Up High and Down Low

Up High and Down Low
Date 2083-06-28 GM KaterSalem Location Seattle Status Threat Level: Extreme
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Renraku	Federated Boeing (UCAS Military)
Canter Voice of the Whirlwind Bannerette Scarecrow	Tank and his scouts 3xSpecial Ops Drone and Fighter Jets
Casualties and losses
	Tank and his scouts, 3xSpecial Ops

Summary

The runners steal a new space shuttle prototype and are confronted by the UCAS military. After a heated battle in the clouds, Canter finally manages to land the bulky space shuttle on a Renraku aircraft carrier.

Background

Pinklady, an AI working for Renraku, has a penchant for analyzing data to identify potentially interesting targets for Shadowruns. During one of her analyses, she stumbles upon a two-day maintenance period at Federated Boing in Seattle Everett. Further data indicates that a new prototype space shuttle is currently being tested there. Pinklady wants to acquire this space shuttle for Renraku and their data makes it clear - this should be an easy job after all the security equipment is in maintenance. But the AI overlooks the fact that Federated Boing has signed a contract with the UCAS military to secure their facility.

The Meet

Pinklady has ordered the runners to the Dazze. She is shown in a conference room in AR and tries not to hide the fact that she is an AI. She explains her task to the Runners, but offers very little Nuyen for it, because she thinks it is an easy task. The runners negotiate with the AI who finally agrees to pay more and also to give a discount on selected goods. She would have been interested in collecting more data about the runners as she likes to play with data for future runs but Canter could convince her not to do it. The Runners finally agree and start planning. Pinklady gives them coordinates over the sea where they should fly the space shuttle and then report to her.

The Plan

Bannerette makes contact with Miyuki. The AI agrees to collect data for the Runners about the Federated Boeing site, but refuses to actively participate in the Run. Miyuki, however, is able to provide the Runners with valuable information about the disabled security systems and the deployed UCAS forces, including a heavy assault team with battle tanks stationed at the site. The Runners then decide to visit the site and find out that patrols with ghosts are running along the perimeter fence to secure the area. After some discussion, they reject the idea of a social infiltration and decide to sneak or drive onto the site, thanks to Canter. They also take a large amount of explosives to blow up the battle tank before it becomes a problem.

The Run

The runners open one of the side gates which is only secured with a normal lock due to the maintenance work. They sneak into the compound in Canter's car and escape a patrol. Further inside they find the tank on patrol. They wait for a while and find out that there is a hangar that the soldiers and the tank crew use to rest between patrols. They place a large amount of explosives there and give a Task Spirit the task of hiding the explosives and activating them as soon as the tank comes back into the hangar. In the meantime, the Runners make their way to the hangar where they suspect the Space Shuttle is. After a violent explosion, all hell breaks loose in the area. The runners hurry to capture the space shuttle and place Canter's car in the space shuttle's transport hangar. They come down the taxiway to the runway and prepare to launch. Attempts by Federated Boeing employees to convince the runners to stay in their plan are ignored. Shortly before takeoff, three Special Ops fighters manage to board the shuttle. They are specialists in fighting inside aircraft. Canter launches the shuttle and is immediately hit by the Federated Boeing missile system, which fires a long-range missile. At the same time, two S-K Blitz drones and a Federated Boeing Woodstock fighter jet are already in the air, having been alerted by the explosion at another UCAS airport. While Scarecrow, VotW and Bannerette fight the special forces inside the space shuttle, Canter must try to deal with the fact that ricochets inside the space shuttle can hurt and she must dodge a constant barrage of missiles. The runners finally manage to overwhelm the attacking special forces and Canter is able to shake off the attacking drones and fighter jet in the clouds with a falling leaf maneuver. Arriving at the point over the sea mentioned by the AI, Pinklady opens up to them that they should land the space shuttle on a Renraku aircraft carrier. Canter manages to perform the daring maneuver despite stormy seas and lands the space shuttle on the carrier during the first approach. Afterwards, the runners are briefly held, but then transported back to Seattle by freighter.

Aftermath

Pinklady was so pleased with the runners that she even paid them a little more than originally agreed. Renraku research department is grateful for the new toy.

Rewards

• 30.000 Nuyen (15 RVP) double of this for ware or magical gear up to AV19
• 12 Karma (12 RVP)
• 8 CDP (3 RVP)

Game Quotes

"Okay, so the bear is a cat now."

Whirlwind, at the top of her lungs: "PREPARE TO REPEL BOARDERS."

"Panther. Sadly not the tank, but an assault cannon's nearly as good."

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Voice of the Whirlwind

Okay, so we sole a spacecraft. Aaaand the crazy old lady managed to do something crazy with it after we got the boarders off, so we got out clean. It's no fun fighting inside something I can't afford to damage, Queen Bess being Queen Bess.