FalloutJack

Dragon Ball: Universe Zero

@GingerBoi123 The short answer is YES. The long answer is "Hello, and welcome to our fabulous little corner. Anything not immediately apparent that needs to be explained, @Balthazar007 can surely answer.".

Dragon Ball: Universe Zero

Confused though he was, Niko's mind was fasttracking its way out of that and away from his previous anxiety to carefully determine whether or not he was hearing a truthful tale. The man was currently under suspicion, so he'd have to make a pretty convincing case. That Wu Han was testing his character and had come to some sort of decision on that was, on its own, not very helpful. No, it was the fact that he admitted to being an assassin hired to kill him started the ball rolling, because the assassin was not currently assassinating. He had put a hold on his job, pending inquiries into the true nature of his target, of which he subsequentally discovered that his target was a narrative fiction put to Niko Renzo in like the frame of a painting. Someone slandered, big time, to get the murder put on him. But wait! It gets better! Because apparently Wu was not merely an assassin, but an assassin with a conscience, a man with a personal code to live by. Niko found such people to be a little sketchy, because it was effectively the notion that they were drawing the line at certain actions, all which being a murderer for hire. That said, since this guy's code was apparently 'I know kill terrible people', and Niko himself was a soldier trained to do just about same...it was clear that the difference between them at the end of the day was minimal, at best. There'd be some question of the legalities of whay Wu did in life, less about Niko's actions, basically.

Anyway, the honor code that he lived by was such that he felt bad for even taking the money for the job in which he was lied to on, and so he was offering it to him. Niko thought for a moment, 'Might be a decent consolation prize for my efforts.', but then he stopped that thought as Wu got tot he part about his client... It was probably a company who'd sent a man in as their contact, and that alone tipped him off, because...Niko could count on basically one hand the kinds of people who would really want a piece of him. As a soldier, he entertained a degree of anonimity, and none of his COs had really anything against him. In fact, the kinds of people in the military who would be pissed off enough to want him dead wouldn't bother with a paid assassin. They could put together a good Black Ops team to do it. No, this was probably the work of 'people with connections', and that narrowed the field to about ONE, which he sadly had no evidence for...but Wu was willing to help on. That was a definite sign that he could be trusted. Because a professional assassin wouldn't bother with something like this if he'd failed and was looking for a better opportunity. He'd be popping off of Niko's radar to catch him off-guard. So, he must have been an honorable assassin and not simply lying to cover his ass.

"I won't be taking the money. You can take it something of a consultant's fee because I need your help to get at the bottom of this. I think I know who did it, but I want to confirm it, at least from the man who hired you. And if there's any connection to who I think it is, I might ask for a little help on a raid I've been thinking of, if you're up for it. It's just for information from the guilty party, to add to this obvious slander. What do you say? Deal?"

He held out his hand, eyes on Wu to see what he'd do.

Dragon Ball: Universe Zero

I'll be on mine soon.

Dragon Ball: Universe Zero

It is somebody who is not me or Double's turn, at the very least.

Final Fantasy 7 Redone

There was a man making the rounds in a restricted area in Junon. Among his duties, it was his job to inspect ammo storage for all the heavy ordinance, all the military-grade material they use for demolitions or armored vehicles or even the robots. Furthermore, there was a section that even he didn't have clearence to inspect, only to make sure there are no signs of tampering with the doors, the locks, or that any means of entering were possible. He didn't know for certain what was in there, but given that it was just past the area where the materia was stored on this base, it had to be something big. The Executive Vault, as they called it, was only for this: The highest-grade deterents known to man. That was all he knew.

Now then, you may be curious as to who they gave this job to. Did they hand it off to some grunt because they just didn't care, or to someone with a little experience who would know what the hell he was doing? Well, the answer...was the latter. A single SOLDIER walked along the halls, entering each room to make certain that everything was there, including the clipboard that stated what was suppose to be there. If anything was missing and not recorded on that clipboard, he had the authorization to take any action he thought appropriate, up to and including a complete lockdown of the area. This SOLDIER had a First-Level rank, and in fact was titled 'Captain' for his training of the younger SOLDIER units, the ones who joined after the Wutai War. He is a robust sort of man with a Hardedge on his back and a little gray in his hair. Not that you'd see it, of course, while in uniform. He had a unique helmet on with a crescent across the brow area.

As he came upon the Executive Vault door, he checked the numerous sensors - such as the scanner pad in front of the door, the retinal scanner, and palm print analyzer - to make sure none of them had seen any damage or tampering at all. He then leapt up, suddenly, to stick himself to one corner of the room, all to make sure that the mounted turrets in the area continued to track him. They wouldn't shoot, of course. Any SOLDIER could walk down these corridors. Lastly, he was about to jump up to and inspect the local air vents when...he received a call. Awkward timing. Maybe it was from Surveillance, finding a problem with one of the cameras... Ah, nope. Different number. One on his all-time top-ten. He hit the button with a smirk, going "Hello, Joe.", then removing his helmet when the caller complained about the reverberations of his helmet in the speaker.

"That better? Good. What's up?"

A small pause as the caller explained. The Captain's brow furrowed.

"That's strange. Haven't been any complaints around here. Well, if they say you have to destroy 'em, then... Ohhh."

There wasn't any confirmation on the X-Series going crazy at Junon yet, but Joe was anticipating that it might be the case, and that they should be prepared. The man said he needed to check something, and then quickly activated the app on his phone to check regional alert status. What the...? The lower areas had an intruder alert?

"Joe, we may be getting something here already. I'll have to check up on it. I'll talk to you later."

He hung up, then dialed Junon Central Dispatch.

"This is Captain Gonovich speaking. Ya mind telling me why I just got warnings of a problem here in Junon from someone not even in city limits?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Meanwhile, at the Junon airfield, where a heavy Gelnika was about ready to take off, Rufus Shinra addressed the Head Turk, the chopper pilot, the repair technician, and anybody else who happened to be around.

"So then, let me make sure I understand the situation, then. This is an airfield...correct?"

"Correct, sir."

"The largest, in fact, in the world. You agree?"

"I do, yes."

"So...when I ask for a helicopter, it is not unreasonable to have one ready for me immediately, which...I will say...you have not failed in. But, to my understanding, it should equally have been possible to secure a second one within a moment's notice that the one we were using developed a fault...correct?"

Tseng of the Turks bowed his head, slightly.

"Regrettably, that is not the case, sir."

"Kindly explain why."

The man in the black suit nodded, and spoke plainly on the matter.

"At a recent board meeting at the home office, it was decided that the majority of helicopter coverage was best-spent in the patrolling of city sectors in Midgar, as opposed to that of the already-militarized sections of Junon. Thus, there are actually very few chopper units to be found here at any given time, less if there has been any necessary transport from Junon to Midgar, specifically, which is currently the case. The helicopter that we took is held in reserve for all other uses, such as Executive transport. The situation we find ourselves in - with no second reserve helicopter - is the result of prioritizing where to cut the budget."

And that was probably Heidegger's field. Rufus shook his head, keeping calm, but nevertheless maintaining an air of disappointment.

"This must not be allowed to happen again. I will see to it."

"Yes, sir. Fortunately, there is a chopper incoming, so we will not have long to wait."

"That will do, I suppose."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Down in the tunnels, Ranger Krait and the AVALANCHE members were still on the move. Mostly, it was just them and whatever robot drones happened along their path, since those could keep up. Occasionally, they'd also pass some worker or security guard who would be like "Hey!" and draw their gun, only to be too late to do anything and just be forced to call it in. On this particular occasion, his phone got back a different alert, one that read thusly...

From Junon Security

ALERT

Authorization: Captain Gonovich

Report status/movements of Custom Sweeper Prototype units (X-Series Sweepers) immediately.
Do not engage unless units' actions are openly hostile.
They are to be retired at the earliest juncture by SOLDIER.

End of Line

This is fairly-important, because...as the pursuit was continuing, Ranger Krait would naturally be getting this message on his phone. But whether or not he had the time to look at it, what happened next was certainly happening. Lex was closing in, Kanade had asked Wedge to open fire at the jeep, instead of the Slug-Rays, Wedge went "Ow! Ow! Ow!" as he opened fire and got zapped by the robots, Kanade was preparing to throw, and then...things got a little crazy. How much crazy, you might ask? That split-second 'Oh Crap' kind of crazy. Biggs looked ahead at an intersection, shouted at Wedge, Wedge suddenly panicked, and swerved to avoid the...larger robot that just rolled into view. He collided with Biggs, who was thrown off-balance and almost hit the tunnel wall, and...well, due to that business, the Jessie bomb went flying from Kanade's grip as they passed the pair of Sweepers in the tunnel.

This is where the 'Oh Crap' come in. First of all, 'Oh Crap, there's a pair of Sweepers here', which Wedge nearly collided with on the bike, but narrowly missed. Second, there was 'Oh Crap, I dropped the bomb!' for Kanade specifically as it bounced along in the tunnel now. Third, there was 'Oh Crap, there are these Sweepers in the way!' for Lex, who had of course been pursuing at speed and now couldn't get by. And in ALL of their cases, that would be 'Oh Crap, that bomb looks like it's armed', followed by BOOOMMM!!! as it blasted through said tunnel area!

Finally, the last 'Oh Crap' would be for anybody at all who realized that these units were X-6 and X-7, having just gone rogue.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

With things having calmed down considerably at Fort Condor and the process of rebuilding having gotten underway, Jessie Raspberry found herself paying more attention to the needs of this young man, Akira Ayumu, who was pretty sure that his last name alone was problematic, since he looked at least part Wutai. Yeah, that was definitely a problem for him, considering there was plenty of anti-Wutai sentiment, and that people who seemed like they were from there might be badly received. Fact is, and she told him this, his whole name might've been a bit of a giveaway, and if he was that worried about capture...

"I think you might seriously need to lie low for a while. This was a good refuge away from Shinra, but if you're really that much of a target, it's time to step out of the limelight entirely. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

His contribution here at the fort could not be denied. They might not have pulled through here if not for his support and a bit of heroics thrown in. They tried really hard, this time, and while it might be a while before any serious attack happened again, it was a guarantee that Shinra would be back. So, now that there'd been a battle with a serious death toll on both sides, now was a great time to slip out quietly and find some place to hold up for a while. Jessie had a suggestion or two on where, asked the people living and working here to give Akira his pay in supplies, and sent him on his way.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You just look after yourself until the heat dies down."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Of course, way ahead of THEM was Tace, who was now back on the move and no longer being harrassed by evil birds. He had decided, once he recovered from the shock, that maybe his services were badly needed at Fort Condor, which was also the destination of that Trio. He stepped into his car and gunned it for the Fort, which was still a ways away, but hey...he had a nice goddamn car. He could get up to speeds those Shinra bike patrols couldn't manage, and he could put the music on and everything. Though, what he'd be listening to was on him. Along the way, as he began to see the distant tower and that whoa-massive bird on top, he found a curious sight. He had been avoiding monsters in general by speed, but in this area...maaaybe he didn't have to, and maaaybe he might've wanted to be just a bit quieter. Ya see, in the distance, there had been this circle of flying predators, and then some of them would jerk suddenly as flying lead was rammed through their bodies.

Halfway to Fort Condor, there was a Sweeper out there, going the other way, shooting at the wildlife. Whadya think of that?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In the alleys of Midgar, there was a "Whoops." as the molotov went over Aiko's head. That was Burke. Burke had no idea that was wrong with the situation, only that he'd missed, and that Beck was gonna shout at him for missing. He had no idea what the actual problem was when Beck shouted "Now, look whatcha did!", apologizing to get their leader off of his back. He didn't like getting shouted at. That was usually reserved for Butch, which was a relief. That said, the screeches got all their attentions, and he immediately blurted out "I don't think we wanna be here, boss!" right as giant rats on fire came out all over he place! Yeah, no worries, kid. They know when the hell to run! In fact, the last thing Aiko would hear as she got out of the range of their shouting was Beck going "Everything! Just toss everything and RUN!", followed by the deployment of mines and molotovs.

To her own credit, Aiko still knew these alleyways like the back of her hand, so while there had been this detour, and that she WAS in full retreat mode for a while to get the hell out of Rat Country, it was easy for her to get back on track after the fact and resume heading for her destination. The only problem was that when she got back on track to go into her prep work, there was that feeling of being watched, even though there was no immediate sign of being around. That was a problem.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Maddie was alone with Naisha. Naisha was alone with Maddie. Who was the one really threatening whom? Thr Turk may not be pleased that the SOLDIER wasn't around anymore, but to be fair...she was a Turk. She could handle things, and also Joe had not been aware of any actual problems with the wheelchair woman, apart from her being aggravated by people in Shinra. Well anyway, he was no longer a part of this scene as the two ladies began the act of verbal parry and thrust. They might eventually see another different helicopter - a cargo chopper - touch down at the junkyard that they had gotten the hell away from. Looks like Joe had gotten a team to do something about this mess and they weren't going to destroy it.

If Naisha wanted the thing for herself, she might recall that she was still connected...

Dragon Ball: Universe Zero

I see nothing wrong with this, however busy at the mo, so haven't read the post.

Dragon Ball: Universe Zero

Dragon Ball: Universe Zero

@Balthazar007 If you want me wait now that Double's replied, I can do dat.

Dragon Ball: Universe Zero

@Balthazar007 Including waiting for Double's reply?

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

Singe

“Dan’ Arak’s drink hub? Really? There wasn’t a better place than this?” Both Alena and Kina sat from across each other in a booth, though one seemed to be having a bit less fun than the other. “Hey, it has great reviews online! I’m sure the place is fine.” Kina responds with a smile, sipping her drink lightly.

The bar was pretty large, with a spartan approach to things. Not many decorations, less things to beat people with the owner always says. A holo projector was on one side of the room, while the main bar was in the center. The duo was currently sitting on the right back corner of the establishment, nursing what the locals called a local delicacy, though they could quite pronounce the name.

“So, when are your new friends supposed to show up?” Kina says off handedly, checking her watch. “Oh, any minute now… I sent them the location a while ago, they should be here shortly.” Alena responds, quickly finishing her drink.

It took a few minutes for them to arrive because there’d been an argument over the shooting/not-shooting situation with the Dug. He was very put out, but promise of a little dining and drinking for his troubles seemed to cool him down...a little. So naturally, what Kina would see was the arrival of three very different people. She was already aware of the Sephi with the equipment practically worn on her with combat vest on and such. She was even marginally aware of the sight of the Tynnan - seen one space otter, seen ‘em all - with the goggles and the belt harness, light repeater on his back. The Dug was a different story. He was in his own kind of combat armor with not only a light repeater on his back, but some kinda’ double-barreled carbine blaster, as well. He even appeared to be wearing a pair of specially-made talons for his ‘feet’, which is what normal humanoids would have as their hands. Singe led them over and took a seat across from the two with a certain level of amusement on her face.

“Well then...you two obviously know who I am, so let’s skip me for the moment. My hairy friend here is Meyran Tufts, trader and transporter who’s currently hauling me around. His friend is umm…”

”He’s Morgas. Don’t bother him none. He don’t even like to speak Gal-Standard.”

To demonstrate this fact, while also pointing out that he understood Gal-Standard, Morgas said he didn’t like any of their stubby faces in Dugese, and didn’t give a crap if they understood ‘im. Goggles DID, and asked him to cool it, basically. The Dug relented by inspecting the drinks menu and let them carry on.

“I hire all sorts, as needed. The ones I like get the most repeated contracts. That said, you two obviously want something. We’ve already done the dance of trying to figure each other out, now tell me: What is it?”

“You can get anything you want, handsome, the tab is on me.” Alena brightly smiles toward Dug, not expecting an answer she could understand. She quickly fumbles through a backpack next to Kina, eventually revealing a small holo projector. She places it on the table, and activates it revealing a dark haired man in an imperial uniform. “Tell me, what do you know of the Moff Drak?”

Morgas muttered something or other with an attitude and let things get on. He knew when business was about to be business, so he didn’t get in the way. That left Singe and Alina talking, with Goggles paying attention if he had any input. As soon as the holo-projector displayed that face, though, Singe’s eyes narrowed. Well, the one eye they could see. Oh yes, she recognized it. That was his archive holo-image, a little outdated since the collapse of the Empire. He was a little older now. The Slicer turned her gaze back to Alina and her friend.

“The Butcher of Mandalore, the man who so-callously ordered a genocidal purge of its people when there was an uprising against him.”

She spoke matter-of-factly, obviously familiar with him, familiar with alot of the Moff names, from old (and long-dead) Moff Tarkin to the thoroughly mad Moff Melchett, whose insane battle strategies during the Clone Wars onwards landed him his lofty rank...but also to be set far off to the side and out of trouble, in charge of Dromund Kaas. Still, the total lack of shock or concern that they were addressing this man and presumably action against him would tell Alina that Serious Singe was engaged.

“Whatever you’re planning against him had better not be a desperate gambit, but something substantially solid. People I’ve worked with like working with me because I don’t throw them to the grinders and hope for best. Whether you’re planning on systematically cutting down his support and resources until his power is broken or looking to injure him directly, there will be a solid plan with a high chance of success and contingencies that will leave him bitter if all does not go as expected.”

She stared down Alena and Kina, as if daring them to speak some reason why they couldn’t operate in this manner. Folks who have ever known Singe or ever worked to her tune know that she wanted nothing less than success. Alina’s own analysis of the woman indicated she was driven to execute her actions with a certain obsession, and she was right. This woman just turned on a dime and got very serious with them. Singe demanded that her attacks, her sabotage, and otherwise her plans be handled properly, and to that effect she put a demand on herself to make plans that guaranteed that the ones doing the footwork had ample opportunity to do the job and get out, or be able to cut loose quickly enough if it got to be too much. She did not like loose ends, and it was to the benefit of all of her associates that she took care of them.

She was careful. Very careful, something Alena could very much relate with. As a commander her squads were her family and she did everything in her power to make sure they were able to leave every firefight outside of a body bag. And that won’t change now if she had anything to say about it.
“Yes, I do have a plan. I want Moff Drak to be dead and I want mandalore to be free. There’s many ways I could do this and it all depends on the support I have gathered. There’s a lot of prep work that needs to be done, mostly gathering intel and weakening the hold he has on his power base, but once it’s done all that will have to be done is a push. I am very careful with these sorts of things and I can assure you that this is very personal to me, so I have a lot of incentive to see this to its fruition. I would tell you more, but I want to know if you’re in.”

While Alena was talking, there were subtle signs of eye movement beneath the eyepatch, little things that you’d have to be watching for in order to know it was there, like before. Singe was doing a quick-and-dirty search on public domain information, just to get Mandalore’s current basic lookout, especially in their capital city where Drak would be located. This was mainly for her own personal bearings. That which Alena probably knew by heart, Singe at least needed in front of her. Because of her current focus, the Sephi was looking more AT the table than across it when she finally responded.

“I think you already know that there is only one answer to this. I was simply laying down my requirements to operate with. The Moffs and Imperial Scum in general are the worst forms of refuse, to be discarded just as easily. It seldom IS ever easy, as I’m not sure I’ve ever actually gotten at a Moff before now, only made their lives indirectly miserable through the ruination of their efforts, the removal of their resources, and the depletion of their men.”

But here, she smiled now, actually making eye contact.

“I’m up for the challenge. I came out of hiding to put on some finishing touches. This would be as good a start as any.”

“Great to hear and welcome aboard.” Alena says quickly, picking up her holo device and quickly setting it to a different picture, this time the local sector of mandalore. “Drak has a large defense fleet around mandalore, with several more ships patrolling around the planets he claims as territory. Mandalore is the most fortified planet, with several fortresses and garrisons across the world, while the other planets have a much smaller presence. So, what I propose is this: A long con. Incite rebellions on the outer planets of his territory, to force him to move some of his defensive ships to take care of the rebellions. A token force of operatives will then land on mandalore, infiltrate his dwelling and assassinate him, while calling in the New Republic to invade Mandalore while its leader is dead and it’s defense fleet is separated. Mandalore will be free and the rest of the planets will earn their freedom as his state shatters. More details will be revealed once I get more pieces to help, but other than that, this is the core of the plan. Any complaints?” She quickly gazes up from the holo projector, to the trio of partners sitting across her.

The three of them reacted differently to this. Goggles opened it up with a sound that indicated he wasn’t entirely liking the idea, while letting somebody else - like the woman whom this was addressing - speak first. Morgas didn’t wait, snorting derisively and calling their plan...well...you wouldn’t repeat it in polite conversation, but the gist of it was that he thought their plan was - even as only the core - a bit optimistic. Singe frowned as she got the exact translation through her eyepatch. Honestly, Goggles obviously didn’t associate with this guy for his winning personality… She exhaled through her nose before she finally spoke up.

“It’s certainly part of a plan. Some of it could work, provided Drak isn’t particularly mad or a decent strategist. However, given that the man is a callous murderer, I feel there may be some things left to chance.”

Her right hand went to the device on her left arm as a holo control pad lit up and allowed her to change settings on her instruments. In no time at all, her choker began to emit her own red-tinged hologramatic display, indicating the Mandalore System, its planets, and orbiting vessels, which ranged from Corvette to Imperial Star Destroyer.

“Now, bear with me, as I don’t know the exact numbers yet, but I foresee some problems based upon the potential extremes. For instance, if he has any Star Destroyers at all, there’s a good chance that Drak will order said ISD to any planet causing a fuss and tell it to bombard the living daylights out of it. I know that a fully-equipped or even a skeleton-crewed vessel of that size can just about manage a planet on its own, owing to superior firepower and range alone. Of course, he might just as easily horde any large-scale vessels for Mandalore itself and tell whatever ships are there to perform low altitude passes without bothering to land any troops.”

Now, she bridged her fingers together as her right eye looked across the table at her hosts.

“So then...how about a long con that anticipates the viciousness of the man? One that works in all our favor? As much as I am tempted to try a plan where smugglers come in with the parts for a V-150 Planet Defender to fire on ships in orbit powered by the very grid the local garrison runs on, that’s wishful thinking and a bit complicated. Instead, as I anticipate either bombardments from ships or actually dropping down reinforcements, I believe our game will be to appropriate communications from Imperials on the ground - Slice into their network and make it our own - and give them false information. If they’re firing from ships, we can have them destroy their own ground forces, or at least never get reliable intel on our own. If it’s all soldiers on the ground, we can lure them into traps where anyone with a gun and a bit of practice can fire into the crowd and kill some Imperials. I would like to see if we can get some lesser Ion Cannons for any ship that enters the atmosphere. Anything we can drop out of the sky is a vessel Drak no longer has, and it’ll certainly keep him from instantly employing the ‘Kill Them All’ strategy.”

Her hands dropped now, and all her displays vanished, looking at them seriously.

”Now...I don’t know about this token force. It sounds like a small group without a backup plan, where people die to secure the fates of others, and they might not have had to. I don’t know what kinds of people you had in mind… Presumably in disguise, perhaps as guards. If that were the case, I’d prefer any assassination be lead with some sort of Imperial Droid, maybe more than one, and then when he calls for guards, he gets your people and they shoot up the Droids to make them look loyal and trustworthy...before shooting him in the back.”

There was suddenly this venom in her voice, where her last words sounded like she was bitter and angry, possibly reliving something even as she spoke…

“I don’t quite think he’ll simply glass the worlds as he needs quite an amount of resources to maintain his fleet and he simply can’t get it all from Mandalore. Simply killing all the rebels would require him to re-colonize the worlds and repair all the damage, which is something he could possibly do, but would take years and a large amount of resources to do. I’m quite confident there will be no aerial bombardments unless he feels that there is no other choice, perhaps if they somehow become a threat to Mandalore itself. I still believe it’s a solid method of forcing his attention elsewhere while the main group infiltrates his stronghold.”

“And yes, it will be a small group, but with several back up plans. We will be disguised and dressed as guards and do the deed and leave quietly. Should something happen, there will be several distractions put into place that give us openings to escape. And on account of these droids, I hadn’t taken it into consideration, but I would like to hear more about it from you.” She leans back into the booth, lightly sipping from her drink, while Kina is silently taking notes in a notebook, nibbling on a bowl of what look like nuts.

People who were confident in their plans often didn’t take criticism well. Alina at least had the benefit of not speaking with bravado or arrogance. She was not stubborn and belligerent like plenty of other people were, including pirates, mercenaries, Hutts, Imperials, and even some Rebels. So, the good news was that her disagreement with Singe was more out of her perception of the man they were dealing with, something born of a certain logic, and not simply brushing her aside with ‘What the hell do you know?’. That much prevented the angry bud forming in her heart from taking root in this conversation. Singe took a deep breath, and a drink, before conversing again, letting her more impassive professional side return.

“I still think Sliced and interfered-with communications on the outer worlds to confuse the Imperial forces present and being sent could only help in those areas. Consider that part, even if they don’t bombard the places. As for the plan on Mandalore...”

Now, she smiled, as the Droid idea was something she could believe in more than just a ragtag gang of mercenaries or even seasoned Rebel fighters just hoping to make it all the way in and succeed in their mission. Singe liked insurance, the thing that seals the deal, the last stroke of genius in a well-made masterpiece.

“Naturally, there will be some Imperial Droid presence. Being low on personnel will require that. Whether these are full combat models or utility and Astromech, that depends on basically what the team finds. It honestly doesn’t matter, though, because the point is that they will be the attack Drak is expecting. Because he will be forced to pull ships and resources away from Mandalore, it is likely he’ll be worried for his Imperial neck, that someone is doing this in order to do precisely what we plan to do. We give a number of Droids in his base a software upgrade ‘to improve efficiency’, and they will instead receive a shell program which will make them see Drak as an enemy and ditch their self-preservation protocols. This means that they will find and attack him on sight, thinking nothing of the guards that will shoot them all to pieces. Namely, your team.”

It essentially boiled down to turning every mech they could get their hands on into a single-minded assassin with one target in mind, to seek him out to the exclusion of all other things, which would make it fairly easy for the team to ‘rescue’ Drak so that he - and anybody else around - will have their guard down. The moment that guard is down, it’s time for the REAL assassins to make their mark. Everything after that is escape plans, ahoy.

Alina glanced at the notes Kina was writing, muttering something in another language to the girl, before turning back the trio, plucking a nut and eating it. “You have me sold on the droid idea, but I have to ask. What if it goes wrong? What if the droids can’t reach Drak, what if they’re destroyed before they can act? Does your idea have a back up plan? Or will we just be trying to escape at that point?”

This sort of question comes up alot, and it’s reasonable for it to do so. ‘What if it doesn’t work? Then what?’ You can’t assume that your first plan will work. That is why Singe didn’t like the initial plan of just sending in a team and praying to whatever deity suffices that they make it to the target. Singe did not believe in any divine will, and if you tried to tell her about the Force, she’d scoff at you for involving bad comedy in the conversation. To her mind, the Force was a farce, you see. If you tried to sell her on the idea that it was this all-encompassing thing which perpetuates the natural ebb and flow of the cosmos, everything in balance, Singe would take a quick peek at - oh, I dunno - the news today and declare that you were full of it. Anyway, at the moment, she smirked because she regularly had some general idea of a workable backup plan to soothe the tempers of concerned mercenaries. This discussion was just the in-person version of stuff she’d been doing for a while now.

“Well, if you have any friends with a decent explosive, you could also have planted one in the area prior to the affair, so that even if the droids don’t make it, you could walk in on Drak, going ‘Sir, we need to move you to a safe location. There’s a possibility of a bomb having been planted.’, and even if he refuses to budge, you’re still in the room and can act. I assume two potential ruses on top of your general plan of attack will suffice?”

Alena silently stared toward Singe as she spoke, hanging on every word she said. Singe certainly had experience in this sort of thing and it showed. Quite expected from someone that spent many years of their life committing sabotage and domestic terrorism toward a giant entity, but Alena still could not help but be impressed. In another life they could have been great allies or even friends, but in this one she would have to remain a temporary associate.

“Yes, that should be just fine. And even if things go horribly wrong still, i’m decent at thinking on my feet, so i’m sure I can make the team out. Now, onto other matters… The team. Besides your lovely friends here, do you have any contacts or associates you could put in contact with me? There’s still a few missing slots I want to fill and I don’t have many leads on people I want to fill them with.”

On her end of things, Singe found these two interesting, but she wasn’t quite ready to make them friends, either. If they lived through this, she might consider making them repeat contacts for use in her various schemes, though. As for other contacts that they might use for this mission, she answered with a “Sure.”, and began to work with her computer again until she had the holo-display showing a female Zabrak.

“Kiara Tosk, mercenary for hire. Has her own ship and crew of two Kel-Dor and a bunch of merc droids.”

She flipped then to the hairy features of a winter-side Ranth.

“Devero. Never got his last name. Seasoned navigator and heavy weapons expert. Sometimes with a group of his own kind, but he’s mainly an open contractor.”

She switched to a human with refined features, then.

“Jamison Lee. He’s a contract killer, often disguising his work as mediation and negotiation. Usually works in secret, but his subterfuge could be useful.”

Afterwhich, she closed down the holo.

“I could go down the line, but that’s the short-list of reliables who’d fit this sort of action. Goggles, you got anything?”

The Tynnan paused for a second, then added to all that…

”I could try getting in touch with Tao-809. Old customer, a droid that went wacko during a demonstration and killed a Nemoidian board of directors. Came to me to get his brain fixed after he fled. Nice guy. Works freelance now. Apart from that, ya might try a Quarren named Vraug Zennoth, buuut only if ya get ‘im killed.”

“...why?”

”Cause I got evidence that he’s actually the Anzati Manslayer, the one with a heavy bounty on his head. Kills by using his tendrils to do the brain-suck that Anzat do. I’ll split the bounty with anyone who gets ‘im killed or does it direct. Fair?”

Kina was frantically typing a bunch of information in her personal tablet, while Alena silently tapped on the table, appraising the woman’s contacts as they appeared on her holo-device. Many of them seemed like good prospects, but she wasn’t one to simply go for another’s word, especially one she just met. She’d do her own research on them and if she saw good things, she’d contact them. But until then…

“I believe that settles things. Once I obtain more members for the team, I'll contact you once more and we’ll begin creating a concrete plan instead of makeshift theories. I look forward to working with you, Singe.” Alena responds with a smirk, standing up from the table and extending her hand. She glances down at the still sitting Kina and nudges her, causing the grey skinned girl to quickly stand up as well.

There was a slight pause from Singe as she looked at the extended hand, her uncovered eye perhaps seeing something beyond that, such as the association. Trust… To trust someone again… Up until now, she had only risked known qualities, like the common-sensical Tynnan and anybody that he could trust, but this...this was different. This was a risk, a change, uncharted waters...or worse, dangerous waters that she was more than familiar with. The hesitation was noticeable, but...she reached out and shook the other woman’s hand, releasing soon after and letting her get on with things, getting up herself.

“I...need to go look up things on these people that he’s talking about. We’ll talk later...”

What she really meant was that she was feeling a certain anxiety and wished to seal herself up inside the Crimson Fang for a while. She’d taken bold steps of late, but she couldn’t do this all at once without retreating a little. Morgas drank his last drink, belched, and went to go find his speeder bike. The other two would be heading back to the ship on foot.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Diabolus

THE DREAD ADVERSARY

The ship was not...the usual design of any craft, per se. In a way, it had that sort of good craftsmanship that goes into a vessel, yet at the same time, you could be almost certain that it this was not the machine's original form. Something about it was...off. Simula had always known why, as did Tarak, but for anybody who did not know the Force, it was something unnatural that reached even into the minds and souls of the ungifted and gripped them to the core. The Dread Adversary was a large ship, like around the size of a corvette...or bigger. Or smaller? It was this streamlined sort of vessel that had taken on these distressing angles from some of the refits and additions. It was probably bigger, but somehow looked like it had less of a profile due to an optical illusion the design seemed to create. Still, when Simula came to the vessel with the hardware, he felt nothing but the emanations he'd gotten use to aboard the ship and that of his master. When the help came in contact with it, there was an almost pulsating sensation of that very word: Dread.

It is said that the Force can gather in places, usually on planets or in people because something about the life and the atmosphere has caught certain motes of that power within it. The Force penetrates and surrounds all things, and in all people, places, or things in which the Force is seemingly around the most...you get certain Force-related impressions. For instance, the Dread Adversary. A vessel belonging to Darth Diabolus for an unknown amount of time, even to his Apprentices, it had gathered the Force - specifically, the Dark Side - within its walls. And the primary source of that energy embuing the ship? The madness of their Master. The loading process would be staggered somewhat by this, but proddings from Simula would get it forward, and once done he could do whatever he liked with those that helped. The ship would eventually return to a preset course in space, moving automatically from place to place, if Simula did not operate it himself. That was when he contacted his Master. Naturally, he received the face of Mr. Zaras, AKA...Darth Diabolous.

-I understand. It can be most frustrating to deal with people, at times, especially involving those crucial elements in a plan. Well, I won't stop you from indulging yourself if you feel the need. That said, I have heard word from Mr. Tarak. Our plan has a certain requirement of viable transport, quite alot of it by the time everything is in full swing. And since he was in the area of Corellia, he decided that that might be the best launch point, or at least a good place to consider. If you wish to join him, he will be there for a while. I must remain where I am, for the time being. With certain Imperial forces attempting to re-connect and band together, I must make sure the Republic can crush them for good. Will there be anything else, Mr. Simula?-