Jade Imperium - The War At Home

e of pi 2012-02-07 04:26:19
Luis' angry gaze fades slightly into curiosity as Hugh sets up the call to Sturgis, but he fixes an impassive mask as Hugh speaks to the person on the other end of the line, apparently Paul. When Hugh finishes and turns back, Luis' face doesn't shift...but neither does the anger return. Instead, he takes a short breath and blows it out through his nose before speaking. When he does, his voice is calmer. "Yeah, you did. Now, you want a briefing on what you missed, and we can figure out what parts of this Bolton needs to know?"
punkey 2012-02-07 21:53:18
Luis and Hunter give Hugh the low-down on the security details and challenges facing Sturgis and Onas at the moment. Hugh nods a lot listening to the description. You can see him scowl when the remaining diehards are mentioned, though, and that clearly sets a few gears going in his head. He's not going to discuss any specifics in the skimmer, though.

Tei sets the skimmer down outside of the green zone, a comfortable distance from the walls. She nods to the three men inside. "Good luck. We'll stay in touch."

---

After the stress of the meeting with the business leaders of Boranai, Angel found himself enjoying the climb and setup on his sniper perch for overwatch on Hugh, Luis and Hunter's meeting with the mysterious Viiam'i. Compared to working a room of panicked business men and women, laying on a roof a few hundred yards from a meeting is simple. Friendlies and hostiles, principles and targets. Easy.

Until a skimmer dropped out of the sky, right next to the convoy. Hugh waved the response off and called a stand-down over the vox, and then the three men just climbed in and took off. Angel just shook his head. "Idiots."

An hour and a half later, Angel's still up on that rooftop, while Davis, Swims-the-Black, Arketta and Zaef have split into two-person teams covering the meeting point and the surrounding neighborhood. Angel has adjusted position slightly to provide overwatch, while the product orders from his new clients have been steadily rolling in. Angel's new sunglasses have one more trick up their sleeve - One half is displaying the image from his Imperial-made rifle's optics, letting him keep watch on the rooftops, while the other half of his vision lets him scroll through and approve purchase orders as they roll in.

"Hey, I got Hugh, Luis and Hunter here, they look unharmed," Davis calls out over the vox.

---

A half-hour later, everyone is reunited at the Boranai Gateport. With the team's business completed on Boranai, it's time to head back home. Bolton is there as well, sans guard, oddly enough. "So, did you get done what you needed to get done?" he asks.
"I believe we did," Davis replies. "Thanks for the vote of support, it'll really help back on Narsai."
"It was no problem. You all do great work," Bolton says. "We need that kind of work to continue more than we need to worry about the haircuts of your team."
"And thank you for keeping an eye on the Wherren here," Swims-the-Black adds. "And for including the Bashakra'i and Boranai'i in your work. We need more Narsai'i leaders with your vision."
"It's my pleasure," Bolton says.

The general clears his throat and looks to Hunter, Hugh and Luis. "And as far as our friends go, what did you manage to find out?" he asks. "Now, I want to be clear that I asked you that as a general in the United States Army. And now, I am personally telling you that if your answer might make my job here or your jobs more difficult, or in any way hurt the war effort, I don't want to know."
Gatac 2012-02-08 19:50:46
"There's nothing to be concerned about, General," Hugh says. "We have agreed to protect their identities for the time being, but there's no doubt whatsoever that they can be relied on to help you keep the peace here. From what I've seen, Sir, I recommend we redouble current efforts to reach out to and bring in the die-hard Imperial partisans. I'm not sure it's physically possible to track down every last one of them, but I think it would greatly improve the security situation if we can whittle them down from an effective fighting force to, well, outlaws that can be dealt with by local law enforcement, as soon as that is established."
punkey 2012-02-09 12:34:18
Bolton looks over to Luis and Hunter, who both only nod in assent. "Well then," Bolton replies, "I believe my ass is properly covered. We'll keep up the search for our mysterious friends, but I agree with Captain Verrill's assessment that the search for Turai insurgents should take top priority. If there's nothing else..." No one says anything. "Then I wish you all good luck. Come back and visit any time, once Congress has seen the light." Hugh and Arketta both throw Bolton a salute, which he quickly returns before walking back away from the Gateway.

"Priority departure back to Earth," the PA system calls out in English, and a group of soldiers assemble in front of the Gateway. Everyone shields their eyes from the bright flash of the opening portal, and once the iris is retracted on the other side, Task Force 815 departs Boranai.

----

Back on Earth and Diego Garcia, the comfort of the cool sea breeze carries with it a reminder that time is running out on preparation for the defense of the Gateway Research and Homeworld Defense Initiative. In a little over a day, the House Committee on Interplanetary Affairs will meet to determine whether or not they recommend that the GRHDI be defunded and dissolved, or stay on as a independent entity in the US government. After the events of the last two weeks, one thing certainly has become clear: as much as the fate of the galaxy has hung in the balance based on your actions, the stakes are no less high here. The lack of gunfire and Turai just makes it all the more challenging.

----

While Swims-the-Black shakes the desert dust out of his fur, Ngawai runs as fast as she can up the concrete ramp to the Gateway and embraces Davis, and the exchange the customary kiss and package of news and intel.
"How was Boranai?" Ngawai asks.
"Dry, hot," Davis replies with a smile. "How are things back here?"
"Barnes and I have been talking practically non-stop, putting together a plan to leverage what we know," Ngawai says. "Now that we've stopped the leak in her office, we should be able to put the information Luis stole from the New Horizons servers into play. Barnes has planned for it to leak later on today, while I have been busy setting up our travel arrangements back to DC."
Davis smiles and runs his thumb along Ngawai's chin. "And how are those going?"
Ngawai gives Davis her trademark mischievous grin and wink. "I think that we'll be well-prepared for any unexpected guests."

----

Angel hasn't had a chance to get off his vox all day - counting the Boranai'i day. Orders keep on coming in from Boranai, almost 10 million lats so far. His vox pings once for a message from Barnes on payment and establishing his corporate presence on Earth, and once more for a message from the Sheen.

"Specialist Riviera - or Kesh, as you prefer," the Sheen Ambassador says in the message, "it has been communicated to me that the construction of the training grounds at Mesas Negras have been completed to our joint specifications. We are anxious to begin joint training in conjunction with the Narsai'i - however, it has become apparent to us that it might be most prudent to postpone bringing over the various shells the twenty Sheen will be utilizing throughout training until this situation with your government has been resolved in our favor. If it is at all possible, a final review of the training curriculum and grounds with myself and the Sheen that approved this plan before training commences would be ideal. Thank you for your prompt reply."

----

Arketta wraps her arm around Luis' shoulder as you both walk down towards the Gateport exit, and doesn't say a word. After the talk that the two of you had on the blacktop on Boranai, not much needs to be said between you both. Luis' vox pings with messages from Yisai and - well, he never gave his Sheen friend a name.

----

Hunter swallows another round of nausea down - fortunately, not literally this time. He flips through his digital camera's memory as he walks slightly dizzily down the ramp - pictures of Boranai'i on the street, a picture of the Spire far off in the distance at the north edge of Gate City, pictures of Bolton and other soldiers he knew on Boranai - and a picture of most of 815 eating lunch at a roadside restaurant, the open-air dining experience seeming to be very much a part of Boranai'i culture.

As Hunter stows his camera, his new vox pings with a reminder - to call his son and daughter once he returned from Boranai. A quick check of his watch and a mental adjustment for time zone from late afternoon Diego Garcia and the US East Coast says that they should be already awake.

----

Hugh's vox pings in his pocket, and he flips on the handheld holodisplay as he clips the vox onto his ear. One of his pictures from the visit to Whiirr with the orphaned cubs sits on his background (and in his wallet as well) - not just a background, but a slideshow background, one he made all by himself, with some assistance from Luis. Floating over front is an email from a .mil address he doesn't recognize.
Quote:

Capt. Verrill:

My name is Major Raymond Dyer, and I work under Colonel Cawsworth at JSOC. I know about your visit to General Kroger, and your attempts to reconcile the GRHDI and Task Force 815 back into the Department of Defense command structure. I want to let you know that I think you're on the right track, and that I think I might have a way to bridge the gap between your efforts and the higher-ups in the Pentagon. Reply to this email ASAP if you're interested.

I know what it's like to have people look at you like you're the crazy one for suggesting that maybe we're all working towards the same goals under the same roof, and that maybe we should put this stupid turf war aside for the good of humanity. Trust me, you're doing the right thing.

- Maj. Dyer

Gatac 2012-02-09 12:56:07
Hugh reads the email a few times before composing a reply.
Quote:

Major Dyer:

I'm interested. Let me get back to you on a few details, then we can talk.

CAPT Hugh Verrill


"Yo, people!" Hugh calls out to nobody in particular. "I think I've got something here."
punkey 2012-02-09 12:58:07
Davis and Ngawai divert their paths as one and walk over to Hugh. "What's up?" Ngawai asks. Swims-the-Black files in next to them, closer to Hugh's viewing angle of his holodisplay.
e of pi 2012-02-10 01:00:30
When Hugh speaks up, Luis leaves off checking his messages and turns back to meet up with Hugh and Davis. Beside him, Arketta snaps from peaceful relaxation to alertness with incredible speed, but her arm never leaves Luis' shoulder. As they walk up, Luis looks to Hugh. "What do you have?" he asks.
Gatac 2012-02-10 07:31:46
"A possible ally in the DoD," Hugh says. He shows them the email. "Could be a trap, but I think it's worth a shot, with some precautions."
threadbare 2012-02-10 08:13:52
Hunter is instantly intrigued. "What are the names we're dealing with? Any overlap with the folks who hammered out FM 3-24 at Leavenworth back in '06? Military intellectuals are kind of a small crowd."
On his vox, he's also bringing up lists of contacts from those days and drafting emails to figure out who stands where on the current issues.
Gatac 2012-02-10 20:30:59
"That's your field, Major," Hugh says, pointing to the various names in the email for Hunter to read. "All I know is I haven't heard of Dyer before and I'm trying to figure out if that's a good or a bad thing."
threadbare 2012-02-12 21:16:59
"There're a lot of folks who keep their heads down and climb the ladder for the early part of their careers. The question is, it's hard to know what makes someone decide they want to take a stand. It tends to be rarer as you move up the ranks, until you get to generals who are close enough to retirement not to give a damn." Hunter grins. "Or, in my case, folks who are close enough to get their 20 years, their pension, and the Pentagon's foot off their throat."

Hunter copies down the names and runs them through his memory to see if anything rings a bell. "I'll be running these down this afternoon, and getting a sense of the pulse of who's saying what in my circles. I'll be in the conference room if you need me."
Gatac 2012-02-12 23:34:30
"Alright," Hugh says. "Now, Luis, I got a question. I saw this movie and I think it was about computer hacking - they had Harrison Ford in the lead - and the hackers were sending emails to each other, but they said they couldn't be traced or snooped because they were...encrypted somehow. Do you know what I mean? Uh, not the movie, didn't care for it, but can we set it up so Dyer and I can send encrypted emails to each other?"
e of pi 2012-02-12 23:47:35
Luis nods, "Yeah, that should be doable. I'll talk to the Sheen about how to get an encryption system that'll work for both your vox and his hardware."
Gatac 2012-02-13 00:09:12
"Great," Hugh says. Shortly thereafter, he begins composing his message.

Major Dyer,

I've arranged for our message traffic to be encrypted. With the situation being as delicate as it is, I prefer if we can minimize the chance of any of our conversation being intercepted. Ultimately, the only thing that seems reliable to me is a good old analog meeting on neutral territory, public location with a security check that makes sure nobody's bringing bugs or weapons. You pick the venue, I pick the time.

Sorry for the paranoia.

CAPT Hugh Verrill
punkey 2012-02-13 21:58:50
An hour and change later, Hugh is summoned to the Sheen hangar. Inside, Luis and his Sheen hacker friend are sitting at the sole table in the hangar, now upgraded to a stolen banquet table and six folding chairs. Actually, Luis sits at the table, the Sheen is standing on the table, and its small eight-legged shell turns to face Hugh.
Luis looks up and grins. "Got it all set up, Hugh." He holds the vox up. "It's a kludge, but we've got encryption going that he'll be able to decrypt. There is a downside though. In order to make it work, we had to route all your traffic through the encryption program. You'll have to toggle it on and off by renaming the encryption library folder, otherwise everything you send will be either encrypted or not." He pauses for a moment, then recalls Hugh's computer skill level. "I'll show you what I mean."
"Do we have a spare vox you can just keep encrypted, then?" Hugh asks. "One thing I've learned is that when you're dodging lead and you finger your comms, shit needs to work. So I'd rather not fuck up my own vox with this."
Luis glances at the vox in his hand. "Er, sure. We can do that. I'll just clone your vox and put it on there."
Hugh puts on a "Not to stupid now, eh?" grin and takes a seat to wait for the procedure.

Luis runs out to get a spare vox from 815's burner vox box and returns a few minutes later, spare vox in his hand. He slides the small ring onto the dock/holodisplay with Hugh's original vox, and after fiddling around with the holodisplay for a few minutes, slides the replacement off and hands it to Hugh. In contrast to Hugh's original black vox, this one was meant to be more incognito, and as such is the standard Imperial gold.
"Swanky," Hugh comments. "Thanks, guys." With some difficulty, he locates the draft of the email he had saved up on the encrypted vox and sends it off. "Now it just has to work."
"Of course it'll work," the Sheen scoffs. "I'd guarantee it will. Mostly. Probably."

---

Work it does, because ten minutes later, Hugh's new bling beeps in his ear that it's received a message.

Captain Verrill:

Good call on the encryption. I think that the Pentagon might be the ideal location. How about the Concourse, tomorrow, 1400? Security checkpoints and plenty of tourists to keep both of us out of harm's way.

- Maj. Dyer
Gatac 2012-02-13 23:30:58
Hugh smirks and starts up a reply.

Major Dyer,

that makes it a good place to dodge assassins, but I'm concerned about surveillance. I suggest we take this a little more off the beaten track. How about the spa at the Fashion Center?

CAPT Hugh Verrill
punkey 2012-02-13 23:32:41
Hugh gets a reply a few minutes later:

Captain Verrill:

Sounds good. See you there at 1400, ask for Major Dyer at the front desk.

- Maj. Dyer
Gatac 2012-02-13 23:36:36
Hugh smiles to himself and pockets the encrypted vox for now. You can't smuggle much under a towel, so this should be secure enough, and anyone who sees the two of them there might draw...inaccurate conclusions.

Am I really trying to weaponize homophobia? Hugh thinks to himself. Oh well, don't ask, don't tell.

Now to catch the next flight to DC...
skullandscythe 2012-02-14 00:16:04
There's a rap-tap-tap at Davis' office door.

Davis and Swims-the-Black both look at the door. "Come in," Davis calls out through the door. The door swings open and Zaef steps in, wearing a grimy vest and baggy pants that are just a patchwork of stains. He carries a small bag that makes clinking noises as he walks.
"I'm going to be on Atea for a bit. Shouldn't be more than a day," he says as he shifts the bag a little, causing a couple of clinking noises. "Vox me if you need me."

Swims-the-Black and Davis look at each other again. "I suppose your mind is made up on this, right?" Davis asks.
Zaef raises an eyebrow. "Yes. Why do you ask?"
"No reason," Davis says. "I know you're not really a fan of all of this Congressional bullshit, and don't like like sitting on your ass, just twiddling your thumbs while we wait to hear our fate."
"It is a frustrating state of affairs," Swims-the-Black adds. "I certainly understand the impulse to be elsewhere and focusing on something else."
Zaef nods. "Yeah, that's a nice bonus." He waves as he turns back and out the door. "See you when I get back."

"Hey, Zaef?" Davis calls out.
Zaef stops and looks at Davis.
"I'll keep you informed as to what's going on," Davis says. "And if we need you, I can reach you by vox, yeah?"
Zaef nods.
"We'll see you when you get back, Zaef," Swims-the-Black barks after Zaef. "I wish I could come with you."
Zaef nods again and walks off, his footsteps echoing down the hall as he heads for the Gate.

---

A couple minutes later, everyone on Team 815, Hunter included, receives a vox message saying:

Will be on Atea for about a day. Vox will be on in case you need me.

Requests for booze will be taken on the condition that they can be found on Atea and I get one shot as payment.

See you when I get back, and good luck,
Zaef