A calamitous noise from the other end of one Open Line blew away any conversation percolating among the others, and it got Graft's attention quite readily. “What the devil?” He selected the glyph that the noise resounded from and centered it. Everyone else attached to his network could have heard the blast, and so they could also hear his reply. 

Of course, since Light had been included in the call, the collective sound came from her as well, interfering with her stealth.

“TL!? Report!” Graft demanded.

“Heavy firearms discharge from downrange,” rumbled the Team Lead into the network, with a sense of urgency belying his typically ponderous speech. “Intruder stunned. Mamoru dying. Butterfly attacking.”

Graft grit his teeth. Another ally down, but the Stalker -supposedly overwhelming in its power- was incapacitated by a shot from what could only be Chuunitrixx. His preparations would go to waste; any facade of subtlety had been shattered and the time to act had come. “Get in there! Pin it down, protect the boss!” The Director knew that Rodias knew that every Team Lead, essentially a customized Flesh Juggernaut, boasted innate Second Chance. That skill, possessed by Guardian Angels, Death Knights, and the like allowed such monsters to survive any attack that would otherwise kill them in one shot, and remain at 1 HP instead. If nothing else, the Team Lead, taller even than Rodias and many times heavier, could serve as his meat shield for two attacks, the first to take him down to 1 and the second to kill him.

At that moment, the door to Graft's office burst open to admit Tabula and Papillary at the head of a squadron of Specialists, the captains of his legion of Guards. Two Team Leads loomed outside. Papillary's head beat like a drum, and Tabula looked close to tears. Chaos erupted as everyone started talking at once, and Graft was having none of it. “Shut up!” he growled, invoking his Special Orders skill to force their mouths closed. A course of action had already formed in his mind, and he would not be brooking any objections. “You two,” he addressed his assistants. They might want to stay with him, but they weren't going to. “Get to the Climax Hour, now.” 

“Sir,” Papillary insisted. “The failsafe?”

Graft shook his head and slammed his cane into the ground.. “No. Do what I say. All of you...” he looked over the assortment of minions. “If our gate-crasher makes it past those at the front door, and comes here, do not stand in its way. Simply direct whoever it is to me by pointing. Spread your forces out throughout the Factory; do not present a unified target. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” the collection of Specialists garbled.

“Then why are you still in my office? Go!”

In a few moments Graft was alone once more. Less than twenty seconds had passed, but it was enough time for anything to happen. The fact that Chuunitrixx successfully crowd-controlled the intruder was an encouragement, but Graft wasn't so bold as to believe someone who could take out Isolde and Mamoru could be cowed so easily. All he could do was hope that the intruder did not plan to rampage through to the Chateau and take it apart piece by piece, but that didn't mean he shouldn't plan for it. Yet, even as he continued his preparations, he felt confident in his principal hypothesis. No logical reason existed as to why anyone should desire a warpath against the Chateau this early, and with so little observation. If someone wished to approach an unknown nation or organization diplomatically, however, the place to start was at the top—with its leader. 

Graft guessed that the intruder wanted Rodias, and that the last Sable Lord had played straight into enemy hands.