(1407) Summer 2014

[Star]

"Ummm."

Everyone. Just. Sitting. There.

"Hey? If you all are, like, doing that Telepathy thing? It's cool and all. Leaving me out. But a heads up would be nice."

Just sayin', yo.

Darn near 48 hours...

[Samaritan]

Bishop's head came up, giving each of the others at the table a short look, then nodded.
"Sorry, Mr. Cross, we had to discuss something." he managed, even though his mouth twitched. "On another matter...the Moroi have finally managed to set a meeting, so I may see, if there is anyone useful among them. Though I would not count on it. Getting everything organized has taken quite some time. And I have no stomach for politics, so I won't be your councilor."
He tilted his head left to right slowly, getting his thought in order.
"So, Mrs. Trois here suggests a 'divide et impera' approach to the Banishers. With the Arrows not being at the peak efficiency, I would concur. Isolating portions the Arrows can swallow seems a prudent approach. But before any of that happens, we need to know, where the hell they are dug in. I may be able to tap the whole CCTV-System of the Campus given enough time. From there we may isolate dealers, couriers and callers if we can identify them and get their pictures. Drying out their footmen will give them something to worry about and it keeps GLO off the streets. But the real deal would be to sniff out sanctums, security and potential supernal proxies."
He look up.
"Maybe we should find us a prisoner to interrogate."

[Jhet]

"Now we're talking."

She smiles at the mention of taking prisoners. At least Bishop has a response to her idea for starting to deal with the Banishers. And he has an idea for how to get surveillance for it too.

"What do you need to make the surveillance a real possibility? Not that we're assured to spot them, but at least it gives us a way to case the campus and set up a plan for dividing and conquering. We can find choke points and weak spots and get the tactical advantage."

Which is something the Arrows are supposed to be good with. And good at creating. But Leo doesn't really seem the type to fight smarter instead of fighting harder. So if they're going to use a straight arrow, they best know where to point it before releasing the string.

"And you know me, Star. I want to go kick Mr. Electric-Hands' teeth right in. Because that shit is out of line. Hell, that's kinda where I thought we'd end up when we started."

Right back to the Banishers though her brain switches.

"Is GLO attached to the Banishers on campus where cutting off their network is going to be like kicking a hornet's nest though?"

Needs of the many versus the needs of the few here might become an issue.

[Zodiac]

"... learn to mind-speak," she quipped at Star with a wry grin.

"Mace is someone you might wish to keep an eye on," she smiled to Bishop, "not exactly a warning. She's pretty bright, and being new in town her contacts are minimal - those who influence her are, as well." Of course, there was a little bit of a warning hinted at there, too. Mace better remain under the influences she was under. Damnit she didn't wanna answer to Old Man Briar. "Her Uncle is a member of our Order, but she seems to have found a home amidst the Arrow."

And then... the Banishers conversation. "... I may have an in at the school. I just need to figure out if that is, indeed, where she's going. Beyond that, I might be able to get contact set up with some of the Sociology and History professors who come by the museum on their visits. I can start working on that so that once the new school year commences, I should have a reasonable network of information ready.

"My concern is that if we interfere too much without having the information we need, we'll incite something that will cause harm to civilians," she added. "But if our primary issue is Banishers... there's no need to divide and conquer. To my understanding, they have a tendency to work alone or in small groups, and even in those small groups there isn't exactly... trust. They are, in essence, already divided..."

[Ariadne]

"No mind speak from me sorry. I am worried this Banisher problem is a side effect of something else."

"Any resolution to the Banishers on that campus will have to be quiet or off campus." The subtext is there, between the words.

"Preferably I would prefer for them to be dealt with off campus, however the Lie is rarely accommodating." Kill several students or possibly university personnel on the university? That's called leaving the state.

[Star]

He shrugged at Nous with an agreeable expression. If she wanted the picture, he'd fork it over.

"All yours, Nous? If you want? And, ummmm."

A quick glance was directed at Zoey. They hand't really talked about this sort of thing, but sometimes you played the cards you were dealt and hoped you had some help.

"So, maybe, I was thinking? Veiled Threats could run, uh, point. On the college thing. There's the two of us," he gestured at Zoey, "And two Arrows. That we trust. So we can, like, get actionable intel and then, you know, get actionable on it."

Because buzz words.

"Like a joint op thing. So we totally can show some cooperation with the Ungula, too. So we're a good choice, because the whole cabal thing. And, like, we're that, what's the word? Demographic? Age group? So. Ummmm. Yeah."

He glanced at Zoey again. If she liked the idea? She'd back him up. If not? Well, maybe she had other plans for the Threats.

Stop. Loafer time.

[Samaritan]

Bishop listened intently. After he managed to isolate the important bits and pieces from Stars phrasings, he nodded slightly.
"Granted, I can't say, if GLO and the campus are linked. And the banisher problem being part of something more sinister - I can't confirm that either." He sat up a little straighter.
"Odds are good, that the drug comes from the campus, though. Enchanting something with abyssal powers, but creating a vector, that contains a drug - that needs some serious brain power. And science is a strong suit of the campus. We'll see, where my investigation takes me. I'll notify you, once this bears any fruits."
He paused, considering his next words carefully."Running an infiltration with the cabal Veiled Threats sounds like a great idea, but we need a couple of other things prior to you people getting hands on to business. First, I'd like to establish overwatch. I need to see, how large the campus relies on cameras and electronic security. Then, I need to mobilize some ressources getting it under control. Second, we need an exit strategy, if your Veiled Threats are overmatched. I have no interest in a full blown firefight tearing reality apart. And thirdly, I concur with the Epopt. It would be much more efficient, if targets just...disappear. No traces. And not at the campus."
He looks up sharply. "Oh, and we should probably make some other plans, because this sort of thing rarely goes as plotted."

[Jhet]

"Yeah, I'll track down Mr. Electric Hands and make sure he gets what he gets. Either he's part of the consilium or not. Picture suggests not, so while we could give it to the Sentinels, I'd almost prefer to not give it to them as they're supposed to be preoccupied with the Banishers."

Not that Mr. Electro couldn't also be a Banisher, but why would he be killing a school teacher with not apparent link to magic. Because evil? Doesn't really fit the banisher general profile, but you never know when they go off the deep end into serial killer.

"I like your idea too Star," is that the first time she's saying that? "It would be good for your cabal to set an example for cabals and cooperation between Orders. That and it will take care of the problem with at least some of the Banishers at the same time. Do you think you can manage to lure them away in small numbers into a trap for removal and easy clean up?"

She has pots on, but they're not yet coming to a boil. Soon though she'll be able to add her own spin to the Banisher problem. And while she's fine with a double tap, these things aren't that easy. So she needs a better plan for her own efforts.

"Honestly, before we worry about plans, we need to plan surveillance. Then we can worry about dividing and conquering."

[Zodiac]

"The smaller the infiltration group, the less attention it draws," Zodiac stated firmly, backing Star's plan without hesitation. "But I am more than capable of gathering a lot of that information myself already. That was precisely the point I was making. I have the technological knowledge, I have the availability, I have the technical know-how..." She shook her head.

"A secondary response team being prepped is a good plan, but allow me to be the one to micromanage my own cabal," she added to Bishop with a wry smile, glancing to Star for a moment. "Everything runs more effectively when there is a clear chain of command being made, and if I'm the one on the ground that is my job."

Possessive? Maybe. But Star was fantastic at improvising if The Plan fell through, and when it came to plans she tended to be the strong stickler. In the end, Veiled Threats would be running their own operation, not following the instructions of the Guardians on whole. They were a unit for a reason.

"The more information we keep running internally, the less likelihood there is of some of that information being intercepted, or not passed on because of thoughts that they may be irrelevant. To the ground team, all of it is relevant, and all of it needs to be accessible," she added with a look to Bishop. It wasn't exactly an apology, but perhaps her reasoning would clarify to him her objection to relying on him.

[Ariadne]

"It's all yours then." Ariadne says to Zodiac and Star. Two Guardians and two Arrows should do it right. Ideally any Libertine that got involved would think Abyss bad and not ya drugs.

O Rosh, why you too

"I am not against Bishop seeing how weak the electronic safety at the university is. However it could complicate things, so that has to be worked out between you two. Given that it would be a Cabal conducting the investigation it would be their show." Ariadne throws a smile to Zodiac. Good time to establish a divide between Order business and Cabal.