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James Bond      As the capital of a country, Bratislava is much easier for Elites to find on a map than a coastal French resort town in the slump season. Ordinarily, it is also much more difficult to reach by normal means. On this world, Czechoslovakia is considered by some to be a puppet state of the USSR. Despite that, the Communist Party here pays only lip service to the current prevailing Soviet ideas of reform.

     As a result, travel along official lines is hard, bordering on impossible if your world or country of origin is seen as bourgeois. The borders are closely watched and militarized. The Watch rarely acts in an 'official' manner, and fortunately, you have connections. Better, you have options.

     MI6 can get you in, but they will disavow any such support in the event that things get hairy with the government here. If things go loud, officially, you'll be on your own. Any future Watch operations in communist countries would need to account for heavy resistance from their respective governments.

     Alternatively, there is General Pushkin. Officially, the KGB has no power here, nor does the USSR, save political influence. That said, Pushkin's Moscow connections could get you in with more legitimacy than MI6 could muster. That might also mean a little leeway for shenanigans, given the man's reasonable and understanding nature. He is as shrewd as he is reaosnable, however, and will likely expect something in return.

     Those of you who have entered with outside assistance have been forwarded relevant details as well as clothes to fit in and suit the climate--this time of year, it's cool, bordering on chilly.
James Bond      The city itself is bisected by the Danube river. A number of bridges as well as a public transportation system (trolleys and buses, for the most part) will carry you to either side as needed. Your rendezvous point is up to you. Though the public areas are monitored with blocky-looking security cameras, it might be better to hide beneath their notice than to try and escape it. Clandestine gatherings are frowned upon in authoritarian states such as this.

     Your mission is to take the place of Le Chiffre and his guest at the conert, in the hopes of learning about the Octopus Group. The conert is tomorrow, giving you a day to prepare. Welcome to Bratislava. What will you do?
Big Boss Two men pass through the border through official IDs. They're East Germans, coming for a show, with 'legitimate' identification, or at least, as far as the security can tell. One of them is taciturn, quiet. The other is clearly, 100% German in both accent and word use, clearly a resident. He says all the right things. He knows exactly how this works. The former, a strong blonde, a cross between a movie star and a rugged, worn soldier in looks. The latter, dark-haired and dark-eyed, the type of man you'd expect to be secret police.

Once inside, Silent Jackal and Stalker Bloodhound have booked a hotel for the duration of the visit, with money from Outer Heaven's funds. They're under aliases - Silent Jackal isn't used to this as well as Stalker Bloodhound, but this is basically just an on-site procurement mission.

But the night before, they decide to head to a bar, certainly not to meet conspirators. Oh, no, who would ever imagine such a thing?
Deelel So here we were again it was time to follow up on the aftermath of the last operation on this world while she did think to work with Pushkin she knew he would rightly want something back in return. She might take options with him later, however for Deelel she would be sneaking in, on her light jet and using her abilities to craft an illusion to hopefully fool anyone watching, she'd managed to get some clothes from the watch as well. She should not look out of place, clothing-wise. Other than that she's going to try to keep a lowish profile, though she thinks. Humans like pubs, Programs do as well, so she figured there would be such places to go and just pick up the local rumours and scuttlebutt. At least, that's her plan to start, she'll see where she can go from there. If she's luckily she can find a place people working at the concert might be drinking ort eat and pick up some information there.
Amelris Belthrone      It takes a lot for Amelris to even remotely look like a local, so it's something he's not going to even /try/. Instead, there is a call to General Pushkin. He needs to get inside, get himself a visa and all nice and legal for the area. It is provided, along with the promise that favors asks for favors.

     Amelris pass through the border with very little problem, beyond just some brief double takes at his papers. He is dressed in a more modern cut of clothing, obviously still red but more muted to the local sensibilities. That's not what get people. What do is his papers that tells him he is a liason from the Interplanetary Institute for the Arcane Sciences, with the official appelation of being a 'Red Mage'.

     It took a brief explanation when given the papers to explain just how funny that was.

     Wearing a flat hata additionally to his regular outfit, after checking into an hotel, the Red Mage comes down to the given watering hole, spinning with his fingers a cane. Having a regular sword out and in sight might've been a bit out there. A swordcane will do just as well for his purposes.
Nova Terra     A small cloud high in the sky above Czechoslovakia is slowly parted by an invisible force. The Terran stealth-destroyer, Griffin, floats unseen through the air. It's still quite a distance away from the capital, as its cloak is not perfect when inside an atmosphere and would likely not stand up to close scrutiny. But the chances of it being stumbled upon by a local air patrol during the short time it has dipped into the atmosphere is low. As the Griffin is not staying for long, planning to return to orbit shortly. It's just here to drop off a certain covert operative.

    The Griffin's bay door opens and a aircraft slides out of it it. The twin horizontal rotors of the Covert Banshee spin up just as it is ejected. A wash of blue light races across its surface as it too quickly turns invisible as it leaves its mothership, angling down towards the ground as thrusters kick in to propel it forward. The cloaked Banshee heads down towards the capital in the distance, while the cloaked Griffin rises up out of the atmosphere once more.

    Some time later, a blast of downward wind kicks up a cloud of dirt and leaves in the remote wilds not too far outside of Bratislava. The Banshee reappears once more as it comes in for a landing, the whine of the engines falling as they power down. The canopy opens and a bag comes flying out, thumping down on the ground. Nova follows, climbing out of the cockpit and jumped down to the ground. She takes a few steps away before turning back to her craft. As she taps a few commands into the display on the wrist armour of her environment suit, the Banshee cloaks once more.

    Nova turns, moving to the bag she had thrown. She opens it, digging through it before pulling out a large cloak and scarf. She's not cold. Her environment suit finely controls its internal temperature to keep her as comfortable as possible while altering its external temperature to match that of its surroundings. No. She dons the warm clothes as a means of keeping her suit away from most prying eyes/lenses, slipping her visor off her head and sliding it into the big coat. She did consider staying cloaked all the way into the city. But given its size, it would be far too tiring. This is much simpler.

    So finally, after a bit of a trek through the wild and into the city, Nova wanders into the bar where the group had organized to meet. She drops her bag beside a seat before flopping into it and letting out a long breath.
James Bond      Somewhere in the country, on a computer monitor awash in green light, a blip appears. It is gone, logged as a curiosity and quickly forgotten. Nova touches down some minutes later, no worse for wear. Perhaps someone will think to look for that incident, but only if they're given cause. The sophistication of her stealth technology compared to current countermeasures reduces her presence to that single, anomalous blip. As long as things go smoothly, the heat is low.

     Deelel is able to fly through the contested airspace, without getting shot down, largely because her digital illusions create a convincing enough facade. Her lightjet seems, to the eyes of those in the guard towers, a friendly--but her radio crackles with a terse admonishment. Calling her by the falsified designation, the ATC tower scolds her for her approach angle, and warns that her superior officer will be notified for this infraction. That might be a problem later, when they discover that there is no such aircraft on record with the air force.

     For now, however, she can safely land at a place of her choosing, whereupon she may don the simple street clothes afforded by the Watch and make the rest of the trip inland to Bratislava on her lightcycle. She'll find the others at the RV point, a bar near the city's industrial district, mostly catering to day laborers.

     It's here that Amelris can be seen--his penchant for the color red makes him easy to pick out, even when it's tailored for Czech sensibilities. He is mingling near two men who appear to be germans, and they blend in naturally enough that the conversation between the red mage and the two Germans seems authentic. By the time everyone arrives, the evening has just begun. As such, the din of the bar is enough to conceal what you're saying from idle ears, so long as you take care not to say anything too direct, too loudly.
Damocles Damocles is not what one would call 'subtle'.  For one thing, he's over 3 meters tall.  For another, he's a space wizard.  However, he doesn't like that stop him from going on stealth infiltration missions.  Admittedly, he should probably learn some invisibility or disguise spells, but that just never seemed to come up until recently, and developing new magic takes time.

The checkpoints aren't terribly hard for him to get around. Damocles has perfected his teleportation magic, and so he simply teleports past the problem, stepping through reality with a shimmer of violet fire. 

He's traded in his standard sorcerer robes for a set of unmarked military fatigues and some tactical gear.  It's a bit of a different look for him, covering his actual armor in fairly loose military clothing, but his goal is to appear like a giant mercenary rather than foreign space wizard, in order to help him blend in. 

After he teleports him, he moves to a more discrete spot, and then simply steps out and heads in, holding himself confidently, with a sense of authority as he walks past.  It's amazing what doors 'looking like you belong' and 'being fuckhuge' will open.
James Bond      Damocles can easily break past the borders. Though they are militarized in a way that might remind him of his home galaxy, they have no means to prevent magical incursion. Whether they look into that as a viable countermeasure depends on his actions here today. The military is a regular sight here. Two-meter tall space wizards are not. People seem to accept, uneasily, that he belongs here--but there are cameras abound in public places, in a way that is unsettling. As large as he is, he's probably used to it--but it goes without saying that eyes are on him. He'll have to make sure his actions are deliberate and careful.

     The bar is a tight fit for him. He has to duck his head, and people edge away from him meekly, muttering to themselves. It might be best to sit *near* the others, without being close enough for others to associate him with them.
Nova Terra     Nova leans back in her chair as she orders a drink. Something to 'warm her up'. Her words. She doesn't know what they drink here. But, it would look weird to go to a pub and not order anything. That just screams suspicious.

    As her drink arrives, Nova takes a sip, all the while casually poking at the minds of the other patrons who are not her allies. Just checking their surface thoughts to see if there happen to be any persons of interest here. People that might not take kindly to covert operatives sneaking in. Authority types.

    In between her invasion of people's privacy - Not that it's any fun for Nova, the things you learn about people that way... - Nova glances around at her allies, noting that they all appear to be here. Though she does a double-take at Damocles without his hood. But finally she quietly radios to the others, "Looks like that's all of us. I'm guessing the next step is to recon the site of the concert. Check out the security, identify locations for surveillance, consider escape routes for if and when things get dicey. The usual."
Deelel So here we were again it was time to follow up on the aftermath of the last operation on this world while she did think to work with Pushkin she knew he would rightly want something back in return. She might take options with him later, however for Deelel she would be sneaking in, on her light jet and using her abilities to craft an illusion to hopefully fool anyone watching, she'd managed to get some clothes from the watch as well. She should not look out of place, clothing-wise. Other than that she's going to try to keep a lowish profile, though she thinks. Humans like pubs, Programs do as well, so she figured there would be such places to go and just pick up the local rumours and scuttlebutt. At least, that's her plan to start, she'll see where she can go from there. If she's luckily she can find a place people working at the concert might be drinking ort eat and pick up some information there.

She will check out her allies but more in the sense of looking around as she listens in on the otehr goings on in the bar.
Amelris Belthrone      Truth to be told, Amelris sort of have this 'thing' going for him that makes it rather hard to NOT not be noticed even if he tried. Oh, it happens, sometimes. It's just a little harder when he's in a new environment that aren't used to red-wearing cat wizards like himself. Still, he takes a seat, letting out a sigh while everyone gather, taking himself a drink. A nice vodka.

     "Mmmhmm." Amelris replies, nodding. "Check out the avenues of going in and out, what kind of security there is there. The usual, I agree."

     He looks up, tilting his head with his tail thumping behind him against his chair. "I'm also on the look out for some other general, Koskov. Keep an eye out for him."

     He looks up, blinking at the GIANT NERD coming in. Huh, he didn't expect him to come about. Still, he gives him a nod. "What else might there be to check about?"
James Bond      Deelel's plan to surveil the area is easily executed. Helpful maps for visitors (which seem at odds with the authoritarian regime here) allow her to spot some attractions near the Slovak State Philharmonic. Displayed on the map are three little 'point of interest' pins. According to the map, the concert hall is on the other side of the Danube from here, perhaps a 30 minute walk from the industrial district. It rests at the corner of a busy intersection with a cafe overlooking the entrance on the ground level, as well as a hotel that would likely grant a view from higher up. This is the same hotel that some of the party has reserved rooms in. Once she's in the bar, the mood is apparently lively--at least, to one who doesn't have the power of telepathy.

     Nova's idea to check for outside (or inside) agents turns up heartening news--at this time, there doesn't seem to be anyone here who could pose a threat to them. More than anything, the people here are tired. It's not in the same way that the working folk of Royale were tired--their troubles are not these people's troubles. Where the fishers worried about having enough food on the table or the future of the town, these people are wary of their fellows even as they put on brave faces and laugh and drink. Things here are no better--merely bad in a different way.

     Nova, Deelel, and anyone else listening to the chatter will hear mostly gossip and politics. Some people believe what they're saying, others are just saying it to say it, as some do in places like this. What sticks out is a rumor about 'that pretty cellist.' An old man in clothes stained with machine oil is spinning a yarn about Kara Milovy, the star of the orchestra, having a military beau. He seems to believe it, but that's the thing with rumors.

     Amelris has a picture of Georgi Koskov, courtesy of Pushkin. He is a younger man, though old enough to be a general he looks less wizened, less stern. His smile seems friendly, as if he'd be at home in here. He has brown hair and matching eyes.
Damocles Damocles orders a drink, but is pretty nonspecific about what that is.  It doesn't really matter; His modified genetics will mean his body metabolizes anything he gets before he'd feel the slightest hint of the alcohol anyway.  One of the downsides of being a giant superhuman man.

Despite not ever having been here, he doesn't have any problem communicating with the locals, speaking and understanding their language as if he were a native.  Not that he does communicate much, but it helps his cover, at least.

He puts that cover to use by being vaguely threatening as he skulks in the tavern for a while.  The thing about skulking in a non-specific way, is that you tend to only get two reactions.  Normal people who keep the hell away, and more threatening people who keep an eye on you.  So it helps you pick out who else might be a threat.

After a little while of that however, he finishes his drink, pays in the local currency, and then stalks out of the dive again.  Let's go have a look around.
Big Boss The two German men simply drink. Lightly, though they drink. Can't get too drunk - that'd blow the cover. Instead, they subvocalize into their microphones, nodding to each other. One, the blonde, is the one to talk. <"Stealth is my MO. I can surveil it. Stalker's better off staying at the hotel, he'll be much more necessary tomorrow at the show itself."

And then, he stops subvocalizing, as the darker-haired man speaks to the rowdiest, or if there's no rowdiness, most 'welcoming' patron. "Tomorrow's orchestra's drawing in people from all over. Me and my good friend here came all the way from Berlin." He doesn't call it East Berlin, as a foreigner might. "We hear Kara Milovy found love. Broke my buddy's heart, but that's the thing with celebrities, isn't it? I don't believe it myself, but, you know." Jackal, the blonde, scoffs, tells his friend to pay his tab, and says he's gonna go get some fresh air. Bloodhound, the other one, just begins laughing. He'll ingratiate himself into the bar for now, learn what the locals think of the other countries and, most importantly, this big show.
Amelris Belthrone      "Ach, now that's just heart wrenching news, when you hear of a lovely musician finding love that ain't you, eh?" Amelris adds in to the overt banter, grinning and leaning in. Himself, he's thinkin that he will go take a look around. More specifically, he'll probably go and look into the venue itself, to learn on it's history and, more specifically, who owns it, troubles that's been happening in it in the past -- and the best way to go that is to go visit the place itself, to talk with the employees, the custodians and be real friendly with them. Not to mention... probably do a few menial works that they might be willing to become even better friends at this point.

     That's how a Warrior of Light do it. Come somewhere new, meet new, strange people, do menial work for them in exchange for goods, services, money and, more importantly, valuable information. AND FRIENDSHIP.
Deelel Deelel is able to get some maps she was not expecting to find such but it works out pretty well she will make sure to share them with the rest of the team when she gets a chance to do so. She also makes sure to get a good look at them. As at the worst she can pull the information off her ID disc for the others to check if they have to.

She makes it into the bar now and will star to just mingle maybe chat a little bit, but do a lot of listening as she does so. Trying to pick up information with Nova in play they should be able to get some seriously good information thanks to her abilities.

The Rumour about the cellist does catch her attention she's not sure if it's true but it might be useful so she does pay attention and is even curious about this Kara asking the man if he knows anything more about her. Noting she's a musician and is always curious about other artists and performers.
James Bond      Damocles gets vodka. By the bartender's reckoning, he looks liken the sort--especially since he wasn't specific. When he begins speaking Slovak (or Czech--they're very similar, for historical and political reasons), people begin to open up, slowly. They're still wary of his threatening demeanor, but they understand at least that he is not so much an outsider as they had feared. When he leaves, there is relief, but no suspicion. Looking around the industrial district, he'll see lots of activity as shifts change. It's the usual hurried 'trying-to-get-to-work' walk, for the most part. Across the Danube, he can see the distinct outlines of a couple of landmarks, as well as each of the several bridges which stretch across it. Maps displaying the public transport routes show him paths he could follow to reach points of interest. He could take the public transit, walk, or teleport. His unusual size will draw stares no matter what--the choice here is how to mitigate that.

     As far as choices, he's got several. He could head straight to the concert hall to get eyes on it, or somewhere else. The city's roads are nothing if not easily navigable.

     The old man spinning the yarn at the other end of the bar lights up, when he hears the two Germans speaking about the orchestra. "It is, it is," he responds. "And I heard that same thing! They say he's military--maybe even an officer." He proves quite the talkative sort, when asked about his opinions. He seems in lockstep with the Czechoslovak party line. The West is decadent and seeks to break apart the workers of the world, either by force or subversion. The USSR's ideas of perestroika and glasnost are lovely ideas on paper, but will never work so long as the West retains an interest in the dissolution of socialist states. The other patrons try to ignore him. This doesn't seem a popular opinion, but to challenge it would be a misstep.

     When Amelris heads to the venue itself, it's actually kind of a lovely sight, in the evening light. The building--known as Bratislava Reduta--is on the north side of the river, tall and bathed in amber light. It stands upon the corner of an intersection, opposite a cafe known as Srdcovka Reduta. The cafe has outdoor dining with a direct line of sight to the entrance of the concert hall. Adjacent to the cafe is a hotel, which would likely provide a top-down view of both the concert hall and the surrounding buildings. There are a few of those, but they have been built so that the concert hall is only obstructed from a few angles.

     Back in the bar, Deelel asks about Kara. "A cellist, from Russia. She's as gorgeous as she is talented," says the old man in the stained jumpsuit. "And she has one of those fancy bourgeois cellos--one that's meant to be older even than me." He scoffs. "I suppose it's better such a thing is in her hands than moldering in a museum to be ogled at." His expression softens, as he gives a description. "Blonde hair, eyes that could stop your heart."
Nova Terra     Ooooo, gossip! ... Yeah, Nova doesn't care much for gossip. So long as it doesn't have any relevance to the mission. Although, having known many soldier boys, Nova can't help but feel a bit sorry for Miss Milovy. But it does occur to Nova that vetting the members of the orchestra might be a wise choice. And given that Jackal and Amelris appear to have recon of the concert hall in hand, Nova figures it'll be a good use of her abilities. Plus, there's a good chance that the musicians have played at the hall before. They might have useful information about the less public areas of its interior.

    First things first. Nova has to find out where the orchestra is staying. She suspects the reception workers at the concert hall may know, so that's Nova's first stop. Well second. After finishing off her drink and leaving the bar, she stops by a street vendor selling flowers, buying a small bouquet.

    Arriving at the main site of their mission, Nova makes her way towards the closest thing that looks like a reception or office, to find someone who might have the information she's looking for. Assuming she manages to, Nova holds the bouquet in her hands and smiles, "Greetings! Sorry to trouble you, but I'm a big fan of Miss Kara Milovy and was wondering if you could tell me where she's staying, so I can have these delivered to her." Nova holds out the flowers.

    Of course, Nova doesn't expect to just be outright told that kind of information. But Mind Reading 101: Even if they're not actually going to give you the answer to your question, people still tend to think of that answer beforehand.
Damocles Damocles looks carefully over the public transit options for a brief moment, but is disappointed to see a lack of a subway option.  Not because he particularly wants to take a subway train, but because getting access to the city's dark underground tunnel network would be really useful, but right now and in the future.  He's pretty certain this place has one.  Every 'old city' has creepy tunnels underneath them, right? 

That's just how it works.

He could always try cracking open the sewer system, but those manholes usually aren't designed to accommodate the Astartes-sized-gentleman.  And even if he did find his way inside, his reward would be...being in the sewers.

Instead, without better direction, he opts to walk towards the concert hall.  He isn't actually too terribly concerned with getting there, and sometimes the journey is more important than the destination, so he walks, at a decent enough pace, looking to see if something springs out at him. 

Literally or figuratively. 
Deelel Deelel takes note of what the old man has to say, he seems pretty talkative and he does seem to be in line with the party line here. She understands just with the nature of humans this sort of idea looks good on paper. Yet in practice didn't work out. Still, she wasn't about to say a thing on that it wasn't her place. She, however, does find it her place to talk music.

"A talented musician with high-quality hardware can make for performance no one can forget."

She notes with a grin and she nods.

"Sounds like she's quite the woman."

With the chattering done and some bits of useful information in hand or so she thinks she's going to slip out and do her best to support Nova in hunting down the Cellist, she will hang back and not get in the way of Nova's attempt to get the information though and will wait to hook back up with her once she's done with that.
Big Boss After he gets his information, Bloodhound stays for a few more minutes, drinks some more, and then heads back to the hotel, passing off his information to Jackal on the way. Jackal nods, and proceeds to head to the concert hall. OSP.

Once he gets there, he takes the most 'back route' possible, trying to circle the building, survey it, and look for security weakpoints or unsurveiled climbing spots. Somewhere he can slip in and get an interior glance, try and slip out as easily. It's not going to be easy, but...

He just has to not make a scene, right?
James Bond HOTEL GANG

     The walk to the concert hall is uneventful. As he had before, walking with a purpose serves Damocles well. People simply assume that he is supposed to be here, and his imposing stature keeps them from his way. Save for himself, Amelris, and anyone else that decides to come this way, there aren't many people here. The concert is tomorrow, and practice is already over. There are people dining at the cafe. Aside from the cafe, there is a hotel with windows which overlook the courtyard of the concert hall. There are a few other buildings there as well, but only the hotel is taller than the concert hall, likely an intentional decision. That being said, some of them would also offer good angles on the concert hall, if not as high up as the hotel.

     In particular, there is a squat building, a library, adjacent to the concert hall. It forms a kind of triangle with the concert hall and the cafe. That area seems like it would be the best to set up an overwatch. There /are/ sewers, but the manholes aren't Astartes sized. Still, they might be an expedient means of escape if things go south tomorrow night. If push comes to shove, it doesn't look like the asphalt would resist one of his blasts, were he somehow forced down there.

     Nothing springs out just yet.

DEFEAT RECEPTIONISTS WITH ONE SIMPLE TRICK

     Nova's ploy works exactly like she expects it to. Her question is met with a well-meaning deflection and an offer to have the flowers delivered to Kara. But it prods at the receptionist's subconscious, and she ends up giving out the information anyway, even if she doesn't realize it. Kara is staying in the hotel right nearby. It makes sense--the philharmonic wouldn't want their musicians stuck in traffic. A quick jaunt to the hotel and another application of her talents (or Deelel's hacking) can narrow it down to the exact room. What now?

BREAKING AND ENTERING FOR ART AND CULTURE

     Jackal looks for a way into the concert hall. There is an unsurveiled climbing spot, on the north end of the hotel. It's a fire escape intended for those with balcony seats. For safety reasons, it's illuminated only enough for you to see where you're going--the spotlights would otherwise be blinding. He can take his chances now, or wait until it's a little darker. It's rickety, as fire escapes often are. If he can make it through without attracting attention, he can easily access the balcony seats. That gives him a panoramic of the place, though the lights are dimmed to conserve power. It's new, relatively speaking, a building slightly older than a decade in a city with many years of history.
Damocles Well, things seem simple enough here.  Damocles doesn't see anything that worries him as he walks along the street.  The sewer entrances are about what he expected, and while he could teleport down to bypass the tight squeeze...Once again, he likes to avoid wallowing in sewers when he can.

Instead, he chats a little on the radio about who they're tracking, and then looks around again, still taking his time.  He opens his senses a little, attuning his senses to the magical energy and seeing if anything stands out in the arcane aspect.

As he does, he also starts singing, softly at first.   The song is from the third act of Khovanshchina, a famous Russian opera.  His voice is soft and deep and warm, and he can't help getting a little too into it, so before too long he's walking along, merrily singing to himself.
James Bond      As he nears the hotel, Amelris feels a familiar tug. The colors of Bratislava at night, rich ambers against a darkening sky, slowly melt and fade into sepia tones. A vision. The engine of the Aston growls as its driver guides it down back ways, his eyes searching for a place to hide. His body language conveys cool, calm.

     "The sniper was a woman," says the passenger. It's Koskov. He seems afraid, taken to babbling as those who brush with danger often do.

     Bond's mind is on the road.

     "Some of the best KGB snipers are women..."

     "Mhm." I know, his curt tone says. The car pulls into the slim space between two tenements. There is another man waiting there, a slim fellow with curly brown hair. Bond hands over a blocky sniper rifle to the slim man. "In the boot, General," says Bond. "They'll be looking for two suspects."

     "What about my escape plan?" asks the slim man.

     "It's been scrubbed. Need to know, old boy," says Bond with a hint of satisfaction, as the slim man stifles. "You understand."
James Bond      There is another set of eyes on Damocles, but not an electronic pair. This time, it's not a frightful pair, either. An old lady on her way home stops.

     "I'd know that tune anywhere. Khovanshchina--the opening chorus. What was it..." Her wrinkled face pulls taught as she wags a finger, as if to admonish the memory into being. "...The White Swan! My goodness. It's so lovely to know that the younger generation enjoys the opera." She seems oblivious to how large he is.

     "Where are you headed, young man? Are you from here?"
Amelris Belthrone      It always look a little bad when Amelris have a vision, especially in a big city environment. As he approaches the hotel, the Miqo'te lets out a grunt, leaning against the side of the wall and holding his head, keeping in a sight of the world as it fades, to move into the Echo that he knows.

The vision comes, leaving Amelris with some questions, shaking his head, looking up at the street. That was... Koskov and Bond, talking, inside one of theses cars. He rubs his eyes, squeezing the bridge of his nose as he does with his ears fluttering annoyedly, looking up at the Hotel proper. What are they preparing for?

     With such questions in his mind, he goes inside to inspect the views a little further, perhaps he can see what this was headed from a higher point of view.
Damocles Damocles had been a little focused on 'big' things, and had totally missed the little old lady walking down the street.  Well, he hadn't so much 'missed' and 'dismissed so quickly that he brain didn't actually register her existence'.  A bit habit, perhaps, but there we are.

He looks down at the old woman, and laughs softly, shaking his head as he gives her a warm smile.  "Ah, no no, unfortunately for me I'm not.  You do have a very good ear, though. Talk of the concert tomorrow brought my mind to some of the classics.  I thought I might indulge my memory a bit while I learn the route to the concert hall so I don't get lost in the crowd for the show itself."
Big Boss Jackal heads off for a while, as he finds the fire escape. He can't go while it's still light out and there's foot traffic. He'll go later in the night, using the lighting to his advantage, but there might be more security...that's fine. It'll just make it more fun.
Deelel With Nova's skills and abilities she's able to get what Hotel the Cellist is staying at, and likely most of the rest of the performers are as well. She's going to one she has the information head to the hotel and try to find a way to get ahold of any computers holding the list. She will ask Nova for her help to set up a situation where she can try to get on the computer long enough to pull the list of people staying in the hotel so they can check out their persons of interest. All the while this is happening Amelris own report it factored in, things are indeed heating up.
Nova Terra     Nova arrives at the hotel where some members of the group are staying, along with the orchestra itself. She was originally planning to investigate the orchestra personally, but she gets a better idea. If Deelel can pull the entire guest list, they can do a little bit of a look into the names. Hopefully one of their contacts can help with that.

    As Deelel requests some help with a distraction, Nova glances around. She notices a large trolley of luggage being led past some arriving guests. It should only take a light touch from her telekinesis to knock the trolley and its luggage over in the direction of said guests. That should create a commotion, drawing the attention of staff and visitors alike. Maybe even coax management away from their stations and give Deelel the opportunity she needs.

    While the full list is likely to be of more use in potentially identifying persons of interest, Nova still accepts the information from Deelel about the specific room of the orchestra's star. Nova doesn't expect her to be important to the mission... But then you never knowing. Establishing connections to locals during covert operations like this can prove beneficial in the future. And so Nova proceeds to head for Miss Milovy's room, taking the direct approach and knocking.
James Bond      The old woman looks one way, then the other. She leans forward, which looks comical given how short she is and how tall he is. "If you want a way to beat the crowds," she says, "Come from the north and follow the street from the museum."

     "Everyone and their mother will be coming to the concert from the south. Once the shifts change, you'll be surrounded." He throws her frail hands in a faux-dramatic display.

     Jackal's choice to wait proves wise. There are occasional police patrol cars and even military personnel carriers on regular routes around the north end of the hotel, likely looking for people trying to do exactly what he is. In the time it takes for night to fall, he's memorized their patterns well enough to get inside and get a picture of the hall proper.

     With Nova running interference, as she's so good at doing, Deelel is able to get the full guest list. Kara's name is indeed on it. It's quite a long list, many of which are the performers. There is another name of note. BOND, JAMES. That one won't be needing a background check--but the others may be sent to MI-6, Outer Heaven, or the KGB at Deelel and Nova's discretion. The results will take time.

     As for Kara's room, it's, surprisingly enough, empty. There's no mental presence on the other side. That said, this place isn't exactly Fort Knox. The door would be trivial to get past.

     Entering the hotel, Amelris can easily get high up. With the guest list from Deelel, he can find a room that isn't occupied. The doors are locked, without a key, but Nova's trick with the luggage trolley, and the startled burst of life it brings to the quiet lobby, is sufficient to allow him a moment to grab one.

     From there, he can enter a room in search of the route Bond took. A few of the sights look familiar. It's a little difficult to put the pieces together, working with two separate perspectives. As best as Amelris can tell, they were heading east. The RV point between Bond and the slim man is probably between a row of tenements north by northeast of the concert hall, a ten minute walk. The goal must've been to hide from pursuit, with a location that close.
Damocles Damocles gives a bright smile at the advice, and bows his head politely.  "Truly my dear, you are my angel.  Thank you."  He nods again, and then goes back into his song, finishing up the piece that she seemed to enjoy.  His singing voice is quite good; remarkably so, even, and his pitch is absolutely perfect, letting draw out the final note a little, ending on a soft, gentle note. 

Once done, he bows again, and then heads on his way.  What a nice old woman.
Amelris Belthrone      It takes some time to puzzle things from there. Still, with some time and pondering things together, he can piece out where the meeting will happen. When? Who knows. It's hard to tell at this point. The future is always in motion and, quite frankly, he's still pretty new with the mysterious effects of the Echo. With the distraction, he takes good measure of the area, then notes it down mentally for where that'll happen.

     With this done, the next step is to check out the area proper... and this will give a /great/ excuse to get a good look at how people dress in this richer area. From there, he'll be able to make some /killer/ outfits for the concert proper.
Nova Terra     Nova finds Kara's room empty. A bit of a shame, but it of course presents an opportunity. Glancing around to make sure there's no one else to see her enter, Nova moves her hand to the door's lock. A bit of fiddling with it using her mind and she's able to coax the lock open.

    Nova gently cracks the door open and peers inside. She couldn't sense any minds in there, but that doesn't exclude the possibility of mechanical or electronic presences. Only once she's sure she's not going to trip an alarm, makeshift or not, does Nova softly slip inside.

    Just a cursory search should be sufficient. Perhaps the concert's star has a bit more information about the concert itself. Or perhaps a key to secure areas. Or perhaps, even more wildly, it turns out she's not only a cellist but also a spy... No, that one's unlikely.

    Whatever Nova does or doesn't find, she tries to leave the room mostly the same way she found it. Locking the door once more on her way out, Nova places the bouquet of flowers at the foot of the door. The star might as well have it. And who knows, if the rumours are true, maybe it'll help her and her mysterious soldier boy. Or not. Doesn't really matter to Nova. She just doesn't need it anymore.
Big Boss Once he's memorized the patrols, Jackal slips up the fire escape with trained ease. Parkour is part of the Outer Heaven elite training, after all, so he climbs up the ladder, jumps up rungs, and gets inside. He pulls out a small, hidden camera, and starts taking pictures of the interior.

As soon as it's no longer comfortable, he slips back out, heading down the fire escape, and returns to the hotel to pass on the camera to Bloodhound. He'll need it more.
Deelel Deelel gets some very well-timed help from Nova so she can slip in and pull a copy of the guest list. She will pull the list off the computer and will get out. She will notice, she will pass the content of the list to the rest of the team trusting them to check them over as she wishes she does offer up to go to the concert itself and will get her measurements to Amelris as well. She will also get out at this time as there might be time later to check the lists but right now it might be best to get out and come back later. Or to search elsewhere in the long run of it.
James Bond      The old woman lights up, smiling wide as she continues on her way home. Damocles has brightened an old woman's day, and he's gotten a tip out of it, too.

     Amelris will find that people in the city's cultural center are dressed more or less modestly, in a modern European kind of style. The difference between here and Royale is slight, but noticeable, where everyday clothes seem more purpose-minded. There are exceptions for formal occasions, which are pretty much your classical concert-going attire; tuxedos and simple but elegant dresses. Materials are very affordable, for those with a mind to make their own clothes.

     No one, save her companions, appears to have seen Nova enter Kara's room. There's no camera, no alarm--this is one place where the city's oppressive surveillance network isn't watching. Not directly, anyway. But there is something in the room for her to find. A little locked jewelery box, tucked away in a dresser drawer. It holds a few things, but of particular note is a silver cameo necklace. The centerpiece, a simple but finely filigreed locket, opens to reveal a picture of herself, as well as her soldier boy.

     Only he's a little old to be called a boy. Kara is apparently sweet on one General Georgi Koskov.

     Jackal narrowly avoids an usher making a last-minute sweep. The concert hall is wide and grandiose, a study in red velvets, hardwood and burnished brass trim. The balcony will offer a view of nearly all of the lower seats, including the two for which the Watch has tickets, as well as the orchestra itself.

     You have a guest list, a route to the concert hall, a possible escape route, a few leads on Koskov and Kara, and a vision of a possible future. All that remains now is to wait for the concert and make contact with the Octopus Group. Hopefully, it goes off without a hitch.