Event #03: WAR ORDER - EXTERMINATION PLANNING PHASE

[vivalamods]

EVENT #03: WAR ORDER - EXTERMINATION PLANNING PHASE

The interrogation of Lord Gundhir is a tense affair, the room and surrounding area silent, save for the ever-present explosions of bombs falling above the Vault. When the interrogators emerge, there is a flurry of panicked activity as messages are sent and contacts are made. Soon, the grim news has spread - the Empire is attacking. The Corsairs act quickly. The mine shall be abandoned. They make a stand at Flotsam. A rising din engulfs the entirety of the Corsairs as they prepare to meet a Legion in pitched battle for the first time.

CORE MISSIONS

This week, there are no Core Missions to complete - instead, players may make whatever preparations they believe are appropriate to ensure the safety of the people and that defenses are ready. Here are a few recommendations, but players are free to use this time to do whatever they wish.

Evacuate Civilians: Evacuate civilians from Flotsam and the mine to keep them out of the fighting.
Hide Vital Infrastructure: Sail the infrastructure ships Flotsam relies on into hidden areas to protect them.
Prime Mine for Destruction: Prepare explosives and other items to ensure the mine is destroyed.
Prepare Defenses: Prepare defenses for Flotsam including more cannons, mustering troops, and the like
Automate Mine Defenses/Expand escape routes: Guns were set up in the mine, Corsairs may attempt to either automate them or create escape tunnels that feed into the primary underwater escape tunnel within the mines so they can be manned and offer resistance to the legion but abandoned safely when the time comes.

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Comments

[purplexing]

A telling silence follows as Donnie goes through the same procedures as with the other charge. He's about half-way done when he finally speaks up again.

"...it wasn't really forced at first. I...didn't really know anything about the Empire. The noble who took me in treated me like a servant, but aside from light maintenance around his property all he did was ask me things I figured were theoretical. How I might design something for this sort of application, or he'd pose problems for machinery that I can only now assume had been actual equipment they'd had trouble with until he asked my input."

Donnie makes a final check of things, then starts down the ladder again. Next.

[redprayer]

"That's very kind of you, but no," Rezo says. "Not unless you can stop the water from moving... and I believe that would cause other problems instead. I'm sure I'll get used to it."

[redprayer]

Rezo ponders this. The concept of other worlds having similar resources is surprising, but not an outright shock. But when Shu mentions that they don't use the one in hers, it makes him think... "It's such a pity. All the different worlds have such potential to learn from one another. But the Empire only uses their ability to contact other worlds as a source of disposable labor, and the gate in your world is ignored."

He smiles and shakes his head. "Truthfully, if I were but a few decades younger it would inspire some impetuous dreams."

[redprayer]

The silence is, indeed, telling. Rezo is made deeply aware of the echoes of the mines, the sounds of Donnie working and breathing, until Donnie finally deigns to elaborate.

So he wasn't forced. Instead, he was tricked. (Why does that sound familiar?)

Rezo can understand Donnie's reticence on the manner. Many would feel ashamed to realize they'd been used in such a manner.

"...You're not the only one, you know," Rezo says quietly. "Many Outlanders were and are in a similar position."

[purplexing]

"Yeah. I know."

It doesn't make him feel any better about things, and really only underlines how terrible the Empire is.

"So...all the better to remove anything they can use to their advantage, right?"

It may not be much, not when it could have been so much more of a boost to their own efforts, but anything they can't hang onto, they can't let the Empire have it back if they can help it.

[tisfinished]

"Alright, good. Well, not good, but good we found this out earlier. Help me rig it so it won't do that," he asks, already reaching for the rope.

"Have you worked with this kind of equipment before?" he asks.

Re: on Deck

[tisfinished]

It fires a shotgun spray of smaller cannonballs, designed to shred sails and sailors, in a tight cone that lands some distance away with a rippling splash.

"Accuracy looks good," Senshi says. "Choke looks good as well, a nice tight pattern. Let's mark Winemaker as operational and test another," he says.

After a moment, he adds, "I take it this is a bit of a downgrade from your ship."

[spacetogrow]

Ilphyl nodded. "I guess it's just learning to balance when the ground isn't steady."

[redprayer]

"Right," Rezo agrees. It may not be much indeed, but their best bet really is just to chip away at the Empire's foundations wherever they see a potential crack.

He follows along to the next check point, carrying, depositing, and so on before idly remarking "I almost wish I could be here for the resulting explosion. I imagine it will be quite impressive."

[redprayer]

"More or less." He sighs. "I've always avoided the water but-" He dodges around some Flotsam residents hurrying to their boat. "-then somebody made an entire city on the water! Sometimes I think I fell into a fairytale." Vault is similar, when he thinks about it. An entire underground city is the sort of thing he used to hear rumors and legends about, usually populated by elves, dwarves, or other mysterious creatures.

[spacetogrow]

"I don't think I've heard of an entire city on top of the water back home, either," Ilphyl said. "Umberlee would probably sink it if someone tried, though."

[redprayer]

"Umberlee?" he asks. Obviously a city of some kind, but the rest Ilphyl will have to explain.

[spacetogrow]

"God of the sea. She sends storms to sink ships if sailors don't make offerings to her first. Or sometimes just because. She might allow her church to build a floating city, but they aren't really that social."

Ilphyl speaks like the gods are just as known as kings and queens; sure, the average person doesn't interact with them, but they exist and their opinions matter. Tithing to Umberlee before a voyage is just like paying your taxes even if you think the king is a petty tyrant.

"Sea elves build underwater, but I've never been to one of their towns. I don't think I'd be welcome."

[purplexing]

"If it works like it's supposed to, it's better not to be anywhere near it," Donnie says, though there's a hint of a smirk in his tone. There's no chances being taken here; they need everything to go down one way or another.

"One day we'll do more than just be on the defensive." He's not sure when that day will be, but they can't stop fighting, because the Empire will take any chance they get to trample them down.

Re: on Deck

[freearcadia]

"Yes, I suppose on a purely technological scale it is not quite like the Arcadia's guns." Harlock confirmed as he lowers his hands. "Though in the end, the guns are descended from cannons like Winemaker."

At some point after she's helped Harlock and Link

[relentless_sentinel]

Most of Nephenee's time has been spent helping with the defenses at Flotsam and the evacuation there, but during a lull there, when her energy is high and she desperately needs something to do, she shuttles off to the mines to see what she can do there to help. Granted, she doesn't know much about what they're doing, but the hasn't stopped her from making herself useful before!

It's during one of Gohan's breaks that the soldier comes upon him, clad in her blue & teal armour and with her lance and shield on her back. Huh, she's...seen this guy around, but hasn't actually spoken to him (though that's not a short list...). Curious, and eager to help, she walks over.

"Hey...Workin' on mine stuff?" She asks, before realizing with an internal groan and facepalm that the question's awfully silly.

Nephenee's good at conversation, honest.

Inventory

[relentless_sentinel]

Well, packing stuff isn't precisely new to the Sentinel, but perhaps in this capacity it is. She's looking over Senshi's shoulder as he lists stuff, nodding wordlessly as she reads along, an empty box in her arms, about ready to start grabbing items. Especially any that are high up, she's good at that.

"Naw, don't think so, an' can't think o' anythin' to add yet from the pantry...actually, wait. That per person or...?"

[newmemorywhodis]

Link pauses, thinking about it.

"...Zonai cannons are smaller, he says. "They shot wide if I placed them wrong?"

He steps forward towards the cannon, crouching down beside it to peer at its base. Maybe this one was placed wrong too? Or just...not fixed to the ship very well.

apologies, lost this response in my inbox!

[singlemilletgrain]

Shu coughs lightly.

"There is, ah, a slight problem. Our best estimates suggest that the Door is currently linked to a dimension filled with -- I suppose you would call them 'demons.'"

This is not something the Terrans really enjoy thinking about or know very much about in general. Given Shu's activities for the past thousand years, though, she is not especially keen on experimenting with the Door.

"It would be a grand thing indeed if we could use it for good. That is a dream for the far-off future for now."

[redprayer]

"Ah."

Rezo is bemused but not shocked to hear Ilphyl speak so lightly of a god. It comes with the territory of being a priest. Or blasphemer. Heretic? Rezo's all three.

"Are they particularly antisocial or-" Rezo hesitates, trying to find a diplomatic way of phrasing the question. "-Are you in particular at a disadvantage?"

[spacetogrow]

Technically Ilphyl also qualifies for all three depending on the god. Maybe not a formal priest, but their abilities come from a god which creates the connection. (And, well, Eilistraee is probably used to followers with a 'it's complicated' attitude about their relationship with divinity.)

"Oh, right. I haven't mentioned I'm a dark elf." They look up enough to watch Rezo's expression at this; habit, really, even if different groups of elves don't really seem to exist here, and Ilphyl is starting to wonder how many worlds, even worlds with elves, really care. "Other elves don't really get along with dark elves back home."

[redprayer]

"A pity," Rezo sighs, making a woebegone expression for good measure.

"I've studied a great deal of history in my own world, as well as observed a bit myself. No empire lasts forever," Rezo says. Honesty, however, compels him to add "Though it may not fall within our lifetime or that of the next generation's."

[purplexing]

Donnie's not sure how to feel about that, much less what to say. It's kind of depressing to think about, that all their efforts now may not amount to anything until so much later.

But he knows that without that effort, it might make all the difference. They're still doing something. Not doing anything will mean that the Empire will win.

"...come on, we still have the rest of this tunnel to go."

[minorinasskicking]

Upon hearing Nephenee's voice, Gohan opens his eyes and pulls the water bottle away from his mouth. He's probably had enough water for now, anyway.

"Hm? Oh, yeah." Gohan looks toward the tunnel he's been digging, and motions to it with his free hand. "The staff here needs escape tunnels, so I've been helping by digging them myself."

Of note is that while there are a few digging tools strewn about the area, they all look clean except a single tub made out of aluminum, which has some dirt caked on the inside of it.

[redprayer]

"A dark elf? What does that mean?"

Rezo's expression is more puzzled than anything else. He knows what dark means, even if the literal concept is a little abstract for his blind self. And he's familiar with the metaphorical uses of the word. But the term 'dark elf' in particular isn't one his world uses.