Chapter One: Hotel Paradiso

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf

He nods to Ngora, "certainly not them," he says with an under table finger point to the navy couple.

"So scores on the doors, Cloud Bank 3
- Mr Bewoor 18." presuming that Pranit votes for himself. He gives a little commentary as if reporting on the local Rollerball league score.

[ateno]

OOG: Pranit will not vote, as he considers himself neutral unless there is a tie.

[BackworldTraveller]

Mrs Busai
Noor en Sabah - Isn't she the one that nearly got killed? Won't tying ourselves to that house just cause us trouble? The Navy seem to have confidence in Lieutenant Carter...I'll vote for her.

And as to you vultures - I don't think you did your sums before you made your offer...I'm betting you wouldn't get control anyway. Not unless the Navy were in your pocket. Are you?

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf

A new dark horse comes up on the outside. Passing early the pacesetter. It is Cloud Bank 3, Indrani Carter 6, Mr Bewoor 14 with Mr Bewoor yet to play his own trump card."

He gets excited, doing a little drum roll on the table mimicking hoof beats.

[BackworldTraveller]

The Bankers

We have not voted - just offered to buy your votes. As you refuse us, we pick Indrani. Officers - are you backing your own recommendation?

The Navy appear to be enjoying the spectacle of the Bankers changing tack.

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf

"Cloud Bank pulls up leaving Indrani Carter to close the gap with 9. Mr Bewoor of Noor maintains a lead with
14.

Mr Sabbana do you follow the 'banker' in this race or 'the outsider'?"

He says with more hoof beats.

[BackworldTraveller]

The vote is interrupted by the door bursting open and the teenager, Assana, and another woman, falling through in a heap...The door jamb disintegrates as the flat sound of a shotgun echoes down the corridor.

Muffled..."How did you miss?"

[BackworldTraveller]

Muffled voice..."Well you do better then"

Muffled reply..."Ooohhhh - Fine..."

[The Bindoner]

Nālani turns and rises from her chair as the door bursts open.

When she hears the shotgun she leaps out of LOS from the corridor and runs toward the wall beside the doorway, flicking back her jacket to draw a Stunner from a belt holster.

Assana, roll!

[ateno]

Pranit secures his forms, gets on his hands and knees, puts on his gloves and crawls towards the door.

Edit due to Map.

Pranit will secure his his forms, grab his gloves and move to to the other door jam and put on his gloves, then wait.

[joertexas]

Indrani rolls out of her chair with catlike quickness and scrambles to a position where she is out of line of sight of the door, coming to stop on one knee. She draws her autopistol and aims it at the open doorway, carful to not muzzle flash anyone in the process.

[BackworldTraveller]

Meeting - As the door burst open v2.jpg (27.24 KiB) Viewed 786 times

The left hand door jamb is the one that disintegrated. The voices are from the right

[cybersavant]

Reven Stiilpahth takes cover behind a chair and/or the table.

"Once this distraction is over, the six shares i represent vote for Indrani Carter as chairperson."

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf

Perhaps more familiar than most with being under fire, he recognises the 'whump' of the shotgun pellets which shatter the door though he is as surprised as anybody.

Just when you need a flak jacket and laser carbine of you own he finds himself bereft of both. Even his usual 'tools of the trade' are in his locker. I mean you do look kind of out of place wandering the starport coffee shops with a 'here's Johnny' chopping axe and a blood-letter bayonet. That the flower vase has a vaguely grenade shape just adds to the mockery.

He walks calmly to the pair on the floor, trying to grab both by the scruff of their collars and pull them to a safer position.

"Did they fire on you before?"

He barracks the woman while his mind figures likely magazine numbers and reload speeds.

[Stirling]

Tiberius

Acts like the image of coolness as he gives way to those with military backgrounds to take precedence.

"You pair of navy larks got this or are you going to leave it to the women?" He says before looking under the table below at the sheltering bankers.

"My, that $6Mcr offer looks kinda sweet right now."

He takes a sip of coffee from the mug in one hand while the other hand rests under his jacket calming his beating heart.

[joertexas]

Indrani rolls out of her chair with catlike quickness and scrambles to a position where she is out of line of sight of the door, coming to stop on one knee. She draws her autopistol and aims it at the open doorway, carful to not muzzle flash anyone in the process.

Now that there is a map - Indrani will circle the table clockwise, and come down the right wall toward the doorway.

[The Bindoner]

Nālani stays on the left, out of sight of the corridor, taking position to flank anyone entering the room. Once there she kneels and aims at the entrance.

Holding the Stunner ready to fire she has time to think. Instinct and experience brought her to this place. But what is happening? Not gangs, not cops... this isn't aimed at her... is there any reason to be involved? Yes, they shot at a child. Unforgivable.

Nālani steadies her aim and waits for a target.

[Monsieur Rose]

Noor

Noor literally crashes the party.

She manages to keep her feet as the teenager tackles her into the room, her shocked question dissipates as the shotgun blasts it away. Noor looks around the room quickly for threats, her eyes landing on Pranit and Tiberius.

"I'm good. Help her up." She says to the man trying to give her a hand (Arnwulf). "Nope. Not here, anyway. I knew this was a bad idea." She looks at the teenage girl both in anger and gratitude. She pushed her out of danger, but into a closed room with no way out.

"Hey, Pranit. Not so crazy now, am I?" She laughs nervously for an instant, then moves to follow him to the south wall, near the door.

[BackworldTraveller]

Indrani pushes the chair back and moves behind it – covering the door with her service pistol in case of further interruptions. Nalani has moved to stand by the coffee table also waiting and pointing a stunner towards it as if this is not particularly unusual! Reven also slips behind his chair, jostling Indrani’s aim as he does so as the chairs clash.

The two bankers seem stunned by the sudden change of circumstances and seem frozen in their chairs while the two Naval officers have moved to the end of the desk, crouching behind it. The Lawyer is also unmoving, although he seems to be watching the goings on carefully rather than being just frozen. Tiberius, in an economy of action just swivels in his seat to watch the door. Archana cowers behind him.

Pranit has vanished under the table and is getting his glove on – as it’s quite bulky, and the space is limited, this isn’t as easy as he’d hoped, but he manages it. Ngora and Arnwulf get in each other’s way as each move in opposite directions. Ngora has slid behind a pillar, Arnwulf headed towards the two women that arrived so unceremoniously. Assana has taken the admonition to “Roll” as her cue to scuttle behind the door, crawling on all fours. Noor, slipping in the same direction – keeping Arnwulf between her and the way in.

Outside, all is quiet. They must be getting set to break in. And then there is a cry, some swearing and sounds of running.

All goes quiet in the corridor

Meeting - Positions please.jpg (31.7 KiB) Viewed 742 times

[The Bindoner]

Nālani hears the cry and the running feet, rises smoothly to her feet and walks briskly to the door with her hands behind her back, clasping the stunner. Taking a breath she leans her head out and looks both ways.