This log is from Isabella's point of view!

Descriptions:
[Andromeda]
In the meat world this young woman is at first barely noticeable. One might take her for one of the faceless corporate masses: plain, unassuming, slightly overweight, square black glasses she's certainly not about to win any contests. Mousy brown curls try valiantly to keep their spring as they hang loosely around her shoulders. The perpetual rain and fog don't make it easy for them; a lot of the time they just droop around her rounded face and try to distract from the rest of her body. It's just as well. She may not be overly large, but she's not overly small either. Maybe she doesn't care; maybe she doesn't pay attention; maybe she just likes to eat at any rate, she's definitely teetering on the line between average and more-than-average (some would say she's fallen over it, but others might say she's just 'comfortable').
 
Her apparent ease with her body obviously extends to her clothes as well. Browns and greys clash shamelessly. Her unflatteringly tight fitting shirt is a terrible exercise in horizontal stripes that would surely be ticketed by the fashion police were it not largely hidden by a worn UCAS army surplus jacket that seems oversized even on her. The only decoration are two actual metal buttons, one with a pink (VRGN) logo and the other black with a large (6L) in white. Under that is a long stretchy skirt that was probably designed to have some sort of color-changing capacity but must be burned out or something, because nobody would deliberately leave anything in Middle Primer Grey 115. Thick socks black socks and faded but serviceable tennis shoes show underneath if you look hard enough. On her head is often a rather threadbare safari-style rain hat, with only the smaller Ares Globetrotter logo still visible on the back; the large one in front has been covered with a self-adhesive patch which actually does read 'No, I don't like your logo.' (If you are using an AR display, please say so!)

[Isabella]
A sharp suit. Thats the first thing you notice when your glance happens to fall in the direction of this elven girl, because thats what she appears to be. An elven girl, about average height, slim, in a sharp pin-striped suit. Her hair is long, a combination of stark white and sparkling silver, falling about her shoulders and behind her back. Her bangs are cut shorter, falling freely to frame her cheeks and hide her ears. From what you can see of her skin you might think its a little off in color, darker and varied in areas as if she had a bad tan, AR gloves concealing her hands. The girl screams mid to high level corp, in fact her razor shades added to the mix make her look a lot like a Johnson you've met so many times in dark corners of clubs. When she stands - sits - postures she does it calmly, with authority.


1 Message.
'Hoi Chummer! I've got a favor to ask, theres a good group of punks in the squatters mall, they run a pirate tridcast group who report on goings-on around Seattle as well as featured reports from other groups throughout the world. They handle lots of good juicy biz, from corp scandal to Magical Advancements. That seriously helps fraggers' like me keep in business.
Turns out, they're local hotspot got raided by a team, chased 'm out. They sent someone in to hack their system and seems like somebody's diggin' around for something that might be hidden there. I need a group to meet them outside the mall and help them get their hideout back. Takers?

Takers can report to the mall, your contact will wear a white feather.


<OOC> Hestia says, "I have the desc copied from the actual place, ill pose that and then you guys can pose showin up"

Outside The Squatter's Mall (#328R)------------------------- District: Redmond
On the top of the hill before you is a squat, debilitated two story building. You have to wonder how it even manages to stay up. There are obvious bullet holes in the walls, and gang graffiti decorates most of the rest. A huge gaping hole in the side of the building allows lookouts on the second floor a large view of the surrounding area. You can't even tell what the original color was of the building.
Outside of the Mall you can understand where it got its name. There are old discarded mattresses tossed inside of rusted out vehicles. These make quick and ready homes for the many lost souls claimed by Redmond. There are burn barrels in front of the mall where small groups and factions congregate, most getting high or drinking to take the edge off. The gangs have also quickly moved into this area, though a delicate truce makes the mall neutral ground for the most part. Weapons are a must if you want to venture into this area without being a ready target.
There is an Amerind Woman smoking a cigarette, leaning against the wall and twirling a strange white feather quill in one hand, a lit nic-stick in the other.


You paged Hestia with 'I suppose my motivation to be at this terrible place is that these punks are a good source of my corporate info and I owe em one?'.

Hestia pages: alot of people are affected by this who wouldn't realize, you would probably know that sources like these are usually left alone by most corps so its strange they would get displaced like this.


Andromeda and Ducks are announced by a loud buzzing. That battered scooter barely puts up with carrying a human, and adding an ogre too has got it downright mutinous. She slows gradually (so as not to crash) and puts the kickstand down.


You paged Hestia with 'Ok. She has a chamsuit she wears under her business suit when she's... doing "business". Basically.. the effect is she looks like a walking suit with no head or hands '.


Ducks looks haggard and red-eyed, moving as if everything aches. And not because of the poor scooter's simple suspension: she stayed out too long last night and looks the worse for it.


Kesslan makes his way over by far more conventional means, lacking the monetary resources as yet for an even beat up vehicle, Kesslan arrives.. on foot. That said he's a pretty fast guy on the whole and he didnt just walk, but rather jogged a little. Tonight finds him dressed in an Urban Explorer jumpsuit, toting his backpack and what ever else he's got kickign around in it. Unlike the hungover Ducks however, he seems in pretty good spirits. And evne happier to note at least one familar face.

A very nice pinstripe suit and razor shades strolls casually towards the punk with the feather. And thats a perfect description because the suit doesn't seem to have a head, or hands for that matter, only some niceley polished shoes and razorshades floating above the collar of the suit.


<OOC> Isabella says, "Let me clarify, shoes are on feet... not floating with razorshades ;p"

<OOC> Andromeda says, "So... she has no head?"
<OOC> Isabella says, "Chamsuit, under a suit. Style, nay?"

The Amerindian Girl steps off the wall and notices groups of people flocking, she holds the white feather up above her head and affixes it to her hair, so that everyone can see it. She takes a big drag from her nicstick and waits for the 'crowd'. Other squatters are beginning to move away from her and on to their own biz....


Keth 's Harley isn't the most quiet of vehicles, rather loud as he parks a couple blocks away. New J's always get him a little paranoid, walking the rest of the way to the meeting place after taking his biker's helmet off.


Akando arrives at the mall a little behind the rest of the group. He watches the Amerind woman with some interest. He gathers behind the group around her.


Andromeda looks up into the sky where a small object is occasionally seen. Probably some surveilance drone or something. Perfectly reasonable around here.


<OOC> Hestia says, "Pose Order: Me, Andromeda, Ducks, Isabella, Kesslan, Keth, Akando"


The Woman speaks once the group of 6 is gathered. " I'll be quick, you must be the ones sent message from Waybe. I am M'chelle, that's all you need to know of me. On the second floor of this mall is our domain, a run down group of stalls that we turned into our base of operations here in Redmond. First the dogs came, mean beasts who scared alot of us away, bit us, ripped flesh. Then their handler, a large troll came with his two friends. We did not have time to get all of our equipment out, though most of our data is safe. If we weren't about to meet with representatives from another trid group....."
She Snaps her fingers. "Of course, they had to rush us out, might be setting up our associates....we have to get them out of here , any means necessary!


Ducks looks like she needs about a day's worth of sleep. And aspirin. Hung over, she nods silently: she's in. From a pocket she produces a candy bar-sized thing which turns out to be a mean-looking insectlike flying drone which happily whirs up overhead. She nods some more.


Isabella crosses her arms behind her back, standing solid and straight, silent.

Kesslan listens to the deal as it's run out, the man with the odd feline like eyes notably shifting to come stand more or less next to Ducks without actually invading her personal space, offering her a friendly and familar nod, but otherwise keeping quiet.


Keth fusses a bit with his heavy jacket, glancing around their surroundings as she explains the situation, looking to the others gathered about, "So a troll, a couple other gangers, and some doggies..shouldn't be too difficult, if that's all there is."


Akando nods, looking interested. He seems to be considering the Amerind woman thoughtfully - he is Amerind himself.

M'chelle puts some glasses on and taps a commlink, using her jogwheel on the 'link itself to navigate. "I'm putting up a map of this place, its pretty run down there's only two sets of stairs to get up to the second floor. Our base is on the far end, the sets of stairs pop up in the middle and our setup was in the back right past some of the stalls used for the travelling vendors.. There is another route, a fire escape that's seen better days that goes all the way to the roof, you can find a window loose to get into the 2nd floor there. Get those guys out before our associates arrive, that way we can break down the network and give them our equipment and data to move somewhere else.... I'll give you 3k each, you game?"


<OOC> Hestia says, "No further questions? I can pose inside the mall unless you need some prep poses"

<OOC> Isabella says, "I have no qualls : )"

<OOC> Kesslan says, "pretty striaght forward"


Andromeda looks at the building thoughtfully. Her eyes swivel back and forth a bit accessing an AR display. She glances up at the sky again, then back to her AR, and back to the woman, nodding. "Definitely. Whatever we can do to help you."


Ducks nods with Andromeda as if to say, "What she said." Only lazier. She doesn't look healthy but you have to admire her spirit, sports fans.

Akando folds his arms and nods, looking ready to get a little exercise.

Isabella steps towards the entrance of the mall.


Kesslan with nothing else to add simply follows the others, though he does pause to check on Ducks "You ok?" he asks with a touch of concern in his voice.


Akando has a long rifle strapped over his back that looks like it could affect things from a distance.

Ground Floor (#377R)---------------------------------------- District: Redmond
This building can be loosely called a mall and reflects everything else in the area. It is in poor repair. There are puddles of water from the frequent rains. Some areas of the mall are without power and it's rather obvious that a lot of looting goes on here as well. You might wonder how anyone manages to stay in business, until you find the well established stores in the mall that have the standard issue huge dumb troll as a guard. Weapons are openly carried here. The few people you see without them are either dead people pushed into the corners and left to rot, or those lowest of squatter life forms who are practiced at being both harmless and obviously lacking any possible loot to take.
Just about anything you want to find can be found here. The various stores in the mall fall into three categories. There are the few stores that sell items such things as groceries, clothing, and electronics that normaly are legal anywhere if it weren't for the truck they 'fell off of.' You will also find the stores that sell just about any type of street weapon you have the cred to purchase. The last group of stores peddle 'vice' like there's no tomorrow. BTL's, simporn, street drugs...whatever you need to get through the night.
That's how things normally are. Right now its quiet ,most squatters are in shadowed corners either getting their fix or making camp for the night. A few straggglers are selling some trinkets and trashly treasures they scavenged themselves. Nothing really of value. It's quiet and the sound of air vents blowing resonates.


Andromeda digs into a pocket and pulls out a similar-looking little device to the one Ducks had. She gives her a small smile. "Good idea... want to go see what there is to see?" Opening her hand, the little drone activates its vectored-thrust engines and lifts up, zooming foward and out of sight around a corner.



Ducks squints blearily at, maybe, her own AR displays and just grunts. So dull, her mood, so beautiful her hair. Of her drone nothing is seen. Probably. "I'm on it," she says. She sticks with Kesslan and the Andromeda particularly, maybe for safety.


Isabella stops for a moment to take in the scene, turning curtly on her heel and heading off away from the group. An obviously modulated, featureless voice comes across the comm. Problably aimed at the two hackers with drones - <Keep me informed> She moves off towards the fire escape.


Hestia pages: I'll page you info during my next pose

You paged Hestia with 'Kay!'.

From afar, Ducks reports, drily, via AR: her own drone is watching the group's back, patrolling outside the building but close enough to zip in momentarily. And keeps you posted as events warrant complete with video feed.


Kesslan pauses a moment as people start splitting up, the man crouching down quickly and unzipping his pack and puling out a few spare mags as descreetly as he can manage before slipping them into appropriate pockets on his jumpsuit. A heads up glance at his AR through his contacts makes sure that his PAN is set on hidden mode and linked in with everyone else otherwise, taking a few sniffs at the air around him while he's at it as well as taking a quick peek around the astral.


<OOC> Andromeda says, "Keth is having issues with his internet, he told me to just go on without him until he can get it going again."

<OOC> Hestia says, "Alrighty he's around but not around no sweat ^.^"


Akando looks around his surroundings, trying to figure out if anything is out of place (if that designation is even relevant at a squatter's mall).

Akando unslings his rifle and holds it gently across his chest in his folded arms.

The air vents shut off and a prerecorded announcement plays, through static. " Att..ksss.en.kkkssh...n... The... Ma... will be Clos....Kshhhs (Attention the mall will be closing) " followed by a beep. Emergency lights shut on along the walls and pathways to the stairwells light up for those with AR. Some things seem to still work in this run down place...


Akando says "I'm not seeing any signs of struggle on this floor. It's possible that the group we are after did not come from the ground floor. I wonder if there are tunnels or sewers beneath the mall."


Hestia pages: you climb and climb, past dingy windows, then concrete, then more windows, and reach the top, where the ladder has rusted onto the wall and off of the roof. It'd be a tough jump/climb, about 4 feet from where you've reached. You are at windows height, however.


You paged Hestia with 'I'd like to make an athletics check to try and jump. Extended test maybe?'.


Andromeda focuses her eyes from where they've been watching her AR feed. "There's a guard.. or somebody... by the stairwell going up, over this way.." she points "He's by himself, so we could probably take him down if we had to. On the other hand he might just be watching and tell somebody we're here if he sees us." She shrugs. "Up to you."


Akando says "We sure he's a target?"


You paged Andromeda with 'Did you say that vocally or into the comm?'.

Andromeda pages: Said it. We're all together, and we're not sneaking yet.
You paged Andromeda with 'I'm scaling the building outside ; )'.


Hestia pages: sure we'll do extended test Athletics : 8 ( 10 minutes)

Hestia pages: wait til your pose after ducky

You paged Hestia with '8, haha ok. Tell me when to start rolling.'.


Ducks offers each member of the group a secure feed of her drone's trid feed as it watches things from outside the building and as she does this she unzips the front of her coveralls and oh yeah she's definitely a mammal and she crossdraws, unholstering a big fraggin' revolver just in case. She makes no move to hunt down any guards by herself though, not her specialty.


Andromeda shrugs and shakes her head. "Nope.. just sayin' what I found is all.. he's wearing black, he doesn't look like a squatter, and all the people on our side are outside, so it's an educated guess, y'know?"


Akando nods to Andromeda.

You paged Hestia with 'Kay so I roll athletics + strength?'.
Hestia pages: ya roll em


<OOC> Andromeda says, "Did folks get a chance to sync a radio frequency or AR or anything before we split up?"


<OOC> Hestia says, "I let Ducks take care of it if you're all willing to join her feed"


GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 4 dice: 3 4 6 6 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>
GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 3 dice: 2 2 4 (0 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>
GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 2 dice: 2 3 (0 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Akando subscribes to Duck's feed.


You paged Hestia with 'Ok I got 2 hits :p'.


[Isabella]
Another comm from the featureless voice, <Attempting entry through the roof. Be careful not to raise alarm.>


Hestia pages: oh wow... ok lets just say I'll take care of you through pose since you're seperate and i like your style ;p

You paged Hestia with 'Take care of me? o_o'.
Hestia pages: ya ill pose your data seperate to you while these kids move along, you can just stick to short comms in like you just used as your pose

You paged Hestia with 'Kay.'.


Kesslan deciding, that with everyone else going openly with firearms, something not too likely to draw police attention around this end of the city at any rate decides to pause once more to pull out a fully to spec combat vest along with a quickdraw holster holding a handgun, straipping the vest and gun on. The vest itself isnt the armored variety, but rather one of those typical military 'smart vests' that give you and up to the second read out of all your ammo and other things. ANother brief pause as he accepts Duck's video feed, metnally tossing it off into the upper left corner of his AR so it remains out of the way untill needed.


Akando slips into a position that would have a good angle on the guard, if that's what it is.


<OOC> Hestia says, "Akando let me get an infiltration roll from you please"

<OOC> Hestia says, "everyone else, while akando sets himself up what will you do? Are you going to approach the one man or try and be quick to take him out?"


Andromeda hasn't even got a weapon out. In fact, she may not even be carrying one. Doesn't look like there are any gun-sized bulges in those pockets at any rate. "Here..." She links up the AR feed from her drone to the rest of you, except for Isabella, who gets a different feed, from a different drone high above the building. "Isa, if you need back up, it's there. I'll tell it to watch the line of fire but I can't deal with it personally and handle down here too. All right?"


Akando disappears into a nicely shaded corner between two larger vending stalls that has a good angle onto the stairwell. He's slick as can be, disappearing into the shadows.


<OOC> Isabella says, "you don't know my name, I never gave it. My comm is different, and you didn't see my face. Maybe there is some astral things you can do... but... heh :3"
<OOC> Isabella says, "No need to change any of that, you can still send me a feed, you just don't know my name. My comm is linked to yours."

<OOC> Andromeda says, "What does the name next to your com say?"

<OOC> Isabella says, "Cr3"

<OOC> Andromeda says, "That's enough for me."


(To: Isabella and Andromeda) Hestia pages: Your other drone outside shows a bare roof except for a few noticeable things. One is a set of satellite receivers juryrigged in a group together, and second are three thigns that look like gliders....


Ducks looks around warily, wearily, but she's perking up as things start getting tense. Barrel of her heavy revolver wavers but she keeps it pointing up until it makes sense to do otherwise. She seems to prefer to stick to cover until the group needs support. Occurs to her, belatedly, to make her hair go a flat lightless black and stay that way.


Long distance to Hestia: Isabella shakes her head, the effect to onlookers being her razor shades swivelling back and forth in midair. "Damn." She cocks her arm back and shatters a window, have to go through the building.


Hestia pages: The second floor is lit by emergency lights, and no one seems to have taken notice of you just yet.....you're at the top of one set of stairs


You paged Hestia with 'Alright I would be keeping stealthy from here on in, as best I can.'.


Hestia pages: infiltration?


Kesslan finishes setting himself up and slips his backpack back into place, glancing to Ducks with some concern before keeping a wary eye out, both in the 'real' world and on the astral plane, not trusting the threat to just be one single troll with dogs. Didnt seem like a terribly big threat to him against anyone with a few guns. Over AR he tosses up <<So what's the plan?>>


Hestia pages: kk go ahead sorry i've got multiple pages, please roll to me ! we can keep going aside from things


GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 10 dice: 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 5 6 6 (5 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

You paged Hestia with 'Thats my infiltration.'.


Andromeda frowns. The sound of her voice comes over the teams AR, but not out loud. "Some kind of satellite dishes on the roof.. probably the trid pirates.. and some gliders. Looks like that's their escape route. I think we should expect them to be heading for the roof if things go bad for them."


Hestia pages: it's dark upstairs, you've moved away from your entry point and around where the stairwell meets a hallway. You can hear some slobbery eating coming from down that hall, but the dogs are rather enjoying their carrion meat to pay heed. A man is whistling as well from that direction


Akando comes over the AR, "I bet that's how they came in too. Any guards? Can you nip the glider wings?"

All of your commlinks show the feed Andromeda sent of the man waiting down the corridor and theres another feed for those subscribed of Ducks' drone showing your other teammate (isabella) climbing the roof and entering into the second floor window. Things are tense as the group halts....


Ducks's all-but-silent silent dragonflylike drone starts to enter the building through a cracked window (as noticed by anyone wanting to see such). Likewise via AR and not aloud she says, "Wait, you want me to eat the glider wings, too? It's... probably doable. But the outside looks quiet for now."

[Isabella]
<I have a location on the dogs and at least one other contact. I'm placing my estimates on their location ontop of your AR maps - now> chimes in a rather dull voice, blips shaped like red coiled dragons appearing on the team's overlay.


You paged Hestia with 'Can I see the dogs, LOS?'.

Hestia pages: you saw one of their tails wagging, short and stubb. Looks like doberman types.


<OOC> Hestia says, "Note: From Isabellas post on your network, you can see that she is directly above the stairwell where the man of questionable nature is poised, and the dogs up and further along back towards the center of the second floor, almost directly above you."


<I'm going to nuetralize the dogs. This should turn the other target's attention away from you. Take him down at your leisure.>


You paged Hestia with 'Alright, I'm going to sneak up on the Dogs and take 2 shots with my silenced flechette.'.

You paged Hestia with 'Not right up on them, just enough to get a good shot.'.

Akando texts "Understood" in return.


GAME: Kesslan rolls 1 dice: 5 (1 Hit) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Kesslan rolls 5 dice: 2 4 4 5 5 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Kesslan continues to follow the others, keeping as wary an eye out as he can manage, not trusting the situation, not entirely trusting most of his apparent team members either. But mostly.. mostly he' sjust a little worried about poor little Ducks and her apparent decision to show up with a hang over. He frowns a little pausing in step as he does another quick check about <<I dont like this place.>>


Andromeda seems halfway between the physical world and some other one as she walks forward carefully and slightly unsteadily. "Oh, there you are.. I don't like it either, but shouldn't be here long. Uh.." she pauses a moment, then looks at Ducks.


Hestia pages: okie so you're sneaking within M distance of the dogs, and you're gonna take two shots, one at each? or is flechette like shotgun rounds i gotta check


Akando via AR: <Target on stairs is typing with his AR gloves. Seems to be communicating.


You paged Hestia with 'Its an 8p(F) shot. If the dogs have armor they get ap+2.'.

You paged Hestia with 'I'm going to fire 2 wide burts at a single dog.'.


Ducks shakes her head as if to clear it. Squints at: nothing obvious. She catches up with Andromeda, glances at her.


Hestia pages: alrighty, roll the shots, they are eating and definately unaware of you

[Isabella]
<Engaging now, on your ready.>


GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 1 1 1 1 3 3 4 4 5 6 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


You paged Hestia with 'Ok, 6 agil + 6 pistol + 2 heavy pist spec. + 2 smartgun'.


GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 16 dice: 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 (4 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 16 dice: 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 6 6 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


You paged Hestia with 'Holy crap... the roller is broken! Ok, those were wide bursts so the dog gets -2 to dodge for each seperate shot.'.


Ducks darts to a dark and cramped spot for no obvious reason, or maybe the obvious reason. She wedges her stout silhouette into it. It seems plausible.


Ducks's little dragonfly drone is, somewhere unseen, watching over Ducks at this point. If this seems a little recursive on Ducks' part it's only because it's because she's about to do what she's about to do. Which is: close her eyes. And relax.


GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 (4 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Kesslan for his own part shifts to a position near Ducks, but not too close. Just to be sure her meat bod is kept relatively safe durring the apparent lull. Just one friend looking out for another as it were.


Hestia pages: the thing is he's unaware of your attack and unarmored, theres not much he can do to dodge really. You really mess up the first dog and it causes the second dog to raise its ears and growl, sniffing the air. A quick glance and you can see his chest was grazed by some of the blast.


Hestia pages: The one you shot is dead

[Isabella]
<One dog is down. Not sure the other two targets have noticed. Whats your status>


Hestia pages: you grazed the second and he looks scared and is trying to figure out what happened.


<OOC> Hestia says, "While Im dealing with pages ill just recap oocly this scene"

<OOC> Hestia says, "Isabella is above the group, she is dealing with the dogs mentioned by M'chelle currently. Andromeda is dealing with some quick hacking while Ducks is preparing to enter VR, Kesslan is watchig her back along with her drone, which everyone can still see in their PAN, and AKando is set up ready to take out the guy at the bottom stairwell at a moments notice, neh?"

<OOC> Isabella nod.

<OOC> Akando says, "Aye aye."


GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 1 1 2 2 4 4 4 5 5 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Ducks enters VR and she lets anybody on her AR feed know: an orange-striped raccoon is her icon, and hacking's its game. The raccoon looks alert today.

Kesslan meanwhile simply hunkers down, slipping his pistol from it's holster and making sure a round is chambered. He even takes the time to ignore the 'real' world about him and pop another quick peek on the astral to make sure the coast is still relatively clear.


GAME: Kesslan rolls 5 dice: 1 3 6 6 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 1 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 6 6 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


<OOC> Hestia says, "Ignore this!"

GAME: Hestia rolls 4 dice: 3 3 4 5 (1 Hit) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Hestia pages: ok the doggie is starting to walk down your hallway as you prepare for your next shot... fire!


Andromeda is staying watchful, her eyes moving around her field of vision quickly, until she grins. "There we go... serves you right, doesn't it. I saw that." Glancing around she moves over to where Ducks and Kesslan are and sits down beside Ducks and flashes Kesslan a grin. "Be right back!" Then, she slumps over.


You paged Hestia with 'The headless suit pauses for a moment, letting out the quietest of whistles to make the dog perk its ears and freeze in surprise. With a quick flick of her wrist she levels the silvery Slivergun at the dog, two more bursts reach out toward it - supressed to a sound similar to a well pressurized bb gun letting loose.'.


GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 16 dice: 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 6 6 6 (6 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 16 dice: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 (2 Hits)  GLITCH!!! <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


You paged Hestia with 'Eek!'.

Hestia pages: oh my

You paged Hestia with 'I hope my -2 to the dog helps on the second one ;_;'.


GAME: Hestia rolls 4 dice: 3 5 5 5 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 1 1 2 3 4 4 4 4 5 6 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Hestia pages: The dog perks his ears up and gets blasted away wih the first shot, but you can't see that. Your reaction prompts you to fire agian, and this time, graze the wall where a squatter was hiding from the dogs. This forces them to jump out and yell before cowering, whimpering.....You hear someone talking further down the hallway....


You paged Hestia with 'So second dog is dead?'.

Hestia pages: yes, but someone might be on to you mybe thanks to the squealer


GAME: Andromeda rolls 12 dice: 1 1 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Andromeda rolls 2 dice: 1 6 (1 Hit)  GLITCH!!! <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Hestia rolls 5 dice: 2 3 3 5 6 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

[Isabella]
<Both dogs are down. I grazed an innocent, in turn alerting the third target. They will be moving toward me to check soon. Based on your current reluctance to move, feel free to stay put.>


Long distance to Hestia: Isabella flicks her other wrist, her Government 2066 slipping into her invisible palm to float ominously in the air in front of her right cuff. She slinks back near a doorway, or some other cover. Waiting for the alerted person to show.
Hestia pages: kk you're behind the stairwell wall

The orange sherbet raccoon has a chirpy voice, as an icon, and doesn't sound the least bit hung over as it explains it's trying not to let a hangover keep it from digital mayhem. "Further reports as events warrant," it adds.


GAME: Andromeda rolls 12 dice: 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 (4 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Akando: <Target can be dropped at any time. He is unaware of unalarmed.


Kesslan glances over towards Ducks and her partner, mentally debating with himself if he should just leave her or not. Partially he worries about the risk, but she does have a drone keeping an eye out on her meat bod. And so decides to go help with what ever is going on up above. But not without firing off a quick heads up to Ducks to keep an eye out for herself while he's gone. <<Might as well move in at this point. I was just worried bout some one trying to geek one of the hackers.>>


Andromeda somehow has the presence of mind to be able to watch the communication of the team and do whatever it is she's doing at the same time. That must be a hacker thing. <<Gotcha. I'll bring mine to watch us too. Thanks for the warning! =) >>


GAME: Andromeda rolls 12 dice: 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 6 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Hestia rolls 5 dice: 3 3 3 4 6 (1 Hit) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Hestia rolls 9 dice: 2 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 (7 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Andromeda comes over the team's AR. <<Well boys and girls, check *this* out! Our friends are waiting for someone *else* to show up and intercept them. They're looking for a 'chipcase'.. uh... keep an eye out for whatever that might be. In fact, know what? Here..>> A new feed opens up, this one having text and quiet verbal communication. <<..there's their communication. Enjoy!>>


<OOC> Ducks o___o

<OOC> Hestia says, "Erk, sorry, scratch that"

<OOC> Kesslan says, "Ohhh! The Sherbert raccoon gets PWNED"


GAME: Hestia rolls 3 dice: 1 4 6 (1 Hit) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

The man at the bottom of the stairs suddenly turns and moves to investigate something. Two shots fire from the dark. The first one clips his shoulder and spins him around. The second one hits him square in the chest, making a little hole in the front and a big hole in the back. He slumps to his knees and rolls down the stairs like a donut.


Akando via AR: <One down. Sorry about the mess.


<OOC> Hestia says, "timeout! Lets recap! AKando just dropped your target downstairs, Isabella dropped the dogs and is currently alone upstairs. Ducks and Andromeda are being watched by their drones but are otherwise hacking away, and Kesslan is moving in closer to akando and stepping away from the hackers"

<OOC> Ducks is good, and thanks Hestia muchly for her continuing unrelenting good work!


Andromeda would grin, if she had control over her face. <I think there are only two left.. let me see..>


Hestia pages: the person who was coming down the hallway has hesitated at an intersection....

You paged Hestia with 'I thought you just said I was alone upstairs?'.

Hestia pages: alone from the group, not danger!

Hestia pages: lets not forget the yelping squatter

You paged Hestia with 'I'm hoping the squatter brings the guy in...'.

You paged Hestia with 'So I will... I guess.. hold action. I'll run a scan across the squatter to see if he's really a squatter.'.

GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 4 dice: 1 1 5 6 (2 Hits)  GLITCH!!! <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 6 dice: 1 4 4 6 6 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Hestia pages: he's the boogeyman!

You paged Hestia with 'Okay I only needed 1 hit with the first roll to detect metal on his person. Second roll is for cyberware. I'm sure I won't find anything but I have nothing else todo until that guy comes in :p'.

Hestia pages: ah I see

[Isabella]
<I'm still waiting on something.> comms a surprisingly bored voice. <I haven't nuetralized the third target yet.> the hollow voice adds.

The ogre girl: she's... she's snoring, actually. Clipped to her jumpsuit is a little red and white toy panda drone. It's an Emotitoy. On its butt is the label: TYPE R. It starts to move on stubby-cute little plastic limbs and travels down Ducks' body and a little ways away to a nice spot and it turns and it starts watching the dozing hackers, relaying trid of this. Ducks' dragonfly gives up its post and it darts off to chase the others of the party and give them a new set of trid eyes to the rest of her party as helpful support.

The raccoon pops up in a little window and gives a thumbs-up: "I take requests! If you need the dragonfly to be somewhere."


Hestia pages: you hear footsteps shuffle away from you, the whelping of the squatter you anaylzed growing once the apparent threat leaves. You can tell from your scan before that the squatter has some burnt out datajacks probably for BTL simrigs and the like, overused and had to get new ones implanted. Sad state of affairs


Andromeda intrudes on the team's AR again. <<Hey! So what they're supposed to do, right, is run this agent in the main node and wait for further contact from somebody, then they're supposed to meet that somebody and swindle them by giving them a fake chip case. Sneaky, huh? I totally think we should stop them, what do you think?>>


Kesslan continues moving up to support Akando, the man moving cautiously as moves to backup Andromeda and figgure out what's going on. Since he cant really see much from where he is at the moment and so far the Deckers seem to be perfectly fine off on their own with all their little toys to play overwatch.


Akando via AR: <Considering that we have already shot both the guard and their dogs, I think that would be within our established pattern of activity.>


Long distance to Hestia: Isabella sighs and shakes her head. She stands and walks toward the squatter. The headless, handless suit turns to face the squatter, standing straight up and solid. She raises the bayonet blade of her slivergun to her lips, "Shhhh. Sit." Satisfied she walks past the squatter, to the door, trying to get a handle on the person in the hallway.

[Isabella]
<I have no opinion. I'm persuing my third target now.>

From afar, Hestia The squatter meeps and mumbles 'I'll be good!' You can see the target turn corner into one of the larger stalls, a wall seperates your vision from him now though.


GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 6 dice: 1 2 3 4 4 4 (0 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 4 dice: 1 2 4 6 (1 Hit) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Andromeda 's little drone goes zipping off again as she lays there. <<Yeah.. heads up, the people who are supposed to meet them are due in about seven minutes. I'm watching for them but I'm not sure what I'm looking for yet.>>

You paged Hestia with 'I will scan him through the thin wall then. No cyberware hits, I would detect metal like guns or knives though.'.


Ducks the raccoon via AR: <<Moving my dragonfly up to watch Kesslan's back and give him some extra freedom.>> A little cartoon heart is drawn next to Kesslan as the drone gets close enough to provide a lookout for him.


Akando hasn't officially moved yet though.


<OOC> Kesslan says, "Ah well in that case I'll slowly start making my way up the stairs to back up Isa since we cant leave her all on her lonesome"

Long distance to Hestia: Those two previous rolls were for a MAD scan and Cyberware scan through the wall.

Hestia pages: you can detect something larger than a pistol but not long like a rifle or shotgun, plus some metal where the man's ommlink is attached, you can sense that he is standing back to the corner and facing the way he walked in as if to surprise any followers based on the direction of his weapon

[Isabella]
<Anyone have any grenades? My target seems to be expecting me.>
adds, a dull voice...

Andromeda hears and checks her display. <<Not a grenade, but let me see what I can do..>>


Long distance to Hestia: Isabella turns back towards the squatter and waves her gun in the air to get his attention. She motions for him to come near him, but holds her bayonet to her lips to indicate to stay quiet. Once he nears she motions towards the open stall, aiming her weapon at him to get him to go if she has to.

[Isabella]
<Improvising> the dull voice chirps, this time with a hint of fun... she's up to something.


GAME: Kesslan rolls 9 dice: 1 3 3 5 5 5 5 6 6 (6 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Akando juts his chin at Kesslan, suggesting that he investigate the stairwell. Akando will be right behind.


Hestia pages: the Squatter walks to,... right in front of where the man in question is hiding....There is a pause, and the squatter peers in. He tries to say something but is grabbed and pulled into the stall.


Andromeda comes over the comm again. <<Umm... Cr3, what's up with that squatter? Whatcha got in mind?>>

[Isabella]
<About to find out>


You paged Hestia with 'Alright I'm going to lean just past the door to aim my 2066 and survey the situation before I fire. My second standard will be a narrow burst if I'm satisfied I can make the shot.'.

The toy panda watches. That's its job. It's good at: faces. It likes to watch faces. It's designed to do just that. Watch faces. Like the faces of the squatters that are now checking out the dozing hackers. Its empathy software detects curiosity.

Ducks' other drone, the dragonfly, prepares to move up with Kesslan and Akando and give them an extra set of eyes on point.

The raccoon ARs: <<Oh, ew. Hang on, I'll wake up if they get closer, no biggie. Keep moving, keep moving.>>


Hestia pages: you're gonna walk up, turn and shoot the guy?

You paged Hestia with 'If I think the shot is worth it and he's a threat.'.

To all, posted through Andromeda's hacking: message from #2 to #1: Hey somethin's up, its gettin fishy ehre, where's the mark we're supposed to meet? 1 to 2: Dunno, no sign or contact from them....

To all, Posted through Andromeda's hacking: message from # 1 to #3: Hey.. you see antying yet? ~pause, repeated attempts at communicating with the guy akando fragged~ ITs not obvious yet but it will be...


Kesslan ponders the information intake one bit at a time, Akando will even notice the man pausing and actually.. sniffing? at the air and cocking his head with a slight narrowing to his eyes before he tries to sneak up further up the stairs while trying to figgure out where the wimpering man is. Maybe this could be ended even easier than he thought... or at least part of it. Once he seems to content himself that there's no imediate threat waiting for them decides to move up to the top of the stairwell as light footed as possible as he tries to sneak up on the unknown wimpering figgure up above/ahead.


GAME: Kesslan rolls 6 dice: 1 3 3 5 6 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Andromeda rolls 12 dice: 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 (6 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Hestia pages: you can take a shot but it isnt auto like against the doggies, he's expecting you.

Hestia pages: he'll be able to try and dodge or throw the squatter in front of him or something.

You paged Hestia with 'He's not distracted? I wanted to jump in right as he grabbed the guy.'.

Hestia pages: oh ok so the timing is right after he grabs the guy

You paged Hestia with 'Yus. Squatter is distraction, otherwise he's an obstacle.'.

You paged Hestia with 'He should be able to roll a reaction. -2 because of the wide burst, and then some little negative for surprise maybe?'.

You paged Hestia with 'Up to you god ^^'.


Andromeda's provided feed of the enemy communication shows something unusual.. a dead man talking. The voice is a bit scratchy and there is some static, but the comm shows his response to his teammates queries. <<Yeah, sorry. All clear down here.>>


Hestia pages: ok, you can roll the shot

GAME: To (Isabella, Hestia) Isabella rolls 16 dice: 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 (5 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

GAME: Hestia rolls 2 dice: 1 4 (0 Hits)  CRITICAL GLITCH!!! <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


<OOC> Kesslan says, "Oh some one's head just exploded"

<OOC> Isabella says, "Haha, I hope that was the roll vs. me"

<OOC> Hestia says, "That was indeed the roll vs you isabella"

<OOC> Isabella says, "Yesss"

<OOC> Isabella says, "Now, for fun I should inform you Isabella loads her 2066 randomly with 5 types of ammo."

<OOC> Isabella says, "Lets see what kind of bullet hit the guy."

GAME: Isabella rolls 5 dice: 1 1 2 3 6 (1 Hit) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

<OOC> Hestia says, "Oh geez"

<OOC> Isabella says, "Stick n shock lol..."

<OOC> Isabella says, "But if thats too much to keep track of I can use her ammo selector to pick something else Hestia"

<OOC> Isabella says, "Stick and shock are endured electrical shocks."

<OOC> Kesslan says, "Isabella, the crazy russian roulette shooter. News at 11, Footage at 12! "


Hestia pages: You drill him with the stick n shock, and he vainly tries to shoot but ends up dropping his smg. He falls , twtiching to the floor, and the squatter victim you would have gladly sacrificed's hair is standing up from the proximal shocks.


<OOC> Isabella says, "hahaha"


You paged Hestia with 'Is he still alive?'.

Hestia pages: hes down and smells like burnt popcorn but he might still be a little bit alive...

You paged Hestia with 'Whats he dressed like? Ganger? Sorry to be a pest :3'.

Hestia pages: looks like german borne guy, blue eyes and sandy brown hair, wearing black coveralls with an armor vest underneath as you inspect.

[Isabella]
<Hmn. Third target nuetralized. He's still partially alive. If anyone wants to interrogate him before he leaves this world I suggest you get to my six quickly.> a featureless voice buzzes across the comm. <You! Come here..>, you think perhaps the last part wasn't meant for the comm.


Long distance to Hestia: Isabella brushes the squatter off, adjusting the collar on the man's dirty duster. "Thanks for your help. Here's a contact for my boss. If you need something give her a call." She motions back towards the window where she entered, "Now get out of here for your own sake."


Hestia pages: he reluctantly nods nd doesn't seem to know much of what to do but heads towards the window and looks out....eventually climbing down to the escape and too freaked out by the whole experience


GAME: Kesslan rolls 5 dice: 1 2 5 5 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

The panda is expressionless. It is red and white. Unblinking. It stares at the women. It stares at the squatters. It cares for aught else. Its eyes are glass buttons and do not blink, ever. They reflect everything. Unflatteringly. Everything and nothing.


(To: Isabella and Andromeda) Hestia pages: Andromeda's drone outside has picked up something new. A troll is trying to squeezer his way out of a large industrial duct near where the gliders are!


Andromeda breaks into the team's comms again. <<Oops, we've got a live one on the roof! He's making for the gliders.. I'm calling in the air support!>>


Kesslan pauses as the man yelps and he hisses a low "Can it." in a clipped and somewhat angry tone as he narrows his eyes at the man before simply turning to ignore him and move to join up with Isabella. He does however pause to fire off a quick message to Ducks <Keep an eye on that one would you Ducks? Dont think he's a threat but I could be wrong. Though it may be worth searchign him just to be sure. Looks pretty clean though unless he's got a kink bomb or headware memory. I -think- he's got something but I'm not sure what.>


Long distance to Hestia: Isabella would slip he weapons back into her cyberslides, dust off her shoulders and adjust her collar before any of her teammates were to enter the room.

The dragonfly vectors its way onto a corner where wall meets ceiling, a slightly-disorienting angle for a trid feed, and sticks there on tiny metallic legs. <<Consider him watched,>> says raccoon-Ducks. Her AR icon shows her holding an orange crayon for no clear reason.

As Kesslan enter the room with the suit he sees her standing calmly above a german gentleman with blonde hair, laying on the floor and twitching from electrical shock. The floating razorshades turn towards Kesslan as he enters and nod toward the SMG on the floor near the entrance. "Glad to see you've finally joined me." <Shall I move to the roof to intercept or can your drones deal with him?> she comms.


<OOC> Andromeda says, "...okay. Well. This is embarrassing... I don't have a Targeting autosoft for that drone, and it doesn't come with one, and apparently it can't attack without one.."

The panda's point of view is crisp trideo, with crisp audio. It is a nice model. New. The future is benevolent. Sometimes. And sometimes it has dead flat glass eyes like oildrops in stasis.
The panda is small and cute. It has value. It is new and cute and has value and the squatters stir and their wicked intent is known as, expressions being detected as needful, desirous, almost lecherous by the Emotitoy's built-in empathy software suite, the squatters move toward their prey.
They move toward the toy panda. And ignore the women. Hand-scrawled orange crayon letters write BOOBIES??? NO??? and arrows point at the women and then that is scratched out and cleared and the words OH HELL NO are scrawled and at that point Ducks wakes up and she is again a hungover ogre girl with a big fraggin' revolver.

<OOC> Isabella says, "Hahaha what"

<OOC> Kesslan says, "<3 Ducks"


Andromeda comms <<Uh... you know, I'm having a technical difficulty with my firing system, Cr3. I'll try to keep him covered but I don't think it'll last long. Getting up there would be a big help, thanks.>>


(To: Kesslan and Isabella) Hestia pages: there is a sqeek and a thud as some dust is knocked not far from where you two stand. It came from the roof

AR Akando: <Stairwell squatter really is blind. In fact, he has no eyes whatsoever.>


(To: Isabella and Hestia) Andromeda pages: The drone's camera feed shows it swooping down and hovering between the troll trying to wriggle out and the gliders. It does, however, have a big honkin' LMG pointed at him, and he doesn't know it's not live.

The squatters look at Ducks, slowly take their eyes off her and look at the little panda drone, then, looking back at Ducks or wait not actually Ducks but the yawning bore of her shiny Cavalier Deputy, right, they raise their hands shakily. Ghost-faced. Ducks squints and makes a "nnnhhh" noise of annoyance. It's not quite a growl but close.


Long distance to Kesslan and Hestia: Isabella points her handless cuff toward where the dust was, a 2066 slipping out of her sleeve and into her mostly invisible palm. The gun is obviously heavily modified, the trigger has been removed, it looks lighter, there is a silencer extending the barrel and beneath the silencer... is that..yes, a short bayonet. She fires a single shot into the ceiling. ooc:First standard to fire to the ceiling, second standard to move as far as i can toward the roof.


You paged Hestia with 'I'll make a roll if there is any slim chance of hitting him, if not - its for show :p'.


Kesslan deciding an upgrade in firepower would be nice moves to pick up the fallen SMG that Isabella points out, taking a glance back over towards where he'd come <Sounded like we had an ambush ahead, decided to play it careful. Turns out to have been a null threat.> he responds via his commlink, not wanting to give away his position to the apparent person on the roof.


Hestia pages: not hittin him no, but you will scare him a bit

You paged Hestia with 'Kay!'.


Andromeda, though paying attention to her drone and whatever she's doing in VR still has the presence of mind to ask <<Say, have any of you found their hacker yet? His node is still running and I don't really want to crash it in case his contacts show up but I think I should probably move.>>

There is a video feed, it is Andromeda's drone in a stalemate with the troll. Seconds seem like minutes, when.... ~phooom!~ some chips and frag fly up at the feet of the Troll, blurring the view of the drone for only a second....The Troll jumps back due to the tension built of staring down the barrell of an LMG and when the drone doesn't necessarily fire he makes a dash for a glider, grabbing one and hoisting it over his head....

Those who can see the feed notice that as the smoke clears, and the drones sensors are coming back to spy the troll running towards the edge of the roof...He leaps, the glider sputters at first but starts to take off, the personal hovering system propelling the troll over the lot of the squatters mall and off in the direction of the old Puyallup....


<OOC> Hestia says, "LAst string of poses people, im wrapping it up cuz its almost 230 am"


Andromeda grumbles <<Oh, frag it... I'm going to try to take him down! Can anyone fly?>> She executes a command to the drone, and then, in a totally different world, her meat body stirs.


Ducks looks unsteady and far less happy than while she was in full-immersion, sagging under gravity's effects. She makes slightly-insulting dismissive motions with her revolver at the squatters, moving to pick up her panda. "Go team," she says softly. And, putting a gloved hand to her face, "Not so loud. Damn."


Isabella stops fast in her tracks, her 2066 slipping away from view. She adjusts her suit's collar, brushes off the lapel and begins to walk calmly down the stairwell. <I beleive that will suffice.> The suit continues walking, out of the mall and into the evening air.


Kesslan considers the oddity of Isabella before checking out the SMG he'd assumably had no issues picking up earlier, deciding that it would be a nice piece to add to his rather meager collection of firearms, unless there's some reasonable objection he'll simply keep it before making his way over to the blind man, crouching down and simply.. staring at him for a little while in silence before finally speaking up. "What would you do to have eyes again?" he asks simply. His tone currious.


Akando is up and out the stairwell like he was shot out of cannon. In a blur, he's to the window where Isabella entered. Bringing his sniper rifle up to his shoulder, he lines up a shot on the glider in the distance. He holds his breathe, pauses to line up the shot, and fires once.

The blind man is quiet and takes moments to consider the man's words but just mumbles.

The shot connects with the glider but does not disconnect the rider or affect the glider's flight.


Akando lowers his rifle, his eyebrows knit tightly together.


Kesslan glances back towards Akando assumign the man is still in visual range <You get him?> He inquires before turning his attention back to the blind man, looking to see if infact the guy really had no eyes like Akando had discribed, in part mostly out of simple curriosity as he's never seen anyone in such a state. But his answer is genuine enough. "I can be fixed you know... implants or maybe something else. What would you do for that chance?"


Andromeda's drone, off in the distance, accelerates and bashes into one of the wings of the glider, knocking it to one side at an unlikely angle. Evidently the pilot isn't very skilled, because it's enough to send him banking, and then diving, out about the direction and distance of the Plastic Jungles.


<OOC> Hestia says, "Pause!"

<OOC> Hestia says, "Ok here's the deal!"

<OOC> Hestia says, "Since this was my first foray back as a gm and I had all the old flavour stuff from my last runs, imma close this off now temporarily. Imma make a post on the forum that has some story tidbits based on from now and before when you guys will meet for payment, we can do the post run/look or the troll etc at a follow up"


GAME:..Shutting Down AR Interface.

GAME:...Terminating Uplink.

GAME:....PAN Powering Down.

((This is the same run, from Andromeda's point of view, showing the hackery stuff. I trimmed out most of the OOC and other people's rolls and stuff since it's in the other log already.))


'Hoi Chummer! I've got a favor to ask, theres a good group of punks in the squatters mall, they run a pirate tridcast group who report on goings-on around Seattle as well as featured reports from other groups throughout the world. They handle lots of good juicy biz, from corp scandal to Magical Advancements. That seriously helps fraggers' like me keep in business.

Turns out, they're local hotspot got raided by a team, chased 'm out. They sent someone in to hack their system and seems like somebody's diggin' around for something that might be hidden there. I need a group to meet them outside the mall and help them get their hideout back. Takers?

Takers can report to the mall, your contact will wear a white feather.

Outside The Squatter's Mall (#328R)------------------------- District: Redmond

On the top of the hill before you is a squat, debilitated two story building. You have to wonder how it even manages to stay up. There are obvious bullet holes in the walls, and gang graffiti decorates most of the rest. A huge gaping hole in the side of the building allows lookouts on the second floor a large view of the surrounding area. You can't even tell what the original color was of the building.

Outside of the Mall you can understand where it got its name. There are old discarded mattresses tossed inside of rusted out vehicles. These make quick and ready homes for the many lost souls claimed by Redmond. There are burn barrels in front of the mall where small groups and factions congregate, most getting high or drinking to take the edge off. The gangs have also quickly moved into this area, though a delicate truce makes the mall neutral ground for the most part. Weapons are a must if you want to venture into this area without being a ready target.

There is an Amerind Woman smoking a cigarette, leaning against the wall and twirling a strange white feather quill in one hand, a lit nic-stick in the other.


Andromeda and Ducks are announced by a loud buzzing. That battered scooter barely puts up with carrying a human, and adding an ogre too has got it downright mutinous. She slows gradually (so as not to crash) and puts the kickstand down.


Ducks looks haggard and red-eyed, moving as if everything aches. And not because of the poor scooter's simple suspension: she stayed out too long last night and looks the worse for it.


Kesslan makes his way over by far more conventional means, lacking the monetary resources as yet for an even beat up vehicle, Kesslan arrives.. on foot. That said he's a pretty fast guy on the whole and he didnt just walk, but rather jogged a little. Tonight finds him dressed in an Urban Explorer jumpsuit, toting his backpack and what ever else he's got kickign around in it. Unlike the hungover Ducks however, he seems in pretty good spirits. And evne happier to note at least one familar face.

A very nice pinstripe suit and razor shades strolls casually towards the punk with the feather. And thats a perfect description because the suit doesn't seem to have a head, or hands for that matter, only some niceley polished shoes and razorshades floating above the collar of the suit.

The Amerindian Girl steps off the wall and notices groups of people flocking, she holds the white feather up above her head and affixes it to her hair, so that everyone can see it. She takes a big drag from her nicstick and waits for the 'crowd'. Other squatters are beginning to move away from her and on to their own biz....


Keth 's Harley isn't the most quiet of vehicles, rather loud as he parks a couple blocks away. New J's always get him a little paranoid, walking the rest of the way to the meeting place after taking his biker's helmet off.


Akando arrives at the mall a little behind the rest of the group. He watches the Amerind woman with some interest. He gathers behind the group around her.


Andromeda looks up into the sky where a small object is occasionally seen. Probably some surveilance drone or something. Perfectly reasonable around here.

The Woman speaks once the group of 6 is gathered. " I'll be quick, you must be the ones sent message from Waybe. I am M'chelle, that's all you need to know of me. On the second floor of this mall is our domain, a run down group of stalls that we turned into our base of operations here in Redmond. First the dogs came, mean beasts who scared alot of us away, bit us, ripped flesh. Then their handler, a large troll came with his two friends. We did not have time to get all of our equipment out, though most of our data is safe. If we weren't about to meet with representatives from another trid group....."

She Snaps her fingers. "Of course, they had to rush us out, might be setting up our associates....we have to get them out of here , any means necessary!


Isabella crosses her arms behind her back, standing solid and straight, silent.


Kesslan listens to the deal as it's run out, the man with the odd feline like eyes notably shifting to come stand more or less next to Ducks without actually invading her personal space, offering her a friendly and familar nod, but otherwise keeping quiet.


Keth fusses a bit with his heavy jacket, glancing around their surroundings as she explains the situation, looking to the others gathered about, "So a troll, a couple other gangers, and some doggies..shouldn't be too difficult, if that's all there is."


Akando nods, looking interested. He seems to be considering the Amerind woman thoughtfully - he is Amerind himself.

M'chelle puts some glasses on and taps a commlink, using her jogwheel on the 'link itself to navigate. "I'm putting up a map of this place, its pretty run down there's only two sets of stairs to get up to the second floor. Our base is on the far end, the sets of stairs pop up in the middle and our setup was in the back right past some of the stalls used for the travelling vendors.. There is another route, a fire escape that's seen better days that goes all the way to the roof, you can find a window loose to get into the 2nd floor there. Get those guys out before our associates arrive, that way we can break down the network and give them our equipment and data to move somewhere else.... I'll give you 3k each, you game?"


Andromeda looks at the building thoughtfully. Her eyes swivel back and forth a bit accessing an AR display. She glances up at the sky again, then back to her AR, and back to the woman, nodding. "Definitely. Whatever we can do to help you."


Ducks nods with Andromeda as if to say, "What she said." Only lazier. She doesn't look healthy but you have to admire her spirit, sports fans.


Akando folds his arms and nods, looking ready to get a little exercise.


Isabella steps towards the entrance of the mall.


Kesslan with nothing else to add simply follows the others, though he does pause to check on Ducks "You ok?" he asks with a touch of concern in his voice.


Akando has a long rifle strapped over his back that looks like it could affect things from a distance.

Ground Floor (#377R)---------------------------------------- District: Redmond

This building can be loosely called a mall and reflects everything else in the area. It is in poor repair. There are puddles of water from the frequent rains. Some areas of the mall are without power and it's rather obvious that a lot of looting goes on here as well. You might wonder how anyone manages to stay in business, until you find the well established stores in the mall that have the standard issue huge dumb troll as a guard. Weapons are openly carried here. The few people you see without them are either dead people pushed into the corners and left to rot, or those lowest of squatter life forms who are practiced at being both harmless and obviously lacking any possible loot to take.

Just about anything you want to find can be found here. The various stores in the mall fall into three categories. There are the few stores that sell items such things as groceries, clothing, and electronics that normaly are legal anywhere if it weren't for the truck they 'fell off of.' You will also find the stores that sell just about any type of street weapon you have the cred to purchase. The last group of stores peddle 'vice' like there's no tomorrow. BTL's, simporn, street drugs...whatever you need to get through the night.

That's how things normally are. Right now its quiet ,most squatters are in shadowed corners either getting their fix or making camp for the night. A few straggglers are selling some trinkets and trashly treasures they scavenged themselves. Nothing really of value. It's quiet and the sound of air vents blowing resonates.


Andromeda digs into a pocket and pulls out a similar-looking little device to the one Ducks had. She gives her a small smile. "Good idea... want to go see what there is to see?" Opening her hand, the little drone activates its vectored-thrust engines and lifts up, zooming foward and out of sight around a corner.


Ducks squints blearily at, maybe, her own AR displays and just grunts. So dull, her mood, so beautiful her hair. Of her drone nothing is seen. Probably. "I'm on it," she says. She sticks with Kesslan and the Andromeda particularly, maybe for safety.


Hestia pages: The minidrone buzzes along around the corner towards where one of the stairwell resides. There is a man standing in nonchalant looking black overalls and a leather jacket by himself. BAsed on the map the other set of stairs is down to your direct right and straight to the back.

From afar, Ducks shares data via AR: she's having her drone watch outside the building briefly, watching the group's back. She plans to bring it in shortly. Notes (with attached still picture) that M'chelle has removed her feather from her head. And another little popup lists Ducks' current mood as "no more drinking ever".


Isabella stops for a moment to take in the scene, turning curtly on her heel and heading off away from the group. An obviously modulated, featureless voice comes across the comm. Problably aimed at the two hackers with drones - <Keep me informed> She moves off towards the fire escape.


Kesslan pauses a moment as people start splitting up, the man crouching down quickly and unzipping his pack and puling out a few spare mags as descreetly as he can manage before slipping them into appropriate pockets on his jumpsuit. A heads up glance at his AR through his contacts makes sure that his PAN is set on hidden mode and linked in with everyone else otherwise, taking a few sniffs at the air around him while he's at it as well as taking a quick peek around the astral.


Akando looks around his surroundings, trying to figure out if anything is out of place (if that designation is even relevant at a squatter's mall).


Akando unslings his rifle and holds it gently across his chest in his folded arms.

 The air vents shut off and a prerecorded announcement plays, through static. " Att..ksss.en.kkkssh...n... The... Ma... will be Clos....Kshhhs (Attention the mall will be closing) " followed by a beep. Emergency lights shut on along the walls and pathways to the stairwells light up for those with AR. Some things seem to still work in this run down place...


Akando says "I'm not seeing any signs of struggle on this floor. It's possible that the group we are after did not come from the ground floor. I wonder if there are tunnels or sewers beneath the mall."


Andromeda focuses her eyes from where they've been watching her AR feed. "There's a guard.. or somebody... by the stairwell going up, over this way.." she points "He's by himself, so we could probably take him down if we had to. On the other hand he might just be watching and tell somebody we're here if he sees us." She shrugs. "Up to you."


Akando says "We sure he's a target?"


Ducks offers each member of the group a secure feed of her drone's trid feed as it watches things from outside the building and as she does this she unzips the front of her coveralls and oh yeah she's definitely a mammal and she crossdraws, unholstering a big fraggin' revolver just in case. She makes no move to hunt down any guards by herself though, not her specialty.


Andromeda shrugs and shakes her head. "Nope.. just sayin' what I found is all.. he's wearing black, he doesn't look like a squatter, and all the people on our side are outside, so it's an educated guess, y'know?"


Akando nods to Andromeda.


Kesslan deciding, that with everyone else going openly with firearms, something not too likely to draw police attention around this end of the city at any rate decides to pause once more to pull out a fully to spec combat vest along with a quickdraw holster holding a handgun, straipping the vest and gun on. The vest itself isnt the armored variety, but rather one of those typical military 'smart vests' that give you and up to the second read out of all your ammo and other things. ANother brief pause as he accepts Duck's video feed, metnally tossing it off into the upper left corner of his AR so it remains out of the way untill needed.


Akando slips into a position that would have a good angle on the guard, if that's what it is.


Andromeda hasn't even got a weapon out. In fact, she may not even be carrying one. Doesn't look like there are any gun-sized bulges in those pockets at any rate. "Here..." She links up the AR feed from her drone to the rest of you, except for Isabella, who gets a different feed, from a different drone high above the building. "Cr3, if you need back up, it's there. I'll tell it to watch the line of fire but I can't deal with it personally and handle down here too. All right?"


Akando disappears into a nicely shaded corner between two larger vending stalls that has a good angle onto the stairwell. He's slick as can be, disappearing into the shadows.


 (To: Isabella and Andromeda) Hestia pages: Your other drone outside shows a bare roof except for a few noticeable things. One is a set of satellite receivers juryrigged in a group together, and second are three thigns that look like gliders....


Ducks looks around warily, wearily, but she's perking up as things start getting tense. Barrel of her heavy revolver wavers but she keeps it pointing up until it makes sense to do otherwise. She seems to prefer to stick to cover until the group needs support. Occurs to her, belatedly, to make her hair go a flat lightless black and stay that way.


Kesslan finishes setting himself up and slips his backpack back into place, glancing to Ducks with some concern before keeping a wary eye out, both in the 'real' world and on the astral plane, not trusting the threat to just be one single troll with dogs. Didnt seem like a terribly big threat to him against anyone with a few guns. Over AR he tosses up <<So what's the plan?>>


Andromeda frowns. The sound of her voice comes over the teams AR, but not out loud. "Some kind of satellite dishes on the roof.. probably the trid pirates.. and some gliders. Looks like that's their escape route. I think we should expect them to be heading for the roof if things go bad for them."


Akando comes over the AR, "I bet that's how they came in too. Any guards? Can you nip the glider wings?"

All of your commlinks show the feed Andromeda sent of the man waiting down the corridor and theres another feed for those subscribed of Ducks' drone showing your other teammate (isabella) climbing the roof and entering into the second floor window. Things are tense as the group halts....


Ducks's all-but-silent silent dragonflylike drone starts to enter the building through a cracked window (as noticed by anyone wanting to see such). Likewise via AR and not aloud she says, "Wait, you want me to eat the glider wings, too? It's... probably doable. But the outside looks quiet for now."

<I have a location on the dogs and at least one other contact. I'm placing my estimates on their location ontop of your AR maps - now> chimes in a rather dull voice, blips shaped like red coiled dragons appearing on the team's overlay.


<OOC> Hestia says, "Note: From Isabellas post on your network, you can see that she is directly above the stairwell where the man of questionable nature is poised, and the dogs up and further along back towards the center of the second floor, almost directly above you."

<I'm going to nuetralize the dogs. This should turn the other target's attention away from you. Take him down at your leisure.>


Akando texts "Understood" in return.


You paged Hestia with 'I'm going to search for a security system. Can I find a node that looks promising, assuming a system exists at all?'.


Hestia pages: the general node of the mall seems to still work, its a device rating of 4 and has public access still available, you want to break in?


You paged Hestia with 'Sure, maybe I can find a path to the security node from there if there is one. Want rolls?'.


Hestia pages: yes, on the fly is hack + exploit vs (4 fireall +3 for security access )


Hestia pages: so thresh 7


Kesslan continues to follow the others, keeping as wary an eye out as he can manage, not trusting the situation, not entirely trusting most of his apparent team members either. But mostly.. mostly he' sjust a little worried about poor little Ducks and her apparent decision to show up with a hang over. He frowns a little pausing in step as he does another quick check about <<I dont like this place.>>


Andromeda seems halfway between the physical world and some other one as she walks forward carefully and slightly unsteadily. "Oh, there you are.. I don't like it either, but shouldn't be here long. Uh.." she pauses a moment, then looks at Ducks.


You paged Ducks with 'During the pause, over your AR comes 'I found the main node.. wanna go for it?"'.


Akando via AR: <Target on stairs is typing with his AR gloves. Seems to be communicating.


Ducks shakes her head as if to clear it. Squints at: nothing obvious. She catches up with Andromeda, glances at her.

<Engaging now, on your ready.>


GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 1 1 1 1 3 3 4 4 5 6 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Ducks darts to a dark and cramped spot for no obvious reason, or maybe the obvious reason. She wedges her stout silhouette into it. It seems plausible.


Ducks's little dragonfly drone is, somewhere unseen, watching over Ducks at this point. If this seems a little recursive on Ducks' part it's only because it's because she's about to do what she's about to do. Which is: close her eyes. And relax.


GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 (4 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Kesslan for his own part shifts to a position near Ducks, but not too close. Just to be sure her meat bod is kept relatively safe durring the apparent lull. Just one friend looking out for another as it were.


Hestia pages: ok, you'll get the other one in the next pass. You create a security login/backdoor that you can use, or ducks can use

<One dog is down. Not sure the other two targets have noticed. Whats your status>


You paged Hestia with 'I'll use it now and check for other users in the system.'.


You paged Hestia with 'Actually a general Analyze. What did I actually get into? What can I do from here is what I want to know.'.


Hestia pages: k roll analyze


<OOC> Hestia says, "Isabella is above the group, she is dealing with the dogs mentioned by M'chelle currently. Andromeda is dealing with some quick hacking while Ducks is preparing to enter VR, Kesslan is watchig her back along with her drone, which everyone can still see in their PAN, and AKando is set up ready to take out the guy at the bottom stairwell at a moments notice, neh?"


GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 1 1 2 2 4 4 4 5 5 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


You paged Hestia with 'At this point since taking my armed flying drone indoors is a little silly, I'll cover the roof and exterior of the building. Let me know if it spots anything interesting.'.


Ducks enters VR and she lets anybody on her AR feed know: an orange-striped raccoon is her icon, and hacking's its game. The raccoon looks alert today.


Hestia pages: This node seems funny, it almost feels like its been stripped down and set up in place temporarily as a secure common node for the squatters mall. There aren;'t any other users but you notice the announcment/security lights were switched on a few minutes before their scheduled time


You paged Hestia with 'Hmmmmm. Any other nodes attached to this one?'.


Kesslan meanwhile simply hunkers down, slipping his pistol from it's holster and making sure a round is chambered. He even takes the time to ignore the 'real' world about him and pop another quick peek on the astral to make sure the coast is still relatively clear.


You paged Hestia with 'Switched, yes, as in by a user and not by the timer.'.


Hestia pages: yes yes


You paged Hestia with 'I'll see where I can go from here, then. If I can get to a more important node.'.


Hestia pages: there are some other nodes tat offshoot here, you might be able to track the user who logged in to the node where they originated from if you'd like


You paged Hestia with 'Sounds good!'.


Hestia pages: roll track + computer for me, threshhold 4. Looks like he rushed it and ddnt spoof his trail or even try and cover it up


GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 1 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


GAME: Andromeda rolls 10 dice: 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 6 6 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Hestia pages: you track the trail to a commlink node that has been routed up to the main node by the operator


You paged Hestia with 'Ahhh, here we go.'.


Andromeda is staying watchful, her eyes moving around her field of vision quickly, until she grins. "There we go... serves you right, doesn't it. I saw that." Glancing around she moves over to where Ducks and Kesslan are and sits down beside Ducks and flashes Kesslan a grin. "Be right back!" Then, she slumps over.


You paged Hestia with 'Okay, *now* hot-sim VR. I want inside the commlink node.'.

From afar, Ducks chirps, "Now we're both at full strength. Oh, hey, how's it going? I feel much less like shit while in full immersion, it's a good cure. What's the plan?"


Hestia pages: the commlink node seems to have a firewall of 5 and system of 3


You paged Hestia with 'Good firewall. Not good enough. Hacking + exploit, can I get that Admin account?'.


Hestia pages: that'll be with +6 to threshhold, sure, extended test for threshhold 14


You paged Hestia with 'Note that I'm running a rating 6 Stealth program, just to say. My System and Firewall are 6, response is 5'.


GAME: Hestia rolls 4 dice: 3 5 5 5 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


GAME: Andromeda rolls 12 dice: 1 1 1 2 3 4 4 4 4 5 6 6 (2 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Hestia pages: roll again


You paged Ducks with '<Hey! Somebody turned the lights off before they were supposed to. Whoever is in here thinks they can play with us.. I'm going to take over his commlink.> This is followed by something that was probably intended to be a giggle, but the DNI is a little odd and it sounds sort of mechanical and odd.'.


GAME: Andromeda rolls 12 dice: 1 1 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>

<Both dogs are down. I grazed an innocent, in turn alerting the third target. They will be moving toward me to check soon. Based on your current reluctance to move, feel free to stay put.>


Hestia pages: ok you're still unnoticed, roll again

The orange sherbet raccoon has a chirpy voice, as an icon, and doesn't sound the least bit hung over as it explains it's trying not to let a hangover keep it from digital mayhem. "Further reports as events warrant," it adds.


GAME: Andromeda rolls 12 dice: 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 (4 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Akando: <Target can be dropped at any time. He is unaware of unalarmed.


Kesslan glances over towards Ducks and her partner, mentally debating with himself if he should just leave her or not. Partially he worries about the risk, but she does have a drone keeping an eye out on her meat bod. And so decides to go help with what ever is going on up above. But not without firing off a quick heads up to Ducks to keep an eye out for herself while he's gone. <<Might as well move in at this point. I was just worried bout some one trying to geek one of the hackers.>>

From afar, Ducks shares data steadily, and anything you didn't already know, well, now you do. Such as: the quasi-invisible party member is at the top of the stairwell, two dogs have been chunkified, and a man is approaching inviso-whoever.


You paged Hestia with 'I'll withdraw my little dragonfly to watch over us too. Might as well have an extra guard since it's not doing anything else.'.


Hestia pages: kk... more tests? lets see where you're at 11 now, need 3 more

(To: Kesslan and Andromeda) Ducks pages: The raccoon makes patpatting motions at Kesslan. "Thanks, buddy. The drone will watch us. You go do your thing and we'll keep things clear this side of things, 'kay?"


Andromeda somehow has the presence of mind to be able to watch the communication of the team and do whatever it is she's doing at the same time. That must be a hacker thing. <<Gotcha. I'll bring mine to watch us too. Thanks for the warning! =) >>


GAME: Andromeda rolls 12 dice: 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 6 6 (3 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


Ducks pages: What should I do next, Annie? I've been dealing with other things and I'm lost again.


Hestia pages: you're in, and you immediately see that there are three people aside from yourself on this node using communications programs. It must be the group you're after!


You paged Hestia with 'Well then. Let's see what they're up to. I'd like to monitor their communications if I may?'.


Hestia pages: User 1, 2, and 3 respectively. : 1: Ok rebooting the system thanks to Qyle's agent, its gonna load up the night schematic too so we can cover our tracks alittle..2: Got it, i'm with the dogs in the hallway, you do yer stuff, that chipcase has to be here somewhere. 3. I'm downstairs, buzz me if you notice anything odd... ~a few minutes pass in logged communication~ 2: Eh? What the hell was that? ah nothin i guess....3: Stil clear down here, when is the group we intercept due to arrive? 2: Around 10, not much longer..What the? The dogs.....3: Whats up? I'm comin upstairs.....


Andromeda comes over the team's AR. <<Well boys and girls, check *this* out! Our friends are waiting for someone *else* to show up and intercept them. They're looking for a 'chipcase'.. uh... keep an eye out for whatever that might be. In fact, know what? Here..>> A new feed opens up, this one having text and quiet verbal communication. <<..there's their communication. Enjoy!>>


You paged Ducks with '<<Looks like we're doing okay... here, scan this.. it's their log so far. This is fun! Hee hee. User 1, 2, and 3 respectively. : 1: Ok rebooting the system thanks to Qyle's agent, its gonna load up the night schematic too so we can cover our tracks alittle..2: Got it, i'm with the dogs in the hallway, you do yer stuff, that chipcase has to be here somewhere. 3. I'm downstairs, buzz me if you notice anything odd... ~a few minutes pass in logged communication~ 2: Eh? What the hell was that? ah nothin i guess....3: Stil clear down here, when is the group we intercept due to arrive? 2: Around 10, not much longer..What the? The dogs.....3: Whats up? I'm comin upstairs.....'.

The man at the bottom of the stairs suddenly turns and moves to investigate something. Two shots fire from the dark. The first one clips his shoulder and spins him around. The second one hits him square in the chest, making a little hole in the front and a big hole in the back. He slumps to his knees and rolls down the stairs like a donut.


Akando via AR: <One down. Sorry about the mess.


<OOC> Hestia says, "timeout! Lets recap! AKando just dropped your target downstairs, Isabella dropped the dogs and is currently alone upstairs. Ducks and Andromeda are being watched by their drones but are otherwise hacking away, and Kesslan is moving in closer to akando and stepping away from the hackers"


Andromeda would grin, if she had control over her face. <I think there are only two left.. let me see..>


You paged Hestia with 'I'm not quite sure what to do.. can I see by the activity in this guy's commlink what he's up to? What he's been searching for, maybe?'.


Hestia pages: it looks more like he's just trying to establish dominance in the area for when the group they were waiting for arrives


You paged Hestia with 'Heh, well he's not doing so well at that. Okay, I'll see if there are any records of who they're meeting or what the plans are.'.

<I'm still waiting on something.> comms a surprisingly bored voice. <I haven't nuetralized the third target yet.> the hollow voice adds.

The ogre girl: she's... she's snoring, actually. Clipped to her jumpsuit is a little red and white toy panda drone. It's an Emotitoy. On its butt is the label: TYPE R. It starts to move on stubby-cute little plastic limbs and travels down Ducks' body and a little ways away to a nice spot and it turns and it starts watching the dozing hackers, relaying trid of this. Ducks' dragonfly gives up its post and it darts off to chase the others of the party and give them a new set of trid eyes to the rest of her party as helpful support.

The raccoon pops up in a little window and gives a thumbs-up: "I take requests! If you need the dragonfly to be somewhere."


You paged Ducks with '<<...huh. These guys are moving in. Uh, what do you think we should do with them?>>'.


Ducks pages: <<Uh, you and I? Or the rest of the team? They know, right, I hope?>>


You paged Ducks with '<<Yeah, I mean... I have this guy's system.. what should we do with it?>>'.


Hestia pages: there are specific instructions for running an agent and to remain waiting for further contact. find the chip case that is to be traded, replace it with the dummy, and bring back the recovered one after duping the meet.

Ducks pages: <<If you have the time you can probably raid any financial data tied to his commlink. I've done it before, and it can be a worthy challenge! Or you could wait on that til later... we should be practical. Um... does he have a subscribed smartlink? You could crash it or something I guess...>>


Andromeda intrudes on the team's AR again. <<Hey! So what they're supposed to do, right, is run this agent in the main node and wait for further contact from somebody, then they're supposed to meet that somebody and swindle them by giving them a fake chip case. Sneaky, huh? I totally think we should stop them, what do you think?>>


You paged Hestia with 'What time is it? You said their meet was at 10, is it near that now?'.


Hestia pages: that's actually in less than 7 minutes


Kesslan continues moving up to support Akando, the man moving cautiously as moves to backup Andromeda and figgure out what's going on. Since he cant really see much from where he is at the moment and so far the Deckers seem to be perfectly fine off on their own with all their little toys to play overwatch.


Akando via AR: <Considering that we have already shot both the guard and their dogs, I think that would be within our established pattern of activity.<

<I have no opinion. I'm pursuing my third target now.>


You paged Hestia with 'I'll set my dragonfly to hunt for a 'chip case', giving it whatever sort of descriptions that the hacker has in his commlink so it knows what to look for, and he's got anything suggesting where it might be, try those places first. I won't do it manually, I'll just let the pilot program handle it.'.


Hestia pages: kk, the dragonfly zooms up the steps past akando and to the second floor, past a quivering squatter and begins to search the second floor....


Andromeda 's little drone goes zipping off again as she lays there. <<Yeah.. heads up, the people who are supposed to meet them are due in about seven minutes. I'm watching for them but I'm not sure what I'm looking for yet.>>


Ducks the raccoon via AR: <<Moving my dragonfly up to watch Kesslan's back and give him some extra freedom.>> A little cartoon heart is drawn next to Kesslan as the drone gets close enough to provide a lookout for him.


Akando hasn't officially moved yet though.


<OOC> Kesslan says, "Ah well in that case I'll slowly start making my way up the stairs to back up Isa since we cant leave her all on her lonesome"


You paged Ducks with '<<So.. where are you? I don't see you anywhere in the system.>>'.

<Anyone have any grenades? My target seems to be expecting me.>
adds, a dull voice...


Andromeda hears and checks her display. <<Not a grenade, but let me see what I can do..>>

<Improvising> the dull voice chirps, this time with a hint of fun... she's up to something.


Hestia pages: your drone is digging around and you can see something instructing the cowering squatter to go investigate somewhere


You paged Hestia with 'I want to know where the commlink I'm in is in the building. Can I make it show up on our team's AR display? And, uh... some*thing* or some*one*?'.


Hestia pages: i say something because of Izzy's chamosuit, that seems to be the it


Akando juts his chin at Kesslan, suggesting that he investigate the stairwell. Akando will be right behind.


Ducks pages: <<Hey, inviso-teammember is directing a squatter to a specific spot in the mall, one stall. I don't know why.>>


You paged Ducks with '<<I saw... um.. >>'.


Andromeda comes over the comm again. <<Umm... Cr3, what's up with that squatter? Whatcha got in mind?>>


Ducks pages: <<"Um"?>>


You paged Ducks with '<<..I dunno, I'm asking her.>>'.


Ducks pages: <<Squatter should be out of the way, anyway... he could get hurt with all these shenanigans going on.>>

<About to find out>

The toy panda watches. That's its job. It's good at: faces. It likes to watch faces. It's designed to do just that. Watch faces. Like the faces of the squatters that are now checking out the dozing hackers. Its empathy software detects curiosity.


Ducks' other drone, the dragonfly, prepares to move up with Kesslan and Akando and give them an extra set of eyes on point.

The raccoon ARs: <<Oh, ew. Hang on, I'll wake up if they get closer, no biggie. Keep moving, keep moving.>>

To all, posted through Andromeda's hacking: message from #2 to #1: Hey somethin's up, its gettin fishy ehre, where's the mark we're supposed to meet? 1 to 2: Dunno, no sign or contact from them....


You paged Hestia with 'Okay. I want to spoof the dead guy's communication. If he was using text, I'll do that. If it was voice, I'll use a previous voice print if I can find it. Hacking and Spoof?'.

To all, Posted through Andromeda's hacking: message from # 1 to #3: Hey.. you see antying yet? ~pause, repeated attempts at communicating with the guy akando fragged~ ITs not obvious yet but it will be...


Hestia pages: go ahead


Kesslan ponders the information intake one bit at a time, Akando will even notice the man pausing and actually.. sniffing? at the air and cocking his head with a slight narrowing to his eyes before he tries to sneak up further up the stairs while trying to figgure out where the wimpering man is. Maybe this could be ended even easier than he thought... or at least part of it. Once he seems to content himself that there's no imediate threat waiting for them decides to move up to the top of the stairwell as light footed as possible as he tries to sneak up on the unknown wimpering figgure up above/ahead.


GAME: Andromeda rolls 12 dice: 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 (6 Hits) <+roll/verify <pass> to set verify>


You paged Hestia with 'Woo, wow. XD Can I use his voice or not?'.


Hestia pages: you're able to spoof a quick response, making a mishmashed vocal pattern with some static. Go ahead, you can get a general phrase out to try and calm them, it seems to come from his link of course


Andromeda's provided feed of the enemy communication shows something unusual.. a dead man talking. The voice is a bit scratchy and there is some static, but the comm shows his response to his teammates queries. <<Yeah, sorry. All clear down here.>>


Ducks pages: <<Nice one! And, hey, being a drone rigger is more fun when there's more players.>> The dragonfly has darted ahead of Kesslan and Akando as they mount the stairs, and it spots a terrified squatter hiding in the shadows and trying to disappear.


You paged Hestia with 'if my drone outside can scan for approaching people or vehicles, I'll do that. i want to know as much as I can about these people who are coming before they arrive. Speaking of that, can I find anything more on the guy's commlink?'.


Hestia pages: no, the details seem to be pretty simple, they are clearly not in charge of their biz here, though they have been trying. You can tell that most of the matrix stuff was done by autonmous agents.


You paged Hestia with 'Are those agent programs available? And could they be hacked without simply being crashed?'.


Hestia pages: no , they seem to deleted themselves after being run, or they were initialized from anther location or commlink instead of the one you have access to

<Hmn. Third target nuetralized. He's still partially alive. If anyone wants to interrogate him before he leaves this world I suggest you get to my six quickly.> a featureless voice buzzes across the comm. <You! Come here..>, you think perhaps the last part wasn't meant for the comm.

The panda is expressionless. It is red and white. Unblinking. It stares at the women. It stares at the squatters. It cares for aught else. Its eyes are glass buttons and do not blink, ever. They reflect everything. Unflatteringly. Everything and nothing.


You paged Hestia with 'Grrr.. okay. Any other nodes connected to this one?'.


(To: Isabella and Andromeda) Hestia pages: Andromeda's drone outside has picked up something new. A troll is trying to squeezer his way out of a large industrial duct near where the gliders are!


Hestia pages: none, just route to the LTG and RTG that overlaps this area


You paged Hestia with 'Ah, excellent. The drone will go down and take him out. It's got a LMG loaded with Stick n' Shock.'.


Andromeda breaks into the team's comms again. <<Oops, we've got a live one on the roof! He's making for the gliders.. I'm calling in the air support!>>


Kesslan pauses as the man yelps and he hisses a low "Can it." in a clipped and somewhat angry tone as he narrows his eyes at the man before simply turning to ignore him and move to join up with Isabella. He does however pause to fire off a quick message to Ducks <Keep an eye on that one would you Ducks? Dont think he's a threat but I could be wrong. Though it may be worth searchign him just to be sure. Looks pretty clean though unless he's got a kink bomb or headware memory. I -think- he's got something but I'm nto sure what.>

The dragonfly vectors its way onto a corner where wall meets ceiling, a slightly-disorienting angle for a trid feed, and sticks there on tiny metallic legs. <<Consider him watched,>> says raccoon-Ducks. Her AR icon shows her holding an orange crayon for no clear reason.

As you enter the room with the suit you see her standing calmly above a german gentleman with blonde hair, laying on the floor and twitching from electrical shock. The floating razorshades turn towards Kesslan as he enters and nod toward the SMG on the floor near the entrance. "Glad to see you've finally joined me." <Shall I move to the roof to intercept or can your drones deal with him?> she comms.


<OOC> Andromeda says, "...okay. Well. This is embarrassing... I don't have a Targeting autosoft for that drone, and it doesn't come with one, and apparently it can't attack without one.."

The panda's point of view is crisp trideo, with crisp audio. It is a nice model. New. The future is benevolent. Sometimes. And sometimes it has dead flat glass eyes like oildrops in stasis. The panda is small and cute. It has value. It is new and cute and has value and the squatters stir and their wicked intent is known as, expressions being detected as needful, desirous, almost lecherous by the Emotitoy's built-in empathy software suite, the squatters move toward their prey.

They move toward the toy panda. And ignore the women. Hand-scrawled orange crayon letters write BOOBIES??? NO??? and arrows point at the women and then that is scratched out and cleared and the words OH HELL NO are scrawled and at that point Ducks wakes up and she is again a hungover ogre girl with a big fraggin' revolver.


Andromeda comms <<Uh... you know, I'm having a technical difficulty with my firing system, Cr3. I'll try to keep him covered but I don't think it'll last long. Getting up there would be a big help, thanks.>>


Ducks pages: <<If it's glitched... ram the glider. Or its pilot. Or just block him?>>


Hestia pages: your drone though it cannot shoot does see the troll fall out of the duct and hit the concrete, taking a second or two to get up again

AR Akando: <Stairwell squatter really is blind. In fact, he has no eyes whatsoever.>


You paged Isabella and Hestia with 'The drone's camera feed shows it swooping down and hovering between the troll trying to wriggle out and the gliders. It does, however, have a big honkin' LMG pointed at him, and he doesn't know it's not live.'.


You paged Ducks with '<<Ummmmm yeah. Problem. I think the autosoft is corrupted.. or something. It won't fire anyway. It's right in front of the guy, though.. I'll try to psyche him out, hee hee! Watch this.>> *she patches the drone's feed through to you*'.

The squatters look at Ducks, slowly take their eyes off her and look at the little panda drone, then, looking back at Ducks or wait not actually Ducks but the yawning bore of her shiny Cavalier Deputy, right, they raise their hands shakily. Ghost-faced. Ducks squints and makes a "nnnhhh" noise of annoyance. It's not quite a growl but close.


Kesslan deciding an upgrade in firepower would be nice moves to pick up the fallen SMG that Isabella points out, taking a glance back over towards where he'd come <Sounded like we had an ambush ahead, decided to play it careful. Turns out to have been a null threat.> he responds via his commlink, not wanting to give away his position to the apparent person on the roof.


Andromeda, though paying attention to her drone and whatever she's doing in VR still has the presence of mind to ask <<Say, have any of you found their hacker yet? His node is still running and I don't really want to crash it in case his contacts show up but I think I should probably move.>>

There is a video feed, it is Andromeda's drone in a stalemate with the troll. Seconds seem like minutes, when.... ~phooom!~ some chips and frag fly up at the feet of the Troll, blurring the view of the drone for only a second....The Troll jumps back due to the tension built of staring down the barrell of an LMG and when the drone doesn't necessarily fire he makes a dash for a glider, grabbing one and hoisting it over his head....

Those who can see the feed notice that as the smoke clears, and the drones sensors are coming back to spy the troll running towards the edge of the roof...He leaps, the glider sputters at first but starts to take off, the personal hovering system propelling the troll over the lot of the squatters mall and off in the direction of the old Puyallup....


Andromeda grumbles <<Oh, frag it... I'm going to try to take him down! Can anyone fly?>> She executes a command to the drone, and then, in a totally different world, her meat body stirs.


You paged Hestia with 'Blargh... hmmm. Can I damage his glider enough to bring him down by ramming it? The drone has an arm, it could tear it up or something?'.
ooc Also are there any lights outside the mall?


<OOC> Andromeda says, "Also are there any lights outside the mall?"


Hestia pages: you could try and ram it if you want to, and there are some lights but not many, one whole side of the property starts to border with some questionable territory


Ducks looks unsteady and far less happy than while she was in full-immersion, sagging under gravity's effects. She makes slightly-insulting dismissive motions with her revolver at the squatters, moving to pick up her panda. "Go team," she says softly. And, putting a gloved hand to her face, "Not so loud. Damn."


You paged Hestia with 'Rats. I need to either beat the glider up with the drone, or go outside and catch up to him. Not sure either is feasable.'.


Isabella stops fast in her tracks, her 2066 slipping away from view. She adjusts her suit's collar, brushes off the lapel and begins to walk calmly down the stairwell. <I beleive that will suffice.> The suit continues walking, out of the mall and into the evening air.


You paged Hestia with 'Yeah, he's not worth it. I'll try to ram him or otherwise damage his glider. it shouldn't be too hard; those are generally flimsy.'.


Hestia pages: lesse you start to send your drone in his direction


Hestia pages: after akando poses i want you to pose ramming the guy and knocking him off to fall into the plastic jungles area


You paged Hestia with 'Also, I'll make for the roof. Two more gliders up there.. those are handy.'.


Kesslan considers the oddity of Isabella before checking out the SMG he'd assumably had no issues picking up earlier, deciding that it would be a nice piece to add to his rather meager collection of firearms, unless there's some reasonable objection he'll simply keep it before making his way over to the blind man, crouching down and simply.. staring at him for a little while in silence before finally speaking up. "What would you do to have eyes again?" he asks simply. His tone currious.


You paged Ducks with '<<...soooo.. there *are* two more gliders on the roof...>>'.


Akando is up and out the stairwell like he was shot out of cannon. In a blur, he's to the window where Isabella entered. Bringing his sniper rifle up to his shoulder, he lines up a shot on the glider in the distance. He holds his breathe, pauses to line up the shot, and fires once.

The blind man is quiet and takes moments to consider the man's words but just mumbles.

The shot connects with the glider but does not disconnect the rider or affect the glider's flight. Akando lowers his rifle, his eyebrows knit tightly together.


Kesslan glances back towards Akando assumign the man is still in visual range <You get him?> He inquires before turning his attention back to the blind man, looking to see if infact the guy really had no eyes like Akando had discribed, in part mostly out of simple curriosity as he's never seen anyone in such a state. But his answer is genuine enough. "I can be fixed you know... implants or maybe something else. What would you do for that chance?"


Andromeda's drone, off in the distance, accelerates and bashes into one of the wings of the glider, knocking it to one side at an unlikely angle. Evidently the pilot isn't very skilled, because it's enough to send him banking, and then diving, out about the direction and distance of the Plastic Jungles.


<OOC> Hestia says, "Ok here's the deal!"


<OOC> Hestia says, "Since this was my first foray back as a gm and I had all the old flavour stuff from my last runs, imma close this off now temporarily. Imma make a post on the forum that has some story tidbits based on from now and before when you guys will meet for payment, we can do the post run/look or the troll etc at a follow up"