Mission Update!

[lucetimods]

Droid Sabotage - Begins September 21st (fyi: we pushed the date up by one!)
Field Leader: Steve Rogers; Security: Alia Shepard, Sophie, Rogue, Greg Lestrade, Gai Tsutsugami, Masaomi Kida, Leonhardt; Stealth: Trafalgar Law, Fujiko Mine, Nara Shikamaru, Albert Silverberg, Loki; Technicians: Donatello, Artemis Fowl II, Daisy, Tony Stark; Programmers: Robert Hastings, Pascal, Doctor “Eggman” Robotnik, Raine Sage

New mission will come later this month! We're going to try out a shorter sign-up time to see if it raises more volunteers.

If you're new here, then this is a mission post. You can find available missions at rpmanager. You are welcome to subscribe or track the journal, but this is not required, as updates will be posted on this journal. For those of you who don't know about missions, the links below should help you out. I suggest you start with the Mission FAQ first!

The log is going up for this current mission at the same time. Check out the details inside for a special chance for one character to play ‘hero’ and save the day. However playing hero doesn’t come cheap, either. There will be a thread on here to volunteer for this role!

OOC: Mission Suggestions | Mission FAQ | Nitpicker's Guide: In-Depth Information | Mission Tracking
IC: Malnosso Information Post | Recurring Missions | Unique Missions | CJ's Announcement

Feel free to discuss and ask questions here! You may use this as a plotting post for the upcoming mission(s) as well.

Comments

[eyesofstrength]

Though I think we have a few people here with experience at kidnapping which is definitely going to up the odds.

But yeah, I think most will agree the cost of innocent lives is too much.

[lucetimods]

My visual art skills are a horror to behold so let's see if I can simple this up in words.

Imagine a vacation resort based primarily on a mountainside/base. The convention is taking place inside the resort. BELOW the resort (in a secret underground facility) is the droid factory. While they are part of the same complex, only the rogues and (now) the main Organization know that the resort is merely a front for a deeper operation.

Does that help?

[touchofrogue]

Yeah, Rogue would definitely not be on board with Option A.

She's... probably inclined to go with option C so far, but could easily be persuaded to "B."

But if we're going to disrupt it, how?

...stink bombs, anyone? >>

[eyesofstrength]

Likely depends on some factors. Actually oddly enough stink bombs would work pretty well. Leonhardt would personally suggest smoke canisters since those give the appearance of a fire and that sure gets people out fast.

Another idea could be to try and combine B and C. Put up a distraction as a front to kidnap the bureaucrat. Has the advantage of removing witnesses for sure and makes it easier to move around, plus in the chaos people are less likely to notice someone moving to kidnap someone.

And as far as option C goes, as much as Leonhardt hates admitting to it, he does have experience kidnapping people.

[endgames]

Honestly, I like the idea of a bomb threat to the resort to draw attention and get it investigated, but something extra would probably have to happen to ensure focus stays on it.

[promisebythetree]

...What about pulling the fire alarm?

That works pretty well disrupting real life conventions...

[touchofrogue]

Experience in kidnapping is good - are there Shifts applied to the building housing the con that I missed on my first read-through? Because all Rogue needs to do is touch someone and then they'll just sort of... collapse for a bit.

But the mods said that the success of the diversion is dependent on the percentages and RNG, so I don't know if that would even... help their options.

But oh - I like this idea. Distraction as a front for kidnapping the bureaucrat, that's good!

[touchofrogue]

But stink bombs!

...no, I"m just kidding. Fire Alarm sounds good.

[eyesofstrength]

And pulling the fire alarm works well especially when combined with some sort of smoke to make it look real. Either a smoke bomb or canister would do the job nicely.

[eyesofstrength]

Actually happened in Leonhardt's canon! His men set a bunch of smoke canisters in a busy factory to cause an evacuation of the building and during that they kidnapped someone in the building and no one even knew about it until it was too late to pursue.

Something of a similar nature could well work here. Could even be combined with destroying the resort and use the distraction to get the innocents out before it is destroyed.

[daisy023]

Daisy is experienced as well (SPARTAN Blue Team once captured a Colonel bastard in his own house and asteroid!... Although for that one they did kill innocents, and word eventually got out that Spartans did it. Something John is not too proud of.), but she's a little afraid it would jeopardize the mission far too much.

However, given the resources, and so long as absolute discipline is kept and and the cover front works, she could be convinced for C. A fire alarm/stink bomb, and then tries capturing the bureaucrat in the midst of the chaos, while the sabotaging team gets to work.

Two distractions -- they'd think the hostage-taking of the bureaucrat is the important part after the show at the convention, and they'd get little idea that there's another op working against the droids.

"The key to strategy...is not to choose a path to victory, but to choose so that all paths lead to a victory."

[endgames]

To build on this, and combining the suggestion below about a distraction at the con, how about this:

A bomb threat is called in a bureaucrat's room - let's use J.J. Kelms as an example. Someone spreads the word that a bomb might be in the building and an alarm is pulled, causing panic in the con. Possibly they get assistance from the FTSA for extra manpower to pull this off.

Meanwhile, needing to at least take this threat seriously until proven wrong, security is called in to escort Kelms out of the building (if he has personal body guards, this may be an issue to work around). If the distraction effort is getting too risky, they do just that. The panic in the con should cover them.

If there's an opportunity though? They kidnap him.

[eyesofstrength]

Yeah, I think if we go for C it should be combined with B. That way there is a greater chance for success because there is a higher chance that one of the two will be successful, if not both.

And I had a feeling Daisy had experience with kidnapping. And I also think there's a few others who either have done it before, or have the skill set to pull it off.

[eyesofstrength]

Overall, sounds pretty good, combines a few good ideas which ensures something will succeed even if they can't pull off all of it.

And it's not impossible to deal with bodyguards. It's actually normal for Leonhardt to carry a decent amount of a fast acting sleeping agent that he's used as a non-lethal means of taking out bodyguards.

[daisy023]

Sadly, Daisy may not be able to join the diversion team since she's part of the technicians, but could give a few ideas if they go through with the kidnapping scenario.

[endgames]

Well I meant in a way that doesn't make the new guards look suspicious, but yes. XD

EDIT: Also, since security and stealth experts will be trained to fit in with the Malnosso, another option is to just say they were sent up on word of the bomb threat. That'd both A. create a plausible in and B. even if kidnapping is unsuccessful, possibly give them information until he catches on that they aren't who they say they are.

Re: VOTING

[daisy023]

Daisy's voting for the scenario of combining B and C for the diversion team.

EDIT: Sadly, as mentioned, too much of a distraction could make the Malnosso suspect something is off. Daisy is preferring B as of now, but A is still out of the question.

That beign said, Shikamaru's idea of playing so all paths elad to a victory is still a very tempting option.

MOTHER OF EDITS: SETTLING ON FLOWCHART SORRY.

[eyesofstrength]

Agreed there, but overall seems to be our most sound idea is to combine plans, especially with the fact that a distraction will give a greater chance of success for kidnapping.

And I do like the idea of our characters claiming they were sent with the word of the bomb threat. That could save some time and also allow for a second distraction, like the fire alarm, to be set as well.

Science Team?

[castbytheglyph]

Sup Team A. We might not get to screw around with bomb threats and fire alarms, but we do get the chance to either force down the code room doors or subdue chief programmer 'i'll mutilate my own wings to stop you getting in' Kidston. And of course playing around with the droids too. Fun stuff! Correct me if I get anything wrong from giving all the info a once-over.

Subduing Kidston seems like a good way to go, especially as there are disguise experts kicking around that might be able to take her place in case security starts wondering where the chief programmer suddenly ran off to. I'm still thinking it over, though blowing door seems unfavourable, even if it would free up manpower by not having to worry about keeping an eye on Kidston and all the techies and programmers.

Also, programmer/techie shenanigans? This would probably be the worst possible time to forget about that one missing semicolon.

A

[complicatedliar]

You had me at effective.

Re: Science Team?

[daisy023]

Daisy says a silent takedown may work, preferably before suspicions arise and she gets paranoid (SHOOT THE ARMS! AND THE TEETH! AND THE HEART... Well, shoot her until she's perma-drunk. She hopes the tranq. rounds are as strong as those of her world.). The moment all of the action starts, Kidston is going to be the biggest danger. The less attention they get on anything, the better. They'll be suspicious with what's happening, so an explosion, even with their divided attention, would put their eyes on Team A.

As for ways to ruin droid manufacturing, during WWII, saboteurs would move in and spray aircraft with mercury so maintenance and repair costs were hell. There could be something put in there that could poison the material itself.

Among other options would be reducing the carbon density in the metal to make it more breakable, messing up the mixture and allowing imperfections in the diamond-metal alloy for it to brittle more easily upon impact. Perhaps less titanium and more diamond, and thus mess up it's weight and actual durability, and have them waste more of the material than they can afford.

[complicatedliar]

I have a feeling Loki's going to be pretty lonely in the A camp... other than that, C really sounds better than B. A lot better.

B sounds like a giant waste of time, tbh. It creates a diversion, but accomplishes precisely nothing else.

[complicatedliar]

Just to clarify like a creepy creepy thing, I'm assuming the Chief Programmer's wings will work just fine if they're no longer attached to her, say?

[touchofrogue]

And here is a plotting thread for Rogue, in case anyone wants to hit me up with individual plotting things?

[eyesofstrength]

Agreed, B alone just seems like a waste, and only way Loki might get others on board with A is if combined with B to clear the place out first before destroyed.