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

[Aaron Clausen]

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

> [Oz]
> "Unfortunately, the General is indisposed at the moment. He is quite
> alive, though, and were I to allow him use of the radio I am sure he
> would order you not to make any deals with kidnappers. You will need
> to make your choice on your own, I'm afraid."
> [/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]

> [Oz]
> "I hate walking, Sergeant. I will be sure to make that point when I
> write this up after we get out of this ridiculous situation."
> [/Oz]

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

> [Oz]
> Oz pulls his vibroknife from the sheathe on his hip, determined to not
> allow the General to outlive him and his friends. "Say goodnight,
> General..."
> [/Oz]

[GM]
The General pulls back his head and exposes his throat. He may be a
treacherous lunatic, but he seems to have considerable guts, or
suicidal impulses.
[/GM]

>> [GM]
>> 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]

> [Vesper]
> "What the hell ? Is that beast one of these formorians ?"
>
> Vesper went silent in awe and a bit of shock at the blue giant.
> [/Vesper]

> [Oz]
> Oz laughs in surprise. In response to the request for instructions, he
> replies "Drop cargo lines and get us up as soon as possible. We've got
> men coming in, as well- watch for them." He switches to the encrypted
> channel he uses with the group and the soldiers. "These are friends,
> everyone- let's load up before the General's people decide they want
> their leader more than they're afraid of the giant."
> [/Oz]

> [Alex]
> "If it is not an illusion or a hologram, I don't think my grenades or rifle
> will do much good?"
> [/Alex]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper nods, "I don't want to test if it is an illusion right now since it
> seems to be helping."
>
> Vesper smiled to Alex. Things were looking better then they were
> only a moment before.
>
> "Ted get us to the ship."
> [/Vesper]

> [Ted]
> "On it," Ted replies, trying not to get them stepped on or anything else.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
With the enemy at least temporarily thinking they're about to be
crushed by a blue monstrosity, Ted's biggest challenge is steering
around panicking soldiers. But even as they approach the ship, the
commanders are apparently imposing order and are organizing some of
the soldiers to start firing on the giant. The energy and plasma
blasts seem to pass harmlessly through the creature, and the final
dead giveaway is a couple of rockets that fly through it, smashing
into a building beyond and blowing massive holes in it.

But for the company, what is now obviously an illusion has bought them
time. The two carriers come low enough to drop cargo lines to hoist
everyone up. But even as they are being lifted into the craft, at
least some of the enemy have sorted out that they were duped by an
illusion, and begin firing on the craft. The armored vehicles start up
again, and start racing towards the company, opening fire, until...
[/GM]

[Meanwhile...]

> [Veronique]
> Taking advantage of the distraction Veronique will order her men "While
> distracted combine fire on those armored vehicles to get the way out clear"
> [/Veronique]

[GM]
The entire squad opens fire on the vehicles with concentrated fire.
One of the vehicles simply blows up, while the other, heavily damaged,
gives up the ghost and veers away.
[/GM]

> [Veronique]
> She will announce via radio again "This is Lady Veronique, King Ar'thuu
> sent me and I recommend you take this last opportunity to exit in my
> direction before they recover from this distraction".
> [/Veronique]

[GM]
Sir Osmar's sergeant turns to Lady Veronique. "Sir," he says, "I'd say
we beat a hasty retreat as well. Perhaps once we get back on to the
frozen river, they can pick us up, but there's still a lot more of the
enemy than us!"

Suddenly, Lenny the Battle Magus [OOC: don't worry everyone, you'll
meet him as well soon] reappears, a big broad grin on his face. "I'd
say that did the trick, Lady Veronique! He's one of my favorite
illusions, ol' Blue Mike. I actually invented him as a way to cheat at
cards!"
[/GM]

OOC: I'm going to push ahead a bit here. Assuming Oz is keeping his
hands on the General. But let me know if Oz is not.

[GM]
As Veronique and the crew make their way out of the fortress and back
on to the frozen river, the two hover jets take off. The fighter fires
a missile at at the hangar while it lays down suppressing fire, while
the transport hover jet takes off and heads over the fortress walls.

The young Lieutenant who had greeted them earlier comes out of the
cockpit. She has a hastily applied field-dressing over what looks to
be a savage cut on her forehead, but her eyes are wide open,
suggesting she's taken a few stimulants to keep her on her feet.
[/GM]

[Louissa]
Louissa follows behind her, holding a rather large looking plasma
rifle, but otherwise looking no worse for wear. "Lieutenant McClaren
here found me after I got separated from the rest of you. Her people
suffered a lot of casualties to steal these two jets."
[/Louissa]

[GM]
"We can talk about that later. Right now strap in, because we're going
to try to rescue your companions, and it could get bumpy." Lieutenant
McLaren says. "But one thing," she says, "my people and I did our
part. We want to offer you our service, and these craft, and we seek
pardon for any mutinous or treasonous offences we have made against
New Strathclyde."

The company can now see there are about fifty soldiers in the
transport, all wearing full environmental armor, weapons, and looking
like a rather formidable outfit. One of them is a full conversion Borg
even larger than Jacek, and sporting a railgun. Towards the back of
the transport a medic is trying to treat about four injured soldiers.

And that's when the first rocket hits. There seems to be a force field
around the craft, but while it stops the explosion itself, it can't
protect the craft against the kinetic force of the explosion, and the
hover transport lurches into the side of a building, taking out a good
portion of a floor. Another hover jet is taking off from the damaged
hanger, clearly intent on pursuit.
[/GM]

[Louissa]
"Not out of the woods yet," Louissa sighs.
[/Louissa]

[GM]
Meanwhile Lady Veronique and her company are trying to find an exit to
the outside, but finding all the exits blocked. This fortress, built
out of a ring of ancient skyscrapers, has been heavily fortified. A
very static-laden radio transmission reaches Lady Veronique, "Head
back up ... stairs you ... down.... quick... not... time."

Lenny looks at the blocked exit. "I think I could blow this thing
down," he says, looking at a large steel barrier that has been placed
in front of an old glass window. "Do we really want to expose
ourselves on the rooftop again?"

That's when they hear a loud crashing and banging far above their
heads, followed by the sound of falling concrete.

"What was that?" someone shouts, when the sound of fatiguing metal
reverberates throughout the building they are in.
[/GM]


-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com

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