MISSION #02 A MAN OF WORTH PLANNING PHASE

[vivalamods]

EVENT #02: A MAN OF WORTH PLANNING PHASE

The time has come to begin preparing to engage and capture the VIP. The knowledge he holds will be imperative to further Corsair operations, and they absolutely cannot let this opportunity slip by.

By a narrow vote, the Corsairs have elected to destroy the escort fleet, deeming a capture operation on the ships far too risky while also attempting to secure a VIP. As such, the Corsairs have two primary duties - discern information on the movement of the troops and prepare heavy munitions to sink the airships.

Since the game’s population is still in flux due to our new status, we are scaling back the people requirements and opening all event logs to everyone. Now, in order for a given log to be complete, we only require that players start logging it out. We’ll continue to assess and refine our mission style as the game continues and we see what works and what doesn’t, please bear with us as we get this all figured out.

CORE MISSIONS

Gather Information: Negotiators will need to connect with the Imperials in Elysium and wring as many details about the upcoming visit as they can. The more the Corsairs know about the timetable, expected escort, and armaments, the higher the chance of success.
Conflicts: A delicate touch will be needed to avoid arousing suspicions. Corsairs will need to be able to justify why it is important for them to have the knowledge, and Imperials tend not to like to give information to staff if they acknowledge they exist at all.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read GATHER INFORMATION.

Gather Munitions:Suppliers will need to start preparing and developing heavy munitions to attack the escort fleet. It is imperative that every airship in the escort sinks beneath the waves, and the crew along with it, and the Corsairs will require a lot of firepower to see it done.
Conflicts: Working with explosives is risky business, and unskilled hands are liable to get blown off. Suppliers will need to be careful with both their preparation and their handling, even moreso if they go out to gather particularly volatile materials from particularly volatile wildlife.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read GATHER MUNITIONS.

SIDE MISSIONS

With Hesaeth captured, the Corsairs will now need to hold it. Players may propose Player Plots to see to its defenses, in the likely event that the Empire attempts to reclaim it in the near future. The below prompts are potential things that may be done, but players are encouraged to think up their own plans and run their own logs if they think of anything. These Plots may be submitted here.
Trap the Mines: Line the mines with explosives so they can be collapsed in the event of an attack.
Undersea Route: Carve an undersea route into the mines so people can be evacuated via submersible.
Rallying Point: Set up a Rallying Point in the Hesaeth wilderness where evacuees can rendezvous for escape in the event of attack.
Defense Systems: Set up cannons to fight back against Imperial Invaders.

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Comments

[relentless_sentinel]

Oh, well, alright then. She forgot he's apparently quite the climber, but it's easier for him to do that than her - there's not enough space up there for her if she got up there...

And then a familiar (to Link) jingle plays out of nowhere, and she doesn't know how or why. As Link shows off his reclaimed pack, she blinks at it - it doesn't look particularly fancy, is there really all that much in it?

But, that doesn't matter that much. What matters is he got some of his stuff back, and she's quite happy about that, if her smile and single clap is any indication. "Woo!" Well, they got the pack back! Now... "What's all in there?"

[newmemorywhodis]

Link reaches inside. The first thing he reaches for is the Master Sword - and while he's disappointed to find that it's not there...he's not really surprised either. It's what he was expecting.

He can tell all his other weapons are gone too. All his bows and shields. His armours. The only thing left are some of his materials.

And there's an exhale of relief, as his fingers close around the second thing he reaches for.

In his hands is a flower. Delicate stems, five star-shaped blue and white petals. A silent princess.

Zelda's favourite.

He doesn't say anything to Nephenee. He's just looking at the flower, lost in a bittersweet, wistful expression.

[relentless_sentinel]

A...distinct and beautiful flower isn't what Nephenee is expecting to be pulled from the pack, but when she sees his expression...she understands. Not entirely, of course, because he's generally even more private than her, but that's someone's flower. How does she know?

Her mom gets a very similar look when around rowan trees or berries. Her father's name, her father's tree. And he's been gone ten years now.

Did this person die, or is Link missing someone living and very close to him that he can't be with right now? Nephenee doesn't know, but her heart aches all the same seeing that look.

"...That's someone close to ya's flower, ain't it?" She asks him quietly, knowing the basic answer already.

[newmemorywhodis]

Zelda hadn't died. Something Link was forever grateful. He wasn't sure what he'd do, if she died.

The worst part about the Upheaval had been not knowing where she was, or what had happened to her. And then Link did find out...and that became the new worst part. Zelda hadn't been Zelda anymore, and Link hadn't known if she would ever be herself again.

Now she was back. She was herself, and she was home. And...Link was here. Away from her.

All of this goes through his mind, as he answer's Nephenee's question.

"It's Zelda's favourite," he says softly.

[relentless_sentinel]

Yeah, something had told her it was a girl. Maybe just because girls back in Ohma tended to have flowers associated with them (and named for, with some exceptions like 'Meg' or 'Hazel') and boys got other plants, but regardless...

Quickly listening out for anyone that might be coming, she comes up empty, so she can ask what should be an obvious question. "Who's Zelda?" Wife, girlfriend, sister, best friend? At least she has fantastic choice in plants.

[newmemorywhodis]

"She's the princess," Link says softly, confirming at least one of Nephenee's suspicions.

He looks at the flower. Keeps hold of it while he attaches the pack to his wait, and hops down from his position on the top shelf. Then takes the flower, and reaches up behind his head to thread the stem through his ponytail.

[relentless_sentinel]

The Princess, huh? There's...a lot there, she senses. His reaction could just be a faithful knight who loves his leader; she's seen that, and feels love and loyalty towards her own queen, but...there's a small pain as she smacks back something inside her that might’ve hoped for something more, even if her conclusion might not be the correct one.

Ah, well, it isn't the first time. Probably won't be the last. She watches him pensively for a moment while that's going on, and while he's affixing the flower in his hair, and nods with a small, wistful smile of her own. Moving on from her own silliness, now. "She must be a wonderful princess if she's got someone like ya with her. Kinda makes me think o'my Queen Elincia." Except Her Majesty is married and she holds no romantic feelings there, and she isn't super close to her. But Elincia is a queen beyond peer who genuinely cares for her people, and Nephenee would still protect her with her life. If she were here, that is. "She's lucky..."

Thinking for a moment longer as she looks at the bloom, she adds, "If ya have seeds or extras, Ah might be able to grow more o'em, if ya'd like." That'd might help him feel that absence less acutely.

[newmemorywhodis]

"...She is." That Zelda was special was always something Link would agree with. But he doesn't say anything further. Link's never been one for many words, after all. What Zelda meant to him wasn't really something he could say.

But he could put a flower in his hair. And then blink at Nephenee for her offer, before hastily reaching into the pack and pulling out another five flowers and thrusting them towards her.

"From these?" he says. Turns out, Link has lots of extras.

[relentless_sentinel]

Oh! Well then. She accepts the flowers with some surprised blinking, before responding. "Yeah. A lotta plants can be grow from bits of 'em. Ah dunno how it works, jus' that it does."

Not all work like that, but enough do that she might be able to work with them. She looks one flower over, before nodding. "Think it might work, but," She gently, and somewhat reluctantly, hands them back to Link, "Hold onto 'em for me 'til we get outta here, please. Ah don't want 'em to get messed up, an' reckon they're safer in that pack if it can hold all sorts o'stuff without gettin' hurt."

Frankly, she kind of wants one of those bags...that'd be real useful for weapons and other items. "If ya got anythin' else that might can grow, show me after we get outta here. Don't wanna get caught unawares." The farm girl in her hollers to inspect those flowers, and anything else, more, but they need to keep going. It's almost like they've made noises and there's probably some guards somewhere here... Frankly, she's a little surprised no one's shown up yet.

[newmemorywhodis]

Ah. Good point.

Link nods, and puts the flowers back inside the pack. Despite the fact that it really doesn't look like they should all fit, they all disappear inside.

He almost wants to ask about other things she might be able to help grow - but just at that moment, they hear the sound of running footsteps, quickly coming closer.

Turns out, there are guards here - who have apparently finally been alerted to the in-progress break-in.

[relentless_sentinel]

Who does she need to bribe to get a bag like that? Seriously, that's neat.

But that thought is cast aside at the sound of someone approaching. "Aw, horsefeathers," She hisses in much the same way someone might speak an oath or curse. "Ugh, there's gotta be some weapons here, right?" She's pretty sure she can't break the rest of the head off this broken one that fast, and swinging around something with that jagged of an end that's now seriously unbalanced is asking for trouble.

She pulls back to look quickly around the corners of these shelves. "All Ah got is my shield an' a dagger, an' those don't quite go together." More than she had when the portal spat her into the wrong area and she had to flee, but still not ideal! Oh, what she wouldn't give to learn how to fight with just her body as the weapon!

[newmemorywhodis]

Koroks, obviously. Although seeing as there's none of them in this world, that might prove a little difficult to do...

Link pauses, thinking furiously for half a second - had he glimpsed a flash of metal a few aisles back - and then runs for it. Soon, Nephenee will start to hear a clanging of metal on metal as Link starts pulling off boxes and dumping them into the ground - and tossing any weapon that might be useful in her direction.

At that moment, several guards appear at the vault door. "Halt, in the name of the Empire!" one of them demands...as Link just happens to be chucking out what is actually a very familiar weapon to Nephenee...

1/2

[relentless_sentinel]

Dang it, she really needs to learn how to effectively kick people in the face or something. Half of the ones he tosses over aren't ones she's familiar with, and half of those are ones she's never even seen, but a few she might be able to use...

At the very least, maybe she can throw stuff?

The one that Link pulls last is heavier than most, and a lot fancier than the others, but weapons are weapons, so it gets chucked. Nephenee is just about to nab something off the ground, shield readied as the guards come in and bellow their order...when she sees the weapon coming sideways at her out of her peripheral.

2/2

[relentless_sentinel]

Even that little is enough to innately know what it is. Whatever she's holding is discarded, and she effortlessly catches the long, glimmering, beautiful halberd like it weighs nothing, using its inertia to bring it to the ready with a modicum of movement.

She's great with lances in general, but this? This is her weapon, her Wishblade, and any panic or doubt is gone. Simply vanished, as she takes hold of her battlereadiness and exudes the calm and surety of her order. She might not have her armour (yet), but she's got her lance, the penultimate lance, and that'll make up for it against, frankly, minions like these.

"...Nah, Ah don't think we will." She'll thank Link in a second. They have a few upstarts to beat up. "If ya wanna get outta here with all your blood an' teeth in ya, might wanna back off." She knows dang well they won't, but she still has to give their one warning.

[newmemorywhodis]

The guards see her, standing calm and assured with her Wishblade. But they don't know what it means, and they have the arrogance of the Empire.

They don't back off.

Three rush in, with a fourth not yet visible still trailing behind and not yet able to make it through the currently occupied space of the vault door. They move to try and surround her, but they don't look around. They think it's just her, and she's here alone.

Link, in the aisle and having just finished tossing out weapons, is still unseen. But darts out, and uses the fact that he hasn't been noticed yet to pick up a scimitar from the weapons pile. Pulls his arm back. And then tosses the blade, right at the back of one of the guards.

"Aaahurgh!" The guard yells, as the blade shatters upon their back.

[relentless_sentinel]

Thanks, Link! But geez, more weapons breaking? That's a little weird...actually, she's a little offended, on behalf of some amazing smiths back home, at how many weapons are catastrophically failing.

"...Y'all's empire acts all high an' mighty, but ya can't hire better smiths an' {metallurgists}?" She asks, completely unperturbed by them trying to circle her, even while her own movements account for it as she gets into a slightly better stance and position for countering, wrapping the lance's chain around her glove as she does. "Yeesh, our tiny rebellion back home had better ones..."

She's not trying to trash talk; she's just kind of surprised at the lack of quality from THE MIGHTY EMPIRE, is all.

[newmemorywhodis]

If Link wasn't focused on the battle, he'd give her a confused look. What's so strange about a weapon breaking when you throw it? Link had been expecting that to happen.

But nevermind the quality of the weapons; two of the guards, including the one Link just threw a sword at, break off to charge towards him. Link steps backward, shield up, as he lets the guards advance. But when they get in close, Link spins.

"Hiyah!" he yells, as his sword arcing in a circle and striking both guards.

Meanwhile, one of the guards has stayed on Neph - while the unseen forth steps through the vault door to also meet her. "Rebel pig," the guard spits, raising her weapon. Unlike the other guards, hers isn't the standard attire. In fact, it's a set of armour that looks very different to the style preferred in the Empire - and is one that Nephenee will in fact recognise...

[relentless_sentinel]

Link, y'all're gonna have to have a talk about acceptable weapon durability standards at some point.

While Link's getting those two, Nephenee's attention goes to the one that stayed, and as she notices the one who advances and speaks, she blinks, before yelling in surprise, "...Wait, my lance an' my armour?!"

Indeed, the guard is wearing her Sentinel set...very poorly. It takes her only a moment to notice the weak points from the ill fit; The straps aren't in the right place for the hip guards to be effective, she's pretty sure the chest armour's loose around the shoulders and ribs, the cloth's too long, the barbute's too big for this guard's head, even the gloves aren't right. The whole set is off, especially factoring in the difference in height and muscle. Nephenee is tall with a runner's build and lots of lean, powerful muscle. This lady...not so much.

"...If you're gonna steal this rebel pig's armour, ya might actually wanna wear it proper? Yune, Ah'm countin' like ten weak points...Do ya e'en got paddin' under that? An' ya ain't been takin' care o'the leather! That's jus' insultin'." Ugh, she's going to have to baby that leather to get it back into shape, much less the metal. Take some pride in your gear, Imperials!

The veteran soldier sighs, tugging down her cap a bit. "Don't worry, baby, Ma's comin' to get ya." She mutters, before setting her lance at a diagonal, pointing away and towards the ground at her left side, and bringing her shield up. "Right, come on then, ya thievin' dastards. Try to take my shield an' finish the set."

[newmemorywhodis]

"A guard of the Empire has no weak points!" The guard in stolen armour shrieks, as she darts forward swinging her mace wildly. Meanwhile, the other guard who had engaged Nephenee swears - and moves to flank with the other one, harrying Nephenee from behind.

Poorly worn armour or not, Nephenee is going to have to find a way to content with both of them at the same time.

Meanwhile, Link's previous strike has knocked one guard off his feet. But the other one was able to dodge out of the way, and has Link backing up further to stay out of range of her spear. His shield is raised, positioned to block any incoming blow.

[relentless_sentinel]

Despite what it might sound like, Nephenee's not blowing hot air when she's grumbling about the fit. She's giving the guard another chance to back off. Clearly, though, this guard's gotten too riled up to do so.

Sigh. Nephenee really doesn't want to actually kill these idiots, but she will if she has to.

Keeping an ear out for the one behind her, she rushes in to meet the charging guard, tumbles to the side to evade the wild attack, before she smashes her shield into the other woman's side. Nephenee's strength and the guard's inertia serve to shove her away and down onto the floor, before the Sentinel jabs her lance at the back the guard's exposed mace arm, slicing into it. No more attacking for you!

[newmemorywhodis]

Crack! The guard in stolen armour's ribs crack as Nephenee's armour slams into her, before she screams as her arm is impaled. For now, she's stuck to the ground, unable to wield her weapon or even move. She thrashes on the floor, legs kicking wildly.

But the other guard isn't so restrained. As Neph deals with the one now on the ground, the other guard has been on the move. He circles around, keeping behind Neph - until he strikes, trying to catch her off guard with a heavy swing of his baton.

[relentless_sentinel]

It's a good thing the best lancers, the ones that are promoted to Sentinels, develop some very strong senses about what's happening around them. (It comes with a few trade-offs for some, like not knowing how to turn that off or down, but that's not important right now.) It's kept her alive in the past, and it keeps her from taking the full-brunt of the attack now, as she manages to turn just enough to catch the attack on the long shield in her right hand. A small grunt escapes as it connects, but she takes the force with ease, and shoves back, looking to push him off-balance.

Of course, needing to turn so quickly while she had been holding that lance might cause more pain for the soldier on the floor, as it moves the halberd in the wound even as she loosens her grip on it to make that turn easier. Sorry, she isn't trying to cause more pain like that!

Back on Link's end, the soldier on the floor is struggling to get up, and the one with the spear is a little unnerved by that scream and crunch, to say the least. At least shaken enough that her trying to menace Link isn't going too well, her attempted thrust of her spear towards him being a bit wobbly.

[newmemorywhodis]

The soldier in Nephenee's armour screams, as the halbred twists. She is, as it turns out, really not having a good day.

Neither is the other guard, who's baton has now been unceremoniously shoved back. He might be smarter than the one on the ground, but he certainly doesn't have the senses of a Sentinel. He lets out a curse - and stumbles.

Meanwhile, the spear-weilding guard's strikes are hesitant and uncertain - and Link takes advantage. Because in the moment that she tries to strike, Link dodges - and in an instant becomes much, much faster.

To anyone watching, he becomes a sudden blur of activity. An impossibly quick succession of strikes all hit the spear-wielding guard, before she can even think about reacting.

Skill going off: Adept, Crit hit (3x damage)

[relentless_sentinel]

Sorry to say, Red Shirt Imperial Number 1, but it's only going to get worse.

But before it does for the one pinned on the ground, it gets worse for the Imperial Link's facing. Because while the Empire does train their people, there's only so much you can do against someone exceptionally fast like Link without way better training, and she crumples into a bloody heap on the floor. Alive or dead, who can say at the moment?

The one pinned now gets her turn at a worse time of things, as Nephenee bounces back from shoving the other guy away, plants her foot on the chick in her armour, tugs out the Wishblade, and leaps forward to launch her own attack at the baton-wielder. With the leg-power behind it, it's both a quick and powerful strike, before she presses her advantage and follows up with three more blows, using the inertia to turn the last into an upward swing. It's perhaps not quite as flashy as Link's, but it's still damn fast, and deadly accurate to boot.

If she knew golf, Nephenee might yell "Fore!" about now. However, she doesn't, so at least the Imperials don't have to bear that insult in addition to mounting injuries.