2017-07-30: Appropriate Words, Calculated Deeds
- Log: Appropriate Words, Calculated Deeds
- Cast: Kahm Yugh, Myyah Hawwa, Kent Hauch, Elhaym van Houten, Loren Voss, Cardia Ortell
- Where: Bledavik - Royal Palace
- Date: July 30, 2017
- Summary: In the wake of the Lacour tournament's end, many of the active Solarian agents find themselves back in Bledavik. They congregate to discuss their recent findings in the past month and plan their next moves.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
One of the wings of the royal palace has more or less been specifically set aside for the activities of Gebler, serving as an active land-based center of operations the maintained constant contact with the Commander's capital ship when it was within hailing range.
Now wasn't one of those times. Kahm had set up the meeting in one of the many suites that accompanied this part of palace, formally a guest wing for visiting dignitaries and heads of state. The furnishings and affectations are by necessity Avehan, though the long table and high-backed chairs at least provide a veneer of formality to the proceedings. A tray of assorted local cuisine has been set up in the center, consisting of a variety of smoked meats, cheeses, and a type gel-based confection that is cut into cubes and powedered lightly with sugar. For liquid refreshments, several carafes of rosewater and glasses have been provided.
Kahm will watch as attendees file in one by one, getting his papers in order and nodding accordingly. "My thanks to you all for attending, it's rare enough that we're all in Bledavik at the same time." He says, opting for a casual opening, "Since many of us have been in actively in the field, I thought it best to get some face time so we could all report what we've found and plan our next steps."
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
Myyah enters the room two minutes before the meeting officially starts. This allows her time to smile at Kahm, drop her tablet computer off at where she will be sitting, and then move to the refreshment table. Myyah is wearing her heavier standard uniform as opposed to the lightweight linen variant, which must mean that she has had the extreme pleasure of working in air conditioned locations for all of today.
Myyah observes the available drinks. Rosewater. She gives Cardia a look--of course Cardia is with her, where else would Cardia be?--and then pours herself a glass.
Back at the table, Myyah waits for the meeting to start in actuality. After Kahm's introduction, she makes a small gesture to gain attention. "Good afternoon, everyone. As the commander is currently away in high-level strategy meetings, I have been instructed to answer any questions that you may have."
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
The sun shoots in through a window, striking Kent Hauch's hatless head as he enters to reflect a single brilliant sparkle almost as bright as the gleaming self-satisfied grin on his face. He has replaced his tattered, smoke-stained, burned ash grey longcoat with a new, more ornate one in the same color. He resists running his thumb down the column of shiny brass buttons.
Fargo Foobach and Ribaldy are accompanying him (Samuelh, as usual, was deemed Too Drunk and was left upside-down in a barrel of rainwater). Fargo is walking with some care, still suffering from his chest injury, wearing the pure white suit he seems to have a million of. The nervous-looking Ribaldy is freshly combed and wearing his best vest - closed, even, his fur poking out of the neck and arm holes like he can barely fit.
"Came right over!" Kent booms. A few minutes later, the Black Ties have selected a section of table. Fargo has only a small selection of gel-cubes on a plate and has set his water in a beam of sun to warm. Ribaldy has tried very hard not to take too much food, but he is a big boy, and is double-fisting glasses, alternating sips.
Kent has a wedge of smoked cheese and is leaning his chair precariously back, (clean, thankfully) boots perched on the table.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly returned from Lacour feeling ill, and was ill on the flight in, and was generally not in the best of condition immediately afterwards. Fortunately, the regimented yet commodious environment of Gebler Country here in Bledavik was restorative.
Elly shows up slightly early. Like, about a minute. As such, she immediately stiffens slightly as she comes in, because she worries she is in fact late - but nobody seems to be objecting. She is in the linen uniform cut, and suppresses with internal force she does not exert often any worries about whether this was a bad choice. The Black Ties are here, of course it won't stand out. Kent Hauch has his feet on the gosh-darn table. (Elly may have actually thought 'gosh darn,' or it's Solarian equivalent.)
"Good afternoon," she says as she scoots in, getting the snack tray (half sugar gel, half actual food) and a cup of cool water as she makes her way to settle down, giving the Ties a smile along the way. When she comes to rest, she gives Myyah a sober look, a firm nod, and then puts cheese in her mouth.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
It's good to be back in Bledavik.
This, naturally, is a thought that Loren will stop having approximately by the time the midday heat kicks in tomorrow and he's forced to be out in it. For now, though, the medic is just happy (relatively speaking) to be somewhere even remotely more civilized than Lacour.
He has not been having a good time out in the field.
It looks like he's on time. "Captain Yugh. Lieutenant Commander Hawwa." Loren hesitates for a moment, and then only somewhat awkwardly salutes. "...Good afternoon."
It's still probably more formal than is necessary, given a meeting of this level, but he is of course in the presence of two people in his immediate chain of command who absolutely have the ability to end his career before it starts.
Kent and his lot are here too, he notes, his gaze drifting towards the table, and most of all, Kent's boots on the table. Ugh. Of course. Modium of private disgust achieved, he migrates towards the table and collects some food, too (a bit of everything to judge by his plate), because he's never said no to free food. And then he sits down, pulling out his tablet for good measure.
The new one, from after the mysterious woman managed to fry him and his electronics in an alleyway. It's a long and embarrassing story.
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
The Todds are outside, staring up toward the window of the room like nervous puppies. Everyone agrees to just... leave them there.
<Pose Tracker> Cardia Ortell has posed.
Lately, it's a little rare to see Cardia Ortell in her actual uniform. From the heavier gloves to the reinforced leggings, the stiff high collar of the Solarian uniform keeps the majority of her throat not only stylishly covered, but comfortably so. The rugged nature of the gloves up to the upper arms, with the flare, makes it quite easy to hide things in.
Meeting Myyah's gaze briefly, Cardia's fingers slip up to the wide tops of her full-length gloves, carefully flashing a small metallic flask with a quick lift of her eyebrows.
Returning to the table, the Lieutenant pauses briefly before looking at Ribaldi, Fargo, and then finally Kent and his *boots* on the *table*. Though she frowns, there's a quick look to Elly before a wave of the hand, and then a quick nod toward Loren. Sinking down into a seat-- carefully, and it still creaks a bit under her weight-- Cardia sets down her glass and a tablet of her own, sorting through some of her own recent information and reports with a few flicks of gloved fingertips.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
Kahm might be inclined to crinkle his brow at the position of Kent's feet were this meeting were taking place in a more austere environment. As it is, the Captain's lack of comment is notable.
His head nods in deference when Myyah speaks. "Thank you, Lieutenant Commander." Kahm says, finally taking his seat. His uniform remained the standard cut, perhaps he'd been back to soon to have it modified for the heat, but he was grateful enough to be wearing it again instead of another tireless surface dweller outfit.
"Regarding Lacour, my activities there were assisted ably by Mister Foobach." He states, nodding his head thankfully in the direction of Kent's man, "Some of what we learned there has been distributed through reports, save my exhibition battles with the pilote of SLIDE-1."
Kahm's mouth quirked into a frown on this topic. "I didn't have a sufficient chance to directly gauge his combat capability thanks to an interruption from the civilian we picked up from Lahan, but I can say he has only grown more formidable in the time he has been allowed to run free. Interestingly, the child displayed strong signs of etheric potential we'd not witnessed before." He said, speaking of Dan, "And may warrant further study. For now though, I've requested he be disciplined for his transgression."
Kahm looks expectantly in Kent's direction as he finishes talking.
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
Myyah says her greetings to people as they file in. She is as warm and personable as ever, even to the Black Ties, who she does not seem to grudge their manners. Of course, Myyah is the one who hired them, so perhaps she knew what she was in for.
Myyah listens to the presentation attentively, pausing only to sip her drink. When Kahm looks at Kent, so does Myyah.
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Kent bites directly into his cheese wedge without regard for civilized things such as tiny crackers and slices of petite salami. Proving that even -Lambs- can learn, he chews and swallows before responding: "Laundry does the laundry." Not entirely helpful.
But then--! "Naughty laundry does Sam's laundry. I've seen one of 'is shirts eat its way through a barstool. After that, we're figgerin' Fargo'll put him through 'is Hell Course. Toughen the boy up a bit more an' make him think twice before jumping over any dividers before someone says jump."
Fargo, carefully touching the back of his hand to the glass to check its temperature, coughs into his fist and removes his hat to speak. "My own assessment of the... of Fei's abilities is that he is a man of significant potential. If he can either surpass or harness his fear of his own strength, his threat will multiply. It is interesting that both he and the girl Xantia use a style similar to that which is taught amongst your people, but with enough differences that I do not believe they have the same teacher."
Fargo finally takes a sip, now that his rosewater is lukewarm. "I also apologize for my failure to apprehend the Princess. It should not have been difficult, but I... misused my time."
Kent smacks Fargo on the back, laughing. The martial artist spills some water over his and and the table, frowns, and pulls his handkerchief from his vest pocket to dab at it. "We'll have other shots, won't we? Bloody Drifters always runnin' about in packs-like!"
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly looks vaguely guilty at the topic of SLIDE-1's pilot, and sips her rosewater. Then Fargo speaks up and Elly looks at him.
Her nose wrinkles slightly, before she speaks up, pushing past diffidence. "It's unfortunate we weren't able to get more impact on public opinion, but I suppose that's why 'he's' getting disciplined..." Dan's fault, not hers.
She then looks at Fargo. "Did you have much opportunity to speak with him?" she asks. "Fei, I mean to say."
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Loren had been present for a good portion of that match, in fact. Taking a long draw from his glass as he pages through reports on the tablet -- with only an occasional glance downwards -- he nods once and sets down the glass as he finally reaches his transcribed notes.
He pushes his glasses up his nose.
"The pilot demonstrated significant martial ability for a Lamb of his alleged status and background during the exhibition fight. I doubt it has all been gained in the months since the incident with SLIDE-1." He glances towards Fargo as the man makes a similar assessment and nods, brow crinkling as if in thought.
Different from their own styles, and similar enough yet different from one another...
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Fargo is quiet for a long moment after Elly's question, re-folding his white handkerchief, a thoughtful look on his features.
"He believes that he is dangerous. I do not mean this to say he believes he's a tough guy. He spoke briefly on the matter, to say that dying would mean 'they' would be safe from 'him'.
"This was immediately after the match. There wasn't much opportunity to ask further."
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
"Considering that his 'doc' had knowledge of the Solarian language, we must consider Shevati influence," says Myyah. She looks down at her tablet, tapping her fingers on the edge of her glass for a moment. "If Fei was indeed the pilot who destroyed Lahan as Dan attests, this may be a poetic way of coping with his actions."
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Loren's gaze remains fixed at some point in the middle distance for a few moments as Myyah speaks. At length, he slowly frowns, an uncomfortable thought occuring to him. "Is it possible that he could be of Shevati extraction? What do we know about about his history?"
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Fargo says, "Then he is a coward, like most Drifters." Kent finds that hilarious and almost chokes on his cheese.
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
Myyah briefly lowers her gaze when Fargo speaks. Her lips form a tight line. She pushes her water away.
"Not much," she says, looking back up. "The most we know is that he appeared in Lahan roughly three years ago and claimed to have amnesia."
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly speaks up, a little diffidently. "As part of preparing for that operation, I did speak with him in Lacour - I think well before your match with him, Mr. Foobach. I think he's been manipulated for his talents..."
She sips her water again and nods along with what Myyah says. "... I don't think that Dan has a fully accurate idea of what happened, either, but I can't blame him for his distress. That was his entire world..."
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
"Although it didn't have the impact I would have preferred, more people are talking about the actions of Althena's Guard in Adlehyde now, and their possible complicity of the country's fate." Kahm said, sipping a glass of rosewater he'd idly poured himself while the others discussed, "The pump is primed enough that I am confident my current project against them will have a greater impact, provided my contact comes through."
He shook his head at Loren in regards to Fei, "It's as the Lieutenant Commander says. Fei's story also bears an unsettling similarity to Xantia's claims regarding her amnesia, along with another woman I recently encountered in a dig." He sighed, "Last I checked, it's not the sort of thing that's supposed to be contagious."
"As far as Princess Cecilia goes, what's done is done." He looks Fargo's way, "The failed attempt to apprehend her will have put her on edge, but since she does not know the connection between the Black Ties and ourselves, it may make her more receptive to a diplomatic approach. I plan to pursue this with her personally, when the time is right."
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Ribaldy's ears flick upward. "You want us to, uh... set up another plan? Keep on hassling her? We can, like... go a little easy if you want to try it that way. Stay scary but not actually succeed." He seems very pleased to not actually have to kidnap someone.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"So it's possible, is what you're saying, Lieutenant Commander." Loren exhales a slow breath, his gaze tilting down towards the screen.
Great. Exactly what they need -- potential Shevat interference in some way or another. He takes another long draw from his glass, nearly draining it.
"This Xantia, too. He," and here he lifts his gaze and glances over at Fargo, "said there was a similiarity between their fighting style. If one turns out to be a Shevati sleeper agent or something similar, it could be the same case with the other." He's extrapolating a bit here from the available evidence, but wouldn't that be a particularly nasty turn for this whole business to take?
And just like them.
"In any case... have we learned anything regarding the Guard's intentions?"
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
Kahm shook his head at Ribaldy, "Continue to monitor and report on her activities as you have the opportunity, but take no further actions against her." He said, lightly exhaling from the corner of his mouth, "It's not a mere change in policy. Apparently, the Prime Minister plans to make an announcement about her and Adlehyde in general soon. Until he does, we should avoid any actions that could risk further exposure."
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Kent goes, "Tch."
Fargo nods once.
Ribaldy grins, his tongue briefly lolling out of his mouth before he remembers himself.
<Pose Tracker> Cardia Ortell has posed.
Cardia taps her thumb against the table in an absent manner, jaw setting to one side. "Do we have any assets in Adlehyde shadowing the Princess?" she asks, her voice carrying on with the low metallic reverb.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly has no input on Althena's Guard other than 'screw that Corwynt guy,' and so she eats some smoked cheese.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
"The Guard had continued to keep up appearances. For all intents and purposes the control Adlehyde's territory through the collaboration of the Grand Chancellor. According to Fargo's report, Princess Cecilia seems to have shirked the burden of authority, though I am researching the 'Teadrop' artifact she claimed to be looking for." Kahm answered Loren, his brow knitting at the thought of the Guard, "They claim magnanimous intentions, but I believe their motivation is to establish a position from which the more effectively wage their internal conflict against their so-called blasphemers. There's also the fact that malevolence seems to be intimately associated with them. It's something we could certainly use further intel on, but we may learn much when we see how they react when pressed by public opinion."
To Cardia, his brows alight, "Not as such....but I can think of one: Gwen Whitlock. She's a courier I've entrusted with a few tasks. It's possible she could be convinced the keep tabs on the princess, albeit indirectly."
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Kent adds, "Plus, still got a chunk'a Ties camped out, on the usual plan. Reconstruction, talkin' shit about the Guard, recruitin'. Got a local man runnin' the show, name of Vale."
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
Myyah leans to the side, resting her chin on her fist, propped up by her elbow on the table.
"So, captain, what are your next moves overall?"
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Loren listens in silence as Kahm speaks, popping a piece of cheese in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. Then, "So the situation remains unchanged... Have we identified a point of origin for Althena's Guard, or any previous outbreaks of Malevolence on record? They appear to be an unknown factor."
Loren taps his fingers against the table absently, as if in thought. "Gwen Whitlock... That could be useful. Since she's a courier, she would have easy excuse to travel or otherwise be in the same places as the princess." It's just a matter of not clueing her in on what they're really doing.
"Speaking of following people..." He pauses for a moment, paging through his notes -- these, re-re-transcribed following the successive deaths of tablets -- before finding the file he was looking for. Thank the Emperor he had been forced to write things down from the start or all would be lost.
He glances down, briefly. "I have been following the movements of the mage who damaged Diablo. Apparently the name he goes by is 'Ethius'. I can confirm that he wields significant magical power, and that he is constrained to Symbology as a means. Moreover, as Lieutenant Ortell can attest, he appears to be able to cause damage to cybernetic systems."
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly considers the outline of what Kahm is saying, frowning to herself. To her inner logic it makes little sense, though in this moment she is enjoying the tidbit of smoked cheese.
She also opens her own little folder, which mostly has two items on a piece of paper with room for taking notes. She did not, at least, underline PROFESSIONAL this time. She jots down Gwen's name, and then - she looks towards Loren as he raises a point.
"He may also be connected to that - entity that plagued us several times," Elly says, though she doesn't pull her eyes off the paper. (She also makes a little check by the first item on her page. Yay.) "'Spring Breeze.' Unfortunately we have little information to go by - although I could provide a detailed description, I don't think it would help, since I suppose most people can't even perceive her."
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Cybernetic? Ribaldy's ears shoot up and his head snaps toward Cardia, whom he hasn't met. This gradually gets Kent's attention, the latter fixing her with a gimlet eye as he makes a quick assessment on whatever metrics the dangerous -Lamb- uses.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
Kahm nods to Myyah, and reports out quite nearly on command, "Now that my activities in Lacour are concluded, I plan to focus my attentions on the activities of the Guard. As Lieutenant Voss says, keeping the status quo put us at a disadvantage. To that end I've employed the services of a drifter, Jude Moshe, who may be willing to speak out against the Guard as a contributor to the Guild Galad Gazette." His eyes quickly flit down at the stack of papers in front of him, "It requires leaking some information we've gathered on the Guard to the public, but precautions have been taken to ensure it should not come back to us. The Gazette is respected as an independent publication, and the source will be anonymous."
He shuffled his papers some. Before him now are some of the initial sketches Kent provided of Xantia, along with his own notes, "I also plan to make an inquest about what we've learned about Xantia from the Lacour incident. As stated before, we can't ignore a possible Shevati connection her or Fei, and now that we've seen further evidence of what she and her ARM are capable, I think our science officers may be able to offer better speculation."
But it's not just Shevat. He thinks silently, mindful of the presence of the Black Ties. It wouldn't be the first time R&D had 'misplaced' a project, from what he had heard..
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Fargo, chewing on a gel-cube, unconciously lifts his hand to his chest at the mention of Xantia's ARM. Kent laments, tipping back and forth, "Ahhh, woulda been nice to take that tournament an' see just how bloody much we could've pissed Lacour off! Never 'ad a whole country after my head before, have I?"
<Pose Tracker> Cardia Ortell has posed.
At a closer, more careful look, things might fall together a little more easily for Kent and Ribaldy: From the creak of her chair when she sat down, she might be a bit heavier than she looks. Metallic plating sits on the sides of her cheekbones, and her eyes are a little more blue than normal. Faint scars on her eyelids, too. And then, there's her voice-- the worst of her neck is hidden under the high collar of Solarian aesthetics, but her voice certainly gives away augmentation.
She seems fairly confident, sitting at Myyah's right.
"The Symbology corroded the casing at my joints," Cardia says, rolling her wrist naturally for effect, "caused sensory errors. Eyes had to reset on-site. Damage wasn't too extensive-- though some mild strain to my limbs. The ceiling was pretty heavy to catch."
Loren and Elly know.
Kahm brings up the next steps, and she eases a little further back into her seat, careful to mind her balance. Whitlock, eh? Maybe they'll cross paths again soon-- it would give her a chance to learn more about that girl and her ridiculous strength.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"Perhaps if we could delay their efforts until we find out more about their objectives..." He trails off, picking at the food items. As it stands, he doesn't even think they know for certain what nation they hail from.
Loren remembers. He's not going to forget that one easily.
"Furthermore, it seems that the target was watching us as much as we were watching him. Whether or not he's guessed I can't say. He's a difficult person to understand. Since he's taken up with the Caravan Kinship, this might be an avenue to attempt to understand his motivations." He pauses, glancing over at Myyah and Kahm in turn. "He attempted to destroy the machines we found in the depths of the ruin, which makes this the third time we have witnessed or heard of 'Ethius' attempting to destroy ancient technology."
Elly brings up 'Spring Breeze'. Loren closes his eyes briefly, as if attempting to blot out an unfortunate memory.
Which, is exactly what he's trying to do, honestly.
"...Yes," he says, with reluctance. "Lieutenant van Houten appears to be able to see this being but I cannot. However, I did witness some unusual phenomena within the ruins near Gounon that would suggest an unseen presence of some sort." That, or they're actually being haunted or something, which is of course ludicrous.
Of course.
And as Kent rhapsodizes about 'having an entire country after his head', Loren visibly bristles.
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
Myyah's gaze lingers on Kahm for a few seconds after he finishes speaking. Then, she gives him a sly smile as a kind of reassurance. She turns away to consider what the others have said.
After Cardia speaks, she slides her hand fractionally closer to the other woman, but keeps it on the table.
"Of course I believe we've solved that problem since then. That man certainly is a nuisance, isn't he? I wonder why he is so obsessed with destroying ancient technology. He doesn't seem to be associated with that Metal Demon subgroup. As for 'Spring Breeze,' I do have other reports that suggest the presence of Ethereal beings. Repeated contact should eventually give you the ability to see them, once your mind adjusts to the... perception, so to speak. Ether users such as Elly and myself have an advantage in this."
Myyah pauses for a moment to indicate a shift in topic. She also repositions herself, folding her hands on the table in front of her. "On behalf of the commander, I would like to thank everyone for their work in recent months. I realize that we have been working with severely limited resources--" the Black Ties may wonder what a normal level of resources looks like, if airships are paupers' play "--but I feel that your progress in spite of that reflects well on your abilities. Gebler has always prided itself on its ability to make do, and I know that the commander takes pride in serving with you all."
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
"I don't know if it's an experience you'd want to seek out," Elly says after Kent speaks, but there's a sort of distant fondness there, and a small smile. Loren also raises points, which leads Elly to write some stuff on her own papers - her handwriting is neat and small, so there's space.
Malevolence, Spring Breeze, and other topics cross the table. Myyah speaks on the matter of perception, and then praises them, which seems to surprise her, and straighten her back.
But that also sounds like they're near done, and Elly presses ahead after a heartfelt "Thank you, ma'am-"
Which is that Elly says: "In the near future I intend to make contact with the pilot of SLIDE-1 and attempt to use his concern for me as an avenue to infiltrate the Yggdrasil Pirates."
After this Elly picks up a sugar gel, although she just kind of... toys with it and gets powdered sugar on her fingers rather than putting it in her mouth. That's because her stomach is tensing. "The Lieutenant Commander has been preparing documentation, but I would like to summarize my plan for critique, if you think that's acceptable from a security perspective, Captain."
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Kent gets whatever information he needed from Cardia quickly and returns his attention to his cheese wedge. Ribaldy, meanwhile, gets the same sort of look in his eye for a moment as he would at seeing a strange ARM - his Meister's desire to test and study.
When she starts speaking, he abruptly remembers that's still a person, and his ears wilt downward. He blushes invisibly under his fur and starts trying to stack tiny sausages onto each other.
Fargo, at least, still has his head in the game. "Does this Ethius need to be addressed in a more decisive manner?" You'd assume someone going around wrecking ancient technology would be aligned with Fargo's own interests, but Fargo has always been more concerned about the people wielding the gear.
The thanks seem to roll right off of Kent, which isn't surprising. He's a man who favors material rewards over words in just about all quantified cases.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"I'm not sure what his ultimate aim is. He seems to have no love for Metal Demons, at the very least..." His gaze tilts Kent's way. "That would be up to our superiors to determine. The man is a potential gadfly..."
It wouldn't be difficult to pick Ethius off, either, given how isolated he lives from other people at times.
Ether users have an advantage.
This is where Loren goes... well, rather particularly silent, his gaze averting to the screen of his tablet. A familiar chill rolls its way down his spine. He's an Ether user, so why is he the one lacking...
He barely hears Myyah's following words of praise, tilting his gaze upwards rather belatedly. The nod, when it follows -- the processing of 'yes, this is real praise' -- comes at a bit of remove. "Thank you, ma'am."
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
"I would prefer that ancient technology be recovered for study rather than incinerated on sight," says Myyah. This is perhaps as close as such a kind woman can get to ordering someone's brutal murder.
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Ribaldy, eager to look good and recover from what he will be describing in his diary for years as "the Staring Incident", slams one heavy hand on the table and loudly says, "Yeah!"
The impact knocks his four-strong sausage tower over.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
"I experienced something like that at Lacour, actually." Kahm turned his head towards Loren, "There was a woman in the stands who..seemed to appear where she hadn't been present before. The attendees around her also didn't seem to notice her presence." He said, nodding to Myyah's explanation of the fact. "Although we haven't established a clear link, such incidences also seem to be on the rise since the the arrival of the Guard and their associated cohorts. Although plumbing record for past incidents is ongoing, I have yet to find any evidence of anything similar taking place in Filgaia's past."
Ethius has him chin down for a moment, but then he suggests, "We can't allow him to continue doing as he pleases. I also encountered him recently, and his propensity to damage ancient technology seems...nearly involuntary. We may be able to use this to lure him into a trap." He said, his eyes locking with Kent, "We'll discuss something soon."
To Myyah's words, he'll offer a bow of his head in thanks, then follow on appropriately as the next echelon of command in the room, "Speaking for my part, I concur with the Lieutenant Commander. You have all performed commendably and selflessly in the line of duty." It can probably be inferred from his speech that he is speaking specifically the Lieutenants, but he isn't making any overt effort to snub Kent and his men either.
He'd been planning to ask Elly about that particular operation next, so her question receives a prim nod, "By all means, Lieutenant."
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Somewhere upon his recovery from unexpected praise (from Myyah and Kahm, particularly in regards to their recent achievements) Loren processes what Elly's just said.
He turns his head, a bit suddenly. She's... what?
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
Myyah looks away at Ribaldy's exclamation, smiling. She covers her mouth.
When she looks back, she adds: "I think the Ethereal beings are related to the one they call the Shepherd. Sorey. I noticed the connection during that Malevolence seminar they threw."
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
Kahm hms at that, "A curiously blasphemous title."
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
"The religious implications are as of yet unexplored," Myyah says.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly's cheeks color a little. She seems to have little input on the matter of Ethius but this is probably her squeamish stomach acting up. The sugar gel goes into her mouth after this.
She takes a breath as she does, and Ribaldy makes her smile. He is simply the best dog-man she's ever met.
After this, she answers Kahm. "Of course. I thought that I would present myself as dissatisfied with the course of the war and possibly placed in a dead-end situation due to the unfortunate aftermath and sequelae from the SLIDE-1 seizure attempt." (Elly learned 'sequelae' from Kelvena.)
"From there, I'd try to win the trust from the pirates. As the Captain observed, Fei is concerned for me... and they seem to have embraced Fei. I could provide them with some limited information, to demonstrate good faith, even if the situation is the reverse of what they would think it is. They would think I was serving as a double agent for their benefit, which would also facilitate reporting back with new findings, and possibly transmitting back false or altered information, to guide them to a particular end."
Elly doesn't so much conclude as stop, looking over at Loren as if to say: 'what?'
<Pose Tracker> Cardia Ortell has posed.
The rise and fall of Ribaldy's sausage tower aside, Cardia's gaze flits from Fargo to Myyah at the suggestion that he be Handled in one form or another. She certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it-- the skin around her eyes were a red puffy mess when she came back from that dig site, her arms felt a bit sluggish, and the connection sites between metal and flesh were irritated and sore all while lugging their prize in tow.
Cardia takes a drink of water, knuckles of one hand unconsciously leading her hand a little closer to Myyah's before she folds them, looks away. The cyborg's head slants a bit, long gray hair tilting off to one side as she waits for Elly's plan. She's ... actually interested in hearing this one.
It's not a bad plan. She didn't think the First Class had it in her.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Loren certainly has no particular fond feelings towards Ethius -- while perhaps he doesn't have the reasons Cardia does, this is still a disruptive factor that needs to be handled, one way or another. Really, the only hesitation he has is that he would like to know why... but that's not nearly as important as ensuring no further disruptions occur.
Especially after the mage partially melted a Golem. He might become a real threat.
He's silent as Elly explains, glass held in one hand and his gaze still fixed on her.
He... hates to admit it, but that's actually...
Not a bad plan, particularly considering the various factors floating around. Carefully, Loren sets his glass back down, exhaling a low breath. Meeting Elly's gaze, he slowly, slightly shakes his head, as if to suggest 'never mind'.
"...If that sounds feasible to the Captain and the Lieutenant Commander..." is his only comment. Implication: he has no grounds for complaint that he can determine.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
The danger inherent in Elhaym's mission did not need to be re-stated, and so Kahm did not. Instead he listened closely to the details of the Lieutenant's plan, jotting down notes where appropriate and nodding his head to show agreement the overall key points.
"I don't doubt you'll have any trouble winning Fei over. Fatima's the one that troubles me." He said, pausing for a moment in thought before continuing, "Everything I've heard about the deposed suggests he is a....man of actions, if nothing else. A controlled amount of information will no doubt be appreciated, but to win his trust you'll need to do more than lead him to resources we can afford to lose."
The Captain's hand folded neatly in front of him, and the more observant in the room could tell that while his next words were ostensibly, it was really the Lieutenant Commander he was pitching this towards, "A skirmish against the Yggdrasil, provided we can find it....if Fatima sees you taking up arms on their side against Gebler, it would strengthen your position with him."
Kahm cleared his throat, then quenched it with another gulp of rosewater. "That is my only suggestion." He said.
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Kent has his cheese all the way down to the wax rind - which he promptly bites into and recoils from, coughing. It's unclear whether he's not used to proper cheeses or whether he assumed Gebler would be evolved past wax, but really, is any of that important? His chair nearly topples, but he hooks his boot under the table and pulls himself forward, the chair's legs finally thudding securely on the ground.
He spits the bitten-off rind into his hand, looks around, and just shoves it in his pocket before clearing his throat. "Wouldn't mind takin' my own bite outta those cocky bastards."
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Cardia's looking at her with - respect? So is Loren?
From the perspective of some, it is really stupid to feel good just because people respect you for planning something bone-breakingly risky.
Elly feels good about this situation.
"Oh... That's very true," she tells Kahm, with a nod. "But it seems as if it would alter the situation on a longer-term basis. I'd need a way to keep in touch with base... Though," and it occurs to Elly almost visibly, "It'd be simple enough to 'steal' Vierge, wouldn't it? A transmitter's already included, and unusual equipment wouldn't draw much notice."
"Have they caused you a lot of difficulties?" she asks Kent then, blinking. "I didn't know if you had overlapping --"
What is the right word here, Elly thinks, even as she glances at Cardia again for a moment. Spheres of influence? Territories? Gimmicks?
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
Myyah is quiet while Elly talks out her plan. The two of them have already spoken; perhaps now she is seeing how Elly responds to the rest of the group's opinions. The danger inherent in this plan is obvious.
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
A slow grin spreads over Kent's face. "I just wanna see 'em burn."
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
"Provided it's approved, the 'disappearance' of the Vierge can be arranged." Kahm offers in far more measured tone.
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
"The AEROD tech is already blackboxed," Myyah adds.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly looks at Kent for a second or two, and then smiles very weakly. She doesn't have a good comeback.
"We could present it as a picket unit," Elly says. "I... Well, I certainly doubt they'd reject that kind of an opportunity, if they've been that eager to get hold of SLIDE-1."
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
It's fun to watch the Ties: Talking about violence gets Kent excited, and makes Ribaldy lose interest. Talking about technology bores Kent, but Ribaldy starts to become energetic.
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Fargo remains a perfect fulcrum.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
The risk involved is huge, of course. If anyone at all on the side of pirates works out what they're doing, it could crumble like a house of cards. But on the other hand, the risk could be easily contained if errors occured. Though...
He glances sidelong at Elly. He might not like her, for a full suite of reasons, but it bothers him on some level to consider leaving someone behind. Even if it sometimes is necessary -- and here his glance turns Kahm's way -- for the whole of the group.
He hunches forward, gaze darkening, turning his attention briefly towards the untouched sugared gel cubes still on his plate while he turns this one over in his mind.
"...It wouldn't be difficult to hide any number of communications, tracking, or emergency equipment," he offers up after a moment, straightening in his seat.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
"It doesn't need to be a complete unit." Kahm offers, and also decides, "I will personally attack the Yggdrasil, supplemented by forces from the Black Ties, under the seeming auspice of bringing you in for desertion and theft of military equipment." He said, turning his hand over, "This way, those involved the attack are limited to those in this room. You will have the opportunity to gain the Fatima's trust, and there'll be no issues reintegrating you back into your post after the mission is complete."
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly looks to Loren, surprised. "Ah... Well; please, I'd welcome your recommendations, Loren. I admit I'm improvising..."
She then nods once to Kahm. "Of course. I'll have to build the rapport through Fei - but the operations can continue in either case. Even if Fatima didn't trust me, I imagine he'd be eager to acquire a new-model Gear."
The thought crosses her mind of, who would he have pilot it, but she has no idea on Earth. Do the Yggdrasil pirates even have any women? Elly does not know.
"Particularly if he sees the AERODs in operation... But, is there any chance that he could duplicate it?" Her eyes turn momentarily to Myyah.
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
"The blackbox technology involved operates so that any attempts to access critical portions of the AEROD system, hardware or software, would result in the destruction of the system," says Myyah. "Undoubtedly he would have his mechanics work to disable the blackbox, but I don't anticipate that you'll be with them long enough for that to become a serious possibility. Additionally, duplicating the AERODs would take multiple high-level industrial tools that are not easily obtainable on the surface."
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Loren gives her a look, one that is particularly intent. "Besides anything that could be hidden within Vierge..." within the blackbox technology or otherwise, "Have you considered a microchip implant? I doubt they have scanning or awareness of that technology. If you're cut off from your Gear it could be useful. There have been some subtle cybernetic advances as well, but they are likely too extensive to recover from quickly for this operation."
Cybernetics isn't his field of focus, but he does know some about it. Recovery time can be long.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly nods at Myyah's summary of the matter, relaxing and looking to Loren as she's examined -
Elly visibly loses friendship with Loren. But she does say, blinking several times, "That does seem as though it could be useful... Would it be able to transmit any real distance, if it were so small, though?"
It would be small, Elly hopes.
<Pose Tracker> Cardia Ortell has posed.
"A chip wouldn't take too long to recover from," Cardia says. "I've had a few injected and extracted for testing while I was growing up."
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"It depends. Whether it's a long-range or shorter band, I think. There's always the risk of interference from others," meaning Shevat or Veruni, "if the range is too long, though." Which is probably the reason why they're not all already chipped or something."They're small." ...Most of them.
Loren has read Cardia's file. She would know. "Yes, the chips have a fairly short recovery time. About as much as a cut, or something similar."
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
"We can't rule out that they have the ability to detect tracking chips," says Myyah. "Unlike the AERODs, they're... not difficult to remove. I think it would be too risky. We should rely on Elly's reports."
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly looks at the reprieve from Myyah with gratitude. She keeps ignoring her food in favor of more talking. "Oh," towards Cardia, thoughtfully. Then, "It would suggest planning... You could conceal something on Vierge, though. Something that would be easy for them to find, perhaps, and think they'd solved the problem entirely."
Elly's brow furrows faintly after that. She seems surprised at herself, which is not, all things considered, a common emotion. At least not this quickly.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
"I concur with the Lieutenant Commander." Kahm chimes in, "It's an interesting idea, but the operation itself is one of considerable risk. We should carefully consider the gains before adding more."
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Kent Hauch might've fallen asleep. Ribaldy is trying to soak all this in.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Loren exhales a slow breath. Somehow, he's not certain they could detect a chip with their technology, but... "There's also the risk that it could become damaged or deactivated, particularly from external electromagnetic sources," he admits, fidgeting with his glasses.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
"I think we're in agreement on the broad thrust of your plan, Lieutenant." Kahm leans in, eyeing the clock hung over the suite's entrance, "The finer details can be worked out offline. I think we've got enough actions on our respective plates to adjourn today."
Actions against Ethius, monitoring Princess Cecilia, Exposing the Guard, and infiltrating the Yggdrasil. Each objective quietly engraved itself in the Captain's mind, even if he couldn't possibly take an active role in all of them.
"I'll formalize everyone's orders later, but thank you for your attendance. I think we can look forward to some productive results if all continues to proceed apace, though we must be wary of the continued capacity for the Metal Demons disrupt our operations."
That, too, would need to be dealth with at a later time.
"By the way, Fargo." He said, singling out the man in white one more time before preparing to leave, "In Lacour, you fought against a young man named Hiro. I believe this is the same individual Whitlock named in one of her reports to me...of the a member of the cultist wing that conflicts with the Guard."
He waits for confirmation, then adds, "What was your measure of him?"
<Pose Tracker> Myyah Hawwa has posed.
Myyah stands up and takes her tablet with her. She begins saying her goodbyes and thankyous as appropriate, and then waits for Cardia to lead the way to her next appointment.
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
Once Kahm is clearly beginning to talk about leaving, Kent's boots thump onto the ground and he stands. He either wasn't asleep or he has the blue-collar worker's mysterious ability to know when he doesn't have to hang around with the suits anymore. Ribaldy startles from his haze of memorizing everything he can about the in-depth Gear talk and begins shoving meat in his face until he starts coughing, prompting him to chug one of his glasses of water.
Fargo, who was simply standing with no comedy goofs whatsoever, pauses. He looks at Kahm and then glances up and to the side, thinking. "He was the man who defeated me initially." He meets Kahm's eyes. "My feeling was that he was a deeply, intrinsically good man."
He pushes his chair in with a sudden, uncharacteristically forceful movement, shoulders tense. "Filgaia rots men like that. The deserts dry them out and leave them brittle. I have seen men like him eventually shatter, their shards cutting the precious friends around him to ribbons."
<Pose Tracker> Kent Hauch has posed.
The Todds are still exactly where Loren left them.
"I saw some kind of double horse."
"There's no such thing as a double horse."
"Well then what comes before triple horse?"
"Just a regular horse! You go right from regular horse to triple horse!"
"Maybe it was a triple horse?"
"There's no triple horses around here. It was probably half a quadruple horse."
"That makes sense. Poor little guy."
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Maybe he should have kept silent, Loren thinks to himself broodily. Well, he doesn't think anyone thought the suggestion was outright idiotic or laughable, so perhaps the best thing is to drop it.
The plate is by now empty. Lifting his glass, Loren drains what little is left. Once he sets it down, he nods at Kahm's assessment. "Agreed, Captain." There should be enough to do in the weeks and months to come regarding these issues alone. Perhaps, he might even dare to hope he'll meet some success.
It's a long-shot of a hope, coming from him, though.
"I'll await further instruction, Captain. Thank you for your time and your input." the medical officer says, standing from the table. He collects his tablet before pushing the chair in. One final look -- pensive, this time -- is cast Elly's way, and then sweeps past her towards Cardia. After the events in the ruins, perhaps... He can't match her, but it might be in his interest to get some training/practice in hand-to-hand, particularly since he only knows basic unarmed skills himself.
He'll have to ask at another time.
Tablet in hand, he turns and exits the room.
Which.
Just means.
He's about to have an unpleasant evening.
The Todds are still out here.
<Pose Tracker> Kahm Yugh has posed.
Kahm receives all of Fargo's invective with a face like flint, merely nodding when he is done.
"I see." He said, standing to gather his things and push in his chair. A good man among the insane.
"Thank you for your continued efforts." He'll offer by way of passing.