119. Gala Planning: Wiremu

Well, that went a lot further than a first-step meeting. Tabitha and Ruku had more detail and a few minor amendments to my scenario, but it was essentially correct. Tabitha will check with Eluf on her date, but we decided to leave Sven to Eluf unless something else comes up. I feel like I have wasted the Gold I spent on the toxin's antidote. It would be a good backup, just in case.

As the Gala neared, Ruku checked with the navy, but they couldn’t seem to find the Swift Wave. What a surprise. We are going to need a plan. The first day of the Gala is mostly street acts and fun, including the Comedic Rhythm public performance. There are other performers scheduled throughout the day as well. Day two is more of the same, except it ends with a Gala banquet for the Nobles and important people at which the Comedic Rhythm is the main after-dinner act.

We hope that the lack of explosives will mean they must change plans. It is not actually our job to keep everybody safe, so our main priority is keeping our people safe. Mayakku is still the most significant risk. The Canine Queens are taking on the main task there, escorting them while they are at the Gala and protecting them at the quarry.

My main aim is to take out the Swift Wave and the Imperial assassin, as they are the ones responsible for the death of Ilaiya. Plus, it messes with the Empire, which is always a bonus. The most obvious target is the Gala banquet, where all the people who think they are important will gather. If we know where they will be, it is time to lay a trap. It would be easier to let the events at the banquet play out and then catch them when they expose themselves. After all, the only people who care about self-important people are those very same self-important people. There are two problems with that approach. Tabitha and the Comedic Rhythm will be at the banquet, and Tabitha probably cares about one of those self-important people.

The Duke's household Guard is responsible for the security at the Gala banquet, and the Watch is responsible for the rest of the Gala security. Tabitha has hired the Pack Rats to search the city for any sign of our targets. I am sure Sione will have his counter spies out in force as stopping Imperial assassins is his responsibility.

If they are found before they act, then we will set Sione on them, and it is done. The banquet is the last event of the Gala, so if they haven’t acted before that, they will act then. This trap I want to set is for if all else fails. A lone sneaky assassin is a worst-case scenario, but also potentially only targeting one or two people. Unfortunately, one of those targeted people will most likely be Eluf, the heir. Assassins rely on misdirection and unexpected strikes, as shown in my own Assassin Class. If we know the most likely target, we can centre around that and ignore the misdirection. I am not particularly concerned about a few self-important people being collateral damage. My priority is not to protect everybody. That is the Duke’s guard’s responsibility. My priority is the assassin, the Swift Wave crew and protecting Tabitha and the Comedic Rhythm. Protecting Eluf is an extension of protecting Tabitha, but not as important. Tabitha will look after him. If he is any good, he will look after her as well.

Now that I have my priorities, I need to check the layout of the building. That is easy, as they are holding it in the Bardic Concert hall, and I know it well. I need to go through it with fresh hunter's eyes and see where I can trap my prey. Adjoining, the Concert Hall, was a function centre, which was where the food would be served and then everyone would go through to the concert hall for the show. There would be cooks, servers, guards, and the usual drunken Noble idiots.

A trap is usually set to allow or entice your prey to enter and then not let them leave. This wouldn’t work here. I couldn’t stop all the exits. There would be five hundred guests here. I couldn't let everyone burn if the assassin decided to use fire as a distraction. It would violate the safety of Tabitha and the Comedic Rhythm. There would be a lot of people going in and out all night. My aim for the trap was to get my Hunters Marks onto the Assassin so I could track her or them. I also wanted the ship or at least the key people on it. Some of the ship’s personnel would probably be used in the attack, probably as a distraction.

I could attach my Hunters Mark to something they could pick up on their way into the building, like some of that sticky rope, more appropriately called spider silk, from the trap. I could get more from Sven. The trouble is I didn’t have enough Marks to trap every entrance, and there was nothing to say they couldn’t just walk in with the guests or serving staff. This isn’t as easy as I first thought.

If I have to let the attackers make the first move to identify them, then that puts key people at risk. The obvious targets are the Duke's household, especially the Duke, if he is there, the Duchess and the Heir, Eluf. Eluf invited Tabitha to be his guest. Hence she would be sitting beside him at the meal. That is probably the best protection he will ever get. If they attack while she is performing, that is a different story. In a dark theatre as well. The thing is that they do not know she is such a lethal threat. She needs to be a key component of my trap.

Weapons. Everybody who enters legally will have obvious weapons removed. People with affinities are never fully disarmed. I can create Granite knives and darts easily. Tabitha’s Spatial Pocket is big enough now to store her war knives. People with bonds have abilities from their bonds, like my Venom and some of the Rat Pack members with their body modifications. I will assume that if the attackers enter with the guests or staff, they will have similar abilities. If the Attackers sneak in, they can bring whatever weapons they like. Having proper weapons is always a force multiplier, which the attackers will need to counter the guards. We will need proper weapons as well. I have access to the building so that I can store weapons in advance. I will ensure all the cleaner's cupboards have spear shafts. They will look like thick broom handles. I can make the spearheads when I need them.

People. I will need an inside team and an outside team. Modrica will never blend into this crowd. Her attitude will stand out as badly as her incredible physical dominance. On the other hand, street fighting is her speciality. I will get her to take charge of the Pack Rats to follow those who escape the building. This would be a backup if I can’t get my Marks on anyone or the people I mark get killed.

Rotte has a bat bond. Bats have echolocation, which would be great for following people at night. Rotte may also have the skill, same as Ruku picked up Sonar from his bond. I was planning to have Ruku on the inside team as his ankle will not be fully healed, and Sonar is an advantage against high stealth. I wonder if I can get Rotte on the inside team as well if Tabitha trusts her enough and if she is willing to clean up and dress well. That last one may be the sticking point.

The inside team is, therefore, Me and Tāoke, Tabitha and Nyx, Ruku and possibly Rotte. I could possibly also count on Eluf. The Canine Queens will be protecting the Catkin, but I am wondering if I could borrow Kryddor for his tracking as well and one or both of the twins to give more heavy hitters to the outdoor team. We could move the Catkin to somewhere unexpected and easy to defend for the night, reducing the need for protection.

One thing I am sure of is that whoever it is that is coming will be the best. I was in a losing fight when we first rescued Mayakku in the forest. I only escaped so easily because of my affinity. I figured I was fighting the captain, but apparently, the First mate was on that team before Oske killed him, so the Captain probably wasn’t there. That was just a seaman, but definitely on the security team. The Captain is probably better.

We need more to give us the advantage. I definitely want something that will sink a ship. Ruku could get me some ‘navy surplus’, I am sure. We still need more advantages. You can never have too many advantages.

I need to consult to turn this into a proper trap. I need to talk to Sven, a master-level Trapper. I am sure there is a lot I could learn. Eluf is a Captian with tactical skills, Tabitha is a thief, and Ruku has experience with assault teams. Time for a strategy meeting.

When I talked with Sven, my Master Trap idea wasn’t feasible. There were too many ways in and out of the building and too many random people wandering around. As we know the likely targets, the only way would be to trap them, but that would require their active participation, and he strongly recommended not telling Eluf our suspicions. He would lock the place down or cancel the event altogether, negating our advanced knowledge of where they might strike. What he did give me was some of his Spider Rope with the adhesive and several bottles of nerve toxin. The nerve toxin is made by an alchemist in Mer Islands, and he imports it. If I had the formula, it would have saved a lot of my gold when I had an antidote made. He then handed me a bottle of the antidote he had imported with it. I wasted so much gold.

Ruku could indeed get some Navy supplies to damage or possibly sink a ship. It depends on the ship's construction and enchantments, as well as the captain. I never knew this, but there are specific Classes and Specialisations for Ship Captains that can benefit the whole ship. Some could strengthen or speed up the ship. A favourite of smugglers was to shroud it from sight, and then there were benefits for the crew as well. I guess that Captain Alarik was a captain like that, which is why he stayed on his ship rather than raid our quarry.