Terror Be Thy Name

## Background

In a Midnight Address Field Marshal Marian Martwek declared martial law over Poland, citing the provisional government's inability to contain the chaos and violence incited by Polands upcoming Election. She moved rapidly to seize control of the country; closing borders and airspace, putting the election on indefinite hiatus and declaring members of the Endecja party enemies of the peace.

Believing that Marian would not relinquish control of the state the remaining parties, united by the Słupsk Pact, organized massive strikes to slow down the spread of the military's power, but were being thwarted by Marian's logistical expertise.

## The Meet

The runners met with Sylwester Siwy and Anastazja Stasik in the triad style back room of the host of an asian restaurant. They explained the situation and their plan; They wished for the runners to enter Warsaw and publicly kidnap Marian. Once the word was out their agents in her staff and throughout the nation would act to retake the country and reinstate the Election.

## Legwork

Due to the increased security and restricted travel imposed by Martwek the runners would have to land in Czechia and drive through the country to reach the capital. Gear would be need to be kept light as multiple checkpoints were in place. The runners did some shopping for concealable weapons and armour and went over maps of the country and the Presidential Palace to make their plans.

## Run

The three arrived in Czechia where a van with a smuggler's compartment and Polish military uniforms was provided by their benefactors. Bullet drove the vehicle and they entered the Poland through an understaffed checkpoint. Óphis created a magical burst of noise to cripple the various scanners and they easily passed the inspection and were let inside. Echo connected to the Polish GridGuide and used the data there to discover back roads that had survived the Polish Civil War enough to still be usable and take them through the fewest and least secure checkpoints.

They breezed through another checkpoint on a bridge using the same methods and continued to Warsaw. They encountered the final checkpoint into the city at a built up pass under a ring road around the city. Several military vehicles, including a sleek Polish tank awaited them. As they waited in line Echo set up resonance illusions to fool the higher threat scanners and Óphis gradually increased the noise in the area but unfortunately this triggered a FAB scanner and alerted Urban Łady, a mage that Óphis had at once point been hired to kill, to their presence.

The military vehicles were moved to prevent the escape of the line of cars waiting to get into the city and the guards moved to systematically check each car. The runners quickly got their story straight and Echo set up additional protections to their SINs as they were ordered out of the vehicle with their hands up at cannon point. They complied and were nearly shot when one of the guards was shocked by the sight of a naga. Urban ordered the man to stand down and inspected Óphis, they demanded to know the purpose of the spell that set off the FAB sensor. Óphis lied claiming that it was to keep them from succumbing to the cold of Polish winter. Urban was skeptical and demanded the spell be ended. Óphis simultaneously ended the static and their guard, rapidly starting to lose consciousness in the sub-zero temperatures. Convinced, she allowed Óphis to return to the pile of heated blankets in the van. Echo and Bullet were scanned, Bullet's SIN was detected as a fake but a quick Rewind spell from Óphis caused the result to be forgotten and the guard to move on. Once the vehicle was inspected and scanned the three were allowed to proceed on their way, with apologies from Urban for the trouble.

The runners arrived in Warsaw and stayed in a No Tell Motel recommended by Echo and took the night to sleep and wash off the dust of a long road. Early that morning it was announced that Michał Marszalik, Leader of the Endecja, had passed away of a heart attack in the night while in Martwek's custody. Bullet realized that this would have to be addressed by Martwek or else she would be accused of murder by the Endecja and possibly make her seem weak to the populace and her supporters. The three scrambled to find out how to turn the situation to their advantage. The settled upon the plan to sneak into the Presidential Palace with the slew of reporters and ambush Martwek and her guards in the hall as they walked between the Army Directorate Council Room and the chamber where the Public Address would be held and barricade themselves in an adjoining staff room while the message got out and Anastazja and Sylwester's people got to work.

With everything prepared they got to work; Echo worked just off site to hack the building's host and keep an eye on things via their own security cams while Bullet and Óphis snuck in with the press and crept into off limit's areas by following staff around invisibly on the palace's high ceilings. Bullet gave Echo line of sight on Martwek's security guards and everyone moved into position for the ambush.

As Martwek and her two guards walked down the hall Echo disabled all of their weapons and the Maglocks into the area in rapid succession. The alarmed guards looked managed to spot the runners on the ceiling but could do little but throw a knife. Bullet began raining Hi-De rounds down onto the guards and Óphis dropped down onto Martwek, though one of her guards managed to push her out of the way and jumped over her to protect her. The sound of Bullet's shots triggered the agents within the palace, aided by Echo hacking devices in the Press Chamber to display propaganda provided by their employers. A young recruit standing guard in the hall (actually a NIL agent in deep cover) attacked his fellow as he stood aghast at the sudden violence and the sounds of gunfire rang out from all around the palace.

Echo disabled both guards'cybereyes and Óphis extricated Martwek from her bodyguard. Bullet threatened Martwek to tell her forces to stand down and initially she stood firm, but a few barely deflected shots aimed for her vitals, her guards disabled, her staff being taken out from within and having nowhere to run Martwek ordered a surrender.

## Aftermath

The overthrow of Martwek allowed for free elections to be held once again[\*], The members of the Słupsk Pact gained a supermajority in parliament. Sylwester Siwy ascended to presidency only long enough to sign his first and only Executive Order dismantling the position of President and replacing it with the Labor Council, a third house of Parliament comprised of representatives from worker's unions.

Needless to say, the megacorps are somehow more furious about the empowerment of the Anarchists than they were with the dictatorial coup, and are considering sanctions of the country.

With borders reopened the runners were flown home. Although their role is the fate of the fourth republic was not publicized they were privately awarded Polish Medals of Valour.

## Rewards

* 25,000 nuyen
* 10 karma
* +1 Reputation with all non-fascist, non-Martwek Poles
* Increase the loyalty of polish contacts by 1 (including Sirkowsky >:))
* 1 rank in Polish

## Player After-Action Reports

*In Character* accounts of events, general impressions, or memorable moments