Meeting With Temporal empire regarding Capture Mission (wk1)

Maehl was ready this time. He had a chair modified and reinforced, yet comfortable (mostly), to seat a person three times his height and size. He already had a bottle of wine, the same that he had furnished for Xec Cex recently, uncorked and with a glass already served next to the chair he intended his guest to sit in. The room was already communications free and scanned for bugs. There were papers ready for jotting notes in case they were required.

The office on his flagship, Symbiosis, was bigger than on his last freighter and much more capable of handling a last minute meeting. The office, in addition to the improved seating arrangment, had two desks, a number of terminals, various electronic books and collections, as well as a food synthesizer. While not as lavish as his quarters, which was next door to this office, or any of his offices on other planets, it sufficed for the job at hand.

He pushed the Temporal alarm crystalline device provided at his recent meeting with Xec Cex and waited for the sudden flash to appear.

When the Da'Humb appeared, he exchanged pleasantries with the individual sent to speak with him. Wine was offered, as was the improved seating, and Su began his exposition.

"I have a plan, honored guest, to capture your target," Maehl explained, answering the question on his guest's mind.

"First, we will need a cover. To do that, I will be setting up a catering and entertainment company. It will do lavish entertainment, bringing together influences from all over the Polar Expanse and Boots Constellation. As an initial marketing scheme, I will offer my services for free around the Iron Republic to stockholders and other elite members of society. People will have a good time, more or less, and we'll build a name for ourselves, if for no other reason than free food and drink." He looked over at his guest, ensuring he wasn't going too fast for either of their good.

"I'll send an invitation to this estate, offering my services, for free, in exchange that they give us two recommendations if they enjoy the services we provide. If, for whatever reason, our invitation isn't responded to, our back-up plan will have to be to hack into their system and make sure they RSVP'd to the event. That way, we have a reason to have a whole lot of people arriving to their estate with a whole lot of equipment."

"From there, we have two options that I'm working on. One, make sure we have a large enough team on the ground to fulfill the mission. I'd say at least 50, including at least one hacker who can immediately hack into their security grid and overtake if needed. We would also need to smuggle in the required arms and equipment to do the same. We would have to modify vehicles and storage units for this purpose. Shouldn't be too hard, considering the experience I have doing just that. Our second option, which I prefer considerably, is to sneak into the premises a teleportation device that can be used to transport additional men, fully equipped, to handle the job. The major catch to this option, however, is that I'd have to use my connections with the Unity and, tangentially involve them somehow. We can discuss the merits of either shortly, first, let me finish my basic outline for this plan."

"The food we serve will be filled with a sedative that pretty much renders the residents of the household, and at least some of the guards, unconscious. Once that happens we move quickly to take out the anti-aircraft installations, disable the Quall N'Fel housemaid, the rest of the guards who may still be active. If teleportation is utilized, the reinforcements can do all of this quickly and in overwhelming numbers. The hacker, here, is important because they'd have to ensure there are no outgoing signals from the estate. We meet the objective, and either the team, with the captive, teleports out if there is a teleportation device, otherwise calls in for a cloaked ship to arrive, pick everyone up, and then torch the remains."

"We then leave a footprint of some sort, assigning responsibility to sympathizers of the late Captain Ironsbane. In order for this to work, furthermore, some of my staff will have to take casualties. I will make sure they are not only clueless as to the plan and nature of this event, but have clones available for when they expire. I will also have to hire "local" help, which will also suffer the consequences of the cover up, if needed. Once it has gotten out that the lady has been captured and my company infiltrated, I will publicly take it upon myself to remedy the situation." Maehl took a sip of his wine as he finished explaining the bulk of his plan.

"Once the ship has escaped, either with the girl or with the device. I will be "notified" that my team has not been responding to check-ups regarding the event. I will then have my team call in local police to investigate. I will make a public outcry. I will close down the business, offer in the resue/recovery efforts. I will help "pay" Blackheart's services and I will "supply" his troops. The specifics of how the girl is captured and who she is turned over to will be up to you and Blackheart."

"What I'd need to make this successful is a mercenary group that can actually take down the guards once they're in. I'll need a hacker, I recommend Terra Nova. I'll also need "supplies" to give to Blackheart and money to fund the operation. I'll accept cost, but the merc time might not. I'll also need to pay for the thing to be catered. I'll see if the Apples of Indifference are willing to do the job, but otherwise you'd have to find the troops. I'll also see if I can contract the teleportation device."

Maehl sighed, took a breath, and gave his guest the first real opportunity to speak. "What do you think?"

A terrible idea, based on my predictions.
But I have faith you will succeed in our goals.
Important goals.

Maehl didn't like what he heard. And then he was hit with brilliance again. "Fine, then we don't attack at all."

"In fact, I say we just throw a party."

Maehl grinned as he explained the details of his revised, and completely non-invasive, non-forceful plan to his honored guest.

I have secured your computer.

Pray whatever Gods you ascribe to, that you never need to use it.

-Temporal Delivery Service.

C/o XC
For Su