Winter Herald had to interject at that. Gone was the deliberate monotone. [Private to group LESPradio: ++"Your 'aerial target' is Holly Cook herself, you damn fool! Do not terminate her with any prejudice, or I will be required by my programming to consider you homicidal for giving the order!"++]

Just as cooly Justicar replied[Private to group LESPradio: +"I know Exactly who that 'person' is Winter. But only You are using the term ~ TERMINATE. I said Very Specifically 'Suppress' Not kill... even though.. as a officer of the law we are empowered to reply with lethal force when lethal attack is made upon us... we are justified in returning fire.  It is unfortunate that Holly Cook has gone into a power mad frenzy and we will try to subdue her but we are warranted in use of deadly force when deadly force is being employed against us.  Right now, subduing her is going to be next to impossible as the only member who can fly 'ME' is disabled, and Holly Cook is not coming into melee range so shooting back is our only means to deter her attacking. We are attempting to withdraw.. as should you.  But we will NOT refrain from defending ourselves when under fire."

"Fortunately, for now.. we have no need to attack Holly Cook we are not under fire.. but I expect that to change when we try to exit the Bio-ship. My goal is to talk to Captain Smokh to explain the situation and ask for suppressive fire to distract Holly Cook on our exit..."+]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:13, Sun 29 Jan 2023.

In reply to Lieutenant Smohk (msg # 212):

Justicar sighs and replies to Captain Smohk, +"I'm sorry to report Sir, the Bioship is controlled by a as yet unheard of centuries advanced techno-organic Artificial Intelligence computer network.  I could not find any way to tap into its data systems with the time I had.  That is not to say it is not possible.. but its not possible in the current situation.  If there is specific intel in data form a thorough analysis and search of both vehicles will be required.  Dr. Phage has very ingeniously locked all its controls through him and a single controller of Very high complexity and sensitivity that only HE could command... so I destroyed it to keep him from issuing any orders or directives to his two AI vehicles. YES there are two..one is a sub.. we have no idea of their full capabilities or weaponry.  So I sought to forestall ANY commands being given to them.  Note that currently the two AI vehicles are not receiving any orders and likely will not be moving from this location ~ though they may have hidden directives of which we can only speculate.  They 'should' not be a threat as long as threat is not offered them ~ AI often have self-preservation protocols.  Dr. Phage is alive and incapacitated unable to issue orders to his 'toys' though he remains conscious. We have two other metahuman prisoners in our custody and would like to evac this situation. We do have injuries among our team as well.  There are still 3 metahuman opponents sniping at us as they are incorporeal one of which is Holly Cook herself.  She is providing aerial cover to pin us down inside the Bioship.  We could use some assistance in distracting her. I'm sure your Sensor operators have noticed the Shadowhawk holding position a mile distant for pick up. Any assistance in breaking the aerial cover or just distracting Holly Cook would be appreciated... please be as gentle as possible Holly Cook is not in her right mind and we still DO NOT want her slain!"+
This message was last edited by the player at 14:05, Sun 29 Jan 2023.

In reply to Lt. Smohk (msg # 214):

Hikari was not sure how to take this.  He had no issue with helping the military but this smacked of politics or worse 'national security' which was Well outside his concern.

He replied, +"We'll.. get right on that, Sir."+

Turning his head to look at Senor Garcia, he shrugged...

Signaling on theLESPradio2 channel direct to Senor Garcia ~[Private to group LESPradio: LESPradio2: +"You got that Morse Code message right?  Can you handle that?  I don't think any of us needs to know.. or for that matter Wants to know! Were law enforcement.. way out of jurisdiction not CIA or Military Intelligence!"+]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:50, Sun 29 Jan 2023.

CMZ steps over to Hikari and speaks quietly to him.  This op has been a shit-show almost from the get-go.  We are out of our jurisdiction, and out of our depth.  Some of us, maybe all if us are likely to be suspended, or fired..., he wipes a hand down his face, ...or even be prosecuted.

In reply to Chimp Man Z (msg # 216):

Justicar nods, and opens his visor to to meet his friend eyes whispering in reply, "I.. I know Jacob, but I'm more concerned about us all getting back alive. If it's a crime to defend ones dearest friends and try to do the right thing Even when foes assault you from all sides.. I guess I'm guilty as well. But we will do it together as a team and we ALL are going home if I have any say in the matter!"

CMZ looks at each if his companions in turn for a minute or so, his mind obviously working.  My PR agent would likely say we have to put a spin on this.  Like, maybe if this was a Navy operation that we were invited in because of the presence of super-abled terrorists.  If we could get the lieutenant to report it that way, maybe that could work.  We chalk up any screw-ups to differences in police and military protocols.  Those files coild be our bargaining chip.

Hikari pondered Jacobs words.. his expression saying his mind was again working at warp speed but his expression changed suddenly and he nodded in acceptance, "If You think that is best Jacob, I'll do whatever you ask of me... though searching for things is .. kinda hard with my current immobility.  I'm really tired..."

It may occur to CMZ clearly Hikari has ALWAYS Viewed CMZ and Bellissima as co-team Leaders and whenever either one of them has given him a direct direction or order.. he has obeyed without question.  Jacob might think, even now, that if the young hero has any objections.. he would go along with their choice and try his best to support them because he trusts them Explicitly!
This message was last edited by the player at 14:54, Sun 29 Jan 2023.

As the heroes inside the island vessel prepare to depart, events conspire to wrap more layers of bad around the evil burrito they're attempting to consume.
[Secret to Winter Herald: So, of course, this is when Holly Cook decides to show her true colors. Landing a short distance from Winter Herald, she accosts him and demands he "get your butt off my island, we don't allow worthless males here!" Then she shoots him with some sort of beam.]

OOC:
[Secret to Winter Herald: Holly Cook holds out a hand and blackness like deep space streams from it. The beam bypasses Winter Herald's armor and strikes the android directly doing 19 points of damage.]
New melee round, fewer participants

character	initiative roll	actions taken	other
JUSTICAR	24		armor assisted movement inert for 56 more rounds
Bellissima	22		prepared to parry with TK if necessary
Trishula	17	x	bound and gagged
Chiroptera	16
Winter Herald	16		Spd, attacks, dodge, parry all one third for 6 more rounds
Provider	15
Runa	10
The Whisperer	8
Dr Phage	7	x	bound and gagged
Chimp Man Z	5
The Maharaja	lost initiative		only this round -2 actions, etc
Señor Garcia	lost initiative		one more rounds -2 actions, etc.
Lady Armageddon	5

Let's go find those files, CMZ suggests.  Then we can get out of Dodge.

Justicar receives an internal report from 'Karl' closes his visor resealing his suit and commands his drones to come back to the Justicar and redock.

Hikari only moves when necessary and does not participate in the submarine search... taking the pause in action to rest a bit... but remain wary looking for Whisperer or Chiroptera to strike his weaponry and targeting systems search for hostiles.

{Holding Actions ~ Ready to Attack}

Winter Herald glanced down at the damage with some irritation, but otherwise continued. "Finally. I am considered male because I am designed as one and because I choose to be. Otherwise, I am as male as a Roomba designed to be attractive. Your friend should have alerted you to my nature. I am - perhaps was - Winter Herald. I answer to Ned Stark."

He shifted into a combat stance, although he left his weapons undrawn. "Also, stop damaging me until I've at least attacked you. It's rude. I'll gladly leave once you answer some questions, I confirm the presence or absence of data, and I'll leave you in peace. Are you Holly Cook? You look like her, and I am seeking her out."

As the last one into the submarine, Señor Garcia locked the hatch before moving down into the bridge/CIC.

As the discussion of classified paper files began, he wondered why they were so important to Lt. Smohk, and what information is on them. “We need to be really careful in dealing with Lt. Smohk, he may be using us as throw away tools."

Having previously been in the boat, Señor Garcia motioned for Chimp Man Z to follow him. “The captain’s and political officers’ quarters are this way.” The two staterooms were the most obviously place to store documents, unfortunatly said documents might be in a safe, but maybe Champ Man Z could just rip the doors off?

Once he gets to the staterooms, Señor Garcia begins to search the captain's stateroom for any documents with U.S. Government classification letter head, as well as documents that originated in the old Soviet Union and more recently the Russian Federation.

[Private to GM: 10:02, Today: Secret Roll: Senor Garcia rolled 99 using 1d100.  Photography 80%.
FAIL that sucks, was hoping to take pictures of any documents I have found, we may need them for insurance later. Can I reroll this? It should be pretty easy to if the images are crappy.

10:02, Today: Secret Roll: Senor Garcia rolled 94 using 1d100.  Detect Concealment 110%.
PASS (maybe a fail):< Look for concealed compartments, or documents

10:01, Today: Secret Roll: Senor Garcia rolled 54 using 1d100.  Russian 120%.
PASS: Read documents, looking for Russian documents as well as those in English

10:01, Today: Secret Roll: Senor Garcia rolled 64 using 1d100.  Microfilm/Microfiche/Microdot Technology 90%.
PASS: Looking to ID this type of media, will pocket them for analysis later

10:00, Today: Secret Roll: Senor Garcia rolled 19 using 1d100.  Military Intelligence 101%.
PASS: Any information gained from the documents I come across?]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:22, Sun 29 Jan 2023.

Whether JUSTICAR's vigilance is warranted is, as usual, impossible to say. Not because anything happens, but because nothing does.
[Secret to Winter Herald: As the woman lands, she transforms from the piece of living void back into the form of Holly Cook. Then she shakes her head and approaches Winter Herald as she says, "there is no Holly Cook, she was lost as soon as that selfish dipstick forced her out of her world and into his. She who was once Holly Cook is now Lady Armageddon. I'm taking this island from that narcissistic Dr. Phage, even if taking it means destroying it. I've already taken the light from Vitaly's pathetic life, without lifting a finger. Now you know what happened to Holly Cook. You may not be male, but you look like one, so GET OFF MY ISLAND!"]
[Secret to Bellissima: The AI is communicating with another AI, and now they have a question for you but aren't sure if you'll hear it. ]One of the surfaces near Bellissima appears to repurpose itself as a screen of some sort.
[Secret to Senor Garcia: Almost all of the loot from the robbery is found in the quarters of the captain and political officer (it took both spaces). In addition to the loot, the files in question are here. They appear untouched, and most of them are routine background investigations carried out by the NSA on various government officials. The subjects include congressmen, high-ranking bureaucrats, and military personnel. All of them show a point in time where the subject's behavior underwent a drastic change, either politically or privately. There are a few cases where the change is explained (they started an affair, became addicted to something, lost a family member, etc.) but most of them are marked UOD (unknown origin of dissonance). Leiutenant Smohk's file, if one exists, is not present. There is a file for Commodore Faircloth (Garcia recognizes this as the current head of the Navy Special Warfare Command (and Lt. Smohk's superior). Commodore Faircloth's file is marked UOD.]

OOC:

character	initiative roll	actions taken	other
JUSTICAR	24	1	armor assisted movement inert for 56 more rounds
Bellissima	22	1	prepared to parry with TK if necessary
Trishula	17	x	bound and gagged
Chiroptera	16	1
Winter Herald	16	1	Spd, attacks, dodge, parry all one third for 6 more rounds
Provider	15	1
Runa	10	1
The Whisperer	8	1
Dr Phage	7	x	bound and gagged
Chimp Man Z	5	1
The Maharaja	lost initiative		only this round -2 actions, etc
Señor Garcia	lost initiative		one more rounds -2 actions, etc.
Lady Armageddon	5	1

"I see. You have her form and memories, but lay no claim to being her. I respect your honesty." Winter Herald gave a half-smile, as he decided to play up his current debilitation. "I am unsuited to combat, I am afraid. The product of a media nerd with far too much money working for a terrorist group, a perfect simulation of humanity. My reflexes are not beyond human. But..."

He drew his blades. "You are the last person who claims to have seen Holly Cook alive, and you claim she is lost. Whatever you may have against human males, all data suggests she never deserved your hate. I am required to risk my own destruction removing you as a threat to others, unless you can bring her back right now, or inform me how it can be done. I am not optimistic of my chances, but if you cannot or will not bring her back, I am the last you will harm if I have a say."

OOC: Preparing to dodge. She might actually have an answer, even if the odds are high it will come with violence.

I have to last six rounds and prove I don't need the bonuses before I can get them back. This is going to be hardcore. I am likely to take a lot of damage.

EDIT: 19:04, Today: Winter Herald rolled 10 using 1d20+5.  Potential Dodge. Crap.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:04, Mon 30 Jan 2023.

OOC
So we are all on the submarine except Winter? And he is currently in combat against not Holly? And none of us are aware he is fighting? Do I have all that correct?

Yes. Winter went outside alone to confront Holly Cook while were were all going to the Escape Submarine.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:45, Mon 30 Jan 2023.

FYI, the ‘escape sub’ is a one off variant of a Soviet Victor III class nuclear sub.

It’s about 100 meters long with a beam (width) of 10 meters.

As Winter Herald is out of sight, the most the rest of the team could have gotten is shown above.
[Secret to Winter Herald: The woman formerly known as Holly Cook shakes her head, "no, you don't quite understand. Holly Cook was dying, slowly, but inevitably. Do you know why? Because no one paid attention to Holly Cook!"
"All of Madame Barpofsky's girls were that way. That witch got us trained and groomed and prettied up, then made us known with the billboards and the advertisements. Do you really think our advertising commissions could've paid for those offices? Once they put away the cameras, the cream of the nations rich would trade favors with the madame for a date with one of the girls."
Her voice softens, but her manner doesn't, as she continues, "some of them were nice. They had developed a crush on the pretty picture and they wanted a chance to make it real. They got hurt, just like Vitaly."
"Some of them wanted something else, they got hurt, too. We were trained to deal with that. We only had to do one thing... listen. To those fools we were empty-headed baubles draped on their arm. We learned their secrets, then Madame Barpofsky made them pay. You'd think that would be enough for them, wouldn't you? No, not for all of them. They would come back, ask for another date, and do it all over again."
"Then Vitaly did what he always does. 'Dair iz olvaze other vay.' He said it over and over again. He thought he had one. Make me vanish in the midst of a stunt, then let the world think I was dead and I would be so grateful to be free I would finally see how good he was for me."
"That idiot. I didn't want to be free, I just didn't want to be alone. There's... something... in the place Vitaly sent me through. It was just going to consume me, I said 'NO! You don't have the right!' and it said 'it's my universe, I have all the rights'.
I screamed, 'then I'll take as many bites out of you as I can on the way down, you hear me!' and it said 'I am vast, I lose ten thousand of your mouthfuls with a single tear, you have my permission to eat your fill.' Then I said, 'can't we make a deal?' and it said the scariest thing. 'I can work with that', it said."
"It changed me. The pain was horrible. Afterward, it told me I would never feel anything, again. Holly Cook died at the hands of that thing and Lady Armageddon was born. Then it tossed me back through, and I landed on this island. That's why it's mine. It's payment for the life I lost. Now you run along and catch up with your friends. They can take that submarine, we've no use for it."]

Where is Winter Herald?  CMZ looks about.  We can not leave him by himself.  He is one of us.
He turns to Señor Garcia.  See if those files are here.  I'm going after that meshugennah android.
He turns and heads back towards the entry hatch.

Stark lowered his blades. "You were... being metaphorical. You did make a deal with another being for power, but you consider yourself anew. Forgive me. I have seen many horrible things in my brief time of activation."

He put a break in his recording here, to remind himself to perhaps edit a detail or two.

"Perhaps we can make a deal of our own. I can transmit the information that Holly Cook is no more, knowing you are fine. And Vitaly and most of his crew are leaving to not harm anyone again. Your re-creation was..."

Winter Herald ran into a block on consensus. "Idiocy? Liberation? I am trying to determine what this is to you. You seem hurt, and yet empowered. Regardless, this location will not be safe soon, and you need to get the bio-ship out of here before someone other than you kills it. The controls are no more. They were destroyed, in an action I can only describe as rash stupidity that was addressed by attacking me personally rather than explaining how he was going to pilot the damn submarine without it."

"In exchange for my silence about you, and helping you become the new master of this bio-ship, I have two requests. There are paper documents on board the bio-ship. I am seeking data about one Major FORCE, and am hoping information about the rogue is among them. I want them before private interests storm this island and take them. Everything else I expect to find in them I will consider loose ends to be resolved after the immediate nuclear threat."

"My other request is that you be a guardian, a shepherd to the exploited and to this wonderful living ship. You don't need to lash out at evil. They will come to you, eager to test your wrath." He smiled wryly. "I have a prediction how that would go for such men, if the hole you put in me is any indication. It was a good shot, by the way. Quite painful for most organics."

"That's it. I will have one final question before we part ways, but it can wait until we've concluded business. If you are okay with this, we should get below deck quickly and get to work."

In reply to SSOGM (msg # 225):

When Justicar's drones arrive at the submarine bridge/CIC they roll over on their tread systems carrying the disbled drone. Hikari manually docks the disabled Drone-Delta for storage with the Justicar then lifts each foot of the Justicar, in turn, as drone-zeta and lambda extend their arms to grip the armored boot as Justicar stands on them... regaining mobility of their tread units the Justicar weight well within their combined capacity.

Hikari had focused his attention on watching the prisoners ~ more specifically upon Dr Phage to keep him from making trouble...

But on spotting the repurposed monitor contact with the Russian sub AI...

Hikari looked around the 'Not-Bridge', as there were No controls for ANYTHING on the submarine save maybe doors, looking for cameras or Anything that could be defined as listening speaker?

Baring that he will seek out some piece of the technorganic systems.. something the AI is likely to 'feel'... though why it even had 'screens' on the bridge with no controls baffled him.

But he will touch one of the organic components and begin Very specifically tapping it in Morse Code.. repeating 'Morse Code' in letters three times.  Then the usual signaled Morse code 'STOP'.

Then replying in Morse Code...
'Yes. Whisperer has changed allegiance to Holly Cook- Lady Armageddon. There is a 100% Probability her attack upon this unit is to coerce 'father' to obey orders demanded of him. Father is currently incapacitated onboard this Unit. Father is under our protection, but we are unable to defend against matahuman Whisperer's assault. This unit should, of course, follow self-preservation protocols.  Suggestion. There is a HIGH probability that undocking from bioship and leaving area to dock at Center City port will effect father's safety until he has recovered. STOP'

He is not sure the AI will understand, or if it could register physical touch to its technorganic parts ~ but it was worth a try...

Hikari will monitor the screen to see if the sub AI acknowledges any reply, but mostly go back to monitoring Dr. Phage and the rest of the prisoneers.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:47, Mon 30 Jan 2023.

Bellissima frowned as she read the message that the Sub AI had printed on the monitor, [Private to group Telepathy: The Whisperer's motivations are unknown, but it is believed that she is working with Holly Cook, Lady Armageddon.  Father is in danger if he stays here and is incapacitated at the moment.  He is unable to respond for himself. His cell phone has also been destroyed, so he can not contact you at the moment. He is on the Submarine at the moment.  Do you want to keep him safe?  ]  She continued communicating with the AI as she was reading the AI's memories, learning that it had zero weapons anywhere on the ship.


Notes:
Light Armor: AR 10

Auto Parry Rolls: 13:41, Today: Bellissima rolled 29,22,22,21 using 1d20+9,1d20+9,1d20+9,1d20+9.  Auto Parry.

ISP: 4/156
4th round of combat
Abilities active:
Telemechanics: 11 mins still active: 5 feet range, 18 mins.
Super Telekinesis:8 mins, lift up to 300 lbs,
See the Invisible: 4 mins

always active:
Mind Block
Sixth Sense: 2 ISP/activation