Taking Independence

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The door opens on a gray and misty morning in the year 2282. Ellen found a door in the ruins of an apartment building, or possibly a multi-storey place of business- it's hard to say. The place was picked clean some time ago and then inhabited by something that left behind a lingering, unwholesome smell. Through the biggest gap in the tumbledown wall an almost-recognizable metal-walled building can be seen; there's a sign that says "Ivan's" hanging precariously from a post just out front. Beyond it is the looming bulk of a much larger building's outermost stone wall.

"We'll be rendezvousing with the rest of my people there," Ellen says, jerking her chin towards the building. "I told them I might be longer than usual trying to find my contacts, so if there's any questions or orientation you need here, now's the time to ask."

Comments

[exiled_heir_of_the_eighth]

Sahaal comes through behind her, fully clad in his warplate and carrying an ammunition crate in one hand. There's a large, ornate firearm mag-locked to his thigh, and the bandolier straps of his jump pack are hung with grenades of all shapes and sizes. With a purr of muscle-cabling, he scans his new surroundings. Not much of note, but after the wars Ellen has described, the Night Lord is just amazed there's anything standing at all.

"Is there anything I shouldn't mention to your comrades? Or any rules of engagement I should know about?"

[deadeye_shot]

Hawkeye enters after Sahaal, dressed in long, khaki pants for freedom of movement and a form-fitting black turtleneck, as well as a brown jacket. She's armed to the teeth, with two pistols holstered at her sides and two others at her back, and a grenade secured at her waist. She's also got extra ammunition magazines scattered about her person.

She listens to Sahaal and then turns to Ellen. "Those are good questions. I'd like to know the answers as well."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen considers. "The primary rule is not to mention Milliways," she says, "but if anyone asks where you're from it's okay to be vague, or mention a name and just not say what the name actually refers to. Scribe Cancio's my husband, and he knows about the Bar, but the others don't and have their own theories about where offworld help comes from. If it helps at all most of the time they think I'm really good at finding mole people living underground."

"As far as rules of engagement go, try not to kill the crabs in ways that leave the corpses inedible. We've seen no signs of humans or ghouls in the area, but if someone turns up and they're not wearing spikes or leather or weird cages over their heads it's best to avoid attacking them unless they shoot at you first. Spiked armor usually means they're raiders or cannibals or something like that. If it's shaped like a human but it's eight feet tall and green, it's a supermutant and it's going to try to kill you, so you're free to act accordingly, but mirelurks are as hostile towards them as they are towards humans, so no reason to believe we'll see any of them either."

"The four Knights are wearing power armor today, and the three Scribes are wearing armored red robes. The only robots on the premises are Brotherhood of Steel property and should not be shot at or damaged by scattershot or shrapnel, because we've only got so many supplies to repair them, but as long as they're not destroyed we'll manage."

[exiled_heir_of_the_eighth]

Sahaal nods. Nothing he can't handle, and no restrictions that'll inhibit his combat effectiveness.

"I'll keep a watch on my words, then. And for any of these local threats."

Raiders won't be a problem. Supermutants could be interesting to fight, but he's not going to go out of his way to kill one. Luckily, shoot on sight doesn't seem like something that anyone would have a problem with here.

"Inedible? You want the corpses for food?"

[deadeye_shot]

Ellen already explained to Hawkeye that she'd like to eat and trade the mirelurk meat, but the Amestrian figures Paladin Park can further explain that to Sahaal. Instead, Hawkeye spends her time sizing up their surroundings, and double-checking her pistols.

She knows she's ready, and she's too seasoned to have pre-combat jitters, but this is a new world with new rules, and different monsters than she's used to fighting. "Hopefully we'll only have to face the mirelurks."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"As much as reasonably possible, yes," Ellen says to Sahal. "Waste not, want not. This isn't a hunting expedition, though. If a corpse has to be destroyed or lost to achieve our objective then that's how it goes. "

"Unless there are other questions, it's time to meet the others and get this started.'

[exiled_heir_of_the_eighth]

"Ah. I understand. No phospex or rad, then."

Slightly sheepishly, he unhooks a quartet of grenades from his harness, tucking them into a belt pouch.

"I don't have any other questions. Lieutenant?"

[deadeye_shot]

Hawkeye's sharp-eyed gaze flicks from Sahaal's grenade pouch to Ellen's face. "I'm ready to go, Paladin Park. I'll follow your lead."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "This way."

She reaches over her shoulder for her plasma rifle, a complicated affair with tubes and hoses and glowing green parts, and eases the door open further. Once she's verified there's no threats within visual range she gestures over her shoulder and sets out for Ivan's. Inside, several people are waiting: two women and one man in heavy, armor-reinforced red robes and four helmeted people in power armor slightly more bulky than Ellen's own. One of the armored figures very lightly taps the lighter-haired of the two robed women on the shoulder. "Told you," it says in a radio-staticky voice. "Five caps."

The woman grumbles, and fishes something out of a pouch on her belt. "Here," she says, and then: "So it worked, Paladin?"

"It worked," Ellen confirms.


(OOC: I forgot to ask how your characters would prefer to be introduced. *facepalm*)

[exiled_heir_of_the_eighth]

Despite knowing that none of these people are a threat, Sahaal still keeps one hand near his bolter. Just his Eighth Legion paranoia. Given his height, he has to duck as he enters the shop, and the top of his helm knocks the doorframe. Dust falls onto his shoulder guards.

He straightens up, and raises a hand in greeting.

"These would be the assault team?"

(OOC: Something along the lines of 'Captain Sahaal' will be fine, thanks.)

[deadeye_shot]

Hawkeye does not have to duck under the door, but she does anyway, not wanting to mimic First Captain Sahaal's bump of the head. She's tall for a woman, but she's still much shorter than he is.

"Hello," she says to the team, falling into place at Paladin Park's left side.

{ooc: Ellen can introduce her as Riza Hawkeye, leaving off the rank, as she doesn't want questions about her military. Thank you.}

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "Knights Kang, Conklin, Wakeen, and Brith," she says, indicating the armored figures in turn. "And Scribes Pabodie, Dyer, and Cancio, of the Order of the Quill, Shield, and Sword, respectively. These are Captain Sahaal and Riza Hawkeye, and they'll be assisting us in our assault on the mirelurks today."

"Ahem," comes a digitized voice from a floating metal sphere with three dangling jointed arms and three smaller spheres bobbing about its central mass.

"Oh, yes. And these are our robots, Livesey, Ervin, and Fitzgerald."

[exiled_heir_of_the_eighth]

"Well met, all of you."

Each member of the team looks, to his eyes, competent. They're armed, armoured, and even though they aren't the forces he's used to working with, Sahaal doesn't think he'll have any problems fighting alongside the Brotherhood.

The robots unnerve him, especially with their displays of intelligence, but that can be put aside. This isn't his universe, after all.

"So, do we have a battle plan drawn up?"

[deadeye_shot]

Hawkeye notes the lack of rank in her introduction and approves; she wouldn't want to have raised questions about her military. "Hello," she says, her fascinated gaze drawn to the robots after she sizes up the people she'll be working with. "Just tell me where to go and what to point my weapons at."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen nods. "There's a primary breach in the northwestern wall of the fortification," she says, "and Livesey's recon sweep found another one in the area that was formerly the main gate, to the south. The 'lurks aren't capable of coordinated responses- we've tested that on the shores of an island further out in the harbor. They'll attack more or less the nearest thing they perceive as an aggressor. We're going to come at them through both openings at the same time, wipe out anything active on the surface, then sweep the building for other 'lurks and any egg clusters that may have been deposited in places Livesey couldn't reach. There don't seem to be any of the sea centaurs on the premises, so the only one of the 'lurks capable of a ranged strike is the behemoth that broke through the outer wall in the first place."

[exiled_heir_of_the_eighth]

"I have no problems with any of that. Where do you want me?"

He pats his ammunition crate for emphasis. Faintly, from inside, the dull bang of metal on metal can be heard.

[deadeye_shot]

"I should probably be positioned in the back, to offer covering fire," Hawkeye says, wondering if she should have brought a sniper rifle.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"On the northwestern breach, with myself and Conklin," says Ellen. "Kang, Wakeen, and Brith will be heading for the southern breach with Fitzgerald in tow. Hawkeye, the northwestern breach is a lot wider than the southern one, so having decent cover from behind is more urgent there. The Scribes will be hanging back behind the main group along with the robots."

"We've got guns, but that's not really what we're here for," admits Cancio. "I mean. Using them in combat. I'm here for guns- and everything else in the way of weapons."

[exiled_heir_of_the_eighth]

"As you command."

He's tapping his fingers on the butt of his bolter. It could be construed as a nervous twitch, but it's just Sahaal wanting to get into the fight. Waiting around has never been a strong suit of his.

He turns to the Scribe introduced to him as Cancio. "Will you be needing covering fire? Overwatch?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Cancio's gaze flickers past the taller (seriously, he's freaking gigantic, like supermutant size or something, what the hell) man to Ellen for a moment; then it snaps back. "Good idea. We brought Mr. Handys, not Mr. Gutsys. The robots're kinda... short-range close combat types. Last ditch."

[deadeye_shot]

Meanwhile, Hawkeye turns to Ellen. "The northwestern breach. Understood. Should I hang back with the Scribes, or be with the main group, or be positioned somewhere in between?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"In between, please. I doubt we'll be seeing a lot of circling around to come at us from odd angles but I'd rather have someone positioned to stop that idea before it starts," Ellen says. "By the way, Scribe Cancio's got the extra ammunition we talked about, so load up now and then we'll move out."

[deadeye_shot]

"Will do, thank you, Paladin Park," Hawkeye says, and then heads over to talk to Scribe Cancio about the ammunition.

[exiled_heir_of_the_eighth]

Sahaal steps closer to Ellen, turning down his warplate's external speakers.

"Tell me, honestly. How hard will this fight be? I saw your pictures, we're hunting some very vicious prey."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen exhales. "The human-size crabs are going to be a problem," she says. "Mostly because of their numbers, and their habit of ducking to keep their vulnerable spots out of the way when they charge. We've fought a good number of those before, though. As long as they don't all rush one group or the other at any given time we've got good chances. The behemoth... that's what broke the Castle wall in the first place. One of those nearly sank our ship. Meeting one on land is going to take everything we've got."