Vaylar Rising — IC

[ratwizard]

Reload, yeah, Antoine considers, glad to have a distraction from the sickness plaguing him. He swallows, his throat tight, as he remembers he didn't once touch his rifle except as a spear. Still missing the firing pin, too. Cautiously, he slings it over his shoulder alongside with the few others he'd managed to haul out.

"So what now?" he manages through strained breathing. "Didn't plan this far," he admits.

[Scratcherclaw]

Sven shrugs, a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder as he does. "Lay low somewhere and rest, I guess. Maybe find a TV so we can see what the news is saying, yeah? Especially if something else happened tonight." Maybe some idiot blew his dick off with a firework. Happens every year.

[Namelessjake]

"Nice job, a successful mission! Good riddance to both Vigol and Alegre, and yeah Thoras has a safehouse for us. We're headed there now," Jin replies as he continues to race through the city streets. The sound of sirens grows even more deafening, before two police cars blast past you headed for the museum.

OOC

Yes you could set up the heavy machine gun on its tripod pointing towards the back door in around a minute. Happy to say that's been done by one of you.

[BartNL]

"What's our ETA? John asks Jin. "Let's prepare for the worst, and set-up that large gun we took. If we need to shake of any pursuer, we'll have one hell of a surprise. At worst, it'll keep us busy and help us familiarise ourselves with it." John says, still high and hyper on the drugs he took.

[ratwizard]

"Safehouse, good," Antoine agrees, nodding to reassure himself. "Uh, yeah, I can help," he offers to John, happy for the distraction while he waits out the intense anxiety as a passenger to Jin's driving. "I think it went into Sven's bag."

[greysigil]

"Limiting Right Shoulder Output." Jug outputs quietly, and the steam leaking from their shoulder slows to a faint trickle. "Agreed. Familiarizing Ourselves Will Be Helpful. However, I Am Unsure We Have Optimal Space For Operation." Jug adds, watching the others keenly, to learn and memorize the mechanisms.

[BartNL]

"Just point it towards the doors. John tells the robot.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Cams were out, so shouldn't have anyone on our tail. But sure, better safe than sorry I guess," Sven says, fishing the haphazardly-packed gun from his bag. Thank fuck for elastic. "Someone else do the honors." He leans back, his whole body aching. Hope they've got meds at the safehouse... And a strong drink.

[Namelessjake]

"You've got about fifteen minutes. Maybe a little longer, I'll kill the lights and slow down once we're a bit further away," Jin replies, as another ambulance speeds past headed towards the museum, siren wailing and lights blaring.

You remove the heavy machine gun from Sven's bag and run through the motions of setting it up, placing down its tripod, leveling it, screwing in the gun's barrel, before feeding an ammo belt from its can into the receiver and pulling the charging handle to load the first round. The tripod stills a little awkwardly in the narrow aisle that forms the back of the ambulance, but you are otherwise satisfied you are familiar enough with the machine gun that you could set it up reliably going forward.

The ambulance's siren suddenly cuts out, and you feel it slow as Jin takes a corner, turning off the major roads and into the city's side streets.

"Nearly there," he says, able to talk at a normal volume now rather than shouting back to you. Those of you paying attention to your speed and directional of travel know you are further out now from the city's core, likely in one of the lower density neighbourhoods that make up Kasi'mela's outer regions. About another five minutes pass before you feel the ambulance come to a halt.

You hear a thunk on the rear door of the ambulance, before they are thrown open a moment later. "Good to see you all made it," Thoras says, scanning his gaze across the scene in the back of the ambulance. "Quite the haul too, I knew I was right to trust you with this mission," he adds, his eyes darting to the machine gun set up on the floor of the ambulance.

"Come come," he says, gesturing for you to exit the vehicle. "Bring everything with you, but leave your burners inside, the ambulance is going to be disposed of," he says, grabbing the machine gun for you and heaving it out of the ambulance.

"Things are still foggy but the word is Vibol is dead, along with Ethan Alegre along with several other military personnel. That sound about right?" He asks as you climb out of the back of the ambulance, stepping onto a patch of rough gravel that crunches beneath your feet.

Looking around you find yourselves surrounded by heaps of scrap metal and other refuse. The ambulance is parked next to a large machine of some kind, while a crane hovers overhead with what looks to be a large magnet hanging from its cable. About thirty metres away, behind Thoras, nestled between two large piles of scrap, you spot the warm glow of light spilling out of the windows of a makeshift building assembled from several old shipping containers that still show signs of once belonging to a now defunct Davonian shipping consortium from back in the days of the Commonwealth.

[ratwizard]

Antoine feels dazed as he climbs out of the ambulance, his mind a scrapyard of its own at the moment. Looks familiar, but I can't place it, he considers.

"Sounds about right to me. What'd we say, Jug, about a dozen went down?" The psychic pulls his burner compad from his backpack, tossing it into the back of the ambulance with a casual apathy. Glad to get that thing off me.

Shouldering his bag again, Antoine adjusts the straps of the few rifles slung over his shoulders, beginning to haul them toward the office. He casts an eye back toward Em as he walks, making sure she doesn't faint anytime soon.

[greysigil]

"Deactivating Combat Mode." Jug outputs as the doors open and they recognize that they are out of immediate danger, and they step down after Antoine. They open a panel on their chassis, reach in, unhook the burner from their integrated compad, and set it down on the floor of the ambulance, before following the rest of the group. "Correction: Nineteen total casualties. Recitation: 4 Security Guards, prior to the assassination. The Target, Vibol, plus--" They pause again, before and after, and it almost sounds like they spit the name, "--Alegre. 9 Active Combatants, a mixture of bodyguards and soldiers. And 4 Civilians, one of which was killed by kinetic weaponry, the other three by laser fire, judging from the wounds they sustained." They rattle off in their monotone.

[BartNL]

"We had no chance to truly confirm the kills, so this is good news to hear". John responds with a smirk.

[Fialova]

Em winces as the vehicle comes to a halt, forcing herself now into a more upright position. She stands slowly, keeping one hand pressed against the bandages covering her still-fresh wounds, though finding the pain to have subsided somewhat since her application of the expired lift. Dropping her burner pad on the floor as she becomes fully upright, she slowly maneuvers out of the back of the ambulance after her companions, making her way towards Jug and leaning against him with her other arm. What a beast, this thing. Glad we had the Tug on our side, rather than chasing us down. Holy hell that would be terrifying.

"Main fucker's kicked it, that's all that matters," Em responds, as her companions list off the total casualties. "The others just decided to make it their business too, 'cept the few civlians that got caught in the crossfire," she continues, frowning as she recalls the one that died to her own fire. Poor bastard. Thought they were there for a fancy event, and now a casualty of our plans. Probably a piece of shit, but what if they weren't? Could have just been staff trying to make do. She frowns as she fails to prevent the feelings of guilt from taking over her mind for the time being, glancing back towards Thoras to await his next words.

[Scratcherclaw]

Tossing his burner into the back, Sven shimmies himself out of the ambulance with his backpack hung around his shoulders once more. Fuck, my back is gonna be killing me tomorrow. Don't suppose Thoras arranged for us to get massages... He looks around the scrapyard, up toward the massive crane as his mind pieces things together. Yup, I've seen this movie. Good thing it's just burners and not bodies.

"Yep, and they won't get more than eyewitness accounts," he interjects, putting his hands on his hips proudly. "Shame their cams went down before everything happened."

[FinalTemplar]

Tristan is the last to exit the ambulance and tosses his burner into the vehicle as he makes sure he grabs his stuff. "Ammo, sniper rifle, pistol, revolver... My sense of self... Good." He says quietly, taking a deep breath, and looks back toward the others. "Anything else you need us to do, Thoras, or is this job complete?" He asks, not ready to relax quite yet.

[Namelessjake]

"Perfect, it sounds like it couldn't have gone much better," Thoras says, a hint of a smile forming on his normally stoic face.

"With Vibol gone our own propagandists will be able to start laying the ground work for what is to come," he says. With all of you and your equipment out of the ambulance, Thoras gives a hand signal to the crane, which springs to life, picking up the ambulance with its magnet, slowly raising the bulky vehicle up off the ground. It lifts it up and into the machine, which begins to close in on the ambulance, crushing it. The crane powers down and a woman hops out of its cab, making her way over towards you.

"The job is complete, but I need you to stay here tonight, just until my sources can confirm your identities are still unknown," Thoras replies to Tristan over to sound of the ambulance as its metal frame twists and compresses in the crushing machine. "This is Tamiko, she owns this scrapyard," he adds, introducing the woman as she joins your group. She looks to be in her thirties, with short black hair and large geometric tattoo sleeves on her arms. Her face is dirty with grease and she wears dirty overalls.

"Hi," Tamiko says rather bluntly. "I've got some bunks set up inside - and a cache for your weapons," she adds, starting to make her way towards the shipping container structure. Following her inside, you find the building serves as an office and workshop as well as Tamiko's home. The workshop is a mess, littered with partially assembled and disassembled parts and tools. "Feel free to make use of my tools, just don't move anything. I know where it all is right now," the scrapyard owner says as she leads you inside, through the workshop and office, into her living area. 

"And this is you," she says. The living space is small but open plan, with a small kitchen in one corner and the rest of the room devoted to a bed and a living area. Several cots have been set up in the free floor space and the sofa has also been made up into a bed. "It'll be a bit tight but it should be ok for the one night. Bathroom and shower is through there," your host says, pointing out another door.

"On that note I will leave you to it," Thoras says, setting down the heavy machine gun on the kitchen island. "If you don't hear from me, you are free to return to your lives tomorrow. Leave the weapons and armour here though, Tamiko can keep it all safely hidden until you need it next. I will be in touch. Good work tonight." 

Thoras takes his leave and you settle into Tamiko's home, able to shower and change out of your clothes. The news channels say little of your exploits, only reporting that a curfew is now in effect, advising all citizens to stay at home. Eventually you are able to get some sleep.
 

---

"Beloved media personality Tobias Vibol was killed last night in a terrorist attack at the Kasi'mela Museum of Art and Histories," the newsreader says, delivering the news dressed in mourning black as a tribute to Vibol plays on the screen behind her. "Anarchist gunmen opened fire on the crowd at a new years eve party hosted by Tobias. He was unfortunately killed as he helped others make their way to safety. In all, fifteen people were killed, including all six of the terrorists who were quickly deal with by security forces."

"How's it feel to be dead?" Tamiko asks with a smirk, as she watches the morning's news report. 

"The authorities have stated the attack was unrelated to the explosion that also occurred last night outside the city's police headquarters. The explosion was due to a gas leak, thankfully no one was hurt. With the deaths of all the terrorists involved, the authorities believe there is no further threat to the public, however a mandatory nighttime curfew is now in affect and a number of checkpoints have been set up to monitor movement throughout the city in the interest of public safety."

"That explosion must have been what had the police preoccupied. Somehow I doubt it was a coincidence," Jin says with a smile.

The rest of the morning passes without any word from Thoras and you all eventually depart from the scrapyard, returning home. Six monotonous weeks pass as you go about your lives, blending back into law abiding society. The added security presence in the city remains in affect, as does the curfew, much to the chagrin of the city's inhabitants. Eventually though, your receive an urgent message from Thoras telling you to drop everything and meet at Tamiko's yard.

Mechanics

Level Up! You are now Level 2!

Over the course of the next few weeks, after your expenses you are each able to save up 1000 credits. Feel free to spend any of this on any gear if you wish (barring combat armour and weapons), or on modifying any of your equipment using Tamiko's workshop.

Someone can also roll a Dex/Fix check to see if the broken combat rifle can be repaired to working use. The other deactivated weapons can all now be assumed to have been safely reactivated with no check necessary.

[FinalTemplar]

As they are dismissed, Tristan lets himself relax for a moment. He lets out an uneasy breath as he begins putting away the guns he brought back, packing in the ammo safely. "If my opinion is warranted, I think we should dismantle the guns and remove the firing pins. It's not that I don't trust Thoras or Tomiko, but I don't particularly trust a cache of weapons ready to fire with a decent pile of ammo next to them." He looks toward the others after carefully putting the sniper rifle in a case. "I apologize for my worry but I've seen things happen. Besides, putting the pins back in won't take long if they're still here when we return." He says, flourishing the revolver he pocketed and put to good use, placing it down on a table next to him. "And, it means if anyone else comes here to grab them, thinking they can just use them, they're effectively useless." He shrugs, leaning against a wall as he waits for a response. "Don't have to listen to me on that though, it's just an idea."

[BartNL]

Mechanics

Roll for hp: [2d6+2]=5+2=7
Skillpoints: Sneak (1) 2 points
Talk (1) 2 points
Foci: Assassin (Sneak 2)

[ratwizard]

"Course it's warranted," Antoine says, frowning. "It's a good call, long as you can put them back in."

Later, he takes a shower and changes into clean clothes, happy to be rid of the blood and sweat and stain of violence. The psychic listens to the news report with rapt attention, a gnawing worry in his mind about the Diktat's investigation. Eyewitnesses only, and we didn't leave too many behind that weren't already running for their lives. I should see what Thoras or the others hear. Might be time to tell the folks what I'm up to.

Level 2

New HP
HP: [2d6+2]=5+2=7

Improve Attack Bonus
+0 to +1.

Improve Saving Throws


Gain & Spend Skill Points
Gain 3 skill points.
Spend 2 skill points.
- 2x Teleportation-1, taking Proficient Apportation.
- 1x Reserved for now.

Gain New Focus
Psychic Training-2. Save one skill point toward Telekinesis, to be used at level 3.

Mechanics

Antoine is going to try and get some intel from Thoras or any of the other Vaylar Rising agents he'd met from his backstory. The goal is to ascertain how much knowledge the Diktat has on if there was a psychic angle to the museum massacre.

Intel check: [2d6]=9

If Connect/Cha, -1 for 8 total. If Survive/Cha, 9.

[Fialova]

narration tba based on mechanics/build decisions

Level Up!

Roll HP: [2d6+2]=8+2=10

Improve Attack Bonus: +0 -> +1

Improve Saving Throws: Physical: 14 Evasion: 14 Mental: 14 -> Physical: 13 Evasion: 13 Mental: 13

Gain Skill Points: +3, +1 to only be spent on non-combat skills. Spend 1 to boost Wis to 18, changing Mental save to 12. Spend 2 to gain Fix-1. Spend 1 to gain Shoot-0.

Gain Focus: Ace Driver-1, boosting Pilot to Pilot-2 and gaining a truck with an installed tool rack and cargo space

Mechanics

gain 1000 credits to spend later

[Scratcherclaw]

"Funny how there's no threat anymore, but they're still taking away freedoms in the name of safety," Sven says, rolling his eyes as he listens to the news broadcast. "We know it's all a lie, yeah, but the average person won't even think that through." He sets his guns on the table, letting the others handle the pins as his attention remains on the television. Why is it that all the anchors on this station look like clones? Fake smiles, bleached hair, soulless eyes. He shakes his head, making his way back home and settling into a routine again.

Throughout the several weeks, Sven commits himself to study, still wracked with subtle guilt over his failures to hack the museum's system. Better to just leave it up to luck than luck and skill. As the weeks pass, he grows increasingly agitated over the phrase coding boot camp, yet his skills still improve.

He perks up as he receives the message from Thoras, eager for a break in the monotony. Wonder what's up. Seems pretty urgent.

Level Up

HP: [2d6+5]=9+5=14 +1 from a forgotten Con level = 15

4 skill points
Shoot 0 > Shoot 1 (2)
Program 0 > Program 1 (2)

New Focus: Hacker-1

Mechanics

Purchase Line Shunt x4 (800) & Low-light goggles (200)

[FinalTemplar]

Tristan takes a few minutes, swiftly moving through each gun and dismantling them. With each pin, he finds a safe place to hide them in a nearby drawer, then packs up the weapons safely in the cache. As he finishes he wipes his hands clean and steps out, looking forward to going back home for a few days, at least... he hopes.

ooc

Just checking to see if I need to make any skill checks for removing the firing pins and hiding them.

Level Up!

**Level up to Level 2!**
Health Roll: [2d6]=10+6
Foci Choice: Sniper-1 (Improve Shoot-1 to Shoot-2)
Skill Choice: Sneak-0, Trade-0, bank 1 point to spend later.
Improve my saves by 1 each.
Improve my attack bonus by 1.

[greysigil]

Narration TBA

Level Up! 1 >> 2

HP Increase: 9 >> 16 [2d6+6]=10+6=16
Base Attack Bonus: 1 >> 2
Saving Throws: Phys: 13 >> 12, Eva: 15 >> 14 >> 13, Ment: 14 >> 13
Skill Point Allocations: Dex +1 (13 >> 14), Shoot-0, Notice-0
Focus Allocation: Close Combatant (Combat Skill: Punch +1 (1 >> 2))

[Namelessjake]

OOC

Re DIO: no checks are necessary to remove and hide the firing pins.

It looks like we are just waiting on Bart and Fia to finish levelling up John and Em now, although you all should also mention if you have spent any of your credits on any gear or modifications.

[BartNL]

John spends his days at work. As expected, the target for denying travel requests was upped after the attacks.
Noticing the chaos at the office, and the numerous angry messages from those with denied permits, John takes pride that the ripple effect caused by the attack has reached his workplace.

OOC

Can I have a silencer mod for a smg and/or handgun?

Mechanics

Roll for hp: [2d6+2]=5+2=7
Skillpoints: Sneak (1) 2 points
Talk (1) 2 points
Foci: Assassin (Sneak 2)

Spendings

Spend 250c to let Em craft a silencer

[Namelessjake]

Antoine

You ask your sources but it seems your presence and powers at the museum have gone mostly unnoticed in the chaos of the night's events, or at the very least the Diktat don't seem to be any more concerned than they already are due to the attack itself.

OOC

You can indeed, if someone with fix is willing to make it for you.

I would say a silencer mod with TL4 tech could be perfectly silent, costing 500 credits and requiring Fix-1.

[ratwizard]

Antoine goes back to work for a time, picking up some shifts at a local warehouse on a temporary basis. He puts his mind into his work, hoping to blend back into Kasi'Mela without a trace of the horrors of the museum on him.

Thoras' message comes in one night while Antoine is drinking a beer and watching a historical documentary vid on the network. Let's see what they got for us this time.

Purchases

Spend 1000 cr on putting together a Comms Server, having used similar short-range radio systems during his time as a trucker.

[Fialova]

Em spends a lot of the following weeks doing odd jobs and constructing a van from old parts at Tamiko's scrapyard in her spare time. She fits the vehicle with a tool shop and some storage space, before painting it and dubbing it Amber, after one of the other Aminferth ship families she once knew. She spends what time she can with Lavender while not working, making sure to return her dress in pristine condition. Once her truck is finished, she works on slowly acquire more pharmaceutical for their future jobs, as well as some tools and, finally, her first personal compad.
 

---

When news comes in of the next job, Em is relaxing at home watching a fishing program on TV. She quietly gets up, gathers her medical supplies and tools, and makes her way down to Lavender's apartment to give her lover a kiss before heading to 'work.' She makes her way down to the apartment complex's garage before hopping into Amber and making her way onto the street.

Though she is sure no one in the Diktat knows of her involvement with the museum heist, she makes an effort to take side roads and make extra stops and double-backs to confuse anyone who might be trying to follow her movements. She eventually finds her way to the scrapyard, pulling up to park near Tamiko's house and exiting, offering her fellow grease monkey a friendly, their many recent interactions resulting in a budding friendship.

Welp, time to see what the man's got in store for us this time. Hopefully something not as keen to get us shot, she thinks, holding her hand to her side as the phantom pain of heir past wounds briefly flare. Not interested in dealing with that again, that's for damn sure.

Mechanics

Purchase
Bioscanner (300), Toolkit TL4 (300), Compad (100), Lift x6 (300)

Repair
Dex/Fix to repair broken combat rifle: [2d6+1]=4+1=5 ._.
Expert Reroll! [2d6+1]=9+1=10 :D

Craft
Craft TL4 Silencer mod for John's weapon (250)
Craft TL4 Silencer mod for Tristan's weapon (250)
Craft Customized mod for Tristan's armor (500)

[Namelessjake]

Arriving at the scrapyard, you spot Thoras, Tamiko, Jin and the others stood by a large flatbed truck. A shipping container, the kind used by the bulk freighters that haul cargo between the moons of Davon Prime, sits on the truck bed, its red paint faded and scored with carbon streaks from who knows how many re-entries strapped to the side of a cargo lighter.

"Good, you're all here," Thoras says as the last members of your cell join you. "Thank you for coming at such short notice. Believe me, after your performance on new year's eve I had hoped to give you some more time to rest, but this is an urgent matter, and frankly you have all already proven yourselves trustworthy beyond any doubt. Something which is vital to the task at hand," he says, pausing for a moment to run his thumb and forefinger through his beard before delivering your next mission.

"Three days ago, a Rising spy on Sarma was compromised after stealing vital data files from a Diktat installation. They are codenamed Matias Blackford. They managed to escape Diktat custody and fled to Terai, from there they were able to send a distress signal to us. They're currently awaiting extraction at the Seascape Motel, on the floating city of Isille."

"Your mission, Operation Ocean Citadel, is to find Matias Blackford, make contact using the password Wayside - the response word is Gregarious - and then bring them back here to Vaylar. If they have been discovered, you are to recover the datafiles they stole and to limit the information the Diktat are able to get out of them."

"This container is due at the spaceport in an hour, from there it will be transported to Terai and delivered to a waiting boat operated by a cell of the Terai Rising. They will then get you to Isille and eventually back to Vaylar. Any questions?"

OOC

Dio and Grey just need to finish up their purchases/modding/healing for Grey, so it's time to get things moving.

I've moved some stuff around in your inventories, roughly giving you what you seemed to claim after the last mission. Although feel free to swap any gear around as you see fit, with each other or your liberated armoury. The ammo is all unloaded and can be put into mags however you like (in SWN empty mags aren't a tracked item).

Inventories

Armoury

[ratwizard]

Antoine eyes the flatbed truck with equal parts concern and interest. They're getting close to home with this one. They need somebody to drive that thing? he wonders.

As he listens to Thoras explain their mission, his face tightens in a grimace. He'd always had a mild fear of enclosed spaces, not to mention coming across some grim discoveries in shipping containers. Trafficking humans, drugs, or even dogs — he'd seen it all. Desperate people living in miserable conditions, though some didn't end up living at all.

"Tight fit, there. So we're gonna be living and breathing in that thing for what, a couple days?"

[FinalTemplar]

Tristan shows up at the scrapyard, fixing his hair one last time as he finds something to lean up against. "Safely retrieve a spy, bring them back here, or get their information? Sounds easy." He says, as cocky as ever.

OOC

Buy a Silencer for the Sniper (250Cr), and Customized for the Revolver (500Cr).

[Scratcherclaw]

Sven raises an eyebrow as he listens to Thoras give the briefing. He crosses his arms, cocking his head. "You sure cargo like this won't go through a scanner or something? With how tight security's been after the museum..." Would hate to be found before we've even offworld.

[BartNL]

"I had expected you to have need for us sooner". John replies. "I will get my things in order if that's all."

 

OOC

Swap body armour for secure clothing assuming body armour will stick out and bring T4 backpack to the mission.

[Namelessjake]

"It should only be twelve hours or so. It's been registered as an expediated shipment," Thoras replies to Antoine.

"The container is radiation shielded, so it should distort any scans. The manifest will show it as carrying live soil for expanding the floating farms on Terai," Tamiko chimes in, answering Sven's question. "That'll explain away the shielding and the fact the container is warm and pressurised," she adds as Jin looks at the container nervously.

"It's been some time since anything big has happened on Terai, so security shouldn't be as tight once you're there either. Obviously you should hide any weapons or armour you take with you, but the likelihood of being forced through a security scanner at a checkpoint are low."

OOC

You can bring any armour/weapons you want, although yes wearing street armour and only donning combat armour when necessary is advisable.

[ratwizard]

Twelve hours, that's nothing, Antoine thinks. I've held it for longer on those day-long treks before.

"Yeah, alright," he says, eyeing the shipping container once more. "I'm bringing along a comm server. Figured we can leave it with the boat. From what I read on the net, it should get all our compads on the same network, in case we need to break off. No more burners needed."

He peers around at the others, wondering when the time is right. Reckon I should probably clue them in soon. He stays quiet a moment longer, running through the words in his head.

[BartNL]

OOC

What does John know about Terai, considering his day job?

[Namelessjake]

John

You are aware that, like the other moons, the Diktat have undergone an effort to urbanise Terai, shepherding people into the cities where they can be better monitored and controlled. While on Vaylar, this meant moving people from the countryside to the growing cities, on Terai it has involved the banning and destruction of private independant fishing vessels, instead forcing people to work on corporate vessels based in specific cities. The main downside of this is that on Terai, where all settlements are built to float upon the moon's surface ocean, space is often at a premium, leading to widespread homelessness and unemployment. In the course of your career, you have denied many travel permits for people seeking to emigrate from the moon's crowded cities to those on Vaylar or Sarma.

[greysigil]

Jug spends the next weeks in contemplation. The memories that surfaced at the museum have given them much to ponder, as it seems as though they were a weapon at one point. And are they not still now, just wielded by another force? The conflicting processes cannot find resolution at this time, and Jug chooses not to let it consume all their processing space.
They take a couple of arena fights in the downtime, and they still do well, but they make a point to only fight other machines. The memory of the human lives they've taken occasionally play unprompted.

---

The VI watches and listens, passively, as Thoras lays out the operation, and the others confirm, voicing their concerns. Antoine's uncertain movements and lingering looks pique their interest, but they choose to remain silent. If=Has something to say, Then=He can say it.

Purchases

200 Credits - 4x Spare Parts [To be used immediately, to bring up to full hp]
400 Credits - TL4 Binoculars [To be installed as Integrated Equipment]
50 Credits - Integrate Shotgun
25 Credits - 5x Thermal Flares

Armoury

Requisitions tba, going to check in the chat before finalizing

[Namelessjake]

OOC

I have updated my inventory tracker with Jug's purchases (also splitting out integrated enc.), and I have put A cells in devices for people, and given a B cell to Antoine from Jug for the comm server.

Updated Inventories

[Scratcherclaw]

Could think of worse people to be stuck in a pod with for half a day. Hope they all showered this morning though... "Gotcha," Sven replies with a nod, relieved that the details of this mission have been thought through. "Sounds simple enough. At least more simple than a museum assassination heist."

[Fialova]

The color begins to run out of Em's face as Thoras mentions her home planet, and her teeth clench at the thought of returning to see its current state after so many years away. It's been some time, that's because they already put anyone who'd stand up to them to death. Or worse, subjected them to their rule against their will. She begins to breath slowly and deeply, trying not allow her anger about her home's destruction to distract from their current mission.

"If it's alright, I'd like to request to be on the bridge of the vessel that will be taking us to our target," she says to Thoras, stepping towards him and crossing her arms before her chest. "It has been some years since I've piloted those waters, but I still remember the ocean's currents like it was yesterday." And from there I'll have the best view of the Diktat's patrols. Wonder if they've fully replaced their manned vehicles with drones by now? She feels her anger beginning to grow again, before forcing herself once more to take slow, deep breaths to calm down.

Current Loadout

READIED (Capacity: 6/7)
♦ Backpack, TL4 | Enc. 0
♦ Compad | Enc. 0
♦ Combat Rifle (30/30) | Enc. 2
♦ Woven Body Armor | Enc. 2
♦ Combat Rifle Magazine (30/30) | Enc. 1
♦ Stun Baton | Enc. 1

STOWED (Capacity: 10/15)
♦ Medkit | Enc. 2
♦ Type A Cell | Enc. 1
♦ Bioscanner | Enc. 1
♦ Toolkit, TL4 | Enc. 3
♦ Lift x6 | Enc. 0
♦ Expired Lift x2 | Enc. 0
♦ Tsunami x2 | Enc. 0
♦ Lazarus Patch x3 | Enc. 1#
♦ Combat Rifle Magazine (30/30) | Enc. 1
♦ Secured Clothing | Enc. 1

[Namelessjake]

"I'm afraid that's not for me to say. You'll have to talk to the ship's captain when you get there," Thoras replies to Em. "The Diktat closely monitor communications between the moons so our contact with the other Risings has to be somewhat limited," he explains.

"Any other questions? If not, you should grab your gear and get ready," Thoras asks, looking at Jin in particular who has yet to speak.

"This thing is safe? I've never been off Vaylar," Jin asks, still looking at the container nervously.

"You'll be fine, these things are usually tougher than the ships that carry them," Tamiko says in reply, smiling slightly at the man's concern.

[ratwizard]

"Backed one into a bulkhead before," Antoine admits. "The container won that battle. We won't have to worry."

He shifts uncomfortably, licking his lips. "Hey, uh, look," the man continues. "I got something to for you folk to chew on before we head on out. I'm a... well, I'm a psych."

[Scratcherclaw]

"Huh," is all Sven can manage, staring ahead at Antoine with a dumbfounded expression. "Then at the museum, that security guard..." I knew something weird happened there, but never expected this. He looks so... normal.

[ratwizard]

"Yup," Antoine says with a grimace. He remembers the pit that appeared in the back of the man's head like a sinkhole, the crimson spray appearing almost brown amidst the dim blue lights. It was his first, and already not his last. He wonders if it would be long before he'd forget the growing many in between.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Goddamn, that's wild," Sven says, somewhat in awe over the man's revelation. "Can't believe you've managed to keep it a secret this long. Guess it's a good thing we knocked out their cams."

[Fialova]

Em looks to Antoine, surprised by his revelation, though still also more focused on their destination. "That is... useful," she responds, pondering the implications of his abilities, as well as what that could mean for their cell if he is caught. "Makes sense why you hid it, not something you want those fuckers latching onto. Glad you're on our side and not theirs, though," she says, offering the man a nod of acceptance. Maybe he can do something about the mechs they have back on Terai. A psychic will be a lot harder for them to face than any of us.

[ratwizard]

"Glad I am too," Antoine agrees. "Though I'm certain there's some like me deep in the Diktat rank. Lotta folk, it was their only option."

He turns toward Jug and John, especially, the latter of which he had once held great suspicion about.

[greysigil]

The VI regards the man, their cold blue eyelights unwavering. "Extrapolation: This would also explain how the man in the Jungle Room was killed." They state, weighing their words carefully. "Confession: I have never understood nor shared human biases against those that are different from the others. I will not start now." Their eyelights sweep over the rest of the group, evaluating their reactions before settling back on the older man. "Reassurance: You have had my back, and so I will continue to have yours."

[ratwizard]

Antoine looks long and hard at the VI, listening to them speak. "If you noticed, chances are some others did too." He licks his lips at the thought, though his worry is assuaged by Jug's next words. He can only nod at them in thanks, his thoughts too expansive to express so simply. Seems like, this bot's got more humanity in them than most the people I come across these days.