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[16:25] <Odin> Allie climbs her way up the side of the vessel using Fomor's loaned gecko gloves. It's nighttime, the stars in the sky are the brightest and most numerous you've ever seen in your life, the gently rocking waves move the boat and the Raft alike to their gentle rythem.
[16:28] <Odin> You're halfway up the side of the ship, in between two opaque portholes.
[16:29] <Odin> Above you, you can just barely hear the footsteps of patrolling guards over the surf.
[16:31] * Allie waits patiently, pressing herself flat against the side of the ship, waiting for the sound of footsteps to recede.
[16:34] <Odin> tkk tkk tkk tkk.... the sounds of boots on metal ship plating spread far and distant enough for you to have an opening to get onto deck...
[16:35] * Allie clambers up and over the gunwale, landing in a quiet crouch, looking for an ingress to the actual ship itself...
[16:38] <Odin> As you scramble over the railing, the size of the corvette astonishes you. This was an experimental ship trying out new configurations, and the T-bird parked on the fore deck is certainly a sign of how experimental it is. Not a dedicated carrier vessel, it nonetheless maintains the capability to refuel and rearm a select few vessels it seems. Or maybe these are aftermarket modifications from their mysterious "liberator"
[16:38] <Odin> From here you can see the second bridge (The real CIC will be deep within the ship, but in this era of electronic warfare, having eyes on the target is an absolute neccesity. Any other ingress point will require you to elude the guards and search at the same time...
[16:40] <Allie> Allie's good, and she knows it...but one doesn't survive being a ninj--err, infiltration specialist by taking too many risks, and she figures that even a secondary bridge will be too well-staffed for easy entrance. Time to pace the patrol and keep her eyes peeled for another door.
[16:51] <Allie> It's not the hardest job she's undertaken; these guards are good at their job, and attentive. But she's just better. Of course, her gear helps, too. She manages to slip inside a hatch before the guards make a turn along the perimeter, vanishing inside before she can appear in their peripheral vision.
[16:52] <Odin> These guys are pro's. As you move, you note the night vision goggles, and disciplined patrol. It's tough, but between your gear and your skills you manage to hide from them long enough to locate a hatch. Japanese lettering runs down the side of it, listing it (After a quick Neo-Translate) as the "Rear engine emergency access conduit"
[16:54] <Allie> Well...it's better than nothing. And she should be able to find other places from the rear engine room, right? She enters the hatch and makes her way along the path.
[16:55] <Odin> Hopping inside and quickly closing it after you, you see emergency lighting running down the corrider with a few other closed hatches breaking off of it. Straight down in front of you, you see a sign (Again, translating) as "Primary Engine Manual Operation Point" Voices come out of it, speaking in japanese too low and quick for the translation program to capture.
[16:57] <Allie> ...Renraku was a Japanese corp, wasn't it? So...if they're chattering in the same language, maybe it's the intended crew on board. Maybe not. She makes a mental note to share the factoid, then backs up to listen at the other closed hatches, maybe see if they're better points in.
[17:00] <Odin> You sneak up to one of the hatches and listen in. Surprisingly, they're speaking in english. One voice has an Japanese accent, the other sounds like an LA Native. "You were chosen because we can see the strengh inside of you! The strength that kept you going, even in such a miserable situation. Be proud of that! Be proud of your strength! You may not be a soldier, not yet, but you will learn, and in the meantime, you will
[17:00] <Odin> do other work. I understand you know something about hydropronics?" "Sir yes sir! Sir, I may have been a common dope dealer, but I know the systems you have here! I will need to read up on precisely what this "cabbage" stuff needs, but I'm sure I can tune the systems to provide a uh, "optimum growth environment" sir!"
[17:01] <Odin> Another hatch seems to lead to another corrider deeper into the ship judging by the lettering, but there are sounds of repetitive striking of flesh against... sand?
[17:02] <Allie> Curiosity draws her down that direction.
[17:02] <Allie> Apparently she's inherited more than just physical features in her SURGEing.
[17:08] <Odin> As you press yourself against the door, you hear the definite sound of flesh striking sand. "Kya!" tss. "Kya!" tss. Again. And again. And again. Sounds like a training session.
[17:22] <Allie> She purses her lips. Probably a punching bag, or something similarly sized. Still, that seems like kind of an oddity on a warship like this. She reaches for the hatch controls to open it up...
[17:25] <Odin> In the next hallway, you see a gaunt man sitting on his knees in front of a big bowl of sand. He doesn't even look up as you open the hydraulic hatch, he just keeps punching into it. His knuckles are starting to look red and bloody. His uniform looks brand spanking new, and although it fits him well, he wears it badly.
[17:26] <Allie> She stares for a long time, approaching slowly. He seems so intent on his task...it leads her to wonder if he's able to notice anything else.
[17:29] <Odin> A final strike into the bowl, and his concentration breaks. "Son of a fragging... OWWWW. Holy sweet mother of jesus, that freaking HURTS! Ahhhhhhhh." he waves his hands around, brushing the bloody sand out of them. He looks up at you. "What're ya, one of the new recruits? You lost or something?"
[17:31] <Allie> She blinks. "Lost. Yes. Sorry, I was supposed to be in the place, with the other thing, but I came the wrong way I think and I've been sitting here for like twenty minutes watching and are your hands going to be okay?"
[17:34] <Odin> His eyes dance over your sneak suit. "It's supposed to make me a warrior. Hands immune to anything. Tough. You never lose your hands, and if you do you've already lost your life, so they're a weapon of last resort, but you should never carry a weak weapon." That last sentence sounds like he's quoting someone. "I just want the Commander to see that I've taken her lessons to heart."
[17:36] <Allie> She nods. "I know a thing or two about fighting bare-handed, but my mentor wasn't for sand. More the old-school 'rope tied around a post' trick, ever see that one? In like old shows from last century or even some of those other super campy things that've come out in the last while?"
[17:41] <Odin> "Not really. I'm more of a mystery guy." He stands up off of his knees, wincing. "OW, ow, ow ow ow, blood, blood, ow." He salutes at you. "Private Kowalski of the Jade Dragons! And you are...?"
[17:45] <Allie> "Uh, right." She throws a sloppy copy of the same salute back at him. "Prrr...ivate Cate Spree. It's short for Catriona but that's kinda a mouthful."
[17:47] <Odin> "Private? But that sort of gear looks like you're a..." Oh, so he's not as dumb as he looks. The gears are clearly meshing in his head, and you're probably not going to like his conclusion.
[17:53] <Odin> Looks like down this hallway is a 4 way intersection. From the open door away from you, looks like some sort of small mess section.
[17:53] <Odin> These are aside from the hatches in the corrider next to you, which would seem to lead to small rooms
[17:54] <Allie> "Ah, you know, I just remembered the place I had to find, with the things again that I should REALLY get back to...getting to... Don't you have like ten thousand more strikes to finish?" she adds weakly, as a pathetic distraction, before making a break for the other open hatch, trying to shut the door, just looking to put some distance behind her.
[17:56] <Odin> You dash into the mess room and trigger the bulkhead right around the time the alarm klaxon starts ringing. A cook dressed in the same uniform as Kowalski drops his big pot and boiling hot water spreads out across the polished floor.
[18:00] * Allie bites her lip midstride; with her next footfall she leaps up to a mess table and slides across it, using her momentum to roll to her feet and run across the tabletops instead.
[18:01] <Odin> "Hey! You there! Stop!" the cook calls, as you keep dashing through the hallways.
[18:02] <Allie> "Not hungry!"
[18:07] <Odin> You burst through the next door, into a dozen gunbarrels pointed right at you. A holotank shows the entire ship, the Raft, and the surrounding sea in stunning trid resolution. "HOLD FIRE!" A voice calls out. A voice belonging to a tall Japanese woman who seems impossibly young to be commanding any man, let alone this many, but the gun barrels lower as the figure looks at through her one good (Non-eyepatched) eye.
[18:07] <Odin> "Allie-cat?" Oishi says, as she sheathes her oversized sword.
[18:09] * Allie skids to a halt, staring. Then pulls the half-mask away from her head, letting her ears pop free. "...Oishi?"
[18:10] <Odin> "Well there's a surprise. But who else would have the skill to infiltrate past my men?"
[18:11] <Allie> "Might wanna close up that thermal exhaust port." She shifts her stance, adopting a pose of casual arrogance, one hip cocked up as she puts her weight on that leg. "The guards on deck were sharp, though."
[18:13] <Odin> "Indeed. What brings you to my little home away from home? Last time I checked, cats weren't big fans of water."
[18:14] <Allie> She grimaces, her ears flattening. "...Please tell me you aren't watching our show," she mumbles. "Uh. Well, there's a big thing going on, and I recognized this ship so I came to see. Curious, y'know?" She points to her ears again. "...Wait. Were YOU the one who stole this?!"
[18:16] <Odin> "Your... show? And we needed a mobile base of operations. My men are familiar with Renraku's systems.... it was a natural fit."
[18:20] <Allie> "Hahaha that's so cool! Like, I wrote a report on this ship last year, for school, not long after I came back here to LA from Seattle, y'know, and like, that's why I recognized it, but nobody knows who actually stole it, so...and here's you! It's so cool!"
[18:36] <Odin> One of the soldiers looks like he's been itching to say something. "Commander, if I may?" "Go ahead soldier." "The show Allie is referring to is an action adventure Shadowrunner serial detailing the adventures of a shadowrunner group. It's likely that she's here doing something with the show, and if us- the fans are right, it's something about the Raft!"
[18:37] <Odin> Oishi nods. "Cool indeed. And fortunate that you're not after the ship, if my man is correct. Is he?"
[19:11] <Allie> "Well duh," she drawls, in spite of still having guns pointed in her direction. "What use could we possibly have for an awesomely cool super-high tech ultra-secret bleeding-edge hyper-battleship?" She pauses for a second. "...On second thought, don't answer that."
[19:12] <Allie> "But really, like, we're here because Crash"--she nods to the same soldier who'd spoken--"he knows who that is, has this giant cockamamie plan to screw over some corp using some of the refugees on the raft for sympathy 'cause they're totally worthy of it and probably accusing that same corp of experimenting on them. I think?"
[19:13] <Allie> "I dunno for sure, I don't even think, like, HE really remembers every step of this whole thing 'cause it's cuh-ray-zee."
[19:13] <Allie> "So what're you doing here with this new toy anyway?"
[19:14] <Allie> "How's things? I take it you did that...coup-thing you once mentioned doing after I left Seattle?"
[19:14] <Odin> There's a glint in Oishi's eye. You feel exposition incoming. "When you think of a soldier, Allie-cat, what do you think of?
[19:14] <Allie> "Uh." She blinks, shrugs. "These guys." She points to the ones pointing guns at her.
[19:16] <Odin> "No no no, in general."
[19:16] <Allie> "Exactly. Generals lead soldiers"
[19:17] <Odin> She closes her eyes, and breathes. "You remember the coup I talked about? Did I ever tell you WHY I did that?"
[19:18] <Allie> "I think so...and don't take this the wrong way, but I kinda forgot half of it. I know it had to do with your dad... Sorry, school's been kinda brutal, and then the show started up too."
[19:21] <Odin> "....This is why I went professional." She rallies, and throws an arm back in a dramatic stance. "I had a dream! A dream of soldiers who aren't under the command of politicians and beaurocrats who don't understand them! Who don't understand why we fight! I dreamt of a land where every last man and woman is judged not on who they are, meta or human, Japanese or not, but of a land where they could be united as one! As
[19:21] <Odin> SOLDIERS!"
[19:21] <Odin> Her men cheer.
[19:22] <Allie> So does Allie.
[19:23] <Odin> "But then, I started thinking. What good is a land comprised SOLELY of soldiers. Surely selling ourselves to the highest bidder, sustaining as though it may be, is not all that we were. We would merely exchange one master for another!"
[19:24] <Odin> "Think of the people of this raft. Poor. Starving. Abandoned by the rest of society. And yet, we can still find those whose hearts are strong! Who have not given up hope! Who's spirits burn with the hope of something more! Something better!"
[19:24] <Allie> Click, goes her mind.
[19:27] <Odin> "We will take these people. They will be our people! Our farmers and our workers! Miners and gatherers! The people upon whom a society is built, while those of us soldiers will fight! Because we are warriors! Carving out a space for them, a space for ourselves, a space for us to be free, no Gods or Kings or Megas!
[19:28] <Odin> "That will be our cause! The cause that we chose!"
[19:28] <Odin> The rising cheer deafens you.
[19:30] <Odin> Oishi faces you. Burning passion is alight on her face. "What do you think?"
[19:32] * Allie claps madly. "Oishiiiiiiiiiiiii that was so cool! If I was still in Seattle I'd TOTALLY have come with you on this!"
[19:35] <Allie> She actually takes a few steps forward after that, arms open--ostensibly to sweep the equally small girl into a hug. If she could avoid getting shot first.
[19:37] <Odin> Oishi crushes you in a hug. "I'm glad you understand."
[19:42] <Allie> She returns it with as much force as she can muster--which is less. "I'd totally go with you right now actually, but I kinda do have a bunch of stuff I need to keep doing, like finishing school and stuff. Not to mention the show. It's silly, but it's really a lotta fun. If you get some free time you should totally watch it! It might be too silly at times for you though."
[19:43] <Odin> "You can have my copy Commander!" the soldier who spoke up earlier says.
[19:44] <Odin> "It would be... interesting to have you on board. You could serve as our mascot."
[19:45] <Allie> She giggles. "I think I kinda already do~ Maybe I could give you a call if the show bottoms out? I mean, things shine pretty bright here in LA before burning out fast, so you never know... Not that I HOPE it does!"
[19:46] <Odin> "Perhaps. Still though, if you get into trouble onboard the Raft, or anywhere we are about, do not hesitate to call."
[19:47] <Allie> "Totally! Man, Oishi, I *totally* wasn't expecting to see you here! This is awesome. Hey--do you keep up with any of the rest of those weirdos from Seattle?"
[20:59] <Odin> "A few of them."
[21:02] <Allie> "Haha, nice. I have to say...I kinda miss them sometimes. Well, some of them. But the ones down here are pretty dang weird, too. I guess it's, like inex--inexc--...uh, inescapable."
[21:02] <Odin> "Weirdness comes with the shadowrunning territory it seems. Every runner, as unique as a snowflake."
[21:04] <Allie> "Yeah, I guess so. Even the ones who seem really plain and boring are unique for that, huh?"
[21:09] <Odin> "Yep."
[21:21] <Allie> She steps back. "Well, it's been super-awesome to see you again, it looks like you're really doing well for yourself. Give my apologies to your cook guy, I think I scared him and he spilled a bunch of boiling water, I kinda had to surf the tables to not burn my feet, annnnnd I'm gonna get back to my team, kay?"
[21:32] <JellyD> There's a few moments before one of the assembled soldiers holds a hand up. With short black hair, strong Germanic features and body you could buy out of a catalogue, she speaks up in a similarly Teutonic-accented voice. ".. You know. Alley Cat. You're pretty cool, and, be honest, I could use a change of scene myself. No offense, guys."
[21:34] * Allie blinks.
[21:34] <Allie> "Uh." She looks at Oishi.
[21:34] <Allie> "...Kay?"
[21:34] <Odin> Oishi looks at you. "Hmm. This doesn't surprise me. I've always felt like you were biding your time to go elsewhere."
[21:35] * Allie might be sighing in relief at not seeing Oishi cut someone else in two for desertion.
[21:35] <Odin> Oishi looks at Allie. "What? You think I would prevent one of my soldiers from leaving if they did not want to? Were you listening to a word I just said? This is a volunteer organization, Allie-cat."
[21:36] <Allie> "No, I know it is, I get it, just it's been a WEIRD couple of weeks with the show."
[21:37] <Odin> "And you (Jelly?)? You think show business might be a better way to spend your time?"
[21:39] <JellyD> She'd be known scoffingly as Jelly Doughnut for her Berlin accent, after a terrible FIfth World joke based on a misquoted Presidential speech. Also for her delicious outside and tasty filling. She's insisted a while on being called JD, though. ".. Honestly, boss? I want to try things. Never really got out and around and it sounds like something new and different."
[21:42] <Allie> "It really is different!" she pipes in.
[21:44] <Odin> "I wish you the very best of luck, JD."
[21:45] <JellyD> "Danke sehr, boss. Hoping all stays well with the lot of you, too. You took a chance on me and I won't forget it."
[21:53] <Odin> "Now then, was there anything else either of you needed? If I know anything about the crew you've fallen in with, JD's face is going to be a work of art once she meets the rest of the team.
[21:53] <JellyD> ".. h'oh boy, can't wait..
[21:54] <Allie> She pauses to think for a minute. "Welllll...take the old team from up north, times the weirdness by like three...and you'll have a good idea, until at least you watch the show."
[21:56] <Odin> "....Soldier, I want the full series so far on my comm yesterday" Oishi says as she addresses the soldier-fanboy
[21:56] <Allie> "I guess that means we can, y'know, just exit, stage left, kinda thing?"
[21:59] <JellyD> "S'pose so." JD stands and with a few parting fistbumps and the like steps up to join Allie.