Rob actually got it. She had Quattro waiting in the room below- only problem was that Quattro didn't stick around.
The point was to lay foreshadowing for later, and to illustrate that I'm not the only one making things happen.
**********
Entry 50 (Day 873)
Three weeks?! HOW could it only have been THREE WEEKS since I last wrote an entry? Between all the research, the drama with Sein and Quattro, the mission, the bounty work... actually, now that I think about it, all of that fits rather easily into three weeks' time. It just feels longer, you know?
I suppose I should disentangle all of that- for posterity, if nothing else. Right.
Last entry, I proved I was ready to take missions again. Two weeks of spell research later, that got put to the test. I've written about the Krepani Syndicate before, yes? Big criminal organization? Makes automated magitech weapons? We're now at war with them. The doctor decided that they needed to be utterly wiped out for a number of reasons... most of which have to do with them acting like- gasp!- criminals! Who would've thought!
Anyway, the girls got to work defining what needs to be done right after his big, dramatic proclamation... and let me tell you, there's quite a bit that needs doing. The Syndicate is... well, start with the most comprehensive organized-crime group you can imagine. I'm talking everything from blue-collar thuggery, up to white-collar financial and computer crimes... up to whatever-the-heck-color-the-upper-class-wear-collar corporate crimes. Now, assume that this group exists across dozens and dozens of planets, both inside and outside government control, running different operations on every world.
On most administrated worlds- well, the ones inside the Syndicate's 'turf', anyway- they don't do anything really overt. Non-violent crimes, mostly; supplying native crooks, financial shenanigans, some front businesses, and the occasional bribe. Outside the administrated worlds, though, anything goes. Uno's intel suggests that they've created dozens of bases like the one I wrecked, using them to threaten shipping and put pressure on nearby worlds.
The M-Drones are just an extension of that strategy- a way to give the Syndicate enough troops to occupy a world entire without interrupting their other operations. Judging from the communications we've intercepted, that one base was part factory, part proving ground, and part R&D facility... and somebody involved in inventing the cursed things was there, the day we dropped by to rescue Sein.
I'm generally not a fan of killing, but I've really got a bad feeling about that. Maybe I should've been more indiscriminate with my fire that day?
So the point I was trying to make is that the Syndicate is big, it's powerful, it's manufacturing its own army, and the doctor declared war on it. I got sent out to hit one of their 'legitimate businesses' inside administrated space. Went perfectly, save for a few bugs in the spells I used; I've already corrected a few of them, but the rest will take some time.
Also found out that my old friend Lada joined up with the Syndicate. To make a long story short, I won, she lost, and my bank account's richer for it. Even got her to give me a hand in the course of it.
I gave it back once I had it. We'll see if the TSAB decides to have it reattached.
Since then, I've hit three more front companies inside TSAB space, all in much the same way, and all while (literally) looking over my shoulder the whole time. First two went smoothly, but I had to leg it on the third. TSAB mages showed up, right after I'd finished gift-wrapping the staff for them; the instant I felt them enter the area, I just cut power to my flight spell, dropped into the ruined building below me, and transferred out before I hit the ground. Tripled my normal route obfuscation, and I've been laying low ever since.
The good news is that Uno looked into that, right after I reported back in, and found that the TSAB was actually moving in to arrest the very people I incapacitated for them. They've established a task force, specifically charged with the destruction of the Syndicate, and set up a standing reward for information leading to the capture and trial of their members.
Two hours after finding that little tidbit, Uno and I had informed on every single Syndicate operation in administrated space, making a lot of money and crossing a whole lot of targets off the list, all at once. It's a wonderful feeling, being rich... but not good enough.
The bad news is that that's not their only objective. Task Force 87 is also to 'investigate the mysterious vigilante responsible for revealing the existence of the Krepani Syndicate to the Bureau.' In other words, they're after me- and by 'they', I mean "Verossa Acous, two squads of elite Enforcers, three companies of line mages, and Zest-SamuelLJacksoning-Grangaitz." This is not good. Very not good. It might even be doubleplusungood, but only if they catch me. I've got a plan on how to avoid that- a plan that's only possible because they don't know who or what they're looking for yet.
No, of course I'm not writing down what my plan is. I want it to succeed.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
The point was to lay foreshadowing for later, and to illustrate that I'm not the only one making things happen.
**********
Entry 50 (Day 873)
Three weeks?! HOW could it only have been THREE WEEKS since I last wrote an entry? Between all the research, the drama with Sein and Quattro, the mission, the bounty work... actually, now that I think about it, all of that fits rather easily into three weeks' time. It just feels longer, you know?
I suppose I should disentangle all of that- for posterity, if nothing else. Right.
Last entry, I proved I was ready to take missions again. Two weeks of spell research later, that got put to the test. I've written about the Krepani Syndicate before, yes? Big criminal organization? Makes automated magitech weapons? We're now at war with them. The doctor decided that they needed to be utterly wiped out for a number of reasons... most of which have to do with them acting like- gasp!- criminals! Who would've thought!
Anyway, the girls got to work defining what needs to be done right after his big, dramatic proclamation... and let me tell you, there's quite a bit that needs doing. The Syndicate is... well, start with the most comprehensive organized-crime group you can imagine. I'm talking everything from blue-collar thuggery, up to white-collar financial and computer crimes... up to whatever-the-heck-color-the-upper-class-wear-collar corporate crimes. Now, assume that this group exists across dozens and dozens of planets, both inside and outside government control, running different operations on every world.
On most administrated worlds- well, the ones inside the Syndicate's 'turf', anyway- they don't do anything really overt. Non-violent crimes, mostly; supplying native crooks, financial shenanigans, some front businesses, and the occasional bribe. Outside the administrated worlds, though, anything goes. Uno's intel suggests that they've created dozens of bases like the one I wrecked, using them to threaten shipping and put pressure on nearby worlds.
The M-Drones are just an extension of that strategy- a way to give the Syndicate enough troops to occupy a world entire without interrupting their other operations. Judging from the communications we've intercepted, that one base was part factory, part proving ground, and part R&D facility... and somebody involved in inventing the cursed things was there, the day we dropped by to rescue Sein.
I'm generally not a fan of killing, but I've really got a bad feeling about that. Maybe I should've been more indiscriminate with my fire that day?
So the point I was trying to make is that the Syndicate is big, it's powerful, it's manufacturing its own army, and the doctor declared war on it. I got sent out to hit one of their 'legitimate businesses' inside administrated space. Went perfectly, save for a few bugs in the spells I used; I've already corrected a few of them, but the rest will take some time.
Also found out that my old friend Lada joined up with the Syndicate. To make a long story short, I won, she lost, and my bank account's richer for it. Even got her to give me a hand in the course of it.
I gave it back once I had it. We'll see if the TSAB decides to have it reattached.
Since then, I've hit three more front companies inside TSAB space, all in much the same way, and all while (literally) looking over my shoulder the whole time. First two went smoothly, but I had to leg it on the third. TSAB mages showed up, right after I'd finished gift-wrapping the staff for them; the instant I felt them enter the area, I just cut power to my flight spell, dropped into the ruined building below me, and transferred out before I hit the ground. Tripled my normal route obfuscation, and I've been laying low ever since.
The good news is that Uno looked into that, right after I reported back in, and found that the TSAB was actually moving in to arrest the very people I incapacitated for them. They've established a task force, specifically charged with the destruction of the Syndicate, and set up a standing reward for information leading to the capture and trial of their members.
Two hours after finding that little tidbit, Uno and I had informed on every single Syndicate operation in administrated space, making a lot of money and crossing a whole lot of targets off the list, all at once. It's a wonderful feeling, being rich... but not good enough.
The bad news is that that's not their only objective. Task Force 87 is also to 'investigate the mysterious vigilante responsible for revealing the existence of the Krepani Syndicate to the Bureau.' In other words, they're after me- and by 'they', I mean "Verossa Acous, two squads of elite Enforcers, three companies of line mages, and Zest-SamuelLJacksoning-Grangaitz." This is not good. Very not good. It might even be doubleplusungood, but only if they catch me. I've got a plan on how to avoid that- a plan that's only possible because they don't know who or what they're looking for yet.
No, of course I'm not writing down what my plan is. I want it to succeed.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.