Then that is that then!
The rest of you are heading up to the extreme luxury of the high level casino, where the red and gold has reached almost beserk levels, and if the gambling tables themselves are not solid gold, they are a very good approximation of it. Everything is also quite quiet and dignified, and everyone is wearing their equivalent of suits...
Not quite sure you guys fit in here.
The top floor is basically a huge circle with the staffing and bar areas around the outisde and the gaming in the middle. Rand has to do two passes before he spots the narrow stairway upwards- it is behind thick red curtains which makes it impossible to see except for a subtle moment where someone slips down from above; the curtains are discretely opened by guards on the inside. There are guards on the outside too, and lots of surveillance., Clearly the way up to the private areas.
The entire southern half of the circular wall is glass (or hi-tech glass equivalent), affording a fantastic view of the city. This would have been the way in for anyone trying to scale the tower, very hard as that was, though sabreing in without being noticed would have been a trick and a half.
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The rest of you have made it back to your ships just fine- no trouble in sight at all.
Galder is incredibly suspicious about what the Bureau is here for if his ship hasn't been locked down and they haven't already been ambushed, unless they're trying to play it off as if they haven't noticed us.
He finds that unlikely...
Are there any terminals that Galder could access that could get him info about what they're doing here? Docking records, maybe? Any emergency broadcasts like they've done in the past?
Rand admires the view for a moment as he makes his way around this level, before finally catching a glimpse of the stairway up to what must be Galen's private rooms. He will point it out to Gallador and Relle (as I am unsure if anyone else is with us at this point) but make no move toward it.
"We should socialize and find out what we can before getting ourselves involved in the games," Rand says. "I'm thinking we'll need to raise further funds to attract Galen's attention..."
Rand will head into the bar areas to purchase a glass of wine and see who there is to socialize with, trying to fish for information about Galen, his recent activities, and how to get in touch with him.
To Relle, he comments, "Scout out what we're up against."
Good idea! Consider them re-constructed, and you have time to test and everything so no surprises.
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A good two dozen or so guards around, Relle, but nothing particularly stand-outish about them. They mostly stay in the background. As for the electronic stuff- well, the controls are presumably upstairs, and as for fiddling with the links down here, doing that unseen would need a miracle. The way up is under continuous surveillance- electronic and manual.
I'll have some results for Rand soon- any other plans? Your gamblers are getting going, for sone thing.
Same games, Relle, but played under circumstances of extreme quiet and concentration. The side betting is far less pronounced here and everyone is under much closer observation- in fact, your rather large attending crowd stands out a mile. You are getting glances and so forth even without doing anything.
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Rand- as far as you can tell, Galen is the same now as he ever was. He very rarely comes down- sometimes to congratulate someone on a giant win, though that's an option probably reserved for one of you guys having Gambling. He lives up the top of that tower and no-one goes up there except staff and personal friends.
Nothing suspicious in his recent movements.
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This is going to be a tough one, Gallador. Your gambler has invested all he has to match the stake here. If he loses badly, his life will be ruined. If he gets a big win, he'll be set up for life.
A giant win might be necessary, unless some other gambler pulls it off. Can't it be one of our gamblers?
Rand will inquire about Galen's personal friends to see if anyone significant has seen him lately, namely someone like Adelmo or those bounty hunters sent after us. Does Galen appear to have any criminal dealings that people whisper about?
I don't suppose a Mind Trick would get us through here.
Rand will see what that idiot Breko has gotten up to.
He's a dice gamer, Gallador!
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Rand- it would get you through the guards down here, but not past the electronic surveillance, and with so many watching, someone would raise the alarm- especially as you guys stand out so.
Breko is starting to lose money.
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Well now, Azarl, that's a hard one. As far as your instincts are concerned, you aren't happy, but then seeing as there's a Bureau ship parked virtually adjacent to you, that's not so much instinct as logic.
Beyond that... well. This has been a problem from the start, hasn't it? You've not sensed a damn thing. There's something about all that which makes you uncomfortable.