Episode 2.02: Rivulets of Copper, Eyes Aflame

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Dourap rolled 2 20s. That bodyguard had no chance.

I will allow you to spend 2 Momentum to turn the failure on N'Varas' widow into a Success with Cost. Given that she was wounded from the front, she definitely saw the attacker.

(And now I have to look to see if I ever resolved Ally's survival...her wounds are also on her front, so she may have seen her attacker.)

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Ally Banks Emergency Medicine

Lt. Kiunya stabilization attempt on Ally Banks Daring + Medicine TN14 vs. Difficulty 1

Rolled 2d20 : 17, 18, total 35

Dr. Dourap assisting Daring + Medicine TN12

Rolled 1d20 : 15, total 15

*~*~*~*~*~*

Dr. Dourap emergency surgery on Ally Banks Control + Medicine TN15 vs. Difficulty 2 - Surgery focus applies (5)

Rolled 2d20 : 19, 15, total 34

Lt. Kiunya assisting Control + Medicine TN14

Rolled 1d20 : 4, total 4

Current
Momentum 5
Threat 6
Complications - Violation of "Tread Lightly in Vulcan Jurisdiction" Directive
(Since this happened first, Dourap's Complications don't yet apply.)

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: First aid attempt - 0 Successes vs. Difficulty 1. Failure.
Surgery attempt is moot at this point, but it will be 2 Successes vs. Difficulty 2. Success.

This is not a good night for the medical department...

Ally will die before she reaches surgery; however, because of her importance to the crew, I'll also extend a Success at Cost for 2 Momentum to have her survive the first aid attempt.

[Patrick Goodman]

OOC: I am also in favor of the Momentum spend to save N'Varas's widow and Ally both. Momentum, Threat, it's all the same to me. Gentlemen?

[Nolmir]

OOC: Oof, those are some nasty rolls. I'm with Patrick -- let's spend whatever we need to save those NPCs and counter the complications, especially the V'Kor Relations Damaged.

[Renny]

OOC: I'm all in with Momentum spends and Threat if needed to save them. At this point I feel we definitely need a break and a living witness would qualify.

[Patrick Goodman]

OOC: Okay, just so we're clear, Renny and Nolmir are in agreement with me about clearing some of this up, using a combination of Momentum and Threat as necessary. Here's a list of the things we're talking about.

• Dourap is Shaken Complication
• V'Kor Relations Damaged Complication
• N'Varas Widow surgery Success at Cost
• Ally Banks first aid Success at Cost

I believe those are the four things we can affect at this point; Davy, correct me if I'm wrong. I favor a 50/50 split between Momentum and Threat for all of these things, which will leave us with 1 Momentum in the pool and raise Threat to 10. Renny and Nolmir, if you favor a different distribution of meta-currency, or you're willing to skip any of the above, this is the time to let us know.

ETA: Apparently you can't color a numbered list.

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: The only correction is that Ally is a first aid Success at Cost. Otherwise, you're correct.

[Patrick Goodman]

OOC: Okay, everyone had previously agreed to fix things; since nobody has objected to the proposed payment plan, I'm going to go ahead and say to our GM...go for it. All four of them. Let's fix the timeline....

[Nolmir]

OOC: Sounds good to me!

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Acknowledging spending 4 Momentum and adding 4 Threat to effect the following changes:
- Counter Dourap Is Shaken Complication
- Counter V'Kor Relations Damaged Complication
- Success at Cost for the surgery task on N'Varas' widow
- Success at Cost for the first aid task on Specialist Banks

The cost for N'Varas' widow's survival is that her condition is grave enough that it will be more difficult to remove her injury complications (which are nebulous, but medical), and that she will be in an induced coma for "some time" and unable to answer any questions.

The cost of Ally's survival is that she's out of commission for the remainder of the episode; she's also not in a condition to answer questions at this point (and possibly not for the rest of the episode).

Current
Momentum 1
Threat 10

Upon returning to the ship, Cole makes for the bridge and reports their findings to the captain. Things that stand out are that the perpetrator used a bladed weapon (leaving fragments behind) and that they again transported away from the scene.

OOC: Remember, we do have that transporter log search to complete (and T'Paara will follow up with her promise to provide the transporter logs for the apartment complex area, which can be included in the task).

Ensign O'Neill finds his way to sickbay. One of the orderlies tells him that both patients are still in surgery and begins to say they'll likely be there a while when the doors to the operating theater open with a swish. Dr. Dourap wearily exits the chamber, his scrubs covered in blood, and wordlessly crosses the sickbay to his office. Before the door closes, O'Neill sees him more fall into his chair than sit, and the doctor runs his hand through his thinning hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Lt. Kiunya appears in the operating theater threshold, his scrubs as bloodied as the doctor's. Knowing O'Neill was responsible for the patients' discovery, he informs the ensign that the V'Kor officer had massive damage to multiple vital organs; the bodyguard had no chance.

The ensign also sees the still form of Ally Banks in a nearby biobed, her form largely hidden by a surgical support frame. Her countenance is peaceful, and, if not for the active readout above her saying otherwise, it's almost like she's in repose. Casey, intuitively knowing the object of his gaze, reassures him that she's going to be all right.

Around 0500, the crew learns that N'Varas' mate is out of surgery and stable. Her wounds are devastating and Dr. Galt reports that she'll need additional surgical and regenerative therapy in the near future to have a chance at a full recovery.

Starfleet Station, Vulcan
At 0801 local time, Treyva, Sorak, Tobin, and Cole find themselves with Dr. Suchwani in Commodore Santiago's office, having been summoned long before the non-Denobulans were ready to wake after the late night.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" the commodore berates the group, his ire directed largely at the commanding officer, but having plenty to spare for the others. "These people are our allies! I gave you explicit instructions to tread carefully in this investigation, and I find out that you're making active inquiries regarding a major religious sect, nearly get a prominent law enforcement officer killed, succeed in getting three others killed, including an intelligence officer and your damned liaison on this case, and then we get multiple complaints regarding Starfleet security personnel trampling all over the rights of Vulcan citizens and resident aliens!

"I have half a mind to end your investigation and place a formal reprimand in each of your jackets."

Santiago pauses a moment, then closes his eyes and releases a breath. Dr. Suchwani politely clears her throat, which prompts the commodore to gesture for her to step in.

"We understand this is a delicate line you are being forced to walk," she counsels. "But Vulcan has endured increased sectarian tensions in the past several years, especially with the rise to political prominence by adherents to the Nirak philosophy.

"Even here, speculation travels at warp 60," the diplomat explains. "I'm sure you can appreciate the potential for real conflict once news of sectarian motivations to these murders reaches the general public."

Finally collected, Santiago chimes back in, "Where are you in your investigation? What concrete evidence do you have against this Jarokovan monk? And how close are you to being able to make it stick?"

[Nolmir]

"Sir, if I may," Tobin begins, shooting a glance in his captain's direction, "the monk, Kavoran, has both means and, potentially, motive to have carried out these attacks. He has unfettered access to one of the few blades that match the evidence -- the others we know of being accounted for. He has the skill and training with this blade to have used it. According to footage viewed by Commander Sorak, he has ... frustration with the philosophy of tuSurak. That doesn't prove he is our murderer, but it does frame him as a strong suspect.

"My intuition is that he is guilty. If we analyze his transporter logs, I believe we will find evidence placing him at the scenes of these crimes. If Spec. Banks or N'Varas' widow are able to identify their attacker, they should, in my opinion, be able to prove it beyond a shadow of doubt."

[Renny]

"Commodore I take full responsibility for the actions of my security team and I believe they acted with professionalism and courage in a dangerous situation. As Mr Tobin has stated, transporter logs are being investigated as we speak, and assuming Ally..." , he pauses a beat, "...Specialist Banks recovers from the wounds she sustained in defence of Vulcan citizens and resident aliens, I'm confident she will have information vital to the identification of her assailant."

[Davy, aka GM]

OOC: Moving this along a bit.

Santiago and Dr. Suchwani exchange glances, and the commodore appears to relax a little.

"You're saying you have a monastic who has 'problems' with the philosophy of Surak, who is skilled enough with a sword to pull off several murders, has such a sword in his possession, is doing so by bouncing around the planet using its transporter network," he repeats, "and that the evidence supports this theory."

He rubs his temple with two fingers. "Let's say there's a method to your madness and you're actually onto something; how will the transporter logs give you any additional proof? If it were blatantly obvious who was transporting in and out around the murders, don't you think the Vulcan authorities would've already identified them?"

Sorak clears his throat. "Commodore, if I may, as I have more than a passing familiarity with both the case and Vulcan law enforcement procedures," he queries. Santiago gestures for him to continue. "Our experience with the attacks last night shows that the perpetrator is capable of scrambling their transporter identity at both the departure and destination coordinates. Vulcan investigators would not have had any patterns to identify initially, and, were it not for Mr. Thadis' unfortunate proximity to three victims, they would also have no suspects at this point.

"I have confidence that they would have eventually discovered the victims' connections, which would have led them on our same path, albeit at a slower pace," the engineer continues. "Mr. Les and Mr. Cole are confident this Kavoran is the most-likely culprit, and they have my confidence as their first officer."

The commodore studies the Vulcan's face for several moments, causing Sorak to raise a questioning eyebrow. With a flick of his gaze to Treyva and then Dr. Suchwani, he finally relents, "Very well, you have 24 hours to establish definitively whether Kavoran is your man. After that, you will turn over your evidence to the V'Kor and have no further involvement in the investigation. Meanwhile, we'll petition to have Mr. Thadis' on-station restrictions lifted. Dismissed."

*~*~*~*~*

The officers return to the ship to pore though the transporter logs. Thanks to Treyva & Asha's algorithm, they're able to narrow the search down to only the transports within two hours of each estimated time of death for everything prior to the early morning excitement, and to within a half-hour each of the attacks on Spalan and N'Varas.

Also thanks to the morning's events, Tobin knows, generally, what to seek in those logs - anomalous transports that don't seem to match departure and destination.

OOC: Okay, this will be an Insight + Science task vs. Difficulty 5. I'm going to reduce it to Difficulty 4 because of the algorithm work by Asha (treating it as a uncontrolled supporting character Advantage), and further to Difficulty 3 because Tobin was able to actually see the anomalous transporter tagging in action.

That said, there's no reason everyone can't help out, but I'm going to limit assist rolls to Treyva (Insight + Science, Observation Focus will apply) and Cole (Insight + Security) in this regard. Sorak & T'Kiri will also assist, but in the manner of providing an additional supporting character Advantage, further reducing the task to Difficulty 2.

Current
Momentum 1 0 (new scene)
Threat 10

[Patrick Goodman]

OOC: I'll be back in this shortly. Lots of stuff going on.