MISSION #02 A MAN OF WORTH EXECUTION PHASE

[vivalamods]

EVENT #02: A MAN OF WORTH EXECUTION PHASE

At the appointed time, a lavish fleet of airships begin to descend upon the islands of Elysium. Departing from the Maikrecht port, the heraldry on the central ship marks a noble general of extreme renown. His airship is surrounded by 3 other airships in a protective triangular formation, as well as a flight of 2 Zepter and 3 Feder armors. As they descend, the Flotsam fleet set sails, hoisting black flags as one over every single ship in the fleet. Flotsam has but 4 functional airships to their name, and all are present today as they take flight. As the airships climb in altitude, the Flotsam fleet begins firing upon the escort group from below.

It is above this salvo of cannon fire that the Corsairs begin to board. Descending on the escort airships via glider, they have but one goal - destroy the ships. Meanwhile, a smaller strike force quietly descends on the main ship with their own mission: secure the VIP and get him out alive.

CORE MISSIONS

Attack the Ships:Combatants will need to attack and sink the 3 escort ships and armor escorts, as well as ensure the elimination of any soldier within the escort party.
Conflicts: The fighting will be bitter, with lots of powerful soldiers. There are 3 Feder and 2 Zepter armors that will need to be contended with, the Feder Armors carrying gattling guns and the Zepter armors piloted by powerful lightning mages. The soldiers manning the ships are elite, and cannot be easily dispatched.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read ATTACK THE SHIPS.

Capture the VIP:Infiltrators will need to sneak aboard the main ship and capture the VIP. The man himself is an aging noble in rich robes and with graying hair who goes by the title of Lord Gundhir. They will need to capture and subdue him, as well as get him off his ship and onto a Corsair vessel.
Conflicts: Lord Gundhir is not a fighter, but he won’t come easily. Additionally, he is accompanied by his son, Adolfus Gundhir, who is a powerful warrior known for fighting with a massive greatsword. While the private and sumptuous appointed quarters the two nobles are in aren’t great terrain for using the greatsword, the younger Gundhir is an extremely accomplished warrior and if encountered directly will take the combined might of the entire team to threaten.
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read CAPTURE THE VIP.

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[freearcadia]

The heavy thuds and the shadow alerted him to the armor's presence, as he crosses blades with a marine - and when he manages to break through the woman's guard, he pushes her against her colleagues, sending them off balance as he moves quickly through the throng.

One of the Empire's marines pulls a belaying pin from the railing as he stalks closer to Ziel with the intent of clobbering the horned man after being already committed to the hammer swing. The pirate growls as he lunges, thrusting upwards to pierce the man's shoulder - the hand curled around the pin reflexively open, letting it clatter onto the deck.

[achelord]

Ziel glanced behind him at the sudden sound as he dropped the stone anchor technique, which rooted him to the deck. He saw that, as promised, Harlock was watching his back, and gave him a single nod.

Meanwhile the Schwert was stumbling forwards, as its right foot no longer could hold its weight. While it crashed to the ground, Ziel spent a moment to focus on the merely human combatants. His hammer was not what anyone could reasonably call a precision instrument, so instead he summoned another ring of runes around Harlock's waist, which sped up his movements for the next few seconds.

Then he ran after the staggering armor, struggling to get into a position where he could get a second good swing in. He had to take it out before the pilot realized what was going on, or he'd be in trouble.

[freearcadia]

"What the...?" He mutters softly as the rune went around his waist like a very strange belt as he felt... energy coursing through him, the sensation was alien enough that if he hadn't already been in the heat of a fight, it might have actually been a distraction.

As several men moves to surround the one-eyed pirate, his focus returns, darting between them to avoid being pinned in, blades clashing against one, using their locked weapons to hook and disarm them before kicking them down. As the Schwert crashes, those who were too focused on the melee stumble at the sudden vibrations running through the deck - and there was a scream as someone plummets off the ratlines, missing the railing and the lines connecting the two ships together.

There was a momentary pause from both sides as the realization of why that scream sounded different and the recognition of a rather terrifying end hits. Harlock grits his teeth as he presses the fight, using the guard of his rapier to concuss one marine before lunging at another with the weapon.

[achelord]

Ziel got into a PERFECT position to deal a coup de grace on the damaged armor. It would be the smart tactical move to finish it off now, and it would be so easy…

But out of the corner of his eye, he could see Harlock struggling against a dozen imperial marines. The acceleration from the oathsign technique wasn’t enough to even the odds. Unless Harlock had some kind of hidden trick, Ziel judged that the one eyed pirate was about to die.

He’d already watched helplessly from the sidelines while everyone he knew got massacred once. Just for a moment, he was lost back at that terrible day, bloodied and broken, listening to the sound of soldiers laughing and Dawnwings screaming as they ground his face in the dirt, blood splattering on his face…

…wait, how could the splattered blood get onto his face while it was digging into the ground?

Ziel blinked, and realized that he had missed the chance to finish off the armor in favor of hammering two marines with a flesh pulling swing that sent them both tumbling aside. They would not be getting up from that blow.

Well, at least they wouldn’t be stabbing Harlock in the back now. And at least he’d made it quick for them.

cw: bloody, bloody mess.

[freearcadia]

Harlock grits, ducking an overcommitted stab to let one marine accidentally take care of another for him, but it's clear to him that they're trying to surround him. His mind race as he searches for a gap in their circle, seeing one that is quickly closing up.

As the man rushed to try to break through that small gap - something hot and wet splattered on his back, hair, and even a few droplets feel on his forehead and the smell of fresh-split blood hits his nose. He didn't need to look with the size of the wet splotches on his back to know the marines behind him aren't getting up again. The marines in front of him backed up uneasily, and one actually broke into a full run into a lifeboat.

That started a trigger - the more battle-sicked members started to break, even as their commander bellowed orders and threats to stay, while those who kept their feet firm on the deck started to look more uncertain about their odds.

With the moment's respite, Harlock dared to turn to train his left eye, seeing the blood-soaked Ziel, and that wild-eyed look.

Fear, panic, regret - somewhere else, he thought to himself, some curl up and block their senses, some flee... others, fly into a berserker state. "I am Here." He called out in a loud voice. "You are here. You are Alive. I am Alive - We are Alive." He stated firmly, simply, attempting to ground Ziel in the here and now.

The previous comment should probably be CWd too, honestly. I just forgot.

[achelord]

"Patronize me later! We're in trouble if that armor gets its bearings back!"

Ziel had lost a second there, but he was in control of himself, even if his eyes were a bit wild. He spent a moment getting his breathing back under control. Ether cycled through his body in tune with his breath, and the panting gasps were aggravating his still damaged channels. The flaring pain staggered him, but he managed to pull off another swing, which was more intended to clear up space around them than to pulp any more human beings.

Meanwhile, the Schwert pilot was managing to turn around despite their damaged ankle, and it had a sword designed for anti armor combat. It would leave even someone as enhanced as Ziel as nothing more than a pile of mangled limbs if it hit him.

[freearcadia]

Message received - he won't be doing that again - he should try to trust his new allies more. "Sorry."

Harlock rolls out of the way to give Ziel the full room to swing, sending one unfortunate soul crashing into a mast, and scattering others like rats - save ironically a ratkin who seemed fully prepared to take the two on before someone yanks him back by the tail.

"Behind you!" he shouted as the Schwert primed it's sword - his eye moving, what can he... ah, mast, ropes - and the flag of the empire still fluttering. A grab at a forgotten saber for it's sharper edge, he swings it down on the hoist to cut the flag down - best case, it'll land and obscure the pilot's vision, but at least it should provide a distraction.

[achelord]

Ziel turned and ducked as the massive sword narrowly missed splattering him across the deck of the ship, then ran at the Schwert. Adrenaline urged him on even as the pain of drawing on his powers so heavily threatened to overwhelm him. He needed that edge to move as quickly and confidently as he was, but he felt like he was tearing himself apart to do it. His vision was already going swimmy, but the Imperial flag that had fluttered down over the armor’s head was making the pilot even more disoriented than he was.

Before he gave out entirely, Ziel brought the hammer up and then down in a massive overhead swing while balanced precariously on the armor’s chest plate. It came down with a resounding crash against the cockpit block. Abruptly, the armor crumpled under the strike and the armor stopped moving.

Ziel was in so much pain by this point that he could barely tell where he was. This was all he could do. It was…slightly better than what he could have done a few months ago, but still pathetic compared to what he could have managed at his height.

[freearcadia]

Now he had two swords - the stabbing rapier and slashing saber, not his preferred idea of dual-wielding, but it'll do for now.

Ziel was flagging, and some of the other Corsairs are feeling the fatigue of battle - but still, the morale among the empire was already flagging due to the sudden and messy deaths of those under the hammer. The crashing of the armor seem to send as much of a shudder through bodies as through the deck. The pirate senses even with wariness, the battle was on their side and it needs a push to end it. He strides forward, raising his saber as he calls out in a voice that booked no argument.

"Look, Marines of the Empire! Your armor has been crushed, your comrades' blood stains the deck - and your flag has fallen! The fight is over!" A step forward, both swords primed. "And it seems your Captain is cowering out of sight, if you wish to live - now is the time to go to your life boats and live, or you can stay and perish."

[achelord]

Ziel used the haft of his hammer as a support to keep him upright. This was more power than he'd called on in years and his entire body was a knot of agony. It was all he could do to keep track of what was going on and not collapse to his knees. He had enough left, at least, to mentally work out that if he collapsed NOW, the Imperials would realize that he had nothing left.

He looked like shit, but as long as he kept standing, they couldn't be sure that he couldn't keep fighting. So he did his best to glare forwards, and left the talking to Harlock.

After a moment of silence as the Corsairs followed Ziel's lead in trying to look intimidating while gasping for breath, the Imperials started fleeing to the lifeboats. One or two at a time at first, but then in greater and greater numbers. The ship was taken!

Once Ziel was confident that doing so wouldn't result in them all getting massacred, he mumbled something unintelligible and fell to his knees.

[freearcadia]

Harlock drops the saber, sheathing his rapier as the last lifeboat soared out of sight.

An elven Corsair kneels, offering Ziel a canteen to drink from, as a couple more pulled started to inspect the armor, looking more like a pile of junk than a weapon of war, a quick peek inside, and a shake of the head confirmed that the pilot is dead.

"It'd be damn tempting to just take the ship," Harlock sighed in dismay, they did well, the damage is relatively minor, and he ached, just ached to have his hands on the helm again. "But, everyone be proud - we did it, we stole an entire ship out from under their feet."