vanishes as in a display of aerobatics, and enthusiasm. by the time you return they have all gathered various bits of hardware, mostly civilian armor, and servo arms, gripping standard weapons. a few wearing surplus military hard shells. The Microfighter is the only purely military vehicle, but Joker has returned in a heavily modified construction shell, with a beam cutter attached to it.

the random squeaks, squeals and whistles had sounded playful and excited, now they sound rather ominous, more militant, and hostile as the group psyches itself up for a hunt. A Local Security craft is loitering outside the "don't get too close to angry M'n'Kuhl" limit with a pair of concerned security grunts standing in the open side door trying to figure out what's going on.

IUOU sends a message to the security forces by radio.

Hunt deep. Not hurt law friend human pod, happy!

" Confirmed, IooOoo'NackhAa..." the radio burst out in a squeal of translated M'n"Kuhl. followed by the echo of his micro-crafts transponder signature.


A moment later Joker let out a powerful Boom of radio and sonic noise, a hunting call that could stun most creatures within ten meters, if he focused it then streaked upward at full speed climbing with little regard for gravity as his own flight abilities enhanced by his rig pushed the M'n'Kuhl toward the ragged edge of the sound barrier. a call for Iuou to come up front with him following in his wake.

in their wake, a swarm of M'n'Kul trailed as they fought to match the pod leaders pace. soon the air grew cold and thin, and the sky began to darken toward blue-black,the curve of the world already noticeable.

the thin air and cold were no problem for the pod, their nostrils could seal and their own protective environment screen trapped warm air near their bodies as they reached the upper atmosphere where it was safe to transit to Hyperspace.

IOUO maintains a spot near the leaders, but not in any way challenging them. Her pod is not pressurized but she does have a helmet and partial protection in her flight harness that permits more comfortable transit, like a M'n"Kuhl Cadillac. Not quite a Rolls Royce but better than you'd expect for government work. She rides on in the hunt trying to guess who this leviathan is.

At altitude the pod transits, armed males and alpha females first weapons hot and a rapid-fire series of locating pulses sounding as the enter the hostile region of Hyperspace.

Huge drifts of ragged coral and debris fused into massive islands surround the planets gravity shadow. the sky is full of small swimmers and drifters while the rocks, and gravel piles are teaming with hard shelled, well protected local lifeforms.

a TAE frigate is on station over the normal commercial transit point, and navigation buoy and a number of trawlers are harvesting drifting xeno-plankton in the open space around the transit point.

Native M'n'Kuhl snap off a challenge warning the pod that they can hunt, but this is their chosen area. if they want to stay they will have to make a deal with the pods alpha.Joker angles wide of the pod, signaling they are passing through and extends a polite invite to join in the hunt for a dangerous predator.

IUOU banks and spirals into the new space giving wide berth to the local pod and juicing her own acceleration with the G drive in her pod. She makes no contact to the human traffic but flies with joy and abandon to the enemy following Joker's lead.

She checks her sensors on what else is lurking out in the general direction of the hunt hoping to be first to locate the potential enemy.




21:50, Today: IooOoo'NackhAa rolled 13 using 2d6+5.  Sensors

Several outriders pee off and begin to search the drifts for anything out of the ordinary. the small lean M'n"Kuhl leading them maneuvers with agility as she pokes and prods every niche with her sounding pings.


easily pulling ahead Iuou detects a faint signal, almost undetectable against the background noise of hyperspace. densely packed, and encoded in an unknown the signal is artificial, and definitely not based on any Human communications system.

IUOU tells Joker. Signal not friend indicating the location. She then decides there should be a backup and prepares a tight beam encrypted message to the TAE warship 'Beware, unknown contact' that she will send when the hunting Pod is ready to attack she begins including any data from the artificial signal in this packet now and records as they move closer.

As Iouo focused on the signal the object came into view, a mass of armored flesh, with half a dozen armored and segmented tentacles that were securing it to the large boulder it was using for  cover. Nearly the size of a large terrestrial shark it began to move, pulses of gravitic waves emanating from it clearing away dust and debris as it released its grasp and flared out its tentacles in an obvious threat display. Plasma building up in the center of the space created by it's outspread forward arcing appendage.

The shape and image caused an instinctive jolt of alarm and fear as the immature Krake revealed itself. too small to be a threat to any shipping it was definitely a threat to M'nKuhl.


It was also unusual to see one so small away from its parents swarm unless it was lost, or acting as a scout for the parent which was loitering concealed somewhere in the area.

IUOU contacts joker  Trap, where is parent? Is this what we hunt?

She flies out of its range for now in a flushing pattern checking sensors for other signals.

" No Mother, Only this  one...." Joker pulsed back in a very tight squirt, directed so that only IUOU could hear it.He sounded cautious as if not certain of his words.

"You, I, we strike, others herd,keep watch."

OOC:Not sure I'm doing this right but I will just move forward.

IUOU Moves at a distance and evaluates the leviathan. It is still dangerous but the hunt is on. After a recon she decides on a single aimed shot to start with. She fires one burst from her laser canon to see what happens.


21:59, Today: IooOoo'NackhAa rolled 20 using 6d6.  Damage.
21:57, Today: IooOoo'NackhAa rolled 10 using 2d6+4.  Gatling laser (recon not included ).
+ 1 for aim and I think + 2 for success at recon total 13
21:56, Today: IooOoo'NackhAa rolled 13 using 2d6+3.  Recon.
Recon to modify attack roll

Next I will open up on full auto.