Shindig

Shindig
Date 2081-06-07 GM Kryosite Location A posh Bellevue gated community, populated by Aztech middle management Status Threat Level: Medium
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven	Aztechnology
Moth Santesso Lucian Lavourre	Alfred Rockbell

Summary

The runners were hired to steal an obsidian dagger from the home of an Aztechnology middle management executive, Alfred Rockbell. His home was normally inaccessible, but he was having a big exclusive party that night, and the Johnson could get the runners on the guest list.

The runners planned the heist, and successfully replaced the dagger with a replica.

They were so effective at convincing their host that they were innocent friendly party goers that he still considers some of them friends.

Background

Alfred Rockbell's home was in a posh Bellevue gated community. He was having an elaborate party that evening to celebrate a festival day under the Path of the Sun. The party would mostly be attended by Aztechnology middle management. The party was scheduled to begin at 10 pm and last past dawn.

Security was tight enough that the Johnson needed valid SINs to get them on the guest list.

The Meet

The runners met the Johnson at a fancy sushi restaurant in Bellevue at 1 pm that afternoon. His priority was that the job would be done very quietly and subtly.

Moth, Lucian Lavourre, and Santesso worked together to negotiate the reward from 16,000 nuyen to 20,000 nuyen each.

He provided them with an ARO detailed 3d model of the dagger. He provided them with Rockbell's address. He took their SIN names, and added them to the guest list. It was clear that Mortimer style outfits would be the absolute bare minimum for an event of this kind.

They needed to acquire the dagger that night. The Johnson would meet them at this same sushi restaurant the next afternoon for the hand-off and payment.

The Plan

Santesso began researching the address, confirming the basic floorplan for houses built in the neighborhood. He confirmed that the gated community was strict about entry and normally closed to the public.

Lucian Lavourre reached out to their contact [[SignificantNPC::[Miss Moon]] to get the exact floorplan. From this, the runners were able to confirm that the design had a wall safe in the master bedroom on the 3rd floor. The master bedroom has one entrance from the interior of the house, an internal bathroom, and a balcony out to the backyard.

Lucian Lavourre also reached out to their contact Axxess who confirmed what other people would be invited to the party. It would mostly be Aztech middle management.

The runners could assume there would be security guards at the party, and that part of their role would be to limit access to the upper floors of the house.

Moth suggested researching if Rockbell was married. If so, his wife would be a person with access to the master bedroom and a good target for impersonation. Santesso was able to quickly verify that Rockbell was single, and that his social media suggested he was eager to hook up with attractive brunette women, but not having much luck.

The runners worked together to set up a social media account for an Alice Silver who looked like a disguised Moth in her brunette smart wig. Santesso had both the computer skill and the artisan photography to really sell it. Lucian Lavourre helped Moth plan just what to say, commenting on one of Rockbell's P2P posts to start off a relationship. Rockbell was soon liking her photographs and very much looking forward to seeing her at the party. He sent her a post as the party approached showing that he had acquired Galak (a potent aphrodisiac party drug) in anticipation.

Moth used her medical skill to estimate how many Galak he would need to take to knock him unconscious. (Her estimate was two.)

Lucian Lavourre had exactly the contact they needed to forge a replica dagger so the theft would not be immediately detected, if done well. They called Juan Lopez, and they were able to get the replica in time.

The runners considered how best to have the right clothes and vehicle to appear to fit in. Santesso was an excellent driver, but if they needed to make a quick get away, they needed a fancy car with rigger access. Moth called her papa, King Midas, and he let them borrow the Rolls-Royce Phaeton.

Lucian Lavourre was an expert on high fashion and used the Fashion spell to make their outfits high couture. They made a dress for Moth designed to be both fashionable and very sexy. They made a similar dress for themselves (close enough that they could disguise themselves as her if needed), and also brought a very simple linen dress that could be easily modified with the fashion spell for any other disguises needed (such as a security guard or Mr. Rockbell).

Santesso acquired a pizza delivery style drone which would not draw attention. The plan was for the pizza delivery drone to carry the replica dagger package to the roof, where it could remain stealthily hidden and then be accessed through the balcony.

The overall plan was that Santesso would scout with flyspys. Moth would get Alfred Rockbell to spend time with her, and to interact with Lucian Lavourre long enough to get the code to the safe via Lucian's mind magics. She would get Rockbell to take her up to his bedroom, showing the guards that she had a right to be on the upper floors. Once inside the bedroom, she or Rockbell could open the sliding glass door to the balcony, letting in a flyspy to do more surveillance of the safe. If needed, Lucian Lavourre could use disguise to sneak up to the 3rd floor and help access the safe.

The Run

Other guests admired the Rolls Royce when they arrived. Santesso deployed a flyspy to scout from the exterior, before any of them entered. He verified that there was a security guard at the front door checking the guest list, with a scanner that would detect weapons. He had cybereyes and wired reflexes. There was one other guard inside on the first floor, visible through a window, and two stationed in the backyard where many of the guests were. He also verified that cameras were focused on the front of the house. He could find 8 Ares Alphas, 7 of which were slaved to a cyberdeck on the 8th guard - a decker of some sort. There was likely magical security - knowing Alfred Rockbell was a blood mage. The security guards were wearing full body armor.

Lucian Lavourre considered scouting with a spirit, but decided it was most safe to stay off the astral. No reason to raise suspicion.

Moth entered first, and made her way to the backyard where there was music and dancing. She focused on dancing - drawing the eyes of many in the crowd. She rejected several who tried to flirt with her, before Mr. Rockbell made an appearance, clearly delighted to see her and looking forward to spending time together. She guided him first to a private table where they could speak quietly and she could lean against him. He offered her a Galax and took one himself. She was able to palm the Galax, saving it for future use, and avoiding getting too high too quickly.

This gave Lucian Lavourre a chance to approach with their mind magic, knowing the drug had the side effect of making a person more suggestible. They were disguised as another party goer, where no one else at the party could overhear. Lucian conned Mr. Rockbell into letting them do a magic trick to entertain the table. With the Influence spell, they convinced Mr. Rockbell to reveal the code for the safe, which actually proved to be a bio-lock keyed to Mr. Rockbell's thumb print. Then with the Rewind spell, they made Mr. Rockbell forget the brief interaction.

Santesso took up a position on the first floor, observing the party, and keeping control of the flyspy and other drones, observing that this was the sort of party with ever increasing drug use, where a rigger could leave their body apparently unconscious in one of the chairs and draw no suspicion. Just a person who took too many drugs and passed out.

Moth suggested Mr. Rockbell take her someplace more private, and he offered to take her up to his room, and show her the stars and party decorations in the backyard from his balcony. She kept him distracted as they entered his bedroom, so the door from the interior of the house remained slightly ajar, rather than locked, in case others needed to get in. Once they were out on the balcony, she distracted him while Santesso brought his flyspy in to examine the safe. It was behind a large portrait of Mr Rockbell on one wall.

Moth offered the second Galax that she had palmed earlier to Mr. Rockbell, placing it on her lip for them to share. They both took some of the affect of the drug, but she managed to avoid becoming addicted. But he could have no doubt that she had shared in the drug taking with him. At this point, she could tell he was very close to passing out. She got him to the bed and made out with him some more, and then offered to salsa dance with him on the bed. He did like her dancing! She managed the choreography so that he would step back off the edge of the bed and fall off. He did indeed hit his head, and passed out completely. Moth dragged him over to the wall with the safe, and held him thumb up to the scanner. The safe opened, revealing the dagger inside. Santesso's roof drone delivered the replica dagger, and she made the switch. The roof drone was able to carry the true dagger back to the smuggling compartment in the Rolls Royce.

Job done, but still trying to avoid all possible suspicion, the runners remained through the end of the party. Moth knew she too should have passed out from the Galax if she'd taken all of it. She got Mr Rockbell back into the bed, and slept beside him, waking up in his arms. Both remembering that they'd overdone the drugs and passed out. He remembered the embarrassing mishap of falling off the bed and passing out, but she soothed him and made sure he didn't feel too bad about it. They had a pleasant morning and she gave him a burner commcode to stay in touch with her. Lucian Lavourre was the absolute life of the party downstairs. Several of the guests would later comment to Rockbell that he should always invite that Max Million to his parties. Santesso found a woman interested in him, and took her out to the Rolls Royce for a seduction that gave him both an alibi, and an opportunity to keep guard of the car and dagger in the smuggling compartment. He really did like that car! He made sure to have it cleaned before they returned it to Moth's papa. Moth got enough breakfast food to share to Santesso who was getting hungry in the car.

They got away clean, and in Mr. Rockbell's good graces.

Aftermath

Alfred Rockbell has no idea they are runners. He knows Alice Moth and Max Lucian Lavourre by those identities. He will eventually discover the dagger was stolen, and perhaps even suspect it was a blood mage rival like the johnson, but not known when or how it was taken.

They went back to Moth's house and relaxed until the scheduled meet with the johnson at the sushi restaurant. The johnson was delighted and paid them.

Rewards

20k nuyen (4k from negotiation); 5 karma; 2 CDP

or

20k nuyen (4k from negotiation); 2 karma; 2 CDP; Alfred Rockbell as a 2/2 contact

Game Quotes

"I've danced on cars and tables and beds before, but this is my first time choreographing a dance to make sure someone fell off the side of a bed." -- Moth

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Moth

Moth here. This was my 26th run. This was a great team. Every heist should have two faces and a rigger/off-face. We were a very powerful combination. Constantly inspiring each other to do our best, and working together. And all wanting the most subtle path. This is my first time getting to work with a dedicated face, like Lucian Lavourre. They are so talented. I can really see the advantages of adding mind magic and the ability to have any face and any outfit by magic to the role. Impressive! Santesso was great. Good ideas. Just what we needed for the matrix searching and drone support. My conscience is somewhat cleared that I gave Mr. Rockbell a pretty good night and morning, all things considered. I feel a little bad using seduction now that I have a boyfriend who I love and want to be faithful to. But I think Dandy understands that work is work. I'll make it up to him though. I save the best of me for him!