Kraxus ponders for several minutes before giving the decker a reply, most likely giving him time to do a dozen other tasks in the Matrix while he waits.

"We'll accept the locations. Let the general know that we'll provide our own transportation, and see what sort of info you can grab on the pier..." He trailed off as a series of satellite imagery from Red appeared and expanding in his field of view.

"Perfect, thank you. I'll take a look at this and get back to you if I need anything else."

The map provides has information about the drop site noted in red. Possible sniper posts are marked green with rendezvous points in case of separation listed in blue. The blue points, the hacker mentions are also access points to the freeway and heavily trafficked areas where it will be easier to evade pursuit if necessary.

There is one northern meeting point noted as well, but it would require air support or the use of an actual boat.

Gellawyn looks over the image, impressed with the hacker's eye for tactics. "I will see what I can find out about the Yamato and Lodgepole, I will also see if anything can be seen about tonight's meeting." She withdraws from the main room and heads to the small bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Accessing her com she sends a brief message to Quaker.

<< I need any information you might have on two people, the names are Yamato and Lodgepole. Time is an issue, I will pay the rush fee. >>

Opening up her armor and reaching inside, she removes a small pouch from next to her skin. Sealing the armor back up, she opens the pouch and removes a folded bit of silk. She sits on the floor and spreads the silk flat on the floor. She removes the deck of tarot cards and begins to shuffle them. her breath slows as she focus in and outwards, holding the image of herself and Kraxus clear in her mind. Taking the deck she spreads it out in a fan shape on the silk in front of herself. Her hand hovers over the cards waiting to see what cards called out to her.

The meet now set and the initial recon data procured, Red immerses himself back into the matrix. He begins cruising the matrix in search of The Exchange. He needed some information. He wanted to know about Yamato & Lodgepole. Needed to know how trustworthy these men were, what type of reputation they have in the shadows....

Gellawyn

The Eachtra, the six of swords. Legends of travels into the Twilight realms tell of the brave attempts to improve the circumstances each hero was in. Often these journeys were treacherous, requiring great effort, but progress was begun by journeying.

Uther, the king of shields. The father of Arthur, Uther was a powerful leader in his own right. As he aged and life's tolls weighed upon him, his enemies grew bold. In his absence, the land fell to darkness.

Gwyn ab Nudd and the Wild Hunt, Death. Gwyn ab Nudd commands the weather itself, and gathers his shadowy troop to him. None who stand in their path, whether prince or pauper have ever survived, but in the time after their passage, life returns.

Red
Scouring the matrix for a sinle point where the Exchange can be found, quickly proves fruitless. You begin to change your tact and start looking for distributed networks where casual references to the system are made.

As you project your needs across the pieces, a request comes up for an Ares Predator and three Squishy-Soys to be in the second stall of the McHugh's ladies room. The attached address is only a few blocks away.

Seeing the incredibly odd request, Red has to give pause and consider checking it out just for curiosity sake. In the end he decides to stay on task for tonight instead though and changes tactics. He needs to locate a copy of the Exchange program on the net.

Turning to Jeffery, his sprite, he speaks, "Buddy, I need one final task. I need you to find me a copy of the Exchange program."

The intervening hours are spent meditating and focusing, collecting internal resources and making sure he was fully rested for the task ahead. Watchers come back to report on their landlord, expire, and are summoned again to continue their service.

One call is placed to Eregon, a member of the Ancients that serve Him. Although he's looking for someone to provide some necessary equipment, he's fairly sure that the ganger won't be able to help him get exactly what he needs. What he banks on, however, is that the ganger might know someone that will know someone that can get him what he wants.

Red
Jeffery nods and vanishes into the aether of the matrix. Several minutes later he returns with a data packet. The program itself is counter-intuitive to how you know to access computer systems. Structured and logical, there is no bend or flex for situational adjustment or inherent emotion. Overall the program feels dead. It is obvious that it will need a computer or cyberdeck to run on.

Kraxus
Throughout the phone call and conversation, Eregon nods and when you finish explaining what you need, his answer is fairly stoic.

"Right, one VTOL aircraft available for 24 hours, within the next 48."

Disconnecting the call, you are fairly sure that the ganger is going to ask around.

Team
The sun sets and evening brings with it a new set of possibilities. Kraxus' contacts have reached through networks of friends to come up with a T-bird jammer who generally makes the Seattle-Denver run with chips and drugs. He is willing to ferry your group into the Tsimshian region for 10K.

Local news feeds bring up a story of a robbery gone wrong at a local McHugh's. An off-duty LoneStar patrolman was gunned down as she exited the restroom. Unarmed, she had tried to talk the robbers out of their actions. After the fatal shooting, the gunmen fled without finishing the funds transfer. LoneStar which holds the security contract for the area is investigating the matter with all due haste.

Turning off the trid, the group prepares for the evening, loading rucksacks and climbing into the Brumby. Herne instinctually goes to the driver's seat to find it occupied, before ghosting into the trunk and shifting into a large hound.

By 2200, you find yourselves at the docks.

During the transit, Gellawyn takes a moment and speaks. "I ran the cards and I believe that there will be violence tonight, be prepared." She looks around the vehicle making sure everyone understood her statement and her faith in the predictions of the deck.

Before disconnecting from the matrix, Red downloads the program to a data chip and packs his gear. His assortment of drones packed in his pockets, except the Roto-Drone and Opti-X which go into the carrying case and his guns.

------

As the vehicle turns into the area he asks his teammates, "Are you thinking park a few blocks away and walk or drop you in the area after an initial recon?"

"Park a few blocks away please." Gellawyn answers while looking over her gear one more time, pausing a moment to make eye contact wth Kraxus. She allows their purpose to fill her and forge anew the bond between them, while not hunting Templars this night, it was one more step closer to their goal.

Team
As drones fly over head, the elves pound the pavement. This section of the Tacoma docks is like many others--full of warehouses and businesses. Patches of residential building are crammed here and there as slum lords try to make the best of tenement lofts--renting by the week and clearly not meeting all the necessary codes.

Occasional screams and sounds of gunfire come from Wright park. Drones see small pockets of fire build up across the thermographic, with bodies moving in an unseemly mass. Lonestar presence is minimal inside the park, instead it appears that they have built a line of cars between the gangers and I-5 as a form of containment.

The Angel's Kiss is a 70' commercial fishing boat. Three hardbitten Japanese men are working on deck at the moment. Each is heavily muscled from pulling nets out of the ocean and currently cleaning or tying down loose items.

Gellawyn
A data packet arrives as you are scouring the local area. Viewed in AR, the packet is dressed as an old style butter-churn emblazoned with the number three. Previous experience with Quaker, the files are regularly encrypted with databombs to destroy themselves if an attempt to decrypt them is made through conventional means. The first time you received one the instructions were "Sunwise and widdershins".

Churning the butter three times sunwise, three times widdershins and lastly three times sunshine, it opens itself into two smaller packets. For the moment you focus on Yamato's intel.

Yamato within his organization is known for being ruthless but honorable. Unlike many of his associates, both of his/ hands still have all their fingers attached. Within the shadows, he is known as holding to the word if not the spirit of every deal he makes. The Yakuza lieutenant has a very short fuse for people who he knows are lying to him and in most cases, violence follows.

He is known to be heavily modified internally, and has a thick prejudice against metahumans, specifically elves and dwarves.

After a search of the area, Red puts the roto-drone into the air and parks the car several blocks from the docks. He then gets out two blocks from the designated parking spot and issues commands remotely to the car. He proceeds to the fire escape of an apartment building and towards the building roof as the elves head towards their meet. I could sure use some of that hiding magic about now...

"We may have a problem, the man we're about to meet with has issues with our kind." Gellawyn takes and moment and shares the data she received with the rest of the team. "Accommodations will need to be made if we wish to be successful, this may explain the cards telling of violence this night." She looks to Kraxus waiting to see what their next course of action would be.

Climbing the fire escape to the roof of his chosen building, Red reviews the news stories on his palm-top and has an epiphany... Ares Predator and three Squishy-Soys to be in the second stall of the McHugh's ladies room...... off-duty LoneStar patrolman was gunned down as she exited the restroom.... UUGGHHH! I get it now..

Reaching the roof, he looks out over the skyline, across the various buildings and at the lights in the distance. Looks almost peaceful... Ah how appearances can be deceiving...

At the safehouse

Edana nods at Kraxus, closing her gold-brown eyes. She stands in the center of the room, the image of an ancient, gray hoar-ridden forest springing into her mind. She breathes in, the chill ache of frosty air seeping into her chest. In the trees a murder of crows caw raucously to one another, eyeing the intruder with bright beady eyes. She reaches out a hand toward them.

The flock explodes into the sky with a rustling of dark feathers and harsh calls. They wheel as one and dive at the Huntress. Edana clenches her jaw and leaves her hand outstretched, squinting at the buffeting black cloud of wings and claws.

And they're gone. In her outstretched hand are four black, glossy feathers. She turns, the frost crunching beneath her feet. On a low branch four sets of eyes regard her with eerie, appraising cleverness.

Come, Brothers. Come, Sister. There is work to be done.

The ravens launch themselves into the air, their raucous cries echo in the frosted wood.

In the room, a dark swirl shrouds Edana's hand and dissipates. Red streaks, like bloody scratches, flare and fade on her skin and her face. Also fading, the impression of a cowl of feathers and spreading stag's horns. The young woman repeats the process as the small spirits tire and return to their shadowy winter wood.

At the reading

Edana watches the cards warily. She had been certain that she understood the implications of the cards before, but had in fact been blind to the true meanings. She had thought they all applied to her. Too much ego. There had been real warnings in the cards, and she shivered as Gellawyn pronounced her expectation of violence.

The whip throbbed expectantly. Bloodlust flashed into Edana's chest. She could feel the skin splitting under her lash, feel the parting of body and soul. Wanted it.

Her breath catches and she puts a hand to her temple.

At the docks

Before getting out of the Brumby, Edana summons up a final murder of watchers. She can feel the clicking of their claws as they hop along the hard roof of the vehicle. She commited the map and the plans that Red and Kraxus had outlined to memory. The area isn't well-known to her, but she's got a decent head for maps and geography.

Gellawyn's declaration about Yamato is a bombshell.

"That, uh, that leaves me to do the talking. Me?" She shakes her head, "This isn't my bag, can't you go in under disguise or something?"

She follows along behind the elves, panting at their brisk pace, "I mean, if he's a straight-shooter, wouldn't he want to know who he's dealing with?"

The elves look at one another, communication flashing between them. Edana sighs, "All right. All right. Stop your mind-chatter. I'll go."

"I... nevermind." She breaks off a nascient thought. Her brow furrows, "I wonder if his illegitimate children are with an elf and a dwarf."

Herne, I might need to Call out your True Form. The spirit's awareness sharpens and a feeling of dreadful inevitability flows across the link. Yes, Mistress. The voice in her head echoes in a deep, booming hiss resonant with ancient power.

"So, just so I'm straight we're blackmailing him now? For him to stop aiding the Templars and to tip us off if any Templars or Templar proxies come calling?"

"Where do you want Herne and my crows?"

Edana

"Bring them with you, we must continue on or be late." Kraxus and Gellawyn share a look, which your time with them has said that they are speaking with each other. As they walk with you down the streets to the boat, he goes over the plan once more with you.

You are to tell Yamato that you know about Ulick and are privvy to the information that the Templar was holding over him. In exchange for certain payments, you and your people are willing to deal with Ulick in a permanent and unforgiving manner. No one else will come calling about the information, and if they do, your group will deal with the newcomers as well.

In contrast to his tense gait, Gellawyn has dropped into a casual walk that reminds you of the hunting cats of Africa--seemingly careless but capable of killing. The three of you approach the boat, with Herne following closely in the Astral apace with Fuer’yon. At the vessel, the sailors are on deck still. They nod and one gestures with a toss of his head towards the cabin.

Inside the cabin, four armored men stand in the corners while a Japanese man half sits on the front of his deck sharpening a katana.

“I am Yamato Kenshi. You said you had business to discuss.�

Deep below you, the floor vibrates as the engines begin to power up and the boat pulls away from the dock.

Red
You locate a hardline bringing matrix access into the building before it gets routed to different locations. With a data tap and a length of fiber optic cabling, you are inside and have a feed to the matrix.

Taking up your sniper position, you see your teammates arrive at the vessel and head into the main cabin. Out on deck, the sailors cast off the lines and the boat begins to pull away from the dock.

Red sits on the roof connected to the matrix, scanning nearby node and watching video from his drones... then the boat weighs anchor. Bloody hell..... didn't see that one coming.... He sits for several moments in utter disbelief at the current turn of events, his mouth agape.

When he finally comes to his senses he realizes that this is the very reason why he is not on the boat. The trio on the boat are far more capable of dealing with face to face conflict than himself. My job is to be ready for after they get the info.

He considers calling one of them but decides that when they are ready, they will call him. In the meantime, he disconnects from the matrix and hurries towards the ground level. Keeping an eye through the roto-drone as he goes, he summons the car while positioning the roto-drone to keep watch on the boat.

The Boat

"Yes, we..." Edana starts and seems to stumble over the words for a second. The storm clouds beneath her skin crackle with lightning and a roll of thunder ripples her flesh out to each extremity.

Beginning again with a stronger sense of being, "We know about the information Ulick had. It is not our intention to continue black-mailing you. He earned the enmity of these two and was killed for it. For a single payment to cover services rendered, the original documents will be destroyed and we will ensure that no one else comes to bother you with these matters.

"Should any Templar attempt to blackmail you, simply give us a name and they..." Her voice cracks. She had tried, tried to be as hard and cold as she had seen the others but it wasn't her. Herne stood beside her, the great hound resting in the astral. You did well Sturm-dottir, your father would be proud.

"They will be dealt with, permanently." Kraxus' voice resonates through the room. No doubt would be in anyone's mind what the solution would be for Templars and enemies to the Tir.

Time stands still as Yamato continues to run the stone across the cutting edge of the blade. He rises, steps behind the desk to the daisho holder and sheathes the sword with a solid thunk. With his back turned, he doesn't see Edana's quizzical look to the empty space beside her.

"I have known for some time," the yakuza begins, "that someone had taken it up themselves to deal with Ulick. You come to me honestly, that alone has bought your lives. Give me the data, so that I can personally ensure that it has been destroyed properly. In exchange I will let you see tomorrow's rising sun and give you 20,000Â¥. Be warned though, others have attempted to cross me and none have survived."

Red listens to the conversation from Kraxus' open com. The thought of being that close to the potential of death made him nearly pee his pants.... despite the fact he was in his car and safe onshore. Twenty k? Wow... Now as long as they get out of there... That will buy some dang nice drones....

He finds an alley and quickly recovers his roto-drone before pulling back out onto the streets. Time to collect these guys....

Edana's mind returns as it often does to the abbatoir of Ballefour's bedroom. The shattered astral shrieks of the young girl lured into a life of prostitution by the very man standing before her.

She clenches her teeth, "How would you like to handle the exchange?"

So quickly... so quickly she could just flick her wrist and whip would drink his soul. He would never hand another young woman over into a life of, at best, degradation, and at worst, lingering sado-masochistic torture and eventual death. It wouldn't be difficult to be hard like Kraxus... cold like Gellawyn... she could do it...

He was responsible for the break with sanity that drove Edana beyond reason to follow and apprehend the man responsible for Dawn Morgan's murder. The young woman's skin darkens all over, energy crackling beneath, her eyes obliterated by sheets of blue light. The whip pulses and throbs at her in astral space with looping caresses of power.

"Dawn Morgan..." Edana whispers unwittingly - the memories so vivid they eclipse her own senses.

The feed to Red's link to her contacts goes white and indistinct with the interference in her body. The lapse of control makes her heart pound more than it has been. She begins to sweat.

Steady... The hound moves closer to his mistress, though he can't provide physical support unless he materializes, the sentiment is the same.

[@Red: How quickly can you arrange the data for delivery?]

In the boat

The steady grinding sound stops as a reflection of the thunder storm trapped in flesh shows in the blade. Yamato lifts one hand as the guards in the corners tense and barrels of guns begin to rise. Following the unspoken command, the guards lower their weapons.

"I will have the funds transferred after receiving the data."

Edana nods and - showing an open weaponless palm before she does it - puts a hand to her ear to better focus her attention on the distant hacker...

[[@Red: Getting some contact info from our host. Will pass it along.]]

...she refocuses her attention on the man before her, willing herself to have the nerve to settle Dawn's score, but ultimately chickening out. She instead says, "Where should we send or leave the data?"

In the boat

"Deliver the data to Union Station. Locker 37-C."

Yamato sheaths the katana and rises from his seat at the desk. He moves behind the desk to the rack where two smaller matching blades rest.

Several quiet commands are given in Japanese and he looks over the three of you.

"We will be approaching a dock soon. You may leave."

With a nod to Edana and confidence that Gellawyn is following, Kraxus turns towards the door as Yamato finishes speaking. Hopefully their meeting with the General would go as smoothly.

Once back on dock, he taps his Avalon™ to open up a link with Red.

"My apologies about the boat leaving dock, I should have expected and planned for the possibility. We are unharmed, however. Where should we meet you for pickup?" he murmurs subvocally.

Sitting in the car, Red was trying to work the details out, imagining his side of a conversation. Well, we went to see this Yakuza.. I mean they went to see the Yakuza.. No, I wasn't with them, my aversion to death and all.... No that doesn't sound good at all.... We had to meet with this Yakuza boss, the team decided I should maintain watch.. Eh? Well, I did maintain watch till the boat set sail... Hmmm not good either... We were separated. No, no... They went for swim. Them and the Yakuza. Out to sea..... He was having problems finding a way to broach the conversation with Townshend that in less that a day this crack team had not only gotten themselves killed, but that Red was not only not wounded but not at fault for the unfortunate encounter with the Yakuza. Its all bad karma from the lack of an Ares Predator and three Squishy-Soys....

The beeping of his mobile phone however brought him out of his stupor. Even more so, the LTG of one of the team mates quickly washed away the very need for such a grueling conversation. "I... I'll come to you... I got the car..... yea, I figured you all would kick his ass... or something like that. Anyway, where are you?" Pulling up the address, he begins the short drive to collect the team. Knew they were alright all the time!

A brief smile touches his lips at Red's apparent expectation of the violence which hadn't actually happened. Never hurts to maintain the reputation though.

As they climb into the car, he looks to Edana.

"Thank you for speaking up back there. It looks like you obviously made the right call. I do need to know, however, why you deviated from the plan?" The elf's voice is neutral, holding no heat, but seems poised in sincere inquiry.

Edana rouses from a fugue to answer Kraxus, "Instinct I suppose. I sensed a kindred spirit in Yamato. One with a distaste for deceptions." She meets Kraxus' eyes a shudder shivering down her back at any similarities she might share with the yakuza procurer. Her throat tightens with emotion and a dose of bitter bile for not exacting a small measure of justice for Dawn Morgan's brutal murder.

Arrogant, Sturmdottir... Justice is not your own to dispense.

Who then?

A ripple of amusement shivers down the link. We both course at His call. But even He bows to the High Law.

Edana scowls. An image comes to her of a sword plunged to the hilt into the chest of a woman, lashed in place by a night-black whip. She looks out of the window of the vehicle.

"Red, when can you have the data ready for delivery? We should make the drop as soon as possible."

All

A few hours before dawn sees you back safely to the shelter you have rented. Since leaving the docks, you have delivered the data to Yamato and been appropriately compensated per your agreement. Fatigue nips at the edges of your consciousness as your bodies remind you of the distance between your head and a pillow.

The studio apartment with its one small bed poses unique problems to sleeping given your relationships with each other. Trying to focus on other issues at the moment, you review the information that you have about Lodgepole.

A former Tsimshian Ranger himself, General Lodgepole has a highly decorated career that he parlayed into a political one. According to his biographies, he hasn't seen active combat duty in over two decades. He currently is one of the Chiefs of Staff within the Department of Defense.

Kraxus
You are contacted by Eregon, the ganger you had reached out to regarding air transportation. He can put you in touch with people, but needs to know if you are looking for military or civilian transport.

Red pulls the car into the street and moves several blocks down the street. "I just need find a place to jack in and you can consider it done."

Red pulls the car and parks. "Be back in a minute." He jumps out and runs into the Pharmacy he has pulled in front of. Inside he buy 3 Squishy-Soys, a bag of marbles and a bag of Jelly Baby candies. Let's not be caught off guard a second time...

Returning to the car, "Ok, lets get me jacked in and get that transfer completed. Back to the safehouse?"

That all happened so quickly. Wow. Nice not to worry about the rent. For a bit.

Edana sits back from her review of the information they'd gathered on Lodgepole. "Good grief."

"So, just so I'm clear... we're taking information to Lodgepole that exonerates or implicates him and operatives under him?"

The distinction is important, if exoneration, Lodgepole will be glad of the information. If implication he will have little motive to leave the crew alive as potential blackmailers.

"And, when he takes the data, he'll be free of Templar influence, hand over some milspec," she looks questioningly at Kraxus for confirmation, "gear and then not do the service the Templars were asking of him."

Her gold-brown eyes move from one man to another, "Do I have the right of that?"

She chews her lower lip thoughtfully, "We should definitely figure out what that service was. Could just be chaos-mongering - oh, I like that phrase - or it could be that these civilian targets have some importance to the Templars."

"You are correct, Edana. The information we bring should be a boon to the General, and the price we ask is significantly less then what Ulik was demanding. The specifics of the task he was completing for the Templars will probably have to wait until the face to face meeting."

"Red," he looks towards their electronic support as they arrive at the safehouse. "I need to know everything you can pull down about the location for the meet. Additionally, I need as much as you can grab about these people." A few moments stillness sent the list of potential recruits and targets they'd gathered from Ulik during the "interrogation".

Red pulls out his deck and moves over to the recliner. He pulls out the silvery cable and attaches it to his temple and to the deck, then another cable to the deck and the wall. He looks across the room at his team mates, confident that his secret is still safe with the gutless deck.

He leans back in the chair and slips into the world of full VR. Before he even heads out into the matrix, he starts by pulling an electron leprechaun out of the stuff of the matrix. That which arrives looks more like the King of the Leprechauns, standing fully three-quarters of Red's height, decked out in the green coat and pants with a gold crown. "You got service there boy... Best you choose carefully.."

Red was taken aback for a moment. Well, alrighty then... He takes a moment then pulls out a virtual roll of paper. He unfurls the list. "Your task is to assemble dossiers for the people on this list." He knew the dossiers who be simplistic when assembled into a list but given that he was sending the King of the Leprechauns, it would be quicker and should be plenty of data to get started.

With a tip of his hat and a wink of his eye, Brian Connors faded away into the matrix, leaving only a rainbow as a sign of his passing. Martin's first stop was Bob's Quick Stop. A quick check to insure the upgrades he put in place had secured the the node and it had was a safe point from which to cascade out to the Pizza Team Headquarters. On the way he again changed his icon to that of a management icon before entering the node. Once there, he pulled out his edit form, threaded it and edited in a space office folded into virtual space.

His first target is to deliver the package for Edana and then scout the location for Kraxus....

Red
Pulling up satellite feeds of the location, you find that it is over 200 kilometers from the nearest sign of civilization. There are no roads within 40 kilometers that would support heavier traffic than an ATV or dirt bike. Several large clearings in the wood coverage reveal rocky outcroppings and what appear to be native burial grounds. "Middle of nowhere" would describe the area well.

Sometime later, the king returns toting a large bag.

"Alright, sonny boy, here are the whispers and forgotten memories of your people."

He sets the bag in front of you. Opening the flap, you see a collection of clear spheres. Gingerly lifting one from the bag, the bubble bursts in your hand. A thick voice speaks a language you don't understand--the lilt and change of his voice suggests that he is recording a log or diary.

Kraxus
Your call with Eregon is brief. Demilitarized, if necessary, armed but unassociated if possible. He gives you pricing and a choice. Without a pilot, for a 48 hour rental you can pay between 5,000 and 50,000 . The more you spend, the better it will be.

The ganger warns you that damage to the craft is not covered in the "rental contract" and will cost more.

Red
Finding your resources encoded in the simplest way, foreign tongues, you pull up a translation utility from the Matrix. Soon, the myriad voices are speaking English and each is recorded.

All in all, you have about twelve hours of material.

Pondering the gangers response, Kraxus turns to Red, motioning to get his attention.

"Any chance you can fly a helicopter?"

Johnny chose a little node on the in southern Florida to work from after delivering the package. Cameras ringing the surf-n-turf shop translated live imagery into the virtual world to give you the feeling of being there. He sat at a table with a pair of bikini clad beach goers having lunch. He could not hear their conversation, nor were they aware of his virtual presence. In the end, it was exactly was he wanted. Two pretty girls in his company.. and he didn't have to be involved in their conversation.

The arrival of Brian Connors interrupted his sorting of the satellite data, but he was glad the leprechaun was back. Glad until he saw the state of the data. As it faded away into the fluff of the matrix, Red scowls at the mess he is left with. Ah, back to yer bloomin' pot you cantankerous fairy.... and as if on queue, the babes left, their lunch finished as well. Great.... Just great!
--------
Translation utilities in hand, he whips up several simple forms to translate and sort the data in parallel and at high speed. I kin review later. Sort it now and back to the meat.
--------
Red snapped up, momentarily groggy from the weight of his body. "Fly.. Wha-? Oh.. Yea. Fly a helicopter.. That I kin do... Much better if'n its rigged. By the way" Handing over a datachip, "Here be the information 'bout the site. Ya did'n tell me we were a goin' ta differen' planet...? Effectively.. anyway..." He pauses for a moment, then switches topics, "What are ya wantin' me to do with all that data 'bout those people?"

"Excellent. As for the information, sort it. Highest priority is current location and activities. Second priority is any known ties to the Templars or any groups opposing or opposed by the Templars. Third priority is known skills, abilities, and resources.

Also, I need a list of the top five items you could use that are Forbidden." The elf uses the official term for items that can't be carried by civilians outside of extraterritorial corp enclaves.

"Smart firing platforms, mil-grade drones, things like that. The general is supposed to provide us with some equipment that we can't get ahold of ourselves in return for this information. That includes you."

He turns to Edana. "What's the best body armor you've got around, and is your ally spirit proficient with any mundane weapons that could give us an advantage?"

Gellawyn takes the flow of sound and sight as the team goes through the motions of their tasks.

"I will look over my gear and see what I might need, give me an hour to do the inventory."

Responding to Kraxus request for an gear list:
"Since I expect us to be mobile, I would say smart firing platforms are not on my list... Though a pair of dobermans equipped with those Area milspec rifles... The Ares Alpha... Half a dozen clips of some milspec ammunition as well as half a dozen loaded with GEL. Fragmentation grenades as well as flashbangs. Maybe a dozen each." He smiles a mischievous smile. "That counts as two, right? One for each doberman?"

After a moment he continues, "A pair of roto-drones with upgrades sensor packages and response hardware with mounted Ingram SG-X's. That will round out my ability to provide direct and in-direct fire support." Gesturing to his deck, I have all the hardware and software I need in order to support from the matrix. Unless you can come up with the Bat Cave for an upgraded hideout... I think I'm good." he ends with a smile and a wink. He starts to return to his deck, then adds as an after thought. "If I'm gonna be going in hot with you all, armor might not be a bad idea..." he looks down at this scrawny body, wandering if armor would help or just slow him down, making him more of a target.

Edana considers Kraxus' question, "I have about every sort of camo you might think to have. And some you wouldn't. None of it is especially modded. Standard issue."

Edana looks at Herne. Herne looks at Edana. Edana looks at Kraxus. She draws a deep breath, "As to Herne. He's not exactly... there are two ways to understand - as much as you're able - what Herne is all about. The hard way. Or the harder way."

"In the first I can show you a," she bobs her head back and forth searching for the right words, "a 'picture' of him. In the second he can..." she swallows apprehensively, "...can tell you himself."

As she speaks the word 'tell' Edana's aura blazes chaotically. A short, intense burst of raw, shifting emotion. Her light brown eyes briefly sheet with bright blue energy and her skin clouds ominously, before clearing again to her normal eerie paleness.

At Edana's unconscious physical reactions to the subject, the lines around Kraxus' face tighten imperceptibly.

"It sounds complicated. And complicated, unfortunately, almost always means something everyone should know about." He looks to Herne, settling back on one of the chairs in the small space. When he speaks, his tone is mellow, but carries the ring of someone that doesn't expect to be questioned or disobeyed.

"Tell us about yourself."

"Not so much complicated as... uncomfortable. But you're right, it's probably the better way to know him."

Edana turns to look at Herne who has curled up in hound form at the end of the apartment's couch watching the mortals speak, lamplike eyes moving between them.

He yawns impressively and slouches off the couch coming to nose his mistress' hand.

Are you certain, Sturmdottir?

Yes.

The hounds eyes blaze and he turns to face Kraxus, hackles rising. He begins to dematerialize, his form shifting to become a barely-glimpsed giant, a bare-chested man with spreading antlers. He moves toward Red and raises his hand before the elven man's face, a symbol hangs in the air before the hacker's eyes fading into invisibility. It is a rough spiral. He moves to Gellawyn, the symobl an arrow. And to Kraxus, a ragged bolt of lightning. He moves to the center of the room and throws his head back, a guttural, inhuman shout issuing from his ancient throat. He vanishes. The symbols blaze...

Pain. Lightning flashes among the trees. Fear. Run. Branches lash, stinging skin and snagging clothes as The Hunt closes. Run. Left, right, behind... all around ghostly forms move in parallel, flowing between the tree trunks, belling voices calling their masters down. No. A storm of lightning, horses and strange antlered men. A horn sounds from the Hunters, and the ghostly forms wheel, bearing down on the Prey.

Fear.

Their musical voices turn to deep-throated growls and snarls. A single hound advances, teeth showing in a snarl like a roll of thunder.

Terror.

The visions go on, and endless clash of flight and fear. Across gray ocean waves. Over a trackless sandy waste. Through winding streets in cities long dead. Through mountains. Down rivers. Always the storm following. Always the lighting. Always the fear.

When they finally cease, Herne is sitting at Edana's side, a hound again. The young woman's hand rests on his neck just behind the ears. Her face is wild and cruel, obscured by a feathery mask, crowned by spreading rack of antlers.

And then, all is as it was. Herne's glowing, inscrutable eyes regard those in the room impassively.

Kraxus exchanges a single, long look with Gellawyn once the visions are complete. When he looks back to Edana and Herne, none of the tightness barely visible before has left his face.

"So Herne was part of this hunt, that much is obvious. But this raises more questions then it answers...How are you associated with the hunt? Some reincarnation, or a body possessed by a spirit? And how did you manage to bind a free spirit as your familiar?"

Red half listens to the conversation. Just not quite tracking all this reincarnation stuff... Are they serious? First one that wants me to sacrifice a goat and I'm outa here.....

Herne's hackles stand on end, a spiky ridge down his back. Edana looks down at him and back at Kraxus. "All good questions. Some of them beyond me, I'm afraid."

She strokes the hound's head, taking strength, "For the first, though... my parents." She stops, jaw clenching, brow knitting, "When I was very young, just a baby, I had a disease. It was killing me. My parents struck a bargain with the Huntsman for my life. A hound was cut from the pack and sent to bring me to the Huntsman when the time came."

"A lot of this happened before I remember, so who knows how much is true? But I believe it."

She takes a deep breath, eyes distant with memories, "Somewhere along the way, my youthful ...preoccupation with the spirit that shadowed me manifested, if you'll pardon the pun, quite unexpectedly into more. Herne. I named him after a Hunter from stories I'd read. My powers had matured well in advance of my control."

"Though now mine, Herne still sensed the Huntsman's will, and when He called. I answered."

She tilts her head back, looking cooly at Kraxus, "Like you, I serve."

"After the Huntsman marked me for his own, I began schooling. My family is said to have been part of a group of powerful enchanters in Ages past. Cursed. Of course. What good is a family legacy without a family curse?" She grins, "It's a good story, neh? And who knows the truth of it? Not me." She shrugs with easy grace, "So, now I Hunt. Though, I fear I'm not so fierce a Huntress as I am an Enchantress. Maybe that much of the legend is true..." She trails off, looking thoughtful.

She keeps her face clear and calm, urging patience with Edana with Kraxus. They had seen evidence of this fragile control she maintained over her magic and the weapon she now carried. Uncertain what to say in the moment, she begins the task of shifting through the data provided. Gellawyn listens as she sorts through the streams of data, trying to find anything of interest to the group and their purpose. Hearing the tangled tale of the child's life leaves echoes in the room for her but to be given power without purpose like the girl left her feeling chilled. While much was taken from her and she assumes Kraxus, they were left with things to fill the void. Their mission, the Elder that guided them and the trust of their people.

The spirit was different but her understanding of magic was in her blood and bone, in the way she drew breath and loosed arrow. While she has studied the Templars and their views of the Awakened world, she in reality knew very little about the deeper mysteries.

"So do you now pursue your own purpose or is this Hunt business?"

Edana looks levelly at Gellawyn, "The two are not exclusive. But both are not sufficient to explain why I'm here. I will not share the details, but I am a member of an order of enchanters. Some are artificers. Some are seekers. I would prefer to be the former, but circumstances have made me the latter. And that is all that I will share of my order's business."

She considers briefly, "Except this - my business is not to end the Templars, but to learn what they know. I don't believe it's my place to decide the fate of others, but after seeing what I've seen of them... I can't say I'd strenuously object to ending them."

Kraxus nods, apparently satisfied at least for the moment.

"I trust you'll alert us if our goals begin to diverge?" The question is matter-of-fact, with no venom or hostility present.

That said, he turns back to Red. "Any progress on that information?"

"I got the list pulled together and mega-pulses of data on each. It will take some time to sort through it though." Red looked at the trio for a moment. He envied the fact that they are a close knit team. He'd not really connected with anyone except Becki for years.

"I did get a small list drawn up of a pair of drones. A couple of those dobermans with mounted ingrams. The upgraded sensors will make them good for perimeter watch. A little pricey, but I've always been willing to sacrifice a drone before a team mate...." He pauses for a moment then remembers, "oh yea and I need to get some form fitting armor so I am a little more mobile."