A Glorious Stand (Glorious Beginning Continuation)

[Fierach 3639]

@Aleksei @notmuch_23 @DaiPie @Devil @Agent Knockout @Zashiii @Veloci-Rapture @Jack Howard @FunOnTheBun @Hawk @PrettyCuteAnna @Truthless @Emm @Xoco

(OOC Notice from BIG BOSS PHOEBE: For the purpose of cohesion and keeping things organised, the combat phase will be done in this thread as a continuation of the previous thread. Your characters may continue to wrap up your interactions in A Glorious Beginning (hyperlink) before proceeding to this phase. @Fierach and @Phoebe will be the GMS (game-masters). We will be playing in a post-by-response style where each participant will encounter their own respective obstacles. You may choose to work together to overcome the obstacles or handle them on your own. We will be responding to each participant’s response on an individual basis so that everyone gets a unique gameplay experience 🙂 Hawk and Howard will be controlling the main bulk of the soldiers. Please remember to @ the people which your character is interacting with, otherwise it could get very confusing when a lot of messages come through!) 

---

A day after the small army of regulars and mercenaries were assembled in the town of Marrow, a call went out. An eagle-eyed scout who kept watch on the horizon for the Fishmonger pirates came running in. Ships were sighted. Unfriendly ones to be sure, four dots on the horizon. They were moving at an almost-leisurely speed, likely not expecting a fight as so many others have folded to them, and the pirates would be at the village within two hours, looking to extract their tithe from the stressed township. The battle-plans of the mercenaries and townsfolk had been laid, now they simply had to get into position and await the inevitable battle. 

[Veloci-Rapture 2086]

Mel lounged in her trench, her feet up on a small rock as she took a long swig from the metal flask in her hand. She was perfectly happy letting the cannon fodder do their thing; she had bigger goals for this battle than to be a munition sponge. She lazily watched the clouds roll by in the perfect crystal-blue sky as she thought of the best way to get out behind the landing party and commandeer a big 'ol boat.

"I'll definitely want to start with the biggest," she mused. "Climb on board, scare the everliving fuck out of the crew so they do what I want, then start bombarding. Great. But how do I get there?"

She'd heard the arms dealer inquiring about a rowboat, and she scoffed aloud. She could hardly imagine that; pushing on a couple of little oars, hoping nobody on a broadside gun noticed her. No, if she was going to be that obvious, she'd be obvious with style. Ice maybe? That'd be impressive. Easier to do on a lake than an ocean, what with saltwater being so not-great at freezing, but in a pinch, it might work.

Or, she could just swim. That'd be sneakier, but it wouldn't help getting that other guy out there. He didn't look especially.... buoyant. And he'd be pissed if he got left behind; maybe pissed enough to try to burn her boat. Couldn't have that.

But a rowboat was right out.

Mel took another swig from her flask and thought some more. There might be a compromise. It'd be tough to explain, but with a little fast-talk and a little sleight-of-hand, a good patter and a good backstory... it couldn't hurt to try.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Veloci-Rapture

[Agent Knockout 216]

Meanwhile, Ivan was not on the front lines. He was in the missile firing truck, way in the back where no pirate would hopefully reach. 

However, he was not certain whether his allies would grant the cover needed. So, he devised a plan and went to Simpson Castle, as he'd overheard his name earlier. @Devil

'Hey there. Since you are the only one we can reasonably co-operate with, let's do it. We have brought good firearms for you. We also set up the trucks in the back. However, we need help. We need a distraction for the pirates and someone to fight on the frontlines and alert of us a breach so we can prepare a defense. The best person we know is you, and we will grant you the necessary covering fire when you need it.'

Meanwhile, their radar station had kept track of the incoming unknown vessels, even before the eagle-eyed scout had reported their appearance, as the radar was set to work at around 350km, the firing range of the missiles. Though hearing from said scout that those unidentified vessels were indeed pirates was certainly reassuring, and the crew was ready to fire at any moment if command was given for them to fire.

 

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by Agent Knockout

[Phoebe 1739]

As the scout came rushing into Addison's tent, the Master Knight was already on the balls of her feet, her eyes streaked with red from a night of restless sleep. She marched out furiously, following the scout's directions before observing the four ships in the distance with her own eyes. She nodded grimly, whispering under her breath to the scout. The scout nodded, bolting off immediately toward the camps pitched in the valley, out of sight from anyone approaching by sea. Soon, the amassed forces would be taking up positions, rallying in preparation for a large battle to come.

When the scout had hurried out of sight, Addison retreated back to her tent, picking up a large brown poncho. She draped it over her shoulders, concealing her armor and showing only her face. A face which this world had yet to glimpse. As she got up to leave her tent once more, she picked up a small musical instrument lying next to her sleeping bag. It had four strings, a thin body, and a rounded base. She strode forward, her cloaked body moving soundlessly as she strode through the now quiet and evacuated village centre. Soon, the road bled into sand as her armored feet clanked soundlessly against the grainy surface beneath her. Finding a spot just as the grass transitioned into sand, she sat down, placing the instrument on her lap as she began to play.

A soft wisp of breath escaped from between her lips. She had once promised herself that the little canary in her throat would never open its beak ever again. A promise made a decade ago, when her first love's severed skull lay between her her knees, dried blood caking the doormat of their home. And now, against all odds, he lived. He lived at the cost of her own life. He grew up to be a hero to the world. A tear formed in Addison's eye, sliding down her cheek and dripping onto the small instrument on her lap. She once swore that she would never sing ever again. But now, James was alive. And so she too, could finally be free of the chains of guilt which had tied her down for the past ten years.

 

"Hope shines brightest in the dark

When nothing's ever seen

Lighting undiscovered places

 

No-ones ever been"1

 

As the Atlesian marines woke up from their rest and the hostile ships sailed in to sea, a calm melodic voice filled the air. The song was one about finding hope where there was none. It was one which she had once sung to her boyfriend when they were talking about their future.

 

Spoiler

1: Taken from Paul McCartney

 

 

[Devil 321]

The Alchemist didn't really have much, well not what he was looking for. Yet he did score 4 bottles(12oz) of kerosene, and was able to get the plants(Poison ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac, and some peppers, that were promised to be very hot), and some rags he found. The idea was a classic Molotov cocktail, with a twist. The plants and peppers had been smashed up, and shoved into the bottles, along with the rags, with a  little bit of the rag sticking up from the top of the bottle. The result, would be a fire bombing that would ruin almost anyone's day, because the smoke would cause all sorts of havoc on a normal person's eyes, ears, nose, throat and of course lungs!. The secondary brain had pointed this out, and Warpath agreed, this would be a pretty good tactic. It'd get the point across, and even if the ships were made of metal, the smoke would still cause issues for those on board. The persona Simpson Castle almost suggested this en-mass, but there was danger to the army as a whole, should this tactic be used in large scale. 

'' Hey there soldier! ''

He recognized the person coming towards him, had attempted to shake hands and make introductions earlier, but @Agent Knockout (Ivan) earlier, but they seemed busy getting things sorted out. Now that they had approached him, all Simpson had to say was? 

'' What kind of grenades did you bring? I'll need six high explosive variant, and one of your AK-47s, with six magazines, duct tape. Do you have Comlinks? If so, I'll need to see one of those as well. ''

Now Warpath was fine with being the opening act. He planned to do so anyway. Assuming those he requested were  given to him, the grenades were clipped into his utility belt, the 6 magazines for the AK-47 were taped just so when one mag was empty, it could be ejected, spun upside down, and the mag connected to it, was slapped in place. Sensors were picking up whatever else was going on, but he did everything with a machine like perfection. As if he had been doing this his whole life. As for the Comlink, He'd look at it, and his secondary brain would begin checking frequencies, until it found one it could send and receive to, at which point it was handed back to (Ivan). 

'' Call-Sign is Warpath. '' 

Would be heard from the Comlink, but Simpson's mouth would not move at all. It sounded just like him, but there wasn't a need to speak, when there was a speaker that could do that for him. 

'' I want to try and hammer them hard, before they reach the beach. If we can knock one of the centers off course, and flip it, we've stopped a lot of the push they can do. It'll cost them energy to swim to the beach, and then fight. Less chance of a blitz. ''

Though he planned to blitz the hell out of them. There was a flush to his pale skin. Finally, the adrenaline was on the rise. Finally! 

Spoiler

This color is actual speech. and this is Secondary Brain talking through Communication Link:Comlink

 

[Agent Knockout 216]

'We sure do. Also, the comlink is connected to the rest of us. We also have a rocket launcher for you.' Ivan said as he gave Warpath a RPG-29 with ammunition. While Ivan was speaking outside with Warpath, the rest of the squad was manning the trucks and being constantly on guard with their assault rifles, machine guns and rocket launchers, but they were also drinking some rakija and having a chat, knowing no imminent threat was inbound.

Davud: 'Milenic, did you call for reinforcements to standby in case there is a breach?'

Milenic: 'Yes, Davud. I sent out a signal to any regional forces from our clan to come. We probably won't need them, but we cannot underestimate the armored support of M-84(AS) tanks some of those groups can bring. I mean, do I need to say? A tank is an amazing defense platform when you entrench it well enough and only the strong turret is visible.

Josip: 'I mean, yeah, but some of those groups also have MiG-29s. As much as a tank is helpful, death from above is even better. Doubt pirates have any anti-air defenses, and will just be left to our mercy in this regard.'

Milenic: 'That is true. But come on, relax, what are the chances of them even penetrating a defense anyways? The other mercenaries seem to have this covered, and Ivan probably spoke to that other soldier. Come on lads, let's sing a song from our country, Yugoslavia!'

As Warpath spoke to the Intercom and to the rest of the crew, the crew stopped singing and Milenic replied:

Milenic: 'Hello, hello, Warpath! Insurgents' Bastion here! We hear you loud and clear. And sure, that is a good strategy. We plan on staying back out of their reach and reigning missile hell on them. We have a coastal defense system, so why not use it properly? We also called standby reinforcements, and hope you can help us in the protection regard.'

Edited February 23, 2020 by Agent Knockout

[Jack Howard 310]

Through trial and terror the red lads sang, through the fields their voices rang. A silly tune they often would sing, through trial and terror they would win.

One Bulgarian jumped right over a Promethean's back,
Another Bulgarian hopped right over another Promethean's back,
A third Bulgarian hopped right over the two Promethean's backs,
And a fourth Bulgarian hopped right over poor Erenians back!

They were only playing leapfrog!
They were only playing leapfrog!
They were only playing leapfrog!
When one Bulgarian jumped right over a poor old Erenian back!

Then one Atlesian jumped right over a poor Bulgarians back,
And another Atlesian jumped right over another Bulgarians back,
A third Atlesian jump right another the two Bulgarians back,
And then our fleet came along and we stuck our mast right up their crack!

They were only playing leapfrog!
They weren't playing for too long!
They were only playing leapfrog!
Then we came along and they decided to run!

Huzzay!
Huzzay!
Huzzay!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The troops sang their hearts out on that defence, their moral needed to be high after all. Their voices bellowed with pride, glory and hope. Their voices rang through the beach, lifting moral between them and Hawk's lot. They laughed and cheered as they sang, waving their guns in the air. It was a jolly and glorious sight to see such scarred men fight their glooms away by the power of voice. They had did it before and they did it again. They danced a little in their defences, waving their red coats and silver sabres in the air. They were having a good time and lucky for them, it raised their morale. They chose this song because it was cheery and reminded them of the first true enemy they fought and won against. The song itself depicted the Atlesian victory over the Bulgarian Army in the SSK war, 1860. The issue was and why this helped was that they knew they were weak in this situation. They had weak weapons and not the best amount of troops for a hardcore defence. Singing it away was something that brought their hope back to the plan. With three cheers of a mighty 'Huzzay!' at the end, they were ready to fight. They still hand time left though..

As time went by, the troops chattered and laughed. Seemed unusual for what seemed to be a strong and trained force that was very clearly disciplined. Why wasn't Howard dealing with this issue? Soldiers are meant to stand in line awaiting orders or spread out on the beach and waiting strong! No, this wasn't the case here. This was a tactic that took place 2 hours before the battle but was still used as combat. Howard called it a Kitten to Lion tactic. The troops were 'trained' in it in a unique way. In training the soldiers were given breaks in between routines and training sessions. In this time the troops were aloud to do whatever they want as long as they followed orders as soon as they heard it and didn't do anything illegal. This tactic seemed to work nicely in battle because it made the enemy in sight think they were weak, so they would charge all of their force onto the kitten expecting a fast win. When they met Howard men they would always be shocked as the lion was unleashed, slaughtering all of them. With this sneaky before hand tactic, they chatted and laughed like how they would at a bar, to hide their lion and to show their kitten. 

Howard meanwhile was singing and chatting along with the men as he peered through his spyglass, hoping to get some sort of glimpse so they could get ready. It was again unusual for Howard to be so into his own tactic and so close to his men but, of course, it was another little morale boost. As said before, the soldiers admired Howard and his officers because they spent so much time together, it made the force seem so much more like a team than a battalion. Once Howard even quoted, "An officer of mine must be close to his troops to know their pain and fix it.". It was clear that Howard too cared for his men, he helped them in any situation, even helping a marine who died in battle named Edward Emery who had got shot in the leg during battle. One of his most memorable moments was helping Archibald Monte, a soldier who really wanted to serve but couldn't get his training correct, Howard helped him by joining in on his ships training courses. All of these helped Howard get the power he got and as he peered into the ocean looking for the enemy, he let the soldiers sing and chatter their hearts away. 

Cochrane and his lads at the rear line were also singing in tune to the brave lads ahead of them. His troops being trained in mainly gun warfare from them being stationed on the rigging marine pouches waved their guns in the air and cheered to the singing. They laughed, joked, sang and chattered like the line ahead of them. Cochrane himself was doing the same as Howard, He wasn't chattering with the other troops he was more focused. The troops, though relaxed when out of conbat, respected him for his awareness. He was Howard's right eye as they said. He looked out as far as he could with his spy glassing, only happily laughing at what was going on around them. 

Out from nowhere, Cochrane heard Howard yell. "Oi! get our eye out the glass and sing the final chorus!". Cochrane put his spyglass down and shook his head as he cleared his throat, then, all the troops sang the final chorus once more. 

They were only playing leapfrog!
They weren't playing for too long!
They were only playing leapfrog!
Then we came along and they decided to run!

Edited February 23, 2020 by Jack Howard
Added a reason for the song being sung to avoid confusion.

[Agent Knockout 216]

As the singing was distantly heard, Ivan uttered to Warpath, with somewhat visible frustation:

'As for that guy singing, he should probably keep off of insulting. I understand that those people weren't great sometimes, but they seem now. No reason to insult them anymore... then again, I don't plan on stopping him from singing it.....maybe. He should really keep it down though. I am already on edge by the incoming invaders, and he isn't helping, nor his offensive songs.'

[Truthless 46]

The Rainbow League went ahead and took their own spot. Farther out than the main frontlines. They stood on an idle rock, big enough to fit their triange formation.

As they all slapped their palms together, they synchronized their movements, their energy linking up. This could be seen through a lightning-like essence that took a rainbow color.

They shouted eastern chants in unison, probably even louder than the singing that beamed out from behind them. 

The 3 looked focused and ready, keeping their eyes directly infront of them, the rainbow lightning surging across the area they stood in.

Yes, their position didn't compensate for everyone else's, but in order to freely move around, they distanced themselves accordingly. Why? Since they were most likely the fastest of the army, they took it upon themselves to take the best location possible. 

To modernized fighters, the skills that were to be shown would be nothing like guns or grenades. It was very different.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Truthless

[Devil 321]

Sensors continued to pick up the on going song and dance of one group. There were a lot of logs on the sand, and that would make charging up it hard. If the wind had been in their favor, the suggestion to ignite the logs on the beach would have been sent out, but the smoke coming back at them, instead of towards the insurgents was to much of a risk. If the wind was blowing towards the pirate ships, than they wouldn't be here, but that was also the assumption that these ships were wind powered. If they had engines, well it just meant Warpath needed to figure out means of how to get onto the ships. One of the center ones, so it could be forced ahead, and then thrown in such a way to act as a stop gap for the others. They'd have to blast one of their own ships, and the men on board, sink it. Before the ships could continue forwards, and that was assuming Warpath was able to overpower the crew enough to get the desired effect.

'' Warpath to Bastion. Do you have visual on the ships? ''

Simpson's blue eyes shifted to look at @Agent Knockout (Ivan). 

'' Can you give the commander a Comlink? We need to be able to keep her in the loop, and have her keep us in the loop as to what she is doing. ''

Assuming the master knight @Phoebe was able to use a comlink, and keep in the loop. It would make for a lot better coordination. The more coordination, the better the strike force, making it less likely for the enemy to sneak past the beach. 

'' Bastion. What is the range of the tanks you've with you? ''

'' Ivan. Did your company happen to bring anti-material sniper rifles, such as an NT-Twenty, or NTW-Twenty, the latter perferably barreled for twenty ex one hundred and ten millimeter Hispano? ''

It wasn't likely, Warpath had not seen this companies equipment fully, but it was unlikely that they had them. It should have seen to outfit Simpson's persona better for such a thing, but this was still useful data. Once this was over, then Simpson would be refitted with better armaments, but also the body itself would change a bit. Evolution was important when it came to weapons, just as it was for living bodies.

[notmuch_23 2300]

Thurgood just sits near the rowboat, waiting for enough of the pirates' attentions to be diverged to the beach for him to be able to row out relatively safely. Without a steel grappling hook, he had to heat and bend three good-sized branches into a crude one, securing them together with the rope he'll use to get up there, duct tape, superglue, and zip ties that he always has in his truck to make quick repairs on the road, using his also ever-present multi-tool to refine the shape some. It should work. Of course, he knotted the rope to make it easier to climb using his legs more than his arms, because one hand will hold his pistol.

It's a very risky gambit, boarding a ship alone, but with the training from the Force Majeure, and enough 12-gauge shells, he might just be able to pull it off.

But for now, he watches the ships get closer to shore as he puts plugs in his ears and a pair of yellow-tinted protective wrap-around glasses on his eyes.

[Agent Knockout 216]

Milenic: Bastion to Warpath, and yes, we have them on visual and on radar. We have had them on for some time, but did not fire as we got no fire order. Also, we ordered 3 M-84AS tanks to standby. They can nail the pirates from about 4-5km away, and we have dug some defensive positions to place them so only the powerful turret is visible. We also requested close air support from 2 multirole fighters and they might perform occasional airstrikes. 

'As for our commander, I truly wonder if she can use comlinks. And no, we did not bring anti-tank guns or anti-material rifles. We picked the RPG-29 because we are sure it can engage pirates.'

Edited February 24, 2020 by Agent Knockout

[Phoebe 1739]

Their commander, was indeed not using comlinks.

From a world of flintlocks, swords, armor and magic, to a whole new plane where people flew in flying ships and spoke across the world through little mechanical devices. It baffled her immensely and she was still getting used to all the new changes that had occurred technologically in this timeline.

---

The citizens and non-combatants had been gathered and led to a safehouse for protection. The 'safehouse' was simply a repurposed barn, stripped of its hay, which was used as floor padding, on top of which mattresses were laid. About two hundred people were crammed into the building, which was surrounded on the outside by a small perimeter of guardsman. The barn was located far in the back of the village, out of immediate sight from the pirates.

[Xoco 191]

Douglas emerged from the safehouse, making his way into the town, now having finished interviewing several civilians. His stride was rather carefree, in stark contrast to the battle that was about to happen, making his way towards the music at the town square. He pushed his glasses back in place as he arrived before a singing Addison.

"Fancy seeing you here," He remarked.

"I've chatted with quite a few of the townsfolk. They helped me brainstorm the Fishmongers' possible courses of attack," He looked up from his notebook, now snapping it shut, "I'd like to test myself with what I've learned regarding warfare."

[Phoebe 1739]

With an elaborate strum, the Master Knight completed her chorus, before turning to look at Azelhart calmly. Whilst her body seemed to convey a deep sense of tranquility, all well-natured intent and patience had left her eyes. She felt no remorse, nor regret upon chastising her beloved advisor, only a deep sense of duty to preserve his life that caused her to act out furiously and passionately.

"Douglas. You're standing in the middle of a killbox. Go behind the lines and speak to Howard, he'll be able to assign you."

Without batting an eye, her finger slid back down to the base of the instrument, letting off another deliberate and slow strum, the note resounding in the air in isolation. She stared at Azelhart expectantly, mimicking a conversation so as not to stir any sort of suspicion from the pirates. When he had left, she began to play once again, her lips parting and song flowing out from her throat like a waterfall. She closed her eyes as the wind ruffled her cloak. For a moment, she could feel the warm embrace of a man's arms around her waist, and it was as if all had been the same as it was a decade ago.

@Xoco

Edited February 26, 2020 by Phoebe