Robin pretty much called it right on the nose. If shit hits the fan I'll give her the initiative for playing up her paranoia and being right about it.

Ivan, there's a post in progress in Wave for you and Davis getting to Kesh's estate, and there's a choice to be made about smuggling weapons through security. It's a Stealth roll to smuggle a reasonably concealable non-stinger, non-beamer weapon through their security. Failure won't result in getting shot or being thrown out of the house; they'll take the weapon, of course, and then you'd have somewhat of an uphill battle to climb socially to get where you want to be with Kesh. And they'd likely keep people real close by.

Everyone else, you're in a car chase. Whoever is behind this is pretty brazen; this IS getting on surveillance and WILL draw Kansatai, but it won't matter to you much if you're shot down or catastrophically wreck. What do you want to do, and what do you need to know in order to decide?

The skimmer's taken 1 wound of 8 so far. You're not really in danger as it stands now but sustained fire will add up. The jamming attempt is not all that skillful, but it's enough to beat Hugh's d4 Tech. Anyone else can attempt to break through as their action if they like. As mentioned IC, it's clear that Hugh WAS able to open a connection but you just don't have that specific go-ahead to shoot back.

The Zaef/Segal conversation's gotten to where one party is trying to enforce their will on the other, so to speak, so the dice come out. Instead of simply writing dialogue until I get tired and give up, we'll roll this out like a car chase. The first party to 8 advantage points (the accumulated margin of success from exchange to exchange) "wins".

WHAT they win, however, we kind of set up ahead of time so it focuses the dialogue to a certain end. Segal's goal, for example, is to find out where Haralin & Co.are right now and run off to do something rash and violent, He is currently not considering financing any sort of project, at least not one involving Haralin.

In contrast, Zaef's goal is to convince Segal that his best solution is to sabotage the project. Optional goals include keeping Segal financing the project, and prevent him from doing something rash to Haralin.

Let's say Zaef completely whups Segal and hits 8 advantage before Segal even gets half of what he needed to win. Zaef will pretty much achieve all his goal(s) while Segal gets nothing. If it's a close race, though, perhaps Segal gets some or most of what he wants as well, or possibly Segal gets little to none but Zaef only gets some of what he wanted.

The primary skill involved is of course Talk->Persuasion, although you can rely on logic and evidence using Think, or shrug off their "attacks" or intimidate them back using Will. It's also not just Zaef's ballgame; any of you who are there can assist however you like.

There is also the option (always on the table) to escalate to violence, although how wise that is is debatable. Still, the option is there.

Persuasion? Why I do believe that is up Swao's alley...

And that's an 8-2 win.

Segal agrees to sabotage the project and won't pursue immediate vengeance on people, but won't finance a damn thing.

Hugh has mentioned he'd like to get the Turai (Reagan and Robert, but anyone is welcome) working on trying to foment dissent with the mesa's Kansat forces. Unlike the mob, who were mostly just the barest of difficulties, there's a fine line to walk with the Kansat. You can play it too soft and not even make your point, but push too hard and they could go from "suspicious" to "let's run you all in and shoot you for treason".

Where would you want to approach an officer, and are you looking for the basic local cop or the Rav-Kansat or what? The Rav-Kansat is kind of a dick; honestly, I'm not sure he'd be willing to listen to much of anything, but what do I know, maybe you have the perfect argument to turn him into Diet Che Guevara.

I have a Wave set up, "Rabble Rabble Rabble". Everyone should be able to see it. I'd like to work in there if possible and post it up as a dialogue.

There are several simultaneous things that could be going on next.

1. Angel meets Tora Kesh for their date. Probably Angel should be the only overt person on this caper, but it would be possible for someone to shadow him for backup if you were so inclined.

2. You could get Gorlan Kesh's vox channel from his sister (a free offscreen bookkeeping action) and could therefore make contact with him for whatever purpose. I doubt any of you plan on actually carrying out Segal's hit, but if you don't at least make it look good, Segal will keep sending would-be hitters and will probably think that now you guys can't get a job done.

3. Davis goes to call upon Abe Saloma in person. The only motive I know so far for this is to confirm if his drug supply is being tampered with yet and if it's having a useful effect. It would also look good to the solar farmers if Davis can at least say he went to see the Steward in person about their plight, regardless of whether he actually gets anything done.

I am liking this. Very Lethal Weapon 2.

CrazyIvan, I got your gtalk thingy. Yay, I can use my relatively copious-when-compared-to-being-at-home work time to figure out what you need to exact whatever biblical plan you have in store!

Zaef will volunteer to go in with Angel. It's about damn time he's done something besides stand around and look pretty*.
Also, Ivan, I was hoping for Zaef to get some RPing in with Angel. Interested?

*Warning: The term 'pretty' is being used generously here. Any attempt to define Zaef as 'pretty' in any context, including this one, is grounds for ridicule and much laughter.

In fact, after gtalking with Ross, I'm volunteering Robin to go in with Zaef and Angel too. I've been really dropping the ball with Robin and this is me trying to get her back into the thick of things. Having her cover be "mind Zaef and don't say anything" hasn't been helping.

Hopefully that will serve as an opening for a Zaef/Angel dialogue.

With the scope glint and the mysterious observer, I was trying to convey that they're in a position that Angel can't just shoot from where he is. If you mean to straight-up murder the suspect, some maneuvering will be involved.

admiralducksauce wrote:

With the scope glint and the mysterious observer, I was trying to convey that they're in a position that Angel can't just shoot from where he is. If you mean to straight-up murder the suspect, some maneuvering will be involved.

Spoil Sport.

Zaef asks via Ross via Kasey via gtalk via I don't know why it wasn't asked here in the first place, "He wants to know if there's another way around that's visible, either by him or Angel."

The short, realistic answer is no, Zaef and Robin don't have a way around to the observer that, no matter what kind of noble hab-block security problems or parkour difficulties you might otherwise run into, the main problem is time. You've got that feeling that whatever is going on is time-sensitive and keyed off the funeral service.

If he was so inclined, Angel does have time to move to a better view of 2 of the following 3: The observer, the gangers, and the Kesh estate. Right now he's just got the Kesh estate overwatched.

After Angel calls back, Zaef and Robin will move ahead with Teh Plan, Phase 2: Zaef tries to Intimidate the Spinks into leaving. If that doesn't work, throat-slitting commences in earnest.

Assuming worst case scenario, that Kohan is going to fire ASAP, he's not going to want to do so without aiming first. It's a long shot for him.

On round 1, Kohan will aim. Zaef and Robin can navigate the access ladder. Angel can fire right now, but it's even longer range for him. This is a d12 range shot for him, since he's got to handle both the funeral and Kohan's perch, and Kohan has some cover still (d8). Angel can shoot, or Angel can aim as well and trust in initiative (and wild dice). Angel shooting right now would also technically be taking his own counsel on the matter; "there's no time to wait for orders!" as Jack Bauer would say.

Hugh can block Kohan's shot with the skimmer, but it would also block Angel's line of sight and present Kohan with a close-range target when he's got a huge fuck-off rifle of unknown capability.

Kohan's only reasonable way out is down the access ladder. Any other option is some variety of "unreasonable".

Zaef, Kohan is going out over the ledge, but I was trying to connotate that he's not out yet. You get an action, be it an attack or grab or shooting or whatever.

EDIT: Further examples:
Attacking Kohan with your swords is at a base of 2d10+your d8 Bloodwraith aspect.

Keeping Kohan from going off the ledge would require a "full hold" (which can immobilize the target). Holds normally go from no hold to a partial hold to a full hold; to go from no hold to full hold acts like a called shot and thus is at a penalty. Grabbing Kohan up in a full hold would be at 2d10 (take lowest) + your d8 Bloodwraith.

Hanging onto Kohan as he goes out the window is a partial hold: 1d10 + Bloodwraith, straight up.

Grabbing his cloak and not necessarily him? I'll rule that as the partial hold above, then it's your Might against his to see if he goes out or stays in, and I'd probably throw in a roll against the cloak's material to see if you just rip his cloak off and Kohan plummets to a non-gliding messy death.

Diving onto Kohan after he extends his cloak is an opposed Move->Athletics check: 2d10 against Kohan's Athletics, and then you are at the mercy of Kohan's penalized Drive checks as you both take the highway to the Danger Zone.

Anything else I can relay to you OOC or you can gtalk me or whatever.

Further edit! Angel, if Kohan happens to make it off into open space, you'll have a clear shot.

You have no idea how hard it was not to type "I! AM! THE NIGHT!" at the end.

All right Mr. Wayne, where do you want to try to put this batwing?