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>>1482114
Your own return to Sericea is uneasy, the same crowds of commuters whose voices made it that much harder for a potential eavesdropper becoming a looming threat. These people... you know nothing about any of them. Any one of them could be on the payroll of an organization that wants you dead and you would have no way of knowing until you were already under attack. When you step off the train you find yourself quickly checking for anything that strikes you as a possible threat, and you check around to see if there are any emergency exits or access passages that might come in handy if a firefight were to break out.

Thankfully you make it through the ticket machine without trouble and emerge in the spaceport's main hall. Sericea's berth is only a few gates down the hall to your left, and you greet the armed Marines guarding the docking ramp with a salute.

“Good to have you back, ma'am,” one of them tells you.

>Order a detachment of Marines to secure the area for Artesia's arrival.
>Don't deploy the Marines. Best not to raise a scene.
>Try and meet and coordinate with Carya before Artesia arrives.
>Other?

>>1482118
>>Order a detachment of Marines to secure the area for Artesia's arrival.
Can we have them maybe in plainclothes w/ body armor underneath?

>>1482123
I know 'marines' and 'discreet' is an oxymoron, but still, one can hope.

>>1482118
>>Order a detachment of Marines to secure the area for Artesia's arrival.
2nding the plainclothes if we can.

>writing

>>1482158
“One armed squad, plain clothes,” you order. “Artesia Som Deikun will arrive within the next twenty minutes or so, I want you to provide overwatch until she gets to the Sericea.”

“If she brought her own guard avoid contact.”

The guard salutes again before reporting back to his superior as you head down the ramp to Sericea's airlock.

Once aboard you head straight for your quarters and change out of your comparatively low-key civilian clothes, and into your regular uniform. Then you make your way up to the bridge to find Carya sitting sideways in her seat with her legs up.

“Hey,” she greets lazily. “So you were productive?”

You nod quietly. “Very.”

“So what did you find?”

“Evidence that one of the research bureaus was involved in the incident last time,” you recount.

“Well, I'm not surprised,” she sighs.

You're about to tell her more about the situation, but you receive a call from the guards out in the terminal.

“Go ahead,” you tell them.

“We have visual on Miss Deikun,” the man reports. “Six others in plain clothes, they all look armed.”

“Keep your distance,” you order, “and keep your eye on their surroundings.”

Thankfully nothing goes wrong by the time that Artesia arrives at the gate and is escorted aboard. You and Carya head down a deck and meet her in one of the staterooms.

“I take it those burly men who screamed 'undercover cop' were yours?” she muses. “The ones in the terminal?”

“Probably,” Carya admits. “Just a precaution.”

“Let's get into it then,” Artesia continues as she takes a seat. “So like I told Rossweisse before I'm convinced something is going on here on Luna.”

>So what exactly do you believe is taking place, Artesia?
>Do you have any idea who is providing the funding?
>Who else can we tell about this, try and build up some help?
>Other?

>>1482207
>>So what exactly do you believe is taking place, Artesia?
>>Do you have any idea who is providing the funding?

Gonna keep an eye out for how deep this might be before seeing who can be trusted to get involved with this.

>>1482207
>>So what exactly do you believe is taking place, Artesia?
>>Do you have any idea who is providing the funding?
>“I take it those burly men who screamed 'undercover cop' were yours?”
Marines. About as subtle as a kick to the balls. Oh well, I tried.

>>1482207
>>So what exactly do you believe is taking place, Artesia?
>>Do you have any idea who is providing the funding?

>>1482207
>Who else can we tell about this, try and build up some help?
>So what exactly do you believe is taking place, Artesia?

>writing

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>>1482249
“So what do you think is going on here?” you ask quietly. “And where do you think the money is coming from?”

“Or rather, do you know who it might be coming through?” Carya asks curiously.

Artesia immediately confirms your partner's suspicions. “I believe I may know the very man: Lucius Hawke, currently a senator here on Luna, formerly a Lieutenant Commander in the EFSF.”

“And why do you suspect him?” you ask. “I'm sure there are plenty of unscrupulous politicians in the Luna Sphere to choose from.”

“And you'd be right,” Artesia agrees. “However Senator Hawke has a few characteristics that set him apart from the rest. He's been under investigation three times in the last three years: misuse of public funds, accepting bribes and illegal campaign contributions, and most recently insider trading.”

“So his finances are crooked,” Carya frowns, “and he's somehow not been found guilty of anything, I'd assume. But what makes you so sure he's involved in this?”

“He's also a notorious policy hawk,” Artesia adds carefully. “And the insider trading accusations dealt with a pair of companies that supplied tools for maintaining mobile suits. He's deeply involved with our military industry, if anyone would be pulling the strings to keep SNRI afloat that's your guy.”

“He certainly sounds like a real piece of work,” your partner agrees. “You've built a solid case.”

“You were investigating him,” you add simply, neither accusing nor guessing. The way she speaks so easily of the specific case details means she knows more about it than most people in Lunar politics would, and the fact that she jumped to suspect him of wrongdoing implies that she'd already made that leap once before. So to your mind, it's obvious.

Artesia nods curtly, sensing that you've figured her out already and that there's no meaning in trying to keep a secret. “My main informant was found dead. It was ruled a suicide.”

“But you have your doubts,” Carya guesses.

“I do.”

>So how would we go about pursuing this lead?
>I propose we do some snooping around SNRI's records.
>I propose we look into Senator Hawke's business dealings.
>Other?

>>1482305
>>So how would we go about pursuing this lead?

>>1482305
>So how would we go about pursuing this lead?

>>1482305
>>Other?
Which end of the lead was the informant trailing before being found dead? SNRI or the senator?

>>I propose we look into Senator Hawke's business dealings.
>bribes and illegal campaign contributions
Seems like a red flag for big, outside money sources. It's probably what got Artesia's informant done in.

>will start writing

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>>1482305
“Do you know what lead your informant was following?” you ask curiously. “You know, when he...”

Your voice trails off somewhat, unsure of how to phrase your question tactfully. Thankfully Artesia picks up on your discomfort and answers you calmly. “I don't know exactly, but he was looking into the insider trading charges when he died.”

“I see,” you nod.

“That doesn't narrow it down,” Carya grumbles. “Did he send you anything? Any last message or a new piece of evidence?”

Artesia shakes her head. “It was sudden.”

“So how do we proceed?” you ask.

“To do it legally we need to file for a search warrant,” Artesia explains to you, before launching into details of how an investigation would have to work in order to meet Lunar legal requirements.

“But ultimately,” she concludes, “what it really comes down to is not giving a prosecutor any way to get the target of your investigating off on a technicality, of which there are a lot.”

“Or we could just go in and steal the information we want,” Carya suggests. “Deal with it all in-house, make sure what needs to happen ends up happening.”

“And if you can't get him the legal way,” Artesia counters, “then he might escape punishment. Or do you plan to turn to assassination?”

The thought seems to put both Carya and her sister off, to the point you can feel the latter's agitation. “Point.”

“But ultimately it's up to you where we start,” Artesia decides.

“If we nail Hawke we extend the paper trail and sort out the sketchiness around SNRI,” Carya muses. “So that's where I think we should begin... perhaps with known associates?”

“I could give you a name or two that showed up in my investigations,” Artesia tells you.

>I will go.
>Carya, you should go.
>It's up to you, Carya.
>Other?

>>1482453
>Carya, you should go.

>>1482453
>>Carya, you should go.

>>1482453
>>Carya, you should go.

>>1482453
>>Carya, you should go.

>writing

>>1482493
You are Captain Carya Marseille-O'Hara, and four simple words from your partner suddenly fill you with a sense of importance that for the last few hours has seemed remarkably lacking: “Carya, you should go”.

It's easy to understand why she made the suggestion of course. While Rossweisse is a very calm and thoughtful person, with a thorough and methodical way of doing things, you're... not that. You both have absolutely unreasonable response times, even by newtype standards, but for you it's also a case of not having plans to go awry. Your ability to turn on a dime not just tactically but strategically means that you respond far more dynamically to an unknown or rapidly changing situation. In turn, that makes it that much easier for you to carry out missions like this one, and your special technique makes you that much more likely to survive extremely long odds.

“I understand,” you nod, dismissing those entirely-too-specific considerations from your mind. “I'll take point on this one.”

>So where and when should I meet this “associate”?
>Do you need any assistance obtaining a warrant?
>Other?

Also, pick one:
>I want you under guard, Artesia.
>I want you to remain aboard ship, Artesia.
>I want you on the ship and the ship in low orbit.

>>1482521
>>So where and when should I meet this “associate”?
>>I want you under guard, Artesia.

>>1482521
>So where and when should I meet this “associate”?
>I want you to remain aboard ship, Artesia.

>>1482521
>>So where and when should I meet this “associate”?
>>I want you to remain aboard ship, Artesia.

>>1482521
>Do you need any assistance obtaining a warrant?
>I want you under guard, Artesia.

>>1482551
>writing

>>1482588
“Do you have to leave the ship to set this up?” you ask. “Because I'd prefer that you not leave the ship at all for security reasons, but if you absolutely have to we should arrange a heavier guard detail.”

“Worried about me?” Artesia asks playfully, trying to disguise the fact that she shares your concerns to a degree.

“I am,” you reiterate. “You're my friend, Artesia. If you died because of this investigation of ours, because we put you up to it without doing everything we could to look out for you, I'd never be able to forgive myself.”

For a moment, she seems taken aback by your honesty. Then she smiles. “I see. Sometimes it's easy to forget that deep down inside you really care about people, you know? You do such a good job hiding it most of the time.”

“I'll take that as a compliment,” you grumble. “So anyway back to the subject at hand, are we going to get to work on that warrant?”

“I'll file it personally,” Artesia nods. “You get ready to do what you do best.”

“Can do,” you nod.

>Head downstairs, start selecting your equipment.
>Meet with Cima Garahau, she knows how to deal with sketchy people.
>Meet with Bianca Carlyle, share your distrust of the current situation at AE.
>Other?

>Am working on writing shorter updates quicker, trying to change the pacing of the quest up a bit
>Please continue to bear with me

>>1482664
>>Meet with Cima Garahau, she knows how to deal with sketchy people.

>>1482664
>Meet with Cima Garahau, she knows how to deal with sketchy people.

>>1482664
>>Meet with Bianca Carlyle, share your distrust of the current situation at AE.

Depending on whether she takes up any offers there, I'd say a heads up is warranted. Most of the AE are probably okay to work with though, she'll have to use some personal judgment on which branches seem skeevy.

>>1482664
>>Meet with Bianca Carlyle, share your distrust of the current situation at AE.
Ahh Carya, don't be so tsun.
(Changed my vote.)

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>>1482789
>Well, I've never fucked up Copy+Paste before. So that's new.
You decide to do two things at the same time: first you head down to your quarters to write a short note to Bianca Carlyle informing her that you're investigating the possibility that the entire military industry on Luna may be shot through with corruption and that some parts of Anaheim Electronics aren't above suspicion for the time being.

After clicking send you find Cima in her quarters. Knocking on the door calls her attention, and she seems happy enough to see you.

“So you're back,” she muses. “What do you need?”

“Perceptive as ever,” you shrug, siting in a chair she offers for you. “How are you holding out?”

“Well enough,” she admits. “I considered asking to go ashore here and move on, but it's starting to seem like you'd tell me to reconsider at this point.”

“Maybe not that bad, but we've certainly got some issues,” you tell her with a frown. “Artesia is setting me up with a contact, someone who's been working with a crooked senator here on Luna. I wanted your advice in how to deal with him.

“Well, guys like that are always after the same thing,” she explains carefully, “no matter what that thing happens to be.”

“So if they're after money...”

“All their actions will eventually tie back to getting themselves more money,” Cima nods. “Correct. Same goes for influence peddlers, information brokers, all kinds of people. The important part is figuring out what the person across from you is after.”

>And how would you go about that?
>So abuse my newtype abilities maliciously?
>And what if they're after none of those things?
>Other?

>>1482798
>>So abuse my newtype abilities maliciously?
>>And what if they're after none of those things?

>>1482798
>>So abuse my newtype abilities maliciously?

>>1482798
>And how would you go about that?

>>1482798
>>So abuse my newtype abilities maliciously?
>>And what if they're after none of those things?

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“So... in other words abuse my newtype abilities maliciously?” you muse.

“Basically, yes,” Cima nods. “That's what I'm saying. It's all about figuring out what kind of man you're dealing with, and if your newtype sense for people can help you pull that off use it.”

“Any other advice?” you ask her.

Cima ponders the point for a few moments. “Try not to be an ass. Assholes tend not to like that, and it's almost certain that you're gonna be dealing with an asshole of some kind.”

“I'll try and keep that in mind,” you nod.

With that established you and Cima exchange some further, less meaningful pleasantries before you excuse yourself. Knowing how bureaucracy works most places it seems unlikely that your warrant is ready yet, so Artesia won't want you acting. You head down to the flight deck to find Bianca sitting at a computer station against one of the walls.

“I just got your message,” she tells you. “Is it really all that bad?”

“Well, it isn't looking good,” you admit. “Experiments into AI control, an Internal Affairs officer who's been trying to claim that everything is peachy... and everyone seems to be pining after the bad old days of the Zeon wars. Nothing concrete yet, but it certainly doesn't smell good.”

“And so would you advise that I hold out until you know more?” she presses with an evaluating look.

>No, do what you feel is best for yourself.
>I'd suggest hanging around with us at least for a while.
>I'm sure we can find your something in the mean time.
>We could just CREATE a position for you.

>>1482935
>I'd suggest hanging around with us at least for a while.

>>1482935
>>I'd suggest hanging around with us at least for a while.

>>1482935
>No, do what you feel is best for yourself.

>>1482935
>No, do what you feel is best for yourself.
>I'd suggest hanging around with us at least for a while.
We'd prefer the latter, but she can do either.

>>1482935
>>I'd suggest hanging around with us at least for a while.
I wonder if the AI control thing mentioned got her thinking if piloting is gonna be a stable profession a long time from now?

“I'd suggest you stick with us for a while,” you tell her honestly. “See how this situation plays out before making a decision.”

“A decision that might put me on the 'wrong side', you mean?” she asks with a skeptical eyebrow.

You shrug. “It's possible. I can't say for sure what our relationship with Anaheim's gonna look like this time next week.”

It could get ugly.

“Things could get ugly.”

“How ugly?” Bianca asks curiously.

“About as ugly as the other times,” you shrug. “Massive firefights between mobile suits, high speed maneuvering, people using civilians as human shields, occasional deployment of nuclear weapons.”

“Sounds like a hell of a time,” Bianca grumbles. “I'd actually be down for that... assuming I was on the right side.”

“Yeah,” you admit, glancing away for a moment. “It can get... oddly satisfying.”

“So, let's not beat around the bush here,” Bianca moves the discussion forward. “Tell me truthfully, if it came to it and you had to throw down with Anaheim, or with the Lunar sphere's military, and I were on the other side... what would you do?”

“What do you mean?” you ask with a frown.

“I mean I've seen you spare people, I've seen you try and talk people down, I've seen you kill without a moment's hesitation,” she explains in a way that for her at least probably counts as 'careful'.

“I guess I just don't get the reasoning there all the time.”

>If it was you or me, I choose me. Every time.
>I'd try to spare you.
>At this point I'd refuse to kill you.
>You and I wouldn't end up fighting to begin with.

>last vote of the session

>>1483037
>>You and I wouldn't end up fighting to begin with.

>>1483037
>I'd try to spare you.

>>1483037
>>I'd try to spare you.

>>1483037
"I'd do what I could to spare you," you reply truthfully. "I can't say for sure beyond that."

"Ever the pragmatist," Bianca shakes her head, but her tone doesn't betray any disagreement with your answer.

"I'll make myself comfy and stick around a while longer."

>And that's where I have to call it, I'm having trouble staying awake.
>Archive is up, thanks for playing, and see you next time!

>>1483261
Night, King. Get you some rack time.