Nightshade: Return to Karvis III

[GM Craig]

She seems a little taken aback as you walk in silence to your quarters. As you enter your quarters, she stands stiffly by the door. When prepare and hand her some tea, she accepts it, but looks a little uncomfortable.

"Thank you," she says. It is the first time you're heard her speak without military precision. There is warmth and emotional inflection in her tone. She takes a sip before taking a breath, as if steadying herself, or perhaps bracing herself.

She returns to her usual military precision when she says, "Agent Nightshade, it is my duty to warn you that I cannot be sure of my objectivity regarding General Donoba. I recommend you take that into account when evaluating my assessments regarding his potential as a target."

[Nightshade]

Nightshade considers her for a moment, feeling out the intent behind her words.  His clan was trained in reading people and getting their motivations. 

"Please, elaborate, so that I can further evaluate your assessments."

[GM Craig]

From the set of her jaw, you are left with the impression she had hoped, rather than believed you would not press.

"Of course. It is not widely known outside of senior leadership, but I was Imperial Intelligence. My team was assigned to General Denoba some time ago, and when he was posted here we came with him. From the start it was a tumultuous relationship. General Denoba abused his position and my team, using us and our products for personal gain rather than for the Empire. I frequently objected. He had asked for my replacement on several occasions."

[Nightshade]

"Thank you, Captain.  I appreciate your position, but I still feel that a strike against the military target will be the most productive to our overall goal."

[GM Craig]

She nods. "Of course, Agent. I only wished to inform you of a potential unconscious bias on my part."

She finishes her tea and sets the cup down. "If there is nothing else?"

[Nightshade]

"That is all, please arrange what preparations are necessary for the strike and inform me when they are ready."

Once she left, Nightshade made his own preparations, restocking gear, cleaning weapons, and catching a nap.

[GM Craig]

She salutes, turns on her heel, and marches out of the room.

Six hours later, you are in a rough-looking transport vehicle approaching the Imperial Capital of Plarn. The city is open, and too large for the Empire to have checkpoints at every entrance, so you are in an all-terrain transport with a small squad of Intel troopers with you for backup. The driver pulls up into a small, wooded hollow, and with clockwork precision the rest of the troopers pile out of the vehicle. In less than a minute, they have sensor netting strung up over the area, shielding you and the vehicle from detection.

You wait for thirty minutes until a quick alert is passed. A minute later, a hard-looking woman with a slung hunting blaster over her shoulder is escorted into camp. She looks around, clearly a little intimidated, as two do the troopers bring her to you.

"Sir, this is Keeren Dimmorr, a member of the local cell in Plarn." According to the plan, this woman will be your guide, and her cell will serve as lookouts and support inside the city.

She glances around a moment before looking at you and nodding. "Hey."

[Nightshade]

Taking in the new contact and judging her ability, Nightshade responded in kind, "Hello."

"What can you tell me of the area that will help?"

[GM Craig]

Your read on her is that she doesn't seem to trust you much.

Keeren shrugs. "Depends on where he goes. But we've got people watching the residence, and an informant or two in some of the pleasure houses and clubs he visits, so we have a pretty good read on his patterns. We will know within 5 minutes of his leaving where he's going to go. Depending on where it is, we can have you there before he arrives. He's got his favourite rooms and partners and all that."

She looks around the room before glancing back at you. "So, what is this all about anyway?"

She asks the question in a way that seems to indicate she may be guessing much of what this mission is about.

[Nightshade]

"I believe you are familiar with the best practices of intelligence cells.  I have no issue with telling you the purpose of our business here, but are you sure you want to know? "

[GM Craig]

She shakes her head. "I can guess. But tell me the part about what happens after. When there's Imperial troops kicking in doors all over the city, dragging people away and gunning down anyone who resists in the street? Any action against the Imps provokes a retaliation. What's your plan for protecting our people after your mission is over?"

[Nightshade]

"The basis of our plan is working out a way for the Imperials to be more interested in fighting amongst themselves than looking for a culprit in the populace.  We are trying to undermine them by playing the military against COMPNOR."

Pausing a moment for that to process, he continued, "That being said, I am open to any ideas that you have, I understand that it is the common folk that may bear the brunt of what I do, especially if my plan is wrong or fails."

[GM Craig]

She seems to bristle a little at the phrase "common folk."

"From where I stand, there's only three types of people on Karvis. Folk, Rebels and Imperials. No one on Karvis expect to kick the Empire out without blood shed. But what I want to see are plans for what happens when the Empire turns on regular people - and they will. Medical supplies, maybe people to help, food and water, a plan for refugees. My group has been doing what we can, but it's not much and we're stretched thin. We could use some of your fancy credits and training to help keep people safe, and get those people who want to get out somewhere safe."

She crosses her arms. "Show me those plans, and I'll be much more inclined to put my life and the lives of my people on the line. Right now, those 'common folk' rely on us for help. If we're gone, there's no one to look after them."

[Nightshade]

"Are you 'folk' or are you 'rebels'?  Understand that I don't want to see the Empire harm anyone else, but also understand that you need me as much, if not more than I need you.  I will do everything I can to prevent harm or fall out to anyone for the actions and plans that I look to put in place, but I have more groups to consider than just here and I don't have unlimited resources.  I will tell you up front that I cannot guarantee anyone passage off this world.  I will do what I can to relocate people other places on this planet, but I fully accept that this may not be much of an answer."

"That being said, I would like for you to tell me what medical supplies, food and water, and other needs would be of the most benefit to you and local populace right now, and then you and I can sit and see what can be done to alleviate those needs.  And I will again tell you that I commit to keeping the Empire's attention off the folk as best as I can.  So you will either have to trust that, or look elsewhere."

[GM Craig]

She doesn't hesitate - as if she had the information immediately in her mind.

"Give me half a dozen trauma kits and two dozen medkits. We'd need emergency rations and water - figure thirty person-days worth. Then we can take in and shelter those who may end up displaced, sort-term. If you could help us with relocation efforts for anyone turned into refugees by Imperial searches, that would help as well. We can round them up and get them out of the city, but they'll need some place to go. We can expect as many as twenty or thirty people will end up displaced if the Empire starts searches.

"The more of that you can provide me, the more support I can give you. The less support I get, the more of my people I need to keep back to make sure we can handle the fallout. That make sense, Agent?"