Eisley fidget in place. With visible decision, he straightened himself and marched towards the table. His confidence wavered as he approached, and he stopped several feet shy of Elizabel.

“I’m aware this isn’t the most fortuitous of meetings, ma’am, but I would like to assure you I am pleased to be working under a proper leader once more. If you need any magical expertise, I’m your imp.” He bowed low. The tome on his back shifted, nearly knocking him to the floor.

He peeked up towards Elizabel from the bottom of the movement. Her face remained impassive. Eisley straightened quickly and assumed a position to the side of the table. He faced Panos and Cassmere, deliberately separating himself from the two. A broad grin split his face as he settled in at Elizabel's side.

"I would just like to remind you, Dark Mistress," said Eisley, "That I had no hand in the problems this afternoon. I wasn't present when they decided to detour from your assuredly wonderful plan."

Elizabel turned to him and smiled. Eisley gulped. "That's right. You weren’t there, were you? And would you care to remind me what you were occupied with at the time? Or perhaps rather, where?"

The look on his face was all the answer she needed. She nodded ever so slightly towards the other two minions, and Eisley slunk over to rejoin them.

Silence hung heavy in the room. Elizabel sipped her tea, savoring it. It always did taste best with a generous helping of tension and just a sprinkle of fear in the air.

She set the cup down and turned back to them. "Cassmere, would you care to explain?"

The little thief kicked at the floor. "Not particularly, no."

Elizabel drummed her fingers on the table. "I know that sounded like a question. It was not. Try again."

Cassmere scratched the back of his head. "Okay, so I went a little off script-"

The goblin was interrupted by a startled coughing fit from Panos. "A little, my ass." He managed around hacks.

Cassmere waited until Panos had quieted before returning to face Elizabel once more. He drew himself up with all the pride and dignity he could muster. "As I was saying, a little off script, but," he said as he held up a finger to forestall further objection. "But, we still got Eisley back and now we get to keep the bail money. And isn't that what counts in the end?"

Elizabel paused. As loathe as she was to admit it, he did have a point. They did still have the money, and it was not an insignificant amount. She made a mental note to check further into what Eisley had done to warrant that kind of bail.

She held out a hand towards the trio. “Correction- I get to keep the bail money.”

A rather disheartened Panos shuffled forward and placed a large stack of cash into her hand. He retreated back into the group as soon as he dropped the money. On a hunch, Elizabel beckoned him back. “All of it.”

With a wry smile, he pulled out a modest wad from under his bowler. He put the wadded up pile in her hand with the rest and tossed her another of his horrendous salutes. “Can’t blame an imp for trying, eh?”

Elizabel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let it out with an audible whoosh. She opened her eyes again and fixed the three with a gaze. “I am going to go upstairs until I can be around you three without the overwhelming need to wrap my hands around your necks. Don’t go anywhere. Don’t break anything.”

She stood, tea in one hand and a ridiculous amount of cash in the other and left. Truth told, while unnecessarily chaotic, the “job”, relatively speaking, was successful and there were some unexpected perks. It would be a cold day in hell before she praised an underling for insubordination, though. She’d have to get creative with that one.

Once safely sequestered in the relic room, Elizabel sat back and mulled over her options. After that exit, she should have a while before anyone dared bother her. Or at least that's how it worked with her previous, intelligent, underlings. Best make the time count.

First things first, she needed to finish looking over the last few menus. In all the chaos earlier, she hadn’t had a chance to finish her exploration.

She selected the "base management" tab. Two buttons appeared beneath it. One read "base improvements" and the other, "crew development".

She chuckled wryly as she selected the latter option. Normally, she liked to be methodical with new systems, but "development" sounded exactly like what she needed just then.

On screen, the view was split into two. On the left side read a list of statistics.

The Darklands Crew

Crew Level: 1

Development points available: 5

Mastermind: Elizabel Yalsin

Crew members: 3

Jobs taken: 1

Jobs completed successfully: 1

The list went on, but told her nothing she didn’t know already beyond the level and development points. Those were interesting, indeed. The development points were shown again on the top of the right side. Below was a short list of names and numbers.

The names by themselves didn’t mean much, but selecting them brought up more information. As she scrolled through the list, a not-so-friendly smile crept onto her face. The planning was nice, but it was about to get so much better.

Difficulty Estimation (level 1)

Cost: 3

Type: Planning phase

Description: Allows the mastermind to view the estimated chance of success for the currently viewed crew member to perform a given activity (e.g., picking a lock or disarming an alarm rune). Does not account for outside factors or influences.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

Expanded Oppositional Information (level 1)

Cost: 2

Type: Planning phase

Description: Allows the mastermind to view basic information for common security or oppositional forces, such as the specific safe model or identifying visible weaponry.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

Extended View Range (level 1)

Cost: 1

Type: Mastermind mode

Description: Allows the mastermind view to travel further from active crew members before information degradation.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

Improved Security Intel (level 1)

Cost: 2

Type: Job planning

Description: This ability improves the information available on known security measures. Additionally, may occasionally provide information on more discrete measures, and information on common vulnerability flaws may be purchased during job planning.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

Optional Objectives (level 1)

Cost: 1

Type: Opportunities

Description: Provides basic additional information to various extraneous objectives in a job which could be beneficial to the crew.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

Side Jobs (level 1)

Cost: 2

Type: Contact

Description: Introduces the mastermind to another contact, allowing the possibility of optional side jobs or other benefits between required contracts.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

She rested her chin on her hand as she read through. Tempting options, the lot of them, but what would help her team, and she used that word lightly, the most? Optional Objectives was easy to cross out of the running. She couldn’t trust them to stick to the main objective, let alone toss more unknowns in. Maybe one day, but not today.

She mentally crossed off Extended View Range as well. While it would be nice, seeing further wouldn’t have helped in the misadventure earlier that day. That was the problem though. It was easy to say what wouldn’t have helped. But what would have?

She leaned back and sipped at her tea. The worst of her problems came from a lack of information about her own underlings. Between Biggs not fitting in the vent and Cassmere’s near-tragic jump, what she needed most was information.

So her first pick would be Difficulty Estimation. That was three points, and so two more to spend. After a pause, she picked Improved Security Intel with her remaining points. Between the two, she should be able to make more informed decisions on how the job should go. Whether her minions listened or not, well, that was a bridge she could cross when she got there.

Pleased with her choices, Elizabel turned to the remaining menu- base management.

At first glance, the screen was much the same as the previous. The left side listed assets from cash on hand- ten grand from the bail money- to short descriptions detailing the rooms that were present in the hideout. Nothing she hadn’t seen herself during her self-tour earlier.

The other side of the screen was another story. That was, again, similar on the surface. However, where the previous ones listed new traits and abilities for purchase with development points, this one listed rooms and prices in cash.

Barracks (Basic)

Cost: 2,000

Type: Quality of Life

Description: The basic barracks is a large room and contains two beds, three bunks high with coffin racks. The room has eight small slots for modules to customize usage, and can be further upgraded for comfort and space.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

Equipment Room (Basic)

Cost: 2,000

Type: Generalist Room

Description: The basic equipment room contains standard equipment for four crew members as well as storage for the gear between jobs. It contains one medium slot and two small slots for modules to customize usage. The room can be further upgraded for efficiency and space.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

Gadgeteer’s Workshop (Basic)

Cost: 5,000

Type: Specialist Room

Description: The basic gadgeteer’s workshop consists of a modest room and workbench. It provides three small slots and one specialist slot for modules to customize usage. The room can be further upgraded for efficiency and space.

Without modification, the room allows basic gadget invention and repair.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1, Gadgetry skilled > 20

Garage (Basic)

Cost: 4,000

Type: Specialist Room

Description: The basic garage provides attached parking for one medium sized vehicle as well as providing three small slots and one specialist slot for modules to customize usage. The room can be further upgraded for efficiency and space.

Without modification, basic vehicle repairs and alterations using hand tools can be attempted.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1, Mechanic skilled > 20

Kitchen (Basic)

Cost: 1,000

Type: Quality of Life

Description: The basic kitchen provides modest countertop space and storage as well as basic appliances. The room has four small slots for modules to customize usage, and can be further upgraded for comfort and space.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

Magitek Workshop (Basic)

Cost: 6,000

Type: Specialist Room

Description: The basic magitek workshop consists of a modest room, workbench and several shelves for supplies. It provides three small slots and one specialist slot for modules to customize usage. The room can be further upgraded for efficiency, space and safety.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1, Magitek skill > 20

Training Room (Basic)

Cost: 6,000

Type: Generalist Room

Description: The basic training room consists of little more than a large open space and mats for training purposes. The room has two medium slots, and 3 small slots for modules to customize usage and can be further upgraded for efficiency and space.

Without modification, the basic training room allows assigned crew members to gain 1 point of unarmed combat or fitness per week.

Prerequisites: Crew level 1

That was quite a list. Elizabel looked over the choices again, most slowly. At the head of her list were the barracks and kitchen. They weren’t sexy choices, but having decent food and a proper bed would make a difference in the long run. She wasn’t exactly sure what a coffin rack was, but while it didn’t sound comfortable, it was still likely better than the floor. She hoped.

And that left seven grand. The choice was easy. New gear and equipment would be wonderful, but what they needed more than anything right now was discipline. And what begat discipline better than training?

She locked in her choices with a grin and stood. Time to raise some hell.