If Mahan Could See Us Now
- Thread starter 4WheelSword
- Start date
- Original
- Location
- St. Petersburg
...and what are we going to do afterwards, once he leaves?
That they came here to warn us rather than have us disappear can be symptomatic of many things, some of them at odds with the others. I'd feel better about it if we were visited by an actual spook, and not just an army officer... from a different branch, no less?
It could be a secret operation we have poked out nose into, or it could be a coup, or anything in-between, and we have no way of knowing which without doing the very thing we are told not to do. If we drop the matter and it is the former, we go on with our life and live happily ever after. If it is the latter, we risk getting killed just to make sure we stay that way.
That they came here to warn us rather than have us disappear can be symptomatic of many things, some of them at odds with the others. I'd feel better about it if we were visited by an actual spook, and not just an army officer... from a different branch, no less?
It could be a secret operation we have poked out nose into, or it could be a coup, or anything in-between, and we have no way of knowing which without doing the very thing we are told not to do. If we drop the matter and it is the former, we go on with our life and live happily ever after. If it is the latter, we risk getting killed just to make sure we stay that way.
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
They may not know if we told anyone.
If our own captain were more sober and less apathetic, having us killed right in the middle of our investigation would be pretty dangerous... compared to a bluff, anyway.
Granted, if they are far enough along in their plans, a mere lieutenant is likely no danger to them and is probably best left alone unless she is trying to make waves.
If our own captain were more sober and less apathetic, having us killed right in the middle of our investigation would be pretty dangerous... compared to a bluff, anyway.
Granted, if they are far enough along in their plans, a mere lieutenant is likely no danger to them and is probably best left alone unless she is trying to make waves.
- Location
- U S of A
If they were trying to pump us for information first, there are better ways to go about it - he could have posed as an army supply officer with the same problem and offered to cooperate, for example. Even so, that's part of why my write in doesn't make any mention of our Bo'sun.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Does Kieva have secret police? This is starting to sound like the kind of thing you take to secret police headquarters and let THEM worry about it. If it was their idea in the first place, well, we just got extra loyalty points in their dossier by reporting something to them.
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
- Pronouns
- It/She/They
There's a security department yes, the Zaschita.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Sorry, missed that line.
Well, taking this to the Zaschita sounds like it might actually be a good idea. If this really IS a government operation they'll be glad we came to them so quickly instead of making waves. If this is in fact a revolutionary nationalist conspiracy to arm an uprising or something, exploiting sleeper cells in the army and/or navy to move the supplies, they're a lot better equipped to crack it without getting their fool heads bashed in by intruding on the work of dozens of desperate hard-bitten nationalist revolutionaries.
Well, taking this to the Zaschita sounds like it might actually be a good idea. If this really IS a government operation they'll be glad we came to them so quickly instead of making waves. If this is in fact a revolutionary nationalist conspiracy to arm an uprising or something, exploiting sleeper cells in the army and/or navy to move the supplies, they're a lot better equipped to crack it without getting their fool heads bashed in by intruding on the work of dozens of desperate hard-bitten nationalist revolutionaries.
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Where is my Bo'sun! If he's been hurt...
I honestly don't think denying it is going to help us. It'd be better for us to find out what the hell is going on. If we play dumb it's likely that we're just going to hit a dead end.
I honestly don't think denying it is going to help us. It'd be better for us to find out what the hell is going on. If we play dumb it's likely that we're just going to hit a dead end.
- Location
- U S of A
I agree that It'd be best to try and get some information out of him, but I'd also rather not give away the one potential lead we might still have on this. I'd also say that dead ending on this may not be the end of the world, considering we have terrible diplo and only average subterfuge. Investigating secret plots really isn't a line of work that we seem cut out for.
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Where is my Bo'sun! If he's been hurt...
- Location
- Reno
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[x] I have no idea what you're talking about. Deny any knowledge.
- Location
- Wörms, the half continent
[X] Where is my Bo'sun! If he's been hurt...
Let's care for our men.
Let's care for our men.
- Location
- Ottawa
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Whatever
[X] Where is my Bo'sun! If he's been hurt...
We protecc
We protecc
C1P9: The Patriots
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
- Pronouns
- It/She/They
A cold chill runs up your spine as you realise that every bad feeling you had about your visitor was correct. Your eyes slide to the deadly weapon in the holster hanging off one of your chairs. Your chairs, in your apartment. Suddenly the cold fear is replaced by hot anger. How dare this man come into your home and make idle threats as if you were simply discussing the weather.
"If you have done anything to him-"
"I can assure you," Sverdlov says, a vicious little smile crossing his face, "your Maximov is perfectly alright. We would not harm a hair of anyone loyal soldier of the Kingdom. Although he may wake up with the devil's own hangover tomorrow."
The knot that had been forming in your stomach lessens infinitesimally, but still the anger remains.
"You have no right to interfere with my duties. No right!" You say, aware that your voice is rising in pitch. Sverdlov glances over his shoulder at the door, still smiling thinly.
"Yet here I am, a Kapitan telling a Leytenant that she is going far beyond what her duty requires. I came here to warn you, Valentina Mikhailova, but this will be your only warning."
"And just who are you, to bring me this warning, on what authority?"
He sighs, running a hand through the straw-blonde hair on his head again. There is silence for a moment as he seems to weight up how to respond to your question. You take the brief pause to look around, seeing an exit, a weapon, something in case the situation takes a turn for the worse. The apartments front door is closed and the closest thing to a weapon is a butter knife sitting by your rapidly cooling stew. Not much in the way of options. You curse the fact that your own service pistol is lying unused in a drawer in your closet and not close at hand.
"I am an officer, loyal to Kevia first and foremost above all else just as you surely are. But that becomes more difficult a thing to say as each day goes by, doesn't it. A decade of change has come to our little nation, and there are those of us who do not consider it to have come for the right reasons or at a fair price."
A decade meant one thing and one thing only. The union of Kevia and Stolrussia into Varnmark was nine years old this year. It had meant the end of years of vicious border wars between the two nations but it was by no means universally popular.
"The Stoli's are inside our country, in our armies, on our ships. They have invaded not with resistance but with an invitation and some are not happy with that. Who am I, you ask? I am an officer yes, but I am a patriot. If you respect that, I ask you to stop prying into things that do not concern you."
How do you respond?
[ ] Make a bolt for the door. Perhaps you can find help before he can react. (Prowess)
[ ] Make a bolt for your service pistol in the other room. (Prowess)
[ ] Ask what they plan. This might be a chance to avoid violence. (Subterfuge)
[ ] Ask what they plan. You are as patriotic as any other officer. (Diplomacy)
[ ] Agree to stop prying. You cannot do anything under threat. (Diplomacy)
[ ] Agree to stop prying. You can go to port security as soon as he leaves (Subterfuge)
"If you have done anything to him-"
"I can assure you," Sverdlov says, a vicious little smile crossing his face, "your Maximov is perfectly alright. We would not harm a hair of anyone loyal soldier of the Kingdom. Although he may wake up with the devil's own hangover tomorrow."
The knot that had been forming in your stomach lessens infinitesimally, but still the anger remains.
"You have no right to interfere with my duties. No right!" You say, aware that your voice is rising in pitch. Sverdlov glances over his shoulder at the door, still smiling thinly.
"Yet here I am, a Kapitan telling a Leytenant that she is going far beyond what her duty requires. I came here to warn you, Valentina Mikhailova, but this will be your only warning."
"And just who are you, to bring me this warning, on what authority?"
He sighs, running a hand through the straw-blonde hair on his head again. There is silence for a moment as he seems to weight up how to respond to your question. You take the brief pause to look around, seeing an exit, a weapon, something in case the situation takes a turn for the worse. The apartments front door is closed and the closest thing to a weapon is a butter knife sitting by your rapidly cooling stew. Not much in the way of options. You curse the fact that your own service pistol is lying unused in a drawer in your closet and not close at hand.
"I am an officer, loyal to Kevia first and foremost above all else just as you surely are. But that becomes more difficult a thing to say as each day goes by, doesn't it. A decade of change has come to our little nation, and there are those of us who do not consider it to have come for the right reasons or at a fair price."
A decade meant one thing and one thing only. The union of Kevia and Stolrussia into Varnmark was nine years old this year. It had meant the end of years of vicious border wars between the two nations but it was by no means universally popular.
"The Stoli's are inside our country, in our armies, on our ships. They have invaded not with resistance but with an invitation and some are not happy with that. Who am I, you ask? I am an officer yes, but I am a patriot. If you respect that, I ask you to stop prying into things that do not concern you."
How do you respond?
[ ] Make a bolt for the door. Perhaps you can find help before he can react. (Prowess)
[ ] Make a bolt for your service pistol in the other room. (Prowess)
[ ] Ask what they plan. This might be a chance to avoid violence. (Subterfuge)
[ ] Ask what they plan. You are as patriotic as any other officer. (Diplomacy)
[ ] Agree to stop prying. You cannot do anything under threat. (Diplomacy)
[ ] Agree to stop prying. You can go to port security as soon as he leaves (Subterfuge)
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Ask what they plan. You are as patriotic as any other officer. (Diplomacy)
- Location
- U S of A
[ ] Make a bolt for the door. Perhaps you can find help before he can react. (Prowess)
[ ] Agree to stop prying. You can go to port security as soon as he leaves (Subterfuge)
I'm not decided yet but I think these are our best options - I don't like trying to get our gun because it leaves us with trying to explain why we shot a fellow officer in our home.
also, @Artificial Girl , I really question the wisdom of trying to use our worst stat in a high-tension situation like this.
[ ] Agree to stop prying. You can go to port security as soon as he leaves (Subterfuge)
I'm not decided yet but I think these are our best options - I don't like trying to get our gun because it leaves us with trying to explain why we shot a fellow officer in our home.
also, @Artificial Girl , I really question the wisdom of trying to use our worst stat in a high-tension situation like this.
NothingNow
Corpse Wrangler
- Location
- Tampa
[X] Ask what they plan. You are as patriotic as any other officer. (Diplomacy)
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Diplomacy 8, Strategy 10, Tactics 11, Prowess 10, Subterfuge 10, Technical 12
This is a life-or-death situation; we should use Prowess or Subterfuge. I feel like we're likely to get a better result from going for our pistol than from running out the door. If he brought backup (possible) we be screwed if we run out the door unarmed, and if he was willing to come here at all he may be willing to risk shooting us in the back as we run away to keep us from telling the authorities. On the other hand, I may be mis-assessing the situation, so I'll include "run away" on approval voting. This quest does run on approval voting, right?
[] Make a bolt for the door. Perhaps you can find help before he can react. (Prowess)
[] Make a bolt for your service pistol in the other room. (Prowess)
[] Ask what they plan. This might be a chance to avoid violence. (Subterfuge)
[] Agree to stop prying. You can go to port security as soon as he leaves (Subterfuge)
This is a life-or-death situation; we should use Prowess or Subterfuge. I feel like we're likely to get a better result from going for our pistol than from running out the door. If he brought backup (possible) we be screwed if we run out the door unarmed, and if he was willing to come here at all he may be willing to risk shooting us in the back as we run away to keep us from telling the authorities. On the other hand, I may be mis-assessing the situation, so I'll include "run away" on approval voting. This quest does run on approval voting, right?
[] Make a bolt for the door. Perhaps you can find help before he can react. (Prowess)
[] Make a bolt for your service pistol in the other room. (Prowess)
[] Ask what they plan. This might be a chance to avoid violence. (Subterfuge)
[] Agree to stop prying. You can go to port security as soon as he leaves (Subterfuge)
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