The Time and The Place

[Thumper]

Tiv chuckles to himself at Remington’s show. But he says nothing. He figures if Remington is acting this way, he’s either been touched in the head by his slavery, or he feels he needs to perform for Raven or for Raven’s benefit. Sad!

[Tiglath]

As Remington begins his divinations Raven seems to relax into her "merely broodingly dangerous" resting state. Upon the conclusion of his augury she proclaims "The omens are good! We raid!!!"

Cornering Remington she drags him to the armoury and demonstrates his new staff which appears to be a metal shafted spear with many additions secured about its cross piece making it appear more as an "Industrial Techo Metal Standard" rather than an unwieldy polearm. The adornments clustered about its head include a functional point, a skull, various gears and cogs atop other cylinders / pipework. Raven speaks "An excellent augury my Shaman. Here is your new staff. Carry it like a standard but bear in mind that in the hands of one with a strong connection to the gods it may bring forth miracles. Note the chains suspended from the crossbar they will be under your hand when the standard is held vertically. When the fighting starts we are all at the whim of the gods and I may not be able to reach you in the press of a melee. So, watch. The chain with the little skull matches the skull atop the spear. If you face a fully armoured foe jam the spear point against him and pull the skull chain. The skull contains a shaped charge. If you are faced with unarmoured enemies the red chain primes the dragon's breath". She pulls the chain and an intense a two inch flame ignites at the mouth of a cylinder attached beneath the spearpoint. Carefully touching but definitely not pulling the black chain she continues with a dangerous grin "Be careful where you let the dragon breathe for His breath will consume the faithful and faithless alike!"

She concludes "We will adapt our plan to how we find the enemy. Either you or I or neither of us may yet need to wield this staff".

[Thumper]

During Remington's show, Tiv will access the Blackrock Library to see if the Pouncer standard deck plan is listed.

[The Bindoner]

During Remington's show, Tiv will access the Blackrock Library to see if the Pouncer standard deck plan is listed.

A not-terribly helpful "isometric" projection of the standard design is on file: https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 48#p633048

[Gorethirster]

Remington can't stifle a slightly manic giggle as he realizes that not only did Raven decide to put a flamethrower next to a shaped charge, she expects him to carry them around when the odds of gunfire are higher than usual. His mirth also comes from the fact that this is exactly what he always image Raven would make if she was told to complete an arts and crafts project. He gingerly takes the standard from Raven and pulls the red chain again to extinguish the pilot light.

"I fully intend to hide behind you, any other Oghman, and the cat robot, in that order, before I even consider using this deathrap on a stick. Are you sure this isn't going to just detonate in my hands? I am the engineering department, and I'm 100% certain I did not approve of this."

He knows his protests are useless, but it makes him feel better to let the universe at large know that he isn't a happy camper.

[Tiglath]

"Do you find something... risible?"* Raven eyes Remington with momentarily dangerous suspicion but then continues. "I approved it and I am the Raid Leader. If it helps you may assume I listened very carefully to your argument". She continues deadpan "I also cut the barrels down on some shotguns to make "boarding pistols". Even an engineer can hit with one - arm yourself so if you wish. The fore barrels have no more use to me so feel free to add them to your... engineering".

"Your tactics are sound but detonation prevents you fighting an Aslan!" She then seizes the weapon and demonstrates "When you set off the charge ground the spear" deftly reversing the "industrial metal" standard she reveals yet another health and safety issue situated on the reverse end of the haft "butt spike". Due to an excess of brooding menace Remington's not sure whether this last is descriptive nomenclature, an epithet... or a possible term of endearment.

OCC: * Palin (Python not Alaska).

[The Bindoner]

She switches an appreciative gaze to Áshildr "Nevertheless I will declare how fortunate we are to have Áshildr to aid us. We are all no doubt grateful for the Jarl's wisdom in bringing her aboard”.

Áshildr shrugs: I’m no diplomat. I just took a call, made a call.

You meet a lot of different people when you switch crews as often as I do. Sometimes that's a good thing.


Musing: I don’t think I’ve spent two seasons on one ship in years. Hallsteinn’s wisdom, as you say. I make friends easily, but I’m restless. Move me around, and I make connections.

[Tiglath]

Áshildr shrugs: I’m no diplomat. I just took a call, made a call.

Musing: I don’t think I’ve spent two seasons on one ship in years. Hallsteinn’s wisdom, as you say. I make friends easily, but I’m restless. Move me around, and I make connections.

Raven gazes at Áshildr and then says "The intrigue would lie in who first called you but I am also not a diplomat and so have no interest in it. Nevertheless it is evident that the Jarl chooses effective people. Maybe you will make a connection on The Serpent that interests your restless spirit enough to stay with us awhile?"

[The Bindoner]

Tiv fires off a message to Aristotelis accepting the terms. He also messages Ummimiir to see if he has another set of robot access codes, yet.

Aristotelis acknowledges receipt of Tiv’s message.



Ummiimir also replies: Package en route. Use contents in private and immediately.


Shortly after, a courier robot arrives. It enters the Serpent, finds Tiv, and opens to deliver a .5 meter cube case with a smaller hard-shell toolkit on top.

A handwritten note (in Oghma script) taped to the tool-case reads:

Do this first.

Inside is a hand-held device with two metal probes, much like a Stunner, and a slip of paper with a cartoon sketch of an Oghman zapping a courier robot.


The larger case is mostly filled with expanded polystyrene foam packing, in which an Oghma-compatible data wafer. A note taped to it reads: Self deleting wafer, copy before reading.

There are two files on it.

The first contains a clone of the identity codes for the courier robot.

The second is a report on Soraia’s search for the mysterious escort. It does not conclusively identify a ship, but presents a small selection of anomalies that may represent one. Three are in motion, and these she regards as the primary candidates, on the basis that nearby "stationary" objects would have been logged on arrival by Blackrock security and locked in to station targetting systems. She identifies the best candidate as an object moving on a vector that will pass near Blackrock in about 12 hours. Like all her other candidates, it has not been manoeuvring, and it has no emissions. She favours this one because it has the closer approach in the shortest time, but notes that there are two others which also approach close enough to allow a warship to engage targets in Blackrock’s vicinity. All three have courses that can be projected back to collision zones in the larger asteroid belt, but Soraia’s sensor data does not cover a long enough period to prove that any truly originate there. She has appended a data file representing her radar sweeps.

[Thumper]

Tiv steps out of the bridge to receive the delivery drone and walks it to his stateroom. Holding the shocker, Tiv looks from the cartoon to the drone, reaches down and zaps is with mirth on his face.

Circuits fried...but maybe some hardware I can use. For later. As he pushes the drone's carcass into the corner. He copies the two files from the data wafer and removes the wafer from the port knowing that will erase the files.

As if to himself: Ummimmiir is very good. Very thorough. No way to trace this data back to him now. And he reads the files.

Stepping back on the bridge, he interrupts the conversation: Ok, I have the access coding to install on Ashilder's gun toting janitor robot. A good plan well executed today is better than the perfect plan formulated tomorrow. We are past the good idea cut off line. Time to act. Our appointment with Her Words is less than an hour away and it will take 20 or so minutes to walk there. Others have been invited to the Aslan hangar later. I must persuade two other Aesgirr Skippares to keep up a charade of dealing with the Aslans after we kill them...then we'll send a message from the Aslan hanger that Her Words have secured an exclusive trade deal with our clan and cancel other clan"s appointments. I also have to load this file into the janitor bot and redirect a high-capacity data line into the hangar before we execute. I have no more time to dither with details and still attend our appointment. Before I go:

Skippare Tollerson. Here's a file containing ... (Tiv briefs Kar on file contents and appended data). Can you provide this data to Kaptain Dorn and Lurker and consult with them quickly on how they wish to eliminate this threat for us? We need this ship eliminated, and it's' crew dead...ASAP. Again, for securing the search and trajectory data, I owe Ummimmiir and Soraia the rights to examine the ship's electronics and computers, and I want that ship's jump drive. I don't care what else you have to give Dorn and Lurker to entice them to destroy it. They can have everything else for all I care. A pirate and a Tyrian being seen to team up and destroy the ship is the perfect cover for us to make our departure in the Pouncer when our business here is concluded...which we should do so quickly. I'm passing the files to you. Can you handle the consult quickly?

Raven. You know what to do.

Are there any other questions before I step out to do my ..."Technomancy"?

[The Bindoner]

Another courier robot arrives. This one does not have a Blackrock ID stencil, but is passed through the various doors as though it were a station device.

The robot brings a package addressed to The Serpent, which it unloads unceremoniously before leaving.

The package contains two black-box devices, some cables and connectors, a high-capacity data-storage module and a data tablet.


The tablet has limited functionality, with no data-transfer or comms capacity. It is loaded with several files.

One folder contains technical files, schematics and “simple” instructions for installing the “box” and using it to access and re-route the data flow of the station fibre-optic cable.

A second folder contains a "single-use" password for the hard-drive.

Another folder contains the locations of two access panels, one adjacent to the Serpents hangar entrance, one near the Aslan ship’s hangar complex.

Both panels are located under Blackrock station security camera observation. Tiv surmises they are intended for access by station robots.

The first panel is in the corridor running between rooms 1 and 4, opposite the airlock to the hangar itself.

The second gives admittance to a maintenance tunnel running parallel to the main hangar spiral.

An access code is appended, which should be transmitted by a short-range radio transmitter (Bluetooth analogue).


The tunnels will give unobserved access to the conduit carrying the cables.

Deploying one box where the station cable enters the Aslan hangar would allow a hijack of that feed. Positioning the other in the Serpent’s hangar would allow direct transfer of data between the two locations, and running a cable from the device could connect the Serpent to the network.


Installing the devices and setting up the data links would be a simple task for Engineer/Electronics, more difficult task for someone qualified on Computers.

[Thumper]

Well then, It’s a good thing Tiv’s got that.

He’ll head right out to make the install, via the tunnels.

[The Bindoner]

Surveillance:


During the relatively short time it has taken to meet Medusa again and take delivery of various items, not a lot has changed in the Aslan hangar. Her Words, Small Birds and their guard have remained in the private area. Comm and data usage remain high. The human woman has returned to the ship, stayed there a short while, and returned with a richly decorated hard-shell box.

A female you have not seen before leaves the ship soon after. She is wearing a softsuit with a military-looking jacket over it, and carries a smaller, less lavishly decorated box, which she takes to the male on Reception. The box contains small portions of food, a flask of some beverage, and bowls for eating and drinking. The pair share snacks and drinks while talking familiarly. The female (Ahyehwia - “Travels With Ease” or “Easy Going”, depending on which part of the Serpent is translating) chides Wawahyurlekh for missing breakfast, and teases him for trying to match the warriors. During their conversation they mention the expected arrival of His Roar Deafens Foes, at the end of Station Day, and speculate on how he might achieve that without revealing the location of his ship. They agree that he will probably “deadfall” a craft and its escort on a converging trajectory, because it is the least observable option.

When they finish eating, Ahyehwia repacks the box and leaves, telling Wawahyurlekh she is going to check the work of “slave Nadele”, and will see him when she takes the next watch. She returns to the ship.

The armoured warrior guarding the ship seems bored. He begins a routine of martial exercises with his polearm.

[The Bindoner]

Tiv easily configures his comm to transmit the access code and enter the maintenance space in the Serpent's hangar. The panel which opens fronts a pressure hatch. Following the instructions, he places the device against the data cable and activates it. Apparatus spring out from the device, some clamping it in place while another cuts into the cable. There is a split-second disruption to the data-flow, but not enough to affect any systems. A port opens on the device ready to receive a new connection.

Further along the tunnel, there is another airlock-style pressure hatch. The code on Tiv's comm does not open it.

[Thumper]

Having pushed his luck already with his easy entry into the corridor, Tiv will string a line out to the Serpent.

Being out of time, he’ll coordinate with Raven to have the Demonstration party assemble in the corridor outside the fiber access tunnel near the Aslan hangar. He’ll ask her to bring the ceremonial standards to block the camera view of the access door while he slips in and does the second install. Once Arnwulf has eyes and ears on the hangar, he’ll step out and Raven can proceed down to the meeting with Her Words.

[The Bindoner]

Áshildr, watching the surveillance feed from the hangar, comments: A person could cut together an hour or so of those cats doing nothing much and put it out over the station cameras while we visit. Assuming this data-hijack thing works.

To Raven:

We need to sort out the composition of the two parties - the "slaves" and "guards", and the follow-on force. Who's in which.

The Aslan see things divided rigidly between gender roles. We can play with that. A person with weapons and a swagger, that’s a male. Seem like you do technical things or talk for a job, you're female. No threat. I doubt these Empire Aslan count slaves as rating that high, but they're looking for soldiers, so we can put who we want in that role.

They'll expect males, to guard the female merchant and keep the livestock in line, so we can walk a couple of people in with blades and stunners, probably sidearms too.

She chuckles: I hear most humans are default female to the Aslan males, but us Oghmen get the upgrade.

It'll be interesting to meet this Glorious kind of cat. I'm looking forward to it. I doubt I'll make any lasting friendships though. Which is sad.

[Thumper]

Áshildr, watching the surveillance feed from the hangar, comments: A person could cut together an hour or so of those cats doing nothing much and put it out over the station cameras while we visit. Assuming this data-hijack thing works.

I sure do like the way you think, Ashildr.

Turning to Arnwulf:
Arn, can I get you to handle that once the hijack is in place? Perhaps using Eno’s computer expertise, once she’s finished prepping the hours d’vours?

[Tiglath]

To Raven:

We need to sort out the composition of the two parties - the "slaves" and "guards", and the follow-on force. Who's in which.

The Aslan see things divided rigidly between gender roles. We can play with that. A person with weapons and a swagger, that’s a male. Seem like you do technical things or talk for a job, you're female. No threat. I doubt these Empire Aslan count slaves as rating that high, but they're looking for soldiers, so we can put who we want in that role.

They'll expect males, to guard the female merchant and keep the livestock in line, so we can walk a couple of people in with blades and stunners, probably sidearms too.

She chuckles: I hear most humans are default female to the Aslan males, but us Oghmen get the upgrade.

Raven replies "You command the support group. I have given you Sigmundr. His instincts are good and in the event of difficulty the squad has enough firepower to shoot us in - or out. Dagný has my plasma gun. Should we be successful Tiv quite reasonably and practically thinks of contacting the fleet to assemble a prize crew. I believe that the Jarl's flagship has no need of such assistance".

She then adds "I think the Aslan will expect to see what they have seen. I presume they study their prospective business partners so I have shown it to them twice - an armed parade when we go dining or indeed... "shopping"? It seems that they have a love of order and hierarchy. Just a touch of chaos like a disturbance or surge from the slaves might be enough to set their love of propriety against their security protocols. In their "rush to order" we might well walk through a little more than they might allow".

OOC: Proposed Dispositions https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 0a#p669859

It'll be interesting to meet this Glorious kind of cat. I'm looking forward to it. I doubt I'll make any lasting friendships though. Which is sad.

Raven replies "I had the same words from Battle Hag. You have such similar qualities and yet she was happy at the thought. So, does the gateway to Hel's realm make you the pessimist?"

[hardrocks]

Skippare Tollerson. Here's a file containing ... (Tiv briefs Kar on file contents and appended data). Can you provide this data to Kaptain Dorn and Lurker and consult with them quickly on how they wish to eliminate this threat for us? We need this ship eliminated, and it's' crew dead...ASAP. Again, for securing the search and trajectory data, I owe Ummimmiir and Soraia the rights to examine the ship's electronics and computers, and I want that ship's jump drive. I don't care what else you have to give Dorn and Lurker to entice them to destroy it. They can have everything else for all I care. A pirate and a Tyrian being seen to team up and destroy the ship is the perfect cover for us to make our departure in the Pouncer when our business here is concluded...which we should do so quickly. I'm passing the files to you. Can you handle the consult quickly?

Of course Techmancer Tiv, I will speak with them right away.

Kar contacts Captain Dorn and Manfred, out lining such plans and providing the data, as pertains to their part in the caper.

[Tiglath]

Raven assembles her hired "herd" of normal slaves with the "warrior slaves" behind them. Her half of the warband (the assault group) form up as escort and security for the slaves and then the column (headed by Tiv and other "merchants/diplomats") sets off.

Raven herself is accompanied by only one bodyguard (Ragnheiðr) as Rúna, like Steinn, is disguised as a gladiatorial slave. However, she is immediately followed by her personal Shaman and Engine Seer Remington Many Names bearing his industrial standard and riding his impressive "Thundercat".

Raven is surely dressed to impress and wears her black hair swept back from the pale facial pallor granted by her make up which is contrasted by the stark band of pure black painted over both eyes. On her right cheek she bears the upright arrow of the Tiwaz rune - the rune for victory. On her left she has drawn the three interlocking triangles of the Valknut or Hrungnir's heart, heart of the slain, Heart of Vala - the rune for death in battle.

She carries her helmet and wears all her usual sidearms including Battle Hag carried in a back scabbard. She also has on her best armour with her wealth displayed in the silver arm rings worn as token of the status of her name and reputation. In addition to her visible wealth her renown as a warrior is further confirmed by the black cloak clasped over her armour. Clearly a figure so conspicuous so as to be either engaged only by other "names" on the battlefield or perhaps those recklessly seeking reputation but maybe best avoided by lesser fighters. She is personally identified by the traditional round raider's shield slung atop the blade on her back. This bears her very own heraldry with its stark symbology - a black raven on a field of blood.

(OOC: Work clothes! )