Obscuro, Redux

Obscuro, Redux
Date 2084-02-16 GM Sarcarian Location Downtown, Seattle Metroplex Status Threat Level: Extreme
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Draco Foundation	Aztechnology
Angra Mainyu Blake Decker Swerve Zenith	Corpsec Guardian Spirit Leopard Guard Woedica Kryptman
Casualties and losses
	Guardian Spirit (disrupted), Woedica Kryptman (captured)
Swerve burnt a point of edge to smackdown. Woedica Krpytman was extracted from Aztechnology and is in the custody of the Draco Foundation.

Summary

In which the runners are hired to acquire information (and perhaps a blood mage), and somehow convince the target to willingly cooperate.

Background

In The Choices We Never Get, Woedica Kryptman was set up by the Black Lodge as bait for the Draco Foundation as part of a scheme to redirect their attentions towards Aztechnology and give the Lodge a bit of breathing room for their own ongoing plans. Having looked into Woedica, the Foundation have determined that her direct superior in the department of thaumaturgy is a target of interest to them - unfortunately for Woedica this also makes her a target of interest due to the useful intelligence that she has in her safe (not to mention her memory palace).

The Meet

The runners are contacted individually by their fixers, who inform them of a Matrix meet for a potential job - Zenith's fixer Johns manages to determine that the J is most likely from the Draco Foundation, while Swerve's fixer Silas Vespasiano cryptically informs her that she has a task to complete for them (having been on the previous job where Woedica was initially set up). All four of them log into E-Wasted on the Haven's host, where Adowa "Moria" Webster waits for them. Moira enthusiastically greets the runners and purchases some simsense drinks for them before explaining what she needs from them; during the course of the conversation she drops the name "Mr. Darke", a name which Zenith recognizes from his Oracle-induced late night conspiracy theorizing about Dunklezhan's will and which raises some slight concern for him

Moira tells the runners what the Foundation knows about Woedica - that she lives in the Aztechnology Pyramid and is currently confined to the 45-50th floors where her residence and office are located. She provides them with as accurate a map of the building as the Foundation can acquire, and promises them a 5000 nuyen operating expenses account as well as any other aid that they can provide. When asked about payment, she tells them she can give them 20,000 nuyen for the information in Woedica's safe, 30,000 nuyen for Woedica herself, or 50,000 for both. The runners are hesitant at the prospective danger, but enticed by the generous offer (and the notion of helping with one of the precept's of Big D's will), and they ultimately accept the job.

The Plan

The team meet up at Zenith's safe-house in Purity in order to plan in person. The prospect of infiltrating the Pyramid is a tall order, but Moira has provided them with an open timeframe along with abundant intel and generous support, so they feel confident in their chances. Still, they want to cover all their angles, so Blake starts hitting the 'trix to gather some supplemental information and corroborate what they've been provided, while Ahriman and Zenith assess the physical and magical security countermeasures and begin to debate on potential ways to subvert them.

Swerve, meanwhile, is conflicted - she saw into Woedica's mind and learned a bit about why she is the way she is, and feels a degree of sympathy for the blood mage. As well, she knows that the Black Lodge is trying to set up the Draco Foundation here, and is using Woedica as bait. Aware that Zenith has animosity towards the Lodge, she worries about what might happen if she reveals this information - or if she keeps it secret. Deciding to perform a divination in order to see what she should do, she fills a pan with water and pricks her finger to observe the patterns.

After viewing the potential futures of what might happen to Woedica if she's turned over to the Draco Foundation - and what might happen to her if the Black Lodge finds out - Swerve decides to call Silas and ask for further clarification. He tells her that the Lodge would prefer it if Woedica remains exactly where she is, but does not elaborate, and it's unclear if he's simply being oblique to mess with Swerve or if he himself does not know the reason for all of this cloak-and-dagger. Swerve grows frustrated with the Lodge's prevarications and the way they are using Woedica, so she decides to share what she knows with the rest of the group (save for the contents of the information in her safe).

Swerve warns that the Lodge will be upset if Woedica is rendered into Draco Foundation custody, however she offers little protest to the idea, knowing from her visions and some questions to Moira that the Foundation is unlikely to simply kill her and that she is more useful as a control subject for their experiments on how to counteract the effects of blood magic. The rest of the group seems on-board with turning her over, both for the extra money and to spite the Lodge in Ahriman and Zenith's case (Blake, for his part, has no idea who they're talking about). However this still leaves the problem of precisely how to accomplish the task while not getting killed by Aztechnology in the process.

The Run

The group decides to take a big risk and just have Swerve contact Woedica - she believes, perhaps naïvely, that there is still a person in there somewhere who will realize the dire position that she's been placed in and seek a way out of it. Swerve heads to the nearby Rat's Nest with a jury-rigged signal booster for her burner commlink and Ahriman in tow to provide further anti=magical protection (just in case), while Blake and Zenith remain safely in the lodge at the latter's safehouse (with Zenith sharing a few pieces of advice with the relatively-inexperienced decker).

Contacting Woedica on as secure a line as they can manage, Swerve comes clean about the last job, telling her that she has been set up as bait for the Draco Foundation and that she might be able to cut some sort of deal with them for better treatment. Woedica laughs at this notion, decrying the Foundation as self-righteous idealists, and says that Aztechnology currently has her in protective custody. Swerve says that security won't stop the Draco Foundation if they decide to use their in-house talent to send Assets Inc. and the D-Team after her, but Woedica responds that she overestimates the Foundation's zeal and her own importance in the grand scheme of things. Swerve counters that Woedica has been set up to take the fall, and that the Foundation can protect her, but she reiterates her disdain for them - until Swerve reveals that the Black Lodge are the ones who set her up to be bait. Woedica considers this for a long moment before telling her to remain where she is and disconnecting the call.

Summoning a fire spirit (who tells Swerve to burn an object of personal significance in exchange for its aid) to stay where she is and watch her commlink, Swerve hides nearby, fearful of a sudden ritual attack; Ahriman makes herself known at this point, just in case. The two are thus surprised when Woedica arrives in her astral form - while she can see the tendrils of blood connecting her to her stable of bound spirits, the mage seems to not be hostile (for now). Woedica offers some condescending comments to the pariah (and the pair listening through the commlink, though they cannot hear her psychic projection speak), before addressing herself to Swerve. She asks why she should not simply speak to her superiors and have herself transfered to Aztlan and out of their reach, saying that she trusts Aztechnology more than she does either the Lodge or the Foundation. Swerve counters that Aztechnology and the Lodge set her up to take the fall here - they see her as a replaceable pawn, wereas the Foundation, while not perfect themselves, will at least see value in her as a control subject for their tests. Woedica says that she does not want to be put into a cage, but Swerve says she is already in one - at least with what she knows she could dictate terms to the Foundation and get better treatment from them. The blood mage seems ready to tear the banshee apart at the implication, but while she is irate she is not foolish, and realizes the bind that she is in. There's a long pause as everyone holds their breath, but finally Woedica simply leaves without another word.

Uncertain of what to do next, Ahriman and Swerve return to the safehouse - however en-route they are surprised to get a message from one of Woedica's burners accepting the offer of a voluntary extraction, having realized what a no-win situation she's been placed in and apparently seeking the best outcome for herself. They worry it might be some sort of trap, but proceed forward with the assumption she will work with them.

This however still leaves the prospect of infiltrating the pyramid and getting her out - however they put their heads together and work out a solution to create a pretext that will force Aztechnology to loosen the leash just a bit. They debate getting her at various clubs and libraries, however some Matrix searching finds that the corp sponsors a good deal of magical research at UDub, which after some scouting they determine is as appropriate a location as any Downtown from which to snatch her. However they still lack a reason to get her out - until Ahriman proposes using her connections with the Atlantean Foundation to arrange an academic debate between the two. All of this takes some finagling on both ends, however within the week the runners are able to grease the palms to make it happen.

While Ahriman persuades her superiors to set up the debate, Blake works on mapping out escape routes and practicing driving their escape vehicle, a retrofitted van turned ambulance and done up with QuetzlCare - Aztechnology's AMRP (DocWagon equivalent) - iconography. Zenith meanwhile scouts out the university and finds a nearby building where he can set up a sniper's perch with clear sight-line to the windows of the hall where the debate will be held; he is able to get into position a few hours beforehand, avoiding notice of drones thanks to his stealth skills and RPC cloak. They also rendezvous with Moira to keep her updated on their plan and get some logistical support, as well as a location to drop Woedica off at. Thus, when the day of the debate arrives the team are ready to strike - Swerve waits in the back of the van to protect Blake, while Zenith waits on the rooftop to provide overwatch and take a shot at Woedica using capsule rounds filled with narcojet, creating a window for the others to snatch her from her security detail during the confusion.

This plan works well, with some hitches: Ahriman manages to defeat Woedica in the marketplace of ideas using Facts and Logic(TM), only for HORRIBLE SHADOWRUNNER TERRORISTS (i.e. Zenith) to disrupt her Aztechnology Slander Hour and create something of a panic. Zenith's aim proves true, managing to knock Woedica off the stage and on her ass, prompting her leopard guards to leap into action to protect their principle. While Ahriman blends in with the crowd of students looking to vacate the premises as soon as possible, Zenith uses his Invisible Way skills to slip away under the notice of corpsec. The leopard guards meanwhile bring Woedica out the rear exit - just as Blake pulls up in the "QuetzlCare ambulance". While Swerve tangles with a guardian spirit sent in as backup, Blake squelches the leopard guards comms so that they can't contact the rest of the security detail; together they manage to pressure them to hand Woedica over before peeling away with their sirens blaring.

Aftermath

The group head to the address Moira gave to them to drop Woedica off, encountering little resistance en-route thanks to the sirens and emergency vehicle tags they're flying; Ahriman and Zenith reconvene there once they have gotten away clean from the university. Arriving at the location indicated by Moira (a clinic where Woedica can receive a transgenetic infusion in order to alter her aura and prevent astral tracking/divination), they find an unfamiliar elf waiting for them; when questioned, he presents them with credentials from the Draco Foundation and says that he's been hired to bring their target in, so as to create another layer between them and their employers. The team sus him out and determine that he seems to be telling the truth, but Zenith places a call to Moira to confirm just in case before they hand Woedica (plus the intel from her safe, found in the briefcase handcuffed to her wrist) to him - they receive their full promised payment from Moira shortly thereafter, and proceed to go their separate ways.

In a post-script sequence, we find Woedica sitting in a basement cell - unshackled and comfortable, sipping tea - while a modulated voice asks her questions from behind one-way glass. On the other side we find Ryan Mercury, who asks "what about the chief of security for your superior?", to which Woedica replies with a grin, a photo of a feathered serpent, a name ("Xicena") and a sarcastic "good luck" as the scene fades to black.

Rewards

50,000 nuyen

5 karma

2 CDP

+2 Draco Foundation reputation (+5 extra for Zenith for giving them extra intel)

Optional Contact: Adowa "Moria" Webster (C4/L2 Draco Foundation Fixer) for 5 RVP or 10 CDP

Optional Contact: Spinne (C4/L2 Draco Foundation Bounty Hunter) for 5 RVP or 10 CDP

Optional Gear Rewards: Magic & Tech Equipment @ half price

For Ahriman:

Optional Quality: Master Debater @ chargen price

For Swerve:

Optional Quality: Closer @ chargen price

Game Quotes

Ahriman: "WAIT, I WAS HAVING A DEBATE! FUCKING TERRORISTS!"