GROUPS 1 & 2: War, what is it good for.

[millimeter]

WHO? Groups 1 & 2!
WHAT? HRHR missions, as detailed here.
WHEN? January 15, 1916 (February 9th, OOC) onward.
ANYTHING ELSE? Planning thread here and submissions here.

A JOINT EFFORT

GROUP 1: FIGHTERS & GROUP 2: TECHNICIANS
OBJECTIVE: RETRIEVE SUPPLIES & CONTACT FRENCH SHIPS FOR EVACUATION

Groups 1 and 2 will be working together for the duration of their missions.

Group 1 is combat-focused; their objective is to locate and retrieve any supplies they can find (specifically food, medicine, and ammunition). They're also tasked with supporting Group 2.

Group 2 requires technically minded characters; their objective is to contact nearby French ships who are pulling out of Cape Helles and request their aid in evacuation. They'll need radio parts and knowledge of how to use and repair shortwave radios—or at least easily learn the ropes from anyone savvy.

Both groups are headed for an abandoned command center at the Nek, not far from their current position. However, due to the trench layout and dangerous circumstances, it'll be a tedious journey.

Characters will encounter these obstacles:

• Reaching the dugout; the Regency will tail these groups the most conspicuously.
• A skirmish upon arrival; it seems someone (hmmm) tipped off Turkish soldiers.
• The possibility of being trapped by enemy fire.
• Salvaging any supplies, without losing them in the skirmish.
• Successfully repairing the damaged radios.
• Transporting the radios to a nearby hill and contacting the French.
• The enemy will attempt to shell the dugout, if left unattended.
• Returning to Lone Pine in one piece.

TRACES OF THE REVOLUTION

The Battle of Nek was fought as part of the Gallipoli campaign in August, 1915. It was a futile bayonet attack by Australian forces on the Ottomans; losses were extremely one-sided and the bodies of many Australians remain where they died, in some places six men high.

The area has a fairly straightforward trench layout, but boasts a higher elevation. The dugout that characters are looking for is a former command center, with supplies and radio equipment abandoned in the retreat. They've survived as well as they can, but need some excavating.

Peculiarly, this area of the trenches isn't entirely Australian; the rotting uniforms, mementos, and other traces of the men who once stood this ground are French. A few letter scraps make mention of a man named Jacques Louis; provided their BCE has a French datapack installed (or they know French already), characters can learn he is captain of a ship called the Marie Antoinette and a well-respected commander in the French military. This dugout's existence is attributed to him.

---

GROUP 1 SUBMISSION & RESULTS

Mamoru Hijikata, Achilles, Heine Rammsteiner, Kylo Ren, Shinobu Jacobs, Mordred, Morrigan, Ryuji Sakamoto, Siegfried, Soldier: 76

SCOUTING THE AREA/FINDING THE DUGOUT

• Before departing, the group will make an attempt to scout the area. Achilles is familiar with the geographical location and has supernatural speed on his side to map the area and surrounding trenches quickly, making note of impassable, difficult-to-navigate routes. Morrigan can shapeshift into a crow and can survey the potential routes from above.
• Because of Grothia's warning about Regency engagement, Group 1 will be approaching with caution, and will attempt to move as covertly as possible, securing safe transport routes for future use.

Once Group 1 finds the dugout, 76 will assign rotations and yell at people for slacking keep everyone on task if necessary. In the interest of keeping things flexible OOCly, we don't have a concrete roster, but all characters in Group 1 will be aiding Group 2 as detailed in their submission, as well as cycling through the following tasks:


SECURING THE DUGOUT

• Group 1 is composed largely of combatants and will engage the Turkish soldiers as soon as they're attacked. The goal is to drive them back to secure a defensible position at the dugout. Siegfried can provide sniper support to the operatives on the ground.
• Once the dugout is secured, watch shifts and guard patrols will be added to the rotation to ensure that we can hold the position while Groups 1 and 2 salvage the dugout and sort/repair/organize supplies. Group 2 will be handling most of the equipment repair, but Group 1 is able to lend a hand when necessary. Their primary task, however, will be holding down the fort, keeping an eye on the Regency, and protecting the dugout from further Turkish attacks. Mamoru has some shades that can help him determine ballistic trajectories, potentially allowing us to pinpoint the enemy position more easily.
RESULTS: 20/30, success! Barely, but there.

Scouting and securing the dugout is a close shave, but you make it barely. Enemy soldiers dog you the entire way, and you barely stay ahead of them. There are some close calls, possibly people are almost lost in the chaos, up to you! It's a tense trial, but you do make it in the end.


SUPPLY RUNS

• Working in small groups, the team will make supply runs into the surrounding area to see what might be salvageable. In the interest of not being caught all together with all of the supplies, Group 1 will stagger transportation of items back to Lone Pine, making several trips back and forth along the safe routes mapped out by the scouts.
• Ryuji in particular will be scavenging for medical supplies and local medicinal plants.
• We've got a few "good at lifting very heavy things" types on the team, which is, you know, good for carting around lots of stuff.
RESULTS: 22/30, swing and a miss.

The supply runs don't work as well as they could, and while it's easy enough to find supplies, it's very hard to send them back or get them where you want them to go. It's very difficult and supplies get lost in the firefight, when it becomes much safer to retreat in order to save lives.


BODYGUARDING/ESCORT MISSIONS (WITH GROUP 2)

• Group 1 will assist Group 2 with equipment transport, and will provide bodyguard detail to teams setting up the radios and constructing transponders.
• Points of contact have been designated as Ryuji for Group 1 and Prompto for Group 2. Mamoru will also be keeping an eye (haha) on the positioning of Turkish soldiers and relaying the information between groups accordingly.
• Once the equipment is in place, Group 1 will guard both it and the Group 2 members as they contact the French.
• Then we will all go back to Lone Pine except EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN THE REGENCY ATTACKED
RESULTS: 30/30, holy shit.

Despite all the tension and difficulty getting shit in place and moving it around, once you get to the meat of the mission, things run incredibly smoothly. Guarding is easy, and you meet only the most token of resistances. Keeping in contact with other teams is smooth as hell. Getting back to Lone Pine is a cinch, if only because you sure as hell know how not to do it after all the fuckery of transporting supplies. You're actually able to recoup some losses, finding discarded supplies and a small cache of extra ammo and tinned food someone left a long time ago. Hey, it's still good; eat up.

---

GROUP 2 SUBMISSION & RESULTS

Eren Yeager, Rey, Prompto Argentum, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, Merlin Sawall, Armitage Hux, Prelati, Samus Aran

REYDIO REPAIR

Radio repair is split into two different groups. The first group (Rey, Ax, Samus, and Merlin) have the main radio for contact purposes, while the second (Ax, Samus, Merlin, Prompto, and anyone else who wants to lend a hand) try to get backups up and running. The second group is also working on transponders to help the signal. Everyone here actually has really high tech competency levels besides Prompto, thanks to a natural knack for it and/or sci-fi backgrounds (or fantasy, in Merlin's). Prompto's skills aren't terrible, but he's learning on the job.

Hux is in charge of group oversight, direction, and morale (lol). He will probably give a speech and get on people's cases if they aren't on task. The latter is probably more effective than the former, but hey, the guy is influential in the First Order for a reason, right?

Characters from Group 1 are helping out on the protection/combat front! Especially if they're trying to fend off Turkish soldiers during all of this.

RESULTS: 28/30, holy shit, that was an overwhelming success. The margin of success is 14!

Their radio signal comes in incredibly strong.


TRANSPORT

Transporting the radios falls on Prompto and Rey, with assistance from Ryuji and Mordred from Group 1. They'll do their best to get the equipment where it needs to go in good condition, but Rey and Mordred are getting kidnapped after they complete their parts of the mission. And Ryuji will nearly get kidnapped, because this group has really terrible luck. Prompto and Rey both can do the sneaky thing if necessary, are fairly low profile, and can passably defend themselves (Rey is better at this than Prompto, but Prompto is a normie who won't have to deal with the distraction of any power nullifiers). Ryuji and Mordred both have magic and hit pretty hard, and Mordred also can do the Heroic Spirit ghost thing, so that's useful in terms of scouting and keeping the others safe.

Meanwhile, other characters get the transponders into place! Again, everyone is very competent on the tech front and Ax, Samus, and Merlin are all more than a little combat-capable. Ax does need to morph for this and Andalites kind of stick out in WWI, but he's willing to morph if absolutely necessary (he'll just try to be sneaky about it). Samus and Merlin will be backup to the transport team, ready to rendezvous if shit goes too off the rails because of the kidnappings or other interference. Samus is super buff and super competent; Merlin is also very competent, although he relies pretty heavily on magic. Still, their skillsets are diverse and complement each other pretty well.

RESULTS: 25/30! Success!

Characters don't lose any of their shit during transport, and aren't pinned down by enemy fire for a prolonged period of time. They even manage to actively avoid enemy fire, seeing enemy soldiers before they're spotted and ducking out of the way. Your stealth level is out of sight!


CONTACT

Prelati and Eren are our French contacts! They'll have assistance from 76 and possibly someone else from Group 1. Prelati knows French and Eren is a shounen hero, so together they should be able to wrangle something. Both of them can also easily do tech things to get the radios set up and effectively defend themselves (Prelati is on the more magical end, while Eren has regeneration and all the fun shit that comes with being a Titan shifter). And 76 is a responsible, highly capable dude with a Trilingo app.

Ryuji is also a general contact for other groups for Group 1, while Prompto is Group 2's.

RESULTS: 29/30! Ridiculous success! Again.

In a stroke of insane luck, they manage to catch someone fluent in English manning the radio channel. In the long, clear, and in-depth conversation they're able to have, the team is put in contact with Jacques Toussant, a half-English soldier whose fluency in English is only matched with his talkativeness. He's very friendly and extremely informative, giving the characters information on the ship they're on (The Marie Antoinette) and their commander (General Jean-Louis Egalite).


HOLDING DOWN THE FORT

Hux and Kylo from Group 1 will stay behind to defend the bunker while the rest of the group is busy focusing on transport and contact. They will get shady with the Regency and Kylo will get kidnapped around this time. Hux continues to be Hux, while Kylo is an angry space wizard, so their skillsets cover each other's blind spots. How well they actually get along is debatable, but hey, common goals.

RESULTS: 10/30. Can't win 'em all.

However, things fall apart a little when you have to hold down the fort. You've got a few options, here. One, you can have characters get trapped inside and need rescue from another team. Two, you can have the attack happen and need to leave and lose some supplies in the escape. Three, you can fight fire with fire and sustain some serious injuries / losses. Feel free to combine all options, or do whatever works for you! It's not a total drag-out failure, you're just discovered by enemy soldiers (Regency or otherwise or both, up to you) and the spot you're in isn't safe anymore. War, huh? What is it good for?

Comments

Can't Always Hold the Fort [Open]

[neutronium]

[ooc: Obviously set post Kylo Rennapping (ha), leaving Hux just down in the bunker. Feel free to assume most (if not all) of Contact has been accomplished by the time shit starts to hit the serious fan. I'm choosing just non-Regency enemy soldiers for the sake of this.]

It was a good thing that Hux didn't believe in curses; if he did, he certainly would believe he was under a heavy one, now--every time he was part of something that reached success, to have garnered a hard won triumph--things started to crumble under his feet.

The Starkiller, the Supremecy, and now this damn bunker--it seemed he wasn't allowed to keep anything for long. Still, those were ruminations for a later time. Currently, Hux was gritting his teeth, mind racing on what to do as the enemy approached. They sounded like the Turks--at least it seemed the Regency had some decency to leave him with the dredges, after taking Kylo. But it also meant that the scarab he had been given was useless as well--if it ever had a use to start.

Knowing that his position was already compromised, Hux fired a shot into the air with his rifle--hopefully someone up on the hill hear it and understand what it meant. Otherwise he would have to abandon the position and he was done with giving up ground.

Inwardly he cursed at Ren for having allowed himself to be taken (because really--how else could someone like him have been taken?). He had only a few bullets for his rifle, and only one clip for his handgun. There was the grenade of course--but he wasn't interested in going down in some suicide mission; it could be saved to destroy the bunker himself, if it came to it, when abandoning it.

It just was the last thing he wished to do.

Checking the clip of his pistol one more time, Hux backed up against one edge of the bunker, keeping his eyes on the edges of the trench, and the tunnel coming forward.

"They better have heard me, COST bastards--"

All thought past that is focused on survival, as the enemy comes up over the trench--he takes two of them down with his rifle, wanting to use that as long as he has bullets, and as long as they aren't close.

It won't be long, though. He'll be to his pistol and close range combat within minutes. He's played the odds--and they aren't good.

[mylawn]

It all goes south very quickly--but the one good thing about having been at this for so long is that he can always say he's had worse, and 76 isn't quite ready to call this a wash just yet. Something's gone wrong, that much he knows, and the shot in the air from the dugout says enough. He'd done his best to make sure that the area is always under guard, but by now it's clear the Regency is making a move. That, combined with the aggression of the Turkish forces means that they're on the defensive more than ever.

If they lose the dugout, they lose their home base, and 76 isn't very keen on letting that happen. He's not so far that he can't hear the skirmish, but he can't see what's happening, prompting him to send a message to the one person he hopes is still there.

>>TO: @PETTYOFFICER
>>FROM: @DIEDHARD

On my way. Sitrep?

It would behoove him, he thinks, to know exactly what he's walking into.

[raisedbybirds]

[A] I feel a hot wind on my shoulder and the touch of a world that is older

Making a shortwave radio and transponders from such primitive supplies and tools was Samus's least favorite way to go about this and she's not hesitant to let it be known. "Is this really all that could be found?" and "I've seen calculators do more with less." are the kinds of quips she might mutter in moments of frustration.

Samus is otherwise very pragmatic with whatever she's working on, whether that's cutting parts out of metal so little is wasted, or offering a second pair of hands for assistance needed and without question. She might, however, ask the same of someone else. Short commands such as, "Hold this. Keep it still." or "Run this wire to the other side." of a panel are barked with that same pragmatism.

If someone is not being helpful she's not shy about letting that be known either. "Don't touch." or "Don't you have a job to do?" are other things you can expect out of her mouth. Or maybe the ever graceful, "Shit..." when something unexpectedly breaks.

With the group being as relatively small as it is, it's easy to keep track of familiar faces, and consequently she cares less about keeping up with appearances. She's not completely obtuse; her long blonde hair is still easy to hide under a hat, but fiddling with her BCE to ensure it keeps a consistent masculine pitch is too much of a hassle when there's more important things to focus on. There might be times where she sounds like a young man going through puberty, or not at all like a man. That's probably really great for instilling confidence in whoever she's barking orders at.

[B] Dreams transport the ones who need to get out of town

Since the transport is such a success, having Samus as backup isn't very necessary, but that doesn't mean she's idling about while the transport/contact team is doing their job. She's making rounds and patrolling the bunker anxiously, gun in hand, waiting for the good word. She's on high alert, likely taking a smoke break as needed to pass the time.

...Possibly she's trying to cobble together a new distiller from the old one she chopped up to help make the transponders. And you know what, since everything else is going so well, let's say she manages to actually do this. IT EVEN MAKES ALCOHOL.

[C] Nice job breaking it, hero

Alas, Samus won't get much of a change to enjoy the fermented fruits of her labor before the bunker is attacked. She holds her own and manages to avoid serious injury but the same can't be said for equipment or ammunition. In the worst of the scuffles, she focuses entirely on getting as many soldiers out alive as possible. She's strong, able to move debris and trapped, addled bodies with relative ease.

There is, however, a loud exasperated groan when she discovers one of the unsalvageable victims is her rebuilt distiller, crushed under heavy rocks. This is not a safe area, and she must leave it behind for good.

[D] CLOSED to 76 & Morrigan

DO NOT ENGAGE UNLESS UNAVOIDABLE OR VICTORY IS ASSURED.

It's a warning that fell on somewhat deaf ears once the kidnappings started. Now that the Regency have proven an active threat Samus sees no benefit in leaving them alone. That said, there's still much unknown about them. The best way she thinks, to figure any of that out, is to engage. And to be smart about it.

She's not alone in her thoughts and soon, between 76 and Morrigan, they have set a trap for a lone Regency agent; a literal spider web with bait. The Regency agent is prowling around not unlike its dog-like visage and is effectively cutting off their path forward. Samus hides while 76 and Morrigan get into position. All there's left to do now is lure the agent into the trap and hope this works.

A

[neutronium]

While Hux hadn't seen this woman before, there was something in her demeanor that reminded him of Phasma; no-nonsense, unwilling to allow others to slack off. Were he in a better mood, it might have even brought a small smirk to his lips.

As it was, Hux was doing his best to help keep things on pace, pointing out where a wire had been crossed, where things needed to be adjusted. He hadn't gone into full 'speech' mode, but he was more inclined to giving orders, slipping back into his natural 'General' state.

When everything seems in hand, Hux moves to speak to the blonde, clasping his hands behind his back. "Current, or former military?" Perhaps an assumption, but Hux suspects he's correct.

face-melties

[courtintrigue]

Morrigan is almost relieved when word of kidnappings reach them, an excuse to test the worth of these Regency agents who look like the very doglords Fereldans are accused of being.

Neither 76 or Samus give her the impression that they are overly familiar with shapeshifters, but she can credit them both with not balking once she shifts. With one well-placed web waiting for their prey, she stays in spider form for the moment to make sure that even if the agent is smart enough to smell a trap she can still quickly reposition and shoot a web at him. In this form she feels her allies more than she hears them, vibrations of sound and movement traveling up her limbs, but a twitch of one raised leg signals her readiness.

a;

[millimeter]

"Gotcha!" Prompto is quick to take the radio casing, more than a little awed by Samus and her efficiency, but it takes him longer to figure out a good way to hold it without somehow getting in the way or potentially losing his grip.

He glances at her to check for approval or disapproval, unsure if there's anything else he needs to do. "Like this?"

It's sort of secure. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

76 | ota get at me

[mylawn]

i. the dugout

[Given the terrain, getting to the dugout isn’t exactly a walk in the park—and they have to clear the area once they arrive. It sets him on edge, that the Turkish soldiers would be waiting for them, but they eke out a victory, allowing the group to move in and secure the dugout as their home base. He’s quick to set up rotations, cycling the whole group through a variety of tasks, then making sure it gets done. It’s not uncommon to see him making rounds and making sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing, in between his own patrols.

Should you be slacking, or need a reminder to stay on task, he’s there, offering an impatient growl. He’s there even if you’re not slacking.]

You’re up.

[Even when he’s not on duty, his own hyper-vigilance prevents him from fully taking his mind off the task at hand. He’s not above giving people verbal or physical nudges if things aren’t going as smoothly as he’d like.]

Come on, let’s go.

[There’s little downtime to be had, but you might be able to catch him on patrol outside the dugout, looking for an enemy that might not even be there.]

ii. supply runs

[It’s a little aggravating, to say the least, that despite all of their scouting efforts and securing of routes, the Turkish soldiers are still giving them a run for their money. He’s no fool, either. He knows full well when it’s a good idea to cut losses, and is already taking in their surroundings to orchestrate a retreat. At the moment, however, it seems everyone is good and pinned. Even his enhanced strength isn’t going to get these boxes where they need to go, not when they’re being shot at.]

I’m starting to think someone tipped them off.

[With the Regency lurking around the periphery of the conflict, and a warning from Grothia that they’re looking to engage, it’s what makes the most sense, and the frustration in his voice is evident as he reloads this gun.]

Might have to lose some of this stuff.

iii. escort & contact

[This part goes much more smoothly, at least. He’s not sure if it’s because no one expects them to be doing this, or if they’re just lucky, or if they’re better at bodyguarding than anything else, but after the struggle that was securing the dugout, he’ll take this. He isn’t overly tech-minded, but he’s useful in other ways—most notably hauling the heavy equipment with little effort.]

I can get it.

[It doesn’t matter if it’s a box of tools or the main unit of the transponder—nor does it matter if his hands are already full. If it seems like he can speed things up by taking on some of the load, he’ll do so.

Once in position, however, it’s back to the rifle as he stands watch almost uncomfortably close. He keeps watch and doesn’t interject often, but when he does, it gives the impression that he’s a little impatient.]

Let me know if you need any help with that.

v. wildcard

[I will do whatever you want. Hit me up on plurk at whitticus.]

Escort & Contact

[frogfractions]

[Prelati, for her size - she looks like an underfed teenage girl - doesn't seem to be having any trouble lugging the tools around. If anything, the only difficulty is her height itself, the way she has to heft things up just so they don't bump into anything.

So she's not completely ungrateful when the man comes over to give her hand. She hands over the box of tools, tilts her head up at him.]

Quite the gentleman. Be careful not to take on too much work, though. Basically, you carrying everything would slow us down.

[It's true - even an adult man in seemingly excellent shape shouldn't be carrying literally everything. Then again, she's just being contrarian, since he's hardly anywhere close to that extreme.]

ii.

[ryuji]

[It happens all too quick- the Regency is on to them, an ever looming presence and reminder of the outcome of identifying yourself to the enemy, and the Turkish soldiers are looking for a brawl. Ryuji's stayed pacifist the majority of this entire Great War, but as he looks to the soldiers around him, and to 76, he knows, too, that it's too dangerous to continue like this.]

If shit goes down, there's no way I can heal this many people at once.

[He touches the implant, hesitating for a moment- there's too much to lose here, too much that can go horribly wrong. He doesn't know if the Regency can enter the Metaverse, but a skirmish with them into the world of shadows is just about the last thing that Ryuji wants to have happen right now.

An errant mortar destroys a crate of antiseptic and anesthesia, the liquids pooling out and staining the ground before them. Shit. Shit! He looks to the older soldier, this is something way beyond a judgment call he's eligible or even wise enough to make.]

What do we do? I can teleport all of us into another dimension for a bit, but it might be dangerous.

[Awaiting your orders, captain.]

mamoru/ota

[prizeneck]

1. HARVEST THE LAND - AKA whose wise idea was letting the blind guy scout the perimeter?

[Fresh from the new day's midst, someone hunts. But Metallica references aside, there is a man wearing a gas mask and holding two bayonets in one hand, crouched behind a disabled artillery gun. It's probably 0600, if he calculated correctly since he asked someone for the time and when the dawn would arrive. The bad lighting from the time in the morning gives him an unfair advantage - the technology in his sunglasses doesn't discern between starkly lit or complete darkness. He can see the hurried crawl of Turkish troops clear as day.

He takes his time, blinking rapidly, sending one of many messages he had been relaying. He had trekked through dune and dusty track, crouched near short flora that somehow had survived destruction. Maybe you'll find him there, silhouetted against the short burst of an illuminating artillery round flaring against the night sky, in the distance. As is, there was no satellite for him to give him actual coordinates, so rudimentary descriptions will have to do. dash dot-dot-dash dot-dash-dot dash-dot-dash--]

@SWORDARTONLINE - TO @[GROUP 1 & 2]:
turkish forces spotted 7 minutes from gaba tepe moving ne

2. LETTING THE CABLES SLEEP - AKA keeping watch while the nerds do their salvaging or tech fixing

[He leaves the technological-prone to their own tinkering, guessing and fixing to stand guard. With barely any ANZACs around, Mamoru allows himself to pull the gas mask away from his face, uses his naked wrist after checking it's free of gunk or sand to clean at the lenses of his sunglasses and swipe the sweat gathered on his temples. His rifle's strap is low, shouldered weirdly, muzzle pointed to the ground, the tip of the bayonet almost touching it, the spare attached to a belt loop on the back of his hip. Hand curled around the grip, even if upside down. It's as if he never really wants to use it properly. Hasn't had to, yet.

He is making use of the height of a dune near one of the entries of the dugout to peer over it in the distance, squinting while trying to make sense of the layout as it displays surfaces and shrubbery in the distance. He searches for movement, a shift in one of the bright red lines, only sparing a glance at the dugout over the shoulder as he casts his earing to that direction.]

3. FORCES OF EVIL IN A BOZO NIGHTMARE - AKA wasn't me (Regency fight feat. ShaggySiegfried)

[While having a penchant for disregarding orders as he sees fit, he does understand the need for them on a mission that's as wide as this one.

Still, kind of difficult to engage in long-distance fire when a Regency soldier shows up ten feet away from you as you go around a particularly large rock, the twitching [and now, Mamoru understands, the glitching] of the criss-cross that is his sight caused by their presence instead of the irregularities of the limestone.

Careless, he chides himself, although he can't really think about a mental lashing right now, gripping at the bayonet, sliding away from the rock as to not be cornered and taking in any signs of weapons they may have.

Still, he can't help the instant tug at his lips when he hears the soldier's ankles twist to lunge at him. Whoever is running this whole thing must have taken a liking to him to have given him the chance for this one-on-one.]

4. THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES - AKA shit hits the fan while supply running

[Scraping his boots on the floor to stop in his tracks, spotting the trajectory of a bullet flying across from him - and by the sound of gunfire, it would have been a straight headshot had he not stopped. Mamoru reaches his arm to the side, blocking whoever is running with him from a group of Turks as they give chase.

They're flanking us. This must've taken months of planning -- or inside intel. ]

Drop it, it's too heavy. [Ushering you behind him and smacking a bullet headed straight to his neck away from its trajectory - the metal of this blade twangs ugly in his ears - he pulls you by the sleeve on to another path, snarling at the sound of footsteps nearing.]

5. WILDCARD - AKA fuck this tl;dr here are some of my ideas

[No, seriously, who reads all this? Throw me your ideas! Or hit me up at mikefoxtrot! Go for iiiiiit /drums hands on table ]

2

[neutronium]

Seems we meet again.

[Hux was taking a break from overseeing the radio work, pulling out one of his last cigarettes from his pack, pressing it between his lips.]

Seems you're always about to act as a protector. A habit you make?

[Hux shifted his rifle off his shoulder, making sure it was loaded, keeping his eyes on things as well, and lights his cigarette. They don't need him back at the radios right now, and he needs a break from it--he never could tolerate being around that many engineer-types for long, especially when they weren't used to his methods.]

1 - @ENTERTHEDRAGON

[ryuji]

Got it! Relaying that out to the rest of the group.

Do you plan to attack them?

4

[mylawn]

Not for me.

[Despite the fact that they're under fire and have enemy troops in pursuit, 76 hasn't quite given up on the supply run just yet. He can haul much more than an ordinary human with much less effort, so where others might be slowed down by the crate, he hasn't reached that point. 76 isn't entirely convinced he has to press on without it, though he has a feeling they won't be lucky for long. He should do what he can, while he can.

If he can count on current company to watch his back, they might be able to make it through this with some of the supplies. That would count for something.]

I'm right behind you. Keep moving.

ruh-roh scooby doo

[gerechtigkeit]

[He's been keeping along with both groups and trying to make sure everyone is safe. There's been some close calls, and a forcing of letting go of supplies, but so far, no one's been seriously injured.

But it doesn't seem to strike him how close the Regency actually is until he feels his strength begin to weaken, attention snapping to where he can hear the sounds of a scuffle underway. Turning around a rock has him catch sight of the fight nearby, and he bounds towards the agent, careful to not get in Mamoru's way. He drags the blade of the bayonet against the ground before swinging it upwards, gravel and dirt flying as he aims for the agent's head.]

On your left!

[He'd be so much better off with Balmung, this would make the fight so much easier.]

(wildcard)

[whitehair]

[ Okay, people tended to assume that just because he can grow it back like a fucking lizard that it doesn't hurt but ? it does. granted, he's had a lot of practice with this over the past decade or so, but he still had fully-functioning nerve endings and they sure weren't appreciating all this war bullshit.]

Will you hurry up, [ Heine speaks through gritted teeth, as he hauls up sandbags to temporarily shield them from the gunfire, somewhat. what he would love to do is just take one and have it smack Mamoru in the face, but with his fancy eyegear and things, he's kind of a valuable asset to them right now in terms of assessing the enemy. He can't exactly compromise that because people will kick his ass for it.

And since he hasn't got any fancy gears and just the stupid spine that allows him to be a meat shield, that's what he's doing, literally taking the bullet for this guy.

Several bullets. ]

How hard is it to pack some supplies into a bag?

[ maybe they should have just left the boxes they found while on patrol alone and moved on. ]

prompto argentum | ota

[millimeter]

1 | GENERAL TRAVEL PROMPTO;

[The tunnels connecting the trenches aren't bad, or at least that's what Prompto tells himself. Some are big enough that he only feels the creeping discomfort as just that; he can ignore that the narrow spaces are too dark, air too still and space too cramped, even if he feels like the walls are about to fold in on him. He's dealt with worse, after all.

Even so, when faced by a space so small that the only way to squeeze through is by crawling on his stomach, he balks.]

So, uh, is it absolutely necessary to go this way?

2 | WHAT MEASURE IS A FURRY;

[He keeps stealing glances at the Regency soldiers when they reappear, even if he gets called out for it. He can't help it.]

Think there's a deal with the masks? Besides creep factor, I mean.

3 | YOU'VE REACHED CUSTOMER SERVICE;

[Prompto spends more than a little time watching other people's repairs, looking to them for guidance; he certainly isn't practiced at working with radios and will readily ask what someone is doing. It might be awkward or shy, but he is really, genuinely trying not to fuck this up.

And, maybe surprisingly, he picks up the basics quickly enough, settling into twisting bits of metal into passable shapes or trying to persuade his jury-rigged mess to stay screwed to a board. He isn't half bad at coming up with makeshift parts, which he'll readily pass on with a tentative smile.]

Um, here. Might need this?

4 | TRANSPORT TEAM WHERE YOU AT;

[It's a little disturbing how well transporting the radio equipment goes, but hey, Prompto has never been one to refuse even the tiniest bit of good fortune. The enemy's attention mostly seems pointed elsewhere—to anyone from Group 1 helping Group 2, maybe—but he's still pretty hesitant when it comes to their sneakier moments.]

Think we're good to go? [It's half whispered, only loud enough to make sure he's heard.

Hopefully this isn't when the Regency fucks everything up. Or maybe it is. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

5 | WILDCARD;

[Do your worst. Or your best. Either/or.]

4

[bloodings]

[ Three blondes walk into a bar. Rey comes afterward and remembers to duck.

Just kidding. Mordred instinctively glances over at Ryuji, but gives Prompto a smug grin a moment later. ]

The coast is totally clear. Guess I scared them all off. [ Famous last words. ] Well, stay vigilant and all that, but we shouldn't have any trouble. I'll beat up anyone who attacks us, so you guys can focus on your mission.

1

[prizeneck]

[Have a blind man fully turning to look at you, Prompto - although, according to Hei, yes, he's cheating. It's the slight stutter in his breath that piques his interest.] The other way is too wide, we'll be seen.

wildcard

[chariotry]

[ He doesn't suddenly appear out of thin air like when they'd first met. But he does walk in on him while he's not paying attention, probably tinkering around with some equipment, speaking up unannounced. ]

What are you doing?

[ Sorry if it startles you, Prompto. He's right behind him, hovering over his shoulder, so if he jumps, he'll bump right into this fine, broad chest. ]

ryuji sakamoto - ota

[ryuji]

a. Yeah, he's really picking flowers (open)

[There aren't a ton of medicinal herbs in the immediate area, and really, someone from modern day Japan is far more used to the idea of synthesized drugs as the simplest and easiest method for curing the ailments. But there's merit to the apothecaries that have existed for ages in the ancient medicine that was used before the mass production of aspirin and things of the sort. He's learned a lot since coming to Gallipoli: the bark of a willow tree can relieve pain and reduce fever, poppy flowers can be turned into morphine, rosemary can be used for indigestion and stress. The knowledge of that stuff was cool to know, but the acquisition of the stuff in this area was proving rather fruitless, especially in the cold weather.

Ryuji's best find of the day happens to be the wild rosemary that grows by the beaches. Some of it has become rather unsuitable for use, some of it looks as if it's been destroyed under the heels of soldiers. But what he does chance upon, and what ends up to be the most abundant bushel of the herb, looks to be in fine shape. He starts to pick, grabbing fistfuls at a time.]

Better than nothin'.

[Looking up from his pruning, he sees a familiar face off in the distant shore, and waves.]

b. Let us go then, you and I / When the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherized upon a table; (open)

[There's sound of gunfire outside the medical tents, and Ryuji's hand is shaking, his face bloodied from a fall he took in evading fire. There's only so much time he has to gather the absolute necessities: antiseptic, anesthesia, clean bandages. Even if his heart is threatening to pound out of his chest, he dumps everything he can into the storage crate that this stuff had originally arrived in.

He looks up as you enter the tent, and immediately the pistol at his hip is drawn. It's a breath of relief when he recognizes a face, familiar at least, and he lowers his guard.]

Shit, you're gonna give me a heart attack like that.

c. Their Moralities (closed to Phillip)

[There's... a lot of blood. The soldier below him is going into shock, and Ryuji is trying to quell the bleeding, his hands and clothes becoming drenched from the attempt. The air smells of rot and decay, and gunfire, and somewhere, watching on, is the grim reaper; watching, waiting. The boy under him can't be older than 16, his face barely learning how to grow a beard properly, and there aren't enough people to perform a proper field surgery. All Ryuji can do is put pressure on the wound, try to stabilize, try to do what needs to be done. It's not enough, the boy is crying wildly in pain, and he turns to see Ax starting to move forward.

This soldier below him is going to die, and Ryuji can't do a fucking thing to stop it. The haunting cry of his pain chills him to the bone; and through the mud and detritus all around them, his eyes sting.

Chest heaving, he tries to garble out a sound that sounds like reassurance, that it'll be okay, but it's all scratched and broken- only to feel a hand rest on his shoulder. Compassion is a weird, cold thing, sometimes.]

d. Ricochet, you take your aim; Fire away, fire away (closed to Heine and Achilles)

[It's not supposed to go this poorly.

Well, at least, that's what Ryuji had thought when he started helping moving supplies, a mission handed down from command that he couldn't resist. Not because it was especially keen of the delinquent to obey orders, but rather, these fragile supplies are the last line of lifeblood for the soldiers left behind. It meant food for an extra day. Bullets to live an extra day. Everything, up until the last one was safely planted in a ship and headed out of this hellscape.

Even with Achilles and Heine by his side, the shortcomings of the teen could be compensated for. Ryuji still had the Metaverse up his sleeve as a last resort, but doing so right now was particularly dangerous for too many reasons to count. So when the first gunfire from the Turks goes off, he has his hand on his pistol. He never wanted it to come down to this. From behind a particularly shitty ravine, he draws, takes a breath.]

Rider, we have soldiers here. [Ryuji's determined; he'll give his life up if it means protecting everyone else.] Can you draw attention so him and I can attack from flanks?

b

[ergosphere]

[It struck him as incredible at times, when things went so well and then didn't go quite so well. It reminded of home a little. Taking two steps forward, and one step back. Destroy the Republic, but inspire a new rebellion. The give and take was irritating.

Here, it was no different, except he was a lot hungrier now. Gathering supplies hadn't been going as well as reaching the dugout, meaning he'd rather despise eating tack than eating nothing at all. Give and take. Endlessly. Kylo could at least keep himself distracted with work, skirting gunfire and hefting crates of what supplies they did pull out. He thought he'd seen someone enter the tent, and ducked inside to help -- or hinder.

He tensed when the weapon was pulled on him, lifting his own gun before realizing this one of COST's people. He didn't think they'd spoken. When the sense of immediate threat past, he lowered his gun, leaning forward to peer into the crate.]

That can't be all you're taking.

[chariotry]

[ Ryuji isn't a soldier or a warrior, that much he's made certain since meeting this kid. So upon registering the command, his eyes darken somewhat.

Everything they've been through, Ryuji isn't in the right state of mind. He should be scared and panicked, yet he's curbing what should be raw emotion and suggesting that he join this fight. A fight he was never prepared to join. He wonders if this has anything to do with Akira.

Their enemies are human. They shouldn't even necessarily be the enemy to begin with if they've travelled back in time with the intent of fixing it. This isn't right. This is a war they have no place in; they shouldn't be sided with any one army.

Ryuji may not understand that. He's gotten attached to their comrades and Achilles can sympathize with that. He just can't let him do something like kill a human being if it can be avoided. ]

No. There's no need for you to do anything like that with me around. Your mission is to get these supplies back to base; let me handle the rest, alright?

[ Whether that's drawing all the fire away or fighting the enemy himself, it doesn't matter.

He gets up to his feet, cocking his head to the side as a gesture for Heine. ] Stick close to him. I'll be drawing the fire away from you two.

c

[canadese]

[It's been a long time since he's had to present harsh truths to human teenagers. Humans, in his experience, adapt to adversity remarkably quickly. Even those with very little exposure to it in their formative years, as is his understanding of Ryuji Sakamoto.

For his own part, it never gets any easier. As paradoxical as it seems, compassion is often a painful state of being. And that's never been more true than it is now.

His hand falls numbly on Ryuji's shoulder. His voice is quiet, solemn, too low for the doomed soldier to hear.]

There is nothing you can do for him.

holding down the fort [closed to hux]

[ergosphere]

Playing at faithful little soldier was really starting to get old, even if he’d barely been playing the part since arriving here. Staying behind to watch the dugout was expected, and maybe heroic to some people, but he hardly cared. Between the Turks, the fog, the general chaos of a retreat and the Regency agents actively dogging them, he was running out of opportunities to engage their alleged enemy. His last attempt left a lead weight in his stomach, dread for what was to come.

Ben Solo had been a coward. Scared of his own power, and his own destiny. Whenever he felt that kind of fear, as rare as that was, he took it as a sign he was on the right track. Failing to approach one of the agents last time didn’t deter him -- it gave him incentive to try again. Nothing worth doing was easy. Was it Skywalker that had said that, or some forgotten Jedi? The sentiment echoed the same, no matter what side of the line you stood on.

Watching the last of their allies vanish into the fog for another contact attempt, Kylo turned to Hux.

“Come on,” he said, jerking his chin and walking towards the exit they ought to be guarding. “We’re trying this again.”

[neutronium]

"Have you done any research, Ren, or are you simply reaching out to the Regency blindly?" Hux glances over at his 'leader' with serious skepticism. Given how things went last time, Hux would prefer they wait until a more opportune time--and yet, Ren was pushing again, regardless of the signs saying they shouldn't. Which was typical for him, of course--but it was beyond frustrating.

Or at least, it was more frustrating if only because Ren had not asked for his opinion in any of this, and expected him to just follow.

Turning from where he had been watching the others through his scope (actually doing his 'job'), Hux shouldered his rifle.

"Also what is this 'we'?" That was a new word on Ren's lips.

heine | OTA

[whitehair]

i. ESCORT + GUARD ( this is not the way i'm wired )

[ Heine sits a little way away, the butt of the gun resting against his shoulder as he looks around their surroundings. It seems quiet right now, but after some awkward run-ins with some enemy soldiers, it's pretty clear to Heine that they're being followed and watched. They would be lucky if it were some normal Turkish soldiers - what he is worried about is the Regency, even though he can't really place the feeling of his hackles rising at any glimpse of them as being anything logical.

Probably brings up bad memories.

Finally he's just going to turn slightly, moving his rifle enough so it taps against their shoulder. Or ass, depending on which is nearer. He's not being much help at all - while he knows a bit of French, all he can do with it is some colourful swearing and slangs that probably won't make any sense to the people of this time. ]

--Hey, are you nearly done? We should get going.

ii. DUGOUT + SUPPLY RUN ( what'll it take to get it through to you )

[ the dugout has been left unattended for a while, that much he can see - it takes a bit of work for them to get everyone in and ready, and even if the area's been secured, that doesn't mean they'll sit on their asses and just do some bodyguarding for these group 2 nerds - there's things to be done every minute and hour of the day, whether it was cleaning, patrolling, or scavenging around for supplies. They haven't made it too far out of the dugout, following the mapped trail back to lone pine, when the approaching gunfire makes Heine duck out of the way, shoving whoever is with him down to the ground along with him, as well. have fun being manhandled, you. ]

Fuck, [ he mutters under his breath, getting mud on his chin as he turns his head, shoving you backwards with a hand. ] Drop the boxes for now. That won't save you from getting shot.

iii. REGENCY *warning: violence ( disconnect and self destruct )

[ They are human too, more or less -- or so he should think. He's human too, more or less, but most times it's hard to remember things like that. He isn't remembering things like that now. Suppose he should have been more careful, but it's been quiet tonight, and the mad dog in his head has been nagging at his head more than usual - hey master, it says, laughing with too much teeth and tongue and mouths for someone who hasn't got any, hey master, you've gone fucking soft, playing watch dog for these fuckers. what next? will you bark and roll over at one word from them? what happened to all ya fire?

let me out for a bit, let's have fun with them. what happened to you wanting to have fun? lets rip them apart, like the old days. you remember, right?

Heine grits his teeth, feeling the molars grind together tightly in the back of his jaw hard enough to hear the creaking. Shut up, he interjects, and the voice merely laughs. It's never put off by anything he could ever say to it - it knows that it could hurt Heine more than the other way around.

He (they) sees the soldier skulking in the shadows before he notices him (them), and Heine slowly unfurls himself from where he's sitting only to crouch lower to the ground, the rim of the helmet hanging over his brows as he keeps his eyes fixed on him. As always, the sight of the dog-mask makes something high and sharp rise in the back of his neck, the metal plate bolted to flesh tingling electric shock out of tune with the laugh starting somewhere in his head. The light from the setting sun having already disappeared from the horizon (shadows growing deeper, the moving figure not ten metres from him just barely discernible) but the outline is still visible, enough for him to keep watching the soldier as he makes his way between the shrubbery on the edge of the forest, thinking this will conceal his presence from the lookout that no doubt is present.

why not have a tiny bit of fun with him, huh? let me out. i'll help out a bit. come on, i'm getting so fucking bored here.

Maybe he's moved without meaning to, a rustle of fabric or knees sliding in the dirt under the uniform, but the sound of the bullets ripping through is pretty unmistakable - he should know, it's his goddamn body. He coughs, the wheeze of punctured lungs loud in his ears, louder than the high pitched laugh, louder than the blood. Come on, what the hell was that? so fucking lame, Heine. i'll show you something better. Come on.

Come on.

There's blood in his mouth, in his eyes, and Heine feels a sick sort of satisfaction trill down the length of his spine that isn't entirely all from him (but it is, because it's always there, the mad dog laughing in his blood and bones and marrow) when he digs his hands into the twitching gut and pulls, tearing something out of the soldier with a wet gurgling sound. This is it, this is what you've been missing out on all this time, it says, and Heine grins with a mouth that no longer feels like his own, his body feeling too heavy and too light at the same time. ]

iv. CLOSED TO ACHILLES ( lying through your teeth again )

[ Whatever happened out there, Heine doesn't want to talk about it. He's come back to the camp later that night, stinking with blood and gut, none of it his own, not really, even though the shirt of his uniform is tattered across the middle of his chest through to the back in clear sign of bullets having ripped through them. But then, he's invincible, unkillable, immortal. What the fuck is new?

Usable water is scarce - they barely have enough to drink as is, much less wash, so the only choice left is just let it sit there in his hair and under his nails and rot, or go find some other source to clean himself off. Heine spends the night watching the perimetre with silent eyes and deep set mouth, and at first light, he's going to head off in the direction of the forest - there was a small stream about half an hour's track from the outermost end of their camp; it's too dirty to drink out of, too muddy and bogged with rotten leaves this winter, but it's better to stink of dirty water than of this. He should make it back in time for his next rotated shift. ]

Hey, I'm going for a bit. I'll be back soon.

v. WILDCARD ( narcissistic drama queen )

[ anything else? come at me on sdat! ]

[chariotry]

[ He had left before he could get involved in the confrontation against the Regency, having been alerted by Noctis' clipped and brief telepathic call.

So he largely missed out on everything. Too late to save Noctis and too late to return to his group in order to protect those he was supposed to.

He's ashamed of himself. Not only did he fail his Master as his Servant, but he compromised the mission and that contributed to the Regency finding an opening to take their men. He's reeling from it all, uncharacteristically quiet and pensive as he sits at his station and restlessly bounces a foot against the ground. Upon hearing Heine's announcement, he jerks his head and calls out to him. ]

You think I'm letting you leave on your own after so many of our men have been abducted? [ He gets up to his feet, looking stern.

He had noticed the mess but had chosen not to say anything. ]