PPU Adventure #1

[piñata]

Piñata: The plot thickens. And if it gets any thicker, we're all going to need better boots. I do wonder, however, who ran the Grand Duchy of Devincenzi, especially Nuncio, in Devo's absence?

(OOC: Since I'm not on very good terms with Viper right now and Stalin has informed me he just doesn't have any time for this site, I'm going to run their characters. KO? KO.)

Meanwhile, in Ragbralbur harbor...

*A small fleet of ships pulls into the harbor, bearing the standard of The Union of the Snake, the private army of former Conclave Overlord Panamon Creel, alongside the standard of the Royal House of Olwe. As sailors scramble to fasten the moorings and unload supplies, a strange-looking group emerges from the largest ship in the fleet, a vessel of obvious Angarak design. The group consists of the Lord Panamon "Viperdude" Creel, who carries himself in a very haughty and imperious manner despite the fact that he looks like a teenager; The Lady Aurora Borealis, half-Elf heiress to the throne of Olwe; a slender, athletic blue-skinned Twi'lek girl with at least three different guns on her person; a pair of Vratix with their claws dyed black to mark themselves as warriors; and an Ewok with a half-sized version of what appears to be a lightsaber at his waist.

Startled by the appearance of sudden strangers, the oddly humanoid-looking sentry droids were slow to respond at first, but now came bustling up, laser-fingers armed and ready. The leader primly informs the group that the harbor is closed.*

Viper: Well, then, open it. We have important business that can't be delayed.
Droid: The Almighty Lord ZX-3 cares nothing for the business of organics.
Viper: Well, then, I care nothing for him. Now open the harbor.
Droid (leveling his four-lasered hand menacingly at Viper's head): I am obligated to inform you that the penalty for treason is death.
Viper (beginning to catch on that Ragbralbur is no longer under Conclave control): Well, in that case, allow me to carry out your sentence.

*Viper draws and ignites his lightsaber with blinding speed, severing the upraised arm of the droid captain with his first attack before removing his opponent's head with the second. He quickly assumes a defensive posture, deflecting the oncoming fire of the other droids in the immediate area, and Aurora and the Ewok draw their own lightsabers to help keep any shots from getting through even as crew members on the ships return fire. The two Vratix stand up on their hind legs, which bend strangely before facilitating the awe-inspiring jumps for which the species is known. The huge insectoids land in the middle of a circle of droids and begin wreaking havoc with their metal-piercing claws.*

[Elfie]

The leadership was coordinate through some pretty sweet technology. Devo was supposed to spend most of his time in Nuncio and visit Ragbralbur occaisionally to make sure parliament wasn't getting too out of hand. I'm assuming from our friend's story that he was visiting when Ragbralbur was attacked.

Hey!

*points to the horizon*

The gates of Ragbralbur are up ahead! Let's go!

[SuperBassX84]

-=The group rides that much faster towards the gates of Ragbralbur, knowing their destination is within reach=-

Guys, just so you know, there's a small band of humans on the far side of the city...near the harbor, I think...engaged in a battle. I don't know waht with, but i'm assumign mechanicals because I can't sense ANY essence.

-=Continues riding=-

[piñata]

Piñata: That would be Viper... I already sensed his presence in the Force, as well as Aurora's and Warwick's presences.
Elfie: Shouldn't Warwick be dead by now?
Piñata: That Warwick is. This is his grandson, several times removed. Anyway, I have a plan to get us past those sentry droids at the gate. RoB, can you scrounge up any absolutely trustworthy mechanical reinforcements?
RoB: I'll get right on it. (a few moments later) They're on their way.
Piñata: Okay, everyone conceal whatever weapons you can, and leave the bigger stuff on Oddveig's sled. He runs weapons for the rebels anyway, so it'll be useful again eventually.

*everyone stows their weapons*

Piñata: Okay, now, I'm assuming we've all been captured by the enemy at least once. Right?

*everybody nods*

Piñata: Okay. Then you already know how I want you to act.

*Piñata sees RoB's battle droids approaching -- about a dozen of them, two on Single Trooper Aerial Platforms (STAPs). The STAPs are light one-person reconnaisance vehicles, capable of hovering several feet above the ground, with an anti-vehicle laser cannon mounted on the front.*

Piñata: Okay, RoB, explain to them what we want them to do.

*Shortly, a dejected-looking procession under armed robotic guard approaches the city gates. Surprisingly enough, Oddveig is among them, even though he's already been paid. Apparently he feels some patriotic loyalty to Elfie, and insists on going in with the rest of the group now. After a brief exchange between Maximillian and the sentry droids at the gates, the gates open and the group is let in.*

**Meanwhile, in the rebel headquarters beneath the burned-out southern section of the city, (OOC: See Conclave Adventure #4 to find out why it's burned out) the General in command of the rebellion sits in his ready room, discussing various logistical matters with his second-in-command, a loyal, if a bit on the quiet side, Elf named Keldae. The two are suddenly interrupted by a young woman -- a Corporal, by her rank insignia -- barging through the door without knocking.**

Corporal: General Stalin, Colonel Keldae, we have reports from Intelligence that there's fighting going on in the harbor area. Also, the gates were just opened, and nobody's been able to figure out why yet.
Stalin: This should be investigated further.

*he takes a quill and parchment and hastily scribbles two different notes*

Stalin: Corporal, take this note to the leader of Alpha Squad, and the other one to the leader of Bravo Squad. Then, find me someone of Lieutenant rank or higher, and tell them I want to see them.
Corporal: Yes, sir. Right away.

*she leaves*

Stalin: Keldae, I'd appreciate it if you could fly the flag of Ragbralbur today... I feel like carrying a more personalized standard into battle.
Keldae: Yes, sir.
Stalin: You'll be taking Bravo Squad to the harbor -- they're more fit for a slugging match. I'll take Alpha Squad, which is a better unit for stealth missions, to investigate the disturbance at the gates.
Keldae: Yes, sir. Very good. I'll go and make the necessary preparations.

*As Keldae leaves, Stalin opens a safe in the wall, and pulls out a carefully folded banner that hasn't been used in centuries -- the Standard of the Royal House of Stalin. As he is shutting the safe, something else inside it catches his eye -- a piece of battered old parchment, torn at the top as if it was originally part of a larger piece of paper. After a moment of careful reflection, he takes the parchment as well, sticking it in his pocket.*

[SuperBassX84]

-=Bass rides, his lightsaber concealed within his cloak, his Super Bass Armament concealed in the aether around his body, where it's always stored=-

To himself: Good thing I can keep everthing concealed. I always wondered why they were made like that.

-=Bass continues riding, waiting for Piñata's lead on when to act=-

[Elfie]

*Elfie finds himself totally disarmed*

You guys better cover me...

*waits for Piñata's sarcastic "Don't we always?"*

[piñata]

Elfie, how big are your guns exactly? I thought you could put them under a cloak.

[Meanwhile, in the harbor...]

*Viperdude's forces continue to fight valiantly, but are outnumbered and outgunned. One of the Ashern Commandos has been grievously wounded, and the ships have all taken damage from stray shots. Catapults are maneuvered into position on the decks of some of the bigger ships, in an effort to perhaps destroy multiple enemies with one shot. Everyone who has a gun is still firing, but the Wookiee, Kerrithrar, is the only one who is inflicting any major damage. He fires his bowcaster again, disintegrating the torso of a battle droid and sending its arms and head flying off in three different directions.*

[Soulcatcher4]

Seeing the battle, Krotos feels an urge to unsheath his swords and fight along side Viper, but he knew he couldn't and watched on on in pain.

[Scythe]

The comm units built into the droids crackle and a message is broadcast. "All units be advised: new contacts on approach to harbor from northwest. Trajectory and manner of approach suggests hostility."

Those not in immediate danger take a moment to glance out over the sea. A series of black dots on the horizon grow quickly in size as they speed towards the shore, resolving themselves into the shapes of ships. Possessing no sails or conventional engines, the ships hum through the water at a terrifying pace.

Within moments, the ships approach the harbor itself with no sign of slowing. Suddenly, the ships scattered, turning sharply, some spraying waves of sea-water onto the shore as they missed colliding with it by mere meters. The end result of this maneuver was a neat line of ships docked neatly along the harbor.

The strange thing about these average-sized ships was that they appered to have no means of propulsion. there were no sails, propellers, or jets to be seen. those sensitive to the mana flow would have been able to point out that they were drawing fairly large amounts of mana for fuel from the surrounding environment, but there was a battle underway, and such observations were not relevant. Flying over the decks of all the ships were two flags: One bearing the logo of the KET (Kettch Exploration Team) and the other bearing the long-unseen emblem of the Conclave.

From these ships poured a large number of warriors. Some armed with vibro-axes and plasma shields, others with blaster weapons and battle armor, they immediately got to work on the droids, who had already begun firing on the obviously hostile newcomers. From cannons on the ships poured some kind of electrical pulse shots that dropped their targets twitching to the ground as electricical energy overloaded wired and fried circuits.

in the midst of the chaos of battle, Scythe leaps from the central ship and makes his way over to where Viper and his entourage are making a stand.

"So, what did I miss?" he shouts over the din.
Viper grins. "Not much. You're with the KET? I might have known."
Scythe - "Many of the others have gathered and are sneaking in by land. Hopefully, they can find whoever's leading this place and convince him to give up. Until then, we have our work cut out for us."
Viper - "All right! Lets rack up some numbers."

Scythe holds his hand out towards the injured vratix. A jet of white light emerges from his palm, engulfing the fallen warrior. The light fades, and the rejuvenated Ashern commando immediately leaps back into the fray, shouting a hearty "We thank you!" back at Scythe. Viper nods his own appreciation and goes back to work on the seemingly endless mass of mechanical soldiers with his lightsaber.

Scythe takes a good look around. His forces were pushing forward on all fronts, establishing beachheads and forward artilery positions. Even as he sees this, fresh waves of deadly droids march into the harbor area from the city. What had begun as a minor skirmish between Viper's people and a patrol of guard droids had become a full-fledged battle. Scythe shouts some commands into his headset, adjusts his hat, draws his swords, readies some spells, and charges into the fight.

[Elfie]

Metal detectors, Candy-bag. Metal detectors.

[piñata]

I don't think you need to worry about that, Elfie. The presence of droids tends to confuse metal detectors, so even if there were any when you were in charge here, they're useless now and have probably been torn down.

*wonders how Krotos can see the battle taking place on the opposite side of the city*

[Soulcatcher4]

(((OOC: Oh, I thought... nvm)))

[Elfie]

But for scanning organics? I'd keep them around.

(OOC: So who's continuing this story?)

[piñata]

(OOC: For the most part I'm continuing it, but if anyone else wants to contribute anything go ahead. I don't have time to make a full post right now. )

[SuperBassX84]

((-=Decides he makes enough plot advancements at the 'Clave and will leave the advancements here to someone else, unless I feel I have a good one or some such thing=-))