Parliament of Thieves

In many parts of the tunnels, there is obvious Aztec style graffiti inscribed on the walls. Stalker explains to you that these tunnels were built by the Aztlan Government and he's heard stories that there are still some Atzlaner holdouts living in them. He's quick to mention that he's never run into any, but he's always on the lookout.

In the middle of his explanation, Stalker stop the lead car and throws open the driver's side door, his lined coat billowing open allowing him to pull out his Ares Predator IV.

Pointing the muzzle down the tunnel, he holds his fist in the air indicating to the group to hold position.


(English, Whispered) "Anyone else hear that?" whispers Stalker.

((Everyone please make perception tests. Hearing and visual))

"Used to do legit work, before the Crash. Been making do since then. Some friends helped me get out of Seattle, get a fresh start out here."

----
Hearing perception: 3d6.hits(5)=0
Visual Perception: 6d6.hits(5)=2
----

When Stalker called a halt, Iceblade scanned ahead, switching on the thermographics in his glasses. Still, he couldn't see much. A flick of his wrist brought a Sakura Fubuki to is hand. It was a vanity thing to see the icy mist falling off the gunbarrels. He'd spent a lot of time modifying the weapon, afterall.

"If something goes down, protect Stalker. We can't afford to get lost in these tunnels."

Hasty switched her suit to stealth and threw up her concealment. she hugged the envelope by not to tight and took a look around her. she also listened

Perception 4 (Visual) + intuition 4 = 10 dice = 3 hits

Listen check

Perception 4 + intuition 4 = 8 dice = 2 hits glitch

She was so nervous her heart was pounding. Pounding so hard she could hear it. she looked around could anyone else hear her heart. (Ooc and ill let the gm take it from there darn glitch at least it was not crit right could be worse)

Perception Roll

Perception 3 + Intuition 3
6d6.hits(5) → [3,1,5,1,5,6] = (3)
6d6.hits(5) → [3,6,5,4,1,5] = (3)


"I'll get Stalker to cover - you guys worry about killing bad guys." Blake gets out and quickly moves next to Stalker, whispering with an air of command: "Sir, I'm your assigned bodyguard. Please get back in your vehicle IMMEDIATELY."

Leadership Roll (convince Stalker to get back in the car quickly)

Leadership 4 + Charisma 6
10d6.hits(5) → [1,2,5,3,4,3,3,6,1,3] = (2)


Blake prepares a flash-pak in his right hand. "If I yell 'Cover!,' it means I'm throwing a flash-pak..."

Stalker chuckles at Blake's insistence that he return to the vehicle.

(English) "I've forgotten more about running than you kids'll probably live to even learn."

With that, he twirls his Ares and re-holsters it. (English) "Guess it was my imagination. Saddle up kids, it's time to get this show back on the road!"

Stalker gets back into the car, shuts the door and slowly pulls ahead, making sure everyone is with him before returning to normal speed.

(English) "Yes, sir," Blake says to Stalker in response to his comment about the team's experience. He's dealt with egos and "talent" in a bodyguard role before (Security Procedures 5, Etiquette 4). Stalker's attitude won't change Blake's responsibility or attitude one iota.

(Subvocalized)"Black Fox: You should take the passenger front seat of Stalker's vehicle."

Blake takes one more look up the tunnel, then gets into the back seat, driver's side, of Stalker's vehicle.

Back in the vehicles and on the move, you decide now is probably a good time to set up the meet with Peaches.

You dial in her comm code, hoping for a more normal conversation this time.

The comm rings 3 or 4 times before being answered.

Peaches: "Hello?"

You: "Is this Peaches?"

Peaches: "Maybe, ya'll got some work fer me?" ((You notice a very distinct southern draw when she speaks))

You: "Maybe. I'm planning a visit to the CAS, and I've heard that you're the best person to speak to about that."

Peaches: "Well, I don' know about best, but ya'll have come to the right gal!" She giggles. "Meet me on the corner of Havana and 6th, I'll be waiting for ya's!" You can practically hear her smile through the commlink as she hangs out. Well, she was certainly way more chipper than ol' Stalker here you think as you grin to yourself.

Hasty decided not to come out of her concealment. and stealth

After driving through the tunnels for a couple more minutes you exit without any further interruptions. Finding yourselves in the CAS, you decide that your best bet is most likely a bee-line for the meetup point with Peaches. Punching the coords into your mapsoft, you bring up the most direct route. About halfway through the journey ((25 total minutes have passed since you left the Johnson)), you find yourself stuck in slow moving traffic. Drek! Traffic is always cropping up when you least desire it you can't help but find yourself thinking.

You open up another AR window on your comm in an impatient attempt to find a less congested route on the gridmap. That's when you notice a jet black Nightsky behind you. The doors open and 4 obviously Asian men in tres chic suits emerge from the back of he vehicle and begin walking directly toward your group.

As they approach, you notice the door of a Mexican restaraunt across the stree open. Another 4 Asians - a human woman, an ork woman, a male troll, and a human male sporting long goatee - also begin walking directly toward you. Seems the traffic isn't the most worrying thing on your mind anymore.

((Everyone please roll a straight perception + intuition test with no modifiers from gear or environment for me, and then take the RP from there ))

(I threw in an Edge die, but no 6's. Poo!)

7d6.hits(5) → [3,5,2,1,5,4,2] = (2)

Hasty's perception test:

Perception 4 + Intuition 4 = 3hits

Blake rapidly subvocalizes some observations. "One group has all male humans; the other has male and female metas. Might mean they represent two different parties. I don't like the odds of 8 against 5, 3 of whom are driving. No proof they're coming after us, or that they're on the same team, but I'd prefer to leave them in the dust. On foot and in a Nightsky, they can't keep up with us if we break through this logjam."

Blake starts looking for clean ways out of the jam: sidewalks, shoulders, alleys, etc., that they could get to. He has no compunction against getting Stalker to "nudge" other cars out of the way to get to a clear route.

"Hasty or Iceblade, can you tell anything about their intentions, casting or astral? We need data here!"

Iceblade slipped the pistol back into the slide, and took a breath. "Stay frosty, everyone. Not over 'till the fat lady sings."

As they pulled off again, he began breathing easier. The tunnels were certainly the easiest way to get across a border, if you knew what you were doing, but they also made great choke points. He'd be a lot happier when they were out in the open, and could have room to maneuver.

A thought occurred to him that, if they were going to do more work together, it might be a good investment to go in on a group vehicle. Something that they could take together, or load up with drones and weapons, to help out. A good combat drone could swing the odds in your favor real quick.

----
Crap. Glitched a perception check. That's why I bought gear to help out.
3d6.hits(5)=1
----

Then they went on, and found themselves in the middle of a hellacious traffic jam, and news came of a potential ambush. Just frickin' great. He reached under his coat, and held the hilt of his katana. "Give me a moment, and I'll call up someone who can do that better than I can."

Over the subvocal microphone, the team heard him mutter, "Come to me Auril, blade of the sea!"

----
Summoning test, Force 5: 9d6.hits(5)=5
Spirit's roll: 5d6.hits(5)=2
Spirit of Water summoned, Force 5 (Optional Power: Elemental Aura (Cold)). I get three services out of her.
Drain: 8d6.hits(5)=4
No drain.
----

Then Iceblade speaks again, but it isn't Iceblade. Iceblade doesn't giggle like that. "Oh hello dears. I'm just borrowing Iceblade for a bit. Don't worry, he can still hear what you're saying. But he's telling me you want some astral scans done."

----
Service 1: Assense the eight potential baddies, and determine if they're a threat.
Auril's Assensing: 10d6.hits(5)=4
----

As some of you draw weapons, the groups of approaching men take notice and their hands move toward their weapons, but they do not draw them... yet.

In the group of human males, one of the men stands behind the rest. He stands at 1.6 m in height and is a slender 55 kg. He wears his black hair parted to the side, and walks with a constant swagger. His two Sliverguns are positioned in shoulder holsters, but he leaves his jacket open, making no attempt to conceal them. He appears to be in his early to mid-twenties.

In the other group, the male troll stands behind the rest. He stands at 2.5 m tall and weighs in at about 305 kg. He dresses in a lined coat, which is heavily embroidered with Wuxing symbolism. His single horn juts from the right side of his head, and from the way it glistens, it’s clearly been waxed recently and well maintained. It’s pretty much impossible to estimate his age.

(Subvocal) "I can't imagine these guys being our friends at all. Seems like they want to talk, but if so, I think we should do it on our terms. Let's obviously drop a comm number out the window and get out of here. They can call us and tell us what they want."

Blake is clearly getting agitated about sitting in an immobile box and being approached by superior numbers with unknown intentions. He scribbles Black Fox's comm # onto a piece of paper with the message:

"Call if you want to talk."

He rolls down the window and waits for two things: Black Fox's approval to drop his commlink code to the bandits (it could become compromised!), and Hoshi's and Iceblade's decision on whether to get the drek out of here.

"C'mon, guys, let's move before this gets worse..."

"And how did they know where to find us?!?!?"

'Iceblade' speaks again. "Well, the big troll is a magician, though not as powerful as Iceblade, and the guy with the two sliverguns is an adept. Rest of them are mundane, and none of them have any kind of modifications. We could run, but I don't think we can outrun spells in this traffic. While I'm here, I grant Iceblade a measure of protection. His sword will also cut deeper, strike harder. But Iceblade says we'll go along with what the group decides, though the Shark in him will be itching to fight if things start up."

"Ah, drek," Blake mutters out loud as Black Fox starts counting down. He stabs the power window button to bring the rear window down for Hasty.

Initiative roll
Initiative = Reaction 3 + Intuition 3 = 6

6d6.hits(5) → [1,2,1,4,1,3] = (0)

Initiative score = 6

(OOC: Nice. Critical glitch on the first combat round of the game. Fortunately, I only have one Initiative pass/round, but it looks like I'm going last!)

Blake's eyes go wide as it becomes clear that Black Fox is going to attack the bandits.