Snake beneath the Flower

Snake beneath the Flower
Date 2085-06-13 GM TidanShock Location Seattle Status Threat Level: Deadly
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Ghaz	Major Corp
Catharsis Miut Nogitsune Oracle Weevil Zenith	Character1 Character2

Summary

A group of runners investigate a flower shop connected to Humanis as a runners past is brought to light.

Background

In the Ork Underground, Ghaz and his men had been attacked by a strangely VERY well armed and armored group. Still recovering from The Great Wave and several other skirmishes Ghaz desperately seeks help to save what he has left. Unknowing of how dangerous the job truly was.

The Meet

Weevil meets up with his two friends Oracle and Miut, actively wishing to search for a run to spice up their oh so boring night. Contacting Amadou Zhang first in a plea to seek out various jobs Amadou put them on a job in the OU he had heard of. Thanking Amadou for this opportunity they headed towards the meet. Meanwhile, one Catharsis is approached by one Messner stating he had heard rumours of an up and coming runner group that may have taken a job too big for them to handle. And being as he was Messner asked Catharsis to assist as the job was stated to have very potent matrix opfor. While obviously owing her a favor she agreed and decided to check in on the runners she would be assisting. Learning basic information and piecing together various facts like Miut once being a member of a Humanis terrorist cell and that Weevil was a regular bum who won the lottery then spent it all. Afterwards she decided to call on some backup from one Zenith, currently working the kitchen in Redmond who took little convincing, he is called the shadow dad for a reason. Nogitsune also after screaming at their child eventually also headed towards the meet.

Upon arriving at least one of the runners remembered the location, a parking lot in the Ork Underground belonging to one Ghaz, a renown member of the Skraacha. Outside his dwelling both Ghaz's security guards and the runner Catharsis and Zenith began kicking at Weevil's roadmaster that was blasting typical anime music through the Ork Underground. Eventually the now alarmed runners inside the van opened up to see annoyed Ork's and disappointed fellow runners. The more experienced runners slightly lecturing the trio on their eittiquite and lack of... anything to cover their appearance or keep their identities hidden. After a brief chat and snark thrown between Zenith and Nogitsune Ghaz made himself known. Grumbling as the chaos bugged him almost as much as what was going on in his head. After the situation had been settled Ghaz stated what was going on, that several of his own men and other Skraacha had been targeted by a strange group of very well armed figures able to kill them in 1 shot each, some unlucky few taking 2. They managed to track them down somewhat to a flower shop in Snohomish with a rating 7 host... which is VERY unfitting for such a place.

Ghaz also mentioned footage for the runners to shift through, taken from one of the bodies left in the wake of these well armored individuals. Catharsis and Miut more than prepared for such a task. Once all the details were laid before the runners Ghaz offered his bounty of 12k nuyen for the task at hand. Realizing the potential threat Oracle with the aid of Zenith and others were able to gain an extra 3k out of Ghaz for the task. It was begrudging but given what he was tasking he saw it as fair compensation. So the runners set off to figure out what was going on and how to put an end to it.

The Plan

To start out Zenith guided all the runners towards one of his usual safehouses. Lavished in corporate level furnishing and technology despite its exterior. Stating to the 3 new runners he desired for them to take a shower. And this argument went on for... a while. Nogitsune threatening to literally get the hose to put a stop to it sooner, or a bucket. Their shifter senses being far more annoyed than that of the other runners. Thankfully Zenith was able to stop Nogitsune from doing either as they all entered pardon Weevil who chose to remain in his car. As Zenith chose to make some burgers for the runners Oracle got to work on the astral as Catharsis and Miut got to work on the Matrix. After given the physical address and with some tips Oracle was able to see the shop on the astral, a force 6 ward preventing entry as watcher spirits patrolled the area suspicious of his intent, telling him to leave, which Oracle quickly did as to avoid further conflict with spirits conjured by the opposition. Though at the very least they knew some magical presence was present on site.

Meanwhile Catharsis and Miut peered through the footage provided by Ghaz. What they saw while not the most disturbing thing they've ever seen still gave plenty of room for caution to be advised going forward. The recording was from the POV of an augmented ork, likely via image link as it seemed straight from his eyes. One by one the orks were slaughtered, taking no more than a singular shot before they fell one by one. The figures obscured via shadows and other items of clothing they wore. The last thing seen in the recording being the ork doing their best to tank some of the bullets so the others could get to safety. Their efforts only lasted 3 seconds as with 3 placed shots upon their augmented body they fell and the footage was cut short. As they edited the footage Catharsis made it clear to Miut that she had done some digging and asked why she had tied to Humanis. Miut while withholding some details relayed hers tory of how she fled due to surging. Eventually meeting those she calls allies years later. Catharsis simply asked if she was involved now to which Miut said no, and the interaction continued as normal. Eventually after editing the file the pair noticed the armor they were wearing was high quality, on par with most runners wore. Through a brief scan of her memories however, Catharsis was able to identify the armor from her stories shared with Kate. CAS military grade FBA standard amidst infantry and even some special forces for the more elite members. Knowing Zenith's knowledge of weapons was far greater than theirs the pair headed downstairs.

Nearly everyone was greeted with a nice authentic cheeseburger, all real ingredients and prepared expertly, Zenith even leaving one in the passenger seat of the Roadmaster for Weevil when he chose to leave his cocoon. Once the runners there physically gathered near the central living area Zenith was shown the footage and recognized the weapons used. Some Colt Inceptions, Onotari Arms JP-K50s, and a desert strike used by one member. These were clearly military grade weapons which aligned with what Catharsis recalled given her time spent with Kate. But now with the astral done the two deckers decided to dive deep into the matrix and uncover what they could from the distance they were at. The host was indeed rating 7 with likely various IC awaiting within. But thankfully they chose to remain outside to hack it. Catharsis aiding and teaching Miut some tricks she had learnt across her career on the Haven. They started investigating the host, interested to learn what security awaited within. It resembled a flower filled garden but with the leaves and pedals more diagonal almost akin to retro games of the 5th world. There was multiple matrix signatures connected underground. Below the flower shop with only two devices connected above ground. Miut however grew more worried as they investigated, remembering this was an old spot her and her old Humanis associates would hang out with, several memories rushing through her mind yet she managed to calm down. They learnt all they could before heading back, including a strange door that lead downwards and a security system below that would emit narcojet gas into the air. Now with the information in mind the runners now possesed more of an idea of what they were up against. Now that the Matrix and Astral were done, all that remained was the physical where Weevil, Zenith, and Nogitsune headed out to figure out what lay in wait.

Upon arriving Weevil sent out his flyspy to investigate. Hoping to get a lay of the land before the runners in his van hopped out. The drone patrolled around the streets, finding various ways into and out of the flower shop including some windows and a chimney. The shop did not appear to be too active, only a few inside as indicated by Weevil before he gave the pair the all clear. Nogitsune shifted into his fox form, hopping out of the putrid smelling roadmaster and into the streets. Several members seeming off to him yet still he patrolled the streets, attempting to disguise himself as a dog. The disguise failed horribly, yet his posture and demeanor were reminiscent of a pet so many looked on in confusion as that domesticated fox roamed the street. Whilst confused Zenith decided to sneak around and see what he could find. The folks around him proving not too observant as he snuck in the alleyway aside the flower shop, the nicest smelling trash pile he had experienced in a while yet his mission was still clear. He traversed the side of the building before finding an area he could use for recon, slipping in a thin spy wire to hear what was going on from within as well as tagging it to allow Cathy a clearer point of matrix entry upon their return. Zenith however due to his observational skills was able to pinpoint other members hidden amongst the crowd wearing forms of armored clothing, with them pinged and the place thoroughly searched they headed back.

On the way back Zenith made a call, stating that if they were to fully dismantle these people it would cost extra. A slightly comedic back and forth ensued. but Zenith remained firm, if he was to kill and deal with them it would cost extra. Ghaz while not begging stated he couldn't. The rad storms and Urubia's orders during them leaving him in a state he still has not fully recovered from. Unsure of what else he could give Zenith as of this time but he knew if the run was not complete the pile of shit he was in would only get bigger. Zenith complied somewhat and presented a deal, he would provide shelter and some tutelage to the newer runners. And he would owe them all a favor for doing so. Ghaz agreed, stating he would owe Zenith two for completion on this mission. Satisfied with this answered the two hung up and now all the runners assembled to form their plan. They would have to disable the alarm system so Knight Errant did not arrive on the scene which would be decently quick given Snohomish was a district they somewhat gave a shit about. The narcojet would also be applied upon their entry, hopefully knocking out some of the guards that waited below. Oracle would also send in a spirit of air to combat the gas, manipulating it around the runners so they would not be affected should their chemseal break. Zenith having the necessary tools to ensure no one would hear him he did not want to hear him, allowing for some non lethal takedowns. It was not much of a plan but still, they would adapt should events go awry. And so, the run began.

The Run

As the runners headed towards the front of the building, they remained in stealth, agreeing to go non-lethal unless absolutely necessary. Oracle back at the hideout alongside Catharsis and Miut. Weevil and Oracle remaining in the roadmaster as Zenith and Nogitsune headed in on the physical. Weevil's drone and Oracle on the astral providing support against whatever reveals itself on the astral. Invisible to the naked eye and sensors the group headed inside and quickly apprehended the cashier who was in league with the Humanis aligned mercenaries. Cathy's matrix perception quickly revealing this fact along with this cashier being the Spider before it was too late. Zenith quickly cutting her cord before she could deploy any matrix countermeasures against the runners. Nogitsune's restraints also ensuring they couldn't escape without help which given the people fleeing from the building was not coming for a while. Cathy and Miut knew what to do, activating the underground gas defense systems before opening up the fountain to reveal a ladder down towards the sewers where their opposition lay in wait.

Descending down without so much as a peep, the runners beheld 2 well armed guards. Knowing this needed to be dealt with swiftly, Nogitsune and Zenith dispatched with their respective guards, Zenith running into a slight complication with his before one more follow up shot knocked out the would be trouble maker. The runners continued down the hall, checking corners and ensuring nothing would sneak up on them. However, things on the matrix were nowhere near as smooth as despite their attempts to hide, Cathy and Miut were uncovered by deckers. A matrix battle ensued between the two pairs. While Cathy was able to evade their detection Miut was not as lucky as she tried to tank and fend off both of her new found assailants. Fortunately after the exchange of marks was had the two matrix pursuers in comedic rubberhose cartoon fashion were sent back to their host bodies. And with their marks removed the runners were given a go ahead to peer around the corner.

Around the corner there was one more small group, seemingly less armored than the front guards but FBA all the same. Nogitsune then got an idea, tossing down one "grenade" to lure the opfor out of hiding. Thanks to the obscuring gas the opfor could not properly see the shape of the grenade, revealing their positions as a satisfying "DING" was heard throughout the sewer walls. Then the runners engaged, the firefight slightly intense but confusing for the opfor as they had no idea where their attackers were coming from exactly. The opfor had fire spirits ready to attack both Zenith and Nogitsune, yet with the aggression of their mentor spirit Nogitsune pushed through the palpable BGC and maimed the two spirits. In the confusion a grenade was tossed at the general area the runners were before Zenith dived in to intercept and with no other choices left chose throw it back, killing the original thrower in the process as more opfor disappeared deeper inside the tunnels, Weevil's drone doing what it could to hamper the escaping enemies and managing to take one down. Oracle's spirit approached Oracle stating there was an omen, spellcasters lingered in wait and the fight was not over. A pathway directly ahead of them to the west and one to the south. With the mages signature coming from the south the runners agreed to head there first and charged ahead.

Their approach remained undetected for a time, but sensors and bad luck plagued them as gunshots were heard aimed at relative areas to where they were causing all available opfor to target them. And the hailstorm of gunfire resounded. A small group of armored individuals trapping the runners from behind as they approached from the West. Their backs against the wall the runners fought with all they had. Miut and Catharsis providing as much matrix support as they could as the onslaught continued, the runners needing every bit of speed they could get. Unfortunately amidst the hailstorm Nogitsune was struck down to the sewer floor. The tension setting in as int he back ORacle and his spirit noticed the mage conjuring a potent spirit of fire to manifest upon the physical. Despite this intensity the opfor could not pin down Zenith, only the more elite members able to piece together a relative idea of where he was. Yet that is where the now manifested fire spirit came into play as he pointed out Zenith for them to strike. Realizing this could be the gunslingers end Oracle and his spirit acted quick, combatting the potent spirit on the astral with stun balls and melee. This sadly did little to the spirt but chip away at it. Yet thankfully that was all Zenith needed, managing to survive a now coordinated onslaught he fired upon the spirit, the chips from Oracle and his spirit being the turning point that allowed his shot to strike true and dissipate it back to its home plane.

As the fighting raged on Weevil realizing that the back up was still coming decided to act, deploying the grenade in a position BARELY good enough to hit the perusing extra forces and avoid Nogitsune's unconscious body. Afterwards pelting the men with a hailstorm of bullets that left them dead on the floor. It was amidst this storm that Catharsis got a dangerous idea and scanned the well armored or rather elite forces amongst the opfor for any ware she could tell. Where upon she saw they were FLRs with bones and wires to boot. Possibilities endless to incapacitate them before they potentially proved too much to handle. After a moment had passed she chose to incapacitate their arms, rendering them unable to use their weapons via hacking the joints located in the limb. For one this proved successful as they could no longer shoot their weapon. A course of pain flowing through their body whilst the other passed out from this pain. Meanwhile Zenith continued to pick apart stragglers till the enemies mage had enough and used magic to their advantage, assensing to see Zenith and engage them in a firefight that proved troubling for Zenith as they exchanged shots. Both of them close to death but Oracle acted fast. The man badly injured by Zenith's shots falling unconscious through just a singular poke of the stunball cast by Oracle.

Despite the setbacks the last strong member was able to use his rifle despite the now bricked one caused by Cathy and aimed it at the drone piloted by Weevil. With a barrage of bullets the drone fell to the ground injured. A small victory for the opfor but with one more shot from Zenith the figure fell down and joined his allies on the ground out cold. The battle through their combined efforts, finally won.

Aftermath

Peering through the cameras the runners got the lay of the sewers and realized one managed to get away, their leader that was escaping into the Ork underground. Cathy once again working her magic, tagged the man, informing Ghaz and the Skraacha of his appearance in the OU, the tagging leaving them next to nowhere to hide. Catharsis remembered however Ghaz also wanted information on where they came from, so with the help of Miut they browsed the files. Miut almost activating a data bomb before defusing it. Inside it they learned that this group was a small PMC based out of Aztlan that made a deal with a cult based in the CAS that was hyper secretive. All that was known was this cult managed to retrieve several bits of gear from a CAS military base and some of said gear ended up in the hand of the PMC. This said PMC also apparently having a stake in the ongoing tensions between Aztlan and Amazonia.

With this information and pocket and the runners recovering from their wounds via patches and picked up equipment the runners called KE to the scene before booking it to the roadmaster. Nogitsune shifting back to fox form as his secret was now in the open as well. Yet Weevil's uncanny ability to stealthfully pilot the vehicle now in full display as despite hiding from more observant KE, none of them seemed to notice him driving towards the OU. Upon arriving back at Ghaz's they saw the Skraacha sheriff in bad condition as a high caliber shot lingered on his chest. Other various wounds also placed throughout his body. He explained to the runners they managed to capture the man but not before he managed to kill 4 more of them and injure a further 3, not including him. They were trying to interrogate them further but with next to no luck in the matter. Zenith and Catharsis offered to do so, sstating they could be rather persuasive. The sheriff simply waving them inside to try their luck as he recovered.

Inside the duo looked upon the very well armored and armed man, the two ork interrogators seemingly infuriated at the mans actions and silence. Him appearing to be a man of Hispanic descent, likely northern Amazonian given various traits on his face that was currently cruised and cut alongside the rest of his body. Zenith and Catharsis simply chose to talk to him and of course the man was reluctant. Stating himself to be dead either way. Yet that mattered little to Zenith as he relayed in detail how this was not his first rodeo and he'd rather he talk before things got messy and he used tactics he knew would work. Upon a guarantee of his release and realizing he had little choice the bound man eventually agreed to talk. He was a leader of a small PMC in Aztlan. They were approached by a cult founded in the CAS that was good at covering its tracks that had some ties to Humanis. And in exchange for weapons and armor they acquired in a CAS military base, the PMC would aid Humanis allies the cult had in Seattle. Seeing little reason not to they aided in the efforts, the reward almost being too good to be true. He sadly knew little else other than the cult may have ties or an interest in the conflict between Amazonia and Aztlan. But other than that, nothing. With his intel now in their hand and his armor returned he exited. His rifle not being given back and he accepted that lost. Catharsis even giving him the location of a nearby doctor to help mend his wounds. To which he was very thankful.

Outside tension grew as the group of newer runners and Nogitsune noticed the man simply walking away. The man pausing and looking over towards Miut, stating she seemed familiar somehow based on what he had heard. But after that he simply walked away. Despite the runners protest it was clear even though he was a single man the fight would be hard and not worth the energy especially given how injured they all still were. ORacle attempting to chew out Zenith and Catharsis for letting him go and arguments of morality surfacing about who to kill and who not to. Nogitsune seemingly taking the newer runners side but still after calmed tensions Ghaz gave them all their rewards in the forms of credsticks and his truest/most sincere gratitude to everyone for their help. Despite the intense disagreement the runners left on... somewhat of a positive note. Miut even being given Zenith's calling card should she ever need it given how he viewed her as the most... sane amidst her group. Which came as a large shock to her but still she carried on and departed with her friends. Nogitsune choosing to leave not too long after. Ghaz then posed a question to Zenith and Catharsis, asking the pair if they thought the new runners were gonna burn out soon, make it big and burn, or simply retire. Zenith and Catharsis stating taking such bets was never a good idea to which Ghaz shrugged. And only after Catharsis prodded him to receive care repeatedly did the stubborn ork relent and seeked more aid for his wound. The two then headed off, wondering what to have for dinner as the night was still young.

Rewards

• Deadly: 36 RVP (19 RVP x 1.85 overtime)
• 12k nuyen (6 RVP)

+3k (negotiations)

• 15 karma (15 RVP)
• 30 CDP (15 RVP)

+2 base CDP

• +3 Skraacha reputation

For Oracle +2 Astral Reputation

OPTIONAL REWARDS

• 8 RVP to life style costs

OPTIONAL CONTACTS

• Ghaz at loyalty 3 (C2/L3) (4 RVP)

If Ghaz is picked up as a contact, gain one chip with him.

OPTIONAL QUALITIES

• High Pain Tolerance for Nogitsune (3 RVP per rank)
• Instinctive Hack for Miut (4 RVP)
• Spirit Whisperer for Oracle (8 RVP)
• Tough as nails stun for Nogitsune (5 RVP per rank)

Run Consequences

• Zenith gains 2 chips from Ghaz

Game Quotes

"It's like police with pepper spray. I flash bang myself every morning to build up my tolerance."

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Oracle - "I suppose things went as well as we could hope. What could easily have been a slaughter, especially for a handful of new runners like us, turned out to be a successful and lucrative run. That much I can say of our allies: They were instrumental in seeing us through this nest of vipers, and for that I will be eternally grateful. As far as I can tell, their decker helped to teach our own a few new tricks as well, and experience is more valuable a gift than Nuyen. That said, I found their unwillingness to dirty their hands short sighted. Offer Humanis mercy, and they will repay you with a knife in the back. Only time will tell if we shall live to see the consequences of their good intentions."