Here's the scenario:

You have been hired to extract a prisoner from a prison trasport driving from the prison to the airport.
You're not able to get the prisoner at the prison before they get into trasnport.
You're not able to get the prisoner leavving the transport once they get to the airport.

The transport is in a convoy consisting of:
1. lead vehicle with 4 armed and armored guards.
2. Armored transport with two guards up front and two guards in with the prisoner.
3. Following vehicle with 4 armed and armored guards.

Your party consists of:
1. a rigger (with no hacking skills) a medium drone, some flying drones and some mini-drones.
2. an assination specialist who is built for close up, seduction/assination type of assinations.
3. a Free Spirit mage.

You know the time and the route the trasnport would take. The prison is apparently entirely warded (despite the inherent limits of warding on a large scale in 4th edition). The airport entrance has heavy weapons and lots of armed guards.

How would you do it? Or would you turn it down?

Without some serious time to set a bunch of stuff up, completely impeccable intelligence, and a willingness to basically piss off the entire LE planet with an IED-type ambush there is no way a team of three could complete this. You need at least two people per vehicle in the convoy.

what repertoire of spells is the Free spirit Mage loaded with?

12 armed and armored guards to transport 1 prisoner? I'd pass but like Sendaz said, it would depend on:

1) Does the mage's spell list have any non-combat spells to separate/confuse drivers?
2) Can the rigger mess with the vehicles before hand? like in the garage/motor pool?
3) Can the assassin get friendly with a known transport guard beforehand?

If these things are all Yes, then there is a chance. If even one of them is No, then I would pass on that run.

Spells were thinkgs like Manaball, Manabolt, Powerbolt, Shattershield, Detec Enemies, Mind Probe, Health, Increased Reflexes, Bugs, False Impression, Improved Invisibility, Mass Sight Removal, Astral Armor and Deflection.

Equip several flying drones with explosives.
blow up the escort vehicles. keep doing that untill enemies are dealt with.
deal with the trtansport itself at your leisure.

I agree. The IED route would work but collateral damage is (hopefully) a concern. You get tagged as a terrorist and it's going to be a bad day at the office.

Convince your least favorite Go-Gang that they have beef with the armed transport company and that this'll be an easy mark. Use the seductress to replace the driver and guards in the transport vehicle with your people and/or people you've wholly subverted Wait until the epic clusterfuckery begins when the Go-Gang attack the transport, drive the prisoner vehicle away to a prearranged safe area, bail out into fresh rides.

I agree with ShadowDragon8685, I'd also have the free spirit start to wreak havoc in a way a free spirit would to add to the confusion.

Are the vehicles themselves warded?

Not that I am aware of.

Whether or not I’d take it would depend on the lead time and the money involved. As in:
- Would not take it on a rush basis (it is going down in a few hours).
- For really good money might take it on a short term basis (it is happening in less than a week but not before tomorrow), as hopefully the team could hire in some extra firepower, get some specialized gear, etc. with the extra pay, to enable a brute force approach (Off the top of my head I think I’d look at rigging up a junker of a car, loading it with flammables and an igniter, then ramming the lead guard car, have hired guns open up on the rear vehicle to keep those guards suppressed, and for the mid-vehicle … have some clever can-opener plan that another player could come up with.)
- If it was longer lead time, where there would be the possibility of setting things up in advance (turning or replacing a guard, somehow putting a device or hack into the vehicles, etc.) then maybe , although with that level of security it would still have to be pretty decent pay.

Basically if you want to free someone who is important enough to get that degree of security, then you’d better be ready to pay appropriately.

Without wards on the vehicles the spirit PC can simply materialize inside the truck, knock out the drivers and take the truck on a little detour. The rigger uses a hotwired dumpster truck to block the road. Ideally the assassin has managed to replace one of the two guards in the back, otherwise he could smuggle a gas grenade or something similar in the rear compartment.

How doable (and advisable) that jobs would be IMO depends on how you run your games. If it's all trenchcoats and secret agents such a heist in broad daylight would bring an awful lot of heat, in a more gonzo game you'll be gentlemen robbers for not blowing everything up

I have questions.

- Is the prisoner a willing extraction target?
- Do I have a means to communicate with the prisoner, if willing?
- How much time do I have before the transfer?
- What do we get paid, and do we get an expense account (and if so, how much)?
- How much collateral damage is acceptable (both to Johnson and the team)?

If the job pays too little, or has to be done without prep time, I'd walk on it. Because without prep, this is not possible.

Assuming certain answers, I propose two scenarios for now, one silent, one loud.

1. Prison Bus Riot

Prerequisites:
- willing target
- communication with the target possible
- 1 to 2 week prep time
- enough expenses to cover an NPC decker and one expendable getaway vehicle.
- high collateral damage aceptable
- payment of at least a month's upkeep for the most expensive character, and a week-long vacation somewhere warm and sunny.

Preparation
The team will need to get in touch with the prisoner. The Assassin will probably handle it, being arguably the most social character (and they have nothing to do otherwise anyway). The idea is to inform the prisoner a riot will take place and, if possible, prep him for the mob mood spell that will start a riot in the bus.

Meanwhile, the rigger will prep their drones with precise stun weaponry (sniper rifle with stick'n'shock or capsule/DMSO+Narcojet, soemthing like that. No stun grenades.). Also, two large trucks (either dump trucks or garbage trucks) need to be stolen and filled with rocks or oher high-density, heavy materials.

The Free Spirit will need to learn Mob Mood (if it doesn't know that spell already). Also, the Spirit needs to, once, enter the prison bus' interior.

The NPC Decker needs to investigate which precise vehicle will be used to transport the prisoners, and the precise route taken. If the route is randomized, the precise vehicle's Vehicle signature needs to be foundout. If the bus has a scrambler chip, a tracker AoD RFID will have to be placed and shielded against RFID clearing (possibly by the free Spirit). Also, the decker can aid in connecting Assassin and target.

Further, someone needs to determine a good attack location, and place a getaway vehicle nearby, and a second one a mile away to switch vehicles. Prep the first vehicle for spontaneous combustion at the flick of an ARO.

Action
On the day of the transfer, the team track the transport and, at an opportune, predetermined location, they block the convoi front and back with the prepared, weightened trucks, boxing them in (the trucks can be set on ire or have their controls destroyed to make removing them even harder, but the guards should have other things to worry about than getting the trucks off the road). A high-powered jammer should be used to prevent immediate calls for backup, but take care this does not also jam the rigger.

The spirit then goes via metaplane directly into the bus, bypassing all wards. This is why the spirit needs to break into the bus once before, because it can only use that power to warp into places where it has already been. Spirit then works mob mood (kill anyone with prison guard uniform) on the prisoners and uses their accident power to short out their locks (alternatively, down the guards in the bus and unlock by normal means), so the prisoners surge, mob-like, against guards. The target must be prepped for the spell and get spell defense (and be instructed to run with the mob, but in the back, so as to not be shot by the guards). In case that also fails, the Rigger's drone needs to take him out first. Then the drone takes out guards, overwhelming any coherent defense they put up, so they can't regroup and overwhelm the prisoner mob, or even prevent target's extraction.

Meanwhile, the Assassin, wearing the stealthiest suit they have (preferrably a cameleon suit), approaches the battle as unseen as they can, and drags the stunned or cooperative target out of the fray, to the prepped getaway vehicle. Spirit then drops mob mood (and, if applicable, works Fear on everyone still alive), hopefully allowing a lot of other, surviving perps to escape too, so the Knights have to stretch their ressources to catch them, and can't focus eclusively on the target. Assassin and Rigger (who pulls back) join at the site of the second getaway vehicle, switch, torch the first one, and off they are. Spirit leaves the bus via the planes, as it entered.

Target is handed over to Johnson immediately after payment. Team immediately goes on a weeklong vacation to wait the heat out. The end (hopefully).

2. Doctor, Doctor!
Prerequisites:
- communication with the target
- capability to smuggle something into the prison to the target
- willing target
- as little collateral damage as possible
- Enough expenses for an NPC decker (and preferrably a disposable vehicle)

Preparation

The NPC decker needs to find out the prison corp's healthcare provider, and medical emergency procedures for prisoner transport. Hopefully, they contain something like medevac, because otherwise this plan won't work. Also, the transport's route needs to be found out.

The Assassin (or the spirit) needs to work their contacts to get their hands on zuvembie powder. The Assassin (being sociable and all) needs to contact the target and get a pill to him that contains the Zuvembie Powder. If possible, finde an officer on the bus and bribe/extort them to hand the target said pill, disguised as bliss or some other drug to "make the transport easier on target". The assassin could pose as concerned partner/sibling/parent to this end.

The Rigger needs to somehow get an ambulance or similar emergency vehicle fitting the one used by the prison's healthcare provider, as outlined in their emergency protocols, and fitting working clothes for the Assassin, himself, and a human shape of the Spirit, either via contacts or by stealing one (contacts is preferable, since the ambulance should be as clean as possible). The vehicle needs to be prepped for fast combustion at an ARO's flick.

The Spirit needs to get the Zuvembie powder. It probably has enough free time to set up a getaway vehicle somewhere in the vicinity of the route.

As a contingency, or in case the prison corp won't medevac on prison transports at all, revert to the first plan.

Action
The target is instructed to swallow the powder two minutes into the drive. When the effect - apparent sudden death - sets in, the prepped medevac vehicle needs to be closeby, but out of sight of the convoi. When they radio for medevac, rigger jams that call (or NPC decker), and the PCs vehicle swoops in, picks up the 'dead' target, and transports target's body away. Vehicles are switched at the prepped place, and the medevac vehicle is torched.

Target is handed over to Johnson, together with an antidote to the powder. The team lays low for a week, watching whether the law picks up their scent or not.

This is the one I'd go with as well. Not warding the vehicles leaves them open to all kinds of fun spirit action. The fact the magician is a free spirit limits that somewhat since they have to go in person rather than sending their own spirits but still doable.

Being able to "teleport" right into the target vehicle isn't the worst disadvantage

Sure, a spirit mage is probably not a professional boxer, but inside the guards inside the cabin don't know what's coming and can't effectively fight in such tight confines, the mage just needs to see or touch them for a Stunbolt/Knockout. If everything goes smoothly, the other vehicles might not even realize what happened until the prisoner van suddenly breaks out out the convoy at a convenient intersection...

...Rodger? Is that you?

Except that the guards will very likely all have backup sidearms and it's still three on one (fourth guard is driving, presumably). Modern jacketed HP ammunition limits the risks of overpenetration for torso shots and the guards will very likely all be armored as well. Mage materializes and Stunbolts guard #1. Let's say it's all rainbows and unicorn farts in the happy meadow of Eternal Bliss and the guard goes down. Guards #2 and #3 draw their sidearms (or simply step back and use their longarms) and each put a controlled pair into the Mage at pointblank range. Probably not going to be a good day at the office. Worse scenario is that the 4th guard is actually a Rigger so they easily keep driving the vehicle and now it's three people putting rounds in the Mage...

Why no stunball ?

Personally I'd considder walking, but if I were to give it a shot, here's what I'd try and do with the means you mention.

The Assassin need to replace one of the guards that goes into the transport with the target. This switch need to happen before the transport arrives at the prison. (And then you'll have to pray that the guards aren't a regular team and close friends, and that unexpected changes to the guard roster happens from time to time...). In order to pull this off, you'll need to ID and intercept the guard in question in advance, and it would also be a good idea to hire some decker assistance, in order to implant the change in the requisite paperwork. If the last part is possible, it might be possible to change the one guard's assignment and insert the Assassin into the system as the replacement.
The role of the Assassin is to take out the driver and assume control of the vehicle.
The Free Spirit Mage will have to casts Increased Reflexes on itself before materializing inside the "passenger compartment" with the target and guards. His goal is then to take out the two guards by any means necessary. With no Stun spells apparently available, it means taking the guards out the bad way.
The Rigger's role is basically to take down the lead and tail vehicle. Once the Mage has hopefully taken out the guards with the target, it can support the Rigger in eliminating the support vehicles. The "easiest" way to eliminate the two support vehicles is probably to ram them with something large and heavy enough to take them out, and then possibly finishing the job with the flying drones (assuming they are armed). An alternative to ramming is to get in the way and block the vehicles from supporting the target vehicle.
If everything works out, the team will be able to drive the transport away, and either deliver the vehicle and target to the delivery point, or removing the target from the transport and transferring it to a different vehicle after the extraction, and prior to delivery.

You have a lot of variables and "moving parts" in this though, so you have loads of things that can go wrong.


/Kyrel

The way I understood the description, the front and rear compartments are separate like in a classic armored car. That leaves two guards, one of them driving, in a cramped driver's compartment. Those two might even be unarmed, because the driver and passenger are supposed to stay inside the cabin. If they have sidearms, those sidearms would be worn for protection when on foot outside the vehicle, not for fast drawing while seated, because why would they need to draw their weapons while inside the vehicle? So drawing them will be like fumbling a cellphone out of your pocket in a tight car seat.

@freudqo: Because an AoE spell aimed at your feet hits you, too

Good points. If the Guards are Billy Bob from the local Guard Shack™ rent-a-douche then this is exactly what you would see.

However, if the seemingly professional deployment described in the OP is indicative of a more professional guard presence then the "fumbling your phone out of your pocket" analogy really wouldn't be the case. Guards of the second group would have training and equipment specifically designed for 1) protection from the inmates in the vehicle (now including the mage that just popped into the truck) including but not limited to effective deployment of tools in the confines of the vehicle and 2) suppression of external threats which the other two vehicles would be very hard to suppress effectively with the prevalence of run-flat tires and other common technologies available today unless you basically blew the crap out of them (or a rough equivalent) with extreme prejudice.

Perfect example. I used to carry my Glock 17 in a Galco C.O.P. 3-hole belt holster. I could easily deploy my firearm while seated in both passenger and drivers seats with my seat belt on. Yes, I was initially limited in firing arcs due to seating orientation, etc but with just a bit of training (and not being massively overweight) I learned how to quickly turn in my seats by using the dashboard etc not only defensively to better deploy and access my tools, but also offensively to make it harder for an opponent to deploy their tools. The open back of a transport truck is far easier to deploy weapons in than in a bucket-style car seat.

Heh, sometimes you gotta do it for the team.

Or learn Spell Shaping and leave a small 'hole' in the middle for yourself.

Again: Armored trucks normally have separate compartments for cargo and driver. Handling the cargo, including bringing it to/from the vehicle, is the job of the people in the back. The job of the driver is to stay in the driver's compartment no matter what, as long as nobody opens the door nobody can come in. The driver would only need "protection from the inmate" if the inmate managed to break through the wall separating the rear from the front compartment -- in which case a handgun would hardly make a difference. A rabid cyberzombie on K-10 doesn't care about your Glock

I do hope that isn't what's in the back of that truck. If so I change my vote to just walk away.
Seriously though, the rear of the truck should indeed be separate from the driver's compartment. This is the way these vehicles are built today and I don't see any reason to change that in the future. Of course the rear should also probably have gas deployment vents, cameras and perhaps some sort of taser system, maybe built into the seats. Going back there won't be fun but a spirit mage should be pretty much immune to the gas system (don't need to breathe after all). The biggest issue on that front will be getting the drop on the guards back there and taking them out before then can shoot back.

Well, you don't have the spells I would recommend (Ice Sheet and Orgy). You have a rigger, stage an accident. Assassin poses as conviently placed LEO. That draws out as many detail officers as possible, hidden weapons on the rigger's "wrecked" vehicle, possible something that neutralize without killing, help sweep them out. The mage hits the guards in the designated truck, while the assassin lobs flash bangs and smoke grenades at any opposition still standing.

A possible solution, assuming the mage is powerful enough:
- Fly high above the transport
- Cast a Powerbolt powerful enough to break open the van
- Get rid of the guards (either with drones flying inside the hole or via spells)
- Grab the prisoner
- Cast Improved Invisibility on prisoner+spirit
- Fly to safety with the prisoner

A possible variant to fly faster is to have the prisoner grab a dual object and then go to the astral plane and fly away. Just don't forget that the prisoner cannot get through phsyical objects.

That's an interesting idea. If I get to play a Free Spirit again, I'll have to remember that. The prisoner was a physical adept, so he may have been able to be dual-natured on his own, and therefore could have just grabbed him while astral.

The mage wasn't powerful enough to crack open the vehicle with a power bolt.

Why, they wouldn't have to worry about the guards or anything and could just pick up the body after the duration wears off

Yeah so long as mr. cyberzombie stays safely contained in the truck until the k-10 wears off.

CZ breaks out. kills all the guards, leaves an easily traceable swath of destruction, and finally collapses from the unresisted damage of K-10 wearing off, ready for collection. Easiest job ever, just remember to short insurance stocks.

z-line the mark is likely the best option, extraction though nice isn't an option really under those circumstances.

Best thing would be to talk to the J about termination of target instead.

And regardless the heat is going to be nova levels

z-line the mark is likely the best option, extraction though nice isn't an option really under those circumstances.

Best thing would be to talk to the J about termination of target instead.

And regardless the heat is going to be nova levels

You're assuming that the Johnson wants to shut the target up. If that were all he wanted, he wouldn't be hiring Runners to extract the target. He needs the target for some reason. Perhaps the target knows something he needs to know; perhaps the target has skills he requires, or perhaps the target is important to him for personal reasons.

Any which way you cut it, geeking the guy does not fit into Mr. Johnson's agenda, and suggesting it is going to, at best, mildly annoy him. At worst, it'll outrage him.

The problem from go is who he hired. The J or the Fixer that arranged it, should have know the team's capabilities (and know their limits). From the situation it's clear they don't have the skill or ability to pull off a live extraction.

The team is out of their league, it's akin to asking a street thug to take on red sams. So the team can either walk away telling the J he has to find a team that can handle the job (making the fixer or the J look foolish for even suggesting the team handle it) or discuss options they can handle.

Regardless, the J has to consider termination as an option (even during a standard extraction a J has to consider denying the asset to the competition, even permanent retirement) of last resort.

I mean you don't hire a PBN type to plan things. You get someone that can think strategically and consider complications to do it.

Interesting question: is this a regular prisoner transport (regular as a max-sec transport can be) or just the one prisoner ?

Because if its a bunch of em, what keeps the runners from doing some legwork and see if anyone associated with the other passengers wants in on the fun, if those are important enough to someone ?

It's doable. Though like other people said I'd want to know before agreeing to the job. Mainly I'd want to know how much time I had to set up/go shopping, what kind of gear/training/resources the guards have, and whether or not the target was informed about the extraction and/or willing to go along with it.

As for how?

First, you're going to want a roadblock. A semi parked sideways across the road would be a good choice, and you can bribe some trucker to do it for you. Just have him drive out from an alley or intersection ahead of the convoy and stop, get out of his truck, and take off. If you're okay with more heat, a pileup, bomb threat, or actual bombing could also work. Nothing shuts down an intersection like a cluster of emergency response vehicles. The trick will be to figure out the convoy's route and time your roadblock so it's in place before they get there, but after it's too late to turn down a cross street/alley/driveway and go around.

Your ideal situation would be to hit the convoy on a stretch of freeway with a center divider. Arrange something to block off the road in front and behind them, (leaving the opposide side of the freeway clear) and then hit the escort vehicles with freeze foam grenades, targeting any opening the guards can climb or shoot through to seal them inside. This won't hold forever, it's just to keep those teams out of the fight while you extract the target and make your getaway.

If you can get the rigger's flying drones to drop in and launch the grenades, that would be ideal--especially if they can stay on overwatch and fire more once the guards start breaking through. If you've got the time, apply additional layers of freeze foam and maybe stick a few flashbangs on there so they drop and go off when the guards finally get the doors open.

If you really want to show off, try having someone stealth up alongside the convoy while it's moving and use a freeze foam sprayer to seal everything up before the assault without alerting anyone inside, then hit the windows with paint or foam grenades once the blockade goes up. (The windows should be armored and non-openable, but it doesn't hurt to use freeze foam to make sure.)

Also consider disabling the vehicles by chucking freeze foam grenades at the wheels/undercarriage, but do this after they've stopped. You don't want to cause a crash or your extraction target may be injured.

After that you need to hit the main vehicle fast and GTFO with the prisoner. How you do that is going to depend a lot on what you know about the security riding with them. If they're just normal cops, no milspec gear, chemical masks, or magic, just have the mage pop in wearing an environment suit and drop a splash grenade full of DMSO and the sleepytime chem of your choice. If you're fine with really cheesing off your GM, use Slab.

If the guards have chem protection or magic, you may have to get creative. Maybe cut a hole in the roof and drop in smoke grenades and flashbangs to make them rush out the back into an ambush.

Once you've dealt with the guards and gotten the prisoner free, just hop over the center divider, pile into a getaway vehicle (have the rigger pull up when the assault starts or just carjack somebody once you've got the target), and take the nearest offramp. Bonus points if you drop some smoke grenades first so nobody can tell which car you got into. If the ambush point is on an overpass you could also try rappelling down to a getaway vehicle, or hiding somewhere while your rigger remote pilots a fake getaway car to lead the cops on a chase. Best to crash it into something flammable at the end if you go that route, make the cops think you're all dead. You could also get clever and have everybody take different vehicles and routes from the scene.

Either way, you should ditch the getaway vehicle(s) as fast as possible.