Party To Treason 2: Valdragon's Coup

[Kennifer]

"I was more concerned with getting through the tasks in that operation that the cat passed. That, and after the cat passed a Loyalist operation I wasn't sure anyone would believe me anyway, with paranoia high and accusations of us working together despite the fact it wasn't the only Loyalist operation to pass. Too many things on my mind at once."

"At any rate, not that it's going to make much difference now, they were for the Coup."

[PointMaid]

Victoria kneads her forehead like she's working out a headache, and sighs a small sigh again.

Not the... worst explanation I've heard, I suppose. Does anyone else agree? If there's some agreement, I will withdraw my objection to Miss Banks' nomination.

And I suppose if MacCumhaill really is the Mole, if I understand things correctly, they wouldn't know who the other Loyalists are. So they would be as in the dark choosing who to nominate as the rest of us. Which is a point to consider, I guess.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

See? I was going for my gut feeling when I initially chose MacCumhaill as Liaison, but none of you took me seriously. There was a method to my actions. But since that's in the past now, I guess there was no harm in not revealing the fates of Sony & Microsoft. And we are running out of time. We definitely need to take action. Perhaps you are telling the truth, Banks. I wouldn't trust that cat further than I could throw him. I think we're all in agreement on that. But as for you, Banks, I am willing to give you another chance. What does everyone else think?

[Caret]

"WHY WON'T YOU CHOOSE WARIO AS LIAISON? I CAN DO A BETTER JOB THAN ALL YOU NITWITS! I mean... I still have doubts about everbody (except for me, because nobody knows Wario better than Wario), but the miner's story seems trustable enough, uh huh! Besides, if yet another Loyalist operation passes, we all know who to blame! YAY FOR MS. CASH BANKS!"

[Kennifer]

"Unless the deck is stacked in such a way I'm only passed Loyalist operations and have no choice, you mean."

[Florien]

Lt. Mac Cumhaill (NW) Nominates Acting Cpt. Banks (GA). Five to confirm.

Aye

• Lt. Mac Cumhaill (NW)
  
• Acting Cpt. Banks (GA)
  
• Cpt. Wario (GE)
  
• Cpt. Columbo (SH)
  
• Cpt. Frankenstein (MoL) (NI)
  

Nay

• Maj. Harrier (SR)
  
• Cat. Lucky (AL)
  

Juniper Banks is elected.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

I'll give you an Aye. Make it worth our time.

[noodlesnook]

"Thank you, Captain Columbo."

[PointMaid]

I... withdraw my vote from the Nays. I will think about whether it belongs in the Aye column.

[Kennifer]

"I can say that if I'm chosen as Liaison I will do the best I can with what I am given."

[PointMaid]

...Is there anything else anyone would like to say?

[Florien]

I'd like to say something. I'd like to say "Sendri has acknowledged me as next in line and will be stepping down soon, the coup's off, you will be rewarded for your help", but that's not happening, so I won't say it. So as it stands, the only thing you can do is decide where your vote falls. It's down to you, Captain Beck, and Captain Blixbo, Frankenstein, and how you lay your votes on this candidate. You'd better hope you've chosen wisely when you do so, because if another low-priority operation gets activated, I will come in there, and I will ask my aide a very important question. I'm sure you remember the rules of this traitor-finding technique, and what the Aide's answer means to you.

[PointMaid]

...I don't like being a deciding vote here. However, seeing as nobody else has said anything else, or voted.

I have gone over who has voted for who, again. And apart from that, who has voted for Miss Banks this instance. People I am most suspicious of are, in fact, voting against Miss Banks. I am also willing to admit that she may well have proposed a Loyalist cat in all innocence.

So, fine, I will give her a chance. Use it well.

She raises her hands in a shrug. Aye

[Kennifer]

"As long as I'm passed something I can work with and not being set up to take the fall, I will do what I can."

"And I'd proposed the cat as a test, which as I recall was agreed upon at the time. And the test did provide results."

[wingedcatgirl]

Lucky sniffs haughtily.

[Florien]

Very well, Lt. Mac Cumhaill will recieve operations shortly, then pass them forward to Acting Cpt. Banks.

You'd better have chosen wisely.

[Kennifer]

Juniper, after receiving the folders with the operations, takes a look through them. She then hands her chosen one over with a nod.

[PointMaid]

So. Should we be nervous?

[Kennifer]

"I certainly hope not. I hope you'll be pleased with my decision, actually."

[TenOfSwords13]

i hope so! if you actually did pass an op to get this coup on the road, i'll have to reconsider my thoughts on you... and that cat.

[PointMaid]

On Miss Banks, I will agree that I was probably too hasty if she comes through with a coup friendly operation.

...The cat, I'll be even more sure that they're a loyalist, however. Someone there was lying and/or undermining us. Playing with us like an unfortunate mouse.

[Florien]

Hm... let's see what we have here.

Valdragon is loading his pistol, fully expecting to have to go in and shoot someone in a minute. He looks at the operation on his desk.

Was that so hard?

Operation Castile-Leon: a Coup Operation, is Activated!

Kirachi Beach, a small fishing village on an ocean planet, is the oldest of the listening posts, and it's also one of the most important. It monitors nearly all high-security communications, and the whole village is famously one of the most tightly controlled in the Alliance. If the post went down, coup plotting would be much easier with the reduced tapping of high-status personnel's communications. It'll be difficult to take it out, but deactivating it is a necessity for the coup. The issue is, it would also be crucial for reestablishing control after a coup.

• The first problem with the post is, annoyingly, the door. You're not actually authorized to go inside, and there's only one entrance into the post itself, and it's monitored by multiple cameras. You'll need to figure out a way to get the door open (or get it opened for you) to get into the post itself.
  
• The second problem is the Regional Director of Internal Security, Captain Usanako. They've thwarted dozens of coup plots before, and they'll continue thwarting them if they're not restrained somehow. They're unshakably loyal, and they need to be gotten rid of. They don't necessarily need to be killed, they just need to be out of the way until the coup has actually happened. A few weeks without contact with the government minimum, or at least without being taken seriously. If they must die today, it needs to be relatively unsuspicious, Sendri trusts the Captain and will investigate their death if they should end up dead in an obviously suspicious manner. So how are you going handle them?
  
• The third problem is the post itself. It's constantly receiving signals and updates from around the region, and it's heavily guarded, and more to the point, the guards are very loyal and very skilled. Shutting down the arrays temporarily will be tricky, but there must be a way to damage the post such that it can easily be repaired while still buying us a few weeks of it being inactive. How shall you do that?
  
• The fourth problem is the Independence Front of the Outer Sector. They've been opposed to Alliance rule for years, and if they see weakness at Kirachi Beach, they'll swoop in and destroy the listening post utterly. You're going to have to prevent them from destroying it further than you already have. So what's the battle plan?
  

[PointMaid]

Well, thank goodness, Victoria says. I suppose I owe you an apology, Banks.

She prepares to do her part for the operation...

[Kennifer]

'I certainly hope this will restore some trust," Juniper says as she too begins to prepare her plans.

[PointMaid]

Victoria's Plan

The first problem with the post is, annoyingly, the door. You're not actually authorized to go inside, and there's only one entrance into the post itself, and it's monitored by multiple cameras. You'll need to figure out a way to get the door open (or get it opened for you) to get into the post itself.

Naturally. Hmmm. I'll reach out to one of the signal analysts saying I'm very interested in signals countertelligence and considering a career change, see if they can't get me an interview, at least get me in the door. If that doesn't work...Fake credentials and facial appliances to make me look like a new trainee, I suppose.

The second problem is the Regional Director of Internal Security, Captain Usanako. They've thwarted dozens of coup plots before, and they'll continue thwarting them if they're not restrained somehow. They're unshakably loyal, and they need to be gotten rid of. They don't necessarily need to be killed, they just need to be out of the way until the coup has actually happened. A few weeks without contact with the government minimum, or at least without being taken seriously. If they must die today, it needs to be relatively unsuspicious, Sendri trusts the Captain and will investigate their death if they should end up dead in an obviously suspicious manner. So how are you going handle them?

Some inspiration from my cousin's pursuits, I suppose. Bioterrorism, you might call it? I'll bring along a virus with me that won't kill them, but will make it so they're just out of the way and in the hospital for a few... weeks, perhaps.

The third problem is the post itself. It's constantly receiving signals and updates from around the region, and it's heavily guarded, and more to the point, the guards are very loyal and very skilled. Shutting down the arrays temporarily will be tricky, but there must be a way to damage the post such that it can easily be repaired while still buying us a few weeks of it being inactive. How shall you do that?

Better to do it without being seen to have done it, yes? Spread some bird food near the arrays to attract a large colony of birds. With a mini drone, perhaps. The birds will poop and nest on the arrays, the guano interfering with their operation. If they get the birds under control, I'll have to spread more bird food. When we want to use it, we just have to stop putting out food, finally shoo of the birds and clean off the bird guano. ...Ugh, I suppose with using animals I'm still taking inspiration from my cousin Frankie, aren't I?

The fourth problem is the Independence Front of the Outer Sector. They've been opposed to Alliance rule for years, and if they see weakness at Kirachi Beach, they'll swoop in and destroy the listening post utterly. You're going to have to prevent them from destroying it further than you already have. So what's the battle plan?

Spread a rumor that the 'issue' at the listening post is a ruse to draw the Independence Front out and cut them off when they go for an actually-well-protected listening post. Very efficient.