The Corridor (actual play reports)

[Minion]

I've been running a sci-fi superspies game called The Corridor since January 2007. It's currently on a six-month hiatus, while I'm overseas studying. I thought this would be a good opportunity to get some play logs written, to help keep everything fresh in my (and my players') mind(s). I'm posting them on a forum that my gaming group uses, but I thought some people over here might be interested.

I'm writing these play logs entirely from memory -- I left all my notebooks back home, in Australia. Unfortunately, I've got a terrible head for names, so I'm regularly going to have to resort to generic identifiers (the faceman, the informant, and so on). I'll try and fix them all up when I get back to Australia, or if one of my players has a better memory than I.

I started out with three players, and a fourth has since joined the group. This is actually the second campaign I've run in the setting -- the first wasn't turning out like we (the players and I) hoped, so we sat down and had a big chat about what we were looking for in the game. That led to this new and improved(tm) version, which has been a big success, in my opinion.

If anyone has any questions or comments, I'd love to hear them!

--- the setting ---

It's the year 498 of the Imperial Calendar. Mankind has spread out from the Sol System along radial lines, like the spokes of a wheel. Our adventures take place in one such spoke, extending along the spiral arm of the Milky Way, towards the galactic core. It's known as The Coreward Corridor, or more usually just The Corridor.

The Corridor consists of 17 inhabited systems, partitioned roughly equally amongst four kingdoms -- the Kingdom of Anacreon, the Mentar Confederacy, the Kingdom of Chee and the Li Han Prefecture. All four kingdoms swear fealty to the Emperor, who rules from Sol, the Forbidden System.

Recently, Mentar launched a surprise attack on the Anacreonian world of Korell, destroying her space navy, and then bombarding her ground forces into submission. No attack like this has occurred in the 498 years of Imperial rule -- any aggression is usually quickly put down by the technologically superior Imperial patrol fleets. This time, however, the Imperials are strangely quiet, ignoring all Anacreonian calls for intervention.

This is where the agents enter the scene. Each Anacreonian noble contributes to the war effort in whichever way he considers most appropriate. Some build and crew naval vessels, while others raise and equip battalions of soldiers. Still others use their wealth and contacts to engage in espionage. The Duc de Minsk, whose wealth is based on the distillation of the finest whiskey in The Corridor, is such a man. He recruited the agents, and supplies their missions and equipment.

--- the player characters ---

Remy de Arault (Soldier 4) -- second son of an Anacreonian noble family, Remy is something of a gentleman adventurer. His family had major holdings on the recently conquered Korell, and so he is eager to do his part. Remy's skill with his (tiny) pistol is considerable.

Leofric Eorpwald (Scientist 4) -- fifth son of a Chee noble family, Leofric is married to an Anacreonian noblewoman. Originally a maker of robotic toys in Chee, Leo defected to Anacreon in the hope that the war would give him the opportunity to experiment on the bleeding edge of technology.

Thomas Duval (Intruder 4) -- an Anacreonian noble with a wide array of useful, but slightly dodgy, skills. A practically invulnerable forcefield, a cat-like ability to survive falls, and a briefcase containing a scary SMG are his primary tools.

Jean-Frank (Wheelman 4) -- a mysterious Anacreonian noble, Jean-Frank can pilot any spacecraft, drive any ground vehicle, and put big holes in things with his trusty shotgun.

? (Faceman 1/Soldier 2) -- this Anacreonian noble's modus operandi was simple: stride straight up to the opposition, and bluff the heck out of them. If that fails, well, that's what the martial arts are for!

--- the rules ---

I'm running the game using Spycraft 2.0, with the following campaign qualities in effect: Big Budget, Blockbuster, Faction, Fast Feats and Tradecraft. The rules are basically unmodified (I allow some gear to be miniaturised, which reduces its size category by one grade, for free). PCs began at 3rd level.

A note about the in media res openings. In order to get straight into the swing of things, most sessions begin with a short action sequence. I dump the PCs right into the middle of a conflict, and see what happens. All abilities, action dice, gear, vitality and wounds automatically refresh after this little intro. This encourages high-flying action and some serious risk-taking -- in other words, fun!

[Minion]

SESSION 1. AIR RE-PROCESSORS

--- the agents ---

Faceman/Soldier
Remy de Arault
Leofric Eorpwald

--- the opening scene ---

As we join the action, the agents are chasing a fugitive through the carriages of a hurtling train. The fugitive has a tiny explosive device implanted in his eye, and the train is headed straight for the Anacreonian capital! The Faceman handles crowd control (and believe me, the passengers are panicked!), while Remy takes down the fugitive. Leofric dives in, and goes to work on the tiny, antimatter-powered eye-explosive, defusing it just in the nick of time!

Cue the theme music...

--- the air re-processors ---

The Duc de Minsk has decided it's time to strike at the Mentarians, on their own soil. He charges the agents with the destruction of three air re-processing towers in the Mentarian capital. It'll have a significant effect on air quality in the heavily polluted city, but the main purpose is propaganda -- three gigantic explosions in the heart of Mentar will send a message that Anacreon will not go quietly.

The towers consist of a tall (approximately four storeys), roughly circular stack of machinery, with a doughnut-shaped observation and control room ringing the top level. The control room has windows looking outwards on the city, as well as inwards on the machinery. Minsk supplies the agents with explosive devices, encouraging them to plant them in the control rooms -- this will cause the maximum amount of damage for the minimum yield. The other gear requisitioned is largely inconsequential, except for a bolt-action sniper rifle picked up by Remy (just in case!).

The weather is unsurprisingly bad when the agents arrive in the Reichskapital, on Mentar Prime. It's drizzling, and the smog is so thick that many residents have taken to wearing filter-masks. After securing a hotel, the agents head out to the first of the air re-processors, to do some reconnaissance. They observe the tower for a day, noting the generally lax security (a couple of bored Mentarian soldiers), and the timing of the shift changes.

The next evening, the agents put their plan into action. The Faceman strides up to the two slack soldiers guarding the first tower, posing as a superior officer on a surprise inspection. A tirade of abuse keeps the soldiers distracted, while Leofric uses one of his many gadgets (invisibility cufflinks) to sneak into the tower and plant an explosive device. His mission achieved, seemingly without incident, the three agents make their (leisurely) way to the second target.

Figuring they'll try the same plan again, the faceman puts on his angry-superior-officer face, and begins the shouting. This time, however, the guards aren't buying it. Word has got around about a slightly suspicious figure possibly posing as a Mentarian officer -- the guards, reasonably enough, ask to see some identification. When the faceman doesn't immediately supply it, they begin to suspect something isn't right.

Meanwhile, Remy is keeping lookout from the shadows. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots something unusual: a woman in a cocktail dress, watching the faceman argue with the soldiers. This particular air re-processor is in the middle of an industrial district, and it's well after-hours -- not the sort of place you expect to find women in cocktail dresses.

For reasons that still aren't particularly clear, Remy decides to break cover and burst in on the (rapidly deteriorating) argument between the faceman and the guards. Ranting like a madman about women in fancy dresses, he manages to freak out the guards -- weapons are drawn or readied, action ensues. Leofric takes the opportunity to sneak into the air re-processor, and again places his explosive device.

Remy and the faceman make short work of the guards, but it's clear that they've been rumbled -- if they're going to hit the third air re-processor, they need to do it quickly. A plan is hatched, and promptly swung into action. Remy uses his personal gyrocopter (passenger space for just one) to ferry the faceman and the bolt-action sniper rifle to a building rooftop adjacent to the third tower. He then flies back, and picks up Leofric.

While Remy is picking up Leofric, the faceman notices some movement on the roof of the third air re-processor. It appears that the gyrocopter has been spotted, and the Mentarian military is preparing defences; a pair of soldiers take to the roof, one of them armed with a shoulder-mounted missile launcher! The faceman radios the situation to Remy, and immediately opens fire on the missile trooper.

From here on out, it's all action. The faceman takes down the trooper with the missile launcher, but in doing so, reveals his position to the Mentarians. He then goes to work on one of the reinforced windows in the air re-processor's control tower, slamming rounds into it until it shatters. He then turns his attention back to the re-processor's roof -- another Mentarian is attempting to retrieve the missile launcher, while his companions provide covering fire. To make matters worse, reinforcements converge on the faceman's building, and begin swarming up to take him out.

Remy and Leofric arrive just as the faceman kills a second would-be missile trooper, and buzz low past the air re-processor. Leofric demonstrates some pin-point accuracy, lobbing the (extremely small) third set of explosives through the shattered window, into the tower's control centre. They then head for the rooftop, to rescue the faceman.

But the faceman is already under attack. A small unit of Mentarians has reached his rooftop, and he's taking heavy fire. Amongst the Mentarians is one unusual soldier -- he has a pair of cybernetic arms, and some sort of crude cybernetic modification to his head; more augmentation than is usually considered safe. Further, a network of spidery black veins lace his skin. He seems far less concerned with seeking cover than his companions.

Reasonably enough, the faceman focusses his attention on this unusual soldier. He manages to score a few direct hits, but they don't slow the soldier down at all -- his wounds fizz with a blackish foam, and very little blood is actually spilt. The faceman, however, doesn't fare so well. Return fire from the Mentarians takes him down; he starts to bleed out.

Remy and Leofric touch down on the rooftop. Remy distracts the Mentarians with deadly accurate shots from his pistol, but is also unable to take down the unusual soldier. Meanwhile, Leofric uses his invisibility gadget to attempt to rescue the bleeding faceman. Amidst the gunfire, Leo is faced with a difficult choice: does he take the time to patch up the faceman before moving him, or does he take the risk that he'll live long enough to get back to their getaway shuttle, and get the hell out of dodge?

The seemingly implacable super-soldier decides the issue for Leofric; Leo grabs the faceman, and drags him back to the gyrocopter. Remy, meanwhile, begins unloading everything non-essential, in the hope that the gyrocopter can get enough lift to carry three passengers. It's touch and go for a minute, but eventually they get airborne, and flee for the shuttle amidst a hail of fire from the Mentarians.

As the agents make for the shuttle, three explosions simultaneously light up the Mentarian sky. The air re-processors are destroyed. The message is emphatically sent: Anacreon is still in the fight. But it isn't all roses -- Leofric's gamble didn't pay off. The faceman bled out during the escape, sacrificing his life to ensure the success of the mission, and the lives of his companions.

Roll the credits!

[Minion]

SESSION 2. INTELLIGENCE GATHERING: SUPER-SOLDIERS

--- the agents ---

Remy de Arault
Leofric Eorpwald
Thomas Duval
Jean-Frank

--- the opening scene ---

En route to their next mission, the agents' ship is intercepted crossing through the Mentarian blockade of Anacreonian space (incredibly unlucky, given the sparsity of the blockade). When we join our heroes, they're engaged in a fire-fight with the Mentarian border guards. A Mentarian patrol boat had docked with the agents' ship -- the agents and their enemies were pinned down on opposite sides of the airlock.

To make matters worse, the patrol boat had an override on the airlock controls -- the two ships could only be disengaged from the Mentarian side. And if that weren't complicated enough, Jean-Frank currently had the agents' ship under heavy thrust, attempting to avoid the patrol boat's escorts. Shipboard 'down' now ran along the length of the agents' ship, through the airlock, and into the Mentarian patrol boat.

Thinking fast, Leo, Remy and Thomas don spacesuits, attaching cables to nearby bulkheads. Thomas drops a grenade into the Mentarian ship, to clear the path, and Leo dives into the enemy vessel, arresting his fall just next to the airlock controls. Remy and Thomas provide covering fire, while Leo instructs the Mentarian airlock to close and detach after a very short delay.

Leo shouts the go signal, and Jean-Frank slams on the brakes. 'Down' suddenly flips direction. Remy and Thomas are secured against their bulkheads; Leo goes shooting through the airlock door just seconds before it closes, crashing into a wall, but surviving to tell the tale. The Mentarians are too shaken about to mount a quick enough pursuit; the agents jump clear!

Cue the theme music...

--- intelligence gathering: super-soldiers ---

The Duc de Minsk is concerned by reports of near-unstoppable, heavily-augmented Mentarian super-soldiers -- the agents weren't the only ones to encounter them. He suspects that Colonel Maria Kopf, the head of Mentarian Army R&D, is responsible for their creation. Fortunately, Minsk already has a man close to Colonel Kopf -- a turncoat Mentarian scientist who works directly with her. Unfortunately, the mole recently stopped reporting in.

Thanks to the mole, Minsk knows that Colonel Kopf's "secret" research facility is housed inside a refurbished bulk freighter in orbit around the Jim's World, a Mentarian planet. The skies above Jim's World are cluttered with shipyards, dry docks, micro-g factories, laboratories, and habitats for orbital workers. The agents travel to the system with the mole's address, and instructions to grill him for whatever information they can.

The mole lives in a residential habitat -- little more than a long street, lined with two- and three-storey buildings, enclosed in a box and spun for (cheap) gravity. The agents arrive before the end of the working day, and set themselves up in a cafe across the street from the mole's building. Soon after people being returning from work (shuttled back to the habitat by their employers), the agents spot the mole. There's a problem, though: he's being escorted by a pair of Mentarian soldiers.

Assuming the soldiers are the reason the mole hasn't been in contact, the agents decide to drop him a note, arranging a meeting at the cafe. They are, however, reluctant to be seen near the mole's second storey flat. They haven't spotted any obvious surveillance, but the escort has raised the possibility that the mole is being watched.

Fortunately, Leo has just the gadget for the occasion. His prize possession: a robotic spider, a little smaller than your hand, and possessing rudimentary intelligence. Under the cover of darkness (Leo had equipped the spider with low-light vision for just such an occasion), the robot enters the flat through a window, and places a note with a meeting time on a pillow, next to the sleeping mole's head.

The next day, the agents arrange themselves in various places about the cafe to meet the mole. The allotted time arrives, and then passes. The mole, who was definitely in his flat, never appears. The agents were still inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, although it was beginning to seem possible that the mole was actively avoiding them. Fortunately, one of the agents (Remy?) has noticed that the mole collects a takeaway coffee from the cafe on his way to work.

The next morning, Leo carefully places himself directly behind the mole in the queue for coffee. Thomas, Remy and Jean-Frank remain out of sight, keeping a close eye on the mole's armed escort. Leo clearly (but discreetly) identifies himself to the mole... and is completely ignored. It's the final straw -- the mole is obviously avoiding contact with Anacreonians.

It's time for action. While the mole is away at work, Thomas uses his considerable break and enter skills (they're wasted on the flimsy lock) to bust into his flat. A quick search turns up no surveillance gear. Thomas and Leo then conceal themselves, and wait for the mole to return.

That evening, once the mole is in his flat, Thomas steps out of his hiding place. Leo remains concealed, as backup. Once the mole works out what's going on, he is terrified -- apparently, security was recently dramatically stepped up amongst the scientists working with Colonel Kopf. He was happy to take Anacreonian money when it was easy, but now the risk of discovery (and execution for treason) is too great, and he is eager to break off his arrangement with Anacreon. And get rid of the agents, as quickly as possible.

Of course, once you're in, it's virtually impossible to get out. And Thomas wasn't going to let the mole off that easy. A heated argument takes place; the mole eventually agrees to tell the agents everything he knows, on the condition that Anacreon either leaves him alone from that point forward, or extracts him to safety.

Unfortunately, the mole doesn't know particularly much of use. He does indeed work in the same facility as Colonel Kopf -- the refurbished bulk freighter -- but he doesn't know what she was working on. Her personal lab (where the agents assume the super-soldiers are being prepared) is off-limits for the majority of the scientists working in the facility.

There's only one thing for it: the agents will have to break into Colonel Kopf's lab themselves. The mole is only too happy to give Thomas a description of its layout, and a (very sketchy) rundown of the security measures in place. With a little more 'convincing', Thomas is able to extract the mole's security access card, giving them easy access to the facility. As Thomas leaves the flat, the mole gets one final shock. Leo, who has remained hidden all this time, finally reveals himself, thanks the mole for his time, and then heads off to join the rest of the team.

So the agents set off for Colonel Kopf's lab. Jean-Frank delivers Remy, Thomas and Leo to the airlock to which the mole's card grants access -- unfortunately, at the opposite end of the freighter to Colonel Kopf's lab. The wheelman then disconnects from the airlock, but remains in the vicinity -- he'll use the shuttle's breaching capability to rescue the other agents if anything goes wrong.

The bulk freighter is little more than a string of cargo pods, attached to a long spine. The spine ends in large, octagonal section containing the bridge, crew-quarters and engineering. The cargo pods have been converted into labs -- sealed against the vacuum, flooded with air, and supplied with artificial gravity. Each lab contains a different experiment or workspace, but the agents don't stop to investigate. They've got their eyes on the prize: Colonel Kopf's lab, in the octagonal section at the fore of the old freighter.

A tense few minutes ensue, as the agents make use of rudimentary disguises, the mole's security access card, and some old-fashioned agility to avoid patrolling Mentarian soldiers. Eventually, they make it to the door granting access to Colonel Kopf's domain. This is where they strike trouble -- the door is covered by a security camera that no amount of agility will avoid, and the door lock is going to have to be rewired if they're going to gain access.

Thomas goes to work on the lock, with Remy and Leo attempting to block the camera's view with their bodies. The soldiers watching the cameras aren't stupid, though, and immediately use the internal comms to ask the 'scientists' hovering around the door what's going on. The agents' response isn't particularly convincing (oh how they lamented the loss of their faceman!). They do manage to rewire the lock before any of the guards reach them, but it's a safe bet that they're not far behind...

Through the door, the agents find that the former bridge and crew quarters have been extensively remodelled. All the internal walls have been removed, leaving a large octagonal room. The agents are standing on a raised walkway, which rings the entire room, and is separated from the lab below by glass. A central pillar rises from floor to ceiling, and is wrapped with metal pipes, tubing and electrical conduits. At its base, fed by all the piping, are five metal slabs, roughly bed-sized, and covered in slightly unsettling rust-coloured stains. It looks like this is indeed where the super-soldiers are created.

The rest of the lab is largely empty. A single lab-coated scientist is packing computer equipment into one of a few shipping crates that are scattered about the room. It looks like the agents are too late -- Colonel Kopf has moved her operation elsewhere.

The agents only have a few seconds to survey the scene (and get away from the door) before Mentarian soldiers come bursting in. A fire-fight ensues, with Remy and Thomas making good use of the choke point to hold back an alarming number of Mentarians. Leofric, his invisibility gadget activated, makes his way down into the lab, to secure the scientist. Leo confirms that everything is packed up, but notices that one wall of the lab (below the overhead walkway) is lined with mortuary cold chambers. He opts not to investigate them further.

One of the agents radios Jean-Frank, who brings his breaching shuttle around to the fore of the ship. In doing so, he notices that another vessel -- a transport of some sort -- has recently docked with an airlock on the opposite side of Colonel Kopf's lab. Before he has a chance to report this development, the airlock cycles, and the agents inside get an unpleasant surprise: two Mentarian super-soldiers enter the lab, and immediately join the fire-fight!

Remy and Thomas back up against the bulkhead that Jean-Frank is attempting to breach, and try their best to hold off the super-soldiers. Leo is having difficulty with the scientist, who has drawn some courage from the arrival of the reinforcements. Though the scientist isn't actively fighting Leo (which would be unwise, considering Leo is pointing a gun at him), he is being extremely abusive and physically uncooperative. Leo is forced to manhandle him up on to the walkway, and towards the other agents.

The fight against the super-soldiers is not going well -- once again, they seem to be completely unconcerned by the rounds the agents are pouring into them. Each shot that should draw blood just causes black foam to fizz from the wound. Just as things are getting desperate, Jean-Frank finishes opening the breach. He steps through the hole in the bulkhead, and opens fire with his trusty shotgun. One slug pounds into the nearest super-soldier -- it pauses, and then keeps on coming. A second slugs slams home, and finally, finally, the super-soldier goes down (cue the cheering!).

Thomas drags the captured scientist into the shuttle. Jean-Frank and Remy make ready to leave, but Leo isn't ready yet -- the downed super-soldier is too good an opportunity to pass up. With a long-suffering sigh Jean-Frank tosses his shotgun back through the breached bulkhead, runs out into the open, and begins hauling the super-soldier's body towards the shuttle. Despite Remy and Leo's covering fire, Jean-Frank is hit, but fortunately it's not enough to take him down. He drags the body aboard, seals the airlock, and dashes to the pilot's chair, to make good their getaway.

As Jean-Frank flies them to safety, Leo takes a look at the body of the super-soldier. He observes a fine, black, ash-like powder filtering out of the body's orifices -- the ears, the mouth, the nose, the eyes, even the gunshot wounds. Whatever it is that makes the super-soldier's veins appear black seems to be draining out of the body. He tries to secure some of the black powder, but fails -- it dissolves away before his eyes. All that remains is a heavily-augmented, dead soldier, with some curiously cauterised, partially sealed over gunshot wounds.

Roll the credits!

[Gatac]

That sounds like an awesome game. Rock on!

Gatac

[Minion]

Cheers, Gatac! I'm really pleased with how this one is going. The players are doing a great job of playing it like spies until things go wrong, and then playing it like action heroes from there on out. It's fun!

[Minion]

SESSION 3. SPARROWHAWK

--- the agents ---

Remy de Arault
Thomas Duval
Leofric Eorpwald
Jean-Frank

--- the opening scene ---

A shuttle sits in the middle of an open swath of tarmac. Jean-Frank is at the control stick; Remy, Leo and Thomas stand in the open cargo bay doors. Across 200 feet of open ground, an Anacreonian spy cowers amidst a collection of large shipping crates. The agents are here to rescue him -- he claims to know the location of Colonel Maria Kopf's new secret research facility.

Of course, these things are never easy. A squad of Mentarians, and at least one sniper, cover the killing ground. The heavy, shuttle-busting weapons are on the way. And the Anacreonian spy has completely lost his nerve -- the agents are going to have to cross open ground to physically get him.

Thomas runs out on to the tarmac and opens fire on the Mentarian soldiers, trusting in his force field to keep him safe from harm. Leo thumbs his invisibility gadget, and makes a dash for the cowering spy. The amount of fire pouring into Thomas is prodigious -- without that force field, he'd be paste. Seeing this, Jean-Frank takes matters into his own hands, lifting the shuttle into a hover and directing its exhaust at the Mentarian soldiers; they flee, rather than face certain death. Leo and the spy take the opening, and sprint for the cover of the cargo bay...

Blam! It's the moment the sniper is waiting for. A single shot, fired from God knows how far away, smashes straight through the spy's head. The location of Colonel Kopf's new base is lost -- the agents flee the scene.

Cue the (slightly mournful) theme music...

--- sparrowhawk ---

The Duc de Minsk has devoted considerable resources to locating Colonel Maria Kopf's new secret laboratory. The scientist that the agents captured in the previous mission knew only that Colonel Kopf had moved her facility to the massive asteroid belt on the border between the Mentar Confederacy and the Kingdom of Chee. That information wasn't particularly useful; searching every asteroid in The Belt for a hidden facility would take lifetimes.

So Minsk had put the word out to his agents and informants -- information regarding the location of Colonel Kopf's laboratory would be paid for handsomely. The call had produced an unexpected result: one of Minsk's long-term, extremely useful and completely anonymous informants had indicated that he had the information Minsk desired. Predictably, there was a catch.

The informant, codenamed Sparrowhawk, would offer up the information only after he had been extracted to Anacreon. For reasons unknown, Sparrowhawk was extremely particular about the extraction's timing. It had to happen during an invitation-only, black tie formal reception hosted by the Mentarian Baron von Helmholtz. The reception would take place in the Baron's penthouse, in the heart of the Mentarian Reichskapital. Two invites to the reception were included with Sparrowhawk's message. Sparrowhawk had indicated that he'd be the one wearing the white carnation -- he expected the agents to do the same.

Incidentally, the Baron von Helmholtz just happens to be one of Mentar's highest ranking generals.

So the agents slip on their tuxedoes, pocket the two invites, requisition some nifty gadget bugs and the ever-popular bolt action sniper rifle, and go to a party!

Black tie formal receptions aren't exactly Jean-Frank's thing, so he opts to prop himself on a rooftop opposite Baron von Helmholtz's penthouse, armed with the rifle. Fortunately, von Helmholtz has huge, floor-to-ceiling windows running virtually the entire length of his penthouse. They provide an excellent view of the city from the inside, and and excellent view of the party from the outside!

Meanwhile, the other three agents arrive at the party. Thomas comes up in the elevator, but Remy decides to arrive in style; he uses the rooftop helipad and his gyrocopter, leaving his keys, aviator's goggles and snappy white scarf with the valet. Leo hitches a ride, using his invisibility gadget to avoid having to show an invite. Both Remy and Leo sport white carnations -- Thomas is carrying one, but opts to leave it in his pocket for the moment.

Keeping in touch using concealed throat mikes and earpieces, the three agents begin to work the large ballroom in the centre of von Helmholtz's roughly T-shaped penthouse. In a matter of moments they've spotted not one, but two men wearing white carnations. One is quite large, the second quite lithe -- both are dressed for the party, but Remy is fairly convinced that they move like they've had some sort of combat training. Of course, Sparrowhawk had been feeding Minsk military secrets, so perhaps that isn't much of a surprise...

Leo draws the short straw (metaphorically speaking), and approaches the larger of the two carnation-wearers. A brief, carefully worded conversation ensues, in which the large man confirms that he is indeed Sparrowhawk, and that he was expecting extraction. He asks Leo to accompany him to one of the side rooms, away from the ballroom.

The agents are suspicious -- this is all a little too easy. Leo agrees to accompany the man, but insists on heading to a different room, in the opposite direction to the one suggested by the large man. The large man doesn't seem particularly pleased by this -- perhaps even a little hesitant -- but he eventually agrees. He and Leo head down a side corridor, and into a large bedroom.

The large man closes the door behind the two of them, and then immediately draws a gun on Leo. Leo is unarmed; gunplay was never his strong point, and he wasn't convinced he could sneak a weapon past the party's security. All is not lost, however. Remy (whose tiny pistol is easily concealed) was right behind Leo and the large man. He should arrive any moment. Any moment. Soon. Hopefully!

The large man announces (presumably for the benefit of a throat mike) that he has captured 'the spy' (presumably Leo). He then seems to listen to instructions through an earpiece. Across the street, on the roof of the next building, Jean-Frank's trigger finger gets seriously itchy. The bedroom where Leo is being held is dark, but Jean-Frank is pretty sure he can get a shot. The problem, of course, is that the gunshot and subsequent smashing glass probably won't go unnoticed. Remy, dashing to Leo's rescue, convinces Jean-Frank to hold his fire.

By now, the large man has received his instructions, which he promptly relays to Leo. They were going to cross the ballroom, to the other side of the building. Leo was to lead -- the large man would follow, the gun (discreetly) pointed at Leo's back at all times. Subvocalising for his throat mike, Leo passes this information on to his companions, allowing Remy to hatch a plan.

Leo walks slowly to the door, and opens the door as instructed. As it swings inward, Leo steps neatly to the side. The large man has no time to complain -- Remy is standing on the other side of the door, pistol in hand. He fires a single silenced shot, killing the large man instantly. Remy and Leo then hastily stuff the body into a closet, hoping the whole kerfuffle has gone unnoticed. Remy takes the large man's earpiece, so he can listen in on enemy communications. The pair then rejoin the party (Leo only slightly rattled).

So someone was on to them. More than one someone. And they still hadn't located Sparrowhawk. The other carnation wearer was the next obvious choice, but the agents (Thomas in particular) were suspicious of him. Leo, Thomas and Jean-Frank begin discreetly discussing their next course of action; Remy, however, is distracted. Across the crowd, he has noticed a familiar face. It's the woman in the cocktail dress, who had been watching the agents break into the air re-processors last time they were in the Reichskapital.

More discussions, and then a plan. They are suspicious of the other carnation wearer, but they have to check him out. And the woman in the cocktail dress is too much of a coincidence to ignore. Leo is the obvious choice to investigate the woman -- he had been invisible during the air re-processor incident, and so she probably hadn't seen him. Thomas volunteers to make contact with the other carnation wearer, but asks Leo if he can borrow his invisibility cufflink. Leo obliges.

While the plan has been taking shape, Remy has been listening in on enemy communications. It doesn't take long for someone to begin asking the large man to report in. When there is no response, the communications cease for a little while. When they start up again, the message is brief: "Cease all communications." Remy surmises that someone has located the large man's body, and discovered that his earpiece is missing.

Thomas approaches the lithe-looking carnation wearer, and makes his introductions. Just like before, the carnation wearer indicates that he is Sparrowhawk, and just like before he wants Thomas to accompany him to a particular room off the side of the ballroom. This time, Thomas decides to go with him, trusting in the invisibility ace-in-the-hole to keep him safe.

Things are looking extra suspicious when it turns out that the room to which Thomas is being led has its curtains drawn -- Jean-Frank can't see in from the outside. The lithe man leads Thomas to its door, and then gives it a very distinctive knock -- two sharp taps, a pause, two sharp taps, another pause, and then a single knock. While the lithe man's back is turned, Thomas activates the invisibility cufflink, and fades from view.

When the door swings open, Thomas engages in some truly awe-inspiring acrobatics (which go completely unnoticed, due to the invisibility gadget) to slip through without brushing against anyone. What he sees inside the room doesn't please him: possibly as many as twenty fully armed and armoured Mentarian soldiers. The lithe man wearing the carnation, and presumably also his large companion, were attempting to lead them into a trap.

Meanwhile, Leo has located the woman in the cocktail dress. She's in yet another side-bedroom. There are other guests in this room -- the party seems to have spilled over -- but the woman in the cocktail dress stands apart from them, gazing out the window. The skyline is dominated by the monolithic Reichstag building, which is topped by a gigantic statue of the Mentar Confederacy's founder.

Leo approaches her, and introduces himself (using a cover identity, of course). She smiles a knowing smile, and responds with "Well, if that's what you're calling yourself, you can call me Elizabeth." Leo is virtually positive she knows that he's using a cover identity. She's a compact woman, Caucausian, long brown hair loose about her shoulders, attractive as far as Leo is concerned. The strike up a slightly flirtatious conversation (Leo's wife would not approve!), but all his (relatively subtle) attempts to find out who she is, or arrange a meeting at a later date, fail (once again, the PCs lament the death of their faceman!).

Sensing he isn't going to get anywhere face-to-face, Leo switches to plan B. He cranks up the flirtation a little, and then picks an opportune moment to excuse himself from the conversation. As he says good-bye, he brushes some hair out of her eyes, over her shoulder, and discreetly deposits a miniscule bug on her. Maybe she'll let slip some useful information when she thinks she is alone?

Both Leo and Thomas slip back into the party proper. Thomas alerts alerts the other agents that there's practically a whole platoon of soldiers waiting to take them down. And they still don't have the faintest idea who Sparrowhawk is.

Suddenly, a fanfare rings out. The talking quickly dies down, and all of the guests turn towards the sweeping staircase at the far end of the ballroom. A steward loudly announces the entrance of the Baron and Lady von Helmholtz. At the top of the stairs stands a bear of a man. His close-cropped black hair and beard, and crisp gun-metal grey Mentarian dress uniform, ooze military precision. On his arm is a slight, timid-looking woman in a black evening gown. She has a white carnation pinned to her chest.

There's no doubt in the agents' minds. They immediately swing into action. Remy dashes upstairs, and asks the valet to bring his gyrocopter around. Baron von Helmholtz and his wife move part of the way down the stairs. They separate -- the Baron is quickly surrounded by a gaggle of Mentarian officers, his wife by a gaggle of Mentarian officer's wives. Thomas heads towards them. Across the street, Jean-Frank lines the Baron up in his sights. Thomas then gives the go signal -- Jean-Frank squeezes the sniper rifle's trigger, and...

Roll the credits!

--- GM's comment ---

Ending on a cliffhanger was one of the players' ideas -- the guy controlling Jean-Frank. He deserves a medal for suggesting it; it was an awesome way to finish, and the start of the next session was probably the most entertaining part of the campaign to date.

[Forcegypsy]

This is fantastic. Your summaries are a joy to read. I especially like your in 'media res' intro's. Who IS the woman in the red dress?!? Can't wait to find out.

[Minion]

Cheers Forcegypsy! I'm glad you're enjoying them!

I heartily recommend in media res intros -- they serve so many purposes. "Right, everyone roll Initiative" is the signal that the game is starting, and it gets everyone's attention. The minimal scene-setting gets everyone's creative juices flowing (I encourage the players to invent scenery, gear or whatever stuff they reckon will make the scene cool). And finally, the instant insane action gets some of the craziness out of the players' systems, so they can settle down for the briefing and build-up in the main mission. And they're heaps of fun!

Who IS the woman in the red dress?!? Can't wait to find out.

You know it's funny you should ask that. I double checked my posts to be sure, but at no point did I say the cocktail dresses were red. The exact same thing happened in the actual game -- my players all refer to her as "the woman in the red dress", even though I never said the dress was red! The Matrix has a lot to answer for!

[Golden Dragon]

Who IS the woman in the red dress?!? Can't wait to find out.

You know it's funny you should ask that. I double checked my posts to be sure, but at no point did I say the cocktail dresses were red. The exact same thing happened in the actual game -- my players all refer to her as "the woman in the red dress", even though I never said the dress was red! The Matrix has a lot to answer for!

I've been reading it as the woman in a cocktail dress, and I've always presumed it was a black dress. Guess I'm weird.

[Minion]

SESSION 4, PART 1. SPARROWHAWK: THE EXCITING CONCLUSION

--- the agents ---

Jean-Frank
Thomas Duval
Leofric Eorpwald
Remy de Arault

--- sparrowhawk: the exciting conclusion ---

... a high calibre bullet smashes through the ballroom window, dead on target. Baron von Helmholtz goes down in a spray of blood. The guests immediately begin to panic, screaming and charging about aimlessly. Thomas uses the distraction to force his way to the Baron's wife. Helping her up, he asks if she is Sparrowhawk. A little dazed, she nods a confirmation. Satisfied, Thomas begins pushing back through the crowd, taking her to Remy.

Thomas and Sparrowhawk reach Remy on a balcony overlooking the ballroom. Thomas hands her over; Remy, ever the gentleman, introduces himself with a flourish. The two of them then disappear out on to a rooftop garden, heading for the helipad. A security guard moves to intercept them, but Remy loudly informs him that he is getting the Lady von Helmholtz to safety. The security guard reckons that's a pretty good idea, and lets them pass.

Back inside, a surprise: the Baron lurches to his feet, clutching at a bleeding wound. He's not dead! "Silence!" he roars, his commanding voice carrying across the panic. "Everyone down on the floor! Somebody close those curtains now!" People instinctively obey -- the giant ballroom curtains begin slowly sliding shut, and the majority of the guests, including Thomas, hit the ballroom floor. Leo ducks out of the ballroom just in the nick of time, and heads to the helipad to try and bluff his way out of the party.

In amongst all the action, Leo's bug picks up the only piece of non-smalltalk that Elizabeth, the woman in the cocktail dress, has muttered all evening: "It's all gone to shit here -- I'm going to need extraction."

Jean-Frank takes the Baron's survival as a personal insult, and begins pumping rounds into the ballroom. He manages to squeeze off two more shots before the curtains close and he loses his view. One of them, he's pretty certain, hits the Baron, but there's no immediate way to confirm a kill. His usefulness as a sniper at an end, Jean-Frank sprints down from the rooftop and gets into his getaway car.

Meanwhile, Remy collects his gyrocopter from the valet, and leisurely flies Sparrowhawk back to their shuttle. The confusion, and Remy's supreme air of confidence, prevent any challenges to his authority -- his escape is almost easy. When the pair arrive at the shuttle, Remy shows the Lady von Helmholtz to a comfortable seat, and pops open a celebratory bottle of wine.

Jean-Frank, Leo and Thomas aren't out of trouble yet, though. The ballroom is rapidly filling with armed Mentarian soldiers (from the ambush in the side room, which Thomas spotted earlier). The Baron has stopped shouting orders, but in the meantime the various officers and guards have regained their composure, and look like they fully intend to search everyone in the ballroom for potential assassins.

Thomas knows it's now or never -- he heads to one of the Mentarian soldiers guarding the exit, and bluffs the soldier into turning his back on the door. A moment is all he needs; Thomas slips past the guard, dashes down the corridor, and begins a nervous wait for the elevator down to the ground floor. The nerves get worse when he hears a report from Jean-Frank, who is watching the building's entrance from a side street: a truck full of Mentarian reinforcements has arrived. Soldiers above, soldiers below -- it's not looking good for Thomas!

By now, Leo has reached the helipad. A bit of a bluff and a hefty bribe, and the valet brings him a random aircar. Sounds great, in theory, but there's a minor hiccup: Leo doesn't actually know how to fly an aircar. He's a scientist, though, and the basis of all good science is experimentation, so he starts to fiddle with the controls. After a false start or two, he manages to get the aircar airborne, and once it's up, keeping it there doesn't seem too difficult.

Landing, however, is a different matter entirely. Leo manages to reach the shuttle pad, but the best he can do is a sort of controlled smash. The aircar ploughs into the tarmac, and explodes in a massive ball of fire -- Leo jumps clear just in time to save himself. The noise terrifies Sparrowhawk, and puts Remy on alert -- he dashes out of the shuttle, but when he sees Leo limping towards him in a ruined tuxedo, against a backdrop of burning wreckage, he relaxes.

"What's the matter?!" asks an alarmed Sparrowhawk. "Oh nothing," responds a completely calm Remy, "it's just one of my companions returning to the shuttle." As Leo hauls his still-smoking body up the shuttle's boarding ramp, Remy pours him a glass of wine...

Back at the building, the elevator arrives with a ding. Thomas, feeling the pressure, charges inside and starts furiously pressing the close button. He makes it, but not before a Mentarian soldier charges out of the ballroom, spots him, and opens fire on the elevator doors. Thomas knows he can't ride the lift all the way down -- there are Mentarians waiting for him there too -- so he stops it a number of floors above ground level.

Jean-Frank, meanwhile, is making sure his getaway is clear. Once the majority of the soldiers have poured out of the truck and into the building, Jean-Frank lines up his car, and slams his foot on the accelerator. He jumps clear of the speeding vehicle mere moments before it smashes into the side of the Mentarian truck. The getaway car is ruined, and the truck relatively undamaged, but the distraction grants Jean-Frank enough time to wrench open a door and dispose of the driver point-blank with his shotgun.

Shoving the corpse out of the way, Jean-Frank takes the wheel, and manoeuvres the vehicle (with its padded top) closer to the building. Seconds later, one of the building's windows smashes; Thomas comes diving out, landing with cat-like grace on the truck's roof. Once Jean-Frank is sure his companion is holding on, he floors it and heads for the shuttle...

Cue the theme music!