The Time and The Place

[Thumper]

Tiv says, Well let’s start now, hmm?

Tiv pulls his hand computer and opens it via biometrics. He opens the translator program, sets it to translate Oghmite into Aslan, turns the volume of the computer’s speaker to an appropriate level, then sets the whole thing aside on a control so as to have minimal distraction by the noise.

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf Goren Lugersen

Listens to the plans. He can't really think to add anything.

In the quarters he was given, there are certain weapons and bombs and stuff that the previous pilot had. Not sure if they were stored as personal objects (it includes a briefcase bomb).

I am fine with them there but will give an inventory to Kar so he is aware of extra arms should they be needed.

[The Bindoner]

Tiv says, Well let’s start now, hmm?

Tiv pulls his hand computer and opens it via biometrics. He opens the translator program, sets it to translate Oghmite into Aslan, turns the volume of the computer’s speaker to an appropriate level, then sets the whole thing aside on a control so as to have minimal distraction by the noise.

The Serpent engages with Tiv's device and soon the two systems are exchanging dialogue at x2 speed, the primary language changing from Oghman to "Imperial". Tiv's computer and its translation software are Imperial, Naasirka brand, and it is built on Galanglic and Vilani dictionaries with vocabularies for Trokh, Gvegh, and others. It has "learned" Oghman, but apparently the Serpent regards the Galanglic/Trokh a better learning tool.

[Thumper]

Tiv looks amused with himself at the interaction between the Seepent and his computer.

Ashildr, you’ve been around…and very quiet. What do you think of the idea?

[hardrocks]

Kar listens closely as the plans are laid.
This has the bones of a scheme that could work well. You have obviously given it much thought. It fits the brief given to me by Lord Hallstein and his instructions guide me. My role as the ship's Captain is primarily to safeguard this 'Serpent and its crew. Closely followed by my obligations to put Raid Leader Sorrow and her Warband when and where she wants to be.
Showing a small upturning of the lips in a close approximation of a smile.
Within reason of course
Kar looks between Tiv and Raven.
If you truly feel we can achieve a satisfactory result, despite all the variables, then I will agree. With the one stipulation that the 'Serpent goes nowhere without its Captain in charge and crew of my choosing at the controls. If this is agreeable then let us proceed.

[Thumper]

Well then, shall I call our prey over so we may all have a look at them? I shall dress then meet you all at the hangar’s slave pens.

Oh, I shall probably get busy hacking their hangar . security while they are here. No time to lose… Arnwulf and Leon, can I ask you to preposition a few conceited Commdots in that area so we may overhear any private consultation they may have?

He sends the Aslans a message.

[Legion Lee]

Oh, I shall probably get busy hacking their hangar. security while they are here. No time to lose… Arnwulf and Leon, can I ask you to preposition a few conceited Commdots in that area so we may overhear any private consultation they may have?

Leon has been cooped up on the bridge for awhile now and a bit of a leg stretch is in order so he will head off and secrete a few Commdots / perhaps even have a competition with Arnwulf who may have the best hidey spot.

As he is leaving Leon gets an idea Would we be able to put a tracker/device on one of the slaves, just asking, espionage is not my thing, just wondering if it can be done

Leon ponders/pauses on the bridge lost in thought for a second, he knows of a very old friend in a different time and place who would have been ideal at this type of thing.

[Gorethirster]

Is Remington any good with electronics and programming?

Remington had drifted into the back of the officers meeting. He was never entirely sure whether or not he was supposed to be there, but given that he was nominally in charge of engineering he figured he ought to show up just in case Raven suggested anything physically impossible for the ship. Up until Tiv mentioned him he had contented himself with remaining in the back growing progressively more green in the gills at the thought of being involved, no matter how indirectly, in hostilities in the void. He perked up when he heard his name:

"Good? I wouldn't exactly say that. Capable, especially of being spare hands to someone with more expertise? Absolutely."

“By all means perform your incantations to gather power against our foe but couldn't you at least hop about or cast some runes or something – just for the show of it?” She then adds “Communications get inside their ship – why can't your magic? You are our best Technomancer – hex harder!”

That might entertain you...but I'm not in the Priestcraft. I don't play the jester as they do.

"Mother, Father, please don't fight. Tiv need not play the fool, and Raven can have her show. Your seer can reveal the interior of the Aslan ship, even if it's actually Tiv doing all the work. If I can bless the drive core well enough to need Lady Vigdis' protection from the priesthood, I can reveal the interior of a starship just a few bays over without trouble."

Remington pauses briefly, and a thoughtful frown creases his features.

"Though Tiv, I should note one minor flaw in your plan. You're relying on intercepting the enemy ships within the 100D limit. That limit isn't really a limit. It's more of a... strongly worded advisory. With a sufficiently talented jump engineer, especially if you give them advance warning that they might need to do a sub 100D jump, they could likely pull it off with only some minor jump inaccuracy. Well, I could at least. Especially if you gave me two or three days to prep. Sure, you're risking a misjump, but if you're sufficiently paranoid or sufficiently desperate its always an option on the table. I don't pretend to know enough about Aslan psychology to guess what they'd do. But I think we ought to have a backup plan just in case their engineer decides that a misjump, alive, to who knows where is better than a short walk out the airlock."

After another pause and even more intense frowning, Remington haltingly offers the following suggestion.

"There is always that little maintenance drone of yours. If we can come up with a plausible excuse as to why the station sent it, we can use it to sabotage the jump drive, and remove the risk of a premature jump entirely. Hell, while we're in there we can probably sabotage the main powerplant and M-drive as well. Depending on how hard you want to push our luck, of course. Personally, I'd suggest sabotaging the power plant with something like a remote charge. Kill their power while they're in space, board in vac gear while they're dead in the water, then pop in a few small pieces of the power plant and viola: one free ship, give or take."

[Thumper]

Would we be able to put a tracker/device on one of the slaves, just asking, espionage is not my thing, just wondering if it can be done

Good thinking Leon. But I think we might have more luck sticking a comm dot on one of the Aslan's. That way, we could ensure we get exposure to all the Aslan crewmembers. Also, the slaves might get scanned. Who's best to slip a commdot? Anyone better than me with slight of hand tricks?

Tiv looks at Remington with admiration. You are right, except I only hacked a service bot. But if I could hack a maintenance bot AND we come up with a reason for it to gain access to the ship, could you remotely set something up to down a component of the powerplant? Remotely detonate something? Then, they'd be on external umbilical power where we can disconnect them if they clamshell inside the ship. Assuming of course we get to raid their hangar. If they get their ship off the station, then we could remotely detonate just outside the station and do as you say. Under his breath, but loud enough to be heard: We'll make a great Oghman out of you, yet!

Tiv uses his hand computer to look up the space E-Bay of the station...he'll search for someone selling audio or visual or audio/visual bugs. He'll also peruse the station library for ship details on the Aslan trader ship. He wants to see standard floor plans, engineering schematics, specifications, etc.

[The Bindoner]

Tiv uses his hand computer to look up the space E-Bay of the station...he'll search for someone selling audio or visual or audio/visual bugs. He'll also peruse the station library for ship details on the Aslan trader ship. He wants to see standard floor plans, engineering schematics, specifications, etc.

Searching for surveillance equipment leads Tiv to Ummiimir, apparently the only dealer in “Electronic and Signals Security Services” currently active.

Standard consumer comms and sensor equipment is available from Blackrock Chandlery (the retail portal operated by the station). All items have an "Options" feature, allowing custom builds to the purchasers specifications (from a table of choices), so presumably Tiv could have something off-list made.

[Thumper]

Should have known Ummiimir would be the man for this kind of equipment.

He types out a message to Ummiimir to ask if he has visual or audio or combined bugs available. He also takes a look at the station network map that he downloaded from his previous hacking attempts (when he was solo on the station) to view the connections between the Serpent's hangar bay and the Aslans'.

[The Bindoner]

Áshildr has some comments on the planning:


You are all fine Oghmen, driven to succeed, skilled at your trades and honourable. Straight dealing and forthright. Absolutely not the sort of people to try sneaking trinkets into the pockets of visitors. Me, I’m just a feckless drifter, with no ambition, but I’ve got nimble fingers, and I do like a prank. Yngvildr’s got a similar sense of humour, and better manners than me. We’d probably be your best team for planting bugs.


Aslan don’t come here much, and the Glorious Empire never. These cats are here to buy soldiers, so all they’re looking at is fitness. They’re not human, so they’ll probably not be good at detail. Our War-Band, being young, might pass as captives, not Oghma warriors. That might give us an edge, they'll not expect slaves to coordinate with their sellers. We could practice routines too, really choreograph a good show.


Tiv, your hacked robot is a good idea, but I’m sure it’s monitored. If it goes off the job, someone will notice. Fine if you square it with the station, but do we want to? I mean, it’s easier for them to deny involvement in a scheme they didn’t know about than one they did. Anyway, this place is literally crawling with robots, a few more probably won’t be noticed, and we’ve got those shells. Why not fix one or two up? The tech one, say. Or, perhaps we could buy a Blackrock model? I'm told they sell robots. Then we’d be in control, and Blackrock out of the loop.


EDITED

[The Bindoner]

Should have known Ummiimir would be the man for this kind of equipment.

He types out a message to Ummiimir to ask if he has visual or audio or combined bugs available. He also takes a look at the station network map that he downloaded from his previous hacking attempts (when he was solo on the station) to view the connections between the Serpent's hangar bay and the Aslans'.

Ummiimir replies that he can provide such equipment and suggests a consultation when he hosts your crew later.

There appear not to be any direct links between hangars, but there are shared nodes: fibre-optic cable runs from both hangars to a central "switchboard" for the hangar sector, and outside each hangar's section a feed from the fibre to a "wi-fi node" provides connection to the station comm/data network. All robots and other devices inside the hangar connect to networks outside via transmitter/receivers linked to the fibre. There are two separate fibre channels in each hangar, providing redundancy in case of accident/attack.

The shielding of the hangars against radiation/comms makes each a sealed environment, with all comm traffic routed through fibre-optic cable between internal and external re-transmitters. Station security likely takes its data directly over the cable connection.

[Thumper]

Our War-Band, being young, might pass as captives, not Oghma warriors. That might give us an edge, they'll not expect slaves to coordinate with their sellers. We could practice routines too, really choreograph a good show.


Anyway, this place is literally crawling with robots, a few more probably won’t be noticed, and we’ve got those shells. Why not fix one or two up? The tech one, say. Or, perhaps we could buy a Blackrock model? I'm told they sell robots. Then we’d be in control, and Blackrock out of the loop.

Tiv takes a long look at Ashildr as he considers her words...II like the way you think, Ashildr. You and Raven are right. I think it's better to ask the station for forgiveness than permission. If we can do this without cooperation from the station, and we keep all violence segregated from anyone else's knowledge, we should be ok.

Leon, can you take charge of preparing our hangar to receive the Aslans?

Arnwulf, Tiv says, while bringing up the ship slave roster, I see we have a number of slaves with mechanic, electronic and computer skill sets. Can you take lead on purchasing the parts to restore the repair bot and the security bot, and running a team that can do the work? It looks like you'll have many hands to help. Please insert an audio and visual capability in each...stream and record please. We can start with Ummiimir tonight and see what he can provide. Then we solicit from the station for the rest. I'd like each of them to be able operate autonomously via preprogramming as well as via real-time remote control. What do you think about giving some surveillance capability to your mount as well? Perhaps we can find a way for it to make a few rounds through the Aslan hangar as well. May even to get it to be present at the demo.

Ashildr, I'll leave it to you to plant a commdot or two on the Aslans. I just don't see how we're going to to be able to receive them until I can get a data feed inside their hangar.

Tiv pulls up a hologram of the station's data network overlain on the physical layout of the station: I see three possibilities: 1) I can try to hack the local common node to see the security data coming from the Aslan hangar. But that doesn't get us the commdot transmissions from inside the ship. so 2) We get one of our bots to install a box containing a commdot with receive-only capability and a storage wafer to the inside of the hangar. We send a bot in periodically to change the recording. Run the recording on high speed for the Serpent to digest the comm and catalog the voices. 3) If either of those fails, I would have to conduct a much more involved hack. That would have to entail physically connecting into this fiber-optic cable, here, on the interior (station) side of the door just outside the Alsan's hangar complex with a tap and low-power wireless transmitter...and do the same hardwire tap on the other side. Then we can connect the exterior (hangar) side node to a video/audio bug and commdot receiver mounted near one of the existing station camera's inside their hangar. If I do the same to our doorway, then we can transmit all that data from their hangar doorway to ours then on to the Serpent who can keep a continuous watch and record it. I'd need 4 fiber optic taps and 3 wireless data transceivers, an audio/visual bug, and a commdot modified for receive-only. The only detectable hardwire hacks will be the fiber-optic taps on either side of the doorways. Of course, our wireless connections could be intercepted, but I don't think the station will care as long as things are discreet and nothing sensitive regarding the station is compromised. That would be our backup plan.

I will look into purchasing a cleaning bot that will have a large vacuum receptacle in which we can hide weapons.

Raven, are you okay using your warband, or part of it, as "captives"? Kar, do we have your ok? How do we want to fund this? This will take some credits.

[The Bindoner]

If anyone would like to convert comdots to bugs (muting the speaker function, trying to boost range, disguising them...) an Electronics/Comm roll seems appropriate. I'll take bids on other skills.

[Tiglath]

I will look into purchasing a cleaning bot that will have a large vacuum receptacle in which we can hide weapons.

Raven, are you okay using your warband, or part of it, as "captives"? Kar, do we have your ok? How do we want to fund this? This will take some credits.[/dialog]

Raven recovers from either a stifled laugh or some misdirected ale during Áshildr's speech but then replies readily "Of course - this ruse will get us into the Aslan hangar and hopefully aboard their ship".

She observes "It sounds as if robots of all types will be of use to our plans but with all this talk of conduits and cables surely here we need not a bull but a spider to broach the enemy's fastness?"

[Thumper]

Just for giggles, Tiv brings up station library data on the standard specs, floor plan and engineering schematics of the target Aslan ship.

He throws them up on the holovid for everybody to see our prey. He lets that display while remaining wordless, hoping this gives some motivation to everybody.

[The Bindoner]

The Aoa'iw is a common type of Aslan vessel, and standard designs are in the Blackrock database. These are the generic class details however, not those of the specific ship (Yeroarao) docked here.


Copies of the official data here: viewtopic.php?f=978&t=10160&p=633048#p633048

[hardrocks]

Kar, do we have your ok? How do we want to fund this? This will take some credits.
Top

Kar does some quick calculations.

I can make the required funds available from the ships treasury.

[Thumper]

Then, we are all in agreement. I propose we do what needs doing until we attend Ummiimirs’s reception for us.

Tiv will leave to send a message to the inbound Aesgeirr ships to adjust speed so as to dock shortly after our meeting with the Aslan delegation the following morning.

He’ll then set to work, along with Arnwulf, organizing the Comm equipment modifications that we can perform ourselves.