defense: 12d6t5 3

The ork blocks the gunhand with massive forearms and tries to counter strike

attack: 13d6t5 1

Back in the killzone, the Doberman tries to cut down both combatants from long range

doberman attack: 6d6t5 1 Not that it matters but the stats are 7P, AP -2, -2 to defense pool for wide burst

Combat Round 1, Initiative Pass 4
The melee was going about how O'Connor expected. The ork was easily blocking his attacks, and he was easily dodging the ork. The one upshot was that he was just as easily dodging the Doberman's gunfire. Hopefully the ork was less skilled in that respect.

Sammy looked around. If she could spot the enemy mage, he would be target, otherwise the closest enemy she could see. A stunbolt went out to drop one of the enemy.


IP1/2
sunbolt force 5:
stunbolt: 10d6t5 3

resist drain:
resist drain: 9d6t5 4
no drain

Starlet fires off the Stunbolt at the remaining gunman on the ambush line, and feels very good about seeing him go down even though she knows it wasn't enough to take him down.

As Bullet Storm waits to defend an attack that doesn't come as Torley and Lil Homie reach the edge of the culvert. Looking down they see their target, his ivory robes covered in dirt and blood. He is limping painfully through the muck, trying to reach the shanty town of miserable dwellings a couple dozen meters upriver of the bridge.

(OOC : Starlet and Bullet Storm can take remaining actions.

Combat Round 2, Initiative Pass 1
O'Connor prepared for both the ork and LMG, but the attacks never came. Ironically, not being attacked is what left him flat footed.

Combat Round 2, Initiative Pass 2
Annoyed with the turn of events, he holstered his pistol with a huff. He raised his rifle at the retreating ork.


Combat Round 2, Initiative Pass 3
He lined up his shot for far longer than normal, his vision still blurred by the flashbang.


Combat Round 2, Initiative Pass 4
He aimed center mass, fired, and brought his rifle back on target.

Starlet, seeing no more enemies, rushes towards where Torley has seen the guy running.

As Bullet Storm wastes ammunition against blast shadows, Lil Homie is climbing the barrier to the river. The youmgster scrambles down the shallow embankment and looks to Torley as he recovers the AK to a shooting stance.

Torley sees his chance. He Commands the robed figure, "Stop!", Controlling his Voice so it comes from behind the figure. As he climbs down into the culvert, he tells Li'l Homie, "If he runs, shoot him."

Torley hopes the kid doesn't need to.

Medjay stops, the command taking hold, and turns around. He looks like he has aged 10 years since Torley had last seen him up close, was it really just an hour ago?

"Even if I could run, which I can't at the moment, that child couldn't hit me with that weapon at point blank range." the courier says with a thick English accent. "What you and your team should really consider, Samuel Torley, is whether the payday you are working so hard for is worth the Great Dragon Celedyr knowing your name and knowing you placed yourself among his enemies."

"If your dragon lord wants a piece of me, he can get in line. If I die some time in the future because I made one more enemy, so be it. The money means less to me than the rep that Torley does what you pay him to do.

"Whether the boy can hit you or not is irrelevant." Torley draws his pistol as he speaks. "Whether I can hit you or not is irrelevant. The real killer approaches and even if we two just slow you further, your end is assured if you resist. Distance means nothing to Bullet Storm.

"So the real decision is yours. Do you want to die right now, a failure, or live to serve your master still? That damn thing has changed hands so many times, who knows what the future brings? Put it down and walk away, and live to try another day."

"It occurs to me that neither of you is a very good shot, so any gunplay at this point will likely damage the map." Medjay removes the courier tube from his robe, Torley can see that there is some kind of device attached to it.

"I have attached an incendiary device to the map. I can trigger it if you attack me, and no one wins. Do not move, and keep your teammates at bay. I will leave it and I will walk away, and your friend and I can dance another time. Are those terms acceptable?"

"I've already told you you can walk as long as you leave the map." Torley holsters his pistol and holds his hands out to the sides palms down, as if to signal both Li'l Homey and the alleged Bullet Storm to hold off.

As so many times before, a lot of things flash across Torley's mind. There is the prize, right there. But a bomb with it. Medjay could blow it any time. But no, the dragon wouldn't like that. They think and plan in centuries. Celedyr will work another plan to get what he wants. Once Medjay is safe, Torley figures, he can take the map out of the tube and away from the incendiary.

"What I see is a tube with a bomb attached. Show me you are leaving the map, and we are square."

"I am not removing the map from the protective case that is boobytrapped."

Medjay leans the case on a small appliance nearby and starts moving away from Torley and the boy. His limp gradually diminishes as he reaches cover and then, with a flash of movement, he disappears into the night.

"I can hit you with just a thought," Sammy said as she stood next to Torley, "but I'm okay with leaving you."
As soon as he had gone, she would look at the others.
"I'll get it, you guys keep watch."
If the others agreed, she would move down and get the map case.

It never ceases to freak Torley out. I wonder how often she's been right there and I didn't know it. "Sure. I don't think they will destroy the map but we should disarm or remove the map from the the incendiary as soon as possible."

<< All concerned. We have the item in our possession. No need to continue hostilities. Minor issue with an incendiary attached to the case, but should be alright. >>

That'll get a rise.

Jane {Frosty} sounds off <<That's great! Are you guys alright?>>

Torley replies, <<< OK here. I avoided the bullet storm Bullet Storm fell into. Li'll Homey is fine, too. Managed to prevent him needing to try to kill Medjay. Kid is still a kid.>>>

Lil Homie bristles at the comment. "I could hit him, Drekhead showed me how to burst fire..." he mumbles, not quite to himself.

<< Okay...Anyway, you need to get yourselves here, ASAP. If anyone else is still in the hunt they are going to be after you guys now. Where is here? A private airstrip about six kilometrs to the north-north west of the airport. I am sending you the coordinates now, Innocent is here and we are going to pop smoke.>>

Getting a closer look at the mapcase, you can see that the 'incendiary device" is nothing more that a cheap tridwatch on an elastic band. Even careful handling, which Bullet Storm will insist on if he is present (Which he should be now.), it could be a fake out, but it isn't. The map is inside the case, perfectly safe.

O'Connor patted Lil' Homie on the shoulder, "You definitely would have hit him." He noted that Torley seems to have missed Lil' Homie's rather messy kill in the previous fight, but decided to not get pedantic at the moment. He was rather suprised that the incendiary was a fake, and that the map was genuine. He swapped to a fresh mag, and gave Lil' Homie a once over looking for injuries.

Lil Homie seems okay, and soon the group is carefully backtracking to their vehicle, which is blocked in by other abandoned vehicles. You are headed further back in the jam, you need to hire or steal another ride. Lil Homie say he can get you around the airport, but you need wheels.

"How about those motorcycle taxis," Sammy suggested, "that's how the guy actually managed to get away from us in the first place. I'm sure they can go to the airport and they can go through the traffic jams."

"Sounds good to me," Torley replies. He tries to flag down a few to carry the lot of them. Casting his Voice might catch drivers' attention better.

Con didn't like how exposed they would be on said taxis, but speed was probably their best defense now. He nodded his assent to Starlet.

Moving through the traffic is definitely easier, though you drop about 200 naira in the process.

Once you get around the airport, things get quiet, random orks have stopped taking potshots at you, you have a clear goal, you are even able to catch your breath for second. Of course that can't last.

You can see the lights of the small private airport ahead of when the road is blocked by several vehicles. Only one person is visible, O'Conner's "friend" from the hotel. The okadas come to a halt, and the drivers look very scared.

Torley reports to Jane, linking all in and including coordinates of their location. <<Near the airport. Blocked by what looks like crew of Englebrecht. Assessing the situation. >>

He addresses his colleagues. As I recall, this crew is strong on muscle but short on magic. Any ideas?

O'Connor popped the joints in his neck nonchalantly, "We fight our way through. There's no other choice."

Torley's voice has an edge to it. "I beg to differ." Fuck, this has been a painful and convoluted chase, with fools and arrogant assholes like that one ahead of them at every turn. King's Guards. Street thugs. Dragon's underlings. Sneaky thief. Religious fanatics. And worst of all, these Englebrecht bully boys. He's had enough.

He opens himself to the mana. But not just open; he lays his soul bare. Anger and frustration twist the flow. This is gonna hurt. There will be a cost.

They surely remember that time in the hotel room with Englebrecht lording it over him with all that hired muscle. His Voice appears right behind the lead asshole, close enough to the vehicles blocking the way to be heard there, but not so loud as to take in the nearby bystanders. They won't expect this little shit to do anything to them. The one they pushed around and dissed and dismissed and tossed out into the hallway.

"Blow your own brains out!"

Just as the muscle was about to start speaking, there is a flash of light from the vehicle behind him. He turns as people get out that vehicle covered in gore and crying out while holding their ears. The muscle runs to the car hollering one word "JUNIOR!" He pulls open the driver's door and catches the body, a quarter of the face and head missing. The okada drivers all start to try and pull their bikes around to go the other way.

"I can fireball people if needed, or summon a spirit to have a bit of fun," Sammy said as she looked around for a way to get out. While she could fight, that didn't mean she wouldn't do something else.

The color drained from O'Connor's face. Of course Torley's stunt had to off the one person that needed to survive this fight. He turned to the team, "Torley, what have you done? Englebrecht is going to hunt us to ends of the Earth from now on."

As Torley hops of the okada before it leaves, he says, "He'll hunt me. You two had nothing to do with it. Now, since the thugs look kinda confused, how about you two do your mojo and clear the path. Save a car. We'll need one." This does not sound like the old Torley.

Something has changed.

The orcs that piled out of the vehicles don't really seem to be interested in you, beyond reasonable precaution. They are very concerned about Junior offing himself. they talk to each other in Yoruba, among themselves. The muscle is in shock more than a little bit.

"They're here for someone else," Sammy said over the team radio, "let's keep our heads down and move away from this shit before they come to their senses."

Torley doesn't quite get what happened at first, and then when the Yoruba language starts buzzing, he gets it. Wrong language. Damn! He's almost as flustered as Englebrecht's muscle. But he recovers.

Sammy seems to know what is going on. "If you see a way around, I'll follow you. I'll keep my mouth shut unless the Area Boys come after us."

O'Connor whispered to everyone, "We need to move, now, before they pull it togather."

Sammy took shelter behind a car and tried to summon a spirit or air, but there wasn't any coming, so she tried again. The second time she managed to get one, asking it to conceal herself and her party (indicating the others of the group) while they moved ahead, but let them see each other.
"Okay, we should be concealed. It's not invisibility, but it will make detecting us more difficult. Let's move."

summon spirit: 8d6t5 1
spirit resist: 3d6t5 1
drain resist: drain: 9d6t5 3
no drain

2nd attempt:
summon spirit: 8d6t5 2
spirit resist: 3d6t5 1
1 service
drain
drain: 9d6t5 3
no drain

Torley pulls in behind Sammy as they move out.

With the spirit concealing you in the darkness, the four of you quietly move around the roadblock, giving it a wide berth. You soon leave it behind as you approach the airsstrip on foot. The rusty looking plane you remember belonging in Innocent Dobiri is sitting on the runway, engine running and looking ready for takeoff.

Frosty stands next to the plane, clearly worried for you. Not your usual Ms. Johnson. Then again, most Ms. Johnsons don’t spend a week in hell with their runners, either.

Torley hurries to the plane and Frosty. "We should get out of here quickly. I stirred up some trouble that will be hunting me as soon as the shock wears off. I can explain on the plane." He heads for the steps up.

Con scoffed at Torley's description, "That's such an understatement, it almost counts as a lie. Drek stain Senior will not be content with just you. Us here, Clem, Snow, all our friends, family, and acquaintances, they're all in serious danger now."

He turned to Frosty, "I need your help. Every nuyen I've earned from this job, plus every nuyen in my accounts, goes to getting Lil' Homie free and clear of this drek-storm. If that doesn't cover it, I'll work whatever jobs neccessary to pay the rest."

"Get on the plane, let's talk about it once we are airborne."

You climb in and Innocent begins to motor down the runway before you can pull up the stairs, let alone secure the door. Across the runway from the side you came from, you see lights as a vehicle pulls to a stop. A man steps out of the vehicle. The plane lifts into the sky, and for a brief moment, the man is spotlighted by the plane’s lights. In that brief second, his silver cybereyes reflect the lights back toward you. Then the plane is up and away, and you lose sight of the man.

Once you level off at a cruising height, the lack of noise in the cabin finally makes conversation possible. Lil Homie, who obviously is sitting close Bullet Storm, grabs his arm. "I thought I was going to be staying with you, Drek-Head." His face harkens back to that other time that he thought O'Conner was done with him.

O'Connor didn't have any words of comfort for the world's littlest shadowrunner, "I don't know if that will be possible. In all likelihood, Englebrecht will see the whole team dead within the month. He already marked me and Torley as his enemies for refusing to flip on Frosty and work for him. With Junior's death, he'll come at all of us with his full resources.

His pride will demand it. To retain his reputation, he'll need to make especially brutal examples of us. Secretly though, he may be grateful to Torley. An unworthy heir dealt with, and not by his own hand. Ultimately, it doesn't matter either way.

The safest place for you is far away from us. That's why I'm going to pay Frosty to get you somewhere safe. From what I know of her, she'll do right by you. She'll set you up with a life worth living, which is something I could never do."

Frosty piped up from her seat, "You aren't going to have to pay Frosty for anything, Jai proved his worth a dozen times over this week, I will find a place for him, if that is what you want. But I think you overestimate Engelbrecht's resources. He had some good intel sure, but he isn't a player in the world of shadows. I also think you guys just don't realize what a known quantity you have become, this bit of international buzz will only push that further. I am not saying you are the new Nameless and Neddy, but you aren't nobodies anymore."

Torley considers O'Connor's comments. He had wondered why Englebrecht would have sent his wastrel son on a mission to stop a competent and dangerous team. Had the old man really hoped the young one would be killed? 'Two birds with one stone'?

He watches O'Connor fuss over Li'l Homey. Funny how parenthood can sneak up on you. O'Connor is smart enough to see how dangerous it is to be around him and the rest of the team. Smart enough to remove a liability that would cloud his own judgment and choices. Brave enough to surrender the new-found ... love? ... to protect the beloved.

He sits beside the boy, on the other side from O'Connor. No words, just a hand on the boy's shoulder, a long look into O'Connor's eyes, and every ounce of his talent projecting:

I'm proud of you. This is a good thing you do.

O'Connor was willing to accept Frosty's assessment of Engelbrecht, but still thought it better to over rather than underestimate him. He may not be a player in the shadows, but his kind of wealth could easily drop barriers.

He turned back to Lil' Homie, "Even with that being the case, I still have plenty of enemies back home. If you stay with me, you'll never be truly safe. Barren rats, gangers, and shadowrunners all have very short life expectancies, and those are the only paths you'll have with me. If you go with Frosty, all your potential can grow into near anything.

All that said, I'm going to give you something that you probably never had before, total freedom to make this choice for yourself. Don't answer right away. Think about it, long and hard. Use all the time we have here, becasue your decision will literally determine the course of the rest of your life."

To say O'Connor was extremely conflicted was a severe understatement. He saw the esteem in Torley's eyes, but felt unworthy of it. He knew that the kid was better off far away, but he was loathe to part with him all the same. Jai had show O'Connor that despite his best efforts there was still humanity within himself. He feared what would happen to Jai if he stayed. He feared what would happen to himself if Jai left.

Sammy waited until they were in the airplane and on the runway before she let the spirit go.
"I'm not sure that's a good thing, having a reputation in this line of business. At least not like this. But we have it now and that's how things are. Well, at least we have that map. Where does it lead to anyway, the map?"

"Not really sure, when it got mentioned my boss made it very clear it was a drekload more important than the mission we were on, so they changed the plan." Jane (Frosty) shrugged.

The long last leg of the flight back to Seattle is a top of line luxury plane, with beds, food and drink (including alchohol), even a medical suite to fix your boo-boos

The plane comes to a stop, and the flight attendant opens the door. A set of stairs is wheeled up to the plane. You disembark with the map in its bulky protective case. Rain is falling, freezing cold, and the bitter, wet wind slaps you in the face. At the edge of the tarmac, a limo is idling. When you step out of the plane, it flashes its lights at you.

Frosty is beside you. She takes the map from you, and you get an incoming transfer message on your ‘link.

O'Connor took in the dreary weather, it felt good to be back to something familiar. He checked the message to ensure the funds were in order. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, and turned to Lil' Homie, "Time to make your decision."

Lil Homie had done as O'Conner had told him. He had a long private talk with Frosty about exactly what it was she was offering him, and had even spent some time on the Matrix. He took his decision very seriously and looked like he had really thought it through.

When they had deplaned, he had purposely stepped away, from the shadowrunners and from Frosty, to take in the entirely new vista before him.

When he turned back as O'Conner spoke to him, he still looked for all the world like a the skinny street rat that had started out with them, though he was cleaned up and dressed in clothes that had been waiting for him on the last plane when they boarded.

"I choose..." he started, looking for the words he wanted in the language that was now his primary one, "...both. If I truly have the freedom to do so, then I will take advantage of all the opportunities I now have. Miss Jane has said she will need a day or two to make proper arrangements for me, apart from her and her world. She said that in spite of the danger, because each choice has different dangers, living SINless for that time would be an easier transition for me than going with her right away."

He looked unsure at this point, the rehearsed speech exhausted and his gaze took in the team, not just O'Conner but Starlet and Torley as well. "If you will have me, I stay with my team for now."