Bellissima watched as the rest of the team split themselves into two groups, a bit uncoordinatedly, it was evident there was no overall leader of the group.  The tall, tanned woman moved over to Jacob as she looked back at Hiskari curiously, "What was your thought on team make up?" 

She hadn't been here for Hikari's original suggestion, but she was curious to what he would suggest.  She did note that the young man was quite eager to spend money and the way he was dressed also indicated that he comes from a rich family.

Jacob sighs.  This is not how things were supposed to go when he made his suggestion.  When Bellisima walks over, he subconsciously adjusts his LESP sweatshirt.  I'm not sure what to make of it, honestly.
He looks at the others as if trying to decide what to say and how.  Maybe I should have just run my idea through the El-Tee first, see what the brass would say.  This is meshugga.  Everybody wants to get in on it, but we have to have manpower for other crimes.

Martin approaches his friend, waiting patiently when he sees the woman engage Jacob in a conversation..he had in a way spoken for his friend and it hadn't been intentional so he wanted to discuss a few things..but interrupting was rude and not his way..unless absolutely necessary..

Lite Star shifted in her seat a little, she was worried that she was missing something, that things were not being presented clearly and they were disjointed.

"What's on your mind there Jacob?  We need to be clear with each other, so we can all see the same picture.  It seems we keep getting distracted and it is confusing the issues.  We don't have a leader, so we need to come together to make decisions with as much information as we can give each other.  If any of us has something then we need to speak up, be direct and clear.  We may not need to know the exact workings of something, just to make it clear."

In reply to Bellissima (msg # 297):

Hikari shrugged and walked calmly over to the white erase board and picking up a marker listed the locations and team member listing he'd listed before with spaces to to add his observations.

Then the young Asian teen turns to face the team.. and nervously bows slightly..

"Again, these were just my suggestions but I'll explain why..."

Compound -
Nimbus, Tyger - infiltration team
Chimpmanz and Divine - Surveillance/Backup - Team

Island -
Lite Star, Oni - infiltration team
Justicar & TaoZen - Surveillance/Backup - Team

"What we have here is a Cult leader this Mr. Kinkaid... I Refuse to call him a father of the Church!  He claims to have the ability to 'Enlighten people' to a better way of life.. empowered by his version of God.  The facts support that somehow people ARE being changed to abandon their lives giving him all there wealth and serving his cult.  We know factually he has two and potentially more operations... the Compound in Kansas, and the St Sebastian Isle that may conceal some more significant installation.  Both of these locale may have sinister wrong doing taking place but their particulars seemed to me to require each a different approach."

"The hardest in my opinion was the Kansas Compound.  There seemed to me two ways to penetrate the compound to gain intel, the fast direct approach ~ like a Navy SEAL Op or a slow infiltration sneak approach.  I did not believe we have the Enough of the skill base in our team to perform a SEAL Search and RECE.  Tyger and Oni certainly do but we have two locations that will need some stealth to penetrate without it turning immediately into a combat operation which would be ill-advised considering we know so little about the numbers arrayed against us at either location. But we need to do both together to gauge the cult's reaction and catch them in their wrong doing least they scatter and hide again.  So we certainly need a means of once we find out there IS wrong doing going on we need to be able to warn the authorities Quickly.  This is complicated with how remote each of the cult's facilities are.  Which is WHY I suggested the operations at each locale have an Infiltration Team and a Surveillance Team outside with communications ability to get contact with law enforcement to get as rapid a response as possible before evidence is destroyed or hidden again.  The added benefit of a off-site Surveillance Team could provide quick backup should the Infiltration teams get into trouble and need rescue or support."

"This was complicated by the fact that Mr. Kinkaid 'seems' to have some unknown ability to 'Brainwash' his disciples."

"The Kansas Compound Team, thus since we have no SEAL Team of 6 to send in and forcefully recon the location.. it seemed a less aggressive more subtle infiltration recon of the compound was what was left to us... secrecy being what was needed.  That team needed people without obvious powers that could be just another face in the growing crowd of cultists.  I felt that would give the team the freedom to search and snoop hopefully the team not be too closely looked at."

"But I also needed to take into account the brainwashing..so the team needed a trained infiltrator and spy. That was Tyger's Role, with her military training and experience in intel gathering seemed exactly the kind of skill set needed to find out what was going on in the compound.  Also, because I cannot quantify what Mr Kinkaid's brainwashing abilities are, I felt that team needed powers that were unquantified as well!  Mr. Kinkaid claims his influence is from God.. so I assigned Nimbus whose powers are if I'm correct bestowed and supernatural.  Hopefully Nimbus's supernatural abilities would give him added resistance to such influence.  As for the compound teams Surveillance team I assigned ChimpmanZ to overwatch because, to me he seems to have a most level head and have a plethora of exterior contacts and experience that if the infiltration team got into trouble he could be counted on to figure a way to get them out.  Also, with his wide range of skills and world experience plus his powers he is a solid backup to search and rescue with his physical prowess.  Unfortunately, it Was Exactingly Jacob's renown that excluded him from the infiltration team.  Jacob is too high profile and his known super-abilities would put him under SO much scrutiny by the cult I feared his being there would draw too much attention and it would paralyze his efforts to snoop about, despite his personal skills.  Remembering we are trying a subtle infiltration to allow our team to snoop about.  I do not believe God is backing Mr. Kinkaid.. but that does not mean he does not have some form of supernatural support... so I assigned Divine as the team firepower backup!  Her supernatural power may be needed to save, rescue or support the infiltration team.. but keeping her in reserve as the BIG GUNS ~ she seemed the best backup.  I felt should the infiltration team get into trouble... Divine in tandem with ChimpmanZ's experience to direct her where she was needed most.  I felt the Compound infiltration Team was in good hands with ChimpmanZ and Divine as backup!"

"Yes I put all our supernatural power in the Compound Team as it is more likely they will encounter Mr. Kinkaid and be exposed to whatever brainwashing power he has access to.  He may have supernatural powers available so it seemed best to double-down on our own supernatural team members to counter him!"

He pauses drawing out his facts and reasons on the white erase board so everyone had a visual representation to follow.

"As for the Island base Team... Justicar and Lite Star have Very obvious powers no good for the Compound subtle infiltration... but also our suits have high surveillance capabilities... plus non-too-small firepower between them.  Perfect, for any surprises a hidden island-base could have waiting.  But I also Choose Oni and TaoZen for a reason, Oni for his obvious stealth abilities, but TaoZen for his Ancient master long view and powers that can NEVER be taken from him... as an ancient master his skills ARE his powers!  TaoZen would be our 'ace in the hole', the man with the mental training and discipline that might be able to resist outside mental influence or 'conditioning' and not show he was still of his own mind.  That plus his mystic powers are an unknown quality something not easily countered.  Worse came to worse... I trust the Ancient master to make level-headed decisions that might save the party should we be captured or discovered.  Oni and Lite Star were the infiltration team, Oni for his super ninja abilities, Lite Star because her suit is less the weapon the Justicar is ..she's sleeker and made more for stealth, the Justicar is not.  The Justicar is flying tank with weapons... great backup but not so much a infiltration suit."

Here he blushes,"Plus, I felt I was too eager to get on the island to search... that's not good for stealthy sneaking...so I put myself on the surveillance team.  Hopefully TaoZen's advice and experience would temper my own exuberance with wisdom."

Here he pauses and takes a breath.

"These were my on the surface observations which informed my suggestions.  They are NOT infallible and they remain.. just suggestions if you think they have merit."

Again he does a polite formal Japanese bow.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:18, Wed 05 May 2021.

A simple incline of her head accompanied her smile to Bellissima, when Chimp Man Z singled her out as the bagel raider.  Given that she was plowing through another one, Tyger could hardly deny that portion of her role in the group.

Arms crossed while she chewed on (yet another) bagel with a generous amount of lox schmear, Tyger didn't move from her position next to the food while readily conceding, "I may not be as clear-headed or observant as Jacob." there was nary a hint of feeling slighted in the least, "But, at this point, having positively ID'ed Major Harris in the Kansas commune, I think that it would place an unnecessary risk of premature exposure were I to be one of the faces of the initial insertion operation.  Harris would likely be suspicious if I were to arrive so soon after their latest operation."  She knew that she would be; and she was relatively confident that her file may have passed by his desk at some point - even if their active tours with the joint DoD/DoE program had limited overlap.  "I am perfectly fine with being the cavalry, since at that point the gig is pretty much up..." Tyger noted.

Conspicuously, Dani said nothing to directly refute or confirm Hikari assertions about any intelligence or infiltration training; however, she did add, "If the mission were to simply enter undetected, do some physical recon, and get out, I would have no issues with being in the initial insertion group."  She paused for a moment to shrug, "But that doesn't seem the mission, we want popular interaction more than just physical reconnaissance."

"I'd prefer to work the Kansas commune," Tyger noted and the presence of Harris obviously having something to do with that preference, "But I do have aerial transport to get to San Sebastien, if that is a prerequisite."  Her tone made is sound like she wasn't offering Oni to use her ride, but seemed perfectly amenable to giving him a ride as she'd done before - if she were allocated to that mission.

Hiakri replies, "...if a physical recon is what the Kansas Compound Team deems is a good first step or a supplemental step after they have joined the compound then feel free to use your best discretion!  Especially, since Bellissima may be on the Kansas Compound Team, it might be worth while, Tyger for you to do just that after she has scanned a few minds to tell you where to do a solo night time snoop and exit back to the surveillance team once your search is concluded  ~ you need never join the Compound openly!  You do not have to do the recon in any particular fashion just what seems reasonable or useful depending upon the situation you discover there. You could also always disguise yourself Tyger... change in hair color and eye color... I doubt the high ranking Harris scrutinizes every new cultist... though your beauty might draw attention if he's that kind of man. It remains ~ your discretion."

He shakes his head, "My plan is not to micro-manage everyone's actions, just to provide a starting framework with which to begin with."

"We will not be flying all the way to the island we will likely use a van from LESP to drive down to Florida, rent a boat and travel by sea to the Isle Base.  We won't know how we will best approach the isle until we get there to actually see the terrain. I'm thinking we will first drop anchor some 10miles distant from the actual isle and Lite Star and I will do a thorough underwater survey of the waters around the isle to find the best approach, and figure out if the boat can be brought closer without raising suspicion.  Also, we need to see how tight their own surveillance net is around the isle before we EVER set foot on the isle itself!"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Wed 05 May 2021.

Bellissima picked up Jacob's uncomfortable body language, so she casually stepped over to the food table and got herself a bagel.  Nodding and smiling at Tyger as the woman was slathering another bagel with her topping of choice.  Hiskari seemed to have a well thought out reason for team distribution.   She decided to hang back a little bit and just listen to what was going on between the veteran members of the Sentinels.

Jacob looks at Hikaru and nods.  His ideas do have merit.  There is an issue, however.  We don't need a covert op.  We need infiltration, an undercover op.  We need somebody on the inside to give us intel.  We need floorplans, guard shifts, numbers of personnel, possible locations of evidence.  We need somebody on the inside.
From what I understand, the primary actors in an undercover operation are the undercover operative, and their handler.  Others, for surveillane and communications are helpful, but not entirely necessary.
For that, we need somebody who is high-profile, someone who loses control, goes off the deep-end.  Someone they can use as a walking advertisement if their "successful rehabilitation", as proof of their good works.  He uses air quotes.
That makes me the perfect candidate.  There are already people who think of me as more animal than human, and are just waiting on me to go all "King Kong" on some poor schmuck.  I already have people who expect me to put some schlub in the hospital.  because of that, it will be more believable to many people.
He looks around at the others.  Unless we can convince or extort somebody already on the inside.  But I if they are believers, that's not likely.

Hikari smiled and raised his hands, "Do as you think is best... I trust you to do as needed.  I just want to make sure our respective Surveillance Teams can communicate in real-time to keep both teams up to date with the progress of the other!"

"So you handle your infiltration or undercover Op as best fits your circumstances... We both have Van's to load with gear... best get too it and get this operation moving ~ remember Kansas is Not next door and neither is the Caribbean, pack light but efficently!"

Hikari turns heading to the LESP computer terminals to put in requests for dual surveillance gear to see what the LESP has available for field use.  He is surprisingly satisfied.. most of the surveillance equipment the LESP already has access too and needs no outside purchase. He begins putting in requests and delivery options to make ready for the mission.

These ops you want to run are going to force their hand, make them tighten up ship.  It will become impossible to get the intel, or the informants we need when they realize that we are coming after them.  We'll never get the intel then.  Intel we can only bet through subterfuge.

Bellissima finished chewing her bite of bagel as she turned toward Chimp Man Z speculatively.  "I have one important question for you Chimp Man Z," the tall woman paused as she considered the man before her. "How are you going to resist whatever type of mind control they employ?" 

She hasn't yet heard of how the hero was planning on resisting whatever mind control this cult might be employing.  If he went in with no way to resist being controlled or changed, then it would be a waste to send him in.  They will have achieved exactly nothing and given away that the Sentinels are looking into this cult.  If Jacob had a way to resist mind control, that would be great.

Jacob takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly.  Reaching into the front, belly pocket of his LESP sweatshirt, he pulls out a small, folded piece of cloth.  He carefully unfolds it, then places the yamulka on his head.
I have something that they obviously didn't have, and were seeking when they went in.  I have Faith.

Bellissima took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she did her best to not facepalm herself in front of Jacob.  She tried to think of a nice way to inform the man that his faith didn't matter to a psionic.

She looked up from the floor into Jacob's face, "It is nice that you have Faith and it can help strengthen someone's strength of will, but having Faith is no protection against a psionic."  The tall brunette informed the chimp-man seriously. "Potentially a psionic can make you forget your Faith."

She bit her lip nervously, "We have an easy way to test your ability to resist Psionics.  I can start reading your surface thoughts and we can see how well you can stop me.  Mind you, my strength is more telekinetic and not Telepathy.  If you can't keep me out, you aren't keeping out someone who is powerful at mental psionics."

---

OOC
If Jacob agrees to her test, she will spend 2 ISP for telepathy for the next 2 minutes.  And she will start reading his surface thoughts.  Save vs Psionics DC 15.  In combat I think Jacob would need to do a saving throw for each attack, Bellissima can attack 5x per round.  Not sure how SSOGM wants to handle this out of combat.

Hikari does not turn to the conversation, but comments, "...I too try to be a man of faith myself Jacob... which is WHY I know this Mr. Kinkaid can not be an agent of my Christian god in heaven.. I have faith that we are in the right!  However, the issue is we have no real idea how Mr. Kinkaid is subverting the will of his cultists.  It could be supernatural ..of some other source than we are unaware of.. magic or otherwise.  But it could just as easily be a psionic, chemical, technological ... potentially even of extraterrestrial source.  We just don't know!"

"So, I try to be a man of faith but I once heard an adage from an Islamic teacher I once had a friendly conversation with ~ I try to take to heart in this world of mysteries he told me... 'TRUST IN ALLAH! But... tie your camel anyways!'  So we take precautions... if Mr. Kinkaid does have some supernatural force or even psionic source its best to prepare for such and send in those with supernatural and psionic power to counter him.  Not to be-little your faith... cause mine I hope is just as strong.  But does not your Torah from Moses' own words warn ~ 'You should not put Jehovah your god to the test' ?  We be as cautious as we can in pursuit of justice and upholding the good... keeping faith that doing so.. Heaven will bless our efforts in the face of evil."

Hikari continues to focus on his computer screen organizing the orders for all the equipment the teams will need, but pauses to turn and apologize, "Please, forgive my intrusion into the conversation ~ it is no one's place to question another's faith.. that is between them and the divine.  I only wish to give what little counsel I can to a friend whose safety I care about dearly."

To which he bows in his seat before turning back to his computer requisitioning.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:44, Thu 06 May 2021.

In reply to Bellissima (msg # 310):

"What makes you think this is an issue of psionic mind control?", asks Derek.  "Plenty of ways to draw people in, get them thinking your way, get them thinking the way you want.  Especially if they're already vulnerable.  Every cult in history has done that stuff."

Jacob looks at Hikaru and chuckles.  Everyone always talk like the Christians, Jews and Muslims worship different gods.  Judaism was first.  Christianity branched off, believing Yeshua, or Jesus, to be the Messiah.  Islam is an offshoot of Christianity that follows the Prophet Muhammed.  They all three worship the same God, just from different viewpoints.
He turns to Bellisima.  Go ahead.  Feel free to try to read my surface thoughts for a few minutes.

[Private to Bellissima: What she sees are disturbing images.  Memories of runs he has made as an EMT and paramedic, and assisting firefighters.  People who have been stabbed and cut, shot multiple times, crushed, decapitated, or even shredded in accidents, burned beyond recognition in fires.  Deaths both accidental and intentional, sén through the eyes of someone responding to calls for an ambulance. or a firetruck.]

Martin pauses, things having taken several odd turns he could not have anticipated, for the moment team assignments not as important as what is going on with his friend, and he moves closer to Jacon, keeping an eye on what is going on, ready to jump in if things get out of hand, the mind not something to be messed with, tho he knows his old friend is truly strong of will, still it never hurts to have back up, just in case.

[Private to GM:

Two things
1. Tao Zen would know that he can gather as much information with an astral visit, or several, in a day as Chimp Man Z is likely to obtain with a week of infiltration.
2. It's time for the Clairvoyance to kick in.
   The book says:

   It is important to note that sometimes a clairvoyant image will occur unintentionally, without the psychic trying. These most often manifest themselves as dreams or nightmares during sleep. The clairvoyant dream is exactly like the image from a meditative trance described previously. The precognitive flash of the future may also occur unbeckoned while awake, but this is extremely rare. These brief glimpses of the possible future happen because the clairvoyant is acutely attuned to his world. Anything that might hurt or change that world (including people and places) will often be foretold in a flash of insight.
   
   Unbidden, Tao Zen is having a vision that shows the scene within the tornado (from the Wizard of Oz). Bellisima is Dorothy in the house and the objects flying by the window within the tornado are the other members of LESP!

]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:35, Thu 06 May 2021.

Quietly Lite Star listened and watched what was going on, then turning her mind back to the task in hand.  Getting a distance plot from Miami to the island, looking at the surrounding waters for a place to anchor.  Then working out a likely time scale for the trip down to Miami and then on a boat to their destination.  Accessing the net for weather reports and projections.

"What sort of boat are you looking to hire Hikaru?"

(OOC: 17:11, Today: Lite Star rolled 11 using 1d100.  Navigation (water) 70%)

In reply to Lite Star (msg # 315):

Hikari turns his head to regard Lite Star directly, "...I was in my head thinking some old beat up looking fishing boat 40 to 50 foot long.  Nothing fancy, however is much fishing done in those waters.. would a more modern yacht seem more appropriate? The purpose is not to draw unnecessary attention."

"The purpose is just to have somewhere to stand that is mobile and NOT on the island we are surveying, and we can watch the island from an innocuous distance."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:52, Thu 06 May 2021.

At Chimp Man Z's permission to try to read his mind, Bellissima reached out with her thoughts and slipped into the hero's mind and discovered death and injury.  She blanched and gulped, "You are remembering your time as an EMT.  The deaths, stabbings, and shootings.  The red headed guy who got his leg crushed in a car compactor is terrible as well.  I hope I never get burned." She admitted and then stopped reading his mind, it being rather unpleasant and she figured she had proved her point.

At Nimbus's question about why she was assuming Psionics was used against the agents, she faced Nimbus as she raised one finger, "One, Agents being sent undercover in a cult are trained to resist standard brainwashing techniques, unless you think this Agent Beaumont is incompetent?"

She raised a second finger, "Two, both agents were brainwashed. Wish means they probably grabbed both agents pretty much at same time.  Or one of agents would have made a break for it when they saw the other get brainwashed.  Or their brainwashing is so efficient that they can do mass groups at once reliably, which is a frightening thought in and of itself." 

Raising a third finger, "And finally, planning for the worst.  It is better to plan for the worst and hope for the best.  Planning for the best and discovering the worst is really a bad idea."  She looked around at the other heroes, "Does anyone know enough about magic to help us plan for it?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:25, Wed 12 May 2021.

At Bellisima's escape from his surface thoughts, he gives a zen-like smile, and he gives a short, gruff, but high-pitched chuckle.  Ah, see she does, but understand she does not, he says in a voice to match his chuckle.  Resist you, I did not.  See exactly what I wanted you did.  Learn that I did from Master TaoZen.  Give to them what makes them uncomfortable, and get out of your head they will.
His voice changes back to normal.  The guy whose leg got crushed, sacrificed it to save a child who was trapped in that car after he heard her crying.  The guy I pulled out of the burning apartment building with his face on fire?  He had gone back in to save an expensive suitcase, because it had been ruined when a stray cat had nested in there to give birth to her kittens.  The white cop shot within a hail of bullets?  While under investigation for racism, he stepped between a black woman, and her child, and the gangbangers who were trying to kill her.  The woman stabbed multiple times in the alley was trying to give food to a homeless man going through a psychotic episode.  The ten year old boy beaten to within an inch of his life?  He stepped up to attack the man raping his mother, which gave her the opportunity to grab a knife and stab the bastard to death.

In reply to TaoZen (msg # 314):

Hikari ends his equipment requisition and stands to likely to start packing gear for the trip to Florida and directs his gaze to TaoZen, "...are you sure we can't convince you to join us at the St Sebastian Isle infiltration?  We could use your help!"

A wide smile comes to Martin's face as he watches and listens, proud of Jacob and the way he learned, the shield he was able to put up that steered the mental invasion where he wanted it and he can't help himself, moving closer and resting a friendly hand on Jacob's shoulder..

"well done, my friend, the way it came as second nature, a thing to behold, indeed"

Silently, he hopes that if not getting rid of them entirely, it helps Bellissima to see that there are many ways to handle something, many directions that can lead to the desired destination..

Again he hears himself being spoken to and follows the voice, the question one so simple, yet complex in it's own way..

"It would seem my path is diverging, Hikari.. taking me from where it seemed I was destined to be..if the need is that great, if my help will be that beneficial, then you have it..I know Jacob can more than fill whatever void I might be leaving in this case"

He lets himself smile in spite of all that seems to be going on..

Bellissima sighed and shook her head, "I am sorry to inform you that wasn't a mind shield.   But what do I know." She shook her head, "Your mind is unassailable." She put finished off her bagel and pulled her mask back up over her nose.

She turned to address everyone, "There is something I just remembered I can do that should happen before Jacob tries to infiltrate.  If I can get close to Kinkaid, I can check to see if he has psionic powers. I have to be pretty close though.  I am thinking I can attend one of his public services and see if I can get close enough to scan him." 

She paused in thought, "And if someone can introduce me to Agent Beaumont, I would like to see if I could read his turned agents, see if I can detect anything.  I have no idea what I would be looking for, but there might be something obvious once I look.  If there is, then I could spot someone who has been turned in the future." She asked as she looked to see if anyone was willing, otherwise she would have to go through Detective Broyko and he had mentioned he was hands off this mission.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:24, Wed 12 May 2021.