Shadowrun

Shadowrun Play => Play-by-Post => Topic started by: Number 2 on <07-15-14/1853:29>

Title: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-15-14/1853:29>
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

- Robert Frost


Volristodad, 2076

Some call it home, some call it Hell. Welcome to Volristodad, Russia. Not much here besides ice and snow. That, and the armed patrols in the streets. Ares Macrotechnology controls the entire 10,000 strong city. Well, more like owns the city. Those mugs you drink from? Look at the bottom and there's a 98% chance it says Ares. The gun stores you go to? Check out that collection of Ares Alphas, Ares Predators, Ares Lightfires, Ares Crusaders, Ares HVARs, and the popular Ares Arctic Strikes. Get the point I'm making? The HQ itself is located to the south of the city, where armed guards and APCs patrol the streets. Half, if not more of the Russian population works for the megacorp, and the others are left running small business and the snow plows. Why would a AAA Megacorp. want this place anyways? One word, resources. The city was built unknowingly on a huge deposit of raw metals and precious minerals. As soon as the greedy nose of Ares caught wind (And it is windy in Volristodad), they immediately set up shop.

Geographical information:
Volristodad is about 1,250 miles from the North pole, in the northern-middle of Siberia. In the Winter, temperatures of -50 degrees Celsius aren't uncommon (Thats -58 Fahrenheit for you Americans). In the summer, temperatures climb to a balmy -30 Celsius (Again, -22 Fahrenheit). The city is a huge industrial city with multiple factories and, in the distance, mining rigs. There are also a lot of bars in Volristodad. There are only about 2 legal gun shops in the city and, you guessed it, are run by Ares. If you want to take the time, you can find a fence in the city who has the "Exotic weapons", although most of them are old AK-97s.

Other information: The city is built largely on technology, so much so that the people that live in it have become indoctrinated to it. Even more so, Magicians, even aspected magicians, are highly frowned upon in the city and in some cases even targeted by street gangs. One street gang in particular, The 'Borgs, have it in for anybody who practices magic. Most of them are heavily augmented, and its a commonly known fact that most of them have one, if not more cyber limbs. They only control one neighborhood, but they're always itching to get more territory. Ares tends to leave them alone for the most part because they're one of the bigger spenders.

Right now, you are in "Alexei's bar", a small dive bar. It's one of the bars in Volristodad that Ares sec forces rarely go in. The owner, a weedy Russian who goes by the name "Alexei", is normally at the bar polishing glasses with a dirty-looking rag.  Why are you in the bar? What are you doing?   

OOC Thread http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?board=17.0 (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?board=17.0)
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <07-15-14/2219:57>
Marcus shuffled into the Alexei's through the front door, tapping the snow off of the boots covering his heavily reinforced chrome feet. He'd eschewed the cold suit today, as he was just walking around town anyway, and his heavy longcoat provided adequate insulation for the few pieces of him that was still meat.

"Guess I should be glad my folks pulled those strings after the events in Alaska back in '67," he thought to himself. "At least my damned hands and feet don't get cold no more." He flexed his artificial fingers, still marveling at how real they felt after all these years. As the heat inside the bar turned his goggles slightly misty he removed his helmet, goggles, and respirator, and felt the latex face mask covering his face shift slightly. With a practiced motion he adjusted the mask and hoped it would stay in place; something about this mold was a little off, but it would have to do for now.

"Man this place is a shithole," he mused as he walked into the cramped bar, surveying the patrons, scanning for trouble. "But hey, the synthahol isn't bad, and sometimes there's even real vodka."

The tall man opened up his longcoat as he walked to the bar, making sure that everyone had an opportunity to see the large-bore Ruger holstered on his right hip and the sheated katana secured to the belt on his left side. "Can't be too careful," he reminded himself as he ran through basic diagnostics on the light pistol mounted in his left cyberarm while sitting down at the bar, the helmet down on the counter, covering up the respirator and goggles. As the Russian bartender approached, he nodded in greeting.

"One of those days, Alexei; what you got back there today?" he asked, his heavily accented Russian clearly labeling him a foreigner. He'd tried real hard to learn the language, but there was just something guttural about the native tongue of Mother Russia that made it almost impossible for an average American like himself to speak it well.

He cringed at some of the prices the bartender rattled off, and looked around once more. He'd been working as a bounty hunter for for the better part of four years now, and his last commission had taken him to Siberia returning some runaway to Volristodad for Anatoly Ireshkova, his contact in the Russian Vory v Zakone. He'd spent most of the payday restocking some of his gear in the corporate-owned town, and had even gotten his hands on a ruggedized Ares Alpha complete with grenade launcher and an easy breakdown system. He placed his hands on his thighs, secure in the knowledge that in less than 15 seconds he could remove and assemble the individual parts from the smuggling compartments in his legs and have the weapon ready to fire.

As always, however, money was getting tight, and here he was, looking for work once more. Maybe Alexei would know of someone who needed muscle; if not, he could always check in with Anatoly again. Talking wasn't his strong suite, however, so he'd have to work this conversation carefully. "Beggars can't be choosers," he thought to himself as he settled in for a conversation.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-15-14/2302:28>
One man was already in the back of the bar in a corner, watching the rest of the bar. Vladmire sat drinking water from a vodka bottle, to avoid intoxication while at the same time appearing to have the possibility of being inebriated. Of course he wasn't going actually attempt to put on any sort of act, as he didn't want to draw attention to himself.

His appearance did all of that for him, looking like a cross between a man and a wolf, or fox, or rabbit. It was rather hard to tell, truthfully, but it was painfully obvious that he was a changeling, and he was wearing some pretty heavy gear at that too.

While most in the bar were wearing cold suits, he was wearing an ares arctic forces suit, with most of the symbols removed and or covered up with white or grey bands.

Talking through a sub-vocal microphone in russian, "K-Nine, begin scan" he remarked, as a cheerful voice chirped back through the matrix "Affirmative! Beginning facial recognition scan."

The voice though the matrix belonging to a husky beside him, wearing a coat over itself, to insulate it from the shear cold out side. While it looked like it was flesh on the outside, inside whirled mechanical parts, its ears twitching realistically as its eyes scanned the bar, reading faces and comparing them to its internal databanks.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <07-16-14/0452:47>
Feathers unclipped his skis and put them into the rack on the outside of the building, glimpsing the warmth and a few of the clientèle through the frosted up windows.
It had been another unfruitful day of job hunting, the Ares recruitment station had been a total waste of time, no jobs! He got the impression that even if there had have been, that stuck up prick wouldn't have interviewed him anyway. Time for a vodka and hopefully something better to eat than dried rations.
He pushed his way through the heavy oaken door, immediately feeling the comparative warmth of the inside relieve the icy tendrils hitting his exposed flesh.
He took off his jacket and sidled up to the bar, feeling the colour returning to his cheeks.
Vodka please, do you do food? 
As the bartender saw to the order he took a seat at the bar and had a look around for any friendly faces. Not seeing any, he returns to his own thoughts, calling up the news feed on his AR overlay to find out the day's events.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-16-14/1424:19>
As you walk in, Marcus, and flash your ruger, you can notice the attention of two trolls sitting in a corner booth. They don't seem too pleased at your "Tough guy act". Even worse, they appear to be very large, and one of them sets a large iron club on the table. Alexei gives you a look, but business is business and he lists prices. After a minute of still looking at Marcus, he leans in and says, "Look foreigner, Alexei has been around long enough to know when somebody wants something. Are you going to say it or what?"

Vladmire, your facial scan doesn't bring up too many hits. Most of the patrons in the bar have their faces covered. However, your facial scan does bring up some interesting details. There appears to be two Borgs at a table, talking with what appears to be two members of Ares sec forces. There are multiple things amiss here from what you know. First of all, the Borgs are out of their territory which is something they rarely do. Secondly, Ares sec forces aren't known for going into seedy bars like this one. What you understand from being here, is that there's a tense relationship between Ares and the Borgs. Seeing them like this immediately sets off alarm bells.

Alexei is temporarily distracted from you, Marcus, as he tends to a man who just walked in. Alexei is gone for a moment in the back and returns to you. Feathers, Alexei returns to you with a bowl of borsch and sets a glass of Vodka on the bar. The news feed is most of the same old same old. There does, however, appear to be more gang-related violence in the city. The Vory fighting the Borgs, Ares stepping in, so on and so forth.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-16-14/1446:57>
Vladmire grits his teeth together, as he recognizes two of his enemies. The Borg.

"Borg Identified,  Master. Shall we begin preparations for their celebration?

Scratching into the table, he looks around some more. This environment wasn't conductive to his typical tactics, But he wasn't about to let them leave without giving them a little more metal for their bodies. Glancing to the door, and towards the window, he began to work on figuring out the proper sniping points into the building, or onto the building's grounds.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-16-14/1454:58>
Vladmire, you can see a couple of tall residential buildings across the street from the bar. If you were to get on the second or third level, you would have a nice vantage point to fire from.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <07-16-14/1511:45>
Feathers leaves the article half read and tucks into his borsch. It wasn't the best he'd had but it was great to have some warm food in his gut after a long day of fruitlessly job hunting.
He took a quick look around as he paused to sip his vodka. Something about the mood of the place had changed around him whilst he was eating.
Seeing the heavyset iron club present on the table and the well-metalled owner eyeballing one of the other patrons, Feathers decided it was best to keep his down and finish his food quickly. Last thing he needed now was to get into a brawl.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <07-16-14/1552:05>
Marcus made sure to keep an eye on the two trolls that had seemed to react adversely to his entrance, and made an effort to listen in on whatever conversation they were having while chitchatting with the bartender.

After the Russian served on of the other patrons some borsch, he concentrated at the man in front of him and got down to business.

"Straight shooter, huh, chummer? he said as he looked the other man straight in the eye, holding his gaze as he continued. "All right, here's the deal. I'm looking for work, and a friend of mine pointed me in your direction. Said you might know people in need of someone of my qualities, or people who know other people who... well, you get the idea. Someone who might need someone else found, or returned, or... well, let's just say dealt with. Might be a finder's fee in it for you if would be able to facilitate something..."

He left the potential of easy money in the air, hoping it would be enough to convince the man to talk business with an almost complete stranger.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-16-14/1604:38>
You don't hear the trolls saying anything. Your best guess is that they're bar security. Alexei gazes at you, Marcus, for a minute before saying, "If you take a left out of here and go down the street there is an innocuous building. Plain grey, no windows. Go inside and ask them this, "Do you need any repairs done." They will ask you what company you work for. Tell them that you work for Alexei. They may have some work for somebody of your... Certain appearance."
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Isane on <07-16-14/1943:42>
At the far end of the bar, practically forgotten, Anechka sits alone.  This wasn't by choice, as she'd be more than happy to socialize with anyone that cared to bother, but who would want to go and talk to the elf woman reading a book and nursing a mug of soykaf?  And not a holo-book or something on the screen of a commlink, but an honest-to-god paper operational manual for the Russian T-90 main battle tank.  A questionable source of reading material, but a girl had to have her hobbies.

It's not like she wanted to be sitting here awkwardly, but Rusalka had to call off their outing today.  There was no shortage of work for a mechanic in this town, as any equipment that wasn't properly protected often succumbed quickly to the bitter cold.  The reliable source of rent payments was nice, but it left very little time for them to be together.  'Such is life...'

She looks up as a large man enters the bar, and catches a glance at the weaponry he displays under his coat.  'We get it, you're a badass.'  She smiles inwardly, wonder just what someone expected to do with a sword.  She wouldn't be caught dead in a fight that close, not with plethora of drones she has hidden in the back of her SUV parked safely down the road outside, and the Stormcloud she has hovering hundreds of feet in the air.  Turning back to her reading, she doesn't even look up again as another person enters the bar and orders a vodka at the counter.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-16-14/2201:53>
Vladmire takes note of the one augmented flashing his gear, but he didn't pull any hits on his drone's recognition software. Just as well, the two born talking the ares would be more than enough. While he has a vendetta against them, it wasn't a suicidal vendetta.

Slowly he raises his mask and hood over his head, as he begins to walk to the front of the bar, so he could get out and to the positions he could snipe them at. Tapping the side of his leg, the drone stands up, walking after him.

Step 1: Get outside
Step 2: Get to the SUV, and acquire the rifle
Step 3: Get to the proper locations, and prepare to snipe the targets.

He thought to himself, focusing on his task at hand. If he could take them out, the parts could possibly sell to someone, not to mention he might be able to find some members of the magic community who could pay him for taking out these borg. Ah, work and pleasure, blended together with survival. Maybe next time he could have real vodka next time.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-16-14/2223:44>
As you walk out, Vladmire, you accidentally bump into a couple of big guys. You don't know who they are, as they are wearing cold suits. You are however, painfully aware that they both have cybernetic hands not covered with gloves. You know this because one of them attempts to push you aside while saying, "Out of my way freak."

Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-16-14/2233:43>
Vladmire growls lightly at the shove, his face covered as he sneers at the robotman. The changeling continues on his way, not attempting to make more of a scene, as its not his style to do so.

His gloved hands flex, as he continues trying to walk out, "K-Nine, Acquire their scent." he pings the husky looking drone with a message, as it sniffs the air, a little before following after Vladmire out the door.

Adding two more on the list, possible Borg. I'm going to need a bigger rifle if this keeps up.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-16-14/2256:35>
The two borgs push their way past Vladimire into the bar, heading towards the table with the Ares sec forces.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <07-17-14/0020:46>
Marcus nodded at the bartender and deposited 50¥ into the virtual tip jar at the counter, and put his headgear back on. With a short but polite "Spasibo" to Alexei he turned to walk out.

Ahead of him near the door he saw a strange looking metahuman with misshapen legs and a dog at his side.

"What the frak... Huh, must be a one of those SURGE types, or maybe a razorboy who's gone and gotten himself some of those fancy raptor legs I've heard about..."

Two people wearing coldsuits entered the bar, and as one of the two gave the weird looking metahuman a shove, Marcus put his left hand in a reverse grip on the hilt of his sword and prepared to draw the Ruger.

"Maybe these guys are Humanis bastards; either way, if they start any trouble I need a clear exit strategy, even if that involves going straight through them."

The American paused in his tracks to see what happened, and continued out the door after the two men walked past the strange metahuman and himself and joined two others at what looked like Ares corpsec at a nearby table.

"Wow, Ares must be desperate for manpower if they're talking to lowlife scum like these", he thought to himself on his way out, looking around for the building Alexei had described. Marcus closed the coat around his chest to ensure that the cold weather wouldn't freeze the few bits of him that were still flesh, and strode down the block.

As he walked he looked around and adjusted the flare compensation of his goggles. The snow wasn't like he remembered from his childhood trips into the Denver mountains; this stuff was all stained and filthy, likely a result of the nearby industrial plants but it was still bright enough to be uncomfortable to the naked eye. He then toggled the thermographics on as he approached the building Alexei had told him about, and looked around for heat signatures. The building stood out like a lighthouse in the darkness, the surrounding temperature enough to easily note where the HVAC system exhaust and door was located purely because of the heat emanating from them.

Listening to the gut feeling that had made him a good soldier, Marcus triggered a single pulse with the ultrawideband radar of his helmet sensor. As the sensor data was overlaid on his AR view he took a closer look, making sure to look for the telltale signs of weapon signatures and anything else that might be perceived as a threat. "I didn't survive over 15 years of combat and bounty hunting to die in a shithole like this place" he mused as he prepared to walk in the door.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-17-14/0037:53>
Vladmire moved to sit down at the bar, "Alexie, may I please purchase a hot cocoa from you?" he asks, puling out his Ares canteen system from the small of his back, under his layers of coat.

Meanwhile his earbuds begin homing in on the table where the Borg and Ares where. He needed more information on his enemy, as he begins working on battle plans from where they where. Four targets, possibly more. Opening fire might draw out more, but they aren't suppose to be here. That was why he chose this bar, out of all of the bars in this little drek hole of a town.

Quote
Perception - Audio (http://orokos.com/roll/207645): 13d6t5 4
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-17-14/0059:06>
Marcus, from what you can gather from the meta's legs, he's a changeling. Of exactly what you're not sure. As you study the men at the table, you can clearly see the patches on the Ares Sec forces. Пожарная, Firewatch. In no way are these ordinary sec forces. The equivalent to Navy SEALS or the Sioux Wildcats, these are the legends many have heard about and few have faced in combat. Fewer have survived. The others don't have any markings on their coldsuits, however they have obvious cybernetic hands poking out. They must be the "Borgs" you've been hearing about. You don't know much about them, only that they are a pretty violent street gang that heavily focuses on technology and cybernetic implants. After stepping out into the cold, you walk a bit and stop, seeing the building. One ultrawideband radar scan later and you can tell that there's two individuals at the entrance armed with shotguns. They appear to be facing away from the door. One guy appears to be sitting behind a counter, a pistol on his person. There is an upstairs, with people sitting at what looks like a table. Guns, more shotguns you presume, are leaning against a wall.

Alexei looks at Vladmire and shrugs. He disappears for a minute and brings back a cup of cocoa. It tastes slightly like soy, but at least it's hot. You can hear the conversation clearly from where you're at.

Ares 1: "Look Mr. Barinov, this deal isn't going to work. Either you-"

Borg 1: "No. We are tired of your filthy presence in this town. You are going to let us expand, or thing's aren't going to go well for your... business here.

"You've tried threatening us before, and last I recall that didn't end too well for you. As a representative for Ares Macrotechnology, I am here to tell you that this so called 'Business agreement' is going to be forgotten."

"You underestimate us. That's a mistake you may not live to fix." This last sentence is quiet, so quiet that even you have a hard time hearing it.

"We are done here." At this, the Ares sec forces stand up and try to leave. They are stopped by the two borgs that passed you earlier. The two borgs at the booth now stand up and grab each of the Ares sec forces by the back. There is now a procession leading out of the bar, with two borgs in the front and back ant the Ares guys sandwiched in the middle.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Isane on <07-17-14/0321:56>
It doesn't take a genius to realize the intention behind the muscling about going on at the entrance to the bar.  Anechka didn't pay attention to the conversation between the Ares goons and the Borgs, after all, it didn't concern her, but now things were definitely getting interesting.  Interfacing with her commlink plugged discretely into the datajack on the back of her neck, she has her Stormcloud train its camera on the group, still cloaked and loitering high above the area. 

With the camera feed displayed in the corner of her image link, she checks to see if either of the Ares men or the Borgs had any active or passive nodes on them.  This might be just what she needed.  "Rescue" the Ares' guys, collect a reward, and be on her way.  So if things got rough, she wouldn't mind putting the fear of God into whoever deserved it.  And God here wielded a silenced Ares Desert Strike hundreds of feet up...
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-17-14/0330:57>
Vladmire quickly headed out as well, hoping to beat the six before the leave. A flick of his wrist and he sends ten nuyen to Alexei, via the matrix. If he needed more, Vlad would soon send that as well. But for now, he needed to beat those six. Calling up his own SUV, it slowly crept forward, a chameleon coating keeping it well hidden, save for the magically appearing tire tread marks as it drove closer to meet with him.

"Get inside, and report to me what is going on with those three." he commanded the drone, soon turning to run towards the nearest building after getting his rifle and a box of ammo from the SUV.. His armor faded from view, the polymer coating activating.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-17-14/0415:34>
Vladmire, you enter what appears to be an apartment complex. There is a set of stairs or an elevator you can use. The stairs are most likely to lead you to the roof, where the view would stretch for most of the city. This is one of the tallest buildings in the city, being at about 6 stories tall.

Anechka, through your drone you have a pretty good idea of what's going on. You can just catch somebody run across the street before simply disappearing. The Borgs have a pretty tight grouping around the Ares Sec guys. You notice that, for some odd reason, the Ares guys aren't armed nor do they have visible holsters. They do however, have a signal coming from them that started a couple seconds after they left the bar.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <07-17-14/0449:23>
Feathers practically inhales the rest of his meal as the gangers and the Fireteam head outside for a showdown.
He gives Alexei a nod Shit's gonna kick off here any minute pal, you got a back entrance we can get out of?
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-17-14/0511:15>
Alexei looks at Feathers and cocks a chin at a door. It's unmarked, which is probably why you didn't notice it at first. "Be careful around those metalheads.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <07-17-14/0520:36>
I fucking hate those guys. Look, I'm sorry but I overheard you said to the other guy about work, You got any jobs going?
Feathers paid off the bill and dropped 20 in the virtual tip jar as he zipped his jacket up
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-17-14/0527:37>
Vladmire takes the stairs, rushing up them as fast as he can, not entirely concerned with stealth as he does so, other than avoiding looks and people along the way until he can get to the roof.

If, and when he gets up there, he'll of course lay himself flat out and begin trying to find the targets.

Quote
Perception (http://orokos.com/roll/207693): 14d6t5 2
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-17-14/1430:08>
Alexei looks at Feathers and repeats what he told Marcus. "Take a left out here and down the street is a plain, grey building. No windows, should be fairly easy to find. Go inside and ask them if they need any repairs done. They'll ask you who you work for and you will say that you work for Alexei."

As you reach the roof Vladmire, you can see a van moving unusually fast for the amount of snow and ice on the ground. After setting up as quick as can you have the group in your sights. They shifted slightly so that there's the two Ares in the middle, with one borg on each side. The borg behind the Ares guys has one hand set at the back of their heads, fingers splayed out.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <07-17-14/1537:51>
Marcus was about to enter the building when he looked over his shoulder and saw the Ares crew being walked out, surrounded by gangers.

He muttered under his breath. "Well, shit..."

Despite all these years he still felt a sense of loyalty for Ares, and these weren't just any old Knight Errant boys, these were Firewatch members. "The hell have they let themselves be outmanned and outgunned like this for?" he thought, his mind racing through options and possibilities. He took a brief moment to take in his surroundings, and then made a snap decision.

As he made his way over to the corner of the nearby building Marcus unholstered the Super Warhawk carefully and double-checked that it was fully loaded. He also looked to see if the Firewatch team was openly broadcasting their commcodes, hoping to get a message to them to ask if they needed assistance. Just as he reached the corner of the building and took cover behind it, however, he spotted a vehicle on hot approach.

"It's about damn time..." he thought, mentally preparing himself for what was about to come.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Isane on <07-17-14/1543:49>
'Huh, who are you and where are you off to...' Something was definitely going on, and she couldn't stand the thought of her not knowing what exactly.  She has her Stormcloud take a quick look around for the person who just disappeared and anything else strange going on nearby, then gets to work on capturing the wireless signal coming from the Ares guys.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-17-14/1600:17>
Anechka, you can just barely see the shadow of a person running across the rooftop and stopping, proceeding to move around like he's setting up something. The drone reports back to you that the signal coming from the Ares is a Corporate SOS. The fact that they think they are in enough trouble to warrant an SOS is baffling.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-17-14/1611:25>
Vladmire didn't need to hear the SoS single. He knew they where in trouble since the meeting, and he was planning on killing all four of the borg to start off with in the first place. He was prepared to take on Ares as well, so to have this happen was like something from a dream.

Lining up his shot on the Borg with his hands on the back of their head, he fires off a nearly silent shot Right at the borg.


Quote
Shots fired, -1 penalty for winds (http://orokos.com/roll/207804): 9d6t5 5
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-17-14/1700:14>
Vladmire, both you and Marcus can see the borg in the back get knocked down. To you Marcus, it looks like somebody just hammer punched him in the face. To you, Vladmire, the bullet struck true. It looks like you hit the side of his forehead, not a killshot but he definitely felt it.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <07-17-14/1723:44>
Marcus drew a deep breath and prepared to squeeze the trigger when he saw one of the other Borg fall. Not willing to waste a good ambush, he sprang into action figuring that the enemy of his enemy was his friend. The superhuman reflexes Ares had implanted in him long ago, coupled with years of training, enabled him to pull the trigger while the first body was still falling towards the ground.

The brief distraction caught him slightly off-guard and his shot went a little wide, but Marcus watched with satisfaction as the round hit the closest Borg in the back.

"Never fight fair, my friends..." he thought, already planning his next move. He quickly holstered his sidearm and prepared to rush into battle, what little emotions were left in him completely in control.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-17-14/1736:48>
The bullet appears to have hit the Borg in the upper spinal area, as soon as the bullet hit him he jerked in an unnatural way.

Back damage armor save (http://orokos.com/roll/207848): 5d6t5 1
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-17-14/1812:00>
Now the Ares guys have seen their chance, and one of them swings a punch at a Borg. The Borg tries to block but fails and the punch solidly connects. The borg recoils slightly from the punch, but appears unfazed for the most part. The other Ares draws a knife from within his coldsuit and stabs at the remaining borg. The cougar fineblade easily pierces the skin and hits something bleedy. The Borg desperately holds his side as blood starts to pour. Note to self: Borgs do not like being punched. The Borg threw a punch at the Firewatch member, aiming for the face. The Firewatch guy barely dodges, but it's enough. The last borg swings the hand thats not keeping his blood in at the Ares member who just stabbed him. Again, the Ares member dodges at just the last second.


Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-17-14/1902:03>
The changeling pulls back the bolt, chambering the next round as he focuses in on the one borg who hasn't got a new modification to his body.

"Here's lead in your eye, metal head." he comments to himself as another shot is fired.

"Master, did you require something for me? I do not think that lead within my ocular sensory equipment would be beneficial to either of us."  the drone calls back, having heard the comment through the subvocal microphone.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-17-14/2012:12>
The bullet flies through the air, hitting the Borg in the head

Are Borgs bulletproof? (http://orokos.com/roll/207901): 5d6t5 2
No, they are not. Again, he looks mostly dead, and he's on the ground now. You notice that the van is starting speed up towards the scene.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Isane on <07-17-14/2200:47>
Anechka watches the drone feed with bemusement.  A shootout in the streets was not her idea of a good time, and she continues to sip her soykaf, observing the scene outside with her bird's eye view.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <07-18-14/0002:31>
With half an eye on the approaching van, Marcus leapt into action. With a still mind, and as another Borg fell from what could only be large caliber rifle fire, Marcus charged the only Borg still left standing.

During his advance he mentally triggered the deployment of the nearly meter long blade concealed in his cybernetic right arm, its hardened alloy links locking together in an instant.

Coming in low on his target, the veteran soldier swept his blade from the ground up at the back of the man's knees, beginning the move that had earned him his nickname all those years ago. The man's feet were lifted off the ground, and Marcus let the momentum of his swing carry him through the turn, sweeping around fully and swiftly punching the blade through the Borg's chest with a downward stroke.

Like a cyclone of death, Marcus stood up straight with his arms opened out to each side, appearing as if he was challenging any of the remaining Borg to get up to meet their match.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <07-18-14/0456:02>
Feathers nodded and smiled, donning his helmet and exiting via the back door.
He does his best to stay low, keeping the building and snow stacks as much between him and direction of the soon-to-be combatants as possible.
Focussing on the manafield around him, he channels it through his power focus and shapes it into a detection spell, suddenly aware of all the life forms for a couple hundred metres around him.
Armed with the knowledge of locations, he shimmies around the side of the building out of the majority of line of sight of the combatants and attempts to retrieve his skis from the entrance un-noticed
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-18-14/1605:07>
The two borgs on the ground are now starting to get up. The two Ares guys look at you, as if they were expecting more firewatch, not this guy. The van pulls up to a stop not too far from where you're at, and two more borg get out. One from the passenger side and one from the driver side. Vladmire, now is the time to act.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-19-14/2056:50>
"K-Nine, Move to 12 O'clock, provide surgery for borg." Luckily with the advance programing for the dog, for facial recognition software and its ability to process more information the Dog rushes off to the position.

Meanwhile, Vladmire aims and fires at the driver, waiting for his drone to get into position. This was going to start getting harder as he had two bullets left in the gun now.

Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <07-20-14/0722:34>
Sneaking round the front of the building, Feathers sees the scene of carnage unfolding in front of him.
The gangers seemed to be taking rounds, a brawl was happening and re-inforcements appeared to be arriving.
Taking advantage of the situation, he grabbed his skis from the rack and made for the rear of the building again, clipping his skis on and heading out into the sparse vegetation to get clear of the ensuing melee on the far side of the bar.
Connecting mentally to his commlink via trodes, he boots up his mapsoft and plots an alternative route to his destination, going cross country where possible to avoid meeting inbound reinforcements on the roads.

Quote
int 5, nav 3, mapsoft 6 (14d6.hits(5)=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4577613/)
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-22-14/1958:18>
Vladmire, yet another victim of your rifle is knocked down by a blow to the head.  The Ares guys are taking action again, with one of them stabbing the borg next to him, and the other Ares sec kicking a different borg in the face. Both borgs did not fare well, as the one who got stabbed fell back down and stopped moving, only to twitch a little bit. The Borg who was kicked now has a bloody face, and is also presumably dead seeing as how he is not moving.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-23-14/1511:57>
While the dog moved towards the directed location, Vladmire fires off another shot at the last borg standing, having a single bullet left now in his rifle before he needed to reload. Hopefully that was the end of it, and the Ares and other guy could work at cleaning up the rest of the mess.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-28-14/1432:29>
Vladmire, the bullet you fired seems to have pierced his head entirely and the bullet makes a nice dent on the van's hood. All the Borg are now down and either dead or knocked out (Currently, only one is knocked out because the one Ares who decided to use his fists and legs).
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <07-28-14/1452:26>
Marcus looked around at the bodies laying in the bloodstained snow nearby and took a deep breath as the last ganger twitched silently. None of the Borg looked like they were about to rally, but he began kicking any obvious weapons away from the bodies none the less.

He looked to the closest of the Ares men and spoke a few simple words in his telltale monotone voice.

"Sitrep, soldier."

It was clear from his tone of voice that this was a man who was both used to giving orders and having them obeyed, and between his size, obvious weaponry, and the fact that he had just appeared out of nowhere to save these peoples lives, he made for an intimidating, yet welcome sight.

While waiting for a reply, Marcus took stock of his surroundings to make sure that no more Borg were incoming, and then bent down and tore off a piece of fabric off of one of the Borg jackets and proceeded to wipe down his arm blade before retracting it.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-28-14/1506:20>
"There's not much I can tell you. We're both fine. Our commander is going to want to see you though." You don't see any more Borg. Not yet anyways. One of the Ares is examining the Borg corpses. More notably, you can see him examining the bullet holes. He takes a sweeping glance across the buildings and walks over to the van, looking at the dent the bullet left.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <07-28-14/1515:40>
"Understood. You got your own ride, or are we taking theirs?" he asked, giving a half nod with his head in the direction of the van the last Borg had arrived in. As the man examined the corpses on the ground, Marcus pre-empted his question. "And before you ask; no, that's not my handiwork. Rifleman, probably on a rooftop somewhere up there, gauging by the direction these guys fell."

Pointing in the direction he thought the shots had come from, he paused to scrape most of the stained snow off of his boots on the curb near the Borg van.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-28-14/2318:54>
Vladmire let out a soft sigh, as he began to move from his position now. K-9 and his SUV should be arriving to the 12 o'clock position soon, ready to provide support fire provided when he revealed himself things go wonky.  As he walked he began reloading his rifle. It would be only a matter of moments till he was there, as his natural speed of walking was twice that of a human's own speed.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Isane on <07-28-14/2341:06>
Without taking her eyes off her image link, Anechka flags down Alexei and orders another Soykaf, and continues trying to piece together what exactly just went down outside.  She guessed that the man currently conversing with the Ares' men was their backup, as well as the cloaked figure on the roof.  She wasn't certain though, considering the way the first man acted when the he entered the bar didn't at all let on that he knew the Ares' guys.

Oh well, it wasn't her problem.  The authorities would likely be in the area soon though, and she planned to be well out of the way of any awkward questioning they might have.  Chugging the last of her soykaf and paying Alexei for the drinks, she pulls her balaclava over her face and the hood of her winter coat up, and heads out onto the street.  Her Stormcloud continues to hover, cloaked high above out of sight, but she still takes a glance over at the scene of carnage down the road.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <07-29-14/0336:27>
Having trudged through the snow for the past half an hour, Feathers arrives near the building the barman had directed him to.
He takes time to let the details of what he was seeing sink in, absorbing as much of the sights and sounds of the place as he could before he made a move out into the open
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-31-14/2054:05>
"We'll be re-appropriating this van." The Ares says to Marcus. "Yeah, that's what I thought." The other one says. The one who was examining the bullet holes.

Feathers, all you see is a dark grey concrete building, with no windows. The concrete appears to be thick, as well as the steel door you're in front of.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-31-14/2103:56>
Vladmire soon approaches. "Greetings. Is anyone hurt?" he asks  the other three, as he begins to move towards one of the borg. From here he should be covered by his dog if the three started to try and attack him.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-31-14/2113:28>
The Ares who was formally studying the bullet holes nodded. "Are you the gunman?"
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-31-14/2127:04>
"One of them." he responded back, it was important never to show your entire hand, and keeping them guessing how many snipers there might be was part of that. Sometimes though you might want them to think they have your hand, this was not that time.


"Heard what was going on a bit in the bar,"
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <07-31-14/2129:52>
"Sounds good. Let's get Oskar Mike, ASAP" Marcus said, using military slang for getting a move on. "I'm Leon, by the way" he added, almost as an afterthought, and prepared to mount up.


Before he could climb in, however, someone approached asking if anyone was hurt. Marcus just shook his head, and looked to see what the Ares guys would do.

"They want to bring the kid in, that's their business" he thought to himself, content that for at least a little while longer he'd be in the company of men he could respect.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-31-14/2136:21>
The two Ares guys looked at each other and said, "Get in the back." It was clear that they wouldn't take no for an answer. One of them got in the drivers seat while the other stayed to see what the man in front of him would do.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-31-14/2142:51>
"In that vehicle?" he ask a little incredulously, unsure if he should tip his hand just yet. Shrugging, he gave his drone and car the orders to follow and moved to get into the back of the SUV
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <07-31-14/2229:36>
The Ares who had stayed behind got in the back with Vladmire. The van got started up and you can feel it moving.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <07-31-14/2239:03>
Vladmire would watch them, and the enviroment outside the van, recording the different sights and smells, as well as the directions they were turning. He'd use this information to figure out if he knew where he was going to.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <08-01-14/2211:16>
Both you, Vladmire, and Marcus both recognize the route to the south side of town, where the Ares HQ lies. As the van goes further and further, you start seeing more and more of a militaristic presence. The van is moving slow enough for you both to witness a small group of Ares sec forces drag a man out into the snow and place him on his knees, executing him with a single bullet to the head. You only get to see the body being picked up by his arms before the van turns.

In front of you lays the tallest building in the city. 8 foot thick concrete walls act as a perimeter, and electrified razor wire acts as a deterrent to would-be climbers. There are routine guard patrols, all of them armed with Ares Alphas. The building looks nice though. Well-lit and what not.

Before too long, you arrive at a checkpoint. The van stops and a window is rolled down. The driver and the guard both start speaking to each other in English before the driver is waved through the gate. You stop outside what appears to be a vehicle garage. The doors are closed, however if you would look through the door windows you would see a line of APCs that look almost brand new. The van doors open and the Ares guys step out and motion for you to follow.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-01-14/2216:37>
Marcus had seen his share of security compounds and perimeters. As they pulled to a stop outside the garage, he followed the Ares man's lead out of the van, keeping an eye on his surroundings just to be sure.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-01-14/2219:48>
Vladmire orders his van to stop outside of the military zone its active camoflag should be enough to make it difficult for Ares to find it, until he needs to escape, provided he does. Pretty sure the tough guy with them wasn't an Ares trooper.

This was going to be difficult, if bad stuff happened.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <08-01-14/2238:36>
The two Ares lead you into the building, walking past the front desk and bringing you to an elevator. When you two get on, one of them punches the button for the 9th floor, the highest one in the building. A couple of halls later and you're lead to a door. Goodweather reads on an electronic name plate. The two open the door and lead you through. After you've entered, they take guard at both sides of the door, their posture rigid.

"Ahhhh, hello comrades!" The loud, jovial voice is coming from the desk at the end of the room. The room looks like your standard Exec's office, with large plate glass windows and even potted plants for decoration.

The man at the desk is standing up, and he's beaming at you. He's very large, about as big as you Marcus.

"Come, come! Sit down!" He says in a joyful tone.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-01-14/2249:37>
"Nice plants." he remarks, trying not to sound too nervous, but this wasn't a good situation for him.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <08-01-14/2301:28>
"Thanks comrade, they came here all the way from America." He says this with pride, and you can now notice that his Russian accent is a bit off.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-01-14/2322:06>
Marcus simply stands at ease in Mr. Goodweather's office, and ignores the talk of plants, then addresses the man in Russian.

"What can we do for you, sir? Your men are safe, thanks in large part to our intervention" he stated matter-of-factly, nodding in the direction of the other man to indicate who the "us" he was referring to was. This experience was nothing new for Marcus as he'd reported to superior officers hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. "Only difference is this guy isn't a superior officer, and I'm not a soldier any more" he thought while waiting for the man to make his reasons for dragging them out to this facility clear.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <08-01-14/2332:16>
He smiled. "Yes, I saw it all happen. I'd like to thank you two for helping them out. For more than one reason." He says. Turning to Marcus he says, "You said your name was Leon, yes? I could greatly use a man like you. You as well." He says to you, Vladmire.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-01-14/2347:33>
"I'm V." he replies, "I will gladly work with you all, provided the payment is right.  For now, Vladmire continued to wait, it wasn't good to try and be too suspicious and at the same time, it was important to be a bit discreet
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-02-14/0013:05>
Marcus replied simply, as usual.

"Leon Cole, sir, bounty hunter by trade. What's the job, and how much does it pay?"
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <08-02-14/0027:21>
"As you may have noticed, there is a bit of... Unrest in the city. This is mostly because of those damned metal-heads running around. As I'm sure you've noticed, none of them are all too bright. However, we have successfully located their leader." At this, he makes some hand gestures and an image appears on the plate glass behind him. He steps to the side and says, "This is Josef Voroshenin. So called 'leader' of the borgs and overall scum. I will pay you each 25K if you kill him and bring me proof. I'll double it if you make it look like an accident. I don't want to risk him being a martyr."
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-02-14/0033:58>
"Well, that is where we'll have a problem. I have no problem killing him, but my set of skills are not of the kind that make things look like an accident." The changeling rubbed his chin, looking to Leon to see if there was anything he could add in.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-02-14/0044:07>
Marcus thought about the proposal for a moment. "Fifty thousand nuyen between us to kill some gang leader, a hundred if we make it look like an accident? Sounds too easy."

"Pretty penny for the head of some scum gang leader. Subtle isn't exactly my kind of game either," he said, gesturing to his obviously augmented body. "How about magical or tech support; if you can't assign us any of yours, do you have any leads on talent in this town?"

Marcus cleared his throat before continuing, as he wasn't used to talking quite this much. "We might also need some gear if we're going to pull this off covertly; what kind of requisitions can we make to your quartermaster?" His tone indicated that he was expecting to be granted access to the Ares armory, though since he was inquiring about subtlety he probably wasn't looking for assault cannons and mil-spec armor.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <08-02-14/0103:13>
"This man, should he continue to live, would undoubtedly cost us much more in damages than what I'm paying you. About your body, it's absolutely perfect for the job. You could ask to join them and they would accept you in a heartbeat. Regarding support, I can't help you magically. However, we have multiple blueprints, pictures, and other spy stuff you might need. You can have full access to our armory, within reason of course."
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Isane on <08-02-14/0121:28>
Anechka shrugs her coat tighter around her and continues down the street.  Remembering what she had overheard from Alexei back at the bar, she doesn't head for her car yet, instead making a beeline for that windowless grey building.  She gives her fixer a quick call, seeing if he had any work available as well at the moment, and moves inside.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <08-02-14/0135:07>
The building is lit solely by one lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. It gives off a certain kind of creepiness in the room. Inside the room, you can see only one other person, and it looks like he just entered as well.

Feathers, somebody just entered the building you came in. Nobody has shown up yet at the front counter.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-02-14/0143:01>
"Well then, that sounds good. I'll need some AP rounds, these guys have quite a bit of metal, and its lacking the proper cooling elements." Vladmire snickers at his own joke, clearly he's pretty bad at making them.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Isane on <08-02-14/2120:51>
Anechka tugs her goggles up over her forehead, and gives a friendly smile to the person already inside.  "I guess you're here for the job as well.  Any idea what the drek that just went down outside was about?"
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <08-03-14/0536:20>
Cautious of entering a windowless grey box, Feathers moves up to the edge of the treeline, staying in cover as much as possible.
He focusses the mana around him, channeling it and weaving it into form. He studied the building from all angles, moving the focal point of the spell around and above the building, looking for any details it would yield.

Quote
F4 clairvoyance skill 5, mag 5, power focus 1, mentor 2, spec 2 (15d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4593581/)
drain resist (2) (10d6.hits(5)=4) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4593582/) no drain
perception (10d6.hits(5)=3) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4593583/) perception 3
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-03-14/1649:59>
Marcus took a long, hard look at the man standing in front of him, and decided to discuss the price.

"25k each for a kill, 50k each if we make it look like an accident; we're in the middle of nowhere and we're going after a known gang-leader with extensive reach. What's the hazard pay, and what would a live capture pay?"

While he waited for the man to respond, he mentally ran through some ideas. "Gas is always an option, though these tin-cans are probably wearing rebreathers due to the cold or they're equipped with chemical scrubbers just for the hell of it. Could always torch the place they're hanging out in, maybe infiltrate the hangout first and subdue them, then just make it look like a gas mains explosion or something."


After squaring out the details in terms of payment, Marcus addressed his needs as far as the armory was concerned.

"Who do I send the requisition list to? Some are more likely to be available than others, but I like to be prepared. Also, do we get to keep unused requisitions after the job is done, or is this strictly a on-loan kind of operation?" He'd mentally compiled the list and now displayed it in AR for the man to look over.

>>Requisitions:
>>Armor
>>   1 Ares Arctic Forces Suit
>>
>>ID
>>   1 Real/high-quality forged SIN showing 5+ year service with Ares and recent dishonorable discharge (excessive violence, striking a superior officer)
>>
>>Utility Items
>>   5 Adhesive (as strong as possible)
>>   5 Alkahest (as strong as possible)
>>   1 Hardware and industrial engineering tool kits
>>   2+ High-yield jammer (2+, expendable is acceptable)
>>   12+ Laes (disposable syringes/slap patches/cigarettes; as many as you can spare)
>>   1 Operations cleanup kit
>>
>>Weapons and ammunition:
>>   1 Flamethrower Fuel (canister)
>>   12 Flash-Bang minigrenades
>>   Gas minigrenades
>>      6 Breathtaker and/or Neuro-Stun
>>      1+ Ymir (NOTE: Preferred as toxin effects mimic frostbite damage)
>>   50+ Stick-n-Shock rounds for light pistols, heavy pistols, and assault rifles (each)
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <08-03-14/1753:49>
The man looks at you Vladmire, he doesn't seem very entertained. "Sorry comrade, but my payment is staying at where it is now. The reason I'm hiring you to do it is so the metal-heads don't have a reason to retaliate against us. That is why a live capture means nothing to me. Azarov and Veshenin will take you to the armory. You can get your equipment there. I expect you to bring most of it back." He dismisses you, and the two Ares who led you up open the door, leading you two outside. Going back down to the main floor, Azarov and Veshenin lead you  to the armory. It looks quite expansive, and a lot of it looks new. The quartermaster greets you as you enter. He is a thin man with a thick, black beard that looks too big for him. "What can I get you two? You show him the list and he whistles, then shrugs indifferently. He disappears and you can see him rummaging around bins and pull stuff off the wall. This is what he brings back:

2 Ares Arctic Forces suits

5 Adhesive
5 Alkahest
1 Hardware and industrial engineering tool kit
3 High-yield Jammer
6 Laes Slap Patches
6 Laes Syringes
1 Operations cleanup kit

1 Flamethrower fuel canister
12 Flash-bang Minigrenades
6 Neuro-stun Gas grenades
100 Stick n shock Heavy pistol rounds
100 Stick n shock light pistol rounds
100 Stick n shock AR rounds
50 Stick n shock Sport rifle rounds



Feathers, your scan shows that there are about 7 people in the building, all of them on the second floor. The entire building is basically a grey brick, with no openings on the roof or the walls.

Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-03-14/1813:34>
On the way to the armory, Marcus decided to question his escort on the Borg as he's not too familiar with their organization.

"Azarov and Veshenin, was it? Glad I caught sight of you when I did; can't stand seeing ganger scum trying to make examples of fine men like yourselves. How organized are these Borg chummers anyway? Anything you can tell us about their operations in this town would directly aid in the completion of our mission."

He'd memorized every detail of his fake alias, Leon Cole, including his service record with the UCAS Army in Denver, and began discussing the Borg with his escort, comparing them to Denver street gangs based on what he remembered of them, trying to extract as much information as possible out of the men whose life he'd helped save just an hour earlier.


Impressed with the organization of the Armory, Marcus was also pleased with what the quartermaster was able to provide. "Appreciated, sir. Once this is all done I'll buy you a drink or ten. Oh, one last thing, you wouldn't happen to have a tactical smartpack or two for us?" While Vladmire, the quartermaster, and himself packed up all of the gear, Marcus began discussing the job with his new companion.

"Guess we haven't really been introduced. I'm Leon Cole, just got here less than a month ago on a skiptrace job. I have worked out a framework of a plan that builds on our relative strengths; scan this. We review the data we have on these guys' safehouse, and if I can get my hands on a fake ID I go there with the intention of joining, stating that I just got thrown out of the Ares forces by some fucking superior asshole. I'll claim I have intel on a job aimed at taking them out, some rival gang or another, and that the Ares guys are letting it happen. This is where you come in. You set up nearby and kill a few Borg, tear the shit out of the building with some heavy weaponry; maybe we can get a couple machine guns from this guy. I help fight "them" off, maybe you even take a few shots at me and definitely wound the target if you can. I gain their trust, we hunker down for the night as we expect a second attack. I use the Laes to take out perimeter security, I sneak you in, and we drug them one by one. Finally, we torch the place, making sure it looks like a fire, and go home rich. Thoughts?"

Marcus, not used to coming up with elaborate plans on his own, thought the strategy had merits, but some of the kinks had to be ironed out. At least now they had some tools to work with.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-03-14/1820:55>
vladmire not being the one negotiating, shrugs at Leon's attempt to do so. "The Shock bullets would be enough, some APDS would also be useful, but less needed."

Turning to Leon, he just raises a brow and slowly shakes his head. "I'm not in the business to miss, nor to be fought off. If I see Borg, I kill Borg. Plain and simple, they'll be assimilated. However, I don't think it would be hard to find some cadavers, rig them up with some guns that fire blanks. I doubt the borg are intelligent enough to be medical cornerers."
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-03-14/1833:33>
"Even the best of us miss from time to time, friend. And in this case, we want you to miss. or at least not hit them too well, especially the target. This is important; can I trust you not to kill the guy we're hired to kill, so we can kill him quietly?"

Realizing how absurd his statement sounded, the point still needed to made. "Listen, this ain't no god-damned crusade, or a revenge-op. This is business, plain and simple, and if you're not going to stop at killing people we're not getting paid to kill, jeopardizing a major payday for some sort of hang-up, I don't mind marching back up there to tell the good Colonel that I'll do the job by myself. Now, do we have a deal? Or do you want to go get killed assaulting this place by yourself? No skin off my back, one way or another."
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-03-14/2251:10>
"Cadavers" he responded, repeating himself "Then I don't get an itchy trigger finger or metal where I shouldn't have it. I really do not like being shot at, Its why I'm a sniper."
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-04-14/0726:44>
Marcus sighed. "Come on, omae. You've got to know that even the most rudimentary medical or first aid training, which some of these meat-heads are likely to have given their reliance on 'ware, is going to be sufficient to tell a body didn't die recently, especially in this weather. If we were in Miami maybe this plan of yours could work, but out here rigor mortis will set in before you can even get your bodies into position. And that's not even mentioning where the hell you'll get those bodies from; they can't be Ares, and they can't be Borg, and I sure as hell ain't raiding no morgue or killing some innocent bystander just for this."

He grabbed a pack full of gear, and asked the quartermaster for a few last items. "I'll need some stealth RFID tags as well, sir, and a couple frangible or subsonic rounds for my friends sport rifle; the latter is preferable if you have them" he said matter-of-factly, before turning back to Vladimir.

"This doesn't need to be an all-out assault. You say you're a sniper; well, in this case, that's exactly what I need you to be. Your objective will be to take out a few of them, seeing as how that seems to make you happy, but more importantly to hit me with a coordinated low-power round like a subsonic so I can "heroically" prevent their leader from taking a round to the head, and then you disappear like a spirit in the night. And don't you worry about missing." he said, then tapped his chest with his metallic hand, producing a heavy metal-on-metal clank. "No offense intended, but you couldn't take me out with a single round even if you tried unless you were sporting an assault cannon." Marcus gave the man a dead-pan grin, and slapped his shoulder before continuing.

"Take it from someone who've seen real, honest-to-God battlefields. A threat one can't see is all the more real than some dead bodies on a roof top; we want these guys to be on edge, to be nervous so they'll let me in. Maybe we can find a hacker to spread some rumours over the next couple of days that there's a bounty out on the leaders head, and that there's a drek-hot assassin out to claim it."

The big man shouldered the pack as the quartermaster brought along the last few items, and pocketed the tags. "Come on, let's talk this over while we review the building plans we got. I'll need to wait for the ID to come in anyway; I definitely don't want to go in as a bounty hunter, or they'll be all over me before I can say "Nostrovya". Let's see if we can stay on base for the night so I can pick up the ID in the morning; some chow, a hot shower, and a good nights sleep sounds pretty damned good, too."
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-04-14/1542:59>
Vladmire sighed, shaking his head slowly, there was just no talking to this man. There was lots of ways to disguise dead corpses, and  up here, there is probably lots frozen cadavers ready to be used in the snow. "Very well, I'll fire of a few shots then, and then leave. From that point on you are basically on your own, as I'm clearly not the kind that infiltrates into a Borg gang. Especially because they know me already, I'm one of their greatest enemies." He wasn't trying to brag or anything, it was quite true, especially since he was a mystical sort of guy.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <08-04-14/1740:04>
Alright Feathers, you're here for a job. buck up and get knocking.
Feathers pulls himself together, breaks cover and heads over to the building, his senses alert to the implied danger of 7 people holed up inside a windowless box in the middle of nowhere.
He knocks on the heavy-set door, making sure he'd be able to break for cover in case of a nasty surprise...
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Number 2 on <08-04-14/2017:25>
Feathers, the door opens and you walk through. About a minute later, a woman walks in after you.
Quote from: Isane on <08-02-14/2120:51>
Anechka tugs her goggles up over her forehead, and gives a friendly smile to the person already inside.  "I guess you're here for the job as well.  Any idea what the drek that just went down outside was about?"

Marcus, the Quartermaster returns with the two backpacks, as well as 50 Sub-sonic and 50 AP rounds for a Sporting rifle.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <08-05-14/1843:48>
Fuck knows. Those security boys and the gangers don't like sharing this city and like to start shit in Neutral territory. I'd assume more of the same but the sec guys seemed pretty lightly armed to go looking for trouble with those chrome-domes. Yeah I'm here for work too. Name's Feathers. Well it ain't really but you know what I mean...You get caught up in that shit back there? Came out alright if you did?
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-05-14/2038:07>
"Just so you know, their leader is smarter than any other three put together. So its going to be harder to do anything, besides that, he's also very reclusive. Rumor has it that he's less augmented than the others, so I'd be careful around him." Vlad explains some of his knowledge to Leon
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Isane on <08-05-14/2311:16>
Anechka shakes her head slowly.  "Didn't get involved, it was someone else's problem.  Just call me Medved."  She takes a look around the room.  "Alexei said there was work here, but not exactly a warm welcome eh?"  Walking up to the front counter, she raps her knuckles on it a few times and calls out, "Hello, is anyone here?  Need any repairs done?"
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-10-14/1949:12>
Marcus looked at Vlad and smiled. "Excellent! That probably means he'll be more susceptible to toxins. Besides, from what I hear Laes can take out even the meanest troll, and we've got enough here to drug up half a fragging platoon." He mentally ran through the list of items they'd managed to get from the Ares boys on his way to the mess-hall. "All right, let's get some chow and a good nights sleep, then get this thing done ASAP. Null sheen, omae, this time two days from now we'll be rich enough to get the drek out of this frozen hell-hole."


Over what passed for dinner he discussed the merits of his tentative plan with his new compatriot. By showing up on the Borg's doorstep with a better-than-fake ID proving he'd served with Ares and received a dishonorable discharge for violent tendencies, he banked on being able to gain an audience with the boss-man. If he could just get a chance to talk to the man, followed by a brave "rescue" when the leader came under attack just like he'd warned, Marcus was betting that he'd be able to work up some trust with this reclusive leader. At this point, they'd hopefully hunker down in anticipation of an all-out assault as the assassination attempt had failed, which Vlad and Marcus could use to their advantage.

"This is where we make this whole thing look like an accident, and unfortunately this is where my skills are somewhat lackluster; I can shoot up a place just fine, but I don't know much about making a crime-scene not look like a crime scene" he told Vladimir as he picked through the various items of the operations cleanup kit. "What do you think this one does" he asked the other man as he shook a vial containing some sort of liquid. "Listen, man, I know my plan is kinda rough, but consider this; anything goes sour, and we always have plan b: kill every mother-fragger in the building and still cash out a fat paycheck. If at any point the mission goes off the rails I'll just signal you "Archangel" and we go loud as a supernova." Giving Vladimir what he hoped was a reassuring smile, he continued on. "I'll have to openly carry my Alpha or stash it at a safehouse as I'll need the space in my smuggling compartments for some of these other items. The Laes is by far the most important since it'll be essential in knocking some of these meat-heads out, with the toolkits and the flamethrower fuel a close second seeing as how I'll need to have a reliable way of starting a fire. I'll leave most of the grenades with you, bringing only my gas mask and some neuro-stun grenades for myself. I'll also bring one of these jammers and leave you to place the two others so they can't get out an emergency signal if we need to go loud. If we do need to go loud, we could always try to make it look like an internal power struggle gone bad. Thoughts?"


He continued the discussion with Vlad for a while before turning in at the barracks, intending to get some sleep while waiting for the ID that should be ready by the morning.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-11-14/0119:27>
"Honestly, I prefer things to be simple. Shoot someone until they can't get up anymore from a distance they can attack you from, in a location they cannot reach. Besides that, second hand cyberware is actually pretty valuable, even with a bullet hole or two in it." he frowns. "Speaking of which, never did clean up after those four that we killed earlier. Didn't confirm that they were fully dead either. Always confirm the kill, or assume they are still alive."

Checking over his gear, he slowly exposes his body a bit more, the alterations to his form due to the SURGE quite evident in some sort of catagory of beastman, but it was hard to put a finger on it, like he was part several things. "As far as getting out of here, I'm not really going anywhere. The cold isn't really a big threat to me at all."
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-11-14/0943:26>
After finishing his meal Marcus took his daily dose of G3, and thought back to his career as a soldier while Vlad spoke. "All the shit I went through and survived it'd be fraggin' tragic if I went down to a mild infection. Let's hope this stuff works as advertised." he thought as Vlad finished up.

"Ain't that the truth, friend. All this sneaking around, making the job look like a setup is not exactly my usual MO, but if the Johnson is willing to pay double for it I'll at least give his way a go. Like I said, worst case we go loud and you can kill as many of the fraggers as you like. Either way I'll be right there in the thick of it; I'm geared more towards close-quarters combat in any case." As he spoke, Marcus rolled up the sleeves on both arms to expose the oversized gunmetal grey cyberlimbs underneath, then rapped his metal knuckles on both his torso and thighs, the limbs giving off resounding clangs that should provide clear indication to anyone that the vast majority of his body had been cybernetically enhanced.

"Long story short, I've got some idea of what 'ware is worth..." he said quietly as he briefly remembered what Katherine's hands had felt like resting on his then-natural chest. "More machine now than man" he thought, and shook himself out of his reverie. "Above all else, though, I'm a professional. I don't know what you've got against these guys, and quite frankly I don't care; we're being paid to complete a mission, and that's all that matters to me.

He looked around the mess hall to see if anyone had overheard the last of what Vlad had said, and what he himself was about to say. "Listen, chummer, I'm a bounty hunter by trade, not an organlegger. You want to go in and clear house after we're done I sure as heck won't stop ya, but I'm not going to help you either. You'll want to keep drek like that on the down-low; most people don't exactly take a shining to folks who're willing to go that route, Borg or no Borg. I for one don't want my name associated with Tamanous or whatever the hell passes for those guys up here; even if you're just taking their 'ware that's grim business, but by all means do what you gotta do. Just save it for later, wiz?"

Marcus had seen folks carrying assault rifles openly on base, but as military and/or security personnel they would be licensed for it, something a civilian like himself would be unlikely to obtain, and so he decided to leave his dismantled custom rifle in the smuggling compartments in his legs for now. "Might need an edge against these fraggers if it all goes to hell, though." He'd recently done a job for the Vory which included dropping off live cargo at a warehouse where they stockpiled drugs amongst other things, so he prepared a message to Anatoly Ireshkova.

>> Send Encrypted Message
>> Omae, I need a couple doses each of Jazz and Kamikaze, and I need them yesterday. I know this isn't ideal because you and I both know this drek is fraggin' dangerous, but one way or another I've got a payday coming up. Tell you what, I'll pay you twice again what this stuff is worth after the job is done if you can get me the goods by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Spasibo, tovarishch!
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Triskavanski on <08-11-14/1310:12>
"The reason I and the Borg don't get along, I don't have a piece of metal in me. The Borg do not like that, and I'm smarter than them. Any case, I'll use the subsonic ammo, It won't kill any of them, but they'll never hear me coming."

Vladmire pulls down some AR information, a particular piece actually, and sends it to Marcus

"There is my contact information, I'm going to head off into the snow and wilds for the night." he remarks, slowly standing up.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: martinchaen on <08-11-14/1323:27>
"Heh, hard copy. You want to stay out in the snow, be my guest. Watch your six..." Marcus just shook his head. "Who the hell stays out in the cold when there's perfectly good shelter to be had. At least he's a good shot, and if we play our cards right we can earn some serious nuyen here..." he thought, and headed for the bunk he'd been assigned for the night.
Title: Re: [IC] Of Fire and Ice
Post by: Csjarrat on <08-11-14/1335:54>
People call me Feathers. Yeah, not exactly the warmest of welcomes. I know there are at least 6 people in this building though.
Feathers took the time to take a look around the small space, checking for security devices and the like. Perhaps they were being watched and analysed by their "hosts"?

Quote
in 5, percep 5, enhance 3, active search 3 (16d6.hits(5)=7) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4603696/) 7 hits