[IP] Uncaring Stars Options

[Volker]

"Team, we get access to the ground floor. Maybe we can see potential ways of intruding without renting the damn thing. Could use a second set of eyes. Anna, if you think it's not dangerous, Nova else-wise, with some magical improvement by Anna. Please make it here quickly."

bnc replies "I do not know what you are talking about. I am, uh, looking for a place to start a career with a start-up.", she replies with a cool tone, but trying to mimick a suppressed smile. She then turns her attention to the fire-protection door. "I assume, the basement is included in the price, isn't it?"

bnc also tries to get a closer look at the external cellar access.

[ Spoiler ]

Perception: 14d6t5 5

As the building is fairly old, she also looks out for ventilation shafts - even if they be only so small as to deliver drones, they might be worth it.

[Jack_Spade]

"Must be an ambitious business plan with only one week.
Nope, cellar is off limits - that's rented out. Wouldn't recommend going down there anyway - those black tie guys don't like visitors. On the plus side, they had the ventilation down there redone, so you shouldn't have any problems with mold."
The caretaker replied.

bnc took a thorough look around - the external door was likewise reinforced, but more subtle so. The cellar windows had been blacked out with cloth and apparently been reinforcements behind them too.
The ventilation duct looked shiny and new - and acording to a quick search, led to an expensive, high-tech filter. Under normal circumstances, this would have pointed towards a hidden drug lab.

[Volker]

"It's more of a ... interim headquarters of sorts, if you will. That leads me to another point: How do you guarantee a certain degree of privacy and discretion? Also, what about matrix security? Are all devices in here slaved to the same host? How do you provide hacking securities for those fancy doors? You seem to take your job seriously, don't you? Is there any magical security to speak of?"

bnc wanders around, seemingly inspecting the office. Mostly, though, she keeps the fella talking so that Anna can focus on searching the place for relevant intel.

[Jack_Spade]

"Only what you bring here yourself. You can put your infrastructure into whatever host you want. Otherwise, stuff stays in the local host with the house cameras.
Those fancy doors are no business of mine - or yours for that matter."
The man replied.
"Fair warning, your neighbors aren't interested in making friends, so keep your bread and salt to yourself."

[Volker]

"Easy. I'm not the one to make a lot of friends either."
She turns to Anna. "Harmony, what do you say?"

bnc tries to see whether the doors are accessible via direct connection, with or without a data tap.

[Jack_Spade]

The panel that would normally give access to a dataport had been welded shut - quite obviously, the owners didn't believe in easy entry for rescue purposes.

[Gilga]

While bnc talks, Anna assenses the man, and the surrounding looking for something worthwhile that that may help them.

[ Spoiler ]

Assensing: 2#16d6t5 5 5
On the man, she'll look at positive/negative qualities - if something gives her some possible handle.

When bnc addresses her, she blinks, and then shakes her head "I am only friendly to potential investors" she comments blandly, and then asks "I take it you had some prior incidents with the neighbors? Other than keeping to ourselves anything we should be mindful about?"

[Jack_Spade]

The surroundings didn't contain any particularly coloring of the magical background, though the cellar door inside the building showed the same strong ward as outside. No spirits or watchers were to be seen at least.
The caretaker didn't have any particularly vices or handles that Anna could discover. He wasn't particularly healthy and showed some serious abuse of his lungs and liver, but besides a severe peanut allergy, there was nothing noteworthy.

Taking a closer look at the ward though, told Anna that this one had definitely been created by a black magic practicioner.

[Volker]

"So-ka. Thanks for the tour, sir. It sure does seem fair enough. We currently have a second location on our list, but we'll reach out for you probably within the next 48 hours. It was a pleasure dealing with you."

bnc shakes his hands, says goodbye and returns to the team. On the way, she summarizes their findings in the team channel.
"So, where are we going from now?
As I see it, I don't think not renting the thing will bring us anywhere. If we decide that we attack them in their lair, we must have access to the office. There, we can use all our tools without alterting anyone, maybe except for the vampires themselves. We might even get support from the hunters. Way I see it, 2.500 split by 4 equals 625 bucks for any of us but grants us access to all the systems. If we can access the door's port, I might even be able to get inside their matrix defense.

We could, of course, save us the 600 euros and just break into that facility at night, but am inclined to believe that daylight is something we might consider wanting to have on our side. That, and it just feels petty to save some few bucks while we're trying to protect Earth from the Apocalypse.

So, we rent the office and break in?"

[Crossbow]

"If you say you can't get the door open without this office, get the office."

[Thanee]

"The office seems like a good idea. Only thing I would be concerned about, is that it might not be seen as a coincidence, renting the place for a short time only and then having the break-in happen shortly after."

[Volker]

"So..? Once we raided the place, there's no need for us to return. And it sounded like we are paying for anonymity."

[Thanee]

"Just something to keep in mind."

[Gilga]

Anna responds "Renting feels like paying for breaking and entering, but sometimes you got to spend money to make money."

[Volker]

"If you want to jump far, you need to take a step back first. That is, if you stand in front of an abyss. Which we do, kind of. Ugh, I'm bad at metaphors, really.

Right, I'll get back to him. Anna, please draw up a plan for your mojo work. You'll be most likely our most important asset. Also, Anna, you might be the right person to negotiate the final price.
Taurus, are you a good tactician? Are you trained in military procedures or small-unit combat or whatever dudes with guns call that kinda stuff? What about you, Nova?
Worst case, I can download a tactical skill soft and see what my steroid neurons make of it but I'd rather rely on actual experience than mind magic out of the matrix."

[Gilga]

Anna responds "I don't practice ritual magic, chanting for hours was never something that I could bring myself to do. I'll learn that eventually, I promise but doing a powerful ward is not in the cards right now. I can cast a mana barrier but it would be a nuisance rather than a wall. They'll pass it eventually. Perhaps some UV lamps or small fans would close the escape route?

As for a plan, I want to get in using the petrify spell to quickly disable anything dangerous that I see, I'll need to maintain the spell so it'll make me less useful but if it works it disables a person very quickly and of course, counter spelling if they have a lot of magic it would not help us that much, but I have enough to disable one spell which would give you a chance to shoot before they do anything. Of course, counter spelling would also work for anything alchemical or a trap - it is most effective when I have a few seconds to recharge the protective field, which means when people are not actively trying to kill us.

Other than that, my plan would be to go in fast, very aggressive, and with an overwhelming force because vampire mages are so dangerous that anything less aggressive would be even more hazardous to us. It is go big or go home if I feel this correctly."

[Crossbow]

"Once I am on site I can tell you where we need to go through, we need to avoid physical security, as well as any building plumbing and wiring, but I got nothing for dealing with magical defenses."

[Gilga]

Anna says "Alright, I'll seal the deal. I admit that I am terrible at negotiations and just wiggle it. Perhaps you can download some software, and I'll help you or perhaps Nova is a good negotiator? My suggestion is to just rent it without negotiations, either we win and we get a lot of money, or we lose and we do not need to care about the money because we're dead or worse." There is some unusual coldness to her voice when she says "or worse". The thought reminds her of the poor woman they saw that was imprisoned in her own body and drained out of her very essence. Some fates are worse than death, and some damages cannot be easily fixed. She continues My point is that negotiating may involve approval from the management or something along these lines - and the fewer people involved in this transaction the better for us.

[Thanee]

"The price is okay. Our goal here isn't to get the best deal possible. Do we want to give the hunters a chance to join in? Maybe they can help with preventing the vampires from fleeing or catching them, if they do. We still need something to actually get through the ceiling quickly, right? When we are, I totally agree, that we shouldn't pull any punches and bring the big guns."

[Volker]

"I'd say, totally, yeah. We could use every bit of firepower, and I guess the same is true for them. After we met the Rabbi, I'm very inclined to believe that we're on the same side. So, Nova, if you please...

You're right about the floor. I think I can hack the door, however, so that would be the favorable option. But you know what would be double bastante fry? If we blow up the fragging floor with explosives and hack the door, going down the staircase.
The host, however, might charge extra, if we blow up the building.

Maybe we find something better still. I do believe I can get the door but there's no chance I go in there without a plan B or even a plan C to get those motherfuckers outa there."

[Thanee]

Nova contacted the vampire hunter girl once more.

<< Hello again, Lizzie! In order to keep you in the loop, we are going to get a place right on top of that 'bunker' to get the drop on them. And yes, we will bring some pretty heavy gear and the vampire specials. The goal is to destroy whoever is in there and free the director as well. We could probably use some backup, especially when it comes to making sure that they do not get away via whatever escape tunnels they have in there, where we cannot follow them. So, if you could pass this along. You have my number. Contact me, if this is something you guys want to join in. >>

[Jack_Spade]

Lizzy answered after only a short delay: <<Alright, we can do that. I am told that there will be two teams in reserve, to catch any vampire trying to get away through the canals. If you can try to gain evidence of their plans. We don't expect this to be their main hideout, but it likely is the commando central for this operation. You work fast - if you can deliver here, my superiors might even be convinced that you are what you say. Give me a call before you begin your assault. We'll try to keep law enforcement busy elsewhere as well.>>

[Thanee]

<< Thank you, that's great! We will definitely have a look for that evidence. I will let you know, when we are going to put our plans in motion. >>

Nova also informed the rest of the team about her conversation.

[Crossbow]

"This is working fast? I feel like I am dying of old age over here. We need to go ahead and pull the trigger on this op, is there any more prep work we need to do?"

Taurus loosens up a bit and makes another sweep of his weapons and gear.

[Volker]

"The frag are you talking about? We arrived in Prague yesterday, and have already made contact to vampire hunters, found out how the main artifact for the coup came her, uncovered the vampire hideout, stacked up gear for the assault, organized a backup by professionals and rented our operation basis. Have you ever before worked in that business? You don't just randomly shoot at things. We're shadowrunners, not mercenaries."

James rolls his shoulders and cranes his neck - a habit, that kinda doesn't make sense on a drone.

"All right. Let's move our crap and see what we can do."

If no one objects, bnc prepares to move her stuff and some tools to the place they rented. Once they're set up, she gives the door to the basement a thorough inspection.