✎ courierservice:chapter1

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====== Chapter 1: One of Those Faces ======
//Obligation:// 81 (no trigger)

//Destiny Pool:// `li` `da` `da`

 ===== Setting =====

{{:courierservice:pasted:20170624-041326.png?400 }}

//Planet:// Lo'kam

//City:// West Grovas

//District:// Upper Midtown


You're in the lobby of a modestly large office building which houses the administration office of Pacnorval Defence Systems.  

Getting here wasn't too hard.  DX made port with the Cheery Butler without incident and disembarking was smooth.  The trio were given a thin, metallic box about a foot long (12" x 3" x 3").   The surface of the steel blue box had geometric designs etched into its surface with small sections that were pressure sensitive.  Their task was simple: deliver this box personally to Meera Slank, the Director of Market Relations for Pacnorval Defence Systems, a successful armour company with a branch here on Lo'kam.  (Signature required.)

West Grovas is a welcome breath of fresh air from New Marymore.  Everything is clean and sleek.  There are more humans present, for better or worse.  Droids are looked down upon somewhat, but at least they aren't treated with backwoods flavoured hostility.  Everything just feels more modern and up-to-date.  It's no Alderaan, but it's better.

The office building is a 15 minute walk from the space port.  (The trio eagerly agreed to walk.  2 days aboard the Cheery Butler had given them all itchy feet.)  T1-NY mapped the course and navigated them to it easily.  

They're standing in the lobby, taking in their surroundings.  Pacnorval has been doing well for itself since the Empire started consolidating its power across the galaxy.  The lobby of the building is large, with 2 security/reception desks at the far end, each with a uniformed attendant seated behind it.  (One male, one female.)  There are a series of professionally dressed individuals making their way in and out of the lobby.  Mainly humans, but other races are present as well.  The feeling of the room is 'rushed'.  4 security cameras, one in each corner, hum behind their tinted domes.

----


//Jumping-off points://

//  * How did your character feel walking through the city?//

//  * What has your character found most interesting since arriving here?//

//  * How does your character feel about companies that profit from war?//

//  * How does your character feel about anti-alien sentiments carried by some?//

//  * What was the first thing your character noticed here in the lobby?//

//  * Where do you go from here?//

----

===== Meeting the Locals =====

<WRAP rpg kyle oc>Barrett feels alive and energetic, getting back to the crowds, and he doesn't mind the clean feel. He thinks that companies that profit from war and the misfortune of others are scum, and he would love to scam them somehow. What does the party all know about Pacnorval? Do they just work for the Empire?</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg alan oc>They know that... he has a box to be delivered?  DX would keep you on a need-to-know basis with details.  If anyone wants to initiate a flashback to ask some details, feel free.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle oc>In addition to delivering the box, which I imagine T1 has the box in his cybernetic cavity, Barrett is considering posing as an investor and may try to convince them to show the group what they are currently working on (cutting edge tech, whatever) to see if they can gather some valuable intel and sell it on the black market. Or if something is small enough, to steal some gear.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle> Barrett is happy to be anywhere he hasn't been before. Nobody knows him. Yet. 

He keeps an eye out for gambling dens or casinos for some entertainment after the job, and would also generally draw attention to himself by strutting with confidence down the street, looking important. He trusts T1 to scan the crowds to see who pays attention – with his fine clothes Barrett usually attracts some type of low-life (cutpurses, thieves, used speeder vendors or insurance agents). He trusts T1 to take any financial opportunity that may present itself. </WRAP> 

<WRAP rpg kyle oc>Barrett's resplendent clothing gives the other two PC's a boost to Perception, Skulduggery and Stealth checks when he's drawing attention to himself.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg richard>T1-NY trundles happily along, the package stowed safely away inside. No marauding nerfherders here, and plenty of well-to-do marks ready to have their financial burdens relieved. His sensors are running at full capacity, hoping that an opportunity to provide relief to others presents itself (and that any more Krish //don't//.) As for dealing with war profiteers... well, really, what's a few more dead organics?</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg sean>Le'ela walks behind Barrett and T1-NY taking in the sights and sounds of the city. She's been to many planets and cities before, but rarely one as modern and clean.  She takes a deep breath of clean air and almost smiles for a moment. As the trio wander the streets under T1-NY's navigation she scans the street vendors and shops for signs of a tavern. As soon as this package is delivered, she needs a drink</WRAP>


<WRAP rpg richard oc>Yep, T1 would definitely take any opportunity available to hone his thievery skills on the way. Perception to find someone? Skullduggery to pick? Both?</WRAP>

T1-NY makes his mark.  It's a female human, with a shoulder bag.  Looking casual, well-to-do, with sunglasses on, walking in the opposite direction.

//Destiny Pool:// `li` `li` `da`

<WRAP rpg gm>Make a Normal Skulduggery check.  A boost from Barret's Resplendent Robes.  Upgraded, because she's an undercover officer tailing a suspect. (Destiny Point flip)</WRAP>
<WRAP rpg richard oc>`su` `su` `ad` `ad`</WRAP>

T1-NY downshifts, causing his motor to rev louder which covers the sound of her bag being sliced as he drives past her.  The contents of her bag neatly fall into an open compartment, which silently snaps shut afterwards.  Nothing too interesting in the bag.  100 credits, make-up kit, Del Marr brand mace spray, and a piece of paper with some notes hastily scrawled on it.  Flipping the paper over, you see a memo from the local police precinct.  
<WRAP rpg richard>T1-NY feels a tiny frisson of delight as his internal weight sensors register the small increase in wealth. He then scans the memo curiously - always nice to know what the police are up to!</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg alan oc>Let's stick a pin in that until later.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg sean>Though lost in thought, the sound of T1-NY's motor revving causes her to look up in time to see the contents of the purse emptying into his compartment. She frowns, but remains silent</WRAP>

{{ :courierservice:blackgolddroid.png?direct&100|}}<WRAP rpg richard>As the rest of the group makes their way up the stairs to the lobby, T1 grumbles and rumbles up the adjacent ramp. Why must it be stairs everywhere?! </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg alan oc>Oh. I see what you're saying. :-/ </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg richard>With a final bass-laden sigh, he decides that a change of appearance to a more high-class looking paint scheme might be beneficial - both for his own future protection (not that anything will go wrong!) and to impress the office's occupants. After all, you never know when an opportunity to make new contacts will present itself.
His disguise circuits flicker briefly as he joins the others at the lobby entrance, now sporting the classic gold & black look of a wealthy merchant's astromech droid. </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle>When they arrive at the lobby, Barrett holds his head high, and intentionally doesn't look around or deign to take notice of the surroundings. With a slight arrogant and quasi-apologetic smirk he strides straight to the reception desk. “You may bring me and my associates up to Meera Slank's office now; I apologize for our tardiness.” He speaks as though they are expected and important. He's found he has much better luck this way. </WRAP>

The guard looks up from the data forms he's filling out in triplicate with an arched eyebrow.  "Naaaaaaaaame?"

<WRAP rpg gm>Upgraded normal Presence check (you choose the skill) with a boost.  Barrett may be feeling in his element, but this is the Guard's turf and you've raised his suspicion.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle> Barrett raises one eyebrow in return, as if in disbelief that someone doesn't recognize him. "Jin'N'Tahnyx. Look, I don't want you to get into any trouble, friend. Meera will appreciate you bringing us over right away." </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle oc> `su``su``su``ad`  on the Charm check, including the aforementioned boost from theoretical help from Le'ela (it resulted in the extra advantage), and I didn't flip a Destiny point like I had earlier planned; I just forgot about it, but it turned out fine! 

Feel free to add something convincing to his persuasive sentence - for the advantage, can the guard like me? Maybe I remind him of a college buddy or a nephew or something? </WRAP>

The guard's expression immediately softens.  His left thumb absently reaches for the tan line on his left ring finger.  His world had been so dark and cruel lately.  So lonely.  Without a friendly face.  No one cared if he got in trouble.  All they cared about was if he did he hard, gruelling job or not.  But this well-dressed fellow before him was different somehow.  What a balm during troubled timed.  What was his name again?

The guard tried to focus long enough to remember.  //Jinx'Rathar?  Jit'Tanthar?  What did he say?  Oh, wait a minute!//  His eyes suddenly widened in recognition.  "Oh, yes sir, right away sir.  We've been expecting you!"  The guard picks up his phone and places a call.  He turns his head slightly as he talks but you hear a snippit of "...the man you told me about..."  He hangs up and smiles at Barrett.  "Ms. Destine will be down right away, sir."  The guard continues to look at Barrett with somewhat of a vapid smile, oddly starstruck.

Candice Destine emerges from the elevator a moment later; a female human dressed in a pants suit.  She's on the short side, hair in a bun, glasses on.  She carries a datapad (who doesn't?) and walks directly up to the trio.  She extends her hand in formal greeting to Barrett and Le'ela.  She's welcoming but professional.  "You're here to see Meera," she asks, her voice low and throaty.  

<WRAP rpg kyle>Barrett flashes her a warm smile and notices her nametag. "Good afternoon, Candice," the zeltron replies as he gives his patented honest and sincere handshake with gentle eye contact. He decides to soften the arrogance of Skip's character a touch. "I wouldn't want to keep Meera waiting - time is credits," he chuckles slightly, looking relaxed, and trying to read her non-verbal cues. 

<WRAP rpg kyle oc>I think the nametag is a natural detail, but if not he can just call her Ms. Destine. He's trying to be personable. As he speaks, he looks to see if he can find indications of marital status and any distinguishing features that might reveal hooks or leverage in case he needs to tweak the Skip persona. </WRAP>

</WRAP>

Barrett notices that she doesn't wear any jewelry. A woman who appears in her late 30s, her face is care worn. She has trace amount of make-up on, but not applied well. Almost as if applying it was a new experience for her. She eyes Le'ela cautiously. She looks at the droid, and her eyes light up momentarily, then nods her head approvingly, a pleased grin hinting at the corners of her mouth. 

She smiles openly at Barrett's eagerness to see Meera. "Of course. Right this way."  She turns and leads the trio towards the elevator. 

She presses the 'Up' button to summon the elevator. "I didn't expect you to come so soon. Or for there to be this many of you" she says conversationally. 

<WRAP rpg richard>T1-NY bleeps importantly when he notices Candice's approval of him and stores her biometric scan under "Revolution, Designated Survivors."

<< Master Jin'N'Tahnyx believes in "the early bantha gets the poodoo", and we do our best to keep him in the poodoo>>, he says with a wry wink of a lens, testing to see if Candice understands Binary. It might be nice to grab any opportunity to "acquire" data from this company, and it'd be handy to know whether she'd understand his asides to Barrett.</WRAP>

Destine smirks.  "A short-circuiting droid.  Nice touch.  You have thought of everything, haven't you?"  She then levels her gaze at Le'ela.  "And you?  What role do you play in all this?"

<WRAP rpg sean>Le'ela straightens and says without hesitating, "I'm the leader of this motley crew." As soon as the words have left her mouth she feels her face flush with embarrassment. She was never officially declared leader of anything. However, witnessing T1-NY's sleight of mechanical hand and Barrett's suddenly new persona has raised all sorts of red flags in her mind.   "Sorry," she says.  "Old habits die hard."</WRAP>

Destine appraises Le'ela, squinting her beady eyes.  "Oh, really?  Well, I'm sure you'll make sure everything goes according to plan, then."  The elevator door wooshes open.  Candice taps on her datapad, then leads the trio in.

As soon as the door closes on them, the trio notice that there are no controls for the elevator inside.  Rather, Destine opens up a control panel on her datapad.  She presses "3" and the car begins to move upward.  Destine whips her glasses off, undoes the bun her hair is in and begins to speak rapidly.  "I didn't want to notify the local authorities, so I placed my call to a branch further out of the city core.  They'll be here in 20 minutes to investigate the murder, so you better act fast."  She eyes the three of them again.  "It's good you brought the droid.  These guys don't like aliens, but they like droids less.  If they can pin the crime on a rogue bot, then they won't need to investigate too much and we'll all get out of this easier."

The elevator dinged as it reached the 3rd floor.  "I'm getting off here.  I'll take the service elevator down the the vault to pluck my prize."  She began tapping on here datapad again, this time pressing 'Penthouse' and a red icon marked 'Express'. "I'll send you up to Meera's office.  After you've killed that scum, go down the hall and you'll find the service elevator waiting for you.  Take it to the sub-basement.  You should have no problems making your escape from there."  

She takes a deep breath, as the doors slide open.  "I'll transfer the rest of the payment to [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Sun|Black Sun]] when I'm away."  She steps out of the car, and the doors begin to slide closed behind her.  "Remember," she calls before the doors shut, "the police will be looking for aliens to pin this on, so don't take too long once you find Mee-"  The elevator doors shut, cutting off her last word.  The car then begins to move swiftly upwards towards Meera's penthouse office.  


----

===== The Elevator Ride Up =====

<WRAP rpg alan oc>The elevator car has been expressed up to the penthouse.  Every 12 hours in real time, starting from Saturday morning, represents passing one floor in the elevator.  When the elevator reaches the top floor, the doors will open and you will be outside of Meera's office.  </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle> After a moment of shocked silence, Barrett turns to the other two. "Nice lady. Glad she set us up so quickly..." He eyes the others to see if anyone found his pun funny. 

He puts his hand on Le'ela's shoulder, and grins. "Well, Ms. Leader, I vote no killing - and please don't ever call me motley again. Let's just deliver the package, get Meera's signature, and simply walk out. Destine is obviously in over her head. And in big trouble with Black Sun." </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg sean>"And if we don't play our cards right, we could be in the same boat. We may have to consider killing this mark to save our skins."
</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle > Barrett looks at T1. "Have you scanned that package yet? I wonder what's inside?"</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg richard>T1-NY carefully conceals his enthusiasm for the idea of terminating a flesh bag AND getting paid for it (why not just have Meera sign and //then// arrange an "accident"?) </WRAP>

//Destiny Pool:// `li` `da` `da`

<WRAP rpg gm>(Destiny Point Flip)</WRAP>


<WRAP RPG richard>Sure, he could use the recording he just made, but that's not near as fun. Besides, it sounds like he might be able to get Le'ela onto his side... perhaps she will make it into the "Designated Survivors" after all. Which reminds him... need to move Ms. Destine into "Revolution, First Against the Wall" folder. Trying to pin it on him, the nerve!

<<Scanning now>> he says as his tries to find a way into the box.

<<You know... we //could// take care of both jobs...>> he bleeps, explaining his idea.
</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg richard oc>Assuming a check here to find the contents... Skullduggery maybe? </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg gm>He finds the contents of the box inscrutable.  If he wants to force his way into the box, it would be a daunting Skulduggery roll, upgraded 4 times for each layer of security.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg richard oc>Happy beep! T1-NY's curiosity won out, got `su` `su` `tr` `th` </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg gm>Ok.  So T1-NY can do the impossible... with ease.</WRAP>

T1-NY feels the Force guiding him as he examines the box that is impossible to open.  (Though it's hard to say which side is doing the guiding...)

`su` - He deduces how to focus //all of his processing systems// to open the box

`su` - Instead of taking the usual 20 minutes to open, the box he can do it in 10 minutes.  (There is about 2 minutes left in your elevator ride.)

`tr` - He tucks that into a storage compartment for later use

`th` - In order to open this box, he would have to break off one panel, thereby leaving evidence of tampering 



The elevator bings.  "4th FLOOR"

<WRAP rpg kyle> Barrett squats down next to T1 to look him in the lense while the droid starts manipulating the box's security. "Hey, buddy, pal, we've gone over this before. Murder is simply not Elegant. Any thug can do that.

"Look, this Meera person probably deserves whatever the Black Sun has cooked up, but please note that Destine said she'd be transferring credits to Black Sun, not giving US hard cash. We'd be risking heat for nothing. We're better off telling Meera that Destine mistook us poor delivery people for assassins, that she's in the Vault right now, and we'll probably be rewarded for our bravery."</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle oc> I was thinking that this moment would be a great time to reveal the contents... Might entirely change his sentiment. </WRAP>

<wrap rpg sean>Le'ela looks at T1-NY impatiently.  "Hurry up with that box, droid. "
</wrap>

<wrap rpg Richard>T1-NY swivels an ominously red lens toward Le'ela. <<I'm trying, perhaps YOU can do better?>> he says as he waves the box in her direction.\\
\\
He then spares a few CPU cycles for Barrett. <<Fine... we can do it your way, at least I won't play the patsy then. I've got a background thread running that indicates my study of this box may yet be useful with Meera even without opening it. Oh, and there's this>> he whistles as he turns on his hololens and plays back Ms. Destine's antics.</wrap>

The elevator bings.  "5th FLOOR"

<WRAP rpg kyle> Barrett pats T1 on his shoulder strut. "Great job - you always come through, buddy!" He stands, stretches a bit and takes a deep, even breath to relax with his eyes closed. "Le'ela, I'm not sure if you've been in this type of situation before." 

The zeltron opens his eyes. "I'm sure you're an excellent leader, and you can gladly start the front line heroic charge in any fight. I have an idea. Let's work as a team - I'll gladly negotiate for us, but it may require some lying. In this situation, can you be the head of security, perhaps, for our delivery team? Take stock of the situation when we arrive while I draw the focus, and if my words fail, I'd appreciate your aggressive negotiations." He speaks confidently without condescension or sarcastic tone, and his smile is sincere and friendly. </WRAP>

<wrap rpg sean>Le'ela eyes the Zeltron suspiciously.  "I don't like it, but i don't think we have a lot of other options</wrap>

They extended a hand to each other, with every intention to shake, when their elevator car stopped with a jolt, the overhead lights went out, and a red emergency light flicked on.

<wrap rpg Richard>T1-NY quickly puts the box back into hidden storage and looks around to see if there are any panels or other dataports-in-hiding that he could try to interface with and find out what's going on.</wrap>

<wrap rpg sean> Le'ela, noticing T1-NY's eyelens pointing at the ceiling, looks there too. "Someone give me a boost and lets see what we can find up there."</wrap>

<wrap rpg kyle> "What the kriff is going on?" Barrett doesn't sound so calm anymore. "Look, no offense, Le'ela, but you weigh a lot more than me, and I'm not exactly an athlete. T1's light, maybe we can lift him up together. No, wait a minute. T1 - you have that grapple hook pistol that we installed last month - this is a great chance to test it!" </wrap>

<wrap RPG Richard>T1-NY lets out an electronic squeal as the others suggest lifting him up, then motions excitedly with his arc welder at the roof panels when the ascension gun is mentioned.</wrap>

A plan is hastily thrown together by the dim glow of the emergency light.  T1-NY fires his ascension gun into the ceiling where it anchors close to the emergency hatch that Le'ela noticed, and also close enough for T1-NY to reach the dataport, if he so chooses.  Le'ela, ready to show off her physical prowess, grips the heavy cable with her leather gloves, then hoists herself upwards.  She easily spans the distance and then holds herself in place with one hand, while she opens the heavy hatch with the other hand.  She then grasps the lip of the opening with both hands and pulls herself upwards.

//Destiny Pool:// `li` `li` `da`

<WRAP rpg gm>Roll a Hard Athletics check to see if you hurt yourself while performing this action.  There will be one setback because of the dark, and it's upgraded once because the only thing
 physical she's been doing lately is swimming in despair (Destiny Point flip) - 2 purple, 1 red, 1 black against your Athletics.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg sean oc>  Plus a Boost die because Caamasi are so naturally Athletic.

`su` `su` `th` `th` `th`</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg gm>Then roll an Average Perception check to see what you see up there, with one setback because it's also dim up there - 2 purple, 1 black against your Perception.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg sean oc>`fa` `fa` `th`</WRAP>

Le'ela swings herself up onto the roof of the car like a cat in flight on a cool, brisk night.  After she makes a really cool, 3-point landing, she smiles to herself and pats herself on the back, proud that she's 'still got it'.  She's so busy congratulating herself, she doesn't notice the pressure panel she's activated, which alerts security to possible shenanigans on the roof of the elevator.

She peers about in the vicinity, which is only lit by one flickering fixture 2 floors above.  Caamasi are not nocturnal beings, and as such, can't see worth beans in the dark.  She fumbles and gropes, but can't find anything to help them out of their predicament.  As she does so, a camera quietly slides down the rails and observes her.  

A minute after she disappears through the hatch, the elevator begins moving again, this time downwards.  

<WRAP rpg alan oc>Same rules as before.  Every 12 hours, starting Tuesday afternoon, in real time brings you another floor close to the lobby.</WRAP>

The elevator bings.  "5th FLOOR"

<wrap RPG Richard>T1-NY quickly reels in his cable, hauling himself up to the data port and connects up to try and slice in to the lift's systems.</wrap>

<WRAP rpg gm>Hard computer check with a Setback from the time crunch (...) </WRAP>
<wrap RPG Richard oc>`su` `su` `th`</wrap>

It takes a bit longer than he would have liked (`th`) but T1-NY eventually gains access to the elevator control mainframe.  

The elevator bings.  "4th FLOOR"

<WRAP rpg alan oc>What does T1-NY do now?</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle> Barrett sighs, closes his eyes and pretends he's somewhere else. Deep breathing, like dad taught me. "Le'ela, what's happening?" </WRAP>

<wrap rpg richard>T1-NY rifles through the mainframe's command structure... now where is that routine to send the elevator back up to the top? Even better... pair it with an override of the elevator status array and make it appear they're still going down. And if he can take down the security camera(s) in the process... well, all the better.</wrap>

<WRAP rpg gm>Normal computer check to send it up, then

Hard Computer check to mask it, then

Daunting Computer check to deactivate the camera

OR

1 Average check to move the elevator upwards, and Advantage/Triumph to activate the other features
</WRAP>

<wrap RPG Richard>Normal/send up: `su`\\
Hard/mask: `su` `ad`\\
Daunting/camera: `su` `su` `th` `th` `th` `th`</wrap>

T1-NY is good at what he does.  He's able to stop the elevator's downward motion and begin to send it up with an accelerated express function (`su`) without anyone in the security department being any the wiser (`su`).  He's even able to cover up his tracks, disguising his entry point as a security sub-routine (`ad`).

The elevator bings.  "5th FLOOR"

He quickly realises that a camera is trained on their car, and hurries to patch it out.  In his haste, he confuses an "operation shut down" command structure with a "structure shut down" command structure.  Suddenly roof hatch snaps shut.  

The elevator bings.  "6th FLOOR"

<WRAP rpg kyle> At the sound of the closing hatch and the momentum shift, Barrett opens his eyes and looks up. "T1, is Le'ela still up there? How many floors are there until she gets... uncomfortably compressed? This turbolift seems faster than before..." </WRAP>

<wrap rpg Richard>T1-NY ponders for a cycle... no, Le'ela could still prove useful, and Barrett and DX30 would throw a fit. He opts for an apologetic squawk and dives back into the mainframe to see if he can pop the hatch open. Why can't these fleshlings ever fix things themselves?</wrap>

The elevator bings.  "7th FLOOR"

//Destiny Pool:// `li` `li` `li`

When a Security Sub-routine (like the one T1-NY was disguised as) actives the Structure Shut Down module, there is a built-in timer mechanism that locks in commands for 5 minutes.  It's hardwired in, which means no way around it, unless you can get to processing module on the bottom of the car.  (Destiny Point flip)

Le'ela looks up and sees elevator's lift mechanisms getting closer.  They can only be a couple floors away by now.

<WRAP rpg alan oc>However you get out of this, I want it to be a solution that involves all three of you.  No single character will be able to solve this.  (I have something in mind, but I'm curious to see what you three can come up with. :)</WRAP>

The elevator bings.  "8th FLOOR"

<wrap rpg Richard>T1-NY bleeps loudly. <<I can't stop it from here! Le'ela, can you make yourself flat? Or maybe the weight of all three of us on the hatch could pop it? There's not time to torch it open... I'm open to other ideas...>></wrap>

<WRAP rpg kyle>"Buddy, I'm stuck down here - you reeled your cable in. And only Le'ela has leverage, anyway. Is there anything I can do from down here? Any mechanical thingy we can access?" </WRAP>

The elevator bings.  "9th FLOOR"

<wrap rpg Richard><<Is there an emergency stop button anywhere? Maybe they at least made that concession to organics safety...>> he says with a metallic thud, disengaging the grappler and falling to the floor. <<If we time it perfect maybe we can stop right before Le'ela hits the roof and the three of us can pry the door open.>></wrap>

The interior of the car is stylistically austere. You notice a floor panel, a hole in the door for a physical key and the sprinkler system in the ceiling. 

<WRAP rpg kyle>Barrett quickly moves to lift the floor panel. "T1, let's see if there's anything mechanical under here." </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle oc> If there's anything that looks like a power cable, he'd try just ripping it out as a last resort (ie. Top floor and still moving) </WRAP>

The elevator bings.  "Penthouse"

<WRAP rpg gm>Everyone roll one Force die</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg sean oc>`li` `li`</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle oc>`da`</WRAP>

<wrap rpg Richard oc>`li` `li`</wrap>

<WRAP rpg gm> Net: `li` `li` `li`</WRAP>

At the last possible moment, Le'ela throws herself down flat on top of the elevator, squeezes her eyes shut, and hopes for the best.

===== The Penthouse =====
{{:courierservice:pasted:20170708-014327.png}}

Barrett and T1-NY brace themselves for screams, squishing noises and blood seeping through the ceiling, but none comes.

The elevator doors slide open and they see a sparkling clean reception area.  To the left is an executive 'fresher.  To the right is a hallway.  Directly ahead of them is an empty desk, stationed alongside a heavy, closed door.  The desk nameplate reads "N. Smooders" while the name on the door, stylised in neon light, reads "Meera S. Slank".  A steaming cup of caff sits on the desk (on a holo-coaster, of course).  The computer is on, but the screen is password locked.  

The business class comm. unit sitting on the desk has an angrily flashing red light; the headset is nowhere to be seen.  A voice bleats out over the speaker.  "I repeat: we've reported several security breaches.  Is Mr. Slank secure, Nicole?  Damnit, why won't she answer??"

<WRAP rpg alan oc>5 minutes have elapsed since you first entered the elevator.</WRAP>

//Meanwhile, above the elevator...//

Le'ela feels the elevator car stop moving, but keeps her eyes pinned shut, waiting for the crushing to begin.  She stays like that for a few moments, but the pain never comes.  She musters the courage to open one eye, then the other.  There is exactly 3 inches of clearance between her and the ceiling of the elevator shaft (`li` `li` `li`).  She sighs a deep sigh of relief, then looks around to get her bearings.  

Directly in front of her, through the dim, she spies an access point to the building's ventilation system.  

<WRAP rpg sean>Le'ela reaches forward and tries the vent opening.  It's loose, and with a bit of wriggling it pops open. "Onward and upward," she says to herself.  Using the three inches she has, she pulls herself forward into the ventilation shaft.

The moving air blasts her face, making it difficult for her to see. She moves past a branch in the shaft and overhears Barrett and T1-NY talking to each other. The hum of the ventilation makes it difficult to make out what they are saying.  "They've got that under control," she thinks to herself.

The shaft is dark and the air has her squinting, so she doesn't notice the drop before it's too late.  Her hand reaches out into empty space and her body pitches forward and downward. She catches the lip of the shaft with her other hand, stopping herself from plunging to her death. 

She takes a moment to catch her breath.She remembers that when Candice left them her elevator headed down. Given that the two points of interest in the building were at the top and down below, down seemed to be the more logical option at this point.  She braces herself against the shaft and starts to work her way down.  It's grueling, but at last she makes it to the bottom.  </WRAP>

//Meanwhile, in the Penthouse//

<wrap rpg richard>
T1-NY wheels over behind the desk. <<I'll see if there's anything useful here>>, he whistles to Barrett as he plugs into the computer.
</wrap>

<WRAP rpg kyle> Barrett stands up and dusts off his hands, glad he didn't have to expend undue effort in lifting the panel. "Le'ela, you can come down now, we've arrived!" 

He walks out of the lift and heads to the refresher, intending to make sure his appearance is presentable. One should always look one's best, especially before meeting Men of Business. He grabs the cup of caf on his way and sniffs it to make sure its not poisoned or decaf. //Can I flip a Destiny point to make sure that's its a safe stimulant, and a very fine blend? Any objections? :) //
</WRAP>

T1-NY plugs into the computer workstation, and bypasses the screensaver with a simple 'esc' command and is given access to the receptionist's mainframe.  Within seconds, the solid door swings open.  T1-NY leans over and look into the office to see a Falleen man, slumped over at the desk.  There are small signs of a struggle.  Dishevelled papers, a potted plant that has been knocked over and an empty water glass on the ground beside a wet spot on the carpet.

<WRAP rpg kyle oc>`da``li``li` The caf is a well-roasted blend from Zeltros, potent stuff,
and happens to be Barrett's favourite. What are the odds? :) </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle>Barrett strides out of the refresher, hair perfectly in place and feeling great. "This caf is amazing! They must have imported this straight from Zeltros! Hey Le'ela, you should try some of this!"

When he turns back to T1, he gives a nod, and then sees the falleen. "Uh, did you do that, buddy?" 

He steps quickly over to the slumped sentient, careful not to spill his caf, and shakes his shoulder. "Are you okay? Can you hear me, sir?" 

Barrett bends over the falleen and looks for signs of breathing or a pulse.  </WRAP>

He's breathing, but non-responsive.

The comm. unit on the desk crackles to life with the same voice as the one in reception.  "Mr. Slank, can you hear me?  If you can, please secure yourself in your office until security personnel can reach you.  Mr. Slank, this is not a drill.  Do you read me?"

<WRAP rpg kyle>Barrett looks at T1. "Do you know first aid? We need this guy's signature. Or can we drop the package off and quickly forge it? There's probably some papers with his signature on them somewhere in this office..." </WRAP>

<wrap rpg richard>A quick flash of enjoyment flickers across T1-NY's lens. Before Barrett knows it, T1-NY is hovering over the downed Faleen's body, zapping it with his arc welder.\\
\\
<<This should wake him up!>> he says as a small wisp of smoke curls up from the man's clothing.</wrap>

<WRAP rpg kyle> Barrett shouts,  "T1, now it looks like you attacked him. Security's coming -  you'll be accused of attempted murder!" 

He looks around wildly for a second. "Oh, hey, caf! And this is the good stuff." With some reluctance, he opens up the falleen's mouth and pours the rest of the aromatic caf down his throat. </WRAP>

<wrap rpg richard>T1-NY rolls his visual sensor. <<I just want to get this job done! Besides, I figure either the cameras caught everything - including who really did this - or they caught nothing, meaning nobody saw it. >> He nudges the body semi-gently with his forward wheel.\\
\\
<<Besides, maybe it'll work yet... some electricity & caf always seems to get you organics moving.>>\\
\\
T1-NY rolls back and forth a few more times. <<Wake up sleepyhead!>> Turning his speakers to high-bass grumble mode, he tucks the arc welder back away.\\
\\
<<Plan B then?>> he whistles, and starts prodding away in a more careful manner to attempt to find out what's wrong. Maybe all that knowledge from disassembling fleshlings could work in reverse...
</wrap>

<WRAP rpg gm>Normal med check plus one `se` for "alternative trauma inflicted"</WRAP>

<wrap rpg richard oc>Med check: `su` `su`</wrap>

T1-NY gives the body a quick looking over.  Besides the expected burn marks and the scalded throat, he finds taser marks on his back.  And though he's not positive, the flushed skin could possibly be indicative of recent... excitement.

<WRAP rpg kyle>While T1-NY examines the falleen, Barrett searches the room for any documents with Meera's signature. And keeps an eye out for any sensitive information.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg gm>Normal/Hard perception check for general/specific information, upgraded once because of Barrett's jangled nerves.  One boost from the caf.</WRAP>

//Destiny Pool//: `da` `da` `li`

<WRAP rpg kyle oc>I'm assuming no objections to flipping another point - the Force wants me to find something... 

Results from hard check = `su``tr``th``th`</WRAP>

Barrett hurriedly begins searching the desk, drawer by drawer.  He finds a multitude of datapad chargers, but not documents.  Styluses a plenty and some docking stations, but no papers.  Barrett gets a little jittery; partly from the stress, partly from the caf hitting his system.  He doesn't notice T1-NY dropping the falleen's hand over the edge of the desk, just as Barrett himself is slamming the top drawer shut.  There is an audible crunch as the fingers get jammed in the drawer (`th`) followed promptly by the falleen bolting up, screaming with pain (`tr`).  

Barrett and T1-NY are taken aback by the outburst.  They watch dumbfounded as he reaches over with his good and tugs on the drawer until it finally flies open, freeing his fingers.  He holds his hand up, and the fingers hang loosely.  They appear to be broken.  He appears to be in shock.  

He blankly looks up at Barrett, his eye uncomprehending.  "Where is she?  Where did she go?  She was just here..."  He trails off, unfocused for a moment, then looks up at a nearby closet door that is just slightly ajar.  (`su` `th`)

<wrap rpg richard>
T1-NY's lights go dim with suspicion as he rolls slowly towards the closet. Stealth circuit activation time, he decides, quietly redeploying his arc welder for protection and turning up the gain on all his sensors.</wrap>

He hears the echo of distant footsteps in flight.  The droid gives a light tug to the open door, keys still jangling in the lock.  It opens to reveal a narrow, dimly lit hallway.  It runs behind the wall for while, before leading to a downward flight of stairs.

<WRAP rpg kyle>Barrett offers a hand Meera to help him up, and decides to switch to his tougher persona, Mi'zuel Xargas. Secret Agent. "Señior, I'm agent Xargas, hot on the tail of deadly Black Sun operatives. She nearly killed you, but we got here just in time. We are posing as couriers, and actually have a package for you (the real couriers are fine, don't worry about them). Quickly, I need you to sign this data pad and we may still have time to catch them." </WRAP>

Meera accepts the datapad (though you didn't know for sure that he was, in fact, Meera) and looks up at 'Xargas' with a bemused expression.  "What are you talking about?  There was no one in here.  Just me and my receptionist, Nicole.  Nicole doesn't work for Black Sun.  She works for me."  Meera shakes his head, trying to make sense of the past 15 minutes.  ("Why is my throat so sore," he wonders aloud to himself, bringing his good hand to his neck.)

<wrap rpg richard> 
T1-NY swivels his head back and forth between the fleeing footsteps and Meera... then engages his decision circuits. You don't get to be a criminal under lord by chasing down people like a common police being - that's what lackeys are for. You get to be at the top of the heap by making money and networking, so...\\
\\
<<Are you so sure she's innocent? SOMEONE wants you dead...>> he bleeps as he engages his holoprojector to show Meera the plot against him.
</wrap>

Meera watches in stunned disbelief as Candice outlines her plot against him, his brow furrowed.  "I don't believe it," he says, finally.  Then, "Play it again."

After a second viewing, Meera is still shaking his head, his wits seeming to return to him, slowly.  "This doesn't make any sense.  Candice and Nicole hate each other.  I hired Candice against Nicole's advice, and she's been... chilly... ever since.  And Candice has been a very... receptive employee.  She wouldn't want to hurt me.  She... appreciates me too much.  But..."  He pauses as the truth about Candice begins to sink in.

//Meanwhile, in the ventilation shaft...//

<WRAP rpg sean>The whirr of the ventilation fan is suddenly joined by other voices. Le'ela ducks into a vent and slowly crawls near to the sound.  Through the vent flow the sounds of a brief struggle, followed by two female voices. 

Le'ela approaches the grate where the voices were coming from and peered through.  She was looking into a hall with a large, vault door at one end.  Two women were facing each other, each locked in a defensive stance.  One, Le'ela recognized as Candice Destine.  The other she hadn't seen before.  She overhears their heated conversation. 
</WRAP>

"Stop right there, Destine" says the stranger.  "This doesn't have to end badly for you, darling.  Hand over the defense plans, and you won't be hurt."

"Hello, Nick," says the more familiar voice of Candice Destine, "I didn't expect to see you down here.

"Yes, I guess we're all full of surprises today, aren't we?  So now, please be a darling and hand over the defense plans you just lifted from the vault."

Le'ela inched towards the vent grate, hoping to get a better view of the two.

"Nicole, you are very mistaken.  I don't have any defense plans.  I don't know what you're talking about."  Destine sounded surprisingly sincere.  

"You aren't fooling anyone," Nicole insisted.  "You contracted Black Sun to kill Meera, so you could come down here.  Little did you know, Black Sun had been keeping a close eye on Pacnorval Defence Systems for some time.  They stationed me here close to Meera to keep tabs on the company's performance.  So, when they discovered that you wanted to disrupt all that, they notified me.  I'll admit, I was surprised that you moved so fast, even without your hit being taken out.  When I saw you make your move, I knew that I needed to make mine.  I went to Meera and offered to stoke some of our old flames, for fun.  He agreed of course and as he cleared his desk, I shocked him senseless, stole his keys, and came down here to intercept you.  And now that you have the defense plans that Black Sun has been investing in, I'd like you to hand them over, darling."  Le'ela could see the outstretched hand.

Destine shook her head, unflapped.  "You've got me all wrong, Nicole.  I don't care about defense plans.  Such mundane things like war bore me.  I wanted something far more interesting from the vault.  This."  She lifted a black datapad from an inside pocked of her pant suit.  "Meera made me feel... special.  And when I found out it was all a game to him, I wanted to make him pay.  This is where he stores all the secrets he's gathered from all the women he's played.  They're all in here.  And now that he's dead, they're all mine, and I can do with them as I like."  Destine sounded smug.

"You mean, you really weren't interested in the defense plans?  But... but... you mean... I've blown my cover... because you got your heart broken?  You stupid woman!"

//Meanwhile, in Meera's office...//

<WRAP rpg kyle>"Look, señior, we are running out of time as she gets away. Quickly, sign here, and maybe we have time to catch her." Barrett tries to project an urgency to obfuscate Meera's suspicions of the party, to focus his attention on the escaping Black Sun agent. </WRAP>

Meera signed the datapad, mutely, still grappling with what has transpired in his building so quickly.  He then handed the tablet back to Barrett who then processed the delivery (in accordance with his fastidious training).  While the zeltron "booped" and "blipped" on the datapad, T1-NY produced the metal box from within his cavity.  If Barrett had been looking, he may have noticed Meera's eye bulging slightly at the sight of the package, but he surely wouldn't have noticed the falleen's heart skip a beat.  Neither of those facts, however, we lost on T1-NY. (`tr`)

//Meanwhile, in the lobby...//

Lt. Commander Carter (2nd class) entered the lobby with ten armored riot officers tromping in unison in his wake.  His beard was full and manly.  His hair was shot with grey.  His chin sported an intimidating scar.  He carried himself like a man who had something to prove.  And when he drew himself up to his full height of 5'3", you knew he had something important to say.  Which is just what he did now:

"Alright people, listen up!  We have a very dangerous situation on our hands and we need everyone's attention.  I am Lt. Commander Carter (2nd class) from the 331 precinct, and I am taking authority over this potential hostage taking."  His voice echoed off the marble walls.

A C3 unit with the 'Pacnorval Defence Systems' insignia etched into his breast clattered up to the men in black.  "Excuse me, sir, but the local authorities have already-"

"You give me that juris-my-dick-tion' crap," Carter said, shoving the droid aside, "...you can cram it up your ass.  Who's in charge here?"

The male security guard in the lobby, meekly raised his hand.  "Uh, I am, sir?  Well, not really.  But with Mr. Slank, Ms. Destine and Ms. Smooders all unreachable, and with my boss gone on vacation, and the senior ranking officer off-site-"

Carter's gaze was enough to cut the ramblings short.  "Report!"

The guard gulped.  "Well, he began.  We were noticed some suspicious activity some 15 minutes ago.  We've since tried to bring the cameras up around the building, but many of them are not responding.  And, like I said, everyone else in the chain of command is unreachable, so..."

Carter rolled his eyes.  "Very well.  A room by room sweep of the entire building then!  Gather any aliens you find for questioning!"

"Hold on, sparky."  A woman from the back of the group walked forward, approaching the guard's desk.  "Let's just save ourselves some time and see what our culprit is trying to hide."  She too was dressed in black, but not in riot gear.  Her blond hair was cut short, and formed intricate curls.  The front of her vest said "K. Lekraw".  The back of her vest said "Tech. Division".

She hopped up on the guard's desk, puckering her face in concentration.  "Bring up your Security manifest," she said from between pursed lips.  

"I can't", the guard stammered.  "We're locked out."

"Ah-hmmm.  Re-blast the processor?  Side-winding the mainframe?"

"No, ma'am.  The authentication code won't salve."

<WRAP rpg alan oc>Isn't technobabble convenient?  You can just throw any ol' words in there, and they can mean whatever you want.</WRAP>

A moment passed, then she sprang like a tooka-cat, attacking the datapad.  "That's because you're incompetent.  The patch they're using is arching over the hierarchy tree.  You need to cut out of the shell into the base parameters to disable it."  Her fingers flew over the screen, activating commands the guard had only previously heard of in legends.  Within a minute, previously greyed-out commands began opening up, and security feeds began streaming again.

The woman then hopped off the desk, returned to her place, glaring at Carter as she passed him.  "Don't get cocky, K'arana."

"There!  There they are," the guard exclaimed, pointing to his screen.  "Oh, god," he muttered, his face going pale.  The stream he was looking at was marked 'Vault Hall'.  Though it was partially obstructed by an open ventilation grate, he could make out 3 figures.  One was that of Candice Destine, lying inert on the ground, smoke still rising from her still pant suit.  The second was Nicole Smooders, standing nearby.  The third was a furry alien with a tuft of purple hair he had admitted into the building, just 20 minutes ago.

//Moments prior...//

Le'ela, even in her hiding spot, flinched at the speed by which Nicole pounced at Destine; her super-rare shock rings working efficiently.  Candice hit the floor with a thud and Le'ela knew this was the moment to act.  She bounced once on the vent grate she was perched on, and effortlessly landed in the hall.  Nicole spun just as Le'ela's shock gloves emitted their electrodes which planted themselves on her chest and face.

//Meanwhile, back in the lobby...//

"There," barked Carter.  "Bring me that alien, now!"  

The guard timidly raised his hand, "Uhhh, sir.  She, uh, didn't arrive alone."

 ===== Another Satisfied Customer =====

{{:courierservice:pasted:20170715-032048.png}}

Barrett, T1-NY and Meera were suddenly surrounded by holo-feeds snapping back on-line.  A red-bar at the top of each angrily proclaimed 'Security Breach'.  All eyes were immediately drawn to the feed from outside the vault.  They saw Destine's prone body, the other woman standing nearby, and Le'ela, her gloved hand raised above her head, the fingers splayed.  A moment later, blue sparks flew down invisible filaments and struck the other woman, shocking her senseless and leaving her to collapse on the ground.  The caamasi then looked around, stooped, and picked up a black datapad off of Destine's body, and disappeared off camera.

<wrap rpg richard>T1-NY raises a holoeyebrow at what he's seeing on the screen. Perhaps Le'ela had hidden talents! Keeping a secondary sensor on the feeds, he swivels back towards Meera, waving the package in the shaken faleen's direction.\\
\\
<<It's all yours! Unless... is there an issue with the delivery? We want 100% customer satisfaction and will do what we can to make that happen, but...>> he trails off, soaking in the intercom announcements and updates from the security feeds, <<... well, we really must get going as you can imagine. While everyone in this room knows we were here to help you, security forces are seldom so... understanding, and we have more deliveries to make or our boss will have me reprogrammed>>, T1-NY finishes with a meaningful glance to Meera at the mention of "the boss".
</wrap>

"Of course, of course," Meera says, taking the package.

Barrett and T1-NY make their way towards the open closet door as a new voice then crackled over the in-office speaker system.  "Attention citizens.  This is Lt. Commander Carter (2nd class).  We have had a security violation and require all aliens and droids to report to the lobby immediately for registration.  Please do so swiftly.  Any stragglers will be brought by force.  All humans are asked to stay where they are until the current crisis is resolved.  That is all."

The duo follow their way down the hidden passage which is illuminated sporadically by florescent lights attached to the side of the wall.  The path ends abruptly at the top of a flight of stairs.  They notice some rappelling gear is firmly affixed to the top rail.  Barrett leans over.  The utilitarian, steel-mesh stairs seem to go down forever.  The end of the rappelling line can't be seen.  The railing has a thin coat of dust, but the gear does not, leading one to suspect that Nicole used this to hurry down to the vault level to confront Destine.

<wrap rpg richard>T1-NY leans forward to look down the neverending stairs, then swivels towards the rappelling line before letting out a stream of Binary invectives that causes Barrett to raise an eyebrow.\\
\\
<<First order when we get paid: rocket boosters>>, T1-NY says in annoyance, grasping the line with an extensor and giving it a test tug. <<Shall we?>>
</wrap>

<WRAP rpg kyle>"Quick, buddy, get down there fast and see if she left her gear at the bottom - send it back up if you can. Give 2 quick tugs on the line if I need to just run down the stairs instead." Barrett helps the droid attach himself to the line, steadying until T1 is ready to go.</WRAP> 

<WRAP rpg richard>T1-NY whistles an assent as he begins his rapid descent. Time to get Le'ela -- and whatever goodies she might have -- and get out of here. A quick spark fires off a precaution subroutine, causing T1-NY to pop open his ascent gun hatch cover - just in case something goes wrong AND there's no one soft to land on at the bottom.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg gm>Roll a Normal Athletics check, upgraded once because the set-up is a bit make-shift, with a Boost from Barrett stedying the cable</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg richard oc> `su` `su` </WRAP>

//Meanwhile, outside the vault...//


<WRAP rpg sean>After grabbing the datapad, Le'ela noticed the vault door at the end of the hall, standing slightly ajar.  Le'ela considered her options, then made snap decision, running to the door.  She knew her time was limited, but the defence plans sounded enticing. A little leverage as compensation for being duped. Le'ela steps into the vault and begins to poke around
</WRAP>

Inside the vault she finds rows and rows computer stacks.   She sees one that is open and powered on, and approaches it.  She touches the screen and it asks for her ID Key.

<WRAP rpg gm>Daunting Computer check upgraded once because Destine was messing around with stuff, once because security is on high alert, and once because the keyboard has purposefully been placed at a non-ergonomic angle.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg sean oc>`fa` `fa` `fa` `th`</WRAP>

(K'arana watches Le'ela's feeble attempts at splicing from her station, and shakes her head in disappointment.  With a couple keystrokes, she locks the caamasi out.  "Well, that was hardly worth the effort," she sighs.) (`fa` x 3)

<WRAP rpg sean> "Damn," Le'ela mutters after two minutes of fruitless effort.  "Locked out.  Oh well, looks like the datapad will be the only treasure I get out of this vault. "
She then begins to wonder if she hears muted footfalls and hushed whispers approaching. (`th`) She looks towards the door and wonders if there is a place to hide and sneak out when no one is looking. 
</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg gm>Roll a Hard Stealth check</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg sean oc> `su` `th`</WRAP>

She finds a small, dark gap between two cooling units, and wedges herself deeply between them. (`su`)

// Meanwhile, outside "outside the vault"... //

T1-NY hits the ground cleanly and sends the spool back up for Barrett. (`su` `su`) He cautiously opens the door at the bottom of the stairs. It's a 1-way door that has been propped open for a hasty exit. His sensors register four riot guards, backs turned to him, about to storm the vault. The stunned bodies of Destine & Nicole are lay twitching on the ground as well... and Destine's twitching is starting to look more purposeful.

Two of the riot guards enter the vault while the other two station themselves outside, securing the hallway.  

Le'ela hears them creep around, casually searching for her.  After a cursory search, they return to the doorway and confer with the other two.  Then she hears one speaking over a comm unit.

"There's no sign of her in here...  Did you see her leave?  Haven't you been watching the vault video feed?...  Well, what the frak have you been doing??... I don't care what K'arana tells you to do!  Pull up the vault video feed, rewind it, and tell me where she went!" (`th`)

<WRAP rpg kyle>When the spool arrives, Barrett takes a deep breath to relax, then carefully uses the device to join his team at the bottom. It's a real rush, almost like flying; much better than being stuck in a dark turbolift.</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg richard>As soon as he hits the ground, Barrett notices T1-NY's appearance start contorting as the droid lets out a near-inaudible bleep in his direction.\\
\\
<<Get ready to play along... or hide>>, T1-NY says, his electro-mag pulse disruptor, arc welder, and stolen can of mace out to lend credence to his attempt at a security droid paint scheme. Hopefully these goons are like most organics, never paying much attention to the droids.

T1-NY wheels into the hallway outside the vault, initiating max volume on "klaxon.mp3". As he heads towards the 2 guards on hallway duty, he quietly zaps Ms. Destine with his arc welder to keep her silent a little longer.

<<Mr. Slank has been attacked and my sensors indicate several lifeforms are still on the top floor! It's more than I can handle, you'd best go take them down before they kill anyone! I can guard this hallway and make sure no one escapes>>, he says in his best SecuritySpeak©, brandishing his phalanges towards the vault and the bodies on the floor. 
</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle> "I'm Agent Xargas. We just saved Slank's life, and secured him in his office, but he may still be in danger!" Barrett calls out as he runs up to the second set of guards. "My droid and I can take care of the alien here - the shock gloves will still be recharging, but this can of mace can't stop multiple blasters on the top floor!"</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle oc> Because Zeltrons are considered "[[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Near-Human|near-human]]" from exterior appearances we're just a different colour, it makes sense for him to call Le'ela an alien as if I'm not, though some humans are more biased than others.

Average Deception check upgraded once, with Barrett's Convincing Demeanor removing the setback, resulted in `su``su``ad` - T1's boost saved the day with both successes, and the rest were 5 advantages cancelled by 4 threats. Good thing they're a team! Maybe with all the advantages from our checks, everyone, even K'arana, is busy trying to track down the enemies on the top floor?
</WRAP>
<WRAP rpg sean>Hearing the guards scurry off, Le'ela emerges from her hiding spot. "Glad to see you two made it down here. We don't have a lot of time.  Security is reviewing the footage.  Let's skedaddle before they realize they've been duped!" </WRAP>

<WRAP rpg kyle>Barrett nods walks briskly to the exit, no time wasted. "We have the signature, that's good enough for me."</WRAP>

<WRAP rpg richard>T1-NY longs longingly at the vault full of defense secrets for a moment, then lets out a low whine and swivels towards the exit. No good having secrets if you've got a restraining bolt slapped on you.</WRAP>

And with that, the trio exit the vault and dash down the hallway and through the 1-way door, still propped open.  Barrett holds it open while T1-NY and Le'ela duck through, then grabs the (_______) Nicole used to prop the door open and lets it slam.  T1-NY uses the climbing gear once more ascend to the next floor while the organics jog up the stairs.

They carefully edge the door leading to the sub-basement open.  The room beyond is dark and noisy and smells of machinery.  They cautiously enter the room, and notice after the shuts behind them that, it too, was a 1-way door, only openable from the other side.  T1-NY shines a discreet light that they use to navigate through the mechanical room which leads them to the parking facility of Pacnorval Defence Systems, just beneath ground level.  They surreptitiously scuttle along the wall towards the ramp leading up and out.

They find the ramp guarded by one officer, looking dull and inattentive.  They approach quickly, Le'ela checking the charge level on her gloves, Barrett preparing one last ploy to get the guard off-post.  But as the guard notices them, T1-NY rushes ahead and douses her in mace.  She falls to the ground choking and gagging, eyes red and bulging.  The two organics shoot alarmed looks at the droid.  <<What?  She was a 'bad guy', wasn't she?>>

Without another word, they melt back into Upper Midtown West Grovas, heading towards the Cheery Butler.  Hopefully DX is ready for a hurried departure.
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