[LTD-Tayseri-Peanut Gallery] Clusterfrak

He sighed. The situation was so complicated, and he really wasn't sure what to do… "This is a mess… Only thing I could think of is sending them to a different location in the meantime, but getting the word out without the LTE knowing and setting up a secure location would be very diff–"

Wait, tea maker? "What…? I don't know what you're talking about," he said, reaching around to the back of his armor. "Miss Rondor, the only thing I've got is my g–" He patted around, grabbing what should have been his pistol and stared at it. "Who took my gun and replaced it with this?"

"That's done with", Snow musing as he re-entered LTD, his face a cold mask as he rejoined the others, leaning against the wall opposite Cavallius. He was still seething about Kayana and her 'recommendations' but he chose to keep silent, letting everyone else talk. Miss Rondor was probably going to let him have it, both barrels, for his tirade towards the drell know it all. But he just didn't care, an attitude like Kayana's could get her killed if she was lucky, or a lot of bystanders hurt. "Maybe that's why I flipped my shit," thinking to himself remembering the dark time on Benning...

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"We have our orders LT, observe and shadow the Cerbies." "I'm changing the orders, we're going to rescue the hostages an seize the refinery." "But sir, we don't have the manpower or drone support...' "Then we make do private Snow, and don't you question my decisions again...

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Despite keeping an eye on the crowd in Miss Rondor's office, Snow remained detatched as he felt the temperature return to normal.

"Oh, It's cooling down now. I was just getting used to it." Alex said.
Truth be told, the Citadel was usually to cold for him. The lowest it usually got in Mombasa was 26*c. On the citadel, the climate was more temperate.
He looked to Cavallius
"Oh crap. You brought a gun here? Shit. Should we ask the kids? That might be quite dangerous if one of them has it." Said Alex, attempting to be mildly helpful.

"The duct rats did what???" A brief look of incredulity flashed across Snow's face, turning to Officer Cavallius the ex-salvager quickly composed himself. Meeting the C-Sec's gaze he decided to jump in, "The duct rats normally don't target cops, which means someone put them up to this", pulling on his coat and work gloves, Snow gave Miss Rondor a knowing glance before giving his brief assessment,

"This has the Lower Tayseri Elite's fingerprints on it. My guess it's a trap or an ambush, guess they decided that observation wasn't enough. And it explains why the lovebirds got past without a scratch...damnit." The frustrations becoming too much, Snow headed for the exit, determined to track the rats down, before it went from bad to worse.

The temperature may have cooled down a bit, but it didn't calm the officer's growing frustration and unease. Dante looked around for his pistol, but he knew for a fact that he hadn't set it down somewhere. He thought back to when they were close up and harassing him, and he had to agree that Snow was most likely right. "I didn't say they had it," he began. "But they really were the only ones close enough to me to get ahold of it." He scowled, mad at himself for not noticing when it happened. He had been confused what they were doing, but he hadn't suspected them of doing anything really wrong.

Looking back, maybe he should have.

"If they're setting up a trap, then going out there by yourself would be putting yourself in unnecessary risk, don't you think? Take someone with you, at least for extra backup." Even if they weren't waiting outside right this moment, if the LTE was this close it'd at least be better safe than sorry.

Michelle was stunned.

- They. Stole. Your gun??? This a catastrophe! They're good kids, they must have been forced to do it! Ok it hasn't been that long, they may not have made the drop yet, especially since Kayana drove away what must have been their handlers. Can we track them down?

She rose up from her seat, ready to go.

"Wait..." Snow hissing in exasperation as his omnitool started vibrating, keying it on he saw an unlisted location with a message from Randall, "Hey Snowman, got a minute?" Turning to the group, the ex-salvager apologetic, "I have to take this, I'll be quick", heading into the other room, hoping it was good news for once.

"Be quick about it", said Michelle somberly.
She turned to Cavallius, Laykalar, Alex and Kayana.

"Alright, this is a tough situation. The LTE could do a lot more damage with a C-Sec issue gun, and they will probably kill those two kids once they get it... I'm not sure yet how we will find them, nor how dangerous it will be. Layakalar I need you to hold the fort here, call the shelters and ask them to keep a look out.
Alex, Kayana, any help would be appreciated, but it's not your fight so if you'd rather walk away I'd very much understand..."

Whatever was coming, it was big, she could feel it. And she wasn't ready.

Alex considered leaving.
For all of five seconds.
"No way in hell I'm leaving. I'm a officer of the Mombasa Police department. I'd die before I willingly let a bunch of Gang bangers get their hands on some lethal weapons. I'm in. Said Alex.

Dante watched as Snow followed him out of the room for a second before turning back the others. This was a serious situation, and he felt terrible that they all had been dragged into this because he didn't even notice when his gun was stolen.

"Do you have an idea where they could have gone, Miss Rondor? They seemed like you're pretty familiar with them, so…" He let out a frustrated noise. What was he saying, if they were gang members, of course they wouldn't give her the actual place where they were headed. He rubbed his neck and sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Even if it's only one gun… It's one more gun that they've got, and one less that we do." He wasn't even worried that he might get in trouble for losing it; it was the thought that those two kids had it with them, and were in the hands of the LTE… It sent a chill down his spine.

"Randall, now is not a good time", hissing into the omnitool, Snow took care to lower the volume and set it to audio only. "Things getting crazy Snowman? I did warn C-Sec man to check his pockets. But that's in the past, what is important, is that I know where they are." The revelation snapping Snow out of his angry fugue, his voice returning to a normal timbre, "dead in an abandoned crate by the docks?" Knowing how little the LTE thought of duct rats Snow wouldn't be surprised if they just removed them outright. "You're half-right, they're bunkered up at the docks, but alive. The boyfriend got wise, and is holding them off with the gun. If you leave now, you might nail the whole lot." The enforcer terminating the call, and a second later an address was sent to Snow's omnitool.

Striding back in Snow whistled briefy, just to get everyones attention before revealing what Randall gave him, "The loverbirds are at the old stevedore guild building, a level above the docks, holding off some LTE hitters. If we move fast, we can get every last one of them."

Kayana got up again, listening and-to be honest, a little incredulous. How bad could their security be?

"What do you need done?"

How distressing! Laykalar flashed a pulse of bioluminescent alarm, but it was tinged with an undercurrent of proud excitement.

"This one may be relied upon to manage the shelter. It will ensure that the honoured other's metaphor of a fort is apt!"

While he was concerned for the youngsters' well-being, and for the danger that LTE members armed with C-Sec issue weaponry represented, he was also thrilled to be entrusted with yet another cresting wave of true responsibility.

He moved forward and retrieved the symbolically significant maker-of-tea, intending to return the item to its correct place.

"I'm more concerned about getting the two kids out", answered Michelle to Snow. She was obviously relieved that Kayana was onboard.
"Kayana, I'll need you to follow us from behind if you please. Cover our backs. I don't know what we're walking in, and we have little time for scouting."
She smiled warmly to Laykalar, who was already taking care of the teapot. Now if only the Citadel was made only of people like him...
"Let's go guys."

Snow guided the little group to the docks. They were soon in sight of the stevedore building. The entire place was mostly abandoned, only a few keepers working on ruined buildings could be seen. Michelle counted five LTEs, their cheap suits and brutish manners a dead giveaway as always, taking cover in front of the entrance of what used to be a small shop. One of them was holding his leg. They were shouting invectives to the kids holed up inside, ordering them to surrender. Further away, in the wide open hall of the stevedore itself, three other LTEs were supervising the situation. Michelle could count at least three visible guns in those thugs. Before she could say a thing to Snow, Cavallius and Alex, a voice boomed behind her.
"HEY GUYS, LOOK WHO CAME TO VISIT!"
The voice came from the roof a small building near them. A well hidden LTE sentry had made them as soon as they arrived, and was pointing a cheap rifle at them. Michelle groaned and put her hands up. They now had at least four firearms trained on them.

From the stevedore, one batarian laughed loudly.
"Hoo how nice! You! Fat furhead with the stupid things on your eyes, we know you! And with the red hood, your lap dog! Ho, and hello officer, I don't see your gun. Little varren misplaced its claws? And... well whoever the fuck you are...", he concluded with Alex.
"Now what do you fuckers thought you were doing here?"

"Honestly, I wanted to see if a couple of leg breakers getting thrashed by two duct rats was true, glad to know I wasn't entirely wrong." Snow keeping a level tone and his hands stationary. Inwardly he was feeling nervous, this had all the makings of a trap, but he wasn't going to give the blink the satisfaction.

"Perhaps you could tell me what this is," the ex-convict tilting his head to the right, his dead gray eyes never leaving the batarian for a second.

Dante raised his hands in the air, glaring at the sentry shouting at them. This was a bad situation… He looked around, searching for openings in their defenses, but being outnumbered by gangers with firearms was not a risk he was willing to take. He watched the batarian closely, looking for him to slip up at all...

"Obviously we're not going to try anything," he said, with a little gesture toward the gang members surrounding them. "We just want the kids and the gun."

Kayana slipped along behind the group, picking a promising-looking building and climbing the escape ladders so she had a good view.

She didn't want to think this way, but really? It wasn't too bright of them to trust her this early.

The batarians laughed at Cavalius' request. Two of his cronies forced their laugh to match his.
"Only that officer? My, you're not asking for much..."
He scratched his chin comically, pretending to consider it. His men kept chuckling.
"You know what? Ok".
His men stopped laughing, not sure what their leader meant. Michelle and Snow looked at each other in surprise.
"...Ok?" asked Michelle, not sure what he meant.
"Yup. You can get the kids and the gun and leave. I mean sure we could gun you all down, but I think C-Sec would really get in our business after that. Now the only thing I ask in return is... him" he said, pointing his finger at Snow. "The red hoodie. My boss wants him alive. That's not much of a price to pay is it?"
The batarian displayed a cruel smile.

Michelle had trouble swallowing her saliva. She was being aimed at by gangers. Asked this impossible choice. Before anyone else could make it she spoke with a broken voice.
"I'll take the deal."
She turned to Snow. His expression broke her heart, but she carried on.
"Sorry Julian there... There is no choice. Listen after all that shit you did, at least thanks to you we'll... In the end you'll get to make yourself useful."

She lowered her gaze, not holding his dead eyes, and grabbed his hoodie, pushing him toward the batarian.

"Please... Just go."

Snow looked over at his fluffy boss as the LTE boss made his case, he wasn't surprised at the statement regarding the problems created by gunning down a cop. That was a big no-no, best way to get dead or in jail was to antagonise C-Sec. The next statement was a shock, a trade??? "For what", thinking to himself, Snow tried to play the angles in his head, what did LTE want so desperately enough to go to all this trouble? Snow's eyes never leaving the batarian before it came to him, the same moment the enforcer did. The leader wanted him, an ex-convict that had become a nuisance? Snow knew a screwjob in the mix, but hearing his boss, Miss Whiskers agree to it....

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Whispering as he turned to face Miss Rondor, Snow felt a strange familiarity as he listened to her pathetic reasoning. His thousand yard stare boring right through the fluffy snake, who walked as if human. "Fuckin' Benning and Thessia all over again." Snow thinking as he found himself sold out by his employer...again. As Miss Rondor finished, Snow gave her a parting shot before turning to face the Lower Tayseri Jerkoffs,

"I really hate that excuse, 'but I didn't have a choice'. Just another goddamn way for you people to rationalise the shit you pull. There's always a choice. But then again, I'm not surprised, all of you 'good people' will go to any length to avoid responsibility. Whatever, fuck you very much Miss Whiskers." A cold, resigned smile appearing on Snow's face as he turned to the batarian, shrugging off the fluffy woman's grip, "So your boss wants a face to face meeting, I am honored and humbled." Snow chucking as he made a mastrubation motion to the blink, no longer caring about his fate.

He wasn't serious, was he? The cop started to protest, but judging from the look on the batarian's face, he didn't look like he was going to take anything else for an answer.

Subtly, Dante dialed a call for backup, keeping his voice low as Michelle discussed with the batarian. "We've got a situation here, we're being held at gunpoint by some LTE members," he whispered over the connection, trying to keep from being noticed. "W… What do you mean you can't send anyone? Not even one…?" he hissed. It sounded like the LTE were causing trouble in other areas to distract from what was going on here, and C-Sec was too thinly stretched to afford sending help. They were trapped with no visible way out. "Shit... All right, I understand... I'll try to work with things here." The call disconnected and he focused back on the immediate situation.

He opened up his mouth to repeat what he'd been told to Michelle, but he froze when she spoke. Mandibles dropped wide as he stared at her, completely taken by surprise. "Miss Rondor, are you serious?" he said, shocked at how coldly the seemingly cheerful woman agreed. There… there had to be something else they could do, something that didn't run such a high risk of getting Snow killed... "You can't just… we don't know what they're going to do to him, or if they're even going to make this trade at all… There has to be another option we could take!"