Mission 02 - The Austrian Job.
Plenty of great quotes this session. Attending were Swish, Dog, Paint and a new (as yet unnamed) PC.
There's no mission spec for this - the rationale being that it was a sudden rush job that was only come up with because Kuri needed to spec a training mission on short notice.
Actually it was due to player requests to the GM that the game be made a little less structured. Which was the intention all along, but has come in a little sooner than expected.
There had been some additional player input requesting a slightly more organised approach to decision making, so I had Kuri formally request that they organise themselves. They decided Dog should be in charge, whilst anyone could see that Swish was doing all the leadership talking and decision making. Could make for fun times later.
First big event of the session: The interesting and different way of introducing a new player to the group. Have I.M.R. recruit them to replace the other PCs (who are 'on field assignments' and 'extended evaluation' meaning that they didn't show up and if they keep not showing up then they're kicked out. To be fair, I knew one of them was not going to be here.) I love having an organisation structure, it makes administrative problems disappear into fun game play.
So. Now the players had to run the interview process on the unsuspecting newbie, whilst Ms Farrier sat behind him and held up flash cards reminding them of the sorts of questions they had to ask and taking notes. (The notes being both filling out the character sheet and logging the session. In character, the notes being how well the others did the job of interviewing)
The PCs introduced themselves with their real names (instead of the call signs) and asked what kind of use the new guy thought he would be. He had decided to be a face man (and used those words - I had previously checked and OKd that this matched a useful gap in the group. Which was lucky.) He also decided to be Finnish. To contrast with our Norwegian and our Spaniard. An international organisation indeed.
Quotes:
(The questions gradually grow more serious) Swish: Can you fire a gun?
(In a deep dark voice) Dog: People skills. Killing people, or talking to them?
(In an even deeper darker voice) Paint: PC... or iMac?
Dog: So. We're looking at a thief, then. (New characters weakness is for 'treasure')
New player: I'm not suggesting you are bad people. I'm just saying that you kill people.
Dog: I like it. That beats about the bush nicely.
The PCs then remembered to send the new guy away with "Don't call us, we'll call you" - which *I* forgot.
They then turn down the opportunity to run a physical exam for him. (After some suggestions that maybe they should have Dog snipe at him for a while)
So - it's on with the mission. I fake it up as "Uh.. I guess you could do this to prove yourself..." and the Austrian job is born. With no budget.
So they take the bus to the embassy to find out more about the job. And argue about their plans, on the bus, in public.
Quote: "To the Bat Bus!"
The job consists of an Austrian diplomat saying that she suspects an American diplomat (Mr Townsend) is spying, and using the Austrian embassy to do it. She'd like some proof, so that they an get him quickly removed. The reasons given were twofold. First, she'd like to embarrass the Americans, in the current climate. Secondly, she thinks that the people he is spying upon will be attending a gala in a weeks time (to celebrate a statuary exhibition at the municipal museum) and wants him to not be there in case he causes trouble.
But she needs some evidence, and it needs to not have come from her. Off the players go to plan. And acquire equipment.
The two that the embassy thinks are being spied upon are Tony Chef (Yes, their old friend from
Operation Jelly Fish) and Felix Lobo (A successful local businessman, owns a firm named 'S80 advanced technologies')
Paint quickly draws some stick figures and explains his plan, using them.
Quote (Paint): "A plan. Yes. We need... three folding chairs. We can get those. And... a keg of beer. And then we sit back and let him (new guy) do the work."
They decide, for starters, to bug the embassy. After a quick diversion to persuade Kuri to give them some funding (Which I, as GM, grin and add matching amounts to the bad-guys cache. And then don't get to use till the very end of the session. Oh well.)
They then persuade Kev to part with the bucket (and spade) of vampire taps. Even though they lost one last time. And they then very very nearly bug the Italian embassy by mistake. While with Kev, Paint does his hacking and research thing - bringing up the embassy plans. (
located here)
Quote: EmbassyBlueprints.com AmericanSpies.com
Quote: We need wheels. Fuck off shiny ones.
After some discussion with Biff they acquire some wheels. And some cars to go with them. And then they go to the Embassy to try and find out what Townsend is up to. Paint and Dog stay outside as spotters, while Swish and the new guy (we really need to name him) go on in. Through dint of pestering at every office until they can find an empty one, they break into the security system. Then they wait for Townsend to leave.
Breaking into his room proved harder than expected - Townsend was using old fashioned tradecraft to protect his room (powder on the floor and so forth) - but they proved easily up to the challenge. They recovered a list of serial numbers and some coded messages.
Meanwhile those outside trailed him. They sat in a cafe and listened in while he picked up a packet from a private investigator, and then watched through a scope while he rummaged suspiciously in an electronics store.
After a bit of discussion, they decide to send the serial numbers off to Felix, to see if his computer services company can make anything out of them. Intelligence starts working on breaking the codes - and they then have a little chat with the PI.
One quick mix of diplomacy and intimidation later, a very scared PI admits to having been taking photo's of Tony. He says he doesn't know why. But he gives them the address of the warehouse in the pictures. Just in case, they leave an anonymous phone number (Fuego's) with the PI.
Next up - check the electronics shop. Where they distract the shopkeeper and check serial numbers. A match with those they found in Townsend's office. So now they know what Townsend was doing here. But they don't know why he was doing it. If you see what I mean. Confused they call back to base to find out how intel is doing with those codes. At which point Kev demands, drooling, that they buy the computers. The shopkeeper doesn't know what he's got - which is top of the line supercomputers. They use the last of their mission resources to buy them for Kev, who now owes them big-time. And to set forensics on them.
They visit the warehouse the PI pointed them to - and find it unimportant, unguarded and empty. They poke around for a little while and find some shipping manifests. Same numbers - and shipped to that shop. Everything seem in order - but why was Townsend following this trail? And if Felix's company needs these computers (and it does look like he has legitimate use of them) why isn't he screaming blue murder to get them back? And... oh shit. They sent him the list of serial numbers.
"So sorry. Unable to find anything out about these numbers. Here is your refund." Confusion reigns.
Intel hasn't broken those codes, so they decide to approach Tony. Anonymously phoning him up on the number Fuego got from him, they set up an "Important meeting."
Obviously curious enough to attend, but not stupid enough to attend in person - he sends a henchthing. Whom the PCs recognise from the photos.
Some banter and the meeting breaks down, with henchguy accusing them of being police.
So they have dog show his laser dot. (After a quick realisation that he can't SEE the dot on his forehead, he moves it to his chest) and discuss whether they can light up all the mooks too.
Quote (Dog): Well, I could use a whole bunch of laser pointers.
They completely intimidate Tony. Utterly. His mook squad and henchthing are impotent in the face of overwhelming preparation and insider knowledge. He fesses up to importing the computers (another mystery - why didn't Felix just hire FedEx?) and, maybe, to diverting them from where their records say they should go. He knows nothing else - and wants to know just who these people are, if they're not cops.
Forensics show nothing at all is odd about the computers - they've not been used as drug mules or anything. They show some fingerprints (and some tongue prints from Kev.) but nothing unusual. They do, however, have concrete proof that Townsend has been getting and giving reports, encoded, about watching warehouses and stuff.
With that report, and the evidence collected from raiding his room (including pictures of his tradecraft) the PCs go back to the embassy to have him deported.
As a 'thank you' they are invited to the ball.
Quote: Can we have the cash alternative?
The PCs realise that they have to pick up the vampire taps (that bucket would be running low, though in his current euphoric 'more power than the res of the country' state, Kev would probably forgive them) so they attend the party.
Where they discover Ms. Sidra (
previous mission) hanging on Tony's arm. They decline to say anything to either Tony or Felix and head upstairs to remove the bugs.
Shortly thereafter, there is a tremendous crash from downstairs - as the GM finally uses up his hoarded resource points...
Linear Mode
