"Mr. Adill, I'm not the kind of person who tortures folks for information." I tell him simply. "I'm not putting a gun to your head. I'm not going to beat you senseless. We already know that the location was transmitted from your datapad. The pirate fingered you as part of his organization. I'm giving you a chance to tell us why. Maybe it's a good enough reason not to turn you in when we get to Kestic."
I'm trying to Manipulate him into telling us what he knows. Barring that, I want to get him talking and Read him.
OOC: That's not really leverage per say... Let's keep this going a bit.
Adill frowns, annoyed at your persistence. "Do I look like a pirate to you? Do pirates walk around in fine clothing, and have spotless criminal records, and pay full price for transit on a vessel on business? No, they do not."
Squall looks to you, clearly conflicted, and asks, "Kelb... The Rodian said he saw him before... That doesn't make him a pirate, does it? I mean... I saw the logs as clear as day, but is he really guilty by association?"
Adill pipes up, "I've worked for Aren, Typhe, and Associates — I am a respectable man, on a business trip to a place I would never visit of my own free will. I don't care what that oversized fly of a lying criminal said — that you would trust that wretched creature over me is Bantha poodoo!"
I've got no bonds on anyone in this scene, so that's a big fat fail!
"If you're clean, Mr. Adill," I reason, "Then you won't have a problem when we turn you and your datapad over to the authorities. When they run your ident against any priors, if nothing comes up, then you're on Kestic just like you paid and no harm done."
Adill sneers at you, looking for a weakness in your argument when Squall pipes up... "Kelb... AT&A are a major shipping conglomerate," she whispers. "I saw their name on the shipping manifest... They own half of the crates in this ship."
"Mr. Adill, if you'll excuse me." I pull Squall aside. "You're sure this came from his datapad, right? Could someone drop that program onto it? Could it be a member of Jaina's crew?"
Adill looks surprised, and jiggles his hands, "Can I be let go?" But you've already pulled Squall aside.
She nods emphatically, "His CtxID is the only one listed in the logs, Kelb... It's got to be this datapad. Anyone could splice it, if you've got the right tools. These datapads are cheap as hell. Zero security... If they had a splicer, and the program on hand — sure, they could."
"Mr. Adill, I need you to stay here for a little bit, alright? I need our saboteur to think they're safe. Squall, can you stay with him?" There, have your fun.
I'm heading to find Jaina now. This isn't going to be fun.
Squall blushes when you ask her to stay with Adill, but neither of them complain... Do you think he'll still be restrained when you come back?
----
A quick screen wipe later, and you've found Jaina — she was finishing up scrubbing the blast marks off the back wall of the cargo hold. She definitely runs a very tight ship. She sees you coming, and looks over to you while she finishes the spot.
I fully expect she might be. I mean, you know what I mean, right?
"Cap, Mr. Adill works for the company that owns most of the crates your're transporting." I say hushed and quick. No time to waste, "We've secured the datapad and I don't think he's the saboteur. Even if he is, he's in custody and no longer a threat. The only beings who had access to his datapad were your crew. Do you trust them? Any who are new? Keep in mind, if they are working against us, then when we come out of hyperspace, and they broadcast on a different device, we're in deep poodoo."
Jaina seems upset at this development... She was expecting better news, considering she let you stun a passenger after a search and seizure. She looks around when you ask about her crew, and whispers back, "Cadan and Jae Go have been with me for years, Kelb... I used to have more, but they're all off running my other ships now. I can't believe either one of them would betray me like this..."
She frowns, "are you sure?" You can see it in her eyes — she suspects someone.
"It hurts, Jaina, betrayal. I know." That's no lie. Personal experience. Yes, he's alive, too. I don't like talking about it. Not when I'm sober. "We have to stop them, Jaina. Who is it?" I'm going to get her moving, we need to find the traitor now, put them down while they think they're safe.
Jaina thinks about answering for a long time... Too long. You think she's considering not telling you. Then, she shakes her head and curses in Mandalore.
"Cadan..." She turns away from you. "I can't be there when you deal with him..."
"Thanks, Jaina. I got this." I leave. Like right then. We can have a drink about this later and she cry and whatever, but right now. Right now, I'm finding Cadan. I figure he's in the aft of the ship, probably in the engine room or the filtration systems.
I assume he isn't armed. I'll just walk up to him, "Hey Cadan. You hear that we had a mole on board that was broadcasting our location to those pirates?" I'm watching his reaction real close.
His back is facing you, and he's crouched down over some exhaust manifold. He jumps when he hears your voice, and freezes for just a moment as you speak. He looks over his shoulder at you, giving you a sidelong look. "That so? Can I help you find the broadcaster or something?"
"We caught the mole, it was the Zeltron. He had a program running on his datapad." I say with some satisfaction. I let him react to that, then I'll ask like he's the expert, "Do you think he could have set up some kind of backup?"
He puts down the wrench he was handling, and wipes his hand with a greasy towel. "Huh. That Zeltron guy, huh?" he sniffs, and shuffles some tools around in his kit. "I don't know much about transmitters, I'm afraid... I'm just a mechanic."
He's shifting a little bit, watching you out of the corner of his eye, "don't you have a techie in that crew of yours?"
"I do have a techie. She's real good at her job." I answer honestly. "The thing is, she's telling me that someone planted that program on his datapad. His ident checks out, the guy looks clean. So, I'm left wondering who would have had access to his datapad. It's a pretty small number of folks, you know?"
Cadan pauses a moment, trying to accept and move on from his defeat... He doesn't turn around to face you. "It doesn't have to go this way," he whispers, "whatever that incompetent witch is paying you, my people can do way better."
I'm considering beating this guy to a pulp. I won't, because Jaina wouldn't understand. But he is a traitor. I hate traitors.
"Cadan, it does have to go this way." I state it simple, no doubts that I can take this guy. "Now, tell me how you were going to broadcast when we came out of hyperspace. Or this gets unpleasant." I don't say "for you", but he can hear it.
He looks back over his shoulder, "What, you think this gets pleasant for me if I do?" He shuffles some things around in his toolbox, and slowly stands up to face you. He's got a blaster in his hand, hanging at his side.
"Well... I'd rather be lucky than smart." His fingers tighten on the blaster's grip, "don't think this ends with me though, Kelb. I'm just the opportunist she slighted." He's going to throw down...
My blaster rifle is still set on stun. I'd rather use it, so we could question this guy. I'm so worried that we're still going to transmit, even if I put him down. I want to question him, give Jaina a chance to question him, let her hear his traitorous words, it would probably help her. I mean, I'm no therapist, but it would help me, not hearing it second-hand.
Problem is, my rifle is slung over my shoulder, and he's about to get the drop on me. He's leaving me no choice. I have to draw my heavy blaster pistol on him, which is always, always in my holster. It is not set on stun. Because it doesn't have that setting.
I'll aim for his blaster hand. Well, arm, rather. I'm not stupid, I don't do trick shots. But I'm probably going to kill him, I know it as soon as I draw.
It was stupid of him. Slow. Sloppy. The bolt flies wild, like it would for anyone who isn't an experienced gunslinger shooting from the hip. Yours though? You got the shot off before he could even bring the gun to bear on you. It strikes true.
He falls to the ground, screaming in agony. You pegged him in the shoulder. His gun's still in his hand, but he can't lift his arm to shoot you with it. "Kriff you Kelb. Kriff you for everything!" is all he can muster to try and hurt you back.
I sigh while walking forward to step on the wrist of his gun hand. My boot is pretty heavy, so I just mash down until he lets go of the blaster, then with the side of my boot, I flick the gun aside, listening to it scatter away over the deck, safely out of this fight. I'm tempted to kick his teeth in, but I don't.
"Alright, you nerd-herder, tell me how you were going to transmit to the Black Fang." I don't even bother with the "or I'll..." part.
"Get up." I say as I take my boot off his wrist and step back. "You're going to tell your captain what you've done, so she can relieve you of your duty." As he's standing, I keep talking, laying it out for him, "Then, I'm going to lock you in a cabin until we get to Kestic Station, let the authorities deal with you. If you're lucky, and this is your first offense, you'll get off light. Maybe you'll never do anything this stupid again."
I holster my blaster and say with a hint of a growl, "If you like living, you will never bother Jaina again. Because the entire galaxy can't keep me from hunting you down if you hurt her again."
I'm leading him to Captain Jaina. She needs to hear this. She may not want to, but she needs it.
Comments
I'm trying to Manipulate him into telling us what he knows. Barring that, I want to get him talking and Read him.
Adill frowns, annoyed at your persistence. "Do I look like a pirate to you? Do pirates walk around in fine clothing, and have spotless criminal records, and pay full price for transit on a vessel on business? No, they do not."
Squall looks to you, clearly conflicted, and asks, "Kelb... The Rodian said he saw him before... That doesn't make him a pirate, does it? I mean... I saw the logs as clear as day, but is he really guilty by association?"
Adill pipes up, "I've worked for Aren, Typhe, and Associates — I am a respectable man, on a business trip to a place I would never visit of my own free will. I don't care what that oversized fly of a lying criminal said — that you would trust that wretched creature over me is Bantha poodoo!"
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 3, 1. Total: 6)
(+1 XP)
"If you're clean, Mr. Adill," I reason, "Then you won't have a problem when we turn you and your datapad over to the authorities. When they run your ident against any priors, if nothing comes up, then you're on Kestic just like you paid and no harm done."
"Mr. Adill, if you'll excuse me." I pull Squall aside. "You're sure this came from his datapad, right? Could someone drop that program onto it? Could it be a member of Jaina's crew?"
She nods emphatically, "His CtxID is the only one listed in the logs, Kelb... It's got to be this datapad. Anyone could splice it, if you've got the right tools. These datapads are cheap as hell. Zero security... If they had a splicer, and the program on hand — sure, they could."
I'm heading to find Jaina now. This isn't going to be fun.
----
A quick screen wipe later, and you've found Jaina — she was finishing up scrubbing the blast marks off the back wall of the cargo hold. She definitely runs a very tight ship. She sees you coming, and looks over to you while she finishes the spot.
What do you do?
"Cap, Mr. Adill works for the company that owns most of the crates your're transporting." I say hushed and quick. No time to waste, "We've secured the datapad and I don't think he's the saboteur. Even if he is, he's in custody and no longer a threat. The only beings who had access to his datapad were your crew. Do you trust them? Any who are new? Keep in mind, if they are working against us, then when we come out of hyperspace, and they broadcast on a different device, we're in deep poodoo."
She frowns, "are you sure?" You can see it in her eyes — she suspects someone.
"Cadan..." She turns away from you. "I can't be there when you deal with him..."
He's shifting a little bit, watching you out of the corner of his eye, "don't you have a techie in that crew of yours?"
"Cadan, it does have to go this way." I state it simple, no doubts that I can take this guy. "Now, tell me how you were going to broadcast when we came out of hyperspace. Or this gets unpleasant." I don't say "for you", but he can hear it.
"Well... I'd rather be lucky than smart." His fingers tighten on the blaster's grip, "don't think this ends with me though, Kelb. I'm just the opportunist she slighted." He's going to throw down...
What do you do?
Problem is, my rifle is slung over my shoulder, and he's about to get the drop on me. He's leaving me no choice. I have to draw my heavy blaster pistol on him, which is always, always in my holster. It is not set on stun. Because it doesn't have that setting.
I'll aim for his blaster hand. Well, arm, rather. I'm not stupid, I don't do trick shots. But I'm probably going to kill him, I know it as soon as I draw.
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 4, 4. Total: 10)
(+1 XP)
It was stupid of him. Slow. Sloppy. The bolt flies wild, like it would for anyone who isn't an experienced gunslinger shooting from the hip. Yours though? You got the shot off before he could even bring the gun to bear on you. It strikes true.
He falls to the ground, screaming in agony. You pegged him in the shoulder. His gun's still in his hand, but he can't lift his arm to shoot you with it. "Kriff you Kelb. Kriff you for everything!" is all he can muster to try and hurt you back.
What do you do?
"Alright, you nerd-herder, tell me how you were going to transmit to the Black Fang." I don't even bother with the "or I'll..." part.
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 4, 1. Total: 7)
(+1 XP)
I holster my blaster and say with a hint of a growl, "If you like living, you will never bother Jaina again. Because the entire galaxy can't keep me from hunting you down if you hurt her again."
I'm leading him to Captain Jaina. She needs to hear this. She may not want to, but she needs it.