Toco smiles weakly at Geoff, "Yeah, but this is messed up."

"Got to stay on target and let other people worry about this stuff. At least I know I can count on the team."

Toco absently scratches at his chest.

"Anything I can do?"

Doctor Cohlen returns a long time after the sun has set over the city, seemingly alone. Over the next hour or so though more and more people come trickling into the house, filling up every conceivable space. There is some chatter, but it stays to a minimum: nobody wants to make too much noise in case you attract some decidedly unwanted attention. The key Rebels come in one by one: Chief Vwikk; Lunu Somal; Omek, the Gran ambassador; and even Sequano, the Xexto chef. It seems like the base's entire support staff have come out in support of you.

Ultimately the Doctor calls everyone into the building's dining room, the largest there, where everyone gathers around the table to hear what will be said. Doctor Cohlen is trying to call the assembly to order when Tookur jumps up onto the table, his high-pitched voice cleaving keenly through any conversation: "All of you shut up. Meeting start now!" Conversation dies out almost immediately. The Doctor steps forward.

"Thankyou Tookur. I assume that you all know why we are here - because our cell is no longer what it was. When we founded it, and when Colonel Marson led it, we were freedom fighters. We fought to protect ourselves and the people of this planet; we worked to make their lives better, not to make them subject to reprisals or victims of the Empire. And now we're commanded to commit acts of terrorism, like our newest members were last night. This can't go on. We need to change our cell, now, before it gets any worse."

"How?" someone asks from the back. "What have we got to face them? And what if Zavvel wants to fight?"

"We've got the numbers. Between all of you I reckon we outnumber Zavvel, and he knows that too - he must be wondering where we've gone by now. So now he'll be scared, knowing we're coming for him. I say we go right there and we force him to step down, before things take a turn for the worse. Thoughts?"

Issan looks around at all the people gathered, and sighs. "I applaud your loyalty to the ideology, but I'm seeing a problem here..." Issan started to point to each person in the crowd and listed off their function, as best he could with his lack of personal experience. "Doctor, Ambassador, Engineer, Mechanic, Getaway Driver...we're missing something important that we need in order to get anything out of Zavvel, people who can handle a blaster."

Issan then jabbed a finger outside. "As best as I can read him, Zavvel is a might-makes-right kind of guy. If we approach him now, while he still has the support of all those gunslingers, we'd get nowhere. Either he would blow us off at best, or consider us all traitors to the cause at worst and gun us down right then and there."

Nodding at Issan's apt point. "He is a Merc, right? Did he join the Rebellion or was he hired on?"

"He was hired on a long time back," says Omek. "Marson needed some firepower to boost out the cell. He hates the Empire sure enough, but the Rebellion was always too soft for him. Unfortunately he was third officer because of the sheer number of men he brought with him, and he was always disagreeing with Marson over what direction the cell was going in or what we would do next."

"He's not been easy to live with," continues Cohlen, picking up the statement. "Which is why so many people are here. We've got practically the whole support staff, and a fair few of the blaster hands too. Granted, Zavvel has control over the heavy support, but we can work ahead on that. And we can challenge him too: the cell will grind to a halt if everything it needs to run is refusing to cooperate. That might be enough to persuade him to listen."

"If he's a merc and brought so many with him, people among them would be able to repair things to working order... wouldnt be a good merc group if they couldnt maintain their own equipment.

Now, thinking this through, can we get into contact with the base on its loud speakers? if so then we talk with the group through that, and maybe say that we are willing to re-join with them on the condition that full power is given back to the right people. though if they choose not to then we will lead a bread crumb of Imperials to them, infact, maybe thats the leverage we can use..."

Listening to the discussion, Geoff lets his thoughts wander as he quietly absorbed the information being volunteered. Captain Zavvel is not going to let us walk away. He also won't give up command, not without a fight.

The whistles and beeps from CT brought Geoff back to the briefing. This is not enough.

"Doctor Cohlen, before last night's mission I asked if you could get us a full briefing on this planet. That information was critical and either ignored by Captain Zavvel or was the biggest motivator for him to plan the mission."

Taking a step forward, Geoff does his best t look every member in the eye. "This needs to be made clear: Zavvel is setting himself up into a position of power." Geoff nods at Issan, crediting the propagandist. "Like it has been pointed out, Zavvel is a might makes right officer. Had he been human, he would make an iconic, model Imperial Officer. As is, he wouldn't be out of place in either Black Sun or the Cartels."

Letting that last sentence sink in, Geoff looks at each of those that went on last night's mission, his eyes resting on Toco and Oro. "Last night, Zavvel took the loyalty and obedience of good men and corrupted it in an attempt to portray himself as a savior. At best, it means he is a conniving boggard. At worst, he is going to shoot first and ask questions."

Turning to the rest of the assembled staff, Geoff nods at Doctor Cohlen. "Doctor Cohlen, if you may, can you brief us as to what is really going on with this world?"

*****After the Small Brief (see OOC)*****

Hand resting on his chin, Geoff let's the brief sink in. **** it, Colonel, what the hell were you thinking? That operation had gotten you killed and is putting this cell in danger of disintegrating.

Passing his glance at the team, Geoff then looks at Doctor Cohlen. "This is unsettling, to say the least, Doctor. Between the brief you just gave us and what we have experienced in the last seventy-two hours, there are even more questions. Operational questions, logistics, and personnel are going to have to be reviewed. Supplies are going to have to be inventoried. In addition, as a doctor and medical support, I'm also concerned about our patients."

Sighing at the list of objectives, Geoff shakes his head. "And adding Zavvel to the mix is going to make it worse if he doesn't come to our side. Which leads me to the next question that everyone has on their mind. Should we stay or should we go?"

Issan closed his eyes as he pondered the possibilities. It was clear by now that the body had truly lost its head, and was now listless, limping around and just hurting itself more in the process. The Twi'lek had to supress an urge to tsk loudly, as that would only serve to irritate matters. "As much as I would love to post up what CT and I have been working on, hang Zavvel out to dry, and reform the cell with a new commitment to our original goals, that creates more problems than it solves." Issan brought up a hand and started counting off, more for his own benefit than anyone else. "We currently have no where else to set up shop. We'd be fighting ourselves as much as the Empire if Zavvel is able to pull himself out of the fire we'd light under him. Not to mention we'd be in a pretty vulnerable position to be hit by the Empire before we set up shop somewhere else."

Issan shook his head. "Also, I'd hate to leave things just when we've started making progress. We should stay, and bring Zavvel to heel." Issan then shurgged as his mind drifted to another option. "Or simply get rid of him..."

"Getting rid of him always option!" Tookur chirps cheerily. The solemn silence prompts him to tsk quietly and sit back down in his chair at the table. "We can start searching for a new base location," begins a tall, thin Bothan. "But it would take time. Even if I led an expedition to the Spinebacks - the nearest major highland area - tomorrow, it could still take weeks before we've narrowed down a location, never mind occupied it or begun converting it to our needs."

"I get that things will require some major adjustments and they will take time.

But right now, THIS INSTANT, there is a traitor that is actively undermining the Rebellion's position here. What ever mission this cell has to accomplish will only be harder if we have to fight the Empire and Zavvel's faction at the same time."

Toco looks around the room slowly.

"Let's solve the Captain issue before it makes Arkos II a lost cause."

Nodding at Toco and Tookur, Geoff looks at the rest of the rebels. I guess we are all a little bit blood thirsty. Heck, I'm even blood thirsty and I'm the doctor.

"Then that brings in the next point: I want this to be a "smooth transition". This will do us no good if we lose more people by taking Zavvel out."

Letting it sick in for a minute, Geoff glances at CT and a few others. "With that, I want to be able to neutralize Zavvel with minimum casualties. Is there a back way in? Preferably one that will cut off any escape for Zavvel?"

Taking a deep breath, Geoff looks at Doctor Cohlen, Omek, Lunu, and Sequano. "You four have the most experience with Zavve's crew. How loyal are they to him? If he was to fall, would any try to come after us?"

"Ideally we would want to keep as many of his fighters as possible, as long as we can trust them," Rax interjects. "But Zavvel needs to go. The problem is that if we take him out in a covert way his men might resent us and oppose us to the end. If we confront him and he gets smoked in a fair blastout they might see our point of view. Of course, if they are so far in with Zavvel that we don't want them around..."

"You'd be surprised," begins Sequano, one set of arms folded, the other stroking his chin or tucked behind his back. "How honest men are around the chef. It's like you people assume I'm not listening. Zavvel's crew are an odd mix. Some are mercs who genuinely wanted to join the Rebellion - they'll follow the chain of command rather than personal loyalty. Others are just in it for the money, so they'd probably stick with you. Very few - no more than four or five - are sufficiently loyal that they'd stick with him to the bitter end. Those ones are led by his second, Lieutenant Vaxxa, and the medic Weyrun. They'd be the only ones you'd have to worry about directly. The rest should fall into line when you kill Zavvel."

"But of course, killing isn't the only solution. We could try and talk it out," Lunu Somal pipes up hopefully.

"Unlikely," responds Omek. "There's only one way to negotiate with a thug like Zavvel - at blaster point."

"I am not saying he HAS to die. But if he walks away, we have no way of being sure he won't sell us out to the Empire."

A dark look crosses Toco's face.

"He already burned our strike team, publicly. There is a chance if he is ejected, he may cash in on what he know about Rebellion activities here."

Toco gets quiet,

Nodding, Geoff glances at the group. "Next question. Is there a back or side way in that we can exploit? If we can cut off his escape, then that could be helpful to us."

"Of course, there are a fair few doors in and out. It would take only a few soldiers to block them off though, so it's not much of a problem. Preventing him from escaping ought not to be too much of a problem."

"we think.... it all depends on what weapons he has at the base...."

"He'll have access to whatever we've got in the stores," Lunu Somal speaks up. "But a lot of the heavier equipment is locked up in stores, and only I've got the key. And besides, he'd have to get it all set up if he knew we were coming, and that would take time. I'd say we should only be worried about facing small arms."

Geoff looks at the rest of the team, gauging their reactions. Success we live, fail we die. Not great, but it has to be done.

"Regardless of whether he gets the heavy stuff in play or not, I believe a frontal assault would be unwise." Geoff says as he looks around. "If you can get CT and Issan any schematics and codes to hijack the systems, that will be helpful. Honestly, I want the bulk of the cell to be ready to evacuate should Zavvel not be neutralized."

"So, where is the back door so we can close off Zavvel's escape?"

"There are several entrances in and out of the warehouse," Cohlen produces a holographic projector, placing it on the table and angling the emitter upwards to produce a gently rotating image of the warehouse and its immediate environs. "Here, here and here," she highlights them with glowing red icons. "The biggest is here at the motor pool, but I'd say that's our best option. There's a large door, so we could get our whole entry force in fast. We'd secure the vehicles, letting us make a quick getaway if needed. And we'd be inside and able to challenge Zavvel on his ground."

"That sounds good." Toco is nodding. "What about escape tunnels or exits in case he bolts on foot?"

"Now that will definitely prove a problem," the Bothan from before speaks up again. "We can't hope to cover every bolthole and escape route that might exist in there. I personally know of two; Zavvel may know about another; I can put one of my recon teams in position to guard each of them, but that would potentially be removing our best men. But then we all know him - is he really likely to run when there's a fight to be had?"

"Do we know him?" Issan gestures around, mainly those he's spent the most time with. "None of us saw this treachery coming, that gives me pause in trusting an analysis that doesn't presume a worst-case scenario." Issan then turned to the Bothan. "Though you have a point, we need to show our best at the confrontation itself if we want to try and end this peacefully. Is it possible for us to simply mine the exits we know of?"

"Give me and my team a few hours and we'll mine every escape route we know of. But we've known him for a long time. All Zavvel likes is a fight really," the Bothan looks grim. "I've got no doubt he'll try to fight if it comes to it."