[Taocow PBEM] [Oz] Book 3 - Chapter XVII

[Aaron Clausen]

>> [GM]
>> "They have orders to pursue and destroy you if kidnap or kill me," the
>> General laughs. "My Colonels have their orders, in the event of my
>> death or capture."
>>[/GM]

> [Oz]
> "That's the sort of thing you tell the kidnapper later, not at the
> outset. No point in keeping you alive, then, is there? Likely to turn
> a kidnapping into a murder, isn't it?"
> [/Oz]

[GM]
The General says nothing, just giving Oz a defiant look.
[/GM]

>> [GM]
>> Someone responds, a man whose voice has the weight of authority.
>> "Release the General, and we will discuss terms. If he's not able to
>> inform you, our orders not to negotiate with kidnappers."
>> [/GM]

> [Oz]
> "The only terms we require are free passage. We did not start this
> fight, your General did. And a less honorable thing I've never seen on
> these isles. We were your guests, with no quarrel, and you tried to
> imprison us."
> [/Oz]

[GM]
The man responds, "We need to confirm the General is still alive and
able to communicate."
[/GM]

>> [GM]
>> There's a beep on Oz's comm system signaling an incoming message on an
>> encrypted channel. A familiar woman's voice comes over the end. This
>> must be the officer that they had first met on arrival. "Many of us do
>> not want to follow the General anymore. We're willing to help you out
>> of this, but you need to commit to taking us with you. I can gain
>> access to a couple of flyers. Will you accept this?"
>> [/GM]

> [Oz]
> Oz tries not to indicate that the second voice had come in, responding
> to it as if still responding to the man asking them to release the
> General. He does nod, though, in case the female speaker was watching.
> "We take anyone who wants to join us. Our real fight is against the
> Splugorth. All we want to do is leave by whatever method possible."
> [/Oz]

[GM]
"Very well," the woman says. "I will be in contact again soon." The
line goes dead.
[/GM]

>> [GM]
>> Over another encrypted channel to all the company's comms, Oz's
>> sergeant announces, "We're doing our best, sir, and we've got some new
>> help here, but they outnumber us twenty to one or more."
>> [/GM]

> [Oz]
> "And I told the captain to leave, Sergeant. If you lose that airship
> we're all dead. You should withdraw, post-haste, and we will meet with
> you as soon as possible. For soldiers and airmen, the lot of you are
> all remarkably bad at taking orders." He delivered it in his best
> British deadpan, but the irony in his voice had him smirking to
> himself inside his helmet.
> [/Oz]

[GM]
"Aye sir," the Sergeant replies, "and I expect to be booted down to
private for this. The ship is safe, though, or as safe as she can be.
I'm afraid we're all going to have to walk out of here."
[/GM]

[...]

>>> [Vesper]
>>> Vesper helps bring the general onto the hovercraft.
>>> "Your a terrible host general."
>>> Vesper then scrambled back unto the hovercraft firing more cover fire shots.
>>> [/Vesper]

>> [GM]
>> As Vesper is speaking, another communication comes from what appears
>> to be some of the leyline ship's crew. This is an unfamiliar woman's
>> voice.
>>
>> "This is Lady Veronique of New Camelot, I'm your rescue. If you want
>> to get out of here retreat in my direction and follow my men before
>> they seal off this option for our retreat entirely. I see a couple of
>> vehicles with rail guns incoming".
>> [/GM]

> [Alex]
> "Worth a try," the Coalition ranger states. "I don't see it being any worse."
>
> As required, Alex will continue offering covering fire. She will also try to
> remain touching the others in order to provide them with protection against
> energy weapons.
> [/Alex]

> [Ted]
> "But do you see it getting any better?" Ted asked rhetorically, turning the
> vehicle around and putting his foot on the gas.
>
> OOC: Off to rendezvous with this Lady Veronique, I guess.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
The jeep is struck several times as they make their way towards where
this Lady Veronique and some of the crew of the leyline ship are
located. But despite their best efforts, they are indeed facing an
overwhelming force, and the two vehicles moving to intercept are now
joined by more soldiers, several in power armor. The whole situation
seems dire, probably doomed.

The General laughs, "Release me now, and perhaps I'll release you from
prison before you all die of old age!"

And then two things happen...

First, two hoverjets, one a fighter craft and the other a transport,
likely able to hold one hundred men, appear, and open fire, but not on
the company or the mysterious Lady Veronique's position, but rather on
the General's troops. Rockets, plasma bursts and even a couple of
mini-missiles turn the area into a firestorm. Oz's radio crackles on
an encrypted channel, "We're ready to join you. We don't dare land, as
we've shut off most nav equipment to prevent the computers from being
hacked. Instructions?"

And then, as if that weren't enough, out of the smoke and wrack and
ruin there suddenly rises a great blue-skinned giant, at least two
hundred feet tall, with vast rippling muscles, claws on the ends of
its massive hands, and three glowing eyes above a great fanged mouth
that looks like it could swallow a jeep whole. Atop its head are two
massive horns. It roars so loudly that windows smash in the distance.

And with that, the General's men are in utter disarray.

Oddly, as this giant stomps, there seems to be no vibration, but the
sight of a two hundred foot tall monstrous giant looking ready to eat
this fortress, even if it seems to not be making any other sounds then
roaring, causes even the bravest member of the company to briefly stop
in horror.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com

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