Chapter Six: All the shareholders together?

[BackworldTraveller]

Reven
Dreams of Anjali disturb an otherwise quiet night. With no fuel there's no reactor so there's just the noise of the cyclers for the air - one annoying squeak of a fan in need of lubrication to track down when it's light.

Indrani
Nothing more unexpected occurs, but you lay awake for a while - Arnwulf returns and you eventually hear Reven changing for bed but other than that the night passes without event. Pranit must have really tied one on because you didn't hear him get home at all.

Arnwulf
Arnwulf potters about a bit before bedtime. While earlier discussion of Axe manufacture makes getting the pieces out to review them, common curtesy suggests that this is not the hour to make the next piece. And so to bed. The morning arrives to the sounds of movement and the smells of breakfast in the crew commons. The filters in the air-con need replacing!

Pranit and Nalani to follow when they get to their respective beds!

[Stirling]

Tiberius

Stays in the hotel suite, breakfasting in his room. He rises early in anticipation of another long and multi-faceted day.

It was my understanding that we would be available for 'advocates questiins' from 8.00am as requested by Charlie Maputo and the QoTB shareholders meeting would start at 10.00am.

So he settles in the conference suite at 7.45am awaiting developments, making little paper origami frogs with the napkins to wile away the minutes.

[joertexas]

Indrani
Nothing more unexpected occurs, but you lay awake for a while - Arnwulf returns and you eventually hear Reven changing for bed but other than that the night passes without event. Pranit must have really tied one on because you didn't hear him get home at all.

Indrani rises at 6am, takes a shower, and goes to the crew galley to see what is available for breakfast.

[cybersavant]

Reven Stiilpahth gets up upon hearing the rustlings of movement. He runs his hands through his hair, changes clothes, and exits his cabin to the lounge area. "Morning, Captain."

[Bluetongue]

Arnwulf

"So what is the workload for today?" he asks over breakfast. "You three got your meeting leaving me and Pranit to hold the fort here. What do we prioritise? Servicing the engines, sealing the blast holes, bridge stuff? I can check through all the navigation systems. Best not to be even 1% out on a billion mile trip."

He suggests a few practicals while stuffing his face with toasted waffles.

[BackworldTraveller]

Tiberius

Stays in the hotel suite, breakfasting in his room. He rises early in anticipation of another long and multi-faceted day.

It was my understanding that we would be available for 'advocates questiins' from 8.00am as requested by Charlie Maputo and the QoTB shareholders meeting would start at 10.00am.

So he settles in the conference suite at 7.45am awaiting developments, making little paper origami frogs with the napkins to wile away the minutes.

The morning starts slowly. A message from Charlie Maputo confirming he's starting the Advocate Review...doesn't expect to hear anything for a while as the people he needs to speak to tend to start work later.

Runs out of paper for frogs quite quickly. Flicking through the News Feeds - looking at Social Media - Trawling websites for comms kit.

Who was supposed to find Jusu Saffa. It clearly wasn't the current crew. And if he was to be found as a message, for whom was the message meant? And why no "Anonymous tip" when the discovery didn't happen?

Back to News, Comedic Cats and waiting.

[joertexas]

At 7:30am, Indrani stands. "I have another meeting to attend. I will meet you all at the shareholders' meeting." She steps out and heads to her meeting.

[Monsieur Rose]

Noor/Sam

At about 8 or so, Noor sends a message to Indrani. "Hello again. You never got back to me after my last message. I'd like to participate in the meeting today by phone. If this ID is acceptable, I'll call it. Sam"

[Stirling]

Tiberius

Inspector Jai Madhri. (Contact details on the back).

Pings a message to him.

"How can I help?"

[BackworldTraveller]

Inspector Madhri

Thank you for responding. I have a few more questions about yesterday's shooting and was wondering if I might meet with you to get these answered?

[Stirling]

Tiberius

"Sure though I am busy this morning. Tell me what you know and I will try to fill in the blanks. "

[BackworldTraveller]

Inspector Madhri
We have ascertained that the person who was shoot at was one Noor en Sabah - and the security footage from the hotel shows her heading out of the hotel with two of the people who were at the Shareholder's meeting. Arnwulf and Nalani. That same footage shows you conversing with Arnwulf earlier - as if you knew him. And then someone attacked him in his suite which was booked in the name of the same, missing Noor en Sabah. What can you tell me of this man, and why he is on Sparks?

[Stirling]

Tiberius

"That was Noor En Sabah? Wow.
Well things begin to make sense. I understood one of the attendees at the conference was acting as her representative as due to recent family tragedy so was unable to attend in person. So it was her who made a late and dramatic arrival.

Mr Lugersen? I vaguely remember him from some draftee intake into the police service a decade or more ago but he soon got bummed out. Was handing out his C.V card to various businessmen at the hotel as his previous merchant ship was in for repairs. Does a bit of crew work and security.

I knew the Queen would be searching for multi-skilled crewmen so told him to stick around and I would put a word in for him. He seemed very familiar with Miss Nirashi. Maybe they are together? She is a shareholder in the Queen too and maybe she hoped to get her beau a foot in the door too.

I don't know about any other suite attacks.

Are we safe here? Security seems very lax. You even had some hoodlum turn up dead outside the door."

[BackworldTraveller]

Inspector Madhri
So would it be your opinion that Miss Nirashi and Mr Lugersen were here to meet Ms en Sabah? That their meeting her was not a coincidence? After all, they are the only people she has seen since she left her home.

[Stirling]

Tiberius

"I am not at liberty to express opinions on fellow shareholders. Miss Nirashi is listed as a shareholder in the Queen of the Belt as am I. So we attended the conference at the same time.

I believe other shares were listed under the name of Sabah Media so was not surprised to see an unknown representative of them at the meeting.

I was under the impression the Sabah family member who gatecrashed the conference was Raaiwayih En Sabah. She was identified by one of the young ladies, you know how the youth of today keep up to date with social media influencers and popstars.

I think after the conference I read news of her going to an inquest on New Earth and then touring. You know, the show must go on!"

[BackworldTraveller]

Inspector Madhri
Well thank you. I fear that we will no doubt be contacting you again for a formal statement confirming what you have said once we unravel everyone's comings and goings.

[Stirling]

Tiberius

"I understand hotel security had footage of the three suspects involved in the shooting. Swapping details in corridors and such. Who were they. One was in the hotel for a while. Did he take a room or leave a debit card payment receipt behind?

If the dead man in the car was subsequently shot dead for the botched assasination attempt, he may have details on his comms unit from whoever gave him the sanction details. Is that a backward thread you can follow up on? I certainly don't think any of the shareholders held a grievance against the Sabah Media family. Unless you count the Admiralty among them. The shooting seemed to pretty quickly convince the External Affairs bureau reps to counsel the immediate devestiture of their shareholding. Perhaps the navy know something regarding En Sabah or the hitmen that they are not telling?

Please don'g hesitate to share with me your findings and ask me any more relevant questions.

Tiberius O'Hare. "

[Stirling]

Tiberius

While waiting for the conference to begin he checks latest news with a particular focus on Shelter announcements after the New Heaven FLT research disclosure. They are holding a press conference today which he wants to follow.

Also probe into the Sabah Media and NHB rivalry. Tibbs may hold a view that the discovery of Jusu Saffa may have been the catalyst for NHB to step up theur programme and the possibility is they were behind the En Sabah massacre as they seek to eliminate rivals.

[The Bindoner]

Nālani wakes to the familiar weight of Hoshiko sitting on her and reaches out to cancel her alarm.

Another business meeting today...

She activates a standard omelette program on the autochef and eats it with green tea as the home salon takes the nightclub out of her hair and resets it for the day, her attention divided between the news feeds and planning todays outfit.

After a brief play with Hoshiko she dresses, changes her nails, sets the automatic cat food dispenser, tops up the water, activates the holo projector on its mouse-and-bird program and descends to the lobby to attend the morning meeting.

Edited to correct venue

[cybersavant]

Reven Stiilpahth busies himself about the ship, cleaning and such, until the shareholders meeting starts.