[Crossbow]

"That was incredible Anna, it was like the rest of us barely needed to be there." Flatline really was pleased, his preparation really was unnecessary,  which was good, because his stomach hit the floor in the face of the actual con.  He really felt out of his element and was glad that the other mage had it handled.

[SquirrelDude]

Slobbertooth briskly but inneffectually helped sweep and dust the submarine as he and Mike attempted to make it presentable

[gilga]

Yael smiled "Perhaps I needed to break something expensive to keep you guys occupied." She buckled up in the car and said "Well it is a start anyway."

[Volker]

bnc starts in a bright voice: "Jeez, yah, you really were...
Carajo. The spell's working on you, too! Don't let that witch bitch numb you. The moment you rely on your instincts rather than your wits, is the moment you can resign.
"quite good. Well done. Let's go back. If you look for me, I'm online. I told you I'm of no use here."

With that, her body goes limp, before people can really react.

Back in the base, she joins her old comrade, Slobbertooth. "Nice deal, sempai. I really start wondering why Schmitt goes off on boats that much. I'll go get myself a drink before w'all meet again. Want some?"

[Jack_Spade]

As Mike heard that last comment he snorted and replied: "Didn't you know? Our Dr. Schmitt started his career as a marine biologist before he went into medical biology, that and I have a strong suspicion that before that he was a Kampfschwimmer with MET2000. If he wasn't such an under water aficionado he would never have gone down into that underwater base/death trap to begin with."

[Volker]

"Makes sense to me. Then why didn't he expect so much as a Freischwimmer from his prime runners for a qualification?"

[Jack_Spade]

"No idea. If you'd ask me it's because people who can't swim will defend the ship longer."
Mike replied

[gilga]

The drive to base is eventless and Yael spends it talking with Flatline, they appear to have many things in common. While Yael is not a physician she is keen to health magic. In fact, her short career was more about skills, magic was a way to excel in tasks that Yael already did well without it.   The two shares mentor spirit, at least one of its interpretations,  Yael seeks her inner matriarch for guidance while Flatline sees his mentor as the protector,  still there are similarities. 

After  short and pleasant talk, they arrive at the safe house (again!) and Yael begins to feel that the place is too much like dorms - but without the wild parties. Once there she asks Mike, "Is there anything good to drink? I feel like we earned a few shots of whiskey... being still in one piece and everything." She would not normally drink on the clock, but her particular skills are not in such a high demand at the moment, with kite as a dedicated rigger and bnc with a high quality rig in her head, it is not like anyone is going to ask Yael to drive.

 
 

[Jack_Spade]

"If I know the boss, he'll bring a meal and a few bottles of really good wine. If that's not enough I can head out and fetch you adult juice of your choice.
But girl take the word from an old ork who's been around the block: Instead of celebrating being alive you might want to go over what brought you into danger in the first place.
There's two things you always should have in any given situation: Backup nearby and an exit strategy.
Now, I was really biting my nails yesternight with you and that psycho up there. So if I promise to get you the best fragging drink you ever had, would you promise me to be considerate of an old tuskers pump and not provoke any more rich and/or powerful man that may or may not be total psychopaths? Because trust me, on this Island with the rich people and their bodyguards you'll be bound to stumble on quite a few of them."

Mike replied.

[gilga]

Yael smirked "Yes, that part was very exciting!  Honestly, I had no idea he was such a terrible person...  I was ready to just slot him. I was truly surprised how badly he reacted, but well I am a mage and am capable of defending myself.  I had a spirit on call and It was enough muscles for a date night.  I did not need any more muscles, but I needed a brainiac  and I had an incredible decker to get me out. " She sighed "Honestly, I am used to staying alive...I am depressed that  either we succeed and I need to lay low or we fail and I am dead...  None of these scenarios includes much dancing and drinking."

[SquirrelDude]

"Hopefully we will all live long enough to retire and have the time to drink and dance when we are no longer able to do either."

[Volker]

bnc no longer contained herself. " 'very exciting'? It was mucho grando stupid, null-wit! This ain't no game, carajo. You brought yourself into danger unnecessarily, as you did me. It was mere luck we were faster than them. This decker mighta roasted my brains just as easy as that jerk could've raped you, exed then, and raped again. Moreover, you risked the whole operation, thus the lives of your omae and perhaps even the only close-to-honest Johnson we can hope to ever meet. So, shove your complaints somewhere dark and moist; and if I ever hear you about not being able to slot any of our contacts, or enemies, or their pets, or what-frigging-ever you'd allow into your well-tended orifices, I'm gonna personally add one or two of them. Jeez, just listen to an ork who got old in this kind of business and stop thinking with your cunt. Now, next step is Zola Escoban, I suggest. Now that we have access to the island, we should start by gaining data about him. I think it's better to observe him now than later, as it will be less suspicious in case of any flaws: If he notices something strange, but then nothing happens for a good while, he'll eventually calm again. Maybe we can somehow find out where he wears his key."
bnc frowns, and for a good instant, her youth shows. "Or does anyone have a better plan?"

bnc drops on the couch, no longer in the mood for a drink.

[SquirrelDude]

Slobbertooth almost went back to firing at AR targets when bnc started another spat with the mage, but decided to give his two cents for how the team should proceed. "I'm fine with sitting in the dark and watching a guy for a while. Maybe I'll be able to get some peace and quiet. It would also be wise to get a meatspace look at the physical footprint of the building we're going to enter."

"And can we please save all of our fucking and drinking until after we're rich"

Slobbertooth took off his jacket and headed to his room with Zelda. It was practically noon, way past their bed time.

[Jack_Spade]

Chapter 2

"There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!"

- Sneakers

Seattle, November 7th, noon

Right on time the garage door opened and Schmitt arrived in his Rover.
"Good morning, or rather good day. Congratulations to the successful finish of the first part of this operation. I especially like the part where I can dump the boat house quickly into the lap of the Sidhe Council. That frees up quite a bit of budget.
Now, if someone could help me, I took the liberty of bringing lunch for all of you from Feinkost Käfer Deli - and a very fine Bordeaux."

Schmitt indicated towards three large styrofoam boxes and a cask with five bottles on the back seat.

While they prepared the food in the conference room he continued: "As promised, I wasn't idle. With some effort I was able to find Zola's private residence as well as his routine schedule. But more on that after we have eaten."

As before, Schmitt showed a remarkable eye for detail: This time everyone found their respective favorite meal, made from the real ingredients. bnc found also a small bundle of bananas to accompany her müsli.

When they had finished the meal, Schmitt took a last sip of his wine and spoke: "Before I begin, are there any questions, requests or complaints I should be aware off? We are getting now into the really sensitive part of the operation, so anything that could turn out to be a problem should be shared now."

[Volker]

bnc took the food gratefully. Feinkost Käfer wasn't exactly something that reminded her of home, as the simplest Käfer stuff still cost roughly four times as much as she could afford - and eight times as much as she wanted to. But still, she couldn't deny that something as simple as an ä gave her kind of a warm feeling, after living more than a year in the UCAS. The bananas made her even happier than the letter. Seeing that Gerhard had chosen each runner's favorite dish, she decided to remember what he himself ate, to maybe pay him back his efforts another day.

When their Johnson asked about problems, she hesitated. Only when he insisted, she decided to open her mouth. Before the words poured out, however, the memory of a schooltime that ended so abruptly when first Dmeyk, then Krestov came into her life, flashed up; and speaking to their Johnson about the issues felt a bit like telling on Anna. So instead, she said: "No, I don't think there's a problem. No one is going to risk the run or their chummers' lives without consulting with their team, or be unfocussed."
She resisted the temptation to cast a look at Anna. Instead, she dug into her banana muesli.