A Glorious Stand (Glorious Beginning Continuation)

[notmuch_23 2300]

Using his last hand grenade, Thurgood blew a path clear towards the Gorgon, not caring of the intervening pirates died or hit, and using Natalya's magical bolts of energy as a guide, he sprints in the direction they head, taking snap shots at any pirates he sees on his way, which probably won't hit.

thurgood though, does not see the hole until it's too late. It wouldn't be too late if there wasn't ice around it, but in this case, it was, and he slides into the hole while trying to stop.

But, it's a fucking hole! How could he not see it?

Simple: his vision blurs as he sprints. No, this is not normal; nor is the gradual paling of his skin, nor fatigue.

That explosion did more damage than he thought...

...and it's not readily visible.

@Fierach

Edited April 22, 2020 by notmuch_23

[Phoebe 1739]

Seeing Natalya bolt after the Gorgon, Addison halted in her tracks, skidding to a stop seconds after dislocating a pirate's jaw with a deft strike of her fist.

Whirling around, she immediately scanned the deck for some sort of control room. She remembered her dinnertime discussions with Admiral Jack Howard, and the dozens of ridiculously dry jokes he would make about a ship, and in those few pieces of unnecessarily abstract humor, she found some semblance of meaning.

Curse Howard and his over-complicated jokes! Bless Howard and his over-complicated jokes! Had they made sense to her, she would surely not have remembered them.

The Master Knight turned a corner and bolted up what she felt to be the most obvious location for the ship's bridge. It was the front-most room which offered the greatest point of vision, unobstructed by other rooms or large defensive placements. Incapacitating any pirates along the way, Addison would find herself with her back flattened up against the door of the room. She took a deep breath, whirling around with her sole pressed into the centre of the door. With a sharp cry and a powerful thrust from her leg, she sent the door hurtling out of its frame, stepping powerfully into the room with a solidly planted right foot. Her eyes immediately began to scan the room for threats mere milliseconds after having exposed it. She wasn't about to be caught off guard by an ambush.

@Fierach

[FunOnTheBun 71]

Several pounds of a meaty fist hit its chest. This was the flight or fight response that many prey result to at the time of their death. The Reaver would wrap its arm around the next incoming blow and use it to spin on the wet floor and onto its bare chest. It pulled itself forward and slammed its knee onto the Wake's arm (onto the forearm right before the elbow) in an attempt to keep it still just for the next pin. It rose its bleeding arm, the spear still in hand, and slammed it into the arm (middle of forearm). Such a stab could impale a normal man, hopefully it would stop the thing from moving. 
@Fierach
The plan was to pin the creature and then finish it off and collect the trophy but someone interfered with its target. First sign was the blood, pouring down the Wake's side and from its mouth. Next was the trident and being holding it. Rage from the fight started to redirect toward this unwanted ally. Hand still still on the spear and knee on the Wake's arm the Reaver shifted to broaden its shoulders and widen its perceived area to the new competition. It released a loud and low growl that to many people meant "Back off." Hunting and fighting was a sport, the Red Wake was the prize and this, this woman was trying to take it. 
@Veloci-Rapture
Unbeknownst to the Reaver was the increasing amount of blood loss coming from his wrist. A knife like tooth had dug itself past a plate of the armor and directly into the wrist. The problem with being as big as the Reaver was is the fact that to deliver blood to such a body veins had to be larger and had to pump more blood. The tooth had dug itself and stabbed into the Radial artery, causing blood to begin to pour out at a steady but alarming rate. Adrenaline, although powerful in the fight, distracted the Reaver from this major medical issue. 

[Veloci-Rapture 2086]

10 hours ago, FunOnTheBun said:

It released a loud and low growl that to many people meant "Back off." Hunting and fighting was a sport, the Red Wake was the prize and this, this woman was trying to take it. 

Mel looked at the Reaver, then down at the dying captain, then back at the Reaver again.

"Of course, my loyal servant!" she cried out, loud enough to be heard by everyone on the deck. "I grant you leave to take your choice of trophy from this snivelling oathbreaker!"

Mel probably couldn't have done anything about it anyway, but she couldn't let the remaining pirates see that she wasn't exactly the undisputed leader of this little raid. Reaver could have his sport; she was here for something else entirely.

The trident seemed to melt into a long strand of amber jell-o as the nearly-dead shark man tried in vain to hold onto it; Mel would have been shit out of luck if it had been a real weapon and not an extension of her naturally-amorphous body. She absorbed it back into her arm, reincorporating the mass back into her form.  Mel hopped up on top of a nearby munitions barrel and addressed the remaining pirates; she gave her skin another dusting of blue-glowing algae and let her eyes turn a deep purple light the night sky before a storm.

"By the laws of the sea, I claim the right of captain of this armada, and the service of all the souls who stand upon it! If any thinks they have a greater claim than mine, step forward and we shall dispute it in the same manner as your previous captain did!"

Her hard eyes stared around at the crowd.

"Otherwise, sound the retreat; I want all these ships at full reverse back into open water! Focus your guns on pursuers until we can regroup out of their range; you morons wasted a lot of lives and a lot of equipment for not a lot of reward here and I intend to see that all of you get some schooling in the concept of 'Return-On-Investment'! Make it so!"

@Fierach

Edited April 23, 2020 by Veloci-Rapture

[Peter 83]

 "Fucking hell.."
 Irryn muttered loudly, seeing the flood of men pour out of the trenches straight into a hail of lead. All the soldiers and their leaders were at extremely high risk in the unforgiving plain of the no man's land. Something unavoidable during a charge, but something that he could help prevent to some extent. He took hold of his weapons, his fingers wrapped tightly around the handles. His eyes closed, he took one last calm breath before he would join the others on the battlefield. He leaped out of the trench immediately feeling the heat of battle on his skin and hearing the whistle of bullets ring in his ears. A strange sight to be sure, a man running into gunfire alone wearing armor and with blades in his hands, but one that could play a major role in winning the fight.
 Numerous vines shot from Irryn's arms, anchoring to the ground or any other objects, just to then violently grow back to its original state, flinging their user over a short distance and overall granting a burst of additional momentum. 
  His movement was pretty predictable, something he was aware of, but that combination of moves was the best way to reach the battleship onshore, finally meet the enemy face to face and start something that could be anything from a slaughter to a murder.
 Finally, he could get onto the main deck, a vine digging into the edge of the ship's armor, dragging Irryn from the wet sands of the shore to the wooden deck of the ship. He knew he'd have to move quick, a horde of gun-wielding pirates surrounding him from almost all sides.

[Fierach 3639]

The beached Blackpool was overrun completely. The pirates were far outnumbered even before Douglas's last salvo of magnetically propelled projectiles struck home,  further reducing their ability to inflict casualties on both groups of soldiers who charged. While losses were indeed suffered by the advancing troops, their morale and superior numbers carried the day as the pirates aboard the Blackpool would likely be all killed to a man. That ship, and its modest cargo of loot plundered from other places, would belong to the defenders now.

---

Most of the pirates remaining upon the Red Royal that witnessed the clash between the Crimson Wake and their enemies were aghast and flabbergasted. The former at their commander's defeat, although the Reaver was clearly the physical equal of their war leader. Still, they didn't know what Mel was jabbering on about by the concept of "oathbreakers" and "laws of the sea". The Wake was not their ultimate master. He was simply a deputy who commanded the raiding fleet. She didn't even call out their captain in her first speech, rather it sounded like she was challenging his lieutenant, the Gorgon, confusing one for the other. 

Still, they made no effort to attack her, if only because the Reaver was still there. While he was wounded as well, the remaining pirates didn't fancy their chances against both of them, plus the boarders' other allies..

There was also the other problem that there was nobody on the bridge who could possibly give any sort of retreat orders, and no authority even if they could. Well, none of the pirates anyway. The only person on the bridge was a certain knightess who was looking to bring and steer the ship in the opposite direction of "retreat". The crew had left their posts to fight the boarders after all. 

The Reaver would be preoccupied with the very last gasp of the Crimson Wake however. With the trident dissipating, his other arm was free, and the mutant reached to try and choke and throttle the Reaver by the neck even as his other arm and half of him was speared through and pinned. It would be a losing prospect though, with the Wake's strength slipping away as his lifeblood bled out, and the end was never truly in doubt. 

 

---

 

The very last pirate ship, the Unbridled, was the least damaged of the ships. Sensing the fleet's commander defeated, and unwilling to risk their lives on what was clearly a losing outcome, their captain called for the order for retreat, and slowly the Unbridled started to slowly turn away in the waters, to head for the safety of the open ocean.

Too slowly perhaps. 

---

The Gorgon would perhaps be the only pirate who escaped. Freeing herself from the ice, she would head to an isolated section of the deck, using her knowledge of the ship's interior to try and lose any pursuers. She was far more clever then her cohorts, and gifted with magical ability. She would make ready to dive overboard and flee.

[Phoebe 1739]

"Huh," Addison grunted, marching swiftly into the utterly abandoned bridge. Her eyes swept across the control panel, trying to make sense of what was what. Several red lights flashed overhead, indicating the damage which had been sustained to various parts of the ship. It didn't matter. All she had to do was to beach it so that it wouldn't be able to sink.

Her eyes locked around a medium sized circular object in the middle of the dashboard which loosely resembled a steering wheel. It's edges were rough with large gaps between each spoke, likely an adaptation made to suit the Crimson Wake's massive fins. Gripping the wheel tightly, she slowly rotated it to the right, aligning its course to be perpendicular to the length of the beach. Her heart raced. She hoped that the systems hadn't been damaged to the point where they no longer functioned. And even if they did, she wondered if the engine would have enough energy left to thrust the ship up onto the beach.

@Fierach

[FunOnTheBun 71]

As the hand grabbed the Reaver's neck, a wave of disorientation washed over the Reaver. It would seem the blood loss was catching up, but there was still a job to do. While its meaty neck muscles pushed against the grasp of the Wake, the Reaver ripped the other spear from its arm and the deck. In a fashion of a blind rage, the Reaver started to stab the spear into the Wake's own neck, head, and chest at a seemingly random fashion. Each stab brought forth another wave, hopefully the Wake would die before the warrior fell. 

Behind the metal helm upon its head, the Reaver's eyes bulged. A crimson liquid seemed to fall within the right eye as a blood vessel burst. It had a heart beat like a drum, the pounding becoming greater and greater with each attack it dealt. The body of the warrior was put to one task, kill this damn shark. Blood began to flow from the wrist of the metal coated beast, being flung into the air and down the spear, mixing with the blood of the Wake itself. 

@Fierach

[Veloci-Rapture 2086]

Mel looked around at the uncertain pirates, her features displaying only undisguised contempt.

"Gah, you're all worthless. Idiots and cowards."

She sighed and cast her gaze out to the horizon, sweeping the sea until she landed on the last remaining ship; the Unbridled. It looked only moderately damaged, by comparison to the rest of them, and while it wasn't as grand as the Red Royal, it was still a ship. And a ship is better than no ship almost any day.

Unless that day is the one in which you're expected to pay taxes on your ship. But after a quick mental scanning of her calendar, Mel concluded today was probably not that day.

She climbed down off of her barrel and walked to the deck railing, now entirely uninterested in Reaver, the Crimson Wake, and the rest of the pirates. This party had gotten dull, and she had other things to do. Without fanfare she shifted back into squidmaid form--with the correct number of tentacles again, although smaller this time to make up for the mass she'd lost--and hopped over the edge. With no passengers to worry about, she put the pedal to the metal, her tentacles spinning in a way that looked remarkably like the blades of an outboard propeller, to catch up to the lumbering Unbridled.

What follows her ascent up the hull and onto the main deck of that ship, dear readers, is best left to the inadequacies of the human imagination. Observers from the other ships or from the shore would see pirates being flung from the ship, one after the other, some traveling great distances; sometimes the tail edge of a scream of mortal terror or unfathomable anguish would come to the beach on the lingering breeze, and on occasions more frequent than not, the yeeted bodies were proceeded by a crimson trail that sparkled beautifully in the sunlight.

This was a long process, as the pirates were either extremely loyal or extremely afraid of their distant masters; to the point that even watching twenty or thirty of their mates be gutted and cast, still living, into a sea now churning with happy sharks of all varieties wasn't enough to turn their allegiance. Each thought--or hoped--that they would find they were secretly that much more badass than the last dozen who'd thought and hoped that same thing before them, and each found themselves to be woefully mistaken.

So it would be rather late by the time Mel had managed to convince a skeleton crew to accept her as captain and show her how to work the helm; then, as soon as the Unbridled's bow was turned back towards the beckoning depths of the blue ocean, those last few pitiful mutants would also be cast overboard in the same manner.

Because if there was one thing Mel couldn't abide, it was a turncoat.

[Jack Howard 310]

 

---

The soldiers of Howard's own charged into the ship. No soldier had a slice of regret within their hearts of iron. Sadly by the time they got in there the place was already occupied. The soldiers walked through the ship and looked around at the carnage inside the ship. Their guns lowered with disappointment towards the lack of blood on their blades. They decided to take over the search for the ship and look for scraps and maybe something to help in the future. As the soldiers walked around they didn't lower their hats as a sign of respect. These fools died as animals and they were slaughtered like animals. Howard's own stepped over the bodies and looked around the ship. To them all of the technology was completely alien to them. Howard was more inspired than anything. He noted down the design and look of these guns. It would later come in to inspire the turrets of the H.P.S Goddess.

Howard and the colour barrier decided to climb up to the top deck. They walked along the ships starboard promenade deck to the bow of the ship where they saw the ships mighty gun. It was smoking red hot. Howard didn't dare touch the barrel of it. Either way he asked the colour barrier for the flag. The barrier agreed and handed over the flag. Howard held it tightly in his hand and went back into the bridge. He found a ladder behind the bridge that lead up the mast above. 

Howard shakily climbed the alien ship and made his way to the top of the mast. From there he could see everywhere. He saw where he fought earlier and the foolish centre of modern weaponry. Howard could only sigh. He firmly grabbed the flag of the Howardonian fleet and hoisted it upon the mast. He threw the enemy flag away to the decks below. The flag blew gently in the wind and announced the victory of the battle.

Howard stood under the flag and pointed his sabre into the air. He shouted to all at the top of his lungs to all around.

"HEAVEN HAS RAINED ONTO HELL! THE BATTLE IS WON!"
 

---

@Agent Knockout@Phoebe@Veloci-Rapture@Fierach

Edited May 11, 2020 by Jack Howard
(Added pings.)

[notmuch_23 2300]

So what had Thurgood been doing since the battle was clearly won? Why, augmenting his meager payment for this job, that's what. The internal bleeding had clotted enough to allow him to gather up fallen pirates' firearms and ammunition, as well as looting the armory for all he possibly could, making several trips to pile his pickup bed as high as he could with looted weapons.

Of course, he would collect his small payment from Addison, Jack Howard, or whoever was in charge of paying the mercs. Also, he will seek treatment for the internal bleeding, then establish a firearm "chop shop" later at the Mil Dot Port Kyros, once its construction finishes.

---

Thurgood Albert Singlance is now available as a gun fence

[Fierach 3639]

Mission End:

The defense against the raiding pirate fleet was overall a success. While the defending forces took some losses and injuries, the entire pirate Tithe Fleet was vanquished, with the great majority of the pirates killed. Even the leader of the tithe fleet, the Crimson Wake was defeated, his head taken as a trophy by the armored juggernaut known as the Reaver @FunOnTheBun.

The salvage recovered from the vessels was a worthwhile boost to the growing town of Marrow's structure, and industry. Only two ships' plundered treasures sums were recovered however, that of the Red Royal, and the grounded Blackpool. The third vessel sunk, and would henceforth be known as The Wreck of the Unbridled (or some other name, whatever the locals dub it), and would become a popular diving site in time. It is said that treasure still lies inside that vessel, although getting to it is considerably more difficult now. The fourth vessel, the Mandarin, was absconded with completely after Mel @Veloci-Rapture took it over and tossed out the crew, taking the vessel as her mercenary payment.

 

[Phoebe 1739]

Other Relevant Threads:

 

Total Number of Posts: 176 + 91 + 11 + 21 = 299

Number of Pages: 19.9 (Rounded up to Twenty ;w;)

---

Full Summary

The new arrivals from an alternate universe brought about as a result of James Eredas' tinkering with the Genesar Cornerstone of Space have set foot on the shores of Genesaris. A temporary encampment is set up in which two thousand soldiers brought across the ocean by ship bunker down in preparation for an exploration of the new lands. Hawk and Addison initially discuss the technology which the new world has to offer and revel in the sudden reality of the existence of parallel universes. They hatch a plan to search Valucre for the lost Atlesian hero, Esstevan Montoya, hoping to make use of motorised transport to enhance the efficiency of their search.

Plans are swiftly put into place for a naval expansion, taking advantage of Admiral Jack Howard's expertise in naval warfare and development of naval armaments. Several designs are finalised including the Prince Class, Queen Class and Goddess Class of ships.

Shortly after, the group decides to begin their establishment by eliminating threats from their new home. It begins with the townstead of Marrow, which comes under attack from a notorious gang of local pirates known as the Fishmongers, led by a fearsome Sharkman known as the Crimson Wake. The pirates regularly terrorize coastal fishing establishments and demand treaties and young adult males to serve in their ranks.

Mercenaries are hired to partake in the battle to deal a decisive blow against the pirates and cripple their ability to recover. Along with eight hundred soldiers gather from the group's reserve forces, the group set out to lay an ambush for the invading pirates.

Trenches are dug up in preparation for the battle and the civilians evacuated.

When the pirates finally arrive to take their tribute, the group springs the ambush and engages them in battle. Four pirates vessels are present in the ocean: the Unbridled, the Mandarin, the Red Royal and the Blackpool. Meanwhile, a fifth ship docks half a mile down the coastline, led by the Fishmonger Captain Chamberlius and his lieutenants Cocongo Pichelliogo and Leonisso Launchiol. During a skirmish with Howard's forces, Launchiol is shot down, prompting Chamberlius to retreat before the tide is fully turned against them. He promptly escapes the battle with resources sacked forcefully from the town itself.

Meanwhile. the mercenary known as Ivan calls down an airstrike upon the Unbridled, which results in it being completely and entirely annihilated. Ivan was promptly held at gun point as he prepared to bombard the remainder of the fleet, uncaring of the potential losses that would be incurred due to the friendly forces which had forcefully boarded the Red Royal.

Due to damage sustained by continuous gunfire, the Blackpool runs ashore and is charged by Atlesian soldiers led by Douglas Azelhart in his newly acquired battle jeep seized from the pirate's own advanced scouting unit, as well as Irryn Hale. Howard promptly joins the assault and with their combined forces, the Blackpool is overrun and taken.

Meanwhile on the Red Royal, Mel and the Reaver engage the Crimson Wake in a bloody battle, ultimately emerging victorious. As the Reaver bathes in the blood of his slain foe, Mel swiftly darts over to the final ship, the Mandarin, and single-handedly wipes out its remaining crew members, taking the ship as payment for her mercenary work. With the final ship gone, Addison steers the Red Royal into shore and promptly beaches it, prevent it from sinking into the depths of the ocean as a result of taking too much damage.

To celebrate their victory, the mercenaries are paid, and the rest of the Bastion forces are brought through from the portal in Predator's Keep which was created by the Genesar Cornerstone of Space.

---

Minor Summary

The forces of the Bastion as well as some hired mercenaries face off against the Fishmongers, a deadly pirate crew. An ambush at the coastal town of Marrow leads the resistance forces to a decisive victory over the mercenaries, resulting in the destruction of one major pirate vessel and the capture of two. The fourth was taken by one of the mercenaries who made away with her loot before the battle had fully concluded. The death of the Fishmonger's leader, the Crimson Wake, will lead to a decline in pirate attacks by this group.

---

Opportunities

(1) During the battle, the Crimson Wake's lieutenant, the Gorgon, fled to escape capture or certain death. No one knows of her current location, but should she not be captured, she would likely pose as a rallying beacon for any remaining survivors of the Fishmongers and become a future threat to the safety of the Genesar Coastal cities.

(2) The wreck of the Unbridled has become a popular diving site. It is said that the treasure which the Fishmonger's had acquired from raiding other coastal cities may still lie beneath the wreckage, though it will be considerably more difficult to get to now.

(3) Captain Chamberlius ( @DocterDuck ) has escaped with his crew and still poses a major threat to coastal settlements. His location remains unknown, but he could prove to be both a bane to any established order, and a potential ally to those desperate enough to seek an agreement.

(4) Help the town of Marrow to recover from the violent attack. Chamberlius has raided the city of its wealth. Be a hero to the people, or exploit them as a cheap labour force!

---

Consequences

(1) The Reaver ( @FunOnTheBun ) has acquired the head of the Crimson Wake as a trophy.

(2) Mel ( @Veloci-Rapture ) has escaped with the Mandarin, a fully functional pirate ship. What has happened to its crew members remains a mystery. Some speculate that they were killed. Others rumours seem to claim that they readily surrendered to their new captain. One thing is for certain however. Mel has a ship now!

(3) The Fishmongers have been largely crippled due to the loss of four of their main ships and a large fraction of their men, as well as their leader. Pirate attacks on coastal settlements are expected to ease, though that doesn't discount the existence of other pirate groups which still roam the waters.

(4) Marshal Ryder Hawk ( @Hawk ) has acquired access to motorised bicycles in order to facilitate the search for Esstevan Montoya on Valucre.

(5) Admiral Jack Howard ( @Jack Howard ) finalised the plans for the Goddess Class, Queen Class, and Prince Class of naval warships.

(6) After establishing themselves as a dominant power in Genesaris, the Bastion forces formally bolstered and solidified their strength by bringing in twenty thousand Atlesian marines from the portal in Predator's Keep and had them sailed to Genesaris to prepare for the establishment of a new order.