[04.33: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[Full bellies make folk civilized…]
"You look under pressure…" Zee greeted me with, her own weary expression on her face as she hopped down off the wagon as the caravan came in through the town gates "…anything I should know?"
"For later, I'll explain later" I muttered back rubbing at my forehead as I stood in my 'Earth Kingdom Elder' disguise as…about two dozen refugees followed along behind the lead wagon as my small guard stood watch over, or helped, them in "How much do they know?"
"More than you'd like, but less than would be a concern. They know something is off about us but….they're desperate, starving, and likely to get killed staying where they were. I did warn them…"
She trailed off, and I gave a tired nod. We'd discussed this on the communicators, and it's was just another group they'd know who, and in part, and what we were. The other such group was now distracting the new arrivals as 'The Avatar' went amongst them to be adored. Not an unsurprising result from the desperately lonely child whose world died and left him the Saviour of Everything and EveryoneTM!
Thankfully he was also oblivious, which had made hiding the Azula problems much, much, easier even if she appeared perfectly normal during our training sessions thanks to spell-craft and alchemy. Enough to clear the girl's head and hold down the worst of it till it passed….but it was merely a band-aid, and we both knew it was a future blow-up in left untreated. Right now her two friends were 'handling it' and we were only being made use of to maintain the illusion that nothing of happened, and in keeping her focused to plot. Even then I did suspect her Uncle and Brother suspected, perhaps strongly, that *something* was up with the girl.
Zatannna trailed off, then shook her hand "We'll have to talk to them, possibly soon, but feeding them is the immediate concern. The children…"
"Yeah, I see" I murmured pinching the bridge of my nose at the mild headache at all this stress of late after looking at the gaunt young figures cheering Aang and his friends. The Earth Kingdom was, quite simply, a bad place for the serfs, who were slaves in all but name really and simply weren't aware of it sometimes owing to the caste-like society of said nation. Or, perhaps, it was just the violent suppression of every large-scale peasant uprising, up to some guy named Chin, by the Earth King, the Nobles, or usually the Avatar…
'And boy doesn't that show the difference between our version of a Peaceful, Orderly, Society and past Avatar's opinions of said Peace and Order' I thought unhappily as I'd had to endure cultural dissonance, the conversation, with the past lives of Aang. Not that they were bad people, far from it in fact, but it was usually easier to deal with alien differences, or just plain 'evil' societies, than uncanny valley ones like this world where things were close to ours…but not quite. Still, it was close enough, so I studied the poverty-stricken families, and they were clearly families, coming in on battered wagons.
"Bright side is we can't see any sign of pursuit, for now, and you…"
She nodded "We made sure to clear out tracks, magic and Nathan's soldiers. I sped us along as well so that it would be hard for any non-magical tracker to follow…" then she glanced around the town "…and illusions are fully in effect I see"
"Yeah, not to best idea to cause heart attacks the moment they arrive" I stated firmly rubbing my chin and trying to decide how to hand this "First we'll get them fed in the tavern….Restaurant and Tea House, sorry. We've rooms ready for them…and baths and new clothes. Once we've let them calm down and rest…we'll see about breaking things to them then, or in a few days. We're on the clock now to that Comet, so we'll have to make decisions as we are departing with it"
'We have a mission, with soldiers eager to get back to their families aboard after all' was what I didn't say seeing said soldiers moving to store their fake-primitive crossbows as they sat or leaned against walls to rest a moment. That fact, and meeting multiple needs and demands…well, it was what I'd signed up for when I became Captain now wasn't it?
Kara fully agreed with my inclination to help of course, but that didn't make it any easier deciding on dumping the mentally damaged children to head home, or, essentially, abducting the Heirs to the throne of industrialising mage nation. Not that Aang's lot were massively better off, but Sokka was handling thing well, all things considered….
Then I shook my head "Right, introduce me to whoever's in charge amongst them and let's see about getting them fed and housed…"
--
{Use the Conference Room for Maximum Business Power!}
Zatanna Zatara rubbed her chin as she sat back in her chair as she sat the table with the others "Ah…so that's why you've been so unhappy. Wow. Full on break? Spirits don't understand us at all!"
Callum gave an unhappy nod "Oh, I suspect this one did. Nearly removes certain players from the board, or at least they think it will…but yes, she's recovered…somewhat…now after a few days, but papering over as Lucy just said. We're taking her, and her two bodyguards, with us, for at least a year, and try to heal her up…"
Supergirl finished off the sentence as Callum trailed off unhappily "Which means her Uncle and Brother will find out, and that's going to be…fun. Since they're a family of infighting, and one of the bodyguards is dating the Brother…so they could come too. Which leaves us with…"
"A massive security headache when you combine it with the refugees!" Nathan Anderson, the Security Chief, stated drumming fingers off the table "Because we can't just dump them here unless they want'em dead, and they'll want to come with…because they've nowhere else to go. Now, beyond my purview, but how are dealing with abducting the Royal Children of the country gradually taking over this word? It's not like they can vanish for a year or two and then we conveniently drop them back?"
"Tis also the fact they'll learn much of what's beyond their world, and gain knowledge, that will change their world upon their return…" Zatanna started to argue, holding up her hand to forestall Kalum's objection "Look I am not arguing some….Prime Directive as Jonathan says, but it's there, and that's taking sides as they'll return and either throw in with their father, or, hopefully, overthrow him because he's an absolute monster. And that's just for family life!"
Quinn Mallory looked curious, giving a shrug "I don't see the problem. We seem to pick up most of our crew like this, don't we? And, well, aren't we involved with my home, and Zatanna's home, and you overthrowing the planet of the villains…"
Kalum winced "Yeah…yeah, that is true, but it's to avoid making a giant mess here as neither side is spotless, and in the other cases we are involved in helping them. Even with the Comet we're taking sides….but I like to think that's stopping anyone getting genocidal from the insane power boost, and I'd rather not see those kids kill each other. Especially from us training them, or having to add family politics to the mix and upsetting morale….what with the breakdown. So, objections now, or forever hold your peace"
"Objections are more on how to handle it Boss, than on actually doing the recruiting. Mental state aside, since Doctor Chen feels it can be treated…" the soldier who'd been running the caravan with her stated "…all three girls are very skilled, if in the too young, sidekick, scenario. The boy, Zuko, is the same, so skill levels and power are better than most we'd pick up, especially if their Uncle comes, though, retired General…it'll either be a major help, or a mixed back if he can't take orders"
Zatanna sighed "I have no objections per se, though I admit it's going to add to the angsty teenage antics and drama quotient I imagine. The refugees can be settled somewhere, and if worst comes to worst we return them here in a year or two when we voyage here once more. Perhaps we should leave some sort of warning to the Fire Nation so that we cause this Ozai to go on a rampage through this region should his son and daughter vanish? Our cover will be blown at the highest levels when said children return home after all…."
Kalum winced at that, glancing at Supergirl, who gave an awkward nod "Zatanna's right on that Callum, Avatar Aang likely won't be believed yet….but once the General, the Water and Fire siblings convince their parents, or inherit, knowledge is out there now….and we'll be leaving, so they can't interfere with us now"
She watched Callum let out a tired sigh "So, what do ye want me to do? Fly the ship over their capital and say hello?"
Zatanna shook her head "No, that's going to cause a panic Callum amongst the civilian population. But they have these….messenger hawks, so we find a ship, we arrange one away from the public eye, prove we're real…and then leave. That way the anger is focused on us, not on random peasants in the area we were in"
"That they likely won't know, since the Princess left her forces with her escort a decent while before arriving to us…" the security chief agreed, and argued differently a little "…but we need to avoid getting too close as well, as they do have airships, and we don't want to destroy any during an escape effort should they have some means to circumvent our sensors and drones….however unlikely that may be"
--
[04.34: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[Leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again…]
"No, that would be a….tactically unsound decision I'm afraid…" I listened as the old Fire Nation General laid out that why it would be a bad idea to attempt to approach his brother directly "…it would be best to confront a number of our ships, at sea, in numbers, but not enough to encourage a battle and to call a Truce. Supplying letters from myself, Prince Zuko, and Princess Azula would be the better option"
I rubbed my chin, thinking "Not an application to meet…"
Iroh shook his head firmly as we stood in the rapidly emptying village I, we, had called home these past weeks "No, I know my brother…and more importantly he does not know you. He will attempt to subdue you, and then there will be violence…something best avoided"
"Okay, okay, that is reasonable. Avoiding an incident…further ones, are a priority you understand. Now, you and your nephew are clear upon the situation?"
The older man nodded sagely, he was dangerously 'old man friendly' that it was easy overlook his power and skills I found as I watched the smithy tools being packed away. We'd another two days left….well, a bit less, as it was one last night where I was owed a favour I wasn't sure I wanted. That and a night and morning of rest and relaxation for the crew, in shifts, before we moved into space to recover that magic money maker comet. If we could safely recover and store it then it would make this current voyage more than profitable – even with all the troubles, and the terrified refugees we would now have to resettle them all somewhere else. Or the crazy people we were taking aboard as crew such as the old dude here…
"Ah, indeed, the risks as much as the rewards…" the old man chuckled in faux amusement "…but we are merely helpless refuges…"
Sure you are mate…
"…fleeing the forces of our own nation. Everywhere is perhaps a risk currently, and I do believe some travels to the stars will open my nephews mind to other things than his current lot"
I gave a nod, though I was fairly sure it more 'stop Azula coming back sane and with an army of death wizards' or something to that effect was the real reason behind it. That or the boy really wanted to spend time with his girlfriend and his Uncle was agreeing for differing reasons "That I'm sure will happen, it certainly did for many others who've joined up. But understand….I want no royal family plotting or family issues effecting things aboard my ship or on missions. I will help that girl as promised, and will also rein her in too as agreed"
"Of course, of course, though a difficult task you have set yourself. My niece is….talented at getting what she wants I have found"
I sighed, glancing up at the nice fluffy clouds against the bright blue sky "I…agree actually, which makes the current situation worse as she's charismatic, intelligent, and has a will of steel…while also having issues that are hard to spot because of said traits. So, do not attempt to undermine with our fixing said issues. Telling you is…"
"Only occurring because it could not be hid with our presence, nor among Lady Mai and Zuko given time"
"Essentially" I gave the honest answered watching as Aang flying about, clearly relieved to be free of my drillmaster training forever more. Honestly, I wasn't sure how much would actually stick with him, but I'd given a fairly intensive basic course on mental protections and meditations, even if he didn't like it, and gotten him talking to his past lives. Now all he had to do was go elsewhere, somewhere away from the front lines, and spend a few years training and growing up before jumping head-long into a death match with Iroh here's dear, deadly, brother the Firelord.
I waved my hand about in the air "But, well, it's hard maintain crew morale when members can be radically different, from human, to goblin, to dragon, and many of them have significantly worse issues. Sad to say but Doctor Chen earns her pay…"
'And like the rest of'em could buy her own private island in a few years with the way we worked' I didn't say, though I did smile "…and we pay well as you'll find out, even if not in a standardised manner. We've a Company Scrip to make barter easier, but when you desire…gold is meaningless in some dimensions, worth holy wars in other. If you wish to return rich, in money, or knowledge, or anything else, you'll have the opportunity here…"
--
{But I'm dancing in the moonlight. It's caught me in its spotlight….}
It had been a long day, and I know looked up at the shining moon as myself and Zee deliberately allowed entry to our guests as the party continued in the village. For one last night the, now renovated and restored, village saw revelries and relaxation before we departed once again. Not that I'd gotten to indulge in it yet, nor Kara, nor Zatanna…as the carefully created summoning circle etched in stone and metal shimmered into moonlight at the rear of the Shrine to the Shrouded Lord. One last task at hand, one step into the unknown at my Lord's whispered command…
"Yue, Princess, Great Spirit, you are welcome to our town…" I stated with a bow as the girl with silver hair appeared, this time helped by the magic drawing from the ley-lines thanks to our summoning array "…in accordance with our Accord"
Something of an irony as that was a barrier as well, what helped the Great Spirit…and the other presence waiting to cross the threshold…here and now take a more physical form also could keep them out now we knew what to reinforce. Oh, she could still scry in clearly, but she was the Moon Goddess so to be expected when the Moon was up…so I stayed politely and friendly as I was about to get a 'blessing' and that was always dangerous I'd found. The Boss was too much like his Boss at times at giving you what you Need, not necessarily what you Want in these scenarios.
"Kind Captain, it pleases us to see you once again…and in the flesh this time" the Goddess in the form of the girl replied…
…a little flummoxed it looked like as I came out of the bow and she gave one back to me, but also clearly touching her face in surprise. The last time she'd been a Shade of Moonlight might be the best description, but now she was flesh even if she still shimmered in arcane energy to my senses "We…are, thankfully"
"I'm sure Sokka will be too"
I glared at Zee as she grinned, and sighed as the Goddess…got a blush. Great, great, just great "This village is…somewhat of an oddity thanks our methods I imagine, but that's in part what is what we are…"
My hand gestured to the large pile of nearly stacked, and freshly printed and bound, books in the local language on various Arcane and Divine magical systems "…the differences in how Deities such as yourself operate upon other planes; as agreed"
The girl-goddess smiled softly, hands sliding under her sleeves of her Water Tribe robe of blue and white as her bright blue eyes studied the large pile "Indeed you have, and kept your Pact with our young Avatar, holder of the World Spirit to the best of your abilities. And removed a coming problem without our interference, if for less noble reasons we understand…now, another must enter to supply the information on our side of the Pact"
I glanced at Zee, who nodded, hand gesturing as power manifested and I turned back to Yue "They may enter in peace"
…and then there was a giant Owl, with a pile of scrolls standing behind the girl-goddess, distaste in its eyes as it surveyed us….and then greed as it took it the books. A Greater Knowledge Spirit, or a Lesser Deity, of these lands whose Name I'd been warned to be wary of. That I could understand, and while I followed a God of Knowledge…this being was known to horde knowledge, while the Shrouded Lord preferred to spread around knowledge when feasible, and horde when deemed necessary. We would be at odds with a Spirit such as this normally, but the trade was agreed as I offered our exchanged, studying the vast chest of scrolls with my senses to confirm its authenticity.
Not truly necessary as we Spoke Our Pact, Conducting Our Trade, with all Stated as True by our Power, but I was somewhat prone to paranoia and overkill as well. The being had little interest in 'talking' as it, and two of it's fox-minions, moved over to the books and…were gone in puffs of smoke along with said books; once again bared from entry to Tu Zin. I shook my head as I cast protective wards over the new additions to our, my, library before turning back to the girl-goddess. One last task before I could let her wander about her lovely little town…
"I'm ready, though Kara, and Zatanna here, will monitor the…Blessing" I stated calmly, even if I didn't feel it as I allowed my defensive wards to drop after completing the temporary Geas. Yue, the Girl made Goddess, smile gently…actually blushing again… as my as I took off my shirt at her request, dropping the illusion of humanity at her direction. Trust was not given easy, even when magical surety had been given at every step without a fight on her part.
"This is a Gift, and will do you no harm as agreed with your Patron Spirit, merely aid thee in time. It is a Gift given from Ancient Beings of this world through us now"
I shivered in the descending mist, in the shining moonlight that pushed and pulled about the lands surrounding us "That…maybe true, but it will cost me in the now. Still, I freely accept this Gift"
…even if it was more a Barter really. But I forced myself still as the girl-goddess's hand reached out and touched my chest and I felt the surge of the Ocean, the painful dousing of the Flames. Karguk had been Fire-inclined, Sean had been Fire inclined, in Arcane sense…
[But who are you? You can learn if you blindly repeat and copy?]
…and that was suppressed now as the energy surged into me, knocking the breath from my as my body beat like a drum as new energy pulsed within. Chi had never been my thing. Water had never been my element...
…till now anyway. I gasped as the girl-goddess's hand pulled away and I let out a frozen breath "It is done, as my Tribe says…you are Blessed by the Great Spirits. Though learning such may take time. May it bring you Good Health and Prosperity"
I nodded, perhaps dumbly, as I breathed hard, Zatanna's glowing sigil covered hands running over me to check I was okay as I reached out within…temporarily weakened once more. To Gain I'd Given, my Element forcefully changed from an inclination in the Arcane to a firm Power in the Material…in time. I was a Waterbender now, if I trained with Chi, and that would aid my restoring…no, in rebuilding as I'd been born a corrupted clone body at first…
I let out a breath, feeling that new sense faintly, weakly as my magic was upped ended and I knew I'd have to seek balance once again as Fire was…lessened in exchange "I thank you Yue, now, let us take you to the Avatar and his companions…"
--
[04.35: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[Friendly signalling to potential trade partners is key…]
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 1064]
[Current Dimension]
In the Void between Dimension
[Current Location]
Fortune's Chance, Ready Room
[Trading Report – Trade, Salvage, Animal Handling, and HR]
The Primary mission has been achieved;- we have successfully recovered 'Sozin's Comet', along with it's trail of fragments. It is our shining jewel [actually;- it's a magic metal/rock that's on fire] that will more than pay for this expedition. Oh, yes, yes, it will. Ideally, it'll pay for a refit of the Fortune's Chance with more Arcane tools in a Spelljammer Port if I can find a safe route to Auction it there, then undertake upgrades. Happy Dance, magical Happy Dance – as well as using the small fragments from the comet's wake for our own use. And, YES, it DOES, empower Fire Element spells with its wonderful presence!
Secondly we've got a decent supply of Silver Ore, and now Refined Silver, along with other metals we've been running through the Androsynth Fabber to make spare parts, as well as some basic trade goods. Nothing major, but we're fully repaired, a handful of extra robots thanks to Quinn and the Mechanist, and all with topping up our own stores. I'd count that a positive after damage taken earlier in Kromagg space, and never hurts to have a store of silver for trade and weapons creation. Also salt, we've a lot of salt as there was a salt mine near Tu Zin, but that's situational trade dependent as well.
Next we've a number of animals, Komodo-lizards, and chicken-bears, or whatever their called and they'll fetch a decent price I think in market, though hard to know – for the moment they'll serve as animal transport if need be in our new stables. Note to self;- make sure we have horses next departure so we more easily travel on less advanced worlds, even if this dimension was an exception. Between that and purchase of local goods, and spices for the kitchens – plus seed samples to grow our own. Seeds are good as can grow our own should they prove popular amongst the crew.
Finally is the Bending Knowledge now in our little library and, more importantly, for access to me to study over time. Yes, knowledge is the true wealth, to me at least. No that's a lie, the sale of the magic fire rock is the real wealth generator, I hope anyway as they'll get me more of what we want. That'd help with our new 'hires', even if most of them are refugees seeking a new home – and that's something we can give, eventually, though for now their 'camping' in a secondary cargo hold. They didn't want individual rooms bizarrely enough, and our other guests took only two large rooms; one for the boys, and one for the girls. Plotting most likely, along with ensuring the mentally harmed girl is watched and given support from her two girl friends.
[Diary Entry]
It has been a very busy few days, but oddly enough I'm happy as I've finally gotten several good nights sleep now we're free of Avatar boy and his band of heroic minions. Sure I'm stuck with a royal duo that may be plotting against each other, with Princess Azula still at early stages of being treated for her, host, of mental issues. She's holding it together 'fine' now, and we mad it through 'negotiations' with the five Fire Nation ships with only having to blast a small island with heavy ordnance while we hovered in the clouds of their range convinced them we weren't messing with them in some insane way. They did take the messages from our five new crew members, so there's that, but as long as attention is on us, not innocents, then I'll be happy enough – because if 'Ozai' does target people I'll kill him for that and bad parenting, and mental child abuse, next time back here.
Before that we sent Avatar Aang and his friends off on their merry way, many leagues from Tu Zin, and left a ghost town behind. I've got my new 'Blessing', I've done my best to train the fella in the brief period there, and we'll see what the future holds in a year or two. Honestly that boy and his friends deserve better than the world they live in, but there is little I can do about that, and I'm fairly sure we're the only ones getting entry in the future as I gave over that dimensional knowledge. Monopoly trade, wooo! Though it's more ensuring that there isn't invasions beyond this world's strength, and I'm sure the Gods of this world are all too glad to strengthen barriers to dangerous invaders. Fine by us really.
Now, unto work. Crew introductory sessions are underway, same as for the five families camping in the cargo hold; - the do's and don't of magical dimensional spaceships. Conducted by someone not me right now, though I'll handle proper 'training' alongside Kara, Quinn, and Zee, as I've been sleeping. Blessed, blessed, sleep that was oh so badly needed I'll tell you. Oh, Kara, that is why I love you. You made me sleep and I am so, so, glad of that right now. I badly needed a few days to sleep and meditate, also do a bit of study. I'll start practicing Chi with my martial arts training in time, but for now I'm going to get our new crew inducted and prepare a survey run back through Kromagg space.
That was the paying job after all, and now we're fully repaired, and we'll stay out in-system to see what the response has been to our battle months ago. Don't want to be seen again after all, so no taking risks this time around in trying to get in close to their earths for a better/closer look. Playing mercenary is expensive and dangerous, and sloppy mistakes are best avoided so we don't end up doing this 'lying low' tactic for months again. Yes, good for the crew to do it from time to time I expect, but others, like the goblins and our explorer-oriented members, were very eager to get back moving again. Especially since well be back 'home' a time, and then unto Sigil to try arranging our next destination. Fun times.
--
{Life aboard a strange ship…}
"…and then she said; I'm going to punch you stupid gobbie and I…."
Mai tuned out the idle conversation of the strange not-spirits as she sashayed into the 'canteen' of this very strange ship with Ty Lee humming beside her, almost skipping along Mair noted. She did not particularly like the 'goblins' as they were called, so best to avoid them as she made her way up to the 'serving area' as they had been shown, ignoring Ty Lee's cheerful wave to her 'new friend' behind the counter. 'Friendly cook' Agni's fiery butt Mai thought seeing the 'friendly girl' Chao wave back, looking the harmless chef that she was most certainly not.
Like much of this ship looks could be deceiving…yeah Mai found herself fighting a smile once again. Life was terrifying, maddening, and beyond understanding….while also satisfying once again. Even with Azula…suffering her ailment…there was so much to learn, so many new wonders to see. And best of all she could see Zuko without the pressures of Court, and with Azula's attention temporarily distracted, as she stated, and received, her order of food. Another bizarre reflection of normal shipboard life, albeit far better than any ship, even the Royal Barge, while her mind told her they flew amongst the stars out the hull of the ship without any water or earth or….
'Best not think on it' she forced herself to think, calming down and walking with the tray of food over to a metal table. It was generally best NOT to work oneself up into a panic attack from the fact there was NOTHING OUT THERE, and that NOTHING MIGHT EAT YOU according to the 'helpful introduction' they'd been given some hours ago. Zuko had gone to 'train' in the ships gym…because, despite being a massive airship, it was also somehow bigger on the inside than the outside as well…
"This place is awesome!"
…and then there was Ty Lee, who was unnervingly cheerful despite all the horrors they had been told about not too long ago "That is not the word I would use, but it is set to be our home of sorts for the next few months"
"I know! Isn't it great! My bed's like super-fluffy and Chao cooks the best buns and we do each others hair and then…"
Tuning out the sudden out burst was the best option Mai found as she used the chopsticks to start eating the rice dish as Ty Lee babbled excitedly about their accommodations. Indeed they were beyond expectations, but it was somehow 'fine' that Azula had brought them here because her mind was damaged….oh, and Mai was fairly sure several of her 'new crewmates' were fully able to defeat the Firelord, or the Avatar, with stunning ease, along with the possible city destroying airship. Then there was the…
"Zuko! Yay!"
…only to be distacted by Ty Lee hopping up and waving both arms in the air, voice loudly drawing attention to them as Mai saw Zuko shuffle his way into the canteen. Then was dragged over her as Ty Lee, as if by magic, had jumped and skipped across the table and few feet to Mai's boyfriend, arms wrapping around him "Now come over here! We missed you! Now we're all together! Let's talk about the magic space whales….or was it bats?...space whale-bats?..."
--
[04.36: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[…show me what spring is like, on Jupiter and Mars…]
"Drive….discharge managed into the Bleed. We are now back in realspace exactly where we planned. All system green Captain"
"Good job Jonathan, okay people, deploy two probes and keep us in Jupiter's shadow. We don't want the Kromaggs even getting a sniff of our presence. Brewster bring up the displays on what we can see" I replied hand resting on the arcane controls 'feeling' the ship as we returned once more to enemy territory. Range was our advantage over the nazi cannibal cavemen after all, and I intended for us to merely take long-range surveys of already explored systems without them noticing us. So I 'felt' and watched as two of the Monitor-drones were released from the forward bay, Zatanna contributing some extra illusion magic to ensure they were even harder to see.
Within seconds the combination of hologram and physical displays shifted to show the stars and planets, primarily Jupiter and its moons that we current hid amongst. Nearby our 'trainees' watched in a combination of wonder, unhappiness, and stoicism as best I could tell, though it was hard to tell with any of the three beyond the more expressive Zuko. His Uncle was the best possibility for actually secondary command staff since he'd been a General and knew how to command ocean ships. Maybe, right now it was merely ensuring they didn't freak out in a worse situation than this.
They'd already seen the dimension between dimensions, or the 'representation' of it that the systems gave as long at it directly tended to be a terrible, madness inducing, idea. Real-space re-entry though was an issue in itself, and no one was freaking out at least, even the somewhat unbalanced Princess. So, I glanced at Quinn as he sat beside me on his chair, fingers moving over controls as the drones deployed and our passive sensors studied the system "See something?"
"No, not yet, too soon…" he replied with a shrug as his eyes followed the data starting to how up on the screen beside him "…but looking to see if there's any increased slide signatures and compare against our last time here. Just setting up parameters for my own search and analysis"
"Fair enough, we could do with as much data as we can gather after all" I agreed with a nod as I turned my attention back to the main screens as the first images of distant Earth came into view, and the one or two active satellites amongst the dead ones of this fallen earth. Quinn was better at such understanding of the Slide Drive, especially that of the Kromaggs more advanced version, than myself and Kara so the extra analysis would be a welcome sell back on Home Base. This Earth should be only a 'frontier base' world, and the next one after it should have, well….
'That big rock should have taken out most of the Florida area and the space facilities there' I mused as the usual back and forth started on the bridge now the immediate tenseness had passed. Kara was doing a running commentary for the three Fire Nation royals, while I handled the sailing and Quinn the studies. A dull, but dangerous, affair as usual as I juggled power consumption against the level of stealth as we built up heat to discharge later, and maintain a minor Veil to hide us. Easy this far out against the background of space for the tech level of our enemy.
We'd do long range surveys with the ship, listening in on any signals traffic, and then push in with the drones for any closer look…from say Mars or out from lunar orbit if that was safe. It'd take time to decrypt their communications, but between that and survey data it would give our allies plenty to study in the coming months and years as they, and we, had to monitor the Kromagg threat. Hopefully the ship that was being salvaged when we left was refitted and would add to that ability…in time. I gave a darkly amused smile as I started to study the increase in signal traffic versus our last observance – everything was in future, after spending and effort on getting to that point…
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 1083]
[Current Dimension]
Kromagg Territory – 56X-78RT-EXIU [Kromagg notation]
[Current Location]
Library, Fortune's Chance
[Trading Report – None]
Not much to report here. Systems have functioned well, the only salvage has been some meteorites and frozen ice from the out Sol system to top up the holds.
[Diary Entry]
We've been burning hard, moving fast, and staying stealthy the past two weeks as we move through enemy waters, at least according to ships chronometer. Kromagg's reacted to our earlier cruise is the answer to one question as there's been lot more activity around their industrial world, and other worlds on associated 'reality chains' even without getting near to Earth. So, that's good as we're well off the actual chain from Home Base thanks to using Arcane and Bleed drive travel – important as the Kromaggs do live up their hundred or two hundred worlds taken as they've reinforced pretty significantly. Also very clearly answering the question of 'we're fucked, we're fucked, we're totally fucked' should they manage to hit Home Base in the short term short of nuking the planet to cinders in exchange.
Thankfully all data indicates our, very basic, barrier setup should be enough to keep them, so that's a relief to all and sundry, even if we won't take it for granted. It also confirms we have advantages ourselves over them and, given time, up-teching and getting solar-borne by the League of Aquitaine will get around the planet limited Kromagg Empire. The other lesson is that they've got Slide blockers of their own, though the seem less advanced than the barrier we use by a fair margin, surprising considering their Slide Drives are clearly superior to ours, or it's just what we've seen out here. Whatever the reason they've deployed, in force, along several worlds in the chain, and the 'sonar pings' as I think of them we're seeing shows active efforts to locate us if the ship was Earth-side.
Quinn, Isabel Cruz, and Pat Dugan, are leading the team on the analysis of all the data, along with Kara's help, while Zatanna handles the arcane barriers with the help of White Sorceress and young Weryl whose learning Order-based invisibility. Need to learn that style off him when he perfects it actually. Overall it's been a very useful, albeit risky, training run and we're learning how fast you can burn energy at the higher level functions of the shiftship. Good news is that we've got significantly improved energy carrying thanks to the repairs and refit as we've done a number of test, where we failed the last time, and there's no overloads or short-circuits this time around. That is a relief, and hopefully more improvements will follow in time.
Now our new crew members; Oh, Boss above, where to start. Firstly I suppose is the retired General who wants to, and now does, work in the kitchen along with the usual part-time security team work like everyone else. Yes, he wants to do tea and talk to people and serve food when he's a powerful fire-mage, but that's what he wants and Chao is fine with it, so that's that. Not like his nephew whose Security Team, even with a serious anger management issue that we are currently trying to handle, just like we're handling his sister's own personal demons. Getting them to acknowledge said failings of Daddy dearest has been the first step, along with needing help in getting healed mentally. Mind-healers, the way to sell it as they've rather Victorian attitudes to mental illness I find.
Which brings us to Azula. Oh, gods above that girl. Brilliant, manipulative, mentally damaged. Not the ideal combination as while I'm trying to help her, we've also to watch for her plotting AND her instability, because Greater Glory of the Fire Nation and all that. Doctor Chen is just glad I gave her the assistants let's say. Yeah, so I'm training her, and that's helping me training my 'secret ability' at waterbending, and we've got her on Security as well, with her minion Mai in the Library team, and Ty Lee in the kitchen with her Chao, whose now her friend. I'm going to learn that chi-blocking off that girl, and have it taught to my security teams, even if non-human bodies would be different. Since we're mainly aiming for human worlds – well, good skill for the teams to have I think!
Now unto the Comet and its fragments;- analysis is still continuing, but this thing is certainly a fascinating, and powerful, artefact. Still going to sell the main body obviously, and selling with this analysis should not be hard I think. Or hope, but getting to selling it just more dangerous once people figure out what we've got in the hold after we try to organise a sale through a sell. That's for the future though, and right now my focus is on making use of the shards of the comet in the future as they've got the properties of the material as well, and I can think of several very useful creations from them. I've been talking to Weryl and L33T in that regards, and if I could assemble a team and facilities we could certainly forge some decent artefacts from those shards. Only time will tell I guess. For now we continue our voyages; first to future California, then back to Freeport-in-the-Bleed, and then Home Base Earth.
--
[04.37: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[California Dreamin'…]
"Gunther, a pleasure to meet you…" I greeted with a smile as I took the man's hand in my own and gave a firm handshake "…how have the beaches been treating you away from home office"
"Good Captain, though the oranges have been better in this sunshine state" the German replied with the passcode for the in-person meeting that'd been agreed months before we'd left home base Earth. It was a secondary confirmation after the first level on the electronic greet and meet to arrange our arrival, but I still didn't let my guard down as we broke the handshake and I and my 'colleagues' entered the building at a gesture from myself as the German continued.
"We were a little surprised by your early arrival actually Captain Outis, Mister Mallory, we're still in the setup stage unfortunately, but we have made some small purchases and have them stored for collection"
"I'll be truthful in that we were unsure if operations would have been started yet while we were at sea, plans are fluid fortunately or unfortunately as the story goes" I replied politely, as it was a truthful reflection of the state of play as I hadn't been sure what state the operation to establish a branch office in the Republic of California was at in our absence. Good news was they'd pushed ahead with it, even if the operation was mostly at acquiring some nice, and very secure, premises to operate from, along with creating paper trails to enable future operations.
"Yes, we had been warned Sir…" Gunther replied as we moved through a retro-Victorian style lobby, then up a glass-like material bound in silvery-steel staircase "…and we have hired addition staff with local knowledge to aid in the expansion. Once we get to the second-floor meeting room we can engage in more detail discussions and clearing the next delivery schedule"
I nodded as we ascended with myself, Quinn, Amelia the White Sorceress, Nathan my Security Chief, and Zee in an actual business suit. Magic might be significantly weaker here, but it still worked at lower levels, and we could protect ourselves better than say, Kara, who was no longer truly bullet-proof here and could easily forget that fact. The offices looked like….well, upscale offices in a law-firm or accountancy practice really, even if the computers and artwork, even the desks, looked slightly off at times. It also had hardened steel security doors, albeit disguised well, I noted in passing, along with certificates on the wall about disaster-war preparedness and safety authorisations.
'Apparently the place has a bomb shelter….where the portal should be I hope' I thought seeing the evacuation map, an old one, placed at the top of the stairs along with other building details in a mixture of Spanish, English, Mandarin, and Japanese. Beyond the various 'installed' safety documents everything was recently plastered and painted, all very nice and clean, even down to the bright and cheerful carpeting beneath my feet as we followed Gunther into the meeting room, where an Asian woman, and a younger European woman sat waiting as we all took our seats.
"Captain, this Biyu Bisset, and Anna Steiner, my Mission Second, and our Head of Security, and officially, Head of Human Resources. Biya, Anna, this is…"
I smiled politely, shaking hands with the two other Special Forces turned inter-dimension merchants as it was stated we were in a secure part of the facility now. Everyone was aware of the dangers of capture, that this was potentially hostile territory, and the small hotel beside the offices had been converted into living space and meeting rooms in the past two months apparently. They'd done an excellent job, operating through a chain of three portals to reach here from Home Base, though that severely limited what they could send back due to the fact none were mages themselves – instead using tools I'd left to navigate the 'established' portals. Eventually though, polite conversation turned to business as Miss Bisset spoke.
"You are bringing through the vessel?"
I nodded as we all sat with secured laptops and data-devices open "Yes, within the next few days. The plan would be to fill our remaining holds with agri-produce and, ideally, electronics and other such items, and then return home from there with our cargo. They'll arrive out in pacific, then sail here to harbour once we've arranged the proper paperwork and cover story"
"It should not be too much of hassle to arrange, it was one of our core guidelines at the start of the mission after all…" Gunther replied as various world maps were brought up on our shared drives "…so we should begin arranging purchases through Outis Import/Export as our client and prepare customs documentation. We have to be careful to avoid having repeated appearances and disappearances of a Free Trader Merchantman. While this Earth has limited international bodies like we had…. before the Event…they do have trading blocs that are well regulated and would eventually cause concerns for authorities here"
I gave a nod, bringing up current market prices of potential purchases along with projected funds available in our various accounts "Yes, that was a concern, hence the need for a forward operating base such as yourselves to ease the way for us. On the bright side it looks like we can significantly increase your projected delivery timetables with our arrival, so let's talk figures and warehousing on these items here…"
--
{Business induced headaches…}
James Franklin Anderson the Second, US military advisor to Crosstime Traffic, frowned as they looked over the information that had flash updated in the last few days "So, is it who we think it is?"
Emily Dugan, the young data-analyst assign to the mission frowned "That we say for sure Colonel, but we've seen the same accounts suddenly come active again, along with another company we had no records of…on our back-drives on homeworld. They've clearly been changed on local systems, and we've been completely unable to penetrate whatever hardware they've got in use. All indications are this is a Cross Time operation, or part of one, considering Corporate's concerns over events with the mission in German occupied America. This is our first major lead so…."
The woman trailed off, and James sighed "Yes, and just when the furor was starting to die down as well"
'Outis Import/Export' had cropped up on three different dimensional adjacent Earth, and the concern someone in Crosstime Traffic was running shadow ops, badly at that, had sent a panic off within the Company, as well as within Congress. Worse it had turned out that several of the Directors, along with influential Sponsors, HAD been found to be running their own private Cross-time set of worlds….so they could own their own slave plantations of course! Because OF COURSE THEY DID. That had kicked off a PR disaster….shitstorm….that had forced the Department of Justice to arrest a handful of the worst Sponsors to appease the public outrage and spare the rest of the business…
But, and it was a dangerous But…it hadn't addressed the underlying problem that had kicked off the operation in the first place. Because, after months and months of fine-tooth comb analysis…
…there was nothing about these mystery traders that showed up and vanished like ghosts. Nothing at all. It was becoming worryingly clear that there was a strong possibility that it was another dimension at work. And that was a frightening possibility considering all the shithole Earths out there;- like this one here where there was no Shining City on the Hill, or ones where the Limies or the Krauts had come out on top, or even ones where the Nips or Chinks had rose as Powers. In fact this dreadful place, with its near par technology and powerful non-American militaries was one such concern and why James and the mission were here – to ensure they never made jump to Cross-time travel. Ever.
So, he let out another sigh, rubbing at his chin, glancing at the till now other two mission heads; Frank West from MIT, and Danielle Rodriguez the spook "So, we've got a lead. I think we're going to have to try for a snatch and interrogate?"
"Unfortunate, but yes, we have standing orders on the matter" the spook replied after another few seconds of silence as she read through her display "We send a confirmation request back home….but we'll have to assemble a team and be ready for the inevitable confirmation. Whoever these people are, we need to find out WHO they are, and then shut them down for good"
"And what if they are from another timeline?" Frank West muttered as he sipped his coffee "That is one of the strongest theories at the moment"
"Then even more reason to get answers so we can shut them down" James replied firmly, Danielle giving a firm nod of agreement, with a weaker one from Emily Dugan "Can you imagine the dangers of most of these timeline's stumbling into this tech? Home many non-American run tyrannies and nightmares are out there? No, we have a responsibility to humanity that this technology is not abused, and, let's be honest, we're the only ones responsible enough to use it. What if one of the Communist Earths get it? Or a Kaiserreich one? Do we want socialism and other such thoughts spreading its tentacles into some of the worlds we're trying so hard to reform?"
"No, we don't" Danielle finished for him shaking her head in irritation "It's unfortunate, but we've already had to run two operations here to clean the last mission's fuck-ups, so par for the course I suppose. The hard part is going to be pulling it off without the natives noticing, there wary of things with all the fighting out East, we've already had to have cover teams to escort out the Eastern Mission. I'll organise a Humint team to scout out the offices of this associate company, and see what we can do to find out names…."
--
[04.38: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[Anchors down, engines idle, cargo holds ready for loading…]
"It's certainly an…. interesting meal combination" Zee muttered and I gave a snort of amusement as I used my fork to take up a scoop of my own meal. The hotel restaurant wasn't overly fancy, but it was rated well and I enjoyed my time in Alta California, even if I needed the translation ring to function best here. Oh English would take a long way, the Queen's English as they say rather than the Americanized version dominant oh DC Earth and my…Other-Me's Earth, but not everywhere. This California had been born of Mexico, with no Big Blue Blob of Slavery to invade it, under British support, and then Japanese economic dominance…
"Cultural differences and history causing a fusion of foods…" I teased as I ate the unusual, to us at least, but also tasty , dinner of tortilla chips, rice, tomatoes, an egg, oh, and Japanese style taco pork apparently. I quite liked it, and it was pleasant sunny evening as well, so it was all rather pleasant as we waited on Kara to bring the Fortune's Chance into harbour in a few days "…and it's one I shan't complain of as it's vastly superior to many places we've been. As is the beer!"
I held up the bottle and then took a drink followed by Quinn voicing his agreement across the table of the Izakaya Picante from me "Yeah, he's right, some of the stuff here is weird but awesome. We came here the last trip over, and it was just as good. Even if I do look like a tourist in my home city"
"Oh quit whining about that…" I joked back as we all relax as a group now that paperwork had been completed and it was now a waiting game. It was true of course, as the racial mix was far less White European than in any of our worlds, and Amelia, with her very dark skin wasn't very common at all on the West Coast of the continent. Which, to a degree, worked for us as we were supposed to be an international outfit, and there were plenty of people descended from English and French settlers to not stand out like sore thumbs either "…we've even got you the papers to tell everyone you're a native boy….from you're crazy secluded mountain family commune and foreign trips"
"Hmph!"
Zee chuckled at Quinn's grunt of amused unhappiness, as did Amelia, while Nathan merely gave a shrug as Zee pointed at Quinn with her beer bottle "Oh shush you, tis your history not ours, Mister Oblivious to customs. But, yeah, this place was gotten the Zatanna seal of approval"
"Oh, a high accolade that" I answered with a grin taking another swig as the bar was filled with low level noise that would likely get worse once the cricket started. That particular sport I'd ever been fond of, but annoying popular over here for whatever reason…I blamed the Japanese as in this world it was massively popular over there as well thanks to the Anglo-Japanese alliance "Now, are we all having fun people?"
"I am just glad to be free of all that terrible paperwork…" Amelia, the White Sorceress, replied letting out a happy sigh and sipping her wine "…and glad of more liberal age limits"
"I'm sure you are, as Courtney has been very vocal about, much to her Pat's annoyance…" Nathan voiced giving the superheroine a look of 'you're misbehaving' that was nearly a glare, then shaking his head "…young people these days!"
'Ah, Stargirl and STRIPE are just like that, and it's not like they're allowed…or any of us are….get roaring drunk on the ship for safety reasons anyway' I thought as I fell silent an listened to the quite banter that held back giving away anything in public about our true nature. Differing attitudes to business, and to lifestyle, and age, were a common enough situation even on 'culturally similar' Earth's to our own. It made slip ups easy too, hence why it was only a nice relaxing meal and quiet drink rather than any risk at a night out. That and the two bodyguards/drivers waiting in the car outside that Branch Office had given us along with the two company cars to make use of.
Certainly better than the first trip here, even if that had been fairly pleasant, and it helped considering we had to move as a group for safety reasons. Once the Fortune's Chance hit port we could load up the holds with all the food and electronics parts we could fit into them and return to Home Base where they were badly needed…and would be for years to come most likely between recover efforts and tools for Tech designs we'd gotten from the future dimensions data-bases. From what we'd learned here so far Freeport-in-the-Bleed was progressing well, with significant resources invested by all parties, so hopefully once we got there we could get some more Monitor-tech…
--
{Operations are underway…}
"It's not going to be an easy job…" Captain Arabella Dupont murmured to the Colonel in charge of this Mission, arrogant sonofabitch that he was, as the rest of her team lounged about in the assigned mission-room/resting area for them. The images on the screens, video and still frame, showed the believed operatives for this 'Outis Import/Export' in various locations, along with data showing a ship coming into harbour under their auspices….which was unusual to say the least as mobile Cross-time was deemed too dangerous "…they are security conscious and we can't move easily here like on some others. Local law enforcement are good and we'd trouble enough getting people here through that fiasco in Virginia a few months back"
She tapped the records they'd managed to acquire "That and they are clearly working through local affiliates here with what looks to be a German-Japanese Financial Firm, and they have hired local security as we can see…here, here, and here…" she brought up the images taken by their investigators at distance "…and we can't exactly go in guns blazing with the police and military presence by the Alta California authorities"
Colonel Anderson nodded, glancing at the spook from Head Office, then back at Arabella "So, these Corporate Offices and Hotel are out I'm assuming?"
Arabella nodded after a moment "I think we can count them out. Too many cameras, and both locations have local rent-a-cops that'll only draw attention. Oh, we could do it…but we'd need to break out the tranq gas and that's a big No-No on a world like this that'd understand the composition. No…"
She brought up various maps of the city, overlaying traffic and various travel routes on it "…away from the hotel and offices are our best bet. Yes, more public I know, but virtually no cameras as you approach the docks, and there isn't onsite security…and police response times are supposed to be bad to these areas as their Triad territory as best we can tell. Our best bet I believe is to ambush them, ideally one vehicle on its own, and make it look like a gang kidnapping for ransom gone wrong"
'It also gives us multiple avenues to evac should the situation go wrong unlike the business district or wealthier areas' she didn't say but considered as they planned out the operation. Pressure from Corporate on Congress, and then Congress and the President on the Pentagon, meant there was little option but to ensure this didn't degenerate into a fiasco because of its rushed nature and local technological levels. There had been too much politics wrapped up in Crosstime Traffic over the past year since this possibility of an illegal, or more frighteningly a rival, Cross-time capable Company or Nation in existence. Unfortunately, and it was very unfortunate this group had moved far to fast in the past when they'd popped up not to move swiftly on this lead…
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 1104]
[Current Dimension]
Chain-2093, Disunited America Earth
[Current Location]
Hotel Illiad, San Francisco
[Trading Report]
Should be completed shortly with the arrival of the Fortune's Chance into port, and we have spent just under four million local currency to ready those supplies for delivery. More to come, but we want to offload the various ores and stored gas on the Chance before we do that. Prices look good, but it's something for our actual Branch Office, Schmidt, Sato, & Bisset Financial, to organise. Best to keep semi-distant hands-off business in this regards, and we can plan out what we need for Home Base more easily. Thankfully silver prices look good here, so here we'll sell'em I think.
[Diary Entry]
Been a pleasant stay, now that the hard work is done anyway, even if Kara got left behind in the madhouse that is the ship. She's in good form despite that, and I am too as it's a pleasant two days since completing the worst of the stuff and now the ship is only a few hours out from docking. Time and effort, but I've slept well and I feel reenergized somehow, even if I've been practicing with my 'bending' and barely moving water in a glass to splash a little. Eh, we've an on-site gym and making use of that, and the swimming pool, just like the rest of them.
Primary concern is getting things established here, and our arrival has helped with that as we can better equip the offices with some of our gear, and ward it. Or at least ward it as much as we can considering the draw on magic here, but it should expand their surveillance and data-analysis capacity significantly. My other desire is to expand the underground, the bomb bunker, with an extra-dimensional space were we can ensure a more secure portal point. Weak as they are we can draw something off the local ley-lines to decrease the draw on the Gate we created that they're using. Improvements can always be made, and this place is a good place for business going forward.
Zee's of a similar opinion, and Amelia has been learning with her, and the girl seems happy at that, with Nathan reviewing the security procedures our Branch Office has put in place so far. Quinn of course has taken it upon himself to study the computer systems here in the offices, along with playing around with his 'light' armour setup. Eh, at least he looks like a businessman not a hippie or tweed wearing schoolteacher at the moment, nor a power armoured mad scientist either. That's a good thing not showing up as in this place. So I reckon we'll remain here about a week to two weeks, though I'll be back shipboard after tomorrow to sit down with the new crew, and a keep a lid on the non-human members.
Right I may get to bed. Tomorrow I have to attend a number of meetings, electronic or otherwise, with our new lawyers while Zee, with Amelia as her assistant, heads to the docks to handle the physical paperwork, and possibly bribes. In part because Quinn is remaining here, and one of us needs to watch him in social situations while Nathan runs the security, and has headaches about, moving crew-members around the sights during the next week. Fun times. Anyway, sleep now.
--
[04.39: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[The Alta California Policia Federal have a very bad day…]
"Jesus, what a mess…" Special Agent Haruki Hernandez grunted out as he stepped out of his vehicle to…what looked like a battlefield in the middle of the Y-34 district as squaddies held the cordons in place to hold back onlookers and the elec-gazetteers "…I thought we were looking at an attempted abduction…"
"Special Agent Hernandez, Special Agent Chong…" a feminine voice distracted from his momentary surprise as he slammed shut the door of the automobile, turning to see Anna Maria Rodriguez from the local District Examiners Office coming towards them "…good, you've arrived"
Haruki frowned "Senorita Rodriguez? You're here…. suspiciously fast?"
The District Examiner frowned, her, likely very expensively tailored suit, smudged here and there as he watched her fold her arms across her chest "Because someone decided to start a gunfight far to close to where I was conducting a business meeting in a local café over there…"
The attractive woman gestured at said nearby café as she knocked a cigarette out of a pack in her suit, bringing it to her lips in a stressed motion as she growled her way onwards "Till someone decided to launch a border war in my city as you both can obviously see!"
She took a shakey puff after lighting the foreign brand, then gesturing at the crime scene "What are you waiting for? A personal invitation! Get over there and solve this"
"Yes, of course Ma'am" he replied hastily with a glance at his partner as they hurriedly moved past the agitated woman, as if the disaster area ahead of them wasn't bad enough….this was clearly going to get political now as well. Moving under the cordon tags he looked around at damaged cars and bits of wreckage strewn across the street, along with the small herd of people they'd have to interview. Angel was already taking photo-notes with his Investigation-Book as they moved towards a familiar face.
"Officer Lopez, Special Agents on scene"
The older man in uniform let out a weary sigh "Haruki, Angel, good to see you….I see you've already encountered the District Examiner"
"Yes, such a fun time that" he replied deadpan, then shook his hair "So, what happened, and what's the damage and death toll? Dispatch was confusing with updates on the way"
Lopez winced "Seems there were system glitches, though that might have been enemy action there. These were too well armed to be gangs or even Triad…it was abduction attempt, and with mercenaries…"
The officer sighed looking around at the blocked off street, a janitorial serves truck crashed into a car not too far way blocking the street "And, you'll be shocked to hear, we have no reported deaths as yet. Two of ours in the hospital with gunshot wounds when our responders ran into people in body armour and high-end weaponry, along with the bodyguard of the attacked car in critical condition in Saint Miquel's, and one of the mercenaries on the way to Holy Sepulchre. Also in critical condition because it took a squad of Kempeitai to take the puta down….be lucky if she survives the night I reckon"
"How did they get away?"
Lopez gestured "Construction site and park beyond, vanished like ghosts even when Automated Aerial Prevention Trackers were deployed. Same as with the abduction…we don't know what happened exactly, but those we've interviewed so far think there were three in the attacked car, including the bodyguard, he's a local boy, ex-Army. Two females, older Cauc, English-Italian on the ID, young Negress, English-African if the…"
Haruki let out a soft swear as Angel winced as well "Great, great…we're talking foreign business? Some of the trouble from the East thanks to the Virginian War?"
Because that was the last thing they needed; - the damned Easterner savages bringing their race war insanity over to a civilized place thanks to all the refugees in the past year. Officer Lopez shrugged "Beyond my pay zone Special Agent, all I can say is that we're reasonably sure one is the wind, the younger one, maybe wounded, and the older possibly got captured, also wounded"
"I'm surprised no ones dead considering the blood splatter…" he muttered pulling out his own Investigation-Book and activating it with a thumbprint, then shook his head "Right, share copies of current witness testimony and whatever footage we…"
"Cameras were down Agent"
"Of course they were…. of course they were…" Haruki stated coldly looking around, then giving Angel another unhappy shared glance. This case was going to be an absolute nightmare, as this all screamed professional hit on someone important…. when nobody important should be here "…more glitches I'm sure. Right, Angel, let's get the crime scene analysis and get the Imagers to get a reconstruction on last surviving data images…"
--
{….and sometimes those days get worse…}
"…I don't know Inspector Capron, but this rich young gringo turned up at the hospital with bodyguards to help guard his employee…yes I held them back, and yes I've an Officer on…" Haruki tried to get words in as the Inspector shouted unhappy things in a variety of languages at him, wincing as he turned to his partner and getting the same pain look back. This situation was getting worse by the minute, with the prisoner taken to Holy Sepulchre literally taken out from under their nose after someone used knock out on the floor of the hospital they'd been kept on.
Worse there'd been ANOTHER gun-battle barely a District away from the original, the same gunmen as before being spotted in a hacienda there being engaged by YET ANOTHER group in military style gear…before both sets vanished yet again. Headquarters was screaming at the Inspector, and now the Inspector was screaming at them as an entire Special Investigative Unit was being deployed. Their primary witness was awake….but all solicitor'd up, and their legally-fine ship in harbour, with all the correct paperwork and inspections….
Except there was gangs with military gear going around fighting each other in relation to people from said legally-fine vessel. Not only that but they were being forced to switch to high-level security protocols because *somebody* was clearly interfering with Policia Federal networks, or at the very least was attempting to interfere with the case. Their only lead, on what could be an erupting gang war, was the attacked party…who was cold smiling politeness behind a wall of solicitors and armed security;- with no proof to jump down their throats right now to find out more. Hours…mere hours…
"Jesus" he let out a breath as the dressing down ended, Angel nodding, resting back against the wall "Their bringing in Army Hazardous Materials Division to analyse whatever chemical they use in the Holy Sepulchre at least…but Jesus…we've barely gotten started on this case and we're already being suborned to a Special Investigative Task-Force"
"Is that a bad thing Haruki?" his partner grumbled smoking away, brows scrunched up in thought "This is going to be a big smelly pile of excrement at the end of it"
"Don't I know it….still, don't like what's going down in my city" he grumbled back as the sun slowly set over the bay and the mass of city lights ignited to drive away the descending darkness of night. Something bad was going down, and what worried him was that it could get worse as they still hadn't the faintest idea what was going on. Two of their own in hospital, another security guard out of critical, and the danger that this was only the start of more to come.
"What I can't get is the reason behind all this. Our ship in the harbour, sure it's a merchantman, but it's not exactly big money, nor is this OIE…or is there any sign of illegalities, hell they're selling silver ore and processed silver and buying maize and tequila for heavens sake! Or computer parts from office sales! If they are smuggling chems….I just don't see it right now"
"Heh, like we've had hours to investigate…however could we know"
"Don't be a complainer, you know what I mean" he huffed back. Angel merely gave a snort.
"Ah, yes, you've a nose for these things….just like you've a nose for taco-rice"
"You don't whine as much when I find these places…" he muttered back pulling out the Investigation-Book "…now, the question is what we do next"
"I say we hit the second gun-fight scene and see is there anything the Analysis teams found, we might get lucky after all. The hospital's a busted box till they tell us what knocked everyone out, and they came see if anything was recorded despite the wipe…then back to District and file our report. It's going to be another early morning after that, and my wife isn't going to be happy"
"Your wife is rarely happy I find Angel"
"Only when you're around Haruki, and when the job gets bad like this. So you better know a good late night place to eat or it'll be cold pork cutlets only for me"
"That's what you get for marrying partner, now lets get moving to the second scene before the Inspector comes back to scream some more. I, in fact, know a few places along the route" he answered updating his Investigation Log, digi-printing and then transmitting to District under the new encryption. Not that it was much of anything beyond what was on the news, but that was procedure so he followed it too the letter. Hopefully by the morning the Night Shift teams doing data-analyse might have some good news…
He resisted frowning as they walked for the car 'Or I get a call at four at night saying there's been another gunfight like we are some sort of caballero duelling grounds!"
--
[04.40: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[Click-Click, Boom-Boom …]
"Target clearing checkpoint four. Twenty seconds to engagement zone" whispered into Arabella Dupont's ear as Mission Control showed the target on the HUD of her 'sunglasses' along with the positions of the rest of her team. Arabella, Sergeant Michaels, and Sergeant Jones were on 'plain clothes' duty as she stood 'resting' before she started doing a run of some sort, in an area that seemed to be used for such activities. It was a useful cover for her bag, and 'overweight' appearance with the body armour underneath her coveralls and having the bag, with her weapons to hand, without looking suspicious.
Her two other disguised teammates were down as city repairmen, already moving to setup roadblocks as a system error rippled across the local network, knocking out the traffic systems. Moving so openly on this Earth was particularly dangerous, and she had stressed that to her superiors, but both Crosstime Traffic and the government behind them needed this done, and done fast. So all she could do was do her best to pull off the mission without it turning into a debacle hopefully. Watched as the seconds ticked down on her HUD, hand sliding into the 'running back' as if for a bottle of water and gripped her weapon as Mission Control directed a 'runner' car towards the Target.
Then the target was visible up the busy street as she heard some of the natives complaining that they'd lost reception…just as intended. It wasn't an ideal location to ambush, but to reach the docks there were three easy to hit locations from this area, and she watched the Target move into Route Beta as her fingers gripped her weapon and events were set into motion. The chaser car was remotely controlled, and in the corner of her HUD glasses she saw the van with the four other members of her team coming into this engagement zone just as the chaser car slammed into the rear of the Target vehicle with a loud crash as came within her range.
"Engage" came into her ear and she drew the stunner-traq equipped gun in a swift motion as people started shouting in confusion, or emitting a startled scream alongside the shriek of metal and crackle of hardened plastic. The Target car was driven forward from behind into the vehicle in front of it…
Shhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
….and then the wheels of the Target were smoking and shrieking as she dashed forward along with two other disguised members of her team. She couldn't see through the dark-tinted windows, but from the reaction she could tell the driver was better than she'd have liked and, worse, the Target vehicle better armoured than expected as it fought against the remote controlled chaser. Jumping over the bonnet of a car that had stopped due to the network disruption Arabella flicked to the primary weapon on her weapon, aiming and sending a burst of fire at the Target's wheels…
Crackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrack
…and joined moments later by two others of her team as bullets bounced off the clearly armoured chassis as the black car reversed hard into the chaser vehicle as if to fight itself free…
Crackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrack
Shhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
…only to run into the back-up team's van as she saw the Target started to tear itself free from the Chaser car despite one of the tires being busted by the gunfire, as, out of the corner of her vision, she saw native civvies fleeing in panic. That forced her to break into a run to chase after the damaged vehicle as the Target seemed to…glow…faintly, somehow shrugging off the heavier van as it continue to drive frantically backwards on a sparking wheel rim.
"Shit, there going to get away…Contingency Now!" she ordered into the comms as she ran, parkouring over a crashed car and shoving a screaming native out of the way as the Target threatened to break free as her colleagues came out of the now crashed grab van. On the HUD she saw the secondary Chaser unit come active, the one intended should the natives send in the cops faster than expected, and start to accelerate down the street as she sent another burst of gunfire down the street…
Shhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Crackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrack
…and then a large blocky truck decorated in Spanish writing and logos came roaring down the side street as she shoot away to try take out the other tires while jogging after the Target…
Crunkkkkkkkshreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
…wincing at the godawful noise as the janitorial truck slammed into the right side and rear of the Target, driving it back across the street, and then upside down, wheels in the air, as she and the others moved forward, or covered their advance…
"Angry natives on our rear, holding the spear wielders off" came the voice of Sergeant Sarah Duncan, followed by Master Sergeant Angel Rodriguez as her HUD showed two red icons suddenly. Local cops it looked like, and more on the way faster than expected…
"Copy, deal with them, we'll take the Target" she ordered as…
Crackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrackcrack
"Shit, cover Target's bodyguard is active and armed. Take him out, priority is the two women" Arabella growled out taking cover behind a native vehicle as automatic weapons fire ripped out from the downed vehicle as door, somehow, went flying across the road to nearly knock out Jones…
"Target-Zero down" came back Michaels voice stated calmly despite the pain in his tone as the Target gunman went down as they seemed to set off a flashbang of some sort as light exploded from the vehicle and Arabella had to shield her eyes despite the tactical glasses "I'm hit, still functional, it's my right arm"
"Copy, I…shit, Target: we've a runner!" she managed to call out back as they raced in close to the overturned vehicle, watching as one of the figures inside started to stagger away into a run while…
'The fuck?' entered her mind as Sergeant Michaels went flying backwards through the air as if thrown by an invisible hand – slamming through a shop window nearby with a shattering of glass as the older Target came out from the vehicle. Somehow, again Arabella couldn't see how, ripping the door off the vehicle to use the bulletproof door as a shield as the woman tried to get in close to the injured driver or bodyguard. Then Jones went down, unconscious it looked like…
"Stun her! Stun her now!" she called out still distant "She's got some sort of conceal stunning device!"
"…shitshitshit…." Duncan's voice came over the comms, more red icons flashing into existence as…
'Too fast' Arabella wanted to growl as more armed natives showed up and it was clear they'd have to fight their way out as Sarah Duncan went down…along with, thankfully at least, the Target holding the car as she was simultaneous shot with a bullet and a tranquiliser. This was already a debacle, and they still had to fight their way clear…
--
{Keep Rushing, a Running, a Running…}
Deborah 'Debbie' Delphi disliked body armour she could admit, but without being able to use the full power of her magic on this plane…
Well, right now she was rather glad like the rest of security team from the ship that waited as she 'felt' the presence of Zatanna within the target building. Captain Callum was stuck under watch, as was Mister Mallory, by local police, and Kara, Supergirl, was dealing with those sniffing around the ship, so it was up to her and the Response Team to rescue Zatanna from…whoever had abducted her. All that they knew for sure was that they were disturbingly well-equipped and were targeting them, and while the Captain wanted to go in hard and fast. But…they also didn't want to risk exposing themselves in case this was local terrorists or criminals instead of the local government.
"Drones invisible and in position..." came over the communicators in Supergirl's voice "…looks like the enemy just attacked the hospital to get back their colleague…time to move is now"
"Copy" echoed back softly into the comms, Deborah's voice joining the others of the team as her hand gripped the pistol in one hand, and 'energy gem' in the other, as the five professional soldiers with her did their own agreement as she tensed up. Getting out without being noticed….had been uncomfortable as they used air-breathers and the 'bag of holding' to exit the ship without being noticed, and then setup a ready position to attack the villains who had Zatanna.
Something her younger self had known so well…till the nightmare of the supervillains had descended and her life had become its own little hell in the Convent. But she' trained hard to restore her skills, and learn new ones, and as the order came she cast her, now exhausting as the world fought back, spells to hide her team and the lone Assaultron with them. Then they were in motion in the dying sunlight, the magic already fraying as they moved liked shadows over grass and driveway of the mansion as the power was cut by the French Special Forces soldier from Mister Mallory's Earth…
Crackcrackcrack
"Taking fire, we're made!" Master Sergeant O'Donell's voice called out as Deborah shielded herself behind a pillar with a draw on her power as gunfire echoed out from the upper window and…
[Engaging Hostile Elements]
Uuuuuuuuuuu……hhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn……CRACKKKKKKTHOOM
Winced as the sudden darkness was illuminated by the bright red flash as the head of the Assaultron 'Barney' unleashed that hellish energy beam towards that window as the door was blown open by an explosive round launched from an assault rifle…
Crackcrackcrack Crackcrackcrack
"GO! GO! GO!" the order came and she raced forwards just like the others as cover-fire was supplied by the Asaultron and one of the aerial drones "Crimson Crow! Concealment!"
Deborah raised her hands, feeling the weak tug of the shadows, feeling the pressure pushing against her sorcery as she drew the strength from the stone, crumbing it dust, to cast weak distortion and illusion magic from the shadows within the building they were bursting into. Concealing Zatanna from others eyes momentarily just as it, hopefully, befuddled minds slightly, delaying responses as they charged forward in a rapid, but methodical, cover and advance formation as gunfire came back from the enemy.
…the falling back enemy, and orders were to get Zatanna out, alive, was priority over trying to capture the enemy, though that'd be useful, but they were on a time limit. Local police was already on the way most likely, and kicking down the door to 'prison cell' showed her crewmate unconscious, dressed in a slip of a hospital gown, and fallen on the ground as pistol fire came at them from a fleeing figure…
"Get her, get out, we don't have time to wait if she needs healing" Supergirl's voice told them as the fleeing figure fled out of sight as another, better armed, one approached as Deborah grabbed the unconscious, and bleeding from gauze covered wounds, Zatanna to pull her to safety. Amelia, the White Sorceress, had been wounded but had managed to get safely to Captain Callum, but their local driver was still in hospital, badly injured, so revenge could wait till after their crewmate was safe as the rest of the Security team covered her retreat as she saw one of them, Francois, throwing some enemy equipment into a bag before retreating with them out into the darkness…
--
[04.41: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[Law abiding citizens…]
"My heroes" the bemused, if tired, voice of Zatanna greet myself and Kara as we entered the Sick Bay of the Fortune's Chance. Asa, Nightmare Nurse, was reading a magazine or thin book with a bored look on her face as she glanced up at us….then went back her reading. I merely gave her a nod while walking over to Zatanna where she sat propped on her bed all healed up, but clearly exhausted. She'd been out of it the past few hours, after sneaking her and Amelia back onto the ship, and I was tired dealing with all the bullshit that had erupted all of a sudden.
"Well, we more sat around looking pretty for the police while our top secret black-ops team did the hard work"
Zee gave a weak smile at my words as Kara gave an amused "I heard, but thanks for getting me out of their….even if I don't remember any of it. I got knocked out….and woke up here"
I sighed as I sat down, Kara resting back against the wall beside me "Yeah, I thought as much…but that's not the main thing, as we're still not sure who hit us. We're here because the local guards, well, we're the subject of a major investigation and you and Amelia need to be…found, and then asked questions by them"
"Something my boyfriend here spent several hours doing while dumping all the work on me"
I gave Kara an amused smile "Yeah, I'm sure you'd prefer to live through an a grumpy 80's cop movie as the suspected mob boss"
"You kind of are a mob boss from that point of view Callum, with our whole legitimate businessmen act…"
I groaned, giving my girlfriend "We are legitimate business…"
Zee rolled her eyes, resting back against the the bed's headboard "You sort of are Callum, it's your inner supervillain showing. Here you are after an attempted hit making sure I have my story straight for the cops"
"…." I almost silently grumbled, before sighing and throwing my hands up in the air as the two of them ganged up on "Fine! I'll admit that is why we are here now you're up and awake. We're locked down for the minute, and I officially want you back on ship as soon as possible so we aren't exposed to our enemies. Nor giveaway what we are, or what we've done, to the locals if we can avoid it at all. Right now everyone's back on the ship for us, or forted up in the Branch Office for those not crew as heavens and hells was it hard to work around local bodyguards"
And it was, even getting basic organised, to ensure we were innocent looking and had no visible link to rescuing Zee, and picking up Amelia….what with the whole, gun battle involved…and ensuring everyone was snuck aboard the ship. We had to appear a law abiding foreigners, and whoever was out to get us were worryingly advanced, and it was hard to tell if they had local support or was it criminal gangs….too much was still unclear, and if we had to run I wanted us able to break cover and run. Ideally after we found out who was behind putting my friends and members of my crew in the hospital along with people our allies had hired. Zee winced, then nodded.
"Okay, not now though I hope?"
I shook my head "No, tomorrow, we'll smuggle you and Amelia out, you'll buy a local comm-unit, signal us, and then we'll officially bring you in with our local legal team to answer their questions. We'll go through what we've told them now, and then again after you get a few more ours sleep with Amelia so everyone's story sinks up. Basically we don't want to tell them we're not from around here, or that we sent an advanced battle robot and kill team to rescue you from potentially other outsiders"
Zee sighed "Was anyone killed? Do you know anything about who attacked us?"
"Surprisingly no one has died yet" I admitted shaking my head in surprise, Kara giving a nod to her that I was telling the truth "Good body armour on both sides, and engagements were very short and sharp….since neither side wanted the law involved apparently"
Then I sighed, hands together in in my lap "Because we think we've picked up what seem to be discharges from Slide Devices in use…can't locate them, and they aren't the same…but we're reasonably sure we can assume they are, or have the support of, a dimension hopping ally. That's between the sensor tracks and slight variations from local designs on some gear our team collected in the hacienda they were holding you in before they retreated"
"What Callum also forgot to say is we're stuck here for the next week, or two…or more…as this whole thing was on the news, Big Time News…." Kara stated "...so, be ready for that and news crews following you back here if they get wind of you being around. Oh, and you'll have to pretend you're English and contact their Embassey as well…"
"Like we did with the Kingdom of Ireland, because we're all a bunch of foreigners….except for Quinn" I finished recalling the last two days, and thanking the heavens that Barbara had done the work months and months ago in ensuring we'd an air-tight alibi and legend. We had to come from somewhere after all, but not somewhere information would be too easy to get, nor places that were hostile to the lovely Republic of California. As it was we were in trouble enough that Disclosure was a strong possibility if we were pushed enough, but not enough that we had to flee. For now though we could hold off on it as we talked with Zee on what to say, and not to say, in the coming days in regards her attempted abduction…
--
{One cool cookie…}
"….and then I hid out for…I don't know how long, I was so scared, but I calmed down eventually and went to the taverna and rang my bosses and…"
Haruki paused the repeat of the footage, taking another puff of the cigarette as he looked around the room at the other members of the Policia Federal Investigation branch, now part of the Task-force "Pretty senorita, but I can't bring myself to believe her recounting of events, or young Amelia's"
"It does track with the timeline as she did turn up at Izakaya, she did place a call…" one of his younger colleagues offered, and Haruki gave a tight nod, letting out a breath of smoke.
"True, but don't both women seem too calm for what they went through?" he queried back in return gesturing at the displays with his cigarette hand "Or the fact we had another mystery gunfight, and then suddenly after the possibly kidnap victim turns up unharmed with no answer to us beyond I don't know or I saw nothing!"
"They are the victims"
Haruki nodded as he sat "Yes, but…Why they were attacked, them in particular, is the most important fact in tis case. You don't send what look like professional Private Military after a minor, if pretty, foreign businesswoman and her, supposed, protégé"
He took another puff on the cigarette "Two groups…" he gestured at the screens "…and one of them is somehow linked in with these senoritas here and our odd import company. If we're to get anywhere on this case…" and even so soon afterwards they needed to as everyone was breathing down their necks right now "…we need to find out why we professional private military would try and grab these two, and why another group likely sprung them from the first. At least while Examinations Office works its way through crime scene evidence"
"Easier said than done…" Inspector Cabron muttered bringing up screenshots of the various legal documents that had hit their desks over the morning "…they are the victims, and they are solictored up to the gills…"
"Yakuza and Triad Solicitors, they'll work for whoever can buy their loyalty….such as it is" Angel argued, and the Inspector gave a tight nod.
"The best in the business too, so step carefully on this Agents as we have nothing to link this to the Álvaro Hacienda incident, or what happened at Holy Sepulchre nor that the ladies here have been lying. Foreign nationals, international trade, outside money….this a vipers nest and we cannot afford a misstep, so everything is to be by the statute books understand?"
"Of course Inspector" Haruki agreed along with the others…and he could understand as it wouldn't be very palatable as the two senoritas were attractive and educated foreign traders that were showing up on media as sympathetic figures to say the least. The last thing they wanted to do now was blunder into a situation where they were completely innocent, no matter what Haruki though right now, and this blew up into an international incident for the Policia Federal. With pressure already on from above thanks to the District Examiner and angry talk of Triad influence, and Eastern problems creeping in they really were going to get it from all sides.
He stood up as the meeting ended, waving over his partner "I think we should see about having a look into when documents got filled for our amigos in the ship, build up a timeline of their arrival and…how and when the would be abductors found out about said arrival. Everything about these people tells me they are very security conscious, so let's see about what gave them away to our mystery mercenaries, eh?"
--
[04.42: Move Fast. Speed is one of your main advantage over large competitors]
[Days in Lockdown…]
"Teaching Firebending techniques to a Waterbender is…an usual task you have set us" Iroh, Son of Azulon, murmured to the young man who was the Captain of their strange ship as he watched him end his training with Azula. A dangerous thing, but everything they were doing now was dangerous since departing the world of their birth, and it was means to control his nieces more….problematic…instincts, or at the very least redirect them somewhat. Something very important right now considering the wonders, and terrors, that he had seen of this other world.
"It's best to learn what one can, and I tend to favour a more aggressive style…even if I can barely splash the water aggressively right now…" the young man, in his 'human form' answered rubbing his sweat covered neck with a towel "…and we have time to work on it right now while the locals investigate us, as we investigate our foes in the shadows"
Iroh nodded, stroking his beard as Zuko was distracted 'training' with Lady Mai and the bodyguard Ty Lee, though, unfortunately, Azula was not distracted as she walked beside him "Investigate? After they have struck at you? And struck back at them?"
"Hmm, you'd think so yes, but sadly this is…neutral?...territory and not the base of operations for them, so before we take more steps we need to avoid drawing more attention from the Californians, and, most importantly, we need to find out what kind of enemy we're up against. Are they a great empire? A faction of one? Just a small group like ourselves, but one that got greedy and have different morals? We need to know our enemy before we embark upon a war with them"
It was a reasonable position to take Iroh found as the Captain drank from a water bottle, though his tone indicated less than happiness with the situation before he continued "So, sadly I won't be showing you around this rather nice world….or nice part of it anyway, as several countries are absolutely terrible"
"What the futures holds, hmm?"
'If one should be happy at that' Iroh thought sadly at Azula's words having seen the 'wonders' of a so-called 'modern' world. It was understandable that Azula, and even Zuko, would be enamoured of such, and much of it was good….but much of it was also worrying, damaging, and not something he could see the other Nations, or the Avatar, being truly happy with. Nor was the reality of great empires, of monsters even, out amongst the stars and spirit realms a matter that could be overlooked without nightmares…nor foolishness by his brother as Ozai would believe himself and Fire Nation as strong enough to face such horrors. When they were not in truth, not in anyway that Iroh could see.
"Hard to say, if we were new here…I'd up stakes and go elsewhere…" the young Captain admitted looking thoughtful "…as we are traders after all, not warlords. But, well, we've made an investment here and I ain't letting drive us out without a fight. Not after going after my crew. Nobody goes after my people, but we can't run wild yet either"
"Yet?" Iroh questioned softly, and the Captain gave him a look, nodding.
"Yet, yes. I'm willing to give peace a chance because it's more profitable and practical, and we could be dealing with a foe beyond us. But if they're not beyond, and they continue to be unreasonable…well, then, they attack us, we attack them. They put one of ours in the hospital again, then we put theirs in the morgue…honestly it's a surprise we haven't already. Right now the locals are sniffing around us, because we are very suspicious to them, so another pitched battle in their city might not go over well…"
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 1117]
[Current Dimension]
Chain-2093, Disunited America Earth
[Current Location]
Fortune's Chance, Docked, San Francisco, Republic of California
[Trading Report]
Collection is slow as the locals are checking and double-checking, then triple-checking, everything we buy before we can load it aboard. We've currently focused on cargo containers full of frozen foods that we can store for a time without issue, as well as electronics and computer equipment – though the second is proving more problematic as the local government are all over us. Now we'll still fill the holds, but we could easily be trapped here for weeks, and then we're further delayed by having to check everything ourselves so that nothing spy related, or bomb related, is brought aboard. That and its full-time paperwork, though that's somewhat eased by having a Branch Office not in the same name – good side is that the locals don't seemed to have linked up we're the same business.
[Diary Entry]
Well, it's been a bad few days now hasn't it?
That's not true of course, as the bad few days were the day they injured and abducted Zee, injured Amelia, and very nearly killed Miguel our local bodyguard. Unlike Zatanna and Amelia I can't simply go heal the poor man so it's just been a matter of ensuring he gets the best treatment available along with paying the bills for said treatment. Right now it's the best I can do without giving anything away, and we're minimising any 'trips' out into the city to only direct business and police interviews to avoid trouble. That and allow them to guard the Branch Office building and hopefully continue the belief that they are a local, international, clearing house rather than a subsidiary of us. No attacks on them as yet, but that's no guarantee of course.
Of course retreating back to the ship does limit our surveillance options, but we're doing our own paper-trail and computer searches along with Branch Office to try figure out what was going on with the house we attacked to rescue Zatanna. It's our best lead after all, along with the energy flashes that are probably a Slide Drive, so we know whoever they are have the device, and are active. Thankfully they aren't coming in with armies, or Kromagg Mantas, so between that and what we've seen in the captured gear, we're reasonably sure their tech level isn't dramatically higher than here or our own. Unfortunate we didn't take any of theirs prisoner to ask questions, but time was an issue of course.
Nathan's been drilling the security teams, and the crew, since this kicked off just in case an attack comes on the ship itself. Some of them can't be allowed to be seen by the locals, unless we go the Disclosure route, but if the breach is into the ship we can cover with illusions to deal with that scenario. It's important to remember we're currently illusioned, physical morph on the outer hull, into the shape of a local freighter so we've been maintaining armed guard on the 'deck' in case of trouble. All 'legal' weapons too, since we're being watched, so training is more what to do if there's a raid or trouble – but we've our illusions down pat, I think, as well as lockdowns on decks.
After all we don't the locals noticing the deck filled with Assaultrons and tanks, or the two space shuttles in the upper hanger, or the whole 'Deck being Bigger on the Inside' dimensional fuckery. Thankfully we've got full magic inside the ship so disguising that against the unwary shouldn't be a problem, though it is tiring maintaining shifts during loading. It's less the illusions itself than the fact we have to be consistent and monitor our disguises so that 'modern' technology here doesn't reveal any discrepancies for the police or media to identify. Little mistakes can become big ones far too easily, and we're certainly testing out the capacities of the Monitor systems on passive-mode now aren't we?
So right now we're in a game of cat and mouse, or shadow-ghosts, with both the Policia Federal and whoever owned that Hacienda. Though my suspicions lie with whoever may have owned that shop, or their bosses more-so, that myself and Quinn encounter so many months ago now. I'm torn how to respond actually;- I'm inclined towards vengeful retaliation, and so is Kara, but Quinn is right in that that'd burn this dimension to us most likely. Need to know more and decide on our long-term options here. We can't just give up a dimension, a good dimension at that, at the first sign of trouble after all!
--
{Reading boring documents for the win!}
I drank my coffee as we did a conference call, over an arcane secure link with Gunther in the Branch Office downtown, and we started to make some progress it seemed like "So, we have a lead?"
"Good news and bad news to be exact" the German on the screen replied calmly "….though both are related I'm sad to say. The bad news is that local authorities have requested, and shall receive, the filings we possess on Outis Import/Export, which indicates a thorough background check is underway, but, for the moment, they have not invested ourselves. From the other side….we have managed to match various filings with prospective energy discharges you have detected Captain…"
I nodded, glancing at Kara and Quinn who were the ones running the operation, Quinn taking the lead "Yeah, we're fairly sure we have a lead…." He brought up various images "…this company here seems to sell specialty goods oddities for the area really, and its power draw seems unusually high….while being in the general area of prospective discharges from a slide drive. Everything's in order with the company, but everything points to it being a front. Kara?"
Kara gave a nod, tapping on her laptop "I'm not Babs by any means, but….let's say their background security systems are different to the local ones. I didn't try hack them…much…but once you get through local systems there's a few oddities there…basically we've circumstantial evidence it's a front company, and it's within the ranges of a prospective safehouse for the attackers"
"So what do we suggest?" I asked putting down my mug "We're being watched after all, so we really don't want to draw more attention…especially if this lot turn out to be just an odd local company"
"We send an email" Quinn stated blandly and I gave him a look at that, and he merely sighed "What I mean is we send a…carefully word email or whatever the locals call it?...that obliquely references Slide travel, and our meeting on German world, and the attack…and about opening dialogue"
He shrugged "Just…don't ask me to write it"
"We need to be indirect about this Callum…" Kara offered and I nodded, thinking it over as she continued "…so this might be a way to test the waters. We also don't have to give the game away…and if they are local they'll just think it's an odd email and respond as such since it'll be a business offer…"
--
