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

Aaron Clausen mightymartianca at gmail.com
Fri Jul 29 19:22:38 UTC 2016


OOC: The only way Vesper could do this is from the other side. Lady
Veronique and the company from the ship are on the inside of the
building, while Vesper is in the hoverjet carrier flying *over* the
building.

On Wed, Jul 27, 2016 at 5:11 AM, 'Peter Perkins' via Taocow Rifts PBEM
<taocow-rifts-pbem at googlegroups.com> wrote:
> [Vesper]
> Vesper aimed for the shutter since that seemed to be suggested and fired
> some test shots into it.
> [/Vesper]
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Aaron Clausen <mightymartianca at gmail.com>
> To: Taocow Rifts PBEM <taocow-rifts-pbem at googlegroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2016 9:42 PM
> Subject: Re: [Taocow PBEM] [Oz] Book 3 - Chapter XVII
>
>>> [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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-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com

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