Listening to the smart ideas of the Ninja, then the Inquisitor offer some Opinions too, some just corollary and ancillary to the Undercover Shinobi tactics, some radically differents (not to undermine Saito's Strategical Acumen, but just to offer a different point of view) using not only the Experience in the Pan-Oceanian Black-Friars, but also the Past Careers of "Domenican Order Journalist Enquirer" and "Old Earth Detective Cop" ones, to try to narrow down all Avenues of Approach and cut out Escape Vector of their Target. . . The old idea that Laureen Dixon, young spoiled rich glitterati brat as She seemed, could be a result of the "Youth Farm" of the Hexahedron (a tradition inherited from the CIA of the Decayed United States; essentially a "Spy Summer Camp" to test promising potential Secret Agents Recruits taken from College if not even from High School) was still on the Italian Investigator mind, but there could be another possibility. . . Insulated from a "Normal Youthness" by the callous Corporate Parents, and raised to be a future Ruthless Megacorp Heir, maybe Lauren just snapped and turned into a Sociopathic Proto-Terrorist (if not even a Serial Killer in the growing) that just wanted to sow dissent and chaos; Her manner of treating the just aquired assets (like the Street Punks that were discarde so soon) like "Disposable Chess Pawns" could point to that deviant mind behaviour. . .
Drifting through the Entertainment destrict to calm down and get some fresh ideas about their case and trying to forget that annoying Merc with a Mouth Samira wandered through the clothing stalls. Maybe she could find something for the Padre or Saito when the call from.Kenn and Taisas call for a confetence reached her communicator. Going into a small Bar Samira booked a booth to not be disturbed and joined the virtual meeting. Adding that it might be usefull to get some more information about the ship and the meeting Location. Suggesting Samira and Padre could dress up and already be at the bar when the Meeting happens to confirm its the target. Samira and Padre cause Kenn and Taisa would probably to obvious and Saito would be best kept in reserve either as a suprise or to follow our target outside the bar.
Listening to each member of the team give their opinions on how to handle the grab, everyone giving good suggestions, Saito pauses his avatar's movements, turns and asks about containment. "Padre, as an individual of note in the industry." Saito was dancing around calling the Pan'O man a bag man. "What's your ideal method of keeping the girl in custody for transport back to Varuna? With that being said, the Japanese ex spy lays out a plan of action based on everyone's suggestions. The Tohaa would go over and augment what gear he could in what little time they had, Samira helping with acquiring what materials were needed with Padre assisting with production. Samira leading the team in negotiations before they'd inevitably break down and the firefight would ensure. Saito contacting Valentine to get the Heartbreaks to scout out the scene with him and setup possible repeater nets to assist Taisa while Taisa would help ensure the net was setup to her satisfaction and ensure it was strong enough to survive the incursions into it. With that speech finished, Saito looks to the others for confirmation that the plan was a go.
Samira makes another suggestion. "Maybe we should secure some other accomodations too. We cant keep here in this hotel room it would be to obvious. I will look to get a few rooms somewhere else with less questions and anonymus food delivery where we can hide out of sight for a few days until we can leave this mothership with our new companion."
Saito nods his agreement, "sounds great, I'll leave those arrangements to you." Straightening his back Saito announces, "Well, if we have nothing more to add. Let's get cracking and remember to get some sleep. We don't want to be fatigued when the fighting starts.
The Inquisitor notice the reticency of the Shinobi around the typical bad fame of Panoceanian Operatives to easily "Disappear" some Persons-Of-Interests in the most anonymous manners (while their rivals of the Yujing State-Empire make usually a big public spectacle to carry away a Suspected Culprits, at least if is a Low Importance Plebs Peon and not some Embarassing Higher-Up Relative. . .) but decide to avoid the problem of Black-Ops Philosophical Discussions. . . Checking with Kenn-Taal (alongside the Black-Friar Priest in the Analogical Reality Praxis Labs that they booked to Synthethize the Stun Toxin and Viral Nonlethal Blade-Coatings and Shell-Fillings) that is finishing prepping the Hazardous NBC Substances in secure Payload Vials, then Father Beretta assure that, between His and the Tohaa basical medical expertise, they would have NO ISSUES to keep Lauren Dixon sedated and pacified in a Semi-Stupor Semi-Conscious State, and then produce fake Medical Triage Documents assuring that they are certified Medical Personnel and Security Contingent (a stretched truth, not necessarily a lie) to bring back to Varuna (through Tunguska of course) that Panoceanic Patient that need to be brought back to a Family-Chosen Clinic for "Serious Biomedical Therapies". . . And that could not even so far from what REALLY expect the Running Spoiled Brat in the near future. . . . .!!!
Padre and Kenn took a detour to Praxis which was only a couple stops away from Dome One. They put in a request to one of Praxis' many rent-able personable labs that asked no questions and provided a bunch of chemicals and the supplies to make viral ammunition. The cost of the whole operation would be handled by Samira. They wanted to make a contact toxin for their bladed weapons and some homemade viral ammunition. Even the great powers of the Human Sphere had issues with making viral ammo in small batches. It's incredibly unstable, fickle, and if you mess up one step a whole batch would be ruined. Luckily for the Sunz team they had Kenn. The Tohaa knew all about the ins and outs of viral ammo and toxin manufacturing from his days with the Tohaa military. Igor and Padre assisted providing extra hands and knowledge that helped greatly. When it was all said and done they had produced enough viral ammo for each member of the team but they could only produce it in one specific caliber for that member. Meaning only one ranged weapon of each member could be outfitted with viral ammo. They did end up with just a little more then they thought so at least someone would have extra viral ammo on hand. The toxin produced was made into a long lasting liquid that when applied bonded nicely to any melee weapon. As the mad scientist had his fun Saito and Taisa went through their contacts to learn more about the bolt hole. There was also just basic info about the area on Arachne. The bolt hole consisted of 5 major areas. The 4 "stretches" and the central zone called Crazy Hollow. A stretch is what the locals of bolt hole called the main corridors that lead into Crazy Hollow. There were 4 of them labeled A, B, C, and D. They were surrounded by the 3 modules that boxed in bolt hole. All of them except D connected back up with other core ship corridors. Stretches A, B, and D were controlled by local gangs. Stretch A was ruled over by the Planierraupen, stretch B by the Furballs, and D belonged to the Hanker. To pass through A and B you better know the gang, were able to bribe them, or had something they wanted. If not you were not getting through. Stretch C was the exception and for good reason. It's the stretch that contained an Observance aid station. The other gangs knew not to mess with the "witches" there and gave it a wide berth. It's the easiest way in and out as long as you don't bring the ire of the Reverend Healers down on you. Crazy Hollow didn't belong to anyone. The gangs have tried but the amount of transients and other locals there made that a hard task. Saito inquired with Valentine of the Heartaches who happily took up his offer to scout out the place for him when he implied Loren was going to be there tomorrow. The recon was quick, efficient, and didn't garner any attention. They discovered that there is a series of unused maintenance tunnels under bolt hole that smugglers, gangers, and pirates have been using to move goods in and out. Taisa confirmed this with her moderator contacts. The port authority branch had tried like hell to close them down but when they did so another two would pop up. The tunnels were cramped and had been jury rigged so heavily that any map wouldn't help you navigate it. Luckily the Heartaches mapped out a route the team could use to enter and leave from. Speaking of moderators... from Taisa's own inquiries the bolt hole was a bad place. So much so that Deck Command 10 would only deploy their Morlocks, Uberfallkommandos, and/or SWAST to the space when things got way out of hand (mass unrest or ship endangerment). Shootouts and death are all too common. They do keep constant surveillance on the entrances of stretches A, B, and C. So they know who is coming and going. It's one of the few non-sensitive spots on Bakunin that has mass surveillance being used on the civilian populace. To facilitate the extract Samira found an out of the way hotel on Deck 110. It had no name (leading to everyone calling it No Name Hotel) and was fully automated. There was no human staff at all. The rooms were small but they were better than a coffin motel.
The presence of a Observance Fortified Nunnery there in the Bolthole immediatly reared the attention of the Black-Friar Inquisitor. . . It was HIGHLY improbable that Lauren Dixon was able to finagle their Help, but if they somehow heard that a "Poor Runaway Young Woman Escaping Panoceanian Patriarchy" was detained by "Male Oppressors" then things could become EXTRA Ugly and soon. . . Most expeditious and smart move would have Samira and Taisa go to contact the Crazy Warrior Nuns to check for Free Passage, Tactical Infos and even Aquired Help at reasonable cost; Father Beretta would accompany them but act in an EXTREMELY obsequious manner towards Samira (not difficult as She was in charge of Social Strategical Deciusions) and Taisa (still not difficult, the Priest found extremely refreheshing and interesting the behaviour of the Chimera Gladiatrix Hacker). . . Being also expert in treating with FEMALE Order Warrior Nuns of the Panoceanian Church of Superior Military Rank the Combat Domenican would have less issues in behaving towards any Moirae Officers in a respectful YET not fake manner; the ONLY line that Father Beretta would NOT cross would to submit GRATUITUOSLY to Harrowing and Degrading punishments and chastisement if those Observancers truly were of the worst kind of "Castrating Fem-Dominatrix Sadistics". . . If those Mad Nuns wanted to somehow nurture their Over Inflated Egos by dominating an "Enemy Patriarch Male Oppressor" then they have to give something SERIOUS in exchange, such as a Bound-&-Gagged Lauren Dixon, ready to be shipped to Varuna in a Stasis-Cryocasket or EFFECTIVE Tactical Support against whatsoever Bandit Thugs the damned "Carmen Santiago Wannabe" was able to scrounge up. . .
While the toxin concocting was a success, Kenn was not satisfied with his work. True the process had given everyone a round of the stuff the former Kumotail still he had lost his touch or was rusty at the very least. The batch should have been bigger in his opinion & rightly so due to a few mess ups on his part. Still the Sunz had some potent weaponry now & going into what he hoped was the final stretch of this Dixson chase, the Tohaa was anxious to grab the woman and push aside any Bakunite that stood in his way.
While not as familiar with the crazy sexist nuns of this mothership, Kenn had heard enough about them that he was feeling cautious that there was a place housing them nearby. Even if he was a female the same instinct of keep away would have applied. If the Observance was involved with Dixson or was forcing her to join their group, Kenn felt more than willing to send as many of their number stone cold dead. Send a pheromone signal to Igor to create a bloody toothpaste of any in the group that was unfortunate enough to get within the Chaksa's range. But if any contact with the evil nuns could be avoid then all the better for the Sunz. But if a fight broke out the Tohaa had already decided in his head that it would be shoot to kill or maim in a disabling fashion.
Saito looks over the relayed recon from the Heartaches before passing it off to the others. "I don't know about you guys but i like the look of that web of maintenance tunnels." He then proceeds to load his share of Kenn's hard work into a clip for later use, nodding his thanks to the Tohaa chemist... Doctor. Hell, Saito was still learning wonders about the man.
After the smart Tactical Decision of Saito to go "Ninja-Ing" in Maintenance Tunnels ("Surprise Attack From Air Vents" was a staple of Action Holovid Tropes in the overinflated Panoceanian Drama Mayanet productions, either featuring "Villanous State-Empire Lin-Kueis" or "Heroic Japanes Shinobi Freedom Fighters" like most recent shows) and add it to the Geist-Assisted Strategic Planning Flux. . . With the Inquisitor Undercover Blackfriar escorting the "Foreigner Fixer" (Lady Samira) and "Local Assistant" (Taisa) on more overt approaches, there was the issue if Kenn and Igor were more apt to follow the Adventurous Saito on those Maintenance Network or go with the "Overt Negotiation Team" to present a more strong bulwark appearance. . . Still the Church Detective wanted to hear all team decisions about those Observancer Moirae, as a so prevalent "Possible Threat / Potential Assett" could not be ignored safely. . .
Taisa explained to the others that given that time was short she would not be able to get help from the Mods. However… “My orca friend might be able to help us out in the fights to come. We best hurry before our quarry escapes.”
Everyone took in their last night at the Mesmer Inn. Sleep was either plentiful or not depending on how some thought the next day was going to go. Then came the personal alarms to get up. It was already tomorrow. Deck 110 - Bolt Hole (1245 Local Time) Saito followed the directions of the Heartache map of the maintenance tunnels. It was an incredibly claustrophobic space. You only had enough room to either crouch walk or crawl on your knees. Without the map he would of been lost. There was just too many DIY branching paths and blocked off sections to easily navigate it. As the ninja made his way through those cramped passages the likes of Kenn, Padre, Samira, and Taisa all made their way to Stretch C. Just outside the corridor they met up with Chumani. She was decked out in her Underground Aristeia! gear. Custom tailored light combat armor, a contender, and a mere. "In and out, Taisa. I don't want to be in this shit hole any longer then you do." She remarked as they stepped into Stretch C. The stretch was rough. Makeshift establishments were either carved out of the metal corridor or added haphazardly. The only place that looked out of place was the Observance aid station. It was modeled off of small town churches. A single steeple rose up towards the vaulted ceiling and clearly placed for all to see was the main symbol of the Observance. Sin Eaters patrolled the perimeter and watched over those who waited to get inside. The team gave it a wide berth as they pushed further down the stretch. The closer to Crazy Hollow they got the worse it became and where more eyes were starting to watch and track them. Emerging into Crazy Hollow was like stepping into a junk yard. All kinds of refuse was being used and reused. There were a few landmarks that stood out from the heap. That was Hanner & Kohl (the largest black market gun store on Bakunin), the block maze (a twisted art project made by a serial killer), and the Hangman's Tree (the metal sculpture with fresh kills hanging from it marking the beginning on Hanker territory). Gunfire could be heard coming from within. No one was bothered by it. Everyone treated it like if it was some dog barking. Saito popped out near Hanner & Kohl. His thermo-optical camouflage kept him hidden and he quickly got to work making his way to the meeting place. The rest of the team stayed close together as they moved through Crazy Hollow. They had enough mean faces and exposed weaponry to deter anyone that though they were easy marks. The ninja was the first to arrive to the spot Loren was supposed to be at. His nose was immediately assaulted by burnt gunpowder. Then he saw the bodies of Fifth Columnists and crew from the Buzzkill. They hadn't exchanged fire with one another. A third party had showed up and got the drop on them. Expertly placed shots in the chest and heads with a few bodies being torn up by a chain weapon of some sort. Loren was no where to be seen. However, the bodies hadn't been here long. Less then ten minutes from Kenn's observations. So she was close...
Cautiously following the traces of Saito then Father Beretta reach the zone of the Slaughter, hopefully followed along by the Chimera Gladiatrix Netrunner (as a Claw Fighter then no more possible deadly assett in cramped environs should have been possible to the Investigators Group); seeing the massacre site then the Geits of the Black-Friar Inquisitor was instructed to fish-out the old CSI Subroutines, to start a Preliminary Assessment of the Site. . . Meanwhile a Direc-Feed Visual Rcording was Realt-Time sent to Kenn-Taal, as Resident Biomedical Technician of the Group the valutations of the Depths, Direction, Bloodloss and Droplet Spat-Patterns on the Corpses would be invaluably useful. . . All the while the Right-Hand Grip of the Panoceanian Priest-Detective was firmly held on the Boarding Colt, the Cocking Lever of the Oversized Handcannon Revolver not yet activated, just for safety purposes (even if was a Quick-Action Mechanism of unsurpassed Clockwork Perfection) and the Web-Glue Shotgun Shell loaded in the Underbarrell Attachement, just if some "Invisible Ambusher" was hiding nearby. . .
Between Kenn, Padre and himself, the three of them quickly get the gist of the situation, piecing together the cause of the earlier gunshots. Samira quickly devises a plan of action and while Taisa sets everything up, Saito the ever dependable man of risky situations checks and double checks his equipment before he looks at Taisa for her to give the okay. Seeing it, the mask comes off and the ninja activates his TO camo and goes back into the tunnel network, his location pinging off the team's map while they plan their movements. Inside the tunnel network, Saito looks for anything to gauge which direction the supposed captors took their prize. It wasn't too hard to spot to his trained eye and the invisible man drew his knife and set out after them. The predators not realising that they had the tables turn on them and they were now prey.
"You definitely know how to show a girl a good time." Chumani quipped back at Taisa. "Yeah, lets get through this." Behind Saito was Taisa and Chumani. The ninja quickly picked up a trail and followed it. The "above ground" section of the team shadowed them and they took a few twists and turns as they moved throughout Crazy Hollow. The captures were trying hard to throw off anyone following them... that was until Saito came across an access hatch they had gone through that ended up back in Crazy Hollow. Their geists had them pegged in the Boneyard neighborhood. A place that was occupied and run by the scrapers. They would turn any remote into its basic components to be resold or reused. Pirates and other criminals would bring them any that they had boosted from raids or robberies. The access hatch led into an abandoned merchant hut. Dust and other trash was all that was left of the place. The other half of the team was coming up from the opposite direction. If their prey was here they were about to be boxed in... The prey had other plans. [Combat has started and the PCs are up. As with before all combat rolls and stuff goes in the OOC chat.]
“Well after this is over Chumani, maybe you and I can have some private time together. Just like old times,” Taisa said flirtatiously. “But first let’s get through shall we?”
Immediatly seeing that whoever absconded Lauren Dixon was an "Ambusher-Awaiting-To-Be-Ambushed" then Father Beretta open a Live Feed towards the others Team Mates thorugh the Hyperadvanced Smart-Goggles ever worn; what expected most was to "Ping" to the other Sunz's Detectives the location of some eventual enemy shooter that was pinning the Inquisitor down with Suppression Fire, to be either Backstabbed by the Invisible Shinobi or Sniped by Kenn (that, armed with a Combirifle optimized for Jungle Warfare was the best Distant Shooter the Team had, especially if carefully Bodyguarded by the Chaksa Igor). . . The Dominican Blackfriar had at the moment the Boarding-Colt held in the Cybernetic Milspec Bionic-Arm, as the rather heavy Combipistol was gripped without fatigue by the Artificial Limb; the Assault Pistol was instead kept in the fleshy arm, kept parallel to body and pointing very low (a typical Police Trick to use the Burst Recoil to quickly sweep-up and start putting Bullets in nearby enemies Center Mass). . . While also the Geist was kept in Paramilitary Awareness Mode, the Cleric inconsciously subvocalized at incredibly low volumes some ancient Crusader Knight Holy Hymnals of Battle, as if the two halves of His psyche, the Priestly Teacher and Humane Doctor of Doctrine, and the Ferocious Uncompromising Paladin of the Inquisition, were joined in a whole entity. . .
Coming up on the unsuspecting prey, Saito drops low to the ground and starts around the corner of an old building, keeping close to the wall. He comes across his first target, a chimera... But a familiar one. Brandy the Brave, last seen being interrogated by mobsters. Target in sight, i'll send through the targeting package now. Shadow sends the info though to his team mates and draws his sword, the tacnet similarly pinging back targeting info on other enemy positions, even one on the opposite wall from himself. He smiles, he's got a nice cluster of foes to whet the appetite of his katana but it was not to be so easy. No sooner had everyone pinged in then hell brakes loose. Shadow informs him that he suspects their systems are compromised and that enemy forces have a general fix on his position. Brandy sprints past him, Saito keeping himself close to the wall the only thing avoiding the two colliding but that was nothing compared to the window next to him breaking. As one of the suits inside the building smashed it to get a bead on something... Just in time the ex ninja realises as the mobster/ merc? spots the faintest shimmer of the light refracting and points two chain pistols in his direction. Training kicks in instinctively and Saito rolls away narrowly avoiding the dangerous spray of wire filaments. Coming up sword at the ready, he thinks to himself, the first volunteer.
