Patched In

Patched In
Date 2082-04-27 GM Aurora Location Tarislar
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Ancients	Spikes	Humanis
Voltage Babylon Duchess Luna	Spikes Gangers Spikes Mage	Metaracist Drekheads

Summary

Ether tells Luna that the Spikes have been stepping out of line and attacking elves on Ancients turf. There's a promotion in it for Babylon, Voltage, and Duchess if they can all cut the problem off at the root.

The Meet

Luna, Babylon, Duchess, and Voltage--all of whom are part of the same squad--are all hanging out and drinking at the Daisy Chain, when Ether comes in and asks to speak to Luna. She tells her that the Spikes have been seen on Ancients turf, tagging buildings and carrying out violent attacks on civilians, and that they need to be driven out as quickly as possible. Luna tells Ether she'll take care of it, and goes to relay this information to the rest of her squad who spring into action immediately.

Legwork and Scouting

Duchess calls Nina Gniewek to ask if she has any other info on the situation with the Spikes. Nina tells her that they've been seen with stun lances and large bows. Voltage asks Freya if she happens to know anything about the situation, despite not being in Seattle, and she finds a few instances of sock puppet accounts that are harassing Spikes and claiming to be Ancients. The IP address attached to the post seems to have originated from a building in Downtown that's connected to Humanis. Babylon goes to ask Jacqueline Grant, the bartender, about the attacks, and notices that she's looking rather shaken up. Not only does she know about the Spikes incursion; they actually burned her trailer and a number of others in Tarislar only a matter of hours ago.

The squad is feeling a new sense of urgency now. Luna sends a flyspy to see if the Spikes are still in Ancients territory, and Babylon scouts the Astral. She's able to locate the facility where the sock puppet accounts messaged from, and upon discovering an armory that seems strangely bare, she immediately rushed back. Luna's search reveals the Spikes' location, as well as a couple of trucks that are travelling parallel to them.

Striking Back

The Ancients jump on their bikes and race to the scene. Between Luna's vendetta against the Spikes and Voltage's burning hatred of metaracist humans, they argue for a while about which group they should take out first--until Luna is suddenly inspired to beat Humanis at their own game by provoking the Spikes into attacking them. The squad idles their bikes a couple blocks away while Luna sends a rotodrone forward, and commands it to begin shooting at the Spikes from behind Humanis's trucks, making it look like it belongs to them. The troll mage who seems to be leading the Spikes crew charges forward in a rage, and the two groups fight each other while the Ancients wait for the opportune moment to strike. They finally swoop in, picking off the heaviest hitters on both sides and killing most of the opposition. They take some of them hostage, and Babylon drives the rest off with a Foreboding spell.

Aftermath

Duchess announces that the Ancients have ended the conflict and driven the Spikes off their turf, instructing them not to tell KE anything about the incident should they ask. Voltage and Gomorrah (Babylon's ally spirit) escort some of the Spikes back to their own territory in Luna's Shin-Hyung, vandalizing their colors and giving them instructions to tell their leaders exactly why the Ancients are not to be fragged with. Luna goes on the Spikes forum to show them the evidence that they got baited by Humanis, and the group gets sets up a meeting with the Spikes to broker an agreement, with Bloodstains--a Vory enforcer--serving as a neutral mediator.

Babylon probes the mind of one of the Humanis members, revealing their plans. The squad killed the Humanis chapter's leader in their attack, and he had a boat that was conveniently docked in Tacoma. Babylon tells Luna about the boat's location, and gifts it to her.

Luna and Ether give their reports on the situation to their superiors, and put in a good word for the rest of the squad. Voltage and Duchess earn their patches, Babylon becomes their lieutenant, and Gomorrah is welcomed as an honorary member.

Rewards

• Babylon: Rank 1 (Not Military Or Law Enforcement) + Vehicle Empathy + Stunt Driver + 4 karma
  
• Luna: ¥80k towards a KRIME Barco de Pesca + modifications
  
• Duchess and Voltage: Made (Wo)Man + Stunt Driver + Vehicle Empathy + 4 karma
  
• Everyone: 2 CDP and may pick up Bloodstains (Connection 4) at Loyalty 1 for -4 RVP or 8 CDP

Game Quotes

Nina Gniewek: tells Duchess that the encroaching Spikes gangers were wielding bows Duchess, Voltage, and Luna: proceed to have a 5+ minute long conversation about bows being terrible, useless weapons Duchess: "Oh my god, Nina, are you still on the comm?"

Voltage: "ONLY Humanis would put truck nuts on their vehicles."

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Duchess:

Cursed Spikes! Cursed Humanis. Coming into Tarislar and shooting up our people, burning our homes. This crap is *exactly* why I became an Ancient. Exactly why I gave up my old life instead of returning home when I got out. Yeah, we Ancients are fraggers. Yes, we fuck people up. But we protect our people because no-one else cares enough to shed blood to keep our blood where it belongs.

And finally, finally I feel like I've earned my place here in Seattle. I mean, I was patched long before I came here. But it's not easy earning acceptance, coming in as a patch from out of town. I feel like I can finally walk around in my cut with pride, without any of the imposter syndrome I've feeling lately. I'm proud to be an Ancient, and prouder still to have people like Voltage watching my back, and people like Luna and Babylon to do our thinking. Ancients put the "a" in Team and the "A" in Action.

Voltage

FINALLY, I'm a real Ancient and I don't gotta feel like a fraggin' poser anymore. But I think I understand somethin' that took me a long time to learn before; being an Ancient isn't just about being badass, riding bikes and winning fights with second-rate gangs who think they're better than us. It's a big responsibility; you gotta protect your people and your turf, and now that I'm patched, I'm gonna carry that duty with pride. I'm also proud to run with such a great squad, and I think Babs is gonna make a damn good lieutenant.