Episode II: The Gathering Storm IC Thread 3

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Well, looks like he offered half again what you did for the pearl...which is now nowhere to be seen. I dare say your friend paid the ultimate price for his loyalty." Gial replied. "What can you tell me about him?"

[RandomLunatic]

"Damnit!" Shyar hissed as the door slammed shut. She stepped back looked around, to see how many people were watching here. "Well, now what?" she muttered, assuming Zavi was close to hear.

[whoiam]

Zavi's return whisper went "I could try forcing it, but I'd turn visible again either way. Or one of us can watch this door while the other heads outside to see if there's a side entrance for his 'offices'. We should probably try that, if we force this door and he's got an escape route, he'll probably use it."

[RandomLunatic]

"I believe the guy when he said Jenos isn't in right now. The goon squad should still be busy cleaning up. The way I see it, either we go in there now and hope we can find something we can use, or we quit while we're behind."

[Thundercracker]

"Well, looks like he offered half again what you did for the pearl...which is now nowhere to be seen. I dare say your friend paid the ultimate price for his loyalty." Gial replied. "What can you tell me about him?"

Coruscant:
“He’s a broker in similar line of work as Javi, but with fewer scruples,” Py Ken replied, “I understand they were competitors for a long time. It’s entirely possible Javi refused to sell to him out of spite.”

He looked at the body.

“I suppose it is within my authority to investigate this death, especially as a krayt dragon pearl is involved,” he said, “would you be interested in earning the credits in that satchel?”

[Hyperbolic sine]

Authority?

It...was possible Gial had made a blunder. But it also looked like he wasn't in trouble yet. "Hm. What do you propose?" he asked, keeping his expression neutral.

[Thundercracker]

Authority?

It...was possible Gial had made a blunder. But it also looked like he wasn't in trouble yet. "Hm. What do you propose?" he asked, keeping his expression neutral.

“I propose we work together to recover the pearl and discover the identity or identities of Javi’s murderer, and bring them to justice,” Py Ken replied.

[Hyperbolic sine]

"I see."

Gial wasn't entirely sure accepting would be a good idea, but it seemed like getting to recover the credits and getting rid of the guy who dared scramble the Syndicate's eggs without making an enemy of a law enforcement jedi was the preferable option.

"Very well then...so you want me to investigate this Anfopor guy through, erm, unofficial channels? Seems to me he's the most promising lead."

[whoiam]

Zavi thought about it for a minute. Then came to a decision. "Wait around here, but back away from the door," she whispered to Shyar. "I'm gonna see if I can make a new friend."

With that, Zavi heads back to the stairs. She just needs to find a spot out of sight of the patrons (and security camera(s)) in which to 'appear'. Once she's herself, she heads back to the door (hoping Shyar's not still standing in front of it, so it's not so obvious they're together), and knocks.

[Thundercracker]

Coruscant undercity:
“I sense that time is of the essence,” Py Ken replied, “if there are contacts in the undercity you’d like to make use of, that is fine, so long as they are not maimed or killed. What will probably save the most time is if one of you is able to find where Anfopor might be, perhaps by tracing the comlink... I don’t have expertise in these things... I would need to return to the surface and request assistance through official channels.”

Zoccom:

The door doesn’t open this time.
“What do you want?” someone shouts from inside the room.

[whoiam]

And as the person inside responded, Zavi went straight to the Mind Trick. "Y'know, there's a couple of us gettin' mighty bored out here. Why don't you show us around the employee area? Like a tour?"

Spoiler

Show

Mind Trick, making an unpalatable but not obviously life-threatening suggestion seem entirely reasonable. Taking 10 for a 29. Also spending a force point on improving our guide's attitude.

[whoiam]

Zavi thought about it for a minute. Then came to a decision. "Wait around here, but back away from the door," she whispered to Shyar. "I'm gonna see if I can make a new friend."

With that, Zavi heads back to the stairs. She just needs to find a spot out of sight of the patrons (and security camera(s)) in which to 'appear'. Once she's herself, she heads back to the main room, and heads over to one of the staff in the main room. The most senior, if she can tell such from their appearance, but any will do if she cannot. "You feel like you should pop into the back office," she tells the staff member gesturing at the correct door. "And in about a minute, you're going to try and get in there."

Spoiler

Show

As with the original version of the post, Mind Trick to make an unreasonable but not obviously suicidal suggestion stick.

[Thundercracker]

Zoccom:

Zavi actually intercepts a bouncer looking fellow who is on his way to Shyar from the front door. He starts to argue but stops and pulls out a key as he heads to the locked back room.

[whoiam]

Zavi offers Shyar a quick wink as her patsy starts heading towards the door. Then starts following him over to the door, standing a pace behind and a little to the side. Naturally, she's going to try and follow the bouncer through... and, hopefully, she'll be ready for a second Mind Trick once she has access to the person inside.

[RandomLunatic]

Shyar had moved to table off to the side and taken a seat with her back to the wall. She didn't openly acknowledge Zavi, but she did watch her and her new friend heading towards the office.

[Thundercracker]

Zoccom:

The bouncer unlocks the door and enters. Two individuals are seated at a table inside.

“She gone?” one of them asked.

“Uhh,” the bouncer said, scratching his head in confusion.

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Don't worry, maiming and killing aren't really what I do." That was Shyar's role. "Tracing the commlink, though, that I can do." he replied, reaching for the device and connecting it to the datapad.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Use Computer (1d20+22)[38]. If it's an Improve Access roll, then best between that and (1d20+22)[29].

[RandomLunatic]

As the bouncer went inside, Shyar got back up and slid closer to the door, ready to barge in on the signal. Whatever the blazes it was supposed to be.

[Thundercracker]

Coruscant:

It takes Gial several moments to set up as he prepares to slice into the comlink. Py Ken waits patiently while he works, but would probably engage in conversation if you’re inclined to speak to him.

Eventually, Gial is able to bypass the encryption on the comlink, and retrieves (what he thinks is) Anfopor’s contact details. From here there are a number of possible actions.

[whoiam]

Zavi didn't really have a signal planned for this next part. Or a plan at all, really. Still, she was sure she'd think of something. Even if 'something' turned out to be 'indiscriminate violence'. But she'd try the talking thing first... might work better, after all.

With the door open she quickly walks through it as though she belongs. A little display of confidence that might stop people on the floor thinking anything strange has happened. Of course, it won't fool the three inside the room... so she quickly starts talking.

"Hi! You look like a trio of fine, only-upstanding-when-the-law-is-looking gentlemen! And for you we have a proposition - one that might lead to long careers full of steady profits, and not dying in a fire started by your increasingly paranoid boss while trying to kill off his own hirelings. Like the one I just escaped from, actually. What do you think, willing to hear us out?"

Spoiler

Show

"Persuasion" - (1d20+14)[34]

[Hyperbolic sine]

While working on breaking the encryption Gial made some small talk, trying to subtly glean some information about Py Ken in the process (and counter any attempt to do the opposite, of course).

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Persuasion (1d20+10)[29] and Deception (1d20+15)[22].

Once he was done, he nodded in satisfaction. "Well, I guess now the real work starts. Any way I can contact you once I'm done?"

[Thundercracker]

Zoccom:

There are three humans standing in the room, plus the meaty bouncer in front of you. Two appear to be in their mid 30’s, and one looks to be in his 20’s (shorter fellow, in shape, short dark hair). Of the older humans, one is a seedy rat faced looking fellow with brown hair, slightly overweight, while the other is dark haired (ponytail) and clearly keeps himself in good shape. All three are armed with heavy blaster pistols and are wearing casual clothing, though the older fit gangster is wearing a dark leather jacket.

There is also a table and some chairs, a storage unit for food or drinks, a barred window, a sink, a few cooking appliances, and two closed metal doors in the back. Some dirty dishes sit on the table and are piled up in the sink. There’s a moment of silence after you finish speaking.

“Gub, get your retarded poodoo brained ass over here,” rat-face said suddenly.
The bouncer walks over to the others, still shaking his head in confusion.
“Ok yak-head, you got five minutes,” he said.

[Thundercracker]

While working on breaking the encryption Gial made some small talk, trying to subtly glean some information about Py Ken in the process (and counter any attempt to do the opposite, of course).

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Persuasion [roll0] and Deception [roll1].

Once he was done, he nodded in satisfaction. "Well, I guess now the real work starts. Any way I can contact you once I'm done?"

You find that master Py Ken is a willing conversationalist. Turns out he is a member of the Jedi Order and has been for the last 30 or so years. He’s a Jedi Scholar, tasked with exploring the mysteries of the Force. During the war he did not see much fighting, instead focusing on uncovering and teaching techniques to blunt the Dark Side abilities of Krayt’s his One Sith. Since their downfall his research has taken him in different directions.

“You can contact me on my comlink,” he said, providing the contact details, “what is your plan?”

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Well, find out where this Anfopor is, for one. Then...I guess pay him a visit, or perhaps we can bait him with an offer for the pearl. We'll see...I'll contact you as soon as I discover something." Gial replied, leaving the room. "Let's go." He said to Kikari, pulling out his own datapad to check if anyone bothered to put some kind of signal relay down there, or he'd have to go back up to the surface.

If the latter, he of course would head to the main elevator...but if the former, after changing floor he'd ask Kikari to sense for an empty room - he was pretty confident he could open the lock, and they only needed to borrow it for a while; certainly nothing the rude clerk deserved ther money for, and with no cameras he would have been none the wiser anyway.

[Hazuki]

"We really should not be working with a Jedi..." Kikari whispered once they were well out of earshot.

[whoiam]

Zavi pauses, briefly, to stick her head out the door and wave Shyar in as well. Once she's shut the door behind her, the explanation begins.

"The Syndicate is coming for you. As an organisation, I mean. We don't have anything personal against you three. My colleague and I... we were meant to be the scouts. Find your organisation. Find your leader. Offer him a chance to join up. You know, typical 'I'm more interested in getting rich than measuring the relative size of my external genitalia' stuff. Couldn't even get close - his paranoia made him turn on us long before we could.

You know the funny part? He thought we were with the GT. Hard to think how he could have guessed something further from the truth.

Anyway, point is, there's no dealing with him. Even if he stopped torching his own facilities while trying to kill us, he's just too unstable. It's bad for business. And really bad for inter-cell co-operation, you know? But the operations you've got running around here? Well, you seem to be good people. At your work, I mean. I won't be trusting you with my purse anytime soon, I'm not stupid.

So, plan B. Plan B involves arranging for a little 'accident', then cutting the deal with his replacement. Your organisation stays together, doesn't have to fight a vicious and protracted crime war against our people, you keep your jobs - maybe get promoted a rank or two if we have to make enough vacancies above you - and there's a nice 'signing on bonus' for anyone who helps us set things up. Plus, y'know, your next boss has to be saner than this one."

[RandomLunatic]

It wasn't the signal she was expecting, but Shyar shrugged and went inside. "Easy," she said, holding hands up shoulder high as she came through the threshold.

After Zavi said her piece, she chimed in. "Angry an' dumb's no way ta go through life. Imagine if Mister Jenos had been right. Do ya think burnin' a couple of G-men will make 'em go away? Or would it move nailin' his shebs to da top of da ta-do list of every Inspector in the whole damn sector?

"Our intel says da Hutts have designs on dis sector too, an' I shouldn't have ta tell ya what dat means. So any way ya slice it, Mister Jenos ain't long for dis world. Da question ya should be askin' right now is 'Do I want ta go down wit' him?"

((Persuasion aid - (1d20+9)[24]))

[Thundercracker]

Coruscant:

As Gial tries to leave the room, he finds Py Ken is blocking the entrance.

“I’ll need my credits back before you go,” he said, motioning to the satchel, “you understand of course.”

Zoccom:

Rat-face looks interested and almost suppressed a chuckle at one point while you’re talking. The younger guy looks like he’s about to wet his pants, and the jacket guy just seems confused, looking back and forth between rat-face and you two.

“You got my interest. Between the three of us we know pretty much everything about Jenos’ operations. how would this work?” rat-face said.

[whoiam]

"You know the organisation better than we do. What we're looking for is a chance to make a surgical hit. The less of your 'fellows' we need to fight through, the better. Makes it easier to reconcile afterwards... keeps down losses during the fighting... and reduces the chance we'll get beaten, and anyone will get the chance to trace us back to you. If you can give us the intel to make the hit without any... active... participation on your parts, that would be ideal. We're not expecting the three of you to openly cross Jenos while he's still alive to retaliate.

Oh, but whatever you help us set up, has to be short range. We're not exactly snipers here, y'know."

[Thundercracker]

Zoccom:

“Whoa whoa, maybe we should do introductions first,” rat-face said.

“You already met Gub,” he said, “my name’s Ray, and this is Feldon and Jas.”
He motioned to the other two and patiently waits for you to introduce yourselves.

As you start talking about specifics, where would a good spot be, you get the sense something is off. The conversation is going too easily, and the younger guy seems to be trying to quietly get rat-face’s attention but is being ignored or not noticed.