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Cry Havoc! [Closed]

Posts
65
#21
A plan was coming together, but still Edwin felt the tug of discontent. He felt useless in this room; kept on a leash when a part of him wanted to be turned loose so he could tear out the throat of anyone who hurt his sister. But there was wisdom in careful planning, and he tried his best to tamp down his personal feelings on the matter.

“She’s strong enough to take it,” Celeste said of his assessment that Barrett would do everything in his power to break Addie’s spirit. They’d gone a round or two on this point already, and Edwin was tempted to ask her if she still believed his father a common thug, but he kept his mouth shut. “Because if we rush in and botch it, it’s going to take that much longer and be that much harder. Between Varric and I, we’ve got the muscle to get her out by force, if need be, but the risk of someone getting hurt - or dead - in the process goes way up. Better to take some time and lay a plan and a backup or two.”

Edwin didn’t disagree. He’d already said as much. And while he wanted to get Addie out as soon as possible, he wasn’t willing to throw away innocent lives to do it. Restating the plan to this point, he realized there was a need for distraction, as Nicolette had said.

“If by ‘him’, you mean your father, a ‘Vint delegation at his door should hold his attention if we do it that way. If not, we go in at night, while he's sleeping.”

Celeste went on to ask Josc about her contact, and thankfully that piece of the puzzle seemed easy enough to arrange.

“Do you have any suggestions for keeping the guards distracted?” Nicolette asked. “Are they to be scared from their positions, or lured?”

"I know I'm not participating in that part of the plan, but lured might be best? The men I've seen at the estate when I've been for visits don't seem to be the type to easily scare. Well, all except for one of the gate guards who froze up when Algernon and I walked past one late afternoon." Edwin snorted at that. "Doesn't seem to keen on dogs that one."

“I agree, luring them is least likely to cause a stir. The men my father has hired of late are the unemployable sort. Men who were released from previous duties because of their temperament; because they’re not above cruelty for cruelty’s sake.”

He’d obtained records on a few of them. It had all been part of his strategy to work from the outside in, dismantling the pieces of armor that protected his father before striking at the heart. For five years he’d been working on that plan, and in one night it had mostly unraveled.

“I don’t think they’ll truly care about a fire, or anything a city guard would care about,” Edwin mused. He considered Varric for a moment, then said, “if he’s expecting me, he’ll have promised a substantial amount of coin to those men if they finish what he started. Why not give them the opportunity? We can set up some kind of trap in the alleyway. I’ll be the bait, Nicolette can spring said trap once we get them where we want them, and they’ll be out of the way for a while.”

It would give him something to do, at least, and provide an excuse for theatrics that would temper his more lethal desires.
 

Celeste Monroe

Shenaniginstigator In Chief
Post DAI Timeline
DAO/DA2 Timeline
Posts
358
#22
The plan was shaping up, and if Edwin looked like he still wanted to bash his way in, kill his father and save his sister in one neat, theatrical swoop, his butt stayed in his chair and his mind stayed engaged. Celeste couldn’t fault him his feelings, but she wasn’t going to let him give in to them, and not only because Nicolette was in on the caper. Her brother getting killed to win her freedom would devastate Addie, a fact that she didn’t think Edwin fully realized. Celeste wouldn’t sacrifice Nico to keep his fool ass safe, but she could make damn sure that they had a plan that would run the least amount of risk for all involved. Fucking with rich prigs was what she did, after all. Part of it, anyway.

Josc didn’t seem to think it would take long to contact the friend who would search the ‘Vint ship. "A couple of hours at most, hopefully. Should be quick enough to arrange, so once we know if the ship is in port we can get rolling on all of this."

“It’s not here yet, or someone would have come to tell us.” Celeste’s crew obeyed her, yes, but they also had the intelligence and initiative to make their own calls when needed, and they would know that information was something they would want. “When it does make port, we’re going to have to move fast.” Once the templars determined that there was no lyrium on board the ship (unless there actually was, which would be delightfully ironic and get her a couple of extra points from the Knight-Commander for passing on the ‘rumor’), the slaver would either give the whole thing up and leave immediately or move to conclude his business as fast as possible. Either option meant a short window of opportunity before shit got complicated.

“I can take care of contacting everyone,” Varric told her. “Just get word to me.” Celeste nodded. Kirkwall was his city; he had the network for that operation.

Nicolette wondered whether it would be better to lure the guards from their posts or try to spook them, and Josc voted for luring.

“I agree,” Edwin spoke up, “luring them is least likely to cause a stir. The men my father has hired of late are the unemployable sort. Men who were released from previous duties because of their temperament; because they’re not above cruelty for cruelty’s sake.”

That was interesting beyond informing their tactics. Hiring thugs indicated that either Barratt Orland didn’t have the money to hire honest soldiers - which didn’t seem to be the case - or that he had them at tasks that honest men would refuse to do. That was something that would be helpful when they were looking to neutralize Orland after they had gotten Addie away. Barrett and Sterling in prison might not be as satisfying to Edwin as Barrett and Sterling dead, but it had far fewer inconvenient strings attached, and Celeste filed that bit of information away for future perusal.

“I don’t think they’ll truly care about a fire, or anything a city guard would care about,” Edwin went on, glancing briefly to Varric before continuing, “if he’s expecting me, he’ll have promised a substantial amount of coin to those men if they finish what he started. Why not give them the opportunity? We can set up some kind of trap in the alleyway. I’ll be the bait, Nicolette can spring said trap once we get them where we want them, and they’ll be out of the way for a while.”

Celeste gave Varric a questioning look, and the dwarf nodded. Good enough. Addie’s big brother was the only wild card in Celeste’s mind, the only one she hadn’t worked with, and the one with the most skin in this game. Josc cared about Addie, but she didn’t have his burning hatred for the rest of the Orland clan. That hate stood the best chance of knocking the whole plan off the rails, but it could also be what made it work, because it was very, very much reciprocated by Barrett toward his eldest son.

“That’ll work,” she agreed. “You can tap Dax, Sorcha and Bailey to help out.” This was to Nicolette. Those three excelled in ambushes, and a good part of the rest of the crew would be needed for the decoy ‘Vint delegation, if they went that direction.

“I’ve got a couple of people who would be willing to help out with that, too,” Varric put in.

“When they spot you, do you think they’ll wake your father or just give chase and hope to surprise him with you?” she asked Edwin. That would determine how she and Josc proceeded once the guards were away.
 

Nicolette O'Hara

Prominent member
DAO/DA2 Timeline
Posts
240
#23
Nicolette could barely believe she was in on a conversation like this. Everybody was earnestly discussing tactics on how to break in, how to disable or distract the guards, how to get Addie out safely in the small window of time afforded to them by the temporary delay to the slaver’s ship. It was all so far out of her usual activities – and yet, she did not wish to be anywhere else. She liked Addie, and she would rather take a risk than allow the young woman to stay in that house a second longer.

The consensus was reached to lure the guards away. Nicolette had a sinking feeling about where this might lead, but Edwin gave her a pleasant surprise. “I’ll be the bait, Nicolette can spring said trap once we get them where we want them, and they’ll be out of the way for a while.”

It would put Edwin in danger, but Nicolette did not push that point. He would know and he had already accepted it. Celeste backed his plan, before turning to Nicolette. “You can tap Dax, Sorcha and Bailey to help out.” Nicolette nodded seriously, already turning over a plan in her mind.

“Perhaps a glue trap. Followed by a dose of sleeping gas once we have them all concentrated in one spot.” Something that would not actually kill anybody, but keep them in place and quiet long enough to carry out the rescue.

“When they spot you, do you think they’ll wake your father or just give chase and hope to surprise him with you?”

Nicolette suspected they would give chase right away. If they alerted Barratt Orland first, they risked losing Edwin almost immediately, and if they had been paid to ‘finish the job’ – a thought that gave her chills – they would likely follow him like dogs going after a hare.
 
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Joscelyn Hawke

Prominent member
Canon Character
Noble
Post DAI Timeline
DAO/DA2 Timeline
Posts
67
#24
It’s not here yet, or someone would have come to tell us.” Celeste seemed sure of that, and Josc had no reason to question it. She finished her note to Zevran, looking to arrange a quick meeting soon. “When it does make port, we’re going to have to move fast.

Josc nodded at that, and set her note aside to dry, offering the pen and leftover paper to Edwin.

I agree, luring them is least likely to cause a stir. The men my father has hired of late are the unemployable sort. Men who were released from previous duties because of their temperament; because they’re not above cruelty for cruelty’s sake.

Edwin agreed that luring was best. In her eyes that was the best way to minimize or even negate casualties on their end, and she hoped others agreed as well. What Edwin proposed next put her on edge a bit however. Using himself as bait was definitely a surefire way to get the guards attention, but it would also put him in danger. And if something happened to Edwin… well, she had someone she’d have to answer to. As much as that worried her, Addie was Edwin’s sister, and this was his choice to make. She doubted Aveline would want to take away that choice, even if the consequences had a possible dire outcome.

That’ll work,” Celeste said before turning to Nicolette. “You can tap Dax, Sorcha and Bailey to help out.

Varric offered some of his hirelings too, and Josc shook her head. It was amazing how fast they all had thrown this together. Too bad it couldn’t be implemented the moment they left the room.

Celeste asked Edwin about the chase, and Josc had a question of her own in there, “Do you know the alleyways and layout there already? Or should all involved in that point of the plan do some scouting without being seen?

Knowing his route and alternate routes would help keep him safer than running blind.

Nicolette had suggested some traps, glue and gas. Not a very bloody minded woman, but that necessarily wasn’t a bad thing. “Gas is good, but if it somehow fails, I’d suggest some poison that does the same thing on some blades. No stabbing, but a quick slice if things go awry.

She was getting antsy now, itching to get that message sent off, and to prepare anything they would need before the actual break out. She perched in her chair, looking around at everyone, waiting to see what the final touches would be.
 
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