Session 12: Royal Flush - kaseido/NeoTokyo GitHub Wiki

304 Bezos 1 Wood

Crimson Frost got the team a secure limo. At the hotel, it picked up Lan, Rina, Rook, and Markov, and headed to the Kreml'. There are multiple security checks as the group enters the Kreml’ complex. Invitations, retinal scans, vehicle scans, physical check of the vehicle, actual patdown – ImpSec is not fucking around. At each check, clutches are searched carefully, down to sniffing the perfume bottles. The group is passed through – though not without cracks about the litterbox room and mice canapes. Rina gives them a toothy smile and twitches her ears, stroking the little necklace with the live beetle in it.

An elevator whisks the group from the underground garage into an immense palace complex. Armed ImpSec in dress uniforms and not-visibly-armed palace staff, also in dress uniforms, are every 5 meters or so, keeping eyes on the flow of guests through the corridors to the Grand Ballroom. Imperial Rus’ isn’t money and power as the team has ever seen it, but this is money and power. Huge portraits, painted, precious objects in recessed nooks, red and gold everywhere.

They do note they’re dressed several degrees better than the crowd around them: this is the nobles entering through the front, not the Imperials already inside. They didn’t get to visit the Imperial tailor.

Finally, they approach two immense doors, all filigreed with gold, and with the Imperial Crest huge across the middle of them. They’re allowed in a pair at a time, and announced. Nobody pays any attention as Rina’s and Lane’s names are called out, but when Markov and guest enter, heads turn, and there’s actual polite applause.

The game’s afoot.

Lane stations herself close to the doors where the canapes will be coming out. She keeps an eye out for when they start serving. Rina is strolling around the room and occasionally nibbling on the plants.

Rina’s keeping an eye out for Zhukov. He’s definitely a poisoning target. Lane’s keeping an eye out for Prince Grigorii as backup in case Zhukov starts something. Grisha does come over and ask her for a dance. The crowd definitely notices that the Prince is dancing with a very well-dressed foreigner.

Grisha whispers to her, “My cousin read me in, and suggested you might need transportation. When, um, the chaos erupts, an ImpSec guard will approach you. He’ll be wearing my crest -“ he taps at a badge on his gaudy dress uniform – “and will lead you to an unmarked car. From they’re you’re on your own. Shame we couldn’t arrange to feed Yuri fatal cookies, but in time, in time.”

While Lane is drawing attention, Rina rolls quietly over to pop up behind Zhukov. Lane suggests to Grisha that they pay their regards to Zhukov. Rina hisses loudly behind Zhukov and his bodyguard. They turn to look. She pops the cork on her beetle container, tears its legs off and hands it out to him: “This is you!”

“Passing on your lunch to make a dramatic gesture?” he sneers. She keeps holding it out in his face as if she expects him to eat it. The bodyguard cuts in, physically turns her around, and marches her out of the way. She hands the bodyguard the bug: “Make sure he keeps it!” She starts spraying the canapes.

Lane gets her perfume out so that when he turns back around with his drink in his hand, she sprays it, and he has no clue. “We just wanted to stop by and give our regards to you.” He says that if it weren’t for his hosts, he’d snap his fingers and have ImpSec arrest her. More snark is traded, and he walks off.

Rina sprays undetected – occasionally telling people she finds their scent offensive and spraying them down. She tells them it was a gift from Kira so they can’t be mad.

Rook is just letting Markov drag her around the dance floor, just making sure her heels aren’t caught on her dress. She spritzes all her groupies as they come to fawn over him.

Kira’s on top of giving Kat a light dose, so she’s unwell but not incapacitated.

Rook asks Markov to introduce her to Yuri for a dance. It’s taking all Markov has to not rip his spine out then and there, but he had a long session with Butina beforehand to keep him in check. He hands Rook over to Yuri, who is a phenomenal dancer.

She begs his pardon but asks him to escort her to the bar – the dancing has left her breathless! She enthusiastically accepts his proposition, but says he needs to square it with Markov – she’s just a girl caught in the middle, but she’s sure Markov will have no problems relinquishing his claim in favor of the Prince – anyone would be honored!

The boobs have distracted him enough that he doesn’t notice her spraying his drink. He tells a guard to make sure she’s in her quarters by midnight, and heads off to line up seconds. She asks the guard to escort him back to Markov, and asks him to taste the drink. He knocks it back and hands her off to Markov.

She hangs on Markov, glad she’s still alive and that they plan to be out of there before midnight.

Trumpets blare, and the Tsar and Tsarina are announced. They step out onto a balcony over the ballroom floor. Crown Prince Yuri is announced, but lurks in the shadows behind his parents.

The Tsar nods and smiles down on the crowd: despite the wrinkles, he seems quite a vigorous man, but even from the back of the ballroom you get a sense there are little pinwheels in his eyes. The Tsarina launches into a glowing ode to her daughter, the Princess Yekaterina – and tells the crowd not to leave early, as one of their honored guests will have a surprise for the Princess later this evening.

At that, Kat emerges, face a mask, smiling and waving to thunderous applause from the crowd. You can see Kira hovering just behind her, a dark shadow .Kat says a few words, clearly memorized and written by the Imperial propaganda office, then descends with Kira to the dance floor. Yuri stomps down the other side and points to a young officer dancing with a beautiful woman. His face goes brick red, but he bows deeply and leaves. Yuri grabs the woman close for a waltz.

Rina tells everyone who asks her to dance that they’ll be bitten – one of Kira’s friends from the café isn’t put off. “Everyone deserves to be bitten at some point in their lives,” but she does dance – she didn’t say she wouldn’t! He actually asks for it above his uniform collar so he can show it off. She obliges and sprays him with perfume.

Her dance card is full after that! She’s dancing with the first person to power-hurl, but twirls out of the way! She knows that sound of a hairball about to come up! She gives him a 7 out of 10 – she’s seen better. She sniffs and walks away – this is not her problem! Rina takes out a handkerchief and ties it over her nose. Rook fakes it into a potted plant. Lane checks for where everybody is: it’s about time to make their move.

Kira takes charge: “I know something about poisons! Call ambulances, lots of them! I’ve got the Princess! You, you – clear the way for us! Two ImpSec guards ruthlessly shove pukers aside, clearing a path to the elevator to the garage. Might as well get in their wake.

Kira passes right by Markov and Rook: “We’re stealing an ambulance, follow me.”

Rina hisses at a door guard at very irritated cat- her skirt is swishing because her tail is swishing, and she’s trying to leave through the door. She gets out and finds Lane.

An ImpSec guard with Grisha’s crest does corral Lane and Rina and leads them down a hallway, then turns a small bust in an alcove 90 degrees to the right. Part of the wall slides back, revealing a stairwell. “The car is waiting at the bottom, engine running. The red button on the dash is for the emergency siren – it will get you through traffic.”

You enter, he turns the bust back, the panel closes. Down the stairs and out into a small private garage level, and yes, there’s a heavy black sedan, light on top, engine running. Except – it never occurred to poor Grisha to ask if either of you could drive…

Rina tries to get behind the wheel, but Lane shoves her over. She punches the big red button for the siren. Rina climbs into the back seat and strips out of her dress. Lane slams the car into the armored garage door, which didn’t get out of the way as fast as she’d expected. Rina tumbles head over heels in her shapewear. The car is crunched and they get whiplashed, but carry on. No one could accuse them of following traffic laws, but they do stay in forward motion.

Back at the hotel, the three doctors and the Rollerball player plan their escape from the hotel. The doctors’ plans are getting more and more convoluted when Polina,the Rollerball MVP, cuts in: “I’m a local – I’ll just go down a floor and pull the fire alarm. Meet me in the garage: I’ll hotwire a car.”

Everybody agrees this is eminently reasonable except – Moopsie volunteers to take Red Sonja, Markov’s bike. Kniffin takes exception: she actually knows how to ride. Moopsie says that that bike needs enhanced reflexes, and besides, should you really be arguing with your patient?

“What do you think I do all day? One no, two no, three, this is a grief trauma response, and what do we know about those?”

“Uh, bad idea?”

Moopsie insists on rock-paper-scissors. She throws paper, and Kniffin doesn’t even pretend to do it at the same time – she holds up two fingers like she’s throwing the bird. “I drive.”

Kniffin is having the time of her life on Red Sonja. Polina, driving only slightly over the speed limit, has lost them completely.

They reach the bomb lab, looking more deserted than ever. Moopsie has the keys, and lets them all in. She tells the others to scan all the documents while she rigs a bomb.

Kniffin talks her into doing the scanning while she builds the bomb. She reviews the plans and then calls Butina over: both she and Polina are probably better than the medical doctor who treats cats and the therapist for full body replacements.

Butina builds the bomb with Polina’s assistance, and it’ll get the job done. Kniffin helps Moopsie finish the scanning.

Moopsie tries to cut Kniffin off and take the bike. She flips her the bird again. “I won, remember, I drive.”

“OK!” Moopsie holds up a hand: she snagged the detonator.

“You let my patient take it?”

“She said she’d watched this before?”

“We are going to have a strong talk about interfering with each other’s client relationships!”

“When Butina gives the signal, yes, you may depress it.”

The bomb takes out the entire block, but the walls contain it just long enough to not send shrapnel into them.

“And how does that make you feel?”

“Amazing! And a good warmup for pulling Zhukov’s legs off!”

They rendezvous with the other team outside Techtronika Aeronautics.

Rina orders everybody into Grisha’s car. They follow along.

Markov takes his bike back from Kniffin.

Kira’s in the front passenger seat, Kniffin takes over driving: Lane looks like an expensive callgirl, Kniffin looks like if you fuck with her, she’ll end your life.

They roll up to the gate. Kira demands admission, or she’ll call the Prince. It works. They roll the gates back. They head on in.

Rook pries the external plasma vent open with one high heeled shoe.

Rina jacks into the system, which isn’t locked down. It takes her a good while to get the hang of the system. Having tried to drive through an armored door once tonight, she gets the hangar doors opened.

She looks through the files for the plane’s documentation. She copies all of it, and installs the worm she’s been working on for the past few days that will remove traces of her presence and all the information. It succeeds completely.

She sets up some known targets for ground defense, including Zhukov’s tattoos. It’s intended to aim for the limbs. Yuri doesn’t have the same distinctive features. She gets Kira to give her a good description of what Yuri is likely to show up wearing and includes that as targeting information. “It’s nice to say hello when people come to visit.”

A number of the office staff have uploaded their music files: she downloads all the opera. She raises the pay of the lowest 15 people in the organization to match the highest-paid person.

Rook slides out of the pilot seat, gives Markov a big kiss and says, “fly us away please – it’s been real fun being your fake prostitute, you know.” Rina gets her dress out of the car: she’s going to give it to their boutique owner.

Rina checks out the network systems on the plane. She turns on the sensor suite.

Markov gets the plane out on the runway – “but how do you make it go up?” Rina finds a piloting manual and puts it up on the screen. Rook helps from the copilot seat. They get airborne. Markov asks where they’re going.

Lane says they’re headed for TreeHouse, but that’s, er, shot down. They decide to call Tiffany once they’re clear of Imperial space.

Rina notes something else is taking off from Tereshkova Skyport – surprising for the middle of the night. It’s broadcasting a clear IFF: it’s a Zhukov Amalgamated private jet. Looks like Zhukov’s making a run for it!

Rina comms him: “Hello little bug!” “Time to squish you!”

It’s launching missiles! And they’re closing fast!

Markov: “This is spaceplane, yes? SPACE!” He stands it on its tail and burns for space.

Lane calls Tiffany. She gets Eloise. They have the spaceplane! What would Tiffany like them to do with it? The solid 15 seconds of silence reads as her doubled over laughing.

Tiffany comes on. “You’re bringing me a present!”

Rina asks if Lane mentioned their guests. “She’ll love Kira!”

The team neglected the inertial dampeners and artificial gravity. Oops.

Rina’s body is hurling, but her brain in the network has no idea. Kniffin hurled on her patient – who is at least easy to wipe down. Rina jacks out to discover she’s covered in vomit, but does not strip out of the last layer of clothing she’s wearing, remembering humans are weird about random nudity. Kira, alas, covers Kat in puke. Rina and Kat head into the sonic shower. Kira is deathly embarrassed. Kat still has her dress on. Rina shows her how to use it.

Kat didn’t think the plan would be that- memorable? She’s profoundly grateful. Rina asks what she wants to do with her life. She has no idea.

Rina asks if she likes computers, stealing, hitting people? Not so much. She doesn’t like her life being structured. Rina thinks Kat should have a chat with the doctors - she might like healing people’s minds.

“Cats got to stick together!”

On descent, Eloise reports that Zhukov’s plane went down at sea about 500km northeast of The Drift. Obviously going for his lair. You’re going to need to get back on that set of leads immediately.

As they approach the highway, Rina turns on the landing assist system – and everyone is grateful. It’s a smooth landing! Within moments, they’re surrounded by helos.

They check for the Nguyen logo on the helos that land around them. Rina goes to Lane to point out they’re all in formal dress and maybe don’t want to anymore – mostly pointing to Kira and Kat. Lane thinks that’s sensible, but she was hoping she could show Tiffany this fine ballgown – she looks so hot in it!

They shove Kira and Kat into coveralls, and Rook runs for the replicator to get out of prostitute-dress. Rina goes for just the top half of the uniform, to leave her tail out.

They begin to debrief Eloise, when there’s a motorcycle roar coming in fast. It’s Tiffany, wearing a leather vest and not a whole lot else. She spins the bike in to a stop right next to them and hops off. Eloise rolls her eyes loudly.

Lane swishes her gown, takes Tiffany’s hand,and leads her onto the spaceplane to show it off. Rina’s giving Kira and Kat running commentary on everything. Lane explains about them and asks Tiffany to get them settled.

Markov wants in on the kill, but he’s reminded the Demons are only 8 and 8 this season: he needs to get their star player worked up, and rack up some wins. So Markov, Butina, and Polina head out.

The team plus Moopsie, Kniffin, Kat, and Kira heads back to the Emerald Blossom Resort: Tiffany’s booked the girls into the penthouse suite. Don’t roust them for the morning planning meetings!

Moopsie and Kniffin take a room.

Jiefan books you into a suite – she is not letting you out of her sight again! Rina curls up next to Jiefan and purrs at her, and explains that they’ll be pulling Zhukov’s legs off. Rook sidles up to Jiefan and looks at her shoes, and apologizes. Jiefan pats her straight up and down on one shoulder. Rina tells Jiefan she needs to learn how to be a deadly badass bodyguard here, with their tech. Rook agrees Kira needs a mentor.

Lane finally gets out of the ballgown and takes a nice long hot bath. Rook hides behind the sofa and eats an entire pizza herself, and moons over the plans for the spaceplane. “Hey! That thing has heated seats!” It’s the best piece of tech she’s ever seen. Rina checks in on Kaito: the colony is thriving. After that, she uploads all the Russian opera onto the net via burner accounts: People need to appreciate! For a while, everything everyone downloads comes with Russian opera attached.

A quiet day is spent before meeting with the TreeHouse team in the morning.