Brecor takes a sidelong look at Den, nodding in approval. "If I may add to the sergeant's query, what, if any, intelligence do we have regarding this self-styled Pirate Queen?"

Briar thought to herself, Those are both good questions. then added out-loud "Also sir, do we know what the hand was doing in the Suolriep Sector, or what their mission was?"

"The Hand was investigating the possibility of a traitor aboard the IPD Intrepid . Not coincidentally, the ship your task force will be reporting to." The colonel lets this sink in before continuing.

" The hand.. (indicating the box to avoid ambiguity) ..is obviously a provocation. We are being baited, and the Admiralty is reluctant to pull its scant resources in the sector away from their current missions, fearing that is precisely what this enemy wants."

"It is known that this ring of pirates is a matriarchy, and has been operating in the region for some time- but recent intelligence suggests there is a new woman behind the mask."

"Ostensibly, your mission is to hunt down this pirate and bring her to justice. The possibility of a traitor... keep that to yourselves, for now, and await further instructions from myself."

V continues to watch quietly, smiling slightly.

Well... how would we know you yourself aren’t a traitor...?

She then asked the Admiral.

Or that anyone here isn’t...?

"Your vigilance shall be duly noted. Let us hope it produces some results. And we don't receive any further packages."

V hummed before she then tilted her head

If you do not mind me asking, whose hand is this...?

"The Hand's identity has not been disclosed in the briefing for this mission. Presumably the origin of this extremity has been authenticated, to warrant this response."

"Do we know of any associates of this Pirate Queen?" Briar finished the sentence with a hint of disdain It would seem that who ever is in charge has a flair for the dramatic, or they think their followers enjoy it. "Also, sir, do you have information on all the crew members of the Intrepid, or is that something that I... we will need to get once we arrive?" Briar caught herself, perhaps too late. It would take some getting used to working so closely on a security matter like a traitor with so many people from outside the ISB, which was often between the ISB and the commanding officer.

Seeing his own face staring back at him in the doorway comes as a bit of a shock to Sgt. Arkmeda, and he fails to notice the vibroknife darting forward until it is too late. Pain lances through his shoulder, but he manages to hold his ground. The assassin pulls the ring on the weapon's pommel and a thin garrote snakes free to wrap tightly about the startled driver's neck.

Vibroknife : 2eP+1eB+2eD+1eS 2 successes, 4 threat, 1 Triumph

(Success: Castar sustains 4 Wounds, already adjusted for Pierce/Soak; Threat: Assassin fails to push the fight forward into the stateroom, and Castar may take a free Maneuver; Triumph: Assassin gets garrote in place for next turn, preventing Castar from calling out)

Den would look across to the specialist with an odd look. "I think we're probably not the traitors, I doubt we can get there and back in time to cut off some guys hand".

11 hours ago, Edgehawk said:

Seeing his own face staring back at him in the doorway comes as a bit of a shock to Sgt. Arkmeda, and he fails to notice the vibroknife darting forward until it is too late. Pain lances through his shoulder, but he manages to hold his ground. The assassin pulls the ring on the weapon's pommel and a thin garrote snakes free to wrap tightly about the startled driver's neck.

Slipping the garrote : 3eA+1eC+2eD 0 successes, 2 threat

Before Castar can mentally register the pain, the garrote wraps around his windpipe. He twists violently, trying to break the assassin's hold, but his attacker doggedly hangs on. Desperately, Castar stops struggling with the figure, and grabs his custom DL-19 hanging next to the door. He switches off the safety, points it behind his back, and fires repeatedly, fervently hoping he can disrupt the assassin's hold before he passes out.

Shooting at Assassin : 1eP+2eA+2eD 4 successes

The smell of burnt flesh filling his nostrils tells him that he is successful, to some degree...

The assassin grunts in pain as its prey desperately grasps for his blaster and fires blindly. The professional maintains its grip on the garrote, though, and continues to apply pressure. "Sshhh..."

Garrote : 2eP+1eB+2eD+1eS 1 success, 2 advantage

(Success: Garrote inflicts 0 Wounds past Soak, but activates Ensnare (No Maneuvers/ Hard Athletics as Action to escape; Also please make an Average Resilience check).

Colonel Yularen activates the holoprojector and the image of a smartly dressed Pantoran woman appears before the team. "Ms. Venlana Sipal. A businesswoman, of sorts, employed by the Zann Consortium. The Empire is not particularly interested in Tyber Zann's extralegal activities at this time, but Ms. Sipal appears to be playing both sides. A signals intelligence intercept strongly suggests she is the one who leaked information to the Veiled Sorority, prior to several attacks on Zann shipments earlier this year. You will make contact with her, and.. encourage her cooperation, recruit her, inform against her.. however you see fit to make use of her duplicity, make sure it leads you to the queen. At this time, she is our only lead."

Flipping off the projector, he passes datapads around to each of them. "There are nine officers currently serving aboard the Intrepid, and none are above suspicion. If the treasonous activity is related to helping the sorority, then the four female officers may be a good place to start. It is not certain that these matters are related, however, and it would be a mistake to assume that they are. Full dossiers, and crew service records are contained on these pads. You will be expected to read through them thoroughly en route."

Den would nod along a little as he listens. Honestly the finer details were not of real interest to him, he had never been one for intrigue or finesse. But then, he was not selected to be here for such things. "So when do we leave boss? I mean, sir" he would finish, a slight apology in his tone.

Gasping for air while the assassin immobilizes him...

Can he ninja? : 2eA+3eD 1 failure, 1 threat

He is not a ninja...

The relentless assassin keeps hold of its victim, but with all the thrashing, the garrote fails to bite any deeper. Taking too long... The doppelgänger is able to lead the struggle into the stateroom, however. Hitting the button to close the door, blaster fire again strikes the assassin, and the sinister weapon slips loose from the gasping driver's neck.

Brecor folds his hands together, temporarily lost in thought. Finally, he speaks. "Sir, may I inquire as to the operational parameters of this mission? What authority do we have in searching for this traitor? Moreover, is there anyone outside this room who is aware of our mission? If not, I expect that we'll need a cover story to justify our activities, as is typically the case in these sorts of clandestine operations."

"The ostensible purpose of Task Force 75 is to deal with this self-styled Pirate Queen and her Veiled Sorority. This is in fact your premier assignment, though it may indeed be related to the suspected treasonous activity. It is also possible that the traitor is a red skerring , planted to sow dissent. It is but a slender thread of evidence, and care must be taken in unraveling it."

"There is a combat driver who will be joining you, who must be brought up to speed, as it were. You have all been thoroughly vetted for this, but his tardiness becomes worrisome... Your mission aboard the Intrepid is classified and not to be discussed outside of the task force."

With that, Colonel Yularen stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Good hunting. You will depart in two hours."

Picking up the last datapad from the table, he proffers it to the Duros trooper.

"Sergeant. Please see that Sgt. Arkmeda receives this, and joins the rest of the task force on the shuttle."

V smiles as she then stands up.

Well then... shall we go get our driver? Maybe we can then share more about ourselves... to get to know one another.

She playfully smirked.

Briar stood up to attention with the data-pad at her side. "Yes Sir." She said. She turned to respond to V, "It would be interesting to meet this driver, and find out why they weren't here." Briar began to move to exit the room.

Den reaches out to take the datapad. "Will do sire, don't worry about it. I reckon he'll get himself together before this mission starts". Tucking the pad into his belt, "Agh, he must be around here somewhere" Den would mutter as he leaves the room. Stomping down the corridor, Den would head out with the others in search of their missing team mate.

Walking out behind the rest, V looked at the team, humming slightly as she smiled to herself.

They all seem kind of... fresh...

She thought.

This will be interesting...

She murmured softly to herself.

Gasping for air, Castar backs away from his assailant. I don't think I can take him in a fist fight. Anything I can use to turn the tables?

Spotting his hygiene kit, he takes careful aim.

The laser fire washes across the room, but the hygiene kit isn't as reactive as he would have hoped, still, he hopes the flying chemicals are at least enough to slow down his attackers next move.

He fishes out his comlink and starts yelling on the Task Force Channel, "This is Sergeant Arkmeda. Intruder alert! I have an unknown hostile assaulting me in my quarters!"

Hearing the message for aid, Den curses loudly as he glances back at the others. "Blast! Let's go!" he shouts to the others as he takes off down the corridor. He hadn't had the chance to collect his gear since his stint in the cells, his fists would have to do it would seem. Gritting his teeth he feels his lungs burn as he runs, shoving past anyone who got in his way. Hopefully Arkmeda can hold on long enough for the taskforce to arrive.

The assassin draws its own DL-19, but it is too late to prevent the driver from calling out over his comlink. This deep in the Federal District there is sure to be a quick response... Instead of firing, the failed infiltrator aborts, activating the door and fleeing down the corridor.

"An intruder?! Who is this, again?" A muted conversation, then a barely audible: "Oh.. He's one of those Sturits..."

"This is highly irregular, sir, but we'll send a security detail to investigate."

When the Zeltron agent chimes in to confirm the incident, and her code checks out, the beleaguered guard relents: "Very well. Initiating lockdown procedures. It will slow responding units, as well, but should box the culprit in."

Cool and collected as ever, Agent Briar briskly brings up the rear of the Task Force 75 response, along with the mysterious Zeltron agent and the Lieutenant.

Ahead of them, tearing down several flights of stairs and bursting into another corridor, the Duros spies someone running toward him. The figure has a pistol out, but looks familiar as it draws closer. "He's still after me, Den!"