senior officer Mikael van Atta

Ah. So less banged up than I thought. 

Also, this effectively is a no-no on driving the Grasshopper. OK.

Good to know we're covered on the ground floor. Also, good for that Wiking Div. soldier - he'll likely live to see another day. I guess he'll be someone else's problem by then, but still, good for him. 

Barton's Club - OK, keep an eye on that one, they will show up soon. Is the hotel's (on our combat map) "south" the same as the geographical south? Asking in case we'd have to use windows as firing positions, to repel an assault from the Barton Club. It would be great if we could have finished sweeping the hotel before that happens, but that doesn't really depend on us.

Definitely making that report to Whyte Hat HQ on prisoners, papers and the Grasshopper. That's something they absolutely have to know about, and factor in their plans (what exactly they can and are willing to do about it, that's another matter entirely. It ranges essentially from "we consider it so crucial we'll direct the AV-4 to pick-up the stuff as soon as it is done deploying the troops in the airport" to "ok, leave it all where it is, under Lucky Mike's people's watch, we'll try to pick it up once the whole show is over, well maybe next week", and anything in between. But that's why they are the mission command, and 8-Ball is just boots on the ground  this time).

Will inform the Dog Soldiers (via B-Team) too, if there's time.

On the 3rd floor: I suggest clearing the corridor with a flashbang. It is likely there are some guys there, ilke on 2nd floor.

OK, using the break to update the plan.

No serious wounds on the Team's side so far, but I have a feeling some of our Vipers are getting kinda banged up (8-Ball's is close to becoming more or less combat ineffective, due to a leg getting shot up).

Question: is it viable for 8-Ball to get back to the Janitorial, and swap his banged-up Viper for the undamaged SJ Grasshopper sitting there (as it seems to be undamaged), or there seems to be anything preventing that (eg. 8-Ball having no experience in piloting a proper ACPA)?

We might need to call up backup from the ground floor (swap people in banged-up armors for people in fully operational armors). I assume ground floor has been cleared, and we should be good on the concierge's information about the basement being under lock & key and absolutely unoccupied.

Our back is covered by the Paiute Dog Soldiers, but I've heard there have been a number of opposition personnel (IIRC Wiking troops) that were seen going to a nearby watering hole a few hours ago. If we're lucky, they all have drunken themselves happily to sleep, and won't wake up to join the fray, but I'm not going to put any money on the "lucky" bit. So we need someone to keep an eye on that direction. 

Also, inform Whyte Hats mission command (that is, on a coded channel) that we have:

• enemy prisoners, about half a dozen (I assume Jamal made at least a honest attempt at stabilizing the one in the main hall. He was badly wounded, but saveable. I mean, if he proves to be beyond Jamal's skill and dies, well, c'est la guerre. But per Geneva / Hague Conventions, he is due medical care). Wrapped up and under guard by allied personnel. Two of them seem to be ranking officers.
• documents and maps, in what seems to be a lcoal command center, located in the hotel's staff lobby. These need to be secured and transferred to Whyte Hats intellignece personnel first chance we get (consider delivering them to Wells with a C-23 on return flight*). We also got one officer's computer (2nd floor, north-eastern suite of the building), but it'll need some serious technical recovery efforts due to combat damage. 
• There's an undamaged Grasshopper ACPA in the janitorial on the 1st floor. A juicy pick, if we can grab it (yes, I know, Lucky Mike will like to have his hands on it too. So we'd better apply the accomplished facts method: grab it first, and then possibly negotiate its return. Way easier that way, than the other way around!).

Also, if there is time and they can spare some attention - I'd like an update how are the other elements of the operation working. I assume the SAM site is fine and dandy, given the Paiute Dog Soldiers are giving us effective fire support. Nb. notify them that we got the first two floors clear. 

* let the Command handle logistics. They'd need to first, know when the Sherpas are due to arrive in Jackpot, then, how is the status on the airport, then, finese some form of transport to come to the hotel, grab the papers, and deliver them to the airport - without having a Sherpa wait on the runway in an active battlefield. 

They may decide it can't be done, and I'm fine with that. Or they may decide it is doable, especially given how - potentially - juicy morsel we have there.

Their call - 8-Ball, being the commander on-site, just informs the higher echelon about an opportunity.

Got it.

As for the other paragraph: that's obvious. That's your basic International Armed Conflict Law. Yes, if we accept one's surrender, we are responsible for them. That does not preventing us of later transferring that person into the hands of the appropriate authorities (where they may face trial). Enemy combatants that haven't surrendered or became hors de combat for other reasons are legal targets however, and therefore can be legally attacked. If, as a result of said attack, they die - that's not something (as I said) our side will be mourning.

Although regarding the Jager (frack, I need to learn what combination of keys makes for an umlaut!), I'm not sure 8-Ball will behave as regulations and codes dictate. He has been to the site of the Ghost of Numaga massacre. And he knows the stories from the WW2, in this case the Battle of the Bulge. 

Dunno. We'll see how it goes.

As for the attack plan: take snake cams. One per pair should be adequate. While we are to be directed, I think we should take care of the occupant of the ready room (well, who likely will be rushing out to join the fight...) as a priority. I'd love to have Tai on this, but since he has been already assigned to the Bar area, well, we'll have to send there anyone that we get.

And go room to room after that. Preferably after consulting "the concierge" as to where everybody is. I'd like to charge Jamal with speaking to the concierge (on the grounds that he's supposed to be the last through the door).

Important part - at least one person should watch each staircase. With elevators shut down, this becomes the only two ways up and down. And we don't have enough personnel to clear all the floors simultaneously.

We'd like photos, or at least detailed descriptions of the hotel staff expected to be on-site. 

Yup, effectively lots of time.

Shiny.

As for Wiking support personnel - 8-Ball's preference is to take them prisoner and extradite them to Idaho. Let the Idaho authorities sort it out (as I wrote over the PM, there is a difference between deliberate bad guys, and ordinary Joe Schmoes who wound up in the same uniform as bad guys. The Joe Schmoe type deserves to have his case examined by the right authorities, and if he's found to be innocent, to walk free). 

That being said, should they perish in a fight, well, c'est la guerre. I don't think anyone on our side of the border would mourn them.

I assume the Lucky Mike's associates (and hopefully other civillians present) have the basic sense to hit the ground / take cover when there is a firefight going on? Sure, won't most stuff available there won't present a cover against heavy machinegun round. But it'd be good if the folks kept low and not got into our way.

How much pressed for time are we? 

How deliberate are we expected to be regarding elliminating the opposition?

What I'm trying to estabilish with the two questions above is how much have we to hurry, and what are consequences if some of the Fascists manage to sneak out. For example by hiding among civillian personnel. 

It would be useful if someone - be it Lucky Mike's security team (preferable), or Whyte Hats, or Dog Soldiers - rounded up all the people leaving the hotel (via the front door, we assume anyone leaving through other door is expected to become a target for sniper fire) and sieve the good guys (folks that are positively identified as hotel staff - as in "I know that guy in cook's apron, he's James the chef") from potential bad guys ("We have a guy in full chef's regalia, but I know the hotel's chef, and that is not him"). Naturally the "bad guys" are to be detained until it can be determined who they are. 

Lucky Mike's people would be the best option, because they most likely know the majority of the hotel employees by sight, and vice versa. So telling people apart would be fastest and least stressful for the actual hotel staff that way.

OK, we're set so far.

I'll need more details on the hotel (starting with a map...) to plan that bit.

Understood, only one AVX-9 in the area of operations.

I'm getting a bit lost there: is it meant to accompany the AV-borne QRF to Jackpot (and thus will be available for ground support there), or busy itself with the camp (as we intend to keep blasting it with artillery anyway?).

Either way, we'll need the other one in the area of operations ASAP. I guess the lead one will unload its ordnance pretty quickly with all that shock & awe we are intending to bring to bear.

As for the hotel - I hope that jamming does good. Sure, cellphone, satlink and radio antenna on the hill offer the best comms coverage for the Idaho Fascist staff in Jackpot, but we don't have a reason to expect them to be idiots. I'd expect them to have their own comms at the hotel (shortwave radio, perhaps a satcomm dish too. If they are not visible, it likely means they haven't been set up, and the staff there relies on the Jackpot comms tower for convenience - and clearer signal. Setting them up may take a while, but certainly remains an option. And ranges a - granted, really highly - skilled operator can achieve with adequate aerial on a very basic shortwave radio are simply ridiculous. ~40km to Wiking positions are far below that ridiculous level). 

City of Jackpot:

• Allright. The Dog Soldiers should do fine on the AA battery then. 
• The AV QRF's job is to storm the hangars and disable parked aircraft, then. Consult it with Whyte Hats aircraft technicianc before the op, but I believe giving each bird a flat tire or three should get the job done. Then secure the airfield (as much as it is possible with a single squad!) for receiving reinforcements via C-23s. And get our birds out of there ASAP (local commander's discretion on how soon the ASAP is).
• As for the hotel, well. I don't like the plan, but it seems we don't have anything better. So, we'll have to go in with shock and awe. Still keep calling in fire support from the tank on the AA hill and a squad or two of Dog Soldiers, and a platoon of Whyte Hats from the airport as an ooption, if the initial assault turns stale. 
• If memory serves me, this means we should have an AVX-9 available for air support in Jackpot. Unless intel / initial recon makes its intervention necessary elsewhere, I'd like it to do some shock & awe on the hotel. Since we aren't supposed to bring the entire hotel down, a strafing run with the minigun (and whatever guns it'd have in pods) will have to do.
• No rearming the suits for the op, roger that. The 40mms will be appreciated. A construction crew will have a lot of work restoring the hotel afterwards anyway.
• As soon as the situation in Jackpot is considered more or less under control, the AVX-9 is to return to base for refuelling and rearmament. From there, it'll either replace the one at the camp (which will need restocking as well), or be ready to intervene against Wiking QRF. Or any unexpected problems that come up.
• If we can determine where the command post in the hotel has it's radio antenna, it would be advantageous to take it out ASAP. Ditto any satellite uplink. If there's a cell network tower in Jackpot, have Lucky Mike's men switch it off as soon as the attack starts (because it will be way easier to restore is operations than if we gt it blested). That should cover most comm options for anyone calling Wiking HQ for help.

The camp:

• Right, we'll pound it into oblivion with artillery, and use the AVX-9 to deal with any groups. 
• I'm honestly hoping the Ranger commander is not overestimating his capabilites. At least give the artillery enough time to properly soften your target, man. If the Rangers can mess up the convoy and then go through the camp like hot knife through butter  well, kudos to them. But 150 enemy combatants is 150 enemy combatants.
• The mechanized 1st platoon will be desingated as support for the Rangers as soon as they show up, unless situation warrants assigning it elsewhere. We'll should have enough men and hardware in Jackpot by then, but the camp is still worrying me at that point.
• I guess we'll have the Viper at the camp return to Wells for restocking, and be replaced on station over the camp with the one previously at Jackpot. By dawn, several such swaps might be necessary. 

Wiking: 

• Yes, I assume they do have a QRF available. I don't expect the Wiking commander to be an idiot. And that if they learn that something is afoot in Jackpot, they would dispatch it - probably a platoon-sized element - to check it up. 
• From what you say, seeing a company-sized QRF element is unlikely. The entire Wiking leaving their positions to intervene in Jackpot is a hard no.
• We still need to have an eye out at the road. Lucky Mike's men guarding it shouldn't be the ones telling us a QRF is incoming. One of our observation drones should do fine out there, I think.

OK, I'd need a bit more specifics on the Dog Soldiers. What type of force do they represent, in military terms? 

Because there's a lot of difference that makes in terms how they can be used. For example, Wells Militia (who aren't going to be a part of this operation) is two platoons' worth of decently trained if rather irregular light cavalry, and two platoons worth of irregular infantry (I'm not sure on their level of training nowadays, plus perhaps we have managed to make them motorized with a truck / lorry or two per platoon). Yes, I know the Wells militia aren't going to be a part of this operation, using them just as an example.

My guess is the Dog Soldiers are irregular light infantry. With excellent morale and good individual skill, but their organization level and training as a cohesive unit (as well as any heavy / support weapons) are one big question mark.

Also, question: how much does Lucky Mike like that hotel? Because with a tank pulling fire support role, it would be tempting to just blast the hotel down, and then come to sweep the ruins clean.

OK, with the Jackpot being the critical part:

• Sounds like the hill with an AA battery is not a problem. B-Team, 50 Dog Soldiers and a tank, that's a plenty. Also, gives us an overwatch position with direct fire support. 
• Airport doesn't seem to be much of a problem either. Just in case - can the tank lay fire on the airport, should anyone try to take off from there? It would be great if we could capture the Luftwaffe's aircraft intact, but as you say: they are not to be allowed to get airborne. I'm tempted to to ask the airmobile QRF squad to lay demolition charges on the aircraft... though on an afterthought, if they can get to the aircraft, there's a simpler solution. Just shoot a tire (or two) on each single aircraft they find there. Not a problem a skilled ground crew couldn't handle... if they have time, and no-one is shooting at them. But guaranteed to stop any conventional, fixed-wing aircraft from getting airborne. As we were on a similar topic a number of times - even high tech aircraft are basically sitting ducks when you catch them on the ground. Of course, this depends on whether the Whyte Hats troops can get to wherever the craft are kept, and that is not a given. A lot depends on what kind and size of a security force is present at the airport.
• I'd love to minimize the time between the C-23s being called in and the troops they carry showing up on the airfield. Is it viable for them to be already in the air (in a holding pattern) somewhere between Wells and Jackpot once the AV-borne QRF makes their move? Or would that sell us to local air control far too early? 
• Landing the two C-23s worth of troops on the airstrip is preferrable to parachuting the men in (lack of dispersion, alck of drop-related injuries). In either case, the C-23s are to deliver their passengers to the target, and get out ASAP as a basic plan. Local Whyte Hats commander at the airfield has the discretion of delaying their departure if he considers it necessary to have someone (wounded personnel, important POWs, civillians) airlifted to Wells or Elko, but our aircraft on the ground are just as much sitting ducks as any other. So they need to get the job done and be outta there.
• That leaves us with the piece de resistance, the hotel. 50+ Jager (including combat cyborgs, and possibly ACPA or a few), an undetermined number of other Idaho Fascists, and possibly non-combatants / Jackpot civillians. They will be wary we are going to pull something (so obtaining and maintaining an element of surprise is not an option), and there's way too many of them for our A-Team to handle them on our own. From what I have heard so far, the best idea would be to just raze it down with a tank fire and use the A-Team to gun down anyone escaping - it is a matter of whether the collateral damage / losses are acceptable. Even in Vipers, we're just a handful of people. But - I'm waiting for more info, maybe it'll cast some new light on the matter.
• Regarding the above: do we have time and resources to re-equip the ACPA / Vipers with something with different type of firepower? The 12,7 / 14,5mms are good all-around guns, but for humans in body armor (even MetalGear) they're kinda overkill, while at the same time they don't give us an edge when engaging multiple targets (because RoF is not really stellar there). Some form of a Gatling gun for Tai's Standard-C (personally I'd prefer the 10mm HIVE, but it is kinda specialized weapon. 12,7mm Gatling would be the next best thing), and, I dunno, G-20 machineguns (in 10mm long) for the rest of the crew? A grenade launcher or three wouldn't be a bad addition, but it is a matter of what can we have on the Vipers.

The convoy seems to be a solved question, then.

As for the camp:

• How big it is in terms of area, structures and manpower (asking about estimates here)? You said there are about 250 Jager in total, 50 if them being in Jackpot (plus maybe a dozen in the convoy, if it is moving empty), so that would be between 150 and 200 in the camp?
• This will dictate how much air assets do we need to devote to it. I'd much more like to have the AVX-9s as flexible support, being able to intervene wherever we need them, than have on of them assigned to bombing the camp into oblivion. However, if the size of the camp warrants it...
• Artillery is fine. It needs to be corrected / adjusted, though: GPS-guided is fine for pre-determined coordinates. They'll will need a drone or better two as spotters. Not necessarily armed ones for that role - but ones with good optics and comms.
• Either way, we'll need boots on the ground there at some point. Artillery can pound a target into a pulp, but it can't take and hold ground. The only ground force we seem to have in the vicinity seems to be the Ranger platoon, once they're done with the convoy. I don't think its enough...
• Whyte Hats 1st Platoon would be welcome there, but are we going to have enough ammo for the artillery to keep the camp pinned for two hours...?

Side note: we have to assume the Jager know something is afoot. Even if the Idaho Government is properly tight-lipped about their dealings with us, and if the current Idaho military personnel is 101% opposed to the previous regime (and I wouldn't bet on that, there's always a chance they have a mole there). If the Idaho Government was passing several tons of heavy ordnance to Whyte Hats, somebody has surely noticed. So, the Jager do know about it by now. 

As for the Wiking Division on the approaches to Twin Falls - even assuming they have enough fuel and vehicles - they aren't really a factor as a whole. We may see their QRF in about an hour from being called (pro tip: don't let the hotel call for reinforcements...) if they have a company's-worth of QRF. Faster for a platoon-sized QRF, but it is still 25 miles (or slightly more) they have to cover as a convoy (the larger the convoy, the slower it moves...).

An AVX-9 loaded for ground attack role is likely to make short work of such a QRF. Even company-sized (note: it doesn't have to blast every single one to pieces - take out a few, and scatter the rest would be good enough, as this would prevent the QRF from reaching Jackpot). Just keep an eye out to know if it is coming.

I'm assuming here  that the Wiking commander is worth his salt and actually has a QRF assembled and ready for whatever emergency they're needed for. Being the fire brigade of the force, they'd have fuel ad ammuniton pooled into them. However, I'm assuming the worst scenario, i.e. the entire QRF being instantly available at the spot most advantageous for them. They might be scattered on the Division's positions in smaller groups, so they'd have to assemble before heading towards Jackpot. 

Mobilizing a force of a 1000 men that was already deployed to a defensive position, and moving them along a single road to Jackpot - that's going to take hours. Literally. Even if they aren't opposed by air attacks and artillery fire on their way. Which they would. Now of course it warrants a question of their air defences, which in turn could make short work out of our ground-attack drones and AVXes. And a good reason as to why ther Luftwaffe aircraft have to remain grounded in Jackpot.

OK, so what do we have there? Seems the time to deal with the Schwarze Jager has come.

There are three contact points: the hotels in town, the convoy on the road, and the main camp.

• Is there a possibility for us to do the hotels part quietly (I'm thinking supressed guns) and low-key? We'll be pulling that bit in a populated area, nominally controlled by our nominal ally. It would be advantageous to not go bananas with high-caliber weapons there, I guess.
• The convoy part is - as we've talked - to be handled by the ranger platoon. Assuming they can successfully ambush the convoy with enough anti-vehicle weapons, this shouldn't be a problem. We might even want to prepare the ambush site with mines - anti-vehicle and/or anti-personnel to stop the convoy / close it's maneuver area / keep the opposition in a designated killzone. If we don't have mines, the explosives we do have can be used to improvise some (you don't need that much explosives to cripple a vehicle's mobility by blowing off a wheel / track). The Rangers should have enough time to prep the site. What I want there, is enough high-mobility assets to be able to give chase should anyone break away from the killzone. But generaly, I see this peration as potentially least problematic.
• The camp. It is a big area, from what I've seen. Looking at the map now, seems to be the valley of the Shoshone Creek. Potentially a lot of nooks and crannies to search, and we'll have to comb it pretty thoroughly. I think good aerial reconaissance (visual spectrum - and thermal, preferably at night) should be in order. Naturally, from an altitude preventing our drones from being detected. I'm assuming at this point the Jager are camped in the creek's valley - where they have access to water and are protected from the wind, which sweeps the open plains (there are even hot springs there, that might be a good camping site if you're looking for some comfort. Pretty obvious, though, so if they're doing their best to stay undetected, it might be perhaps too obvious). The benefit here being - anyone trying to get out of the valley will have to negotiate rather steep, open slopes. I'd like to have a mobile force cutting out the northern part of the valley (one that crosses into Idaho territory) - I'd guess the hoverborne platoon would be a good choice. Also, high-mobility assets to chase after stragglers, and a main force to come into the valley, and follow the stream. As for our Native allies (we've been promised an assistance of 60 Dog Soldiers, and I assume those are some serious lads) I need to know more about the situation to decide where they should be. It will be important to set up recogniton signals to avoid blue-on-blue! 

I'm still impressed by your dedication to the project

I've read a couple of Pat Cadigan's books (Synners and, I think, Patterns), but I somehow missed the point

Perhaps I should refresh on them...

Either way, I have asked a friend (who is quite well-versed in the political systems / ideologies / philosophies), and in his opinion, the economic approach like we made in Nevada (make sure people prosper, and they will mellow down. It is difficult to entice a riot among well-fed people) is a good one, and should work. 

The main danger there is Morgan himself, being a gang boss of the area: he might try to take over control over the sources of prosperity, making himself richer and more powerful, but not allowing the wealth to really reach the Average Joe.

1 hour ago, Allen1 said:

Aldo Hoebacke is a hunted man now, but he has clearly made a successful get away; at least for now.

That's what you call a successful bank withdrawal

1 hour ago, Allen1 said:

In regards to water & sewer in Freedom Park, that neighborhood is next door to Night City's main water treatment plant, so that isn't an issue.

What I mean, keeping access to these municipal services is something they want to maintain. Which, in turn, forces them to behave - otherwise the city may consider closing the tap. 

Sure, the Freedom Park folks being anarchists, they have to be expected to be quite resourceful, so there will be a share of illegal connections tapping into the official services. It won't be feasible to control the area tightly enough to elliminate that, so the best bet we have regarding these kind of problems (and I hope the city authorities follow the same approach) is to tolerate that. To a degree. 

Well, that's politics. Not really 8-Ball's field of expertise, though he can offer an useful observation now and then. 

Save for Ciardan Guilfoyle, there seem to be no people in this group we have to neutralize, and even him it's more on the moral grounds than anything else. If the British Secret Squirrels are happy to get him, that's killing two birds with one stone: he's off our hands, and somebody is happy for the gift.

The folks who are in bed with Arasaka already - shiny. However, we should keep an eye on them. Them being in bed with Arasaka (and being there so quickly. Yes, I get that they were - at least some of them - conspiring with Arasaka before we showed up), and us being on good terms with Arasaka doesn't mean we are all one big, happy, Arasaka-related family.

Aldo Hoebacke - we'll have eyes open should he pop up. But I doubt he would (my guess: he's either already dead, or far, far away). I'd say let the Feds crawl over the defunct bank to their hearts content, though we might get two potential things here:

1. Learn who have lost their savings (I mean, regarding the significant players in the local scene. With all sympathy and respect, small fry local residents aren't our target group. Though if there seems to be a large number of these, we could consider estabilishing a charity of some sort to keep them afloat*). If we do that quickly, we might be able to buy property from those people before it gets widely known. Yes, it seems this is what is going to cause the local businesses to be available for sale.
2. Check Big Al's stuff for any deposit box keys (or however is this handled there). There's a chance he was keeping some stuff in the bank's deposit boxes, and we might be able to lay our greedy little paws on it: I have no idea how it works in the US, but here, the contents of deposit boxes aren't taken over if the bank goes bankrupt.

I find neither of these things to be especially likely to work for us, but there's little risk in giving it a try. If it works, we may score something, if it doesn't, it is still no big deal.

Yup, so Maria and the other small fish walk. I don't think we have a reason to press any charges against them, even should we have any incriminating material. Which, to my knowledge, we don't have.

* That's a thing we should have in mind - if it turns out a large number of ordinary Joes in the area have lost all their money due to the bank floatin' belly up, this can lead to civic unrest short term, and the neigbourhood decline in the long term. If we intend to stay as a stabilizing force, we don't want either.

Back to the lessons of Nevada: make the place prosper, and prosperity will keep people happy.

We'll have to work on that, regarding our anarchist neighbours to the north, too. Somehow. I mean, they can be as anarchist as they want on their side of the fence, but we can't really keep them in a ghetto. Not long-term. 

Also, giving them something they won't like the idea of losing seems to be a good way of keeping them stable. 

Anarchists or not, they have to eat. They definitely like to have access to basic utilities like power, running water and so on. They have already expressed interest in access to city transit (bus stop) and schools for their kids.

I don't know how we are going to make it work, but it can be done. There is historical precedent (Fristaden Christiania).

Well, we weren't given a rundown of who was captured, and what we did with them (and if we did anything), but: 

• “Big Al” Crenshaw:  The president of the association and local gang lord.  He outwardly owns several small businesses and the building where he lives - confirmed dead.
• Gregor Yurkova:  He is the vice president of the association and is the titular owner of the Morrison Square Security Group.  This is one of the people that Andrea wants dead - confirmed dead.
• Calvin O’Shea:  This man is the secretary of the association and owns a bar, restaurant and dance club, the Clam Shack, right on Morrison Square.  He also owns the brothel above. - I think he survived. 8-Ball's opinion: unless there is a reason to do otherwise, we should let him go and continue about his businesses. One caveat: the guy owns a brothel. If there are informations about its employees being mistreated (Mitzi, being a fixer, should be able to collect such information effortlessly), warn him it has to stop. 
• Aldo Hoebacke:  This transplanted Dutchman is the treasurer of the association and president of the Morrison Square Savings & Loan. The bank is on the first floor of your target building. - I'm not sure he was on site. Meaning he's probably fine. 8-Ball's suggestion - someone with a police experience / investigative background should look into him. See if there's any significant dirt on him. If so, use the dirt to keep the man behaving well. Apart from that, having a bank manager on our side can be useful for all our allied operations in NC. 
• Ciardan Guilfoyle:  A former IRA Provo gunboy, who had to flee both Ireland and Ulster when accused of a number of rapes and murders.  Ciardan runs a number of laundromats in Morrison. - if memory serves me, he survived. In 8-Ball's opinion, given the man's rap sheet, we should wrap him up with a red ribbon and make sure the appropriate Irish or UK authorities find him on their doorstep. Figuratively, of course. Maybe Suzy's (or J.J.'s) old contacts would like to use him as a token of gratitude / favor  towards their respective counterparts on the British Isles.
• Bonti Ramamurthy:  This man came from India with his parents as a young child. The parents were killed by street thugs and Bonti drifted into the street scene.  He now runs two thrift stores and the largest retail food outlet in the Morrison Square area. - assuming it is the crazy old cripple (IIRC) Jamal ran into, he survived. Nothing urgent, but I feel for an owner of two thrift stores and a food outlet, the man shouldn't have been at the penthouse. Unless there's more to him. So - 8-Ball's suggestion - someone with a police experience / investigative background should look into him. But we should let him go, in general.
• Dan Klimowitz (Lt. Dan😞 Head of Security from Big Al (Andrea’s replacement so he must die) - confirmed dead.
• Maria (Big Al’s latest squeeze): A young woman of low to no morals - survived. 8-Ball's suggestion: interrogate her (job for JJ, basic questioning), tell her that Big Al is dead, and as for her, well, if she talks, she walks - plus, she owes no loyalty to Big Al's dead corpse, but she owes it to herself. If she won't try feeding us misinformation, we should let her go. I honestly doubt she knows anything interesting, but Big Al could have, potentially, babbled something of value to his squeeze. Maybe even something that isn't in the books and computers. Such things do hapen, and it would be foolhardy of us to ignore the possibility.
• various other Big Al's personnel: give them a cursory questioning. A few of them might be potential talent to recruit, like the accountant Tai dragged along (at the very least, these will be useful for digging through the captured data. They already know where to look. In regard to these people, 8-Ball would suggest offering them limited-time contract with standard rates, plus a bonus for every acquirable Big Al's asset they uncover). Hired guns (a few of them have survived. Those who decided not to fight us...) should be treated with professional courtesy. Unless there's a good reason to pass them over to authorities, we should let them go. Various sycophants and hangers-on walk, too.

...all seems way like 8-Ball should pick up some Interrogation skill... he can be pretty menacing (Intimidation at +4), but it is not the scientific way of getting answers out of someone (plus he really rarely makes use of it).

Another cool aircraft-that-never-was you could perhaps like: 

• Mil Mi-30 Vintoplan (it's later, enlarged varaint seems to be sometimes called Mi-32, there seems to be a lot of unclear information). Essentially, a Soviet Osprey, or an entire family of such tiltrotors. 
• Bell Boeing Quad TiltRotor, a proposed heavy lift tiltrotor supposedly to be within C-130 Hercules' class of cargo capacity.

On the other matters:

• Well, the question is - do we have to kill Morgan too (and scatter his organization. Or lack thereof, given his anarchist approach)? I'd prefer not to, but I guess we'd need to give him an incentive to behave. A reason to be nice. And I frmly believe a positive reason would be better than negative ("be nice or else!"). The problem is, I know too little to see what we could offer him that he'd want, and that he would dislike the idea of losing enough to behave. He might have respect for Mitzi now, but this would only carry him that far.
• Seems we can have a working relation with the Alpha Dogs cyborgs. I assume someone has shown Andrea the bodies (or at least pictures) of the three people she wanted dead actually being dead? I'd put the group in the same drawer as the late Luftwaffe: we can trust them as far as we pay them. And we can pay them for a specific job. 
• Nb. what is the status on the Big Al's penthouse? Perhaps Mitzi - being a Fixer gaining in status - could and should take it over as her headquarters.
• OK: Arasaka is happy with us, Militech less so. We should throw the dog a bone, then. Make them happier. Mitzi, have that in mind.
• Crusher in Wells: 8-Ball will refer the man to his friends and colleagues there, both Whyte Hats and Militia. It should give him a running start in the new place.
• So, we're in for a viking funeral...

In-game-wise, these are the ideas Angel has, and he'll give some thought to these. As you have pointed out, this doesn't mean they will be practical. Or - practical without a serious amount of work and money being thrown at them.

Which is fine: the history of innovation is chock-full of ideas that seemed to be the bee's knees but the development either showed them to be a dead end, a failure, or turning away from the original solution and resulting in something very, very different.

Regarding drones:

• a PseudoDragon REM like the Police use seems to be a decent candidate for an ACPA scout: it is small, lightweight, quiet, and inexpensive. Indeed, there's the problem of operating it. 
• There are all these centipede and tarantula REMs that could be useful scouts, too. But defintiely require someone to operate them.
• ARDEK Robohounds are an example of a combat-capable drone/robot that somehow isn't that much tied to an operator. 

Yes, having to operate a drone is an issue for an ACPA trooper: requires cross-training in drone operations, and what is far more concerning (also IRL) - concentrating on that. A control rig is, IMO, not a problem: the ACPA's control interface is advanced enough to allow it to be used an a Goggle&Glove interface at the very least, you'd need an appropriate transmitter and specialized software though. 

Concentration being the main issue here: you have to zone out into drone-running, meaning you'd be slow to react to someone popping up to shoot your head off.

Regrding snake cams - we really didn't had time to deploy them. The run was too much on a tight clock - and we have brought far too little personnel to cover the area in the manner the CQB principles dictate. 

IRL, they way I was taught CQB (granted, 20+ years ago and by an enthusiast), you were supposed to have a four-man fireteam clear an average-sized room, with another element holding the corridor outside. Well maybe two fireteams clearing rooms on both sides of a corridor, and squad leader maintaining security. That's nine-man infantry squad already. In this aprticular building, I'd call for another fireteam (at least!) to secure the stairwell. If you want all the floors to be cleared simultaneously, that'd call for more than a platoon of troops.

We never had that level of manpower available. 

Now, as for the snake cams and ACPA - one of the things we need to do on the Vipers is to give them "rabbit ears" sensory extensions. They are actually available for ACPAs.

Nota bene, having these (adapted from cyberware variant) available for more conventional body armor (like our Softshells) is one of the things that have been on Angel's to-do list for ages (but I assume he didn't had much time to work on that - due to school). Just like his advanced smartgoggles being integrated into regular combat helmets.

Regarding the Vipers, that's a combination of several issues.

• I did a layout of equipment included in a Pit Viper suit (I still have to do it for a Hooded Viper, as it has some more stuff) as if it was a STR 16-framed ACPA. Which, essentially, it is. This turned out indicating a Viper has loads of available space for additonal equipment. As in, two spaces per limb internally (and one externally), one remaining free in the torso internally (and two externally), and half as space internally in the helmet.
• The Hooded Viper is said (SoF #2) to have armored housings of 1/2 space per arm (usually used to house a 14mm pistol and 1-handed melee weapon). There are rules in SoF #2 saying that integrating extra equipment into a Viper is expensive (and probably difficult. I don't have the book at hand at the moment).
• Then there is the problem with Vipers in out campaign being prototype technology (which, somehow, flew over my head). Prototype testing is one of the moments where you can see a lot of stuff being applied, as an experiment. As in, someone comes in and says "well, wouldn't it be cool / useful / marketable if the product was able to do X?", the nerds scratch their heads, and if they decide that "yeah, we can bolt the appropriate doo-datt on, I guess", it gets bolted on (well, budget and time permitting). Then comes the test phase, and the thing or ability in question shows whether it is sensible enough to keep (usually, after some adjustments), or it was a waste of time, effort and money (and I guess usually the latter). It eventually boils down to what @Allen1lets us do with the Viper armor modification. But we won't know until we ask.

10 hours ago, Cybernetic Jesus said:

Wasn't the Kfir based off of a French-design?  

It indeed was. 

Pretty slick story behind it, too: if memory serves me, Mossad agents nicked the designs for Mirage III from a bank vault in Switzerland. The Israeli aviation industry then redesigned the plane to use an engine they had access to (a license-buildt American one IIRC, for obviously the French weren't willing to provide them with the fitting SCNEMA-Atar turbojets just the same as they weren't willing to sell them a license for the Mirage aircraft in the first place), and added a few minor changes. Thus the Kfir C.1 was born. 

They went on from there, adding canard wings on the air intakes, chipped wing design and so on. 

Somewhere along the way they got pretty crafty in designing update packages for various aircraft - I recall something very Kfir-like being used by the South African Air Force - the Cheetach (whether it was a second-hand Kfir, or Kfir-like modified Mirage III, or a mix of both, I can't really remember. But the Israeli had their hands pretty deep in that project). Similar with Argentina. 

Not to mention a wide offer for the countries using old Soviet desings, I believe Romania (or was it Bulgaria?) still uses some MiG-21-2000 (-2000 being the Israeli-upgraded model).

10 hours ago, Cybernetic Jesus said:

The F-20 had dual M39 cannons with the same ROF of the GSh-30-1, but, the pic. clearly showed only one cannon; since I already allocated 2 spaces, I went with the 20mm Gat, to keep on Max-Met. standards (though, I'm set on 4D10 per round; one 20mm round isn't doing more than a SAM!!!! Dang-dabbit!

One of the things Maximum Metal fails to transmit clearly is the fact the modern anti-aircraft missiles tend to have proximity fuses. With an autocannon, whether you miss by an inch or a mile, it is still a miss (I guess they are too small to be effective with a proximity fuse). With a proximity fuse, a close miss is still a hit: the missile detonates - shredding the target with prefragmented shrapnel - once it notices it stopped closing t the target.

I'm not going to go down the rabbit hole of deciding whether a few hundred pieces of shrapnel are - combined - more devastating than a single 20mm autocannon round, or not.

Especially since we've been through this discussion already. I see little point in the damage dice-values for heavy weapons. If they are used against vehicles, you have the PEN value anyway. If they are used against personel, there are the rules for characters hit with heavy weapons... 

Well, the single weapon under the nose could still be an autocannon. Several modern-ish fighter aircraft gave been configured that way. Keep in mind that Maximum Metal apparently got fixed on ground-role autocannons as the rules basis, while there are revolver cannons - or even short-recoil operated cannons like the Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 (supposedly set for a 1500 RPM rate of fire customarily: that'd be a Cyberpunk RoF of 80...) - that fire much faster.

IIRC some variants of the Tornado IDS (recon variants in German service, if memory serves me - but don't quote me on that, it's been over 20years since I dabbledin that stuff. Legacy data, as I already mentioned)had one of their IWKA-Mauser 27mm autocannons removed & replaced with an extra electronics package.

I'd suggest redoing the designation on the Tiger/Talon. F-20X for example. F-21A was a real-life designation for the upgraded IAI Kfir C.1 in US service (long story short, they leased two dozen Kfirs from the Israeli for use as opponent aircraft in training scenarios. Think Top Gun the movie, except they used A-4 Skyhawks there).

Edit:

should you wish to further dabble in aircraft-that-never-really-were (as in the F-20 Tigershark, which IRL was more or less production ready, but never serialy produced), I have two cool-looking ground attack aircraft you could take on:

• ARES
• Skorpion (ok, it never went to the prototype level, just a mockup. But I have a soft spot for it since the 90s)

They were both intended for the general SABA concept: light ground-attack and helicopter-killer (in Cyberpunk reality, that would include AVs as well. And given where the current reality is, also drones) battlefield aircraft.

Thank you for explaination, guys

I guess we won't come to that. Please note - 8-Ball doesn't know jack shit abut vikings, apart from what he absorbed from the popular culture on a topic he was never particlarly interested in. Which is why he's looking for a godti  to not only perform the rites, but also direct how the ceremony should be handled.

AFAIK, floating funeral pyre - or the boat burial (in some cases, the boats wern't burned afloat, but buried whole) - was historically reserved to the people of the highest social status. Hardly surprising, given how expensive it was to get rid of a perfectly floatable longboat with all the lavish funeral gifts it was expected to include. Swede did see himself as a viking, but not as a chieftain - neither a jarl nor konung. 

A much simpler cremation probably should do (although 8-Ball is willing to honor his friend with adequate burial gifts "for the road" - he'll be consulting the godti on what is appropriate).

I guess the Chrome Berets' clubhouse would do fine as a substitute mead hall: from a Norseman's perspective, it is the communal dwelling of the dear departed's clan. Home of the people who will remeber and honor the Swede, and of whom he came from (note: I'm not aware of the Swede having any realtives past his adopted chrome Berets family, though @Allen1may yet make us aware of some family coming out of the woodwork). They may not follow the same tradition as he did in recent years, but they will understeand what it is about. 

Beer and mead, I guess, can be supplied. Where is a demand, a supply shall be found.

Having a chat with the brain in the first borg's head wouldn't do harm. Though I guess it wouldn't know anything interesting, compared to all the Big Al's computers, books and so on.

If Tai wants some chromed trophies, he can have them, as far as 8-Ball is concerned.

If Cossack fancies himself the pinball machine as a memento, hell, 8-Ball will help him carry it home.

8-Ball needs to find a godti  (a priest of the Asatru, in short - the traditional Scandinavian pagan beliefs. Gonna use Mitzi's fixer contacts to find a suitable neopagan group in the general area) - someone to give the Swede a proper viking burial ceremony. The Swede, being a self-stylised viking, would have wanted that (plus, after all, he fell in battle, weapon in hand. He's basically due his share of well-endowed blondes and ale in Valhalla!).

Quickly noting down ideas so I won't forget them - things Angel has to pay some attention to:

• Make some work on the Pit Viper so it can have a buildt-in weapon (paintball pistol. We lack a spare hand there, as well as a capacity to disable non-combatants / captures). I'll need to write down the ACPA sheet for the Viper, I hope I'll be able to squeeze it in somewhere (if the existing "ACPA small arms" are any indication, it should fit into 1/2 space on an ACPA - but I have to do math and check if there is such a space). 
• Make a camera rig that can be thrown into a room (grenade-like), right itself up, and transmit a 360-degrees vision into the BattleMapper. Probably use existing cyberware parts, like cybereyes and the like. I guess keeping it about the size, weight and shape of a hand grenade should be doable. And if it doesn't get destroyed by the opposition (or someone just stepping on it in the commotion), it can be later picked up and tossed into the next room. A battery with enough juice to power up a few cybereyes and a short-range transmitter should last quite a while.
• He's also going to give some thought to the concept of RPVs / drones to assist troopers / ACPAs. Small, lightweight things, primairly meant as scouts (such a concept was mentioned somewhere in the rulebooks). Though I guess Angel himself will have to give it up: he's not an expert on remotes, and assigning one to an ACPA would probably go all kinds of wrong (it has either to be independent enough to care after itself, or you need a dedicated drone jockey assigned to it. Or, perhaps, the ACPA pilot would need to stop for a while, deploy a drone, pilot it to wherever he needs, check the place, pilot it back, recover it, and then start moving his ACPA again. Defintiely works in an IRL situation - unless you're in a middle of a room-to-room fight... Once you get into the distances we usually face in-game, you won't be having time for that).

Regarding Crusher & Swede:

• If Crusher wants to move to Wells and join the Whyte Hats, 8-Ball will back him. If he needs any help in Nevada, let 8-Ball know.
• If the Swede asks for a transfer to the Night City office of Whyte Hats (to be closer to the Chome Berets & help them), 8-Ball is all for it. If he wants to leave Whyte Hats and rejoin the gang full-time, 8-Ball will advise him against it (but he'd stop at that: advising his friend. In the end, it is goign to be the Swede's call, and 8-Ball will support him either way). 

Regrding the penthouse raid - since Angela would definitely know that (while Angel could make an educated guess) - how durable are the internal walls?

I'm asking from the angle of not minding the doors during the raid. An ACPA should be able to just walk through a drywall, a brick-and-mortar / cinderblock should be still doable (at least for Tai's Standard-C, if not for our Vipers), though I guess steel-reinforced concrete is a no-go.

If I were to guess, I'd assume load-bearing pillars (hidden in the walls, mostly used as corners) to be reinforced concrete, external walls to be cinderblock, and internal walls to be drywall. Optionally, external walls might be concrete, and there might be some internal load-bearing walls as well (but the floorplan doesn't look like it would be the case).