I am gamemastering a Shadowrun 4 adventure (fan-made) and have maneuvered myself into a situation that I don't know how to get out of. I do not have much experience as a GM, only as a player, and I am not deeply familiar with the Shadowrun world.
The Situation
The PCs were hired to find a missing person and broke into the person's workplace. There they found a secret underground facility of the Ares corporation and grabbed important documents to sell them. Together with the documents, they also took a locus (magical device that allows using ley line energy).
When the PCs went back to the elevator, Ares personnel were already there and held them at gunpoint. A Johnson showed up and demanded return of the documents and offered a large sum of hush money plus safe conduct out of the corporate extraterritorial compound.
The PCs insisted on being allowed to leave the compound first before returning the documents. During this conversation, the PCs copied the data to a drone that was also within the compound. Then, they threatened the Johnson that the drone would publish all the data if something happened to them.
The Johnson didn't want to be blackmailed and fired an EMP grenade, destroying the drone and all PC comlinks. After that, one PC went crazy and killed the Johnson.
The Problem
I told the players that there are many security guards and it wouldn't be wise to start a fight. I don't want to kill the PCs, because although what they did was stupid, it was only one PC's single action that the other PCs couldn't really prevent. Also as an inexperienced GM I'm unsure whether the situation is partly my fault.
How can I let them escape (barely) alive without making Ares look totally incompetent?
Additional Info
- We are playing roughly in the middle between Pink Mohawk and Mirror Shades styles. The PC who killed the Johnson usually does not tend to unnecessary violence.