The Treasure of Turgut Janzoon

SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE: This mission will be ongoing. If any other players than the initial group want in please message me before jumping in. This mission will also be ongoing. Once a player posts all other players have an OOC decided amount of time to post a response before they get narrated over. This is to ensure good pacing and will not adversely affect the player.
***

A few years ago the hacker/thief Turgut Janzoon amassed a fortune from a series of embarrassing “whaling” attacks on Iron Republic officials. Rumor has it the credits he pilfered were laundered quickly into commodity items like precious/rare earth metals, as well as artwork, ghaz, and other untraceable liquid assets. Rumor also had it he learned of skeletons in many planetary governor's closets, many of those governors were in the Draco system which since changed hands.

For 3 years nothing more was heard of the daring hacker who was thought to own a continent somewhere in the free systems. However his wealth led him to boredom and that boredom led to him once again test his luck against the system. This time he struck in EEF space. During the 40 hour dark cycle of Samos IV he disabled the security of the planetary heritage museum. He stole the crowning piece of the traveling collection of Refuge artifacts, a Baribur statue of immense beauty and rumored to have mystical powers.

Turgut is reported to have died on an Iron Republic prison ship, however rumor has it the Iron Republic was never able to find or recover his considerable fortune.

You intelligence sources have reported that a man claiming to have been Turgut's cell mate is willing to sell instructions on where to find the treasure trove. He is willing to meet any interested party on the Lost Hope Station. The resources and possible information contained within could be a well spring to whomever finds it.

LIMITATIONS: Due to the lack of veracity of the source no faction may take a large interest in this treasure hunt. Each player may only dedicate a single capital ship and no more than 5 fighters to the mission. The landing/boarding crew may not exceed 20 members.

Col. Sneha Jain was a decorated pilot before rising the ranks in the Fleet Defense force of Thuban.
When the Draco went rebel she was forced into the role of adviser to her former friends in IR Command. She had hoped to avert violence but then the EEF showed up and she found herself on the wrong side of the war.

Sneha was forty years old with dark skin that offset her deep sea green eyes. Her hair hung down in soft curls when it wasn't up under her officers cap. If she wasn't the commanding officer her crew would have fantasized about her in a very different capacity.
But she could be stern when needed and most men would shrink from her gaze.

After months of reviewing IR footage of supposed "friends" of the famed hacker she had settled on a man not currently in their custody.

Landing in a single IR Raptor she disembarked. She was followed by five Brethren with a standard loadout. Her aide and second in command Quall N'fel subcommander Pogus Lotus would keep their
Crew and their IR Gunship in order.

Sneha was walking through the sweaty alien bodies that crowded the bazaar on the concourse level of the Lost Hope Station. It combined with the smell of food processing drifting down food court to turn her stomach.

She suddenly wished she had worn Martian Battlearmor like her Brethren soldiers. The rebreather could have been scent enhanced. She scowled deeper and pushed past a pair of Ornery Olgog Space Pirates. On was about to swing at her, when his buddy saw the Brethren fireteam that flanked her.
The two Olgogs grunted in displeasure (actually cursing her in the Olgog dialect), and withdrew.

Sneha walked past the make shift bar (a recycled blast door) and into the kitchen tent of her contact, a Ydyara named Moog Gah Gan. The blobish alien had red jelly with striations of purple and two drooping eye stalks.

One eyestalk peered at her, saying "The soups not done."

"I'm not here for a drink and I'm not here for the caloric swill you claim is Ydyara home cooking," Sneha said, "I'm here for the man you said had Intel on Turgut Janzoon."

The Ydyara quivered in a mixture of fear and desire, "Colonel your man is here. Waiting in the bar up on deck 7, but hurry, many new faces have recently arrived on the station. They may seek your quarry as well. "

Sneha tossed him a prepaid IR Credit Card, turned and ran towards the maglift.

The Pirate Light Frigate Possessor extended it's boarding ramp upon docking with Lost Hope station. a woman appearing to be middle aged stepped out, her black hair laced with silvery gray. She wore a formal robe of black with silver trim. With her were 3 mercenary body guards who followed behind her keeping a wary eye on the crowds. On the front of her robe was an ID badge which read Maligna Espirito - Consultant. Maligna took a moment to smell the foul air of the docking bay....so many ships, so many lost souls milling around trying to find their way. She however knew her way, she was here to find someone, find someone whose information would make her employer very pleased.

Maligna didn't know where this man was, but she knew some people who might, some old friends of her boss who owed him some favors, she was good at collecting favors. She walked into a small shoe polishing shop, it was all but empty with just a pair of filthy looking Earthers sweeping the floor with their dirty brooms. Upon seeing her the blood drained from their faces and the one on the left's pants darkened right before he tried to bolt out of the room through the back door. However before he got there one of he mercenaries pulled out a taser and shot it into the back of the fleeing man's left leg, he went down with a scream and started sobbing softly on the floor. The Earther on the left was too frightened to even move. The other two of the Mercs blocked the front door while the third watched his victim twitch with a smile before relieving a warning glance from Maligna causing him to put the taser away.

Maligna gave a non comforting smile to the trembling earther, "Ah, Mr. Smolen, it has been too long, I see you remember me. I thought since I was in the neighborhood, that I would drop by and have a little chat. Love what you have done with the place, I know you hear things, a little rat like you hears many things, I need to know these things, start talking, I will let you know when you have said something interesting....oh, and try to get to the interesting bit quickly, as you may remember, I am not quite as sweet as these gentlemen.

The first Merc pulled down the shades to the store and life on the outside of this store resumed as normal....

Su sighed as he sat behind his desk on Esiroh 6. Petty Personal politics was the name of the game, and he hated playing it. Slow and steady wins the race, he thought to himself. An instagram on his personal, encrypted, Free Systems comm came through. It was from Kendara Kai, the Director of Planetary Operations for Henner 12 and de facto COO of the Intergalactic Intellectual Consortium.

"Hey Kenny, what's up?"

-----

Kendara got the memo and laughed. It smelled of a trap. A some guy who knew some guy may have information about unknown treasures. She laughed it off at first, but then again, all leads are worth checking out. Especially since this lead is located at Lost Hope, a station that her team knew very very well. She thought of her plan and got a team together. She just needed the ok from Su, just in case.

She picked up her comm and called it in.

"Hey Kenny, what's up?," asked Su.
"A trap that's too good to be true, but it's on our home turf. Turgut Janzoon, a relatively successful hacker who operated out of what is now EEF controlled space back when it was IR controlled, supposedly raided the penal colony some time ago. He stole some artifacts, got caught, and died on an IR prison ship. His old roommate is rumored to be selling information about them. He's somewhere on Lost Hope. I'm thinking it can't hurt to send some old friends over to Lost Hope, drum up some interest, see who the players are, and if the lead is legit, maybe collect the artifacts for the IIC."
"If you think it's the right thing to do, go ahead. Send in a Free Systems ship, Antares, and a couple of Aegis. Have Dru'lhoc lead the mission. He was a member of Captain Ironsbane s fleet. He might be able to drum up some information," Su responded.
"Actually, just who I had in mind. I'll send him with 10 Tzira and 10 former pirates. They each may be able to wrangle information out of the guy or others throughout the station."
"Sounds good, Kenny. Keep up the good work. Oh, and make sure we have plausible deniability."
"As always, boss. I hope the Iron Republic treats you well."
"Ha! Thanks, Kenny."

-------

Dru'lhoc Tzasha was a mean-looking, grizzled Earther. His face was heavily scarred, he had one cybernetic eye, two hair lips, and sported a 5 0'clock shadow. It is rumored that he has enough money saved up from his pirating days under Ironsbane, but rather enjoys his countenance. When Ironsbane committed his suicide run, Dru'lhoc had seen the writing on the wall. While he hated the Iron Republic and it's ways, he wasn't stupid; a good fight is a good fight, watching the universe burn was another. So when Captain Q's pirate fleet was hiring, he bought in. Granted, they were "corporate" then, but it was a good, easy gig, and there were fights to be had if one wanted to look for them. These days, his job to was start fights, or prevent them. He was technically a Maehl Holdings, IRLC employee, but he was pretty much a high-ranked merc.

He had his orders: Find the cell mate, get the information, and go on a treasure hunt. Oh, and figure out who the other players are. He was to take 10 Tzira, 8 of his former crew under Ironsbane, and 2 former Q guys. He had an Anteres with a single Helios cannon and a couple of Ripper Cannons. Worked for him. His 5 Aegis would run a set of Anti-Startship Nanite Cannons and another set of Ripper Cannons. His Tzira would run Grey both sets of Grey weapons, 2 sets each, and his Earther crew would run standard pirate gear. His cover: Maehl Holdings shipment of food products bound for Kasanth.

As his team left from Space Port X380 deep in Free Systems space, it made its way to Lost Hope. He docked, took 4 teams of 5 and made its way into the station. He led one team, 2 others were led by former Ironsbane crew, one was led by the former Q guys. They would hit their old connections on the station, and see what this former cell mate's name was, where he was, and how to get information from him.

------------------------

Su, in the meantime, pulled up Turgut Janzoon's dossier, to the extent that he could, to see what this guy was about and if possible, determine who this former cellmate could be.

OOC STUFF: Alright locking in the game, currently the only players in are SG Stark, D- IB, and S&M, and TNI who sent me a PM expressing interest however a lack of ability to get to a computer over the weekend (I am Assuming the cadbury bunny stole his internet). If you want to join PM me and I will find a way to write you in. I am going to cap game size at 6 so I don't lose my mind. Also unless ya'll decide to team up or something I am going to post each section with names applicable on the top of it (This will look like a long post, but each portion I will try to keep under a page).


SG Stark (Col. Sneha Jain)
The Maglev lurched with a sickening stop on her floor. It was another open air market. Large panoramic windows showed the slow waltz of the hundreds of ships vying for dock space. She stared out into the ice cold void for a moment watching it, then she checked the even colder crowd that were milling around.

Despite her icy reception the deck was revoltingly warm. The thick smell of sweat and grime mingled with the smells of cooking, mechanical fluids, and drugs.

She was sure she was a dead woman, rank or not, if not for her heavily armed body guards. She knew the rules, merchants paid protection fees to the station and were untouchable, patrons were fair game, so long as the aggressor paid damages/clean up costs to the station.

She had heard Lost Hope was doing extraordinarily well for itself. With Magnus Ironsbanes death the Iron Republics focus moved on letting it become the black market hub of the galaxy, another economic boon game when refugees poured out of the universes war zones, many sought to disappear here, and brought with them their skills and credits.

She found the bar, a dingy hold in the wall of scavenged building materials bolted to the deck and glued to one of the windows. Her Brethren set up a loose security perimeter around the entrance. They noted the tzira hanging out paying the bar too much attention as well as a trio of mercenaries by the entrance who mad dogged the Brethren. As she walked in the bartender was staring at a datapad. He took out an earbud head phone and said, “We're closed.” Without looking at her.

She cleared her throat and the bar tender looked up. “Oh crap.” He said to himself. “Have a seat at the long table. Ma' boy will be showing up soon.”

At the table were a woman in a black and silver robe, and a scarred earther. Their conversation had ended the second she walked in, obviously the man she was supposed to meet was offering the info to anyone.

Col Jain took a seat and immediately felt the perspiration on her back. Had the decks environmental control unit gone on the fritz or was this actually just a slow marinate?

***
Director Ironsbane (Maligna Espirito)
The earther backed up leaning on the counter his eyes glancing nervously at the second drawer down. Maligna paid him no mind. “I see you have expanded. Shave and a shoe shine?” She asked picking up a machine that used light to stimulate the body to stop growing hair.

“Come on, I was always loyal. Hell I even helped his kid get setup. That has to count for something!” Smolen nervously stated.

Maligna smirked picking up an old fashioned straight razor. “Now this is quaint. How many people let you hold this to there neck?” She asked glancing over at him. She did a lightning fast flourish with the blade before folding it up and walking toward Smolen. “Guilty consciences drive acts of charity all the time.” She noted. Smolen pointed a finger at her and promptly found himself face down in a sink one arm twisted behind his back. Then a chill ran down his spine as he felt the cold bite of the razor on his neck. “Now tell me about Janzoon's treasure. My boss got a message, I just want to hear you confirm it. Otherwise I am sure your clientelle would like to hear about how you sold out your ship to the IR during the pirate purges.”

Smolen gasped, his will to fight breaking. His eyes were looking around wildly. “Look all I know is his old cellmate is looking to sell info on it. Word is he is a marked man and he is trying to buy safety. He is meeting with a bunch of people he thinks would be interested.”

Maligna tossed him backward sending him sprawling like a sack of potatoes. “Now that wasn't that hard was it?” She asked innocently. Smolen looked up at her with hateful eyes as she walked out. She turned at the door and threw a ghaz in. “Be seeing you soon Smolen.”

The message had included a meeting place, she just needed Smolen to say it, she would have known if he lied. Snitches are always the worst liars.

Her body guards were there for show as she walked to the Red River Bar on deck seven. Ironsbane and his wife were the movers and shakers on Lost Hope, to hurt her was to hurt them, and they went from calm to high iota of violence with few steps in between.

When she got to the Red River she noticed the heat. Some one was slipping, the ECU was obviously out. She walked in nodding to the mercenaries who posted up nearby the entrance.

Inside she found a dimly lit hole in the wall bar. The bartender was watching something on a datapad. He looked up and pointed to a long table. Maligna gave him a sharks smile and took a seat. She had found the right place.

***
Maehl Holdings (Dru'lhoc Tzasha)
Dru'lhoc had waited a bit a nice balcony cafe on Deck 4. One by one his teams called in. The rumors were true or at least widely heard. A Ydvara cook became loose lipped when offered some ghaz, a friend of one of the Q guys laughed over a bottle and talked about hearing the rumor. He also offered 4 more fictious treasure hunts pointing out that these things never panned out. The last said the bartender of the Red River knew something.

Dru'lhoc strutted cockily toward the bar. He knew he was meaner than any of the scum he saw around him. His Tzira got curious glances from everyone. No doubt their weird armament along with their relative rarity outside of IR servitude made them stand out worse than a squad of Brethren. Speaking of which he spotted a squad of those on his way to the bar. Three heavily armed earthers were joking with each other out front. They all got quiet as he approached. One of them twitched his lips without saying anything. He made a simple hand motion and the Tzira posted themselves around the area. He walked in and saw a woman in a black and silver robe sitting at a long table. The bar tender looked him over and said, “Ya may as well sit down. He's gonna be a minute.”
Dru'lhoc shrugged and got a bottle of some tobacco spit colored liquor in a reused bottle. It felt good to be away from corporate. Sometimes suits didn't understand the finer things in life.

PS OOC stuff: I am going to hit everyone with PM's so make sure your mailboxes have room.

Colonel Sneha Jain, was tired and knew when someone was setting up a bidding war when she saw one.

She motioned for the bartender and pointed quietly at the largest beer stein on display behind him. As she sat down she saw the bartender was motioning towards the taps and she pointed above her at the symbol for Dos Marx Brewery. A large Dos Marx Light Ale would settle her mind, and help make this negotiation a bit more palatable.

Sneha was lucky she had always been a Light ale drinker and didn't follow her best friend's suggestion to try the Dos Marx Special Ale. He was now an Estrain Corpse moldering on a dead moon, and she was here. Sometimes change was a bad thing, Sneha thought.

As the Tzira and the "Consultant" sat down, Sneha recieved her beer and saluted them both respectfully with it before sipping off the head.
She said, "Welcome fellow drinkers, are you here for the decor, or the ambience?"

Dru'lhoc surveyed the room. Are these the only players?, he asked himself. It seemed a strange group of people. Obviously, the Iron Republic would send somebody. On whose behalf is anyone's guess. There was someone with a badge reading "Consultant" that would have made Dru'lhoc smirk if he were capable of such mirth. In other words, someone underground who wants to look legit, like what Maehl used to do back when he was still a pirate. Could be anyone, he thought to himself as his gaze went across the room.

He took a swig of the liquor he was given and looked around passively, looking neither bored nor interested in his surroundings. If Maehl wanted a talker, he would have sent someone else. Instead, Dru'lhoc would let the others do all the talking. Besides, the less he said the less he'd have to lie about whatever he'd have to respond.

Sneha was a Colonel, and while she wouldn't pull rank on civvies, she also could tell that the Tzira was giving her the silent treatment.
Since the "Consultant" looked a little too crazy to be one to threaten, Sneha decided she would push the Tzira a bit and see their reaction.

She said, "Hey Tzira, what clan are you from?"

Then she repeated in a dialect from a Thubanese Tzira worker sect in the Draco.

"Cli kc Tzi ra, cloh cloh Tzi ra Kek ke cli kc Kek koh kohok," Sneha repeated.

Maligna turned to the IR officer "Hey now, what is with the clicking? You got some weird disease causing you to act all freaky like?" Turing to the Tzira "Is that actually how you talk? sheesh, lets keep things to a noise that doesn't drive a lady insane will ya? It would be rather unlady like to be driven to distraction now wouldn't it? You do speak a real language right? Not just clicky clack? It would make things much easier on the ears."

"Many apologies Elder Madam, I did not realize your old ears were so sensitive," Sneha said without maliciousness, "This must be a very loud a boisterous place for someone...quite..so...old."

Maligna barks out a short laugh. "Old you say? Yes now that I think about it I am coming along in years little lady (puts a hand to one of her ears) you might want to speak up if you want me to hear you. Of course my ears are very sensitive so you wouldn't want to hurt them." Maligna slips her right hand into her robe and begins to remove something. The others at the table reach for their weapons but pause when they notice a nail buffer. Maligna begins to buff her nails. "Now now relax everyone, this place is grimy and my nails look dreadful now." She puts the nail buffer away in her robe and then snaps her finger. In response one of her bodyguards sitting at the bar pulls out a wicked looking knife and flicks off a tiny bit of skin from the bartender's nose. As a drop of blood wells up on the tip of the nose the body guard says with a sneer "The lady would like a bottle of your finest wine, with a clean glass" This swill you call beer offends her delicate senses."

The bartender jumps to comply and while visibly shaking presents a very expensive looking bottle to the bodyguard for his inspection. In response he grabs the bartender by the groin and twists causing the bartender to squeak in horror almost dropping the bottle. "I said for the lady, don't bring it to me, do I look like the kind of man who enjoys fine wines? Bring some of that beer my way after you bring this to the table, and be quick about it, I am rather thirsty" He lets go of the bartender who hobbles over to the long table presenting the wine and glass while the bodyguard laugh uproariously. Maligna smiles politely and lifts her glass so that the bartender can pour her a glass. He then brings bucket with ice and leaves the bottle next to her. "The wine is of course on the house my lady, it is so wonderful to have you back in our establishment" He squeaked causing more barking laughter from the bar. However this new bout of laughter was quickly silenced by a tapping of Maligna 's foot. The bodyguards quickly quieted down and drank the bear that the bartender rapidly brought to them before retreating to the far side of the bar.

"Ah, this is much better now. Perhaps we can now speak of business, though if our host keeps us waiting for much longer I might start to think he isn't serious and my time is being wasted, I do so hate to have my time wasted." Looking at the IR officer and giving her an icy smile "After all, an old lady like myself cannot afford to simply waste what little time she has left now can she?"

Dru'lhoc watched the scene unfold. Sneha's approach was different than his. She got what she wanted though, it would seem: a reaction. Leave it to an Iron Republic officer to goad someone into getting what they were looking for. Then again, he had counted on it, didn't he. And Dru'lhoc had his answer: the Consultant had a dedicated following of officers and she was prissy to the point of violence. She clearly was sending a message with the unnecessary violence with the bartender: she was not to be trifled with and had little patience. Interesting, he thought.

In no hurry to do anything at the moment, he sat still and nursed his drink. He did, however, put a larger tip on the table. He came around these parts too often and liked having quality service. The better the tip, after all, the better the service.

Sneha purposely modulated her voice so it was slower and louder but not as harsh and said,
"So what companies do you consult for, respected elder?"

Col. Jain had seen more than her fair share of organized crime members on Thuban. The Thubanese Mafia was just one of the many "deviant social groups" she had to work with before the EEF took over the Draco.
And this consultant reminded her of a mob wife she used to drink with at the famed Dawn spa on Draco Epsilon 7.

She noted the fact that no one on the station was calling the local pugilists to throw the old lady out.
This consultant must be very connected.

Maligna smiled as she took a sip of her wine glass.
"Oh i consult for many companies with offices on this station as well as others that have branches elsewhere. I currently am employed to a group of interested parties who have come together to expand their interests. It is very interesting really."

Maligna took another sip of her wine, giggled a bit as a flush rose up her neck.
"Oh I do think this wine is getting to me, I do hope our host isn't planning on keeping us waiting for much longer. I am a busy woman after all, I can't just sit in a bar all day with an Iron Republic officer and a mute praying mantis...oh no offense intended dearie, I must have had a bit too much to drink."

Maligna giggles a bit more and takes her third sip.

As if on cue from Malignas complaint the bartender gets up, his poorly maintained cybernetic leg hissing and whining at the effort and walks to the closet that serves as the back room. He opens it whispers something to the party inside and then opens door.

A frail looking earther with a five oclock shadow and a nervous darting stare steps out. He is dressed in a nondescript grease stained olive drab mechanic's jump suit with a red ball cap worn backwards and canted to a side. He grabs a bottle from the shelf and quickly saunters over. Its easy to see the laser pistol stuffed hastily in a pocket.

“Shit, shit.” he says quickly under his breath. “I was expecting more of y'all. Alright whatever.” He takes a swig of the bottle, the liquor is obviously harsh and he takes a second to compose himself.

“Name's Reggie-G.” he shoots a half fearful glance at Col Jain, “you prolly have me as MatinIV08949038, check it, I did my time and I ain't ashamed of it.”

He takes another swig. “Look Turgen was boy in the clink. We had each others backs, he told me and our other cell mates Craggy Moore and Tzin Howard where the loot was at. Said when we got out if he didn't make it we should split it.”

Reggie looked at the gathered people, “I got out and I dunno how they found out but some one with a lotta resources is trying to put the pinch on me. I ain't going for the treasure no more, its good way for me to be flushed out an airlock. I will sell it to y'all, I need 300 ghaz to get safe and off this pile of junk. I don't care how y'all decide to split it.”

OOC: Free RP (No post limit) till either all active players reach a consensus, violence, or post an OOC “ready, up” that they are content to continue.

Dru'lhoc sat and waited to see what the other "patrons" would do. The Earther didn't move.. or even blink. He just looked passively at Reggie-G, who was obviously ready to piss himself. If the other patrons were smart, they'd wait him out too... he obviously looked like he was willing to take any deal that would disencumber him of the pressure this information he thought would kill him.

He figured the IR stiff would know how to play this game. The Consultant, however, might use whatever brute force she thought she could employ to get her way. It may not work, but the more she talks, the more she revealed about herself. Just in case she got hasty, using his peripheral vision he looked at his environment. He took note of the entrances he remembered seeing, and where the bartender just limped out of. They might be useful in case this got ugly.

Colonel Jain looked around and thought back to the trips to the Thubanese bazaars with her mother as a child. Coming from Draco Epsilon 7, it was better than a vacation visiting Thuban.
But it was a harsh culture of barter and trade, especially the Scavengers.

Sneha sized up this sweaty, dirty, man and knew what he wanted more than anything...safety.

"I will pay your fee of 300 ghaz and offer to stage your death using a clone of you. Whomever is after you will have their trophy, and you will be freely away to live out the rest of your life as whomever you want to be," she said as she sloshed her beer down onto the table, "What do you think Reggie-G? A true freedom, not having to look over your shoulder?"

Maligna patiently listened to Reggie-G and when he was done she looked at the others in the room, she waited silently contemplating for a while until the IR officer spoke up.

She sipped her wine once again, it wasn't bad, not the best she ever had but decent enough. She smiled at everyone around her.

"Your price is small, I have to wonder about what is not being said. You mentioned that others also know this secret, I wish to know more about Craggy Moore and Tzin Howard. How much of a head start do they have and what kind of resources will they be able to throw at us to prevent us from getting a piece of their pie? After all since they are the only other ones who know about this secret I have to assume they are trying to take you out and once we know they will most likely eventually go after one of if not all of us.

I am willing to pay your price but not until you answer my questions. I dislike being thrown into needless danger, and I am sure you won't like me being in needless danger either."

Sneha suprised the Dru'lhoc by actually saying something first. First offer, 300 ghaz and a fake death. Second offer, two questions followed by a serious 'or else.' Not what he expected. The Lady, however, did have a point. Information about the players was, after all, just as important as the game.

The Earther spoke in a raspy, deep voice, "5 ghaz to answer the Lady's question. If I like the answer, I'll make you a better offer than what's already on the table." He tossed the ghaz over to Reggie, and waited for an answer.

Reggie nods confidence springing into his voice, “Aight I can make all that happen, ya'll are making me a free man! Fake death huh? Hell yeah y'all got a deal.”

He nodded to himself some more as he started counting the ghaz on the table. “Aight so Tzin I ain't heard nothing from, he came up for parole a few months after me and ya know how it is. Craggy though said fuck the treasure. He just wanted to go home to Toelz III to his little girl. Dude killed his old lady and his best friend cuz he found out they had carnal knowledge of each other.”

Reggie nodded, “Tzin had some friends, some bad dudes, but Craggy, he ain't gonna do nothing to mess up being with his daughter.”

“Now the treasure, and ya'll have to understand this shit is supposed to be the motherlode. Its located...” He stopped suddenly. A line of barely perceptable silvery light cut across Reggies neck leaving a perfectly straight needle thin line of red. His eyes rolled back as the headless body slumped forward the heart desperately pumping a steady spray of arterial blood into the air.

The red blood hit the person holding the head causing the image on his cloaking suit to shift in a disorienting way as its computer tried to cope with the blood splatter. The assassin threw the head toward the large window throwing himself the other direction. As soon as he got away from the spray of blood his suit compensated and he disappeared.

OOC: The assassin is still in the room. One action a piece, turn based style until resolution of the conflict. Once all have posted or in 4 days we will continue.

As the head is tossed and the body collapses Maligna's eyes narrow and faster then people would have expected for a woman her age she leaps toward the falling body grabbing the laser pistol from the holster while shouting for 2 of her men to physically block the entrance and the third to block the back door. She grabbed the seemingly strong booze that Reggie was drinking and tosses it at the sprinkler system and fires the laser pistol at it blowing it up and causing the remaining booze to ignite. This triggers the sprinkler system which in theory should reveal the cloaked assailant as the water should impact on his physical body. She hoped she was fast enough to reveal him before he could get out of the building.

(I hope this place has a sprinkler system or else this action is a complete waste )

Sneha never left her seat. As the severed head flies end over end towards the window, she lifts her beer stein and hurls it. The Beer stein, the largest size they carried, would be aimed to slam into the severed head with enough force to move it away from the window so the head would come to a stop inside the bar.

At the same moment she would be signalling to her Brethren to secure the head.

But the moment the flaming liquor would have ignited, Colonel Jain would rush to affix her rebreather from its belt pouch, just in case the spacestation used a halide gas system to put out fires.

With one hand holding the rebreather in, her other would be drawing her Nanoblade, awaiting the next cloaked attacker.

Dru'lhoc saw the head fly, the Consultant twist into action, and Sneha motion towards his men to move in.

First step: What's coming towards me? His hand went immediately to his pistol to take on whatever was coming his way.
Second Step: Check what the other patrons were doing. A quick peripheral glance would suffice. If nothing threatens him...
Third Step: Mentally retrace the events. Where did the attack come from? He then quickly traced where the attacker must have attacked based on angle of cut, trajectory of the head, and entry points into the room.

If possible, he would call his Tzira to shoot the assailant with their sonic pistols (set to stun). If they didn't have a clear shot, he'd shoot low, aim for leg/thigh/butt. No errant fire, only if there's a clear shot. He'd call his team that were around the station to run a perimeter around the station. Hopefully the teams would be in a place where they can corral the assailant.

Maligna was the fastest. She grabbed the liquor bottle tossing it in the air. It hung lazily in the 75% grav most space stations maintained. An easy shot. The liquid fire in the low gravity environment was beautiful. A blossom of heat and nearly invisible blue flame that seemed to hang in the air like a falling leaf.

Col Jain hurled her stein as maligna's fire ball blossomed. When she had been in the academy there was a drinking game they played in the zero G sim called Grog toss. The players had to bounce what ever they were drinking off another players liquor container and then catch it on the rebound. Luckily that muscle memory was retained. The Stein hit the side of the head knocking it off course. Her mug bounced harmlessly off the blast glass of the window. She called her brethren an instant later as she strapped on the rebreather.

Drulhoc stayed seated and began glancing around trying to judge where the attacker was while he sub-vocally commed his tzira to stun the assailant if they could find him. His other teams were moving to seal off the deck. Drulhoc realized this was an exercise in futility though, he hadn't seen the attackers face, Lost Hope was a labyrinth of ducts, crawl spaces, and maintenance shafts, On top of it he knew the other patrons of the deck wouldn't likely take kindly to being told they needed to be searched.

Just when he thought he had figured out where the assassin had been choking pink/white powder filled the air. Water was an expensive commodity, dry powder that had a shelf life of centuries was cheap. Drulhoc and Maligna were coughing. Drulhoc knew he taste. They had taken the fire retardant system out of a Stilletto. Visibility dropped to nothing as the powder filled the room.

A loud bang caught everyone's attention. A small explosive charge detonated against the window. The cracking that followed sent chills down everyone's back. the assassin was about to vent the bar into the void.

(OOC: No one has any vision. Thermal scanners are useless due to the ECU being broken on this floor. The blast window is about to give. one post per person, 4 days on the clock)