1.3 - The Escort Job

You sit in the van just outside the docks. Looking up at the sky the, the Stars have slowly been dotted out as dark clouds swirl slowly overhead. A light drizzle is coming down. The weather reports say it's supposed to rain for the next 24 hours. As you sit in a slightly reserved silence for a moment a sudden and familiar chime comes over the comms.

I believe your 'solid guy', the DJ is here, Phantom says. A few moments later you hear the sound of the bike. Phantom has already added it's location to the nav overlay of the mission.

When you're ready, our guy is inside. Warehouse 3B. We shouldn't keep him waiting too long.

Kessel sends OWL around the perimeter before rolling in himself on his bike. He is eager to see his cousin, whom he hasn't seen in person in a long while.

OWL's optics engage night-mode.

Breech-a opens the back doors of the van, equipped with his tactical vest and shield, while his pistol is holstered at his waist. He scans the area before picking out Warehouse 3B.

Breech-a waits by the van, awaiting Kessel's arrival.

The bike draws up closer to Kessel, Corril opens his visor, and looks at his cousin with a happy grin. "Party's on, cuz. Beautiful weather, ain't it?"

"Hey, cuz. You alright? No trouble getting here? Hold that thought." Kessel interrupts himself as OWL's feed is patched into his optic implants. "Overwatch reports perimeter is clear. Br33ch-a? Status report."

"ASSESSMENT: No Apparent Threats," monotones Breech-a. The bulky construct seems to ignore the pattering of rain across his chassis, and the red glow from multiple optics forms a slight mist around his head.

"All clear, Mack." Kessel says, reporting in. He dismounts, and his bike dematerializes, compressing into a single line of code uploaded to the digital nexus inhabited by the technomage's mysterious patron. Kessel turns to Corril. "Where were we? Ah. How've you been, cuz? I'm sorry I haven't been to see you spin. Been busy hustling. You know how it is."

Corril gestures Hi to BREECH-A, and Mack in the van first. "Hey."

"Not yet, but I intend to. First real job, so to say. Hope it pays better than art. Who's the target and we gonna do to them?" he answers Kessel, shaking his head while mentioning the low income from his hobby.

"Don't worry, cuz, you'll learn the ropes soon enough. Yeah that's Mack, our team leader, in the van. Breech-a's our combat specialist. Tymora and PhantomNimbus handle things from HQ. I'll introduce you properly later. Let's get this show on the road, shall we?

While waiting for Mack's lead Kessel takes Corril aside. "Hey. We don't expect things to get hairy but I need to know if you're prepared in case they do. You packing? I've got a spare SMG if you need one. I'm not much good with firearms. I've got Breech-a for that."

Mack finishes fiddling with the controls of the van, making sure it's ready for something. He's still vaguely concerned that the heads up display software has some kind of glitch in it that futzes with the steering, but he can't seem to find anything and Tymora's been no help whatsoever insisting everything is just fine.

Stepping out of the van he nods to Kessel and Breech. "Good to meet you Corril." Mack sets his hat firmly upon his head and adjusts his duster. "Should be a simple escort gig. Right? Shall we head in and say hello?"

"Right then. On we go." Mack heads to the door, looking for Mr. Escortee.

Breech-A falls in line, allowing Kessel and Corril to go before him, as they proceed to the warehouse.

As you approach the warehouse you see a camera lies outside watching the entrance. A few moments before you reach the door large warehouse doors slide open wide enough for a dwarf to pass through. he strides out and looks you over as you approach. You the guys?, he grumbles out in a rusty voice. Before you have a chance to answer he adds, Where's your ride?

He stands staring and waiting for an answer.

"It's back there." Kessel says, jerking a thumb. "Where's the cargo?"

It's back there, he jerks a thumb in response.

Bring the vehicle in, we'll load it up, he says curtly.

Breecha's optics sweep across what can be seen through the slightly-open warehouse door.

Mack sighs quietly and does an about-face, heading towards the van. "I'll bring 'er in." He heads back to the van, gets it started and heads into the warehouse, assuming nothing goes awry.

"So...what's the cargo? Or is it a big box of Don't Ask?"

Grem watches Mack pull the van up to the warehouse and looks over to Kessel, he eyes you up and down again. You hit it right on the head, he grunts as he walks over to pull the warehouse door open further.

Inside the warehouse you see a metal crate inside, roughly 5 foot by 5 foot. It seems to have a digital lock on it and you can't see what else might be inside. As you pull the van back up to it it takes most of the 10 dwarves inside to hoist the thing up and into the van which sags a little bit with the new cargo.

Grem turns to you, and with as much verbosity as he has shown so far he grunts out, You know where to drop it?

Mack sticks his head out the window and comments, "That thing is heavier than Breech!" He suspects that the van, which really could use a moniker of some sort, is going to drive like a brick with 2 wheels if he's lucky at this point. "I think we got the destination -- but let's confirm it, to make sure we don't fluff the delivery, shall we?"

Separately under his breath, "PN? What's the destination on record for this thing? Or are we not keeping records?"

Corril follows the van slowly, flanking it with his bike in a soft purring sound. No need to be noisy now. He also eyes his companions, sizing them up. And looking for the slightest sign of trouble. He generally likes surprises, but not on a run.

Breech-a takes up his customary position at the rear of the van, nearly pressing his back against the container. He faces outward, red optics taking in the images of the dwarves milling about the warehouse. He focuses briefly on the speaker, Grem, and files away the dwarf's portrait for record-keeping.

PHANTOM processes the location and pulls it up on GPS. It's, by the fastest route, about 20 blocks away. Not a particularly long route, but it goes right through the city and a good portion of the Docks Ward which is not the nicest neighborhood.

Yeah, looks like we are shooting for another warehouse in the Trade Ward, the AI chimes in as the location gets pulled up. It's another warehouse that his hidden down an alleyway.

As you are going over the directions suddenly there is a dwarf scrambling up the door of the van to the window right next to Mack. He pulls a datapad up with him and looks over the route then spins the pad around to show you. He jabs at the screen. This is the place, he says in a husky voice. You can see the place he points to is the same as the place PN just pulled up on GPS.

Got it?, the dwarf asks, still hanging on the door.

"Yup. Got it. Say -- we can pick our own route, right? And what are the time constraints?"

He points at the map, "The fastest route takes us through some pretty sketchy neighborhoods this time of day. Might be safer if we considered some alternate routes."

As Mack and the dwarf discuss job particulars, Kessel reassembles his bike: digital code plots points of light, and sweeping lines and smooth planes coalesce, defining the vehicle's form. Kessel mounts, and rides up alongside Corril. "Alright, cuz, we ride on either side of the van. OWL will be our eye in the sky. If you spot any trouble, get on the comms. Here's your earwig. Don’t worry, you'll do just great!"

Take whatever way you want, we just need this to the place by sun up, the dwarf says and then hops off the door. He heads back to stand by Grem.

"Right then." Mack switches on the localized comms -- relying on the BlueDragonTooth technology to keep it low power and low-range. Punching in one of Kessels encryption routines, he clicks the comms on. "Check check check. Can you all hear me?"

"WARNING: Unrecognized Transmission Source Detected," intones Breecha on the local comm. Corril's transponder is highlighted in everyone's HUD. "ADVISORY: Verify Remote Address Before Adding To Local Host."

Mack leans out the window, "Uh, Kessel -- Breech doesn't recognize your cousin's comms. Can you do the thingie with the frobitz or whatever?" Mack is pleased there's a nerd on the team. He really can't be bothered with some of this crap.

"Yeah, sorry, my bad."Kessel does the thingie with the frobitz by pulling his ear and winking. "There ya go. Readin' you five-by-five, Chief! You reading us alright, Corril?"

Mack nods his thanks and wait for Corril as he considers his course.

"PN and team. Should we try and exit the docks area and be on more major thoroughfares to reduce our exposure to um, the seedier elements of San Waterdeep? I guess the risk is they've got some sort of scrying checkpoints and figure we're carrying something we shouldn't somewhere we shouldn't."

Corril draws up to the opposite side of the van from Kessel.

"Loud and clear, team. I was wondering when you wanted to add me to the channel."

"Have we got any intel on who's gonna try to make the package fly? The shorties know what it is, they should have an idea who may want it... Seedy or unseedy, everything has an ear to hear with and a mouth to talk with."

"I tend not to ask those questions -- but that's a good point. Anything in the RAIN about these shorties and who might be disinclined to view them favorably?"

Kessel drops into RAIN to find out what he can about Grem and his cohorts, and maybe even about the cargo they are to transport.

Kessel drops into the blue-lined world of RAIN and quickly finds a data-tap. A place he can access the vast knowledge base behind the massive global network. He mines what limited data he has to find out anything and everything he can about the dwarves and what possible cargo could be moving.

Kessel transmits his findings to the rest of the team.
While he's jacked into RAIN Kessel scans the Peacekeeper chatter for activist group sightings. After which, he disconnects with the usual covering of digital tracks.

"Hrm." Mack states philosophically.

"What do you guys think? Through the docks where the activists are less likely to be regulars, or through the other parts of town where we're more likely to see some activist and their cronies? I guess we have to assume we're being observed..."

"Which gives us more space to maneuver?"

"Hrm. Good question. Docks are usually a bit more open -- but seedier and darker. Main thoroughfares will be tighter, but more well lit. Of course, if the 'keeps do come to our aid if we're attacked, they're going to poke their nose into what's in the van...."

Mack frowns. "I guess the Docks it is..."

"Yeah, much more legal space to maneuver on that route."

"Let's go!" Kessel says, revving his bike. He sends OWL scouting the route from overhead.

Mack puts the van into drive and proceeds along the route, muttering about the need for a sensor dish or some kind of enhanced sensor equipment to better understand what is afoot around him.

Breecha does his best to monitor things with his rudimentary sensors, even as his optics take in the interior of the solid back doors.

Corril takes up position (front-behind or left-right, depending on which side of the van Kessel takes) and subvocally humming to the rhythm of the engines he watches the shady places ambush is most likely come from.

"I s'pose there will be trouble, why hire runners if it ain't expected? Is there some kind of plan, or we spin up one on the spot?" he merrily chimes in the shared channel.

A harsh buzz interrupts the comm and a warning klaxon sounds inside the van. "WARNING: Unknown Vehicle Approaching At High Speed. Collision Course Imminent At Next Intersection," Breecha's head turns in that direction as his voice intones with an accelerated modulation. "ADVISORY: Evasive Maneuver."

"We've got trouble!" Kessel veers his bike towards the unknown vehicle. He sends video feed from O.W.L.'s optics to everyone's displays. Then he focuses his awareness on the vehicle, trying to get a lock on its digital blip on the datasphere.

As soon as Breech says "WARNING" Mack is moving the van into evasive maneuvers as best he can. He downshifts into "growl and cough" and carefully times his sharp turns at the wheel with tapping the brake in order to manage the beast's acceleration and weight.

"What the hell is going on? Don't people follow traffic laws anymore?!"

Corril slows down and does a circle checking the surroundings all around to see if there are other attackers. "Scanning..." he declares excitedly.

As Kessel hears the warning he scans for the incoming vehicles systems, fed through by Breecha. He finds that the vehicle, like most in this world has an electrical ignition and regulation system on the engine. Unlike many, this one is unshielded. This is usually because of illegal modifications to the vehicle, but it has the upside of making the hacking of it much easier. With a few quick commands he cuts power to the vehicle and it instantly starts to slow.

As the van nears the intersection where a collision was incoming Mack turns to avoid the incoming vehicle which looks like a large modified tanker truck. The front of it is covered in a custom-made grill of jagged iron spikes. The vehicle is far from inconspicuous. The vehicle, which was once set to collide with the van and leave little left of it, crawls at about 15 MPH through the intersection as it continues to slow.

Hanging off the side of this vehicle you see two kenku. In the driver seat, smashing his clawed and feathered fist on the steering wheel is Redfeather.

The van turns to avoid the slow-moving vehicle, Mack keeps it from tipping or spinning out of control with his controlling maneuvers.. As you avoid the larger vehicle two smaller street-cars flank it on either side and make pursuit on you. Corril notes these first and pings them on the HUDs of the rest of the team.

Revving his bike, Kessel turns his attention to the nearest vehicle. He mutters a command, and bolts of black lightning streak towards its driver.

Breecha braces himself against the sides of the van, unable to find a clear shot due to the positioning of the flanked cars, and reasoning that opening the rear doors at this point is too much of a risk to the cargo. He does place a hand on the door and readies his pistol, waiting for the right moment.

A small section of his memory is tagged with a request to Tymora to install gun ports into the van.

Mack looks for potential places to lose these guys, scanning the map on the HUD and looking around for parked cars. Using the local terrain to the best of his advantage, he tries to squeeze the bird brain into a parked trailer outside a warehouse up on the left.

Breecha attempts to remove the car from combat by disabling it. He opens the door and takes a moment to aim at the front tire of the kenku vehicle, then pulls the trigger to fire a single round.

Breecha's shot peppers the front section of the kenku van that is speeding along with the vehicles. One of the tires bursts with an audible pop. The steering wheel threatens to cut violently to the side with the sudden lack of tire and shift in weight of the vehicle. The bird struggles to keep the vehicle under control.The creature tries to grab the wheel but the van turns sharply throwing to to the side. The vehicle cuts across to the right, nearly clipping the other van, but it slams into some parked cars and the force overturns the van.

One kenku van is still in pursuit on the right-side of your vehicle.

Breecha will try to close the door again and offer some protection against any possible retaliation.

Glancing behind him at the pursuing van, Kessel reaches back and tries to blast the driver with a beam of eldritch energy.