Have you ever done a heist before...

I can't go into specifics, but the nature of the operation was revenge at the new ownership that fired all the senior staff, contractors and directors that had created the event and been there since day one; in an extremely unprofessional and public manner.
The event has gone far down hill since, and because of their actions they've spent a massive amount of what would have been their profits in maintaining the status quo, so that's something.

Ah I see, that's more redeemable than just shutting down something because of the content of the event

Shit man, I'm a freelance contractor with a mercenary heart. I'll do just about anything and work for just about anyone in my field as long as your money is green; just don't be a tremendous fuck if you're going to fire me.

"Never fuck your Mercenaries unless it's the sexy kind" is lesson surprisingly few governments learn to their detriment, time and time again

We were in a campaign in 3.5 trying to save the nation from from the BBEG. To do this we needed to get a sword. We searched the dungeon but turns out the emperor had it all along. We petitioned him for the sword but he refused. He didnt care about the BBEG as he had already bribed him not to attack the kingdom and the sword was the most valuable item in the kingdom.

Cue the heist.
The sword was kept at the top of a tower on an island surrounded by an antimagic field. Armed guards, dogs, gates, locks, the whole hog.

The party consisted of a rogue, a sorceror, a fighter and a cleric.

We decided to forge a letter to access the sword for archaeological purposes. The plan was that the sorceror would go in to "inspect" the sword with an escourt from our fighter who had infiltrated the guards. The cleric was our "getaway" driver and the rogue was our set up guy, he had to get all the equipment we needed.

So it started off with the fighter infiltrating the organisation. The cleric brewed up a poison and we got one of the guards sick. They sent for a replacement and we put the fighter in his place. So while he was in. Training and getting the routine of everyone down pat the others were getting ready.

So the rogue forged the letter to inspect the sword and impersonated an official kings messenger to deliver it. It was required to be a month ahead of schedule.

The fighter got a view of the sword and wrote down every detail. We had a pic from an old book but we tried to match it the best we could. The rogue infiltrated the outer wall and the fighter got the drawings to him.

The cleric and sorceror got a replica sword forged and the rogue delivered it back to him. The fighter wore it instead of his guard issued sword.

So it came to the day. We took out the guards on the ferry and the cleric and some hired mercenaries sailed the ship. The rogue was inside a box of supposed treasures to be added to a secondary room. The sorceror was dressed up.

As a Shadowrun GM, setting up a cool heist for my players where everyone plans out an elaborate plan is pretty much my goal. It never turns out that way, probably because players aren't real criminal masterminds. So they spend two weeks bickering about a plan, then when they're knee deep in alarms and guards, it always turns out everybody had their own idea of what the big plan was.
Which is fun, if you accept that movie-style heists are a thing in movies were people are following a script, not in roleplaying games.

So the sorceror was dressed up as this archaeologist. He entered the rogue was delivered and the fighter was tasked to escourt the "guest" along with 3 other guards.

So the sorceror gets past all the gates and begins inspecting the sword. In the meantime the rogue has escaped and is setting up a diversion. The diversion goes off and the fighter gets 2 of the guards to go off after it. Then knocks out the other guard. The sorceror and him then swap the sword and the fighter wears it. The rogue is in all sorts of chaos and leading the guards on a wild goose chase. The pair with the sword make their way back towards the ferry. The sorceror gets back onto the ferry. The fighter returns and the rogue escapes the tower. He gets back to the ferry and they make a daring getaway.

The rogue stole a heap of minor artifacts. The tower is locked down and cannot be entered. The party then sends letters of transfers for the guards for their dismal performance. The fighter still with the sword literally just walks it out of the castle takes the ferry and we get the sword.