Chapter 10: Year 300, Days 7 and 8

[BackworldTraveller]

Captain

We have no intention of coming closer...we are guests of the Belters and any such action would severely compromise our agreements with them. However, it seem that you and I have mutual interests and it would be a disaster if you were to be prevented in advancing those by the groups that seek to thwart your actions.

And so, here we are. If nothing else, potential witnesses to any illegal act may preclude such acts from occurring. It is said that for evil to prosper, good men need only do nothing. Perhaps, together, we can do good?

"While I appreciate the sentiment and the support, I ask that you heed my request to stand clear. We have no intention of attacking anyone unless they become a clear threat to us."

We are quite happy where we are - at a safe distance - and, perhaps, you will come to see things from our view in time. And while we wait, perhaps we could invite yourself and Ms en Sabah to dinner later. Our chef is quite good.

[The Bindoner]

Using the darkness for cover, Nālani pockets the stunner, draws her silenced pistol, puts that in the pocket and switches back to the stunner. She wants the lethal weapon readily available if it becomes necessary.

Nālani looks at the press of bodies forcing their way in the “wrong” direction:

Stay by the wall and stay close, it will be easier to make our way and not lose the direction. When we reach the concourse, we go left around the throng. Unless you have a better idea?

[joertexas]

We are quite happy where we are - at a safe distance - and, perhaps, you will come to see things from our view in time. And while we wait, perhaps we could invite yourself and Ms en Sabah to dinner later. Our chef is quite good.

"Thank you for the invitation, Captain. Perhaps we will be in a position to accept sometime soon."

[BackworldTraveller]

Using the darkness for cover, Nālani pockets the stunner, draws her silenced pistol, puts that in the pocket and switches back to the stunner. She wants the lethal weapon readily available if it becomes necessary.

Nālani looks at the press of bodies forcing their way in the “wrong” direction:

Stay by the wall and stay close, it will be easier to make our way and not lose the direction. When we reach the concourse, we go left around the throng. Unless you have a better idea?

Nālani heads left and Hebden slowly follows - nervous. Most of the people seem to be fleeing, but two seem to be kicking a body on the floor. They stop the kicking and then look around. One picks up what looks like a shotgun with an orange stock. They both start moving towards the stairs.

Is that one of your friends do you think? asks Hebden. Even in the dark, he looks pale.

A drone buzzes slowly towards the pair of you, moving along the concourse wall - but suddenly turns and starts towards the people milling at the stairs.

As the guy with the gun moves towards the press, someone notices him and screams...

Next actions please.

[BackworldTraveller]

We are quite happy where we are - at a safe distance - and, perhaps, you will come to see things from our view in time. And while we wait, perhaps we could invite yourself and Ms en Sabah to dinner later. Our chef is quite good.

"Thank you for the invitation, Captain. Perhaps we will be in a position to accept sometime soon."

OK - I understand. Well perhaps when the situation is less fraught we will chat. God be with you. and the connection is cut.

Assana looks up from her screen
This communicator is functioning, but it isn't picking up anything at the Crater. I think I heard something but I don't know where it came from. And it sounded like Swahili! "Jambo" is Swahili, Right?

[joertexas]

Assana looks up from her screenThis communicator is functioning, but it isn't picking up anything at the Crater. I think I heard something but I don't know where it came from. And it sounded like Swahili! "Jambo" is Swahili, Right?

"It means hello," Indrani replies. "Keep monitoring it, but also watch the other feeds."

"Maggie, keep an eye on our new friend. If their status changes, sing out."

[Monsieur Rose]

Noor

Noor nods at Thaco. "Right, down it is, while we still have cover." She glances around for Pranit while moving for the stairs. Once she gets there, she'll try to hang back inside the landing area to spot her shipmates.

[ateno]

Pranit continues looking for his fellows, hiding his shotgun in the corner of the building as he leans against the building.

Watching he aprehension team, witing till they make a decision.

Pranit

[The Bindoner]

Nālani heads left and Hebden slowly follows - nervous. Most of the people seem to be fleeing, but two seem to be kicking a body on the floor. They stop the kicking and then look around. One picks up what looks like a shotgun with an orange stock. They both start moving towards the stairs.

Is that one of your friends do you think? asks Hebden. Even in the dark, he looks pale.

Nālani turns her masks to Hebden (the costume wolf, and her own expression) and tells him, in a flat, cold tone: You are the nearest thing I have to a friend right now. Everyone else here is, at best, a recent acquaintance.


A dr

one buzzes slowly towards the pair of you, moving along the concourse wall - but suddenly turns and starts towards the people milling at the stairs.

As the guy with the gun moves towards the press, someone notices him and screams...

Next actions please.

With luck, those men will both clear our way and distract any watchers. We should follow them, at a distance, and take advantage of the path they carve.

[BackworldTraveller]

The two grey-clad guys approach the top of the stairs. From Pranit's position, he can see them start moving through the group and, as the group suddenly realises that they are there, scatters back across the floor of the concourse or rushes down the stairs, leaving the area at the top of the stairs clear. One points down the stairs; the other raises his gun and takes aim.

Pranit can't quite see who they are aiming at, but a quick check over the balustrade reveals a couple of big guys that might be Thaco. No sign of Noor, but she's quite short. In the panic, someone on the stairs falls and another person trips over them heading downwards head first.

Nālani and Hebden have manoeuvred around the walls until they are behind the concession stand. Someone is crouching on the other side of it, takes a quick look about and returns to their covered position. Where the drone has flown off to isn't clear, and the two that were on the other side of the concourse have vanished in the gloom.

Noor, moving down the stairs with the fleeing shoppers, can feel Thaco at her back as he is bumped by the others.

[BackworldTraveller]

Assana looks up from her screenThis communicator is functioning, but it isn't picking up anything at the Crater. I think I heard something but I don't know where it came from. And it sounded like Swahili! "Jambo" is Swahili, Right?

"It means hello," Indrani replies. "Keep monitoring it, but also watch the other feeds."

"Maggie, keep an eye on our new friend. If their status changes, sing out."

That's what I thought. mumbles Assana.

Will do answers Maggie in acknowledgement.

Assana has overlaid the surface with the sources of the encrypted transmissions she's found. There are various groups scattered about the town, including a group doing a lot of talking at the town's police station and jail. Other than that there is no particular indication of what the other transmissions are. Captain. Reven. she calls out Do you know how I can link all these transmissions and start turning all these points into tracks?

[joertexas]

Assana has overlaid the surface with the sources of the encrypted transmissions she's found. There are various groups scattered about the town, including a group doing a lot of talking at the town's police station and jail. Other than that there is no particular indication of what the other transmissions are. Captain. Reven. she calls out Do you know how I can link all these transmissions and start turning all these points into tracks?

Roll[2d6]=6 + Electronics/Computers-2 = 8

[cybersavant]

electronics comms

[ateno]

Pranit can't quite see who they are aiming at, but a quick check over the balustrade reveals a couple of big guys that might be Thaco. No sign of Noor, but she's quite short. In the panic, someone on the stairs falls and another person trips over them heading downwards head first.

How far away are the two thugs from his position and does he see any other susppicious 'watchers'.

Pranit

[BackworldTraveller]

Pranit can't quite see who they are aiming at, but a quick check over the balustrade reveals a couple of big guys that might be Thaco. No sign of Noor, but she's quite short. In the panic, someone on the stairs falls and another person trips over them heading downwards head first.

How far away are the two thugs from his position and does he see any other susppicious 'watchers'.

Pranit

You could try a Recon roll to see if you can locate any.

[BackworldTraveller]

Raven and Indrani start working on the problem set by Assana. With individual transmissions, the main problem is linking each item - The scout service would have off-the-shelf stuff for this, but having to improvise makes it harder. Reven soon finds that each transmission has a "From" and "To" signature...and Indrani is able to persuade the mapping software to link plots with the same id.

And the tracks look a bit ominous. The transmissions appear to be forming a broken ring. If you had to guess, you'd guess that the rest of the team were somewhere in the middle. But with the various layers of the station, it's hard to see if the ring is complete. The resulting map is showing plan but not depth.

The odd-group out seem to be gathered at the town police station.

Maggie keeps an eye on the New Heaven ship (and other in general) but they appear to be settled and not doing anything suspicious - other than just existing and keeping 300km away.

Assana aids Reven and Indrani by cataloguing the transmissions and aiding the Queen's software in filtering-out the multitude of civil calls.

That rough circle looks worrying. I hope there are more than 6 ways out! (And we haven't missed a group)

[ateno]

So I rolled both Investigate for flow of people and difference and recon (JOT +1) as you requested.

- just realized, new version trav seems to be -3 from or so skill, so I rolled a 8 recon

You never did say how far the two on the stairs are?

[The Bindoner]

The two grey-clad guys approach the top of the stairs. From Pranit's position, he can see them start moving through the group and, as the group suddenly realises that they are there, scatters back across the floor of the concourse or rushes down the stairs, leaving the area at the top of the stairs clear. One points down the stairs; the other raises his gun and takes aim.

Pranit can't quite see who they are aiming at, but a quick check over the balustrade reveals a couple of big guys that might be Thaco. No sign of Noor, but she's quite short. In the panic, someone on the stairs falls and another person trips over them heading downwards head first.

Nālani and Hebden have manoeuvred around the walls until they are behind the concession stand. Someone is crouching on the other side of it, takes a quick look about and returns to their covered position. Where the drone has flown off to isn't clear, and the two that were on the other side of the concourse have vanished in the gloom.

Noor, moving down the stairs with the fleeing shoppers, can feel Thaco at her back as he is bumped by the others.

Nālani whispers to Hebden: Do we have to go up those stairs? That is a high stakes game.


Tcha, you told the others to go that way., so we must. If we can move in and make the point, we’ve a chance to start bearing off, hopefully make it a straight race.

If the dice come up such a way, you distract, I’ll hit the blot.

[BackworldTraveller]

From the west edge of the concession stand to the stairs is 12m (3 move minor-actions) - the concession stand needs another 1 move minor-action to bypass

From where the other two were last seen, either they have stepped into the shadows between the lit shop windows on the west side of the concourse; gone back through the entry doors and thus back into the stairs to the balconies or across the concourse along the west wall and up the corridor past the party shop.

There is movement over in the shadows, but Pranit cannot see if that is a cowering bystander or a protagonist.

The pair at the top of the stairs take a shot - the shotgun wielder firing a round into the crowd. Thaco sees a large man in a long coat go down (twitching, and gripped by another blue-sparking device) about 5m behind him - but has to keep going because the retreat down the stairs by the shoppers turns into a rout! The noise of screams. Noor is in danger of being pushed off her feet. The only safe options are to carry on forwards at the stair bottom or catch the rail and duck round under the staircase. Someone on the stairs seems to be armed and a wild shot is fired back up the stairs. Where that went isn't clear at all! The crowd clears to avoid this second shooter, leaving him exposed.

[BackworldTraveller]

Assana notes
Hey, someone is videoing a shooting incident in the crater!
A terrible quality image is brought up of a body on the floor of a shopping concourse and, beyond it, someone firing over the balustrade with a shotgun. Bystanders seem to be cowering behind concession stands and in shops or fleeing for their lives.