Episode II: The Gathering Storm IC Thread 3

[Thundercracker]

Shyar quickly looked around for a box or bag to hold everything before rushing off to the storage room.

You find a large garbage bag in the kitchen, and in the storage room there are several large filing cabinets, haphazardly filled with datapads and data tapes, and a few bottles of liquor. There is also a back door which exits to the side of the building.

[RandomLunatic]

Shyar began unceremoniously ransacking the filing cabinets.

[Thundercracker]

Zoccom:

Shyar is able to clear out all of the data tapes and datapads, finishing about 80% before the sound of sirens can be heard.

The kitchen is starting to thaw out now.

Felton curses when he hears the sirens.

“Police coming,” he said, “we shoot them, pay them, or run?”

[whoiam]

"You lot get the records and go. I'll sound out the police and see whether they can be... 'worked'... with."

With enough time since the fight to recover her powers, Zavi may not be confident in her ability to corrupt an entire unfamiliar police force on contact... but she's perfectly willing to gather information on them. If they were on the take, that'd make smoothing things over afterwards a lot easier. If they weren't, she could just slip away once the initial response dies down.

While Zavi couldn't read minds while maintaining invisibility, that didn't stop her spying on the officers the old-fashioned way. So she headed for the front doors - not intending to go out them, or even get too close in case the police breached them forcefully - but turned invisible again and took up a position watching them. She'd pick up the responders when they entered.

[RandomLunatic]

Shyar nodded. "Better give me ya personal comm, an' anything else ya don't want da law seein' if dey decide ta bring ya in. Who's a good lawyer around here?" she asked the locals.

"Besides, someone has ta report in. Let 'em know ta expect a call, willya?" Then she slammed the filing cabinets shut, tied up her bag, and hurried out the back.

[Thundercracker]

Zoccom:

While Shyar was busy collecting the data tapes, Felton helps himself to some of the liquor, drinking a few swallows directly from the bottle, and offering some to Jas, who takes a swig as well. He then makes sure there are weapons by each of the bodies and they’re all in a position to have been shooting each other.

He makes to follow Shyar when she leaves. He is hauling his own garbage bag, but his is filled with cash sticks and guns.
“Jenos knew lawyer,” he said, “I know face only.”

“Where are we goin?,” Jas asked, once you were a block away.

Zavi waits near the entrance as the police arrive. They arrive guns drawn, and sweep the room. White clad paramedics arrive afterwards, and cart off two of the goons, who were still alive. The coroners then come and cart off the bodies, and entire area is taped off and restricted as a crime scene, but it is hours before the strip club is clear of people.

[whoiam]

Once the strip club was clear, Zavi let herself out the back door. A quick call to Shyar would let her know where to find her colleague; the call to the other group could wait until they were all together again.


-----------Once Zavi's been able to catch up with Shyar again--------------------
"Well, that was a bust, " she notes. "All that time and no-one had any special reaction to Jenos. Dunno if that means they were honest, or if they just didn't recognise the guy in person. Either way, not the best evening I've ever spent in a club."

Then it was time for the big call. She had to send Kikari a message first, so they'd know the call was safe to take...

Spoiler: For Kikari

Show

Assuming Kikari hasn't 'somehow' come to the conclusion that keeping Zavi out of her mind might be a good idea... no idea where she'd get a concept like that from... then she'll be receiving Zavi's message. It's a sense of satisfaction, only slightly short of crossing over into smugness.

Then she attaches the scrambler that Gial had prepared for her to her comlink, hands the device over to Shyar, and smiles. "Should be expecting your call now."

[RandomLunatic]

"Well, dat depends. Dis would go a lot easier if Mister Jenos had a safehouse near here dat ain't been burned yet," said Shyar.

---

Shyar nodded, moved away for a bit of privacy, punched in the commcode and waited for Kikari to pick up. With Jenos and Kas still hanging around, she kept it terse and a bit cryptic. "Hey, is Fishy dere? Put 'im on. I need ta talk ta him."

[Thundercracker]

Zoccom:

There were a few mentions of gang wars, but nothing me thinking Jenos specifically. Seems he wasn’t really a big enough threat yet for him to be well known to local law enforcement.

“There’s a laundry joint four blocks that way,” Jas said, pointing, “and Jenos has a house somewhere in the Stacks, don’t know exactly where.”

Felton looked around.
“I have apartment,” he said, “small.”

[Hazuki]

"Let me see if I can... Uh, see." Kikari whispers to Gial, as she does her best to gain a mental image of one of the tough-looking people she saw entering the function room.

Spoiler: Farseeing

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Taking 10 for 25 to get the information listed on Farseeing. Paraphrased so you don't have to look up: If result equals or exceeds will defense, can see whether they're alive or dead, a vague sense of their immediate surroundings, what they're currently doing, and any strong emotions they're feeling.

[RandomLunatic]

Shyar turned to Zavi. "Did you see da cops collectin' any of da files I missed?" she asked in effort to make up her mind.

[Thundercracker]

Coruscant: you can see the tough in your mind’s eye. He’s now carrying a large blaster rifle, and he’s among the others who entered. You see a kubaz seated at a long table, and everyone appears to be anticipating, waiting.

Zoccom:

The police did not take anything at all. Only the bodies were removed and the building cordoned off.

[Hazuki]

Kikari quietly relays what she sees to Gial.

"Perhaps we can identify who is being waited for?"

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Not without slicing again into the police's database, and that's a risk we can't take since we're stuck here. Keep...er, looking, for the pearl."

Gial felt he had thought as much a lot since he arrived on Coruscant, but the Force sure was handy. "I'll see if I can give us some audio."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I'll retrieve the thug's faces from the lobby's security recordings if possible, then see if they can be identified. Hacking into Anfopor's commlink to turn on the microphone. Use Computer (1d20+22)[39].

[RandomLunatic]

"We'll set up in in da laundromat for now, look over da books, figure out da next move," said Shyar.

[Thundercracker]

Zoccom: on the way to the laundromat, Jas pulled out a comlink.

“Hey, yeah it’s me, listen, why don’t you go stay at you mom ‘s for a few days. Yeah. No, I’ll talk to you later.”

the laundromat has a homeless person outside begging for change, and only one elderly individual inside, slowly feeding coins into one of the machines. You make you way to the cramped office in the back. There is a beat up old computer here you could use to access the data tapes and also hand written ledgers of the laundromat business. A clock ticks noisily on one wall, and various papers and receipts are piled up on the lone desk. There is one chair and one stool.

Coruscant:
Gial isn’t able to remotely turn on Anfopor’s comlink, but he can force it to place a call to his comlink. Assuming he does so he overheard the following: “four minutes. Hopefully they show.”

[RandomLunatic]

"Who was dat?" Shyar asked Jas, more out of curiosity than suspicion.

Once in the office, Shyar said, "Go put on some caf and grab a shovel, boys. We got diggin' ta do."

[Hyperbolic sine]

Hmm...

Gial could see two options: block anyone from showing up so that the meeting would be called off and wait for Anfopor to b alone again, or let it happen and follow whoever took the pearl. There was also a third option - disrupt the meeting, spark a shooting, and then take care of the survivors - but it wasn't particularly reliable.

In any case, the only thing left to do was to wait for the other party to show up.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Perception (1d20+15)[24], though I imagine anyone going for the function rooms at this point in time is our guy.

Just then, the call from Shyar came through.

"Hey, is Fishy dere? Put 'im on. I need ta talk ta him."

"...he's here, but he's a little busy. What is it?"

[RandomLunatic]

"Our mark made us! Matched my face to da damn funeral clip!" came Shyar's response. "An' I think a customs tech got dis close ta fingerin' me too. We're famous now. Watch yaself."

[Thundercracker]

"Who was dat?" Shyar asked Jas, more out of curiosity than suspicion.

Once in the office, Shyar said, "Go put on some caf and grab a shovel, boys. We got diggin' ta do."

“My girlfriend,” Jas replied

Over the next few hours, you try to piece together Jenos’ operation. Jenos kept his cards fairly close to his chest, and apparently Ray was the one who he trusted the most as they were childhood friends. Felton is an experienced tough, he can get results but lacks finesse. His answer to almost anything is either shoot it, beat it up, or run away. Jas is creative and has potential, but lacks experience.

There is nothing you can find about Jenos’ forays beyond Zoccom. On Zoccom, there are details of a protection racket, plus Sarangi was in Jenos’ pocket and the insurance money from torching his place was to pay off a 300k credit debt which was owed. There is also dirt on some of the local law enforcement, evidence of bribes and illegal activities to keep them off your backs, at least in the short term.

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Our mark made us! Matched my face to da damn funeral clip!" came Shyar's response. "An' I think a customs tech got dis close ta fingerin' me too. We're famous now. Watch yaself."

"Which fun- ah. I see...thanks for the heads up." Gial didn't think most people could tell him apart from other Mon Cals, but better safe than sorry. "So...I guess it was a failure?" he asked, his voice betraying some unease.

[Thundercracker]

Coruscant:

After the conversation with Shyar (you can continue that in spoilers), Gial begins listening in to Anfopor’s comlink again.

There is the sound of a door opening, footsteps, rustling of cloth, and the readying of rifles or other energy weapons.
“Right on time, I’m impressed,” a tinny high pitched voice said. You surmise this is the kubaz speaking.

“I see you brought backup,” a deep baritone voice replied.

“I thought it prudent,” Anfopor said.
“Prudent but unnecessary,” the deep voice replied, “we are here to trade in good faith. You brought it?”

You can continue to listen in if you wish, or take any kind of action starting from when the door to the function room opened.

[RandomLunatic]

"Sithspit," Shyar said, realizing that she may have gotten rid of Jas a little too early.

She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her face. "Ya know who else was involved in Mister Jenos' off-world dealings? Mister Sarangi. I think it's time we go talk ta him."

Spoiler

Show

"Nah, it just got... messy. We ended up skipping a bunch of steps. Now we're pickin' up da pieces. Just wanted ta tell ya ta be careful about gettin' on holo."

[Hyperbolic sine]

As soon as Gial heard the other party had arrived (and, evidently, not by passing through the lobby), he turned to Kikari. "What do you see?"

[Thundercracker]

As soon as Gial heard the other party had arrived (and, evidently, not by passing through the lobby), he turned to Kikari. "What do you see?"

Kikari can see the addition of two additional figures in her vision.

Her vision of the two is a bit fuzzy; they’re difficult to keep focus on, but she is able to make out one is a tall, muscular and bald black man, and the other a short (perhaps 5’) grey skinned humanoid.

[Thundercracker]

"Sithspit," Shyar said, realizing that she may have gotten rid of Jas a little too early.

She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her face. "Ya know who else was involved in Mister Jenos' off-world dealings? Mister Sarangi. I think it's time we go talk ta him."

Spoiler

Show

"Nah, it just got... messy. We ended up skipping a bunch of steps. Now we're pickin' up da pieces. Just wanted ta tell ya ta be careful about gettin' on holo."

“I know where he lives,” Jas said, “do you wanna head over there now?”

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Mmh."

Gial still wasn't set on any definitive course of action, so he decided to keep listening. In the meanwhile, though, he checked to see if the access he had to the hotel's system would allow him to remotely lock the doors.

[Thundercracker]

Gial is not currently able to access the locks for the function rooms, nor is he even sure there is a centralized locking system.

“Of course, I’m sure you brought the credits,” Anfopor said.

“Yes, we would like to inspect the item first,” the baritone voice said.

“Slide the credits over first, if you don’t mind,” Anfopor said.

The sound of cloth sliding across the table can be heard.

Then there is the sound of a case being opened, followed by silence.
“It is authentic,” a higher pitched male voice said.
“It’s all here,” another male voice said.

“The deal is complete,” the baritone voice said, “you have proven reliable, Anfopor, we may call upon you again in the future.”

“Glad to be of service,” the kubaz replied.

A door opens and closes, followed shortly thereafter by Anfopor’s voice: “good work, let’s get out of here and then it’s tike to go home.” There is movement, and then the doors open and you can hear footsteps and the sounds of the lobby approaching.

Spoiler

Show

feel free to interrupt at any point with an action.

[Hyperbolic sine]

What to do? Letting the exchange proceed to completion could mean losing track of the pearl...but they were only two, barging in there wasn't an option.

“Yes, we would like to inspect the item first,” the baritone voice said.

Ah, f**k it.

Bringing up the text function of his comm, Gial quickly typed [You're alone. It's a trap. - A friend.] and then sent it to Anfopor, fiddling a bit to make it untraceable. Let's see what happens.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Use Computer (1d20+22)[35] to erase the sender's data.

[Thundercracker]

What to do? Letting the exchange proceed to completion could mean losing track of the pearl...but they were only two, barging in there wasn't an option.



Ah, f**k it.

Bringing up the text function of his comm, Gial quickly typed [You're alone. It's a trap. - A friend.] and then sent it to Anfopor, fiddling a bit to make it untraceable. Let's see what happens.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Use Computer [roll0] to erase the sender's data.

Either the kubaz is so focused on the meeting he doesn’t notice his comlink or he doesn’t care, and the meeting continues. On second thought this is possibly not a bad thing as you realize drawing attention to the fact he has an open call he didn’t dial might not be wise.