2022-01-21: Sergeant Sousuke Sagara's Security Services Suit Sayla's Society Soiree Swell
- Log: Sergeant Sousuke Sagara's Security Services
- Cast: Sousuke Sagara, Sayla Mass
- Where: In a safehouse in OAC territory.
- Date: January 21, 2022
- Summary: Sayla Mass goes for a preliminary meeting with the security consultant for the upcoming Yumi Foundation fundraiser. He's...striking.
+-----------------------< East African Community [OAC] >-----------------------+
| The East African Community (EA) is among the safest places to live
| on Earth, despite not being nearly as fortified as the South African
| United States. Cities here are downright peaceful, if a little on the
| sprawling side. This is one of the few places on Earth where it is nice to
| live without being prohibitively expensive, though the more that becomes a
| known quantity, the less true it becomes.
+---------------------------------< Players >----------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
It has been a busy few days and frankly, after what happened in Sweetwater, Sayla could use a week hiding in her home, with a familiar meal, fine wine and warm company.
Unfortunately, the throbbing in her head reminds her that she should skip the wine. And the beeping of her watch reminds her she doesn't HAVE a week to hide. So the water and hydration gel she took on the shuttle, and the painkillers she took on landing will have to do the job for her. At least she kept breakfast down.
She looks at her watch, a chunky thing that vaguely seemed like a miniturized pager, and hits the alarm. "Security review. Fantastic." She waves down the taxi, to get to the arranged meeting place.
It was not, by and large, Sayla's preferred location. It was certainly discreet, defensible, manageable, all those were good. It was also extremely out of the way. As a matter of precaution, Sayla hits a button on something hidden up her sleeve- an encoding transmission of her last co-ordinates to the nearest Shuffle operative or dead drop.
With a sigh, Sayla walks up the steps, pulling the key she was given out of her pocket. When this was through, she'd have to ask if this was the consultant's idea, or her own people's?
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
The door opens inward, the hinges wailing in protest. The hall on the other side is barren, leading a few meters in and then opening out on the right into a larger living space. It's not a large place, and the furniture that is there has a certain...'this is a safehouse and this exists so I don't have gun cases in the open', kind of look to it. There is a kitchen. The counter contains five boxes of fruit flavored CalorieMark blocks and one of CalorieMark flavored CalorieMark. The table - the cheap kind you get from the hardware store for holding up lemonade stands and, apparently, laptop computers - is cluttered with the equipment of a semi-permanent communication installation; radios, boosters, Minovsky interferometers, and in the middle is a laptop of the rugged military kind.
In front of THAT, is the man she's here to meet. He's East Asian in look with the slightly dark skin of a person who spends their time outside. Brown hair. When he turns, dark gray eyes. He's wearing the kind of olive drab uniform that Britannia has spent a considerable amount of effort murdering in cold fashion blood. Over the left one breast, there is a small pin, simply reading SRT.
This is the uniform, and the distinctive unit pin, of Mithril's Special Response Team, their piloting-and-general-elites unit. Whether Sayla knows that will depend on if she's read the briefs.
"Miss Mass," he says, his face almost fully unreadable. "Good morning. You're right on time. I've been reviewing the venue."
He motions for her to sit, in a wooden chair with a pad on it he DEFINITELY got from the dollar store, like, today.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Some of the equipment looks familiar- she was a comms officer before she was a pilot- but far newer technology. She knows about the interferometers but... they weren't exactly a concern during the one year war. For some reason.
Sayla was not unfamiliar with Mithril- When Lord Mallory had reached out to the leadership of the alliance, they were a much needed boost. But the Special Response Team hadn't been the ones she'd dealt with- it was another cell who had delivered the Saint Lance as a gesture of good faith- but this was her first meeting with this crew. Well, a member of it, at least.
The full briefs, however, are in a secure location and not here and now. Her memory is good but- the soldier is entirely unnerving. It's not often she is completely unable to get a read on someone. Not only is the young man's face giving no clues, he gives off none of the tells that she subconsciously understands.
To her eyes, Sousuke Sagara seems to be statue- immaculately carved, but a rock all the same.
Still, he gives her one small opportunity to let her see how the conversation will flow. "Doctor Mass, actually. For the few occasions I have the time to practice." She takes a seat on the cheap chair. And here she had thought she'd have to wait months to experience something the quality of Sweetwater's public rail system's seating. "You are... Sergeant Sagara?" She hopes she remembers that brief correctly. "Thank you for taking charge of our security. The OAC will have their own people, but these events draw attention." She tries to settle herself, taking off her light coat- with a careful movement to try and conceal the slight impression made by the sidearm she carries concealed.
"I'd like to hear your report."
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
These days, it's a household concern to know if you're going to be able to call your kids anytime soon. Or at least, call your waiting chopper for pickup. "Ah. Apologies." A rookie mistake, but Sousuke rarely deals with people whose rank he can't see on their shoulders.
His face really does give away not a thing, and his posture is the kind of ramrod straight one normally expects from a soldier who is currently looking directly at a person who is allowed to make them clean toilets. One gets the impression this is just how he is. "That is correct, Ma'am. Sergeant Sousuke Sagara, Mithril West Pacific Fleet Special Response Team." A normal person might smile. He does not. He barely blinks, looking at her with full intensity. "It is an honor, Ma'am. Ensuring the safety of an event like this is what this is all about." That...didn't sound like a phrase he'd come up with on his own.
His eyes cut to the sidearm's location like it had a neon sign on it. He tenses just slightly and then relaxes back to...well that's not something a human would call 'comfortable', but it's back to where he was before anyway. He reaches over to a report on /paper/ on a /clipboard/, but...not actually on any fancy letterhead, and briefly glances it over. "I've prepared a few approaches," he notes. "I believe this will be effective." He hands it over, and then begins speaking from memory.
"The venue is a civilian facility" - not restaurant, not hotel... - "commonly used for meetings targeted at wealthy guests. That means solid existing onsite security hardware and staff that are used to being bribed. We'll need to prepare a sizable payment to ensure they remain on-side. As for physical security--"
The report goes into depth on the threat posed by everything from snipers ("The windows open out over the city, providing ample opportunity to anyone with access to a weapon that can pierce armored glass") to particularly aggressive protesters ("There was an incident in 0043 where a Federation minister was assaulted by a hurled jar of mayonnaise, resulting in his death by anaphylaxis.").
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Oh dear. This one might have some trouble adjusting to the... 'rank structure' of the alliance. Still, if the manage requests through the captain, it should be fine. The fact that Sousuke's approach is... apologise and move on speeaks volumes of him. It does not, however, give Sayla anything more to go on than 'he's a professional, unnervingly so'. "Appreciated."
She's dealt with disciplined soldiers before, but few as young as Sousuke. Fewer who are still in active service as Sousuke. On the White Base, she had been one of the top three most disciplined on the ship, though where seemed to change day to day. If someone like Sousuke had been there... how much worse would the clashes have been? She shakes herself out of it. Here and now, Sayla. Here and now.
Sayla takes the clipboard, nodding to Sousuke. "That's been taken into account, at least. The going rate in the OAC is higher than average, but it's a wealthy bloc and we're holding the event close to LaTour." The concept of bribing people doesn't even seem to surprise her. She quickly gives a figure which is... significant, but serious. "Does that seem reasonable, sergeant?" This, clearly is not Sayla's first rodeo.
The rest of the report, however, Sayla seems to appreciate Sagara's thoroughness- "May I make notes? Or would you rather I leave this one unmarked?"- When that is resolved, she's analyzing. It's... extensive. Perhaps a little too much in some places but... There is expertise at play that puts her own people to shame. And this isn't Sagara's specialty?
"This should be more than sufficient. I see some of the Britannians putting up a fuss about the nature of the search, but that's one of the good parts." She pauses. "This is within budget, correct? The Foundation has a tolerance, but I'd like to know in advance."
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Sousuke takes it further than even most disciplined soldiers do. Usually there's a sense that they have an 'off', even if it's reserved for whatever they do in their quarters. Sousuke...not so much. He's barely blinking. It's not inhuman, so much as INTENSE focus. Indeed, even now that he's not as much presenting as discussing, he doesn't lean against anything, standing straight.
He blinks, once, twice, which apparently passes for confusion for him. A few seconds later he nods. "Yes, that should be adequate, doctor." She thought ahead about the bribes...interesting.
"Oh. Marking it up is not a problem," he says, regarding the report.
"A well-conducted search should leave nobody happy," he says, which SHOULD be a joke but isn't. "Yes, the proposal there is within budget. It accounts for one ARM Slave in inactive standby, and several Special Response Team members seeded into the crowd and staff positions; plus an allowance for any other Shuffle Alliance that might wish to show."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
That intense focus is... It's not what she saw in Amuro, early in the war. The focus isn't covering up fatigue and despair. It's not doing maintenance not to think about what you've done. Sousuke is 'simply' exceptionally disciplined, more than any soldier she has seen. It makes her uneasy, for many reasons.
"You'd be surprised what goes into running a charity in a post-Operation Stardust world." So Sergeant Sagara *can* be caught off guard. "Even after the Impact Wars, but we weren't in operation then. Medical supplies and food are the first to be raided. If not by desperate people or a certain breed of Vulture, then by soldiers or bureaucrats." She sighs. "We've lost more opioids and chocolates to REA officers than I care to admit."
Sayla lets out a bitter sigh. "True. I wish we'd had the training back in '79." 'The war' has become such a meaningless term. "Who knows how many might still be with us?"
An Arm Slave, hm. "I know Mithril have certain technologies, but it won't cause problems with our hosts, will it? Johannesburg can get... jumpy about foreign operatives." It's not the Iron Fortress for nothing. "And a mix of guests and staff... I can agree with that. Please make sure that they're interspersed between donors and beneficiaries." There's no reason, after all, it's harder for a terrorist to look like a rich donor than one of the people accepting the foundation's aid.
"I'm happy to sign off on this arrangement, Sergeant. Good work. We'll be expecting at least one member of the Britannian Royal Family, but it seems rarer not to these days. The rest of the guest list won't be finalized until a few days out, but I will ensure it's sent to you as soon as it's finalized." She stretches. "Still, the stakes have been lowered since Environment Councillor Chidori pulled out. He's normally there for a fancy mealand a bottle of the oldest vintage we have, but he certainly came through on grants when he was going up the ladder. He's come a long way from junior secretary, I'll say that much." She sighs again. "Still, I'm glad to be out."
Sayla looks to Sousuke- her headache hasn't withdrawn entirely, but she is still feeling rough. "Is that everything, Sergeant? I'd assume a final meeting before the event will take place, but I'm willing to entrust you with this plan."
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"It makes sense," Sousuke says. "As you say. Raiding and reselling or simply using supplies is a potentially profitable enterprise. The best countermeasure is to make not doing it more profitable."
He has a sharp eye for the practical side of it and seemingly not a ton of interest in the charity side of it. Perhaps that's just how people who live that life get. Though...Sousuke doesn't seem terribly good as a source of generalizations...
"It won't be a problem. With it in inactive mode, if all goes well, it will remain in the loading dock all night. Certainly if it is needed, they'll have objections, but at that point there'll be other problems anyway." Like the fact a robot fight has broken out. "Transportation of resources covertly is a specialty of ours. Getting it in and out won't be a problem."
"Understood," he says to the rest. He's still pretty straight but as Sayla stretches, he does relax into...'merely' weirdly rigid, rather than fully looking like she has the authority to tie him to a train.
'...Environment Councilor Chidori...'.
And then he goes RAMROD straight for a full three seconds, easing out of it only slowly. He knows that name, alright. He finds his teeth clenching involuntarily. He's /not/ coming. Not. She said that. OK. This is fine. It's not like Angel's relationship is very good anyway.
"Ah, eh--" wow, a stumble there, "Yes, that's everything, Doctor. We can review the final plan once the guest list is complete."
He can feel sweat on his scalp. Not good. That really caught him off guard. Can't show it like that.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla can appreciate pragmatists. She was one for a long time. Still is, really. But... you kind of need both, don't you? Untempered optimism gets you hurt, and untempered pragmatism hurts others.
This is not a discussion she imagines she will be having with the Sergeant any time soon.
"You seem to have thought out all the particulars, Sergeant." Sayla smiles rather warmly. "I appreciate your diligence. I'm loathe to mix the Foundation with our friends, but covert transportation of resources may be needed soon. I have colleagues in space and on Earth but... more are always a help, in this business."
Sayla stands, picking up her light coat and bag, only to look up at the Sergeant who is suddenly sweating, and utterly rigid. "Sergeant, are you alright?" A stress reaction after what she's seen of the young man seems unlikely- and she's still getting no tells on what Sousuke is feeling. Concern runs across her face. Multiple seconds to ease out of sudden rigidness- but there's no signs of anything that could inflict a wound. Again, it seems out of character.
Sayla moves forward with purpose, but not hostility, and reaches across the table with the back of her hand to-
Place it against Sousuke's forehead, as her complicated, clunky old watch brings up her own body temperature and the room temperature. "...You don't seem to have a fever." She says, flatly. "Still. Sergeant, drink two large glasses of water over the next hour, and if the sweating doesn't subside contact me and I'll bring my medical kit. You may have other contacts, but I am trained and already know the area." She sighs again. "And fortunately or not, you're in my specialty range still." She starts for the door. "I'll be in meetings until three, but I can move my schedule around. Understood?"
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
The motion toward him gets a similar reaction, as he watches the approaching hand like he were searching it for a poisoned dart (he is).
But he survives the ensuing 25 seconds of human contact. Sayla stepping aside sees him relax back toward his beginning posture. He knows what this is. He'll....be fine. Chidori will be safe in her bed. The fundraiser will go off without a hitch and /everything/ will go /great/.
"Understood," Sousuke says, with a bit less projection than before, and then nods. "Thank you for your time today, Doctor."