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

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

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.

20/30

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.

22/30

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

30/30

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.

28/30

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.

25/30

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.

29/30

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.

10/30

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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

Edited 2018-02-19 06:45 (UTC)

Hux sees the message flash across his screen, and it takes a moment before he can reply; the Turks are getting closer, and he's just shot his last rifle round into a soldier's skull. The pistol comes out, then, but he hopes he's given himself enough time to fasten his bayonet onto the rifle and reply to the message--because he was going to need assistance and that knife before long.

>> Regiment of Turks. Kyle kidnapped by Regency. 1 full magazine pistol. 1 grenade.

Outnumbered.

He hadn't been able to get a good count of how many Turks there were, given his vantage point, but he didn't think he could hold this. Sending the message, Hux ducked his head, forcing himself to keep his breath even--it was the only way to take a steady shot, and each bullet was going to count from here on out.

>>Sit tight. Be there soon.

It doesn’t surprise him at all that the Regency has started kidnapping people—perhaps what he’s most confused about is why they aren’t just killing everyone. Obviously this is some kind of bid to extract intel, if people are being taken alive. Hux hadn’t specified it, but 76 can only assume, based on the use of the word kidnapped.

He’ll have to act fast either way. It’s impossible to triangulate the exact positioning or number of the enemies surrounding the dugout by noise alone, but he starts to move anyway, figuring he can get more information as he goes. He’s no stranger to making things up on the fly.

>> How many?

Hux didn't have much time to see the messages, but he did snort at the 'sit tight' comment--there certainly wasn't going to be any sitting, given the situation. Though he knew it was a turn of phrase.

Bringing his head up, Hux took a shot with his pistol, doing a quick scan of his surroundings; he was going to have to estimate at best.

two dozen. Estimate.

Hux just managed to send off the message when one of the soldiers came jumping over the top of the trench; until 76 showed up, Hux was on his own, and he needed to stay focus on the task at hand--and another bullet was gone, as he lodged it in the soldier's skull.

No message comes after that--it's all he needs to know, and 76 can only hope that Hux doesn't do anything foolish in the interim. Two dozen is a little bit more than he thinks he can comfortably take on. Even a super soldier has his limits, and though sometimes he's not very good at recognizing them, this time he knows not to bite off more than he can chew.

But there's little choice in the matter, and after scanning the surrounding area he decides it's better to take his chance and get to Hux before he's completely overwhelmed.

Luckily, the path back to the dugout has been mostly cleared, allowing him to traverse it quickly. Soon enough, he's posted up on the high ground. Without a sniper rifle, this is going to be a tough shot, but if he can pick off a few of the Turks he can see, then he'll be able to move in.

Without any further messages to go buy, the greatest indication that 76 has arrived on the scene is the crack of another gun, felling one of the soldiers trying to move in on the dugout.

Edited 2018-03-11 19:50 (UTC)

Hux appreciated that someone was coming for him; perhaps more than he would actually articulate. The First Order would have most likely left him for dead--even someone as important as him wasn't worth the risk. But these sorts of people made higher sacrifices than were rational. If it saved his life, he wouldn't complain.

Hux took another shot, but missed the approach of another soldier, only knowing the arrival when a sharp pain laced through his arm. "Kriff--" He didn't take the time to look at it, but instead spun on his heel, unloading two bullets into the soldier. He was near out, so he scrambled over the dead body, scavenging for any extra bullets. Hux felt more desperate than he had in years--it wasn't a feeling he liked in his gut.

The sound of the rifle made him frown, but as the body fell into the trench, the oppressive dread lifted just a bit. It seemed that his benefactor was finally on his way. He just had to hold out a bit longer. He didn't have any way to send a message back, but to keep fighting, and survive until he arrived.

At least the pain in Hux's arm was something he could ignore, for now.

If anything, he has the element of surprise. Sowing some chaos at this point might be risky, but if Hux is pinned and out of ammo, it might give him the opening that he needs. 76 keeps moving in, picking off soldiers where he can and trying not to stay in one place too long as he makes his approach. It's only a matter of time before he can engage them directly.

Which he does--outright grabbing one from the back and flinging him aside as he bodily clears a path towards the dugout. It's here where 76 is able to showcase the full extent of his abilities, taking on the soldiers hand to hand, simply because it's easier than taking the time to reload his rifle. Luckily, he has enough of the element of surprise to keep from getting shot at, though he's not exactly stealthy and the Turks figure out what's going on after the first few men go down.

But 76 pushes through anyway, announcing his arrival with a soldier literally thrown into the wall of the dugout.

Surprise.

Hux is able to take a moment to watch 76 go hand to hand; in some ways, it's like how Kylo Ren fights, except without the supernatural powers. It's all physicality and brutality--so different from his own careful, calculated moves.

Once the Turks start to focus on 76, Hux stops observing and focuses, using his precious few other bullets to pick off men who might have otherwise gone after his rescuer; you can't be rescued if the person helping is dead, after all.

"You certainly know how to make an entrance." Hux shoulders his weapon, and searches the body of the man recently thrown into the wall, grabbing the few pistol bullets he had. So...the grenade is left.

"Kyle was kidnapped. I don't see any way we can hold this." As frustrating as it was.

76 manages to throw off the latest Turk soldier and positions himself more favorably near Hux, taking a brief moment to reload his gun. He earns them a moment to breathe, during which he tries to get the lay of the land. Suffice to say, it doesn’t look good, and Hux is quick to voice that. With the rest of the team running supplies or trying to make contact with the French, there doesn’t seem to be much they can do.

“I hate to say it, but I think you’re right.”

He wants to ask how Kyle got kidnapped—how something like that was allowed to happen, but he keeps his mouth shut and reminds himself that they don’t know the full extent of the Regency’s abilities.

76 is, however, sure of one thing about the Turks in particular.

“Somebody tipped them off.”

The Regency had been messing with Kylo's abilities so badly, it had been easy to get the drop on them; Hux could have fought back harder, but he wasn't interested in getting them killed, and Ren hadn't been worth his own life, at that point.

He isn't sure if Kylo was with him now, if they would have been able to hold it, anyways. Gritting his teeth, Hux ignored the pain in his arm that sharpened as he shifted, starting to move towards the one exit he knew was likely free.

"Most likely the Regency." ...who had seen him and Ren, after all, before they decided to take him (which--he needed to think on that).

"I have one grenade. If we escape, I can throw it as we make a break, and take down the bunker--while we lose the land, they do too." Scorched earth policy. Hux believes in it fully.

“Yeah,” he agrees, managing to get it out before the sound of another gunshot startles him. There’s still some distance, but time will be of the essence, if they needed a reminder. They can deal with Kyle’s apparent kidnapping once they figure out what to do with the dugout. He can contact all the teams on the BCE to alert them of the situation—tell them to head back to Lone Pine, and then he and Hux can blow the place.

The group making their way back from the hills will just have to bypass what's left of the dugout. All they can do now is get out of here with their own skins intact.

76 takes a quick look around for anything he might be able to use to augment the grenade, and he settles on a half-empty can of gasoline. He won't be able to haul it back, and ammunition is more important, so he kicks it over, letting the contents spill onto the floor of the dugout before he nods to Hux.

“Let’s move.”

Hux hated that he was retreating; even in moments of triumph, he felt he was always having to do so; to see achievements crumble underneath his feet. Yes, the day was won, but he felt the losses personally, always.

He couldn't change it, though; he had to just push forward. Always forward, to look back was to be lost.

Grabbing a few of the spare tools, one map, and one more spare gun, Hux shoved them into his pack, and held the grenade tight in his hand, nodding his head towards 76 as he watched the gas pour over everything.

Hux, with the grenade in one hand, handgun in the other, started to work his way through the back trenches, knowing they were going to have to climb up soon--but they needed to time the throw and the escape just right...he'd prefer to catch some of the Turks in the dugout, if they can.

The last thing 76 wants is for the grenade to deploy too early--this isn't exactly going to be a controlled blast, and he's not quite in the mood for a back full of shrapnel. He pushes onward, their escape hampered by the twisting and turning of the trenches, but he seems to carry the supplies he does have with ease and an almost unnatural strength.

The trick is staying close enough to detonate the grenade while making sure they aren't caught in the blast themselves, and that requires them to get a little height. He keeps looking back, trying to gauge the trajectory or maybe to see if they're being followed.

Before they get too far, he gives Hux a nudge to stop.

"Light it up."

Hux was never going to be a creature of strength; his ability came through his mind and his body's flexibility, not it's brute strength. With the wound to his arm, he was already starting to feel his energy flag--but he could finish this.

Climbing up to higher ground, Hux took measure of where the dugout was, seeing there were Turks crawling along it, not yet having spotted them; 76 was right--this was the time, and nothing later.

Giving a nod of his head, Hux pulled the pin and with his good arm, tossed the grenade with precision. His aim was accurate (thankfully) and giving a quick nod to the other man, he started to move away.

"Come on--best remove ourselves from the scene."

And because of 76 he was able to remove himself; to live and fight another day.

That was what mattered. Hux had to keep reminding himself of that.

76 finds himself holding his breath a little, like he's waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe they've miscalculated, or they're not out of the blast radius, or this was just generally speaking a very bad idea, but Hux's aim proves true. He watches the arc of the grenade, starting to move again in the split second before the dugout is rocked with the explosion. He flinches instinctually, especially when the gasoline catches fire, a chain reaction that won't go unnoticed.

He'll have to contact the team to update them on the status of the dugout. For now, he takes a moment to be glad they survived.

"Nice shot."

Hux refuses to flinch, refuses to do more than grit his teeth together as he hears the explosions go off, feeling the air get a bit warmer behind them. It isn't an attempt to be 'cool', but his sheer frustration at having lost the dugout has left him furious and more steeled against everything. The sound of explosions--fine. He's used to that.

Still, he is pulled from his self flagellation by 76's words, and he blinks, giving the other man a nod. "...thank you.

I appreciated your assistance."

As if had been something other than a rescue. But it was the best way he could manage thank you.

"Just doing my job."

Now they can focus on getting back those of their number that have been kidnapped--one objective to the next, with no time to breathe in between. It's the way he likes it, all things considered, even if it means the fight never ends. Doesn't leave him much time to think, but that might be the point.

He nods at Hux, indicating that they should keep moving.

"Let's go."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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

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