Rhona W
Noctis
Snowdrops
Zapdos
Teyao
ODAberration
Ivar
Kensai
Foxy13Alright posted! Things are about to get interesting
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Just here to have a good time.
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Peter Harathian sat squat in the dank, dark tunnel below the city. His mind was swirling with anticipation and frustration. For the past four days, he was stuck in here, waiting for the enemy to finally show their cards. He missed the sun, the smell of booze and coffee, of fresh air. But his role was an important one, probably one of the most important ones if he had to figure. The boss had come up with a clever plan, a bold one, that might just get him killed. He grinned to himself under his hood for what must have been the tenth time that day.
A faint shrill of a siren echoed down his tunnel, interrupting his musings. It was time. Olaf stirred across from him as did the rest of his chosen men. They all wore brown rags and cloaks, obscuring their outline and hopefully blending in with their surroundings of where they were meant to go. Olaf grunted.
"Early. That's worrisome," he said in his usual matter-of-fact tone. Pete shrugged as he checked his satchel and weapons.
"Not so bad. Was scared we'd be breakin out in the day. Afta bein in this tunnels like, we'd be blind as babes steppin out. Best slows us down, worse leaves us about as helpless." Pete said with his usual upbeat tone and rye grin. It was true though, what both of them had said. Pete was worried that the town may be more vulnerable than planned. It didn't matter now, they had only three outcomes. Come back alive, be in the bowels of some abomination, or come back to a dead town.
The group moved further down the tunnel before reaching the filled-in entrance. Carefully, Pete disarmed the trap he had set with Alison. What a terrifying bit of genius this trap was, and Pete couldn't help but feel pride as he slowly disarmed his trap. After the wires were safely away, he and Olaf began digging, with Pete muttering a count. "24... 25... 26..." he muttered before they both eventually came to a stop. Only five more shovel loads away before they gradually would start to break out. They sat in complete silence, the battle raging distantly overhead.
A moment passed.
Then another.
Finally, Olaf solemnly nodded to Pete and spoke up as he readied his shovel. "If we survive attacking that camp and wipin it off this gods forsaken world. I'm proposing to Kerensa."
Pete nearly stumbled at that. He blinked twice at Olaf then slowly shook his head. "'fraid that's not gonna be in the cards Olaf, Keren is likes the boss. Men and women like em are married to their dreams like. Their goals. They're not the kinds to die old on a farm with grandkids around em. Till death do em apart, and them dreams and drive tend to live lots longer. No ole man, you best findin else who's got a thin for short bald men" he said as his shovel dug into the loose earth in front of them. Olaf glared for a moment but sighed and started shoveling alongside him.
As Olaf did, he grumbled,
"Not like we live much longer either."
Irregular warfare is chaotic, multidimensional, and yet a unity of effort. From air to ground, from back alleys to the very halls of power, an irregular war is waged through fronts both seen and unseen. Thus, to fight an irregular war, one must have the unity to cover those dimensions, to know those halls, those alleys, and be able to maneuver without issue through them.
This was the life Alison had been devoted to for over ten years. Her wars were never as simple as "us versus them". Nothing as unambiguous as total annihilation. They were deals with those the public would think enemies, the targeting of what would have otherwise been friends. The enemy was in those halls, those backrooms. In the wires, in the crowds, whispering and poisoning the well while blaming their targets for it all.
That was the war she fought.
And now, she was faced with the other side of it.
A sickening sucking noise came from the ghoul as Alison drew back her dagger. The creature staggered forward, snarling as if the stab was merely a slight, before finally collapsing as the timer ran out on the wretched thing's life. The sound of flesh being cut echoed behind her as Kerensa finished off her ghoulish opponent. Alison sighed, looking around the street that had been cleared. It had come as both a shock and something familiar, and she had dearly wished someone had told her. The enemy air-dropping zombies into the city was harrowing and genius. Chaos raged around her, as the garrison became distracted with the threat. Civilians ran in terror for their lives only caused further bottlenecks and confusion. No matter what, she had her priorities. This would have to be dealt with by the soldiers.
"Let's get to the observation post," Alison said and darted down the street with Kerensa close behind.
Reaching the building, it stood only slightly taller than the others and otherwise seemed unassuming. But this "observation post" had become a secret bastion for those of the Thieves Guild. A few select buildings had been quietly modified at her behest. Bricks were discretely removed and turned into firing slits for ambush. Cloth-covered holes hiding spy glasses. The bottom floor was filled with a series of traps, and secret roof hatches were added for escape.
Alison and Kerensa entered one of those secret hatches in the Southeast where the enemy was beginning their assault. She peered through the glass and saw the chaos below. Militias fought with as much ferocity and desperation as their undead foes. That's the thing she hated about wars like these. When faced with utter annihilation, there is no room for schemes beyond killing the enemy. Everyone knew what the result would be, so like cornered animals, people would begin to either shut down or fight like mad.
She saw the Second Chance members manning their stations where they could, fighting a desperate fight. She watched in astonishment as Zell deflected a flaming bolt of magic, saving the garrison and himself on the wall.
This was the hard part.
Taking a deep breath, she began to scan again, watching, waiting.
From the whispers in her ear, she knew the shadows of the enemy were coming for her comrades, but with some luck, they would have failed to notice that they were the ones being hunted.
Alison only hoped that trump card she had been given at the Academy would be enough.
A faint shrill of a siren echoed down his tunnel, interrupting his musings. It was time. Olaf stirred across from him as did the rest of his chosen men. They all wore brown rags and cloaks, obscuring their outline and hopefully blending in with their surroundings of where they were meant to go. Olaf grunted.
"Early. That's worrisome," he said in his usual matter-of-fact tone. Pete shrugged as he checked his satchel and weapons.
"Not so bad. Was scared we'd be breakin out in the day. Afta bein in this tunnels like, we'd be blind as babes steppin out. Best slows us down, worse leaves us about as helpless." Pete said with his usual upbeat tone and rye grin. It was true though, what both of them had said. Pete was worried that the town may be more vulnerable than planned. It didn't matter now, they had only three outcomes. Come back alive, be in the bowels of some abomination, or come back to a dead town.
The group moved further down the tunnel before reaching the filled-in entrance. Carefully, Pete disarmed the trap he had set with Alison. What a terrifying bit of genius this trap was, and Pete couldn't help but feel pride as he slowly disarmed his trap. After the wires were safely away, he and Olaf began digging, with Pete muttering a count. "24... 25... 26..." he muttered before they both eventually came to a stop. Only five more shovel loads away before they gradually would start to break out. They sat in complete silence, the battle raging distantly overhead.
A moment passed.
Then another.
Finally, Olaf solemnly nodded to Pete and spoke up as he readied his shovel. "If we survive attacking that camp and wipin it off this gods forsaken world. I'm proposing to Kerensa."
Pete nearly stumbled at that. He blinked twice at Olaf then slowly shook his head. "'fraid that's not gonna be in the cards Olaf, Keren is likes the boss. Men and women like em are married to their dreams like. Their goals. They're not the kinds to die old on a farm with grandkids around em. Till death do em apart, and them dreams and drive tend to live lots longer. No ole man, you best findin else who's got a thin for short bald men" he said as his shovel dug into the loose earth in front of them. Olaf glared for a moment but sighed and started shoveling alongside him.
As Olaf did, he grumbled,
"Not like we live much longer either."
Irregular warfare is chaotic, multidimensional, and yet a unity of effort. From air to ground, from back alleys to the very halls of power, an irregular war is waged through fronts both seen and unseen. Thus, to fight an irregular war, one must have the unity to cover those dimensions, to know those halls, those alleys, and be able to maneuver without issue through them.
This was the life Alison had been devoted to for over ten years. Her wars were never as simple as "us versus them". Nothing as unambiguous as total annihilation. They were deals with those the public would think enemies, the targeting of what would have otherwise been friends. The enemy was in those halls, those backrooms. In the wires, in the crowds, whispering and poisoning the well while blaming their targets for it all.
That was the war she fought.
And now, she was faced with the other side of it.
A sickening sucking noise came from the ghoul as Alison drew back her dagger. The creature staggered forward, snarling as if the stab was merely a slight, before finally collapsing as the timer ran out on the wretched thing's life. The sound of flesh being cut echoed behind her as Kerensa finished off her ghoulish opponent. Alison sighed, looking around the street that had been cleared. It had come as both a shock and something familiar, and she had dearly wished someone had told her. The enemy air-dropping zombies into the city was harrowing and genius. Chaos raged around her, as the garrison became distracted with the threat. Civilians ran in terror for their lives only caused further bottlenecks and confusion. No matter what, she had her priorities. This would have to be dealt with by the soldiers.
"Let's get to the observation post," Alison said and darted down the street with Kerensa close behind.
Reaching the building, it stood only slightly taller than the others and otherwise seemed unassuming. But this "observation post" had become a secret bastion for those of the Thieves Guild. A few select buildings had been quietly modified at her behest. Bricks were discretely removed and turned into firing slits for ambush. Cloth-covered holes hiding spy glasses. The bottom floor was filled with a series of traps, and secret roof hatches were added for escape.
Alison and Kerensa entered one of those secret hatches in the Southeast where the enemy was beginning their assault. She peered through the glass and saw the chaos below. Militias fought with as much ferocity and desperation as their undead foes. That's the thing she hated about wars like these. When faced with utter annihilation, there is no room for schemes beyond killing the enemy. Everyone knew what the result would be, so like cornered animals, people would begin to either shut down or fight like mad.
She saw the Second Chance members manning their stations where they could, fighting a desperate fight. She watched in astonishment as Zell deflected a flaming bolt of magic, saving the garrison and himself on the wall.
This was the hard part.
Taking a deep breath, she began to scan again, watching, waiting.
From the whispers in her ear, she knew the shadows of the enemy were coming for her comrades, but with some luck, they would have failed to notice that they were the ones being hunted.
Alison only hoped that trump card she had been given at the Academy would be enough.
Should be able to get my post up tomorrow night!
hididdlyho.gif
everyone have a good time over xmas?
Got sick just in time for Christmas and didn't recover till new year lol. Had a good time regardless though, despite the plague's best efforts.
Heyo still here
A late merrry Christmas and a Happy New Year you guys! Hope everyone is having a good holiday season.
What have I unleashed...
"Real hackers. I mean REAL hackers - Clarissa Shields, nice to meet you"
"I-"
A rambling reminder of why Alison hated defense contractors quickly cut her off as it went off on a long tangent regarding programmers. Alison gave a deep sigh and exchanged a glance with James. She was now definitely in unfamiliar waters. She had been expecting some sort of dusty university campus, with academics and the like. Not MIT barely legally sane savants going on tirades about coding. Though weirdly it did remind her of the people who worked in the cipher department. Lots of Shields in that place and thus lots of reasons she preferred to get their decoded results via email...
"Alison," Clarissa looked at the Rogue.
"Miss Shields" Alison acknowledged.
"I'm glad you're here - well, not really, I need Sirius - but it is nice to meet you. I trust you must be interesting if Sirius would bring you here. Perhaps we can have a proper chat under less pressing circumstances. But, it is quite the convenience that you are of the Rogue Class. If you would kindly follow me." Clarissa said curtly. Alison simply nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. She gave an apologetic shrug to James and followed after her.
Alison decided to play along for now. If they were this world's equivalent of the Skunk Works or Raytheon back home, overbearing personality or not, there might be some powerful tools at the end of all of this.
"I trust you know of The Thieves' Guild," she said as she led Alison down the hall. Again, Alison nodded.
"I've done some work for them, here and there." was her nonchalant response.
"My associate, Titus Hart is from the Guild. I've been letting him use one of my labs for a project that might help us get out of this siege problem with our lives - such an inconvenience. The siege, not Titus - but I do believe he has some toys lying around that someone of your caliber may be able to make use of. Perhaps you could take a look and see if any tickle your fancy. You may as well. No point in waiting for official patents to come through when extermination is on the horizon." Clarissa said as they walked. Each lab they passed was seemingly labeled with her name. She finally stopped at one and barged in without a second thought, Alison soon following in behind her.
In the lab was a lone man working away at what seemed to be a few projects. They regarded each other curtly.
"Hart."
"Shields,"
"We have a volunteer for field-testing some of your weapons." Titus looked at Alison and bowed his head slightly in greeting.
Wait what?
"I will leave her in your capable hands." Clarissa Shields finished before leaving as quickly as she had come, leaving Alison and Titus alone. Alison gave a sigh and a sympathetic smile to the man.
"Well, it seems I've been volunteered. I just came with a friend to check out the place, and now I'm here." Alison said with a shrug. She let her hands then rest on her hips as she continued. "Miss Shields tells me you with our Guild and have been cooking up some new gadgets that might be useful to us. So what kind of developments are we talking about here?"
@xenon@Teyao
"I-"
A rambling reminder of why Alison hated defense contractors quickly cut her off as it went off on a long tangent regarding programmers. Alison gave a deep sigh and exchanged a glance with James. She was now definitely in unfamiliar waters. She had been expecting some sort of dusty university campus, with academics and the like. Not MIT barely legally sane savants going on tirades about coding. Though weirdly it did remind her of the people who worked in the cipher department. Lots of Shields in that place and thus lots of reasons she preferred to get their decoded results via email...
"Alison," Clarissa looked at the Rogue.
"Miss Shields" Alison acknowledged.
"I'm glad you're here - well, not really, I need Sirius - but it is nice to meet you. I trust you must be interesting if Sirius would bring you here. Perhaps we can have a proper chat under less pressing circumstances. But, it is quite the convenience that you are of the Rogue Class. If you would kindly follow me." Clarissa said curtly. Alison simply nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. She gave an apologetic shrug to James and followed after her.
Alison decided to play along for now. If they were this world's equivalent of the Skunk Works or Raytheon back home, overbearing personality or not, there might be some powerful tools at the end of all of this.
"I trust you know of The Thieves' Guild," she said as she led Alison down the hall. Again, Alison nodded.
"I've done some work for them, here and there." was her nonchalant response.
"My associate, Titus Hart is from the Guild. I've been letting him use one of my labs for a project that might help us get out of this siege problem with our lives - such an inconvenience. The siege, not Titus - but I do believe he has some toys lying around that someone of your caliber may be able to make use of. Perhaps you could take a look and see if any tickle your fancy. You may as well. No point in waiting for official patents to come through when extermination is on the horizon." Clarissa said as they walked. Each lab they passed was seemingly labeled with her name. She finally stopped at one and barged in without a second thought, Alison soon following in behind her.
In the lab was a lone man working away at what seemed to be a few projects. They regarded each other curtly.
"Hart."
"Shields,"
"We have a volunteer for field-testing some of your weapons." Titus looked at Alison and bowed his head slightly in greeting.
Wait what?
"I will leave her in your capable hands." Clarissa Shields finished before leaving as quickly as she had come, leaving Alison and Titus alone. Alison gave a sigh and a sympathetic smile to the man.
"Well, it seems I've been volunteered. I just came with a friend to check out the place, and now I'm here." Alison said with a shrug. She let her hands then rest on her hips as she continued. "Miss Shields tells me you with our Guild and have been cooking up some new gadgets that might be useful to us. So what kind of developments are we talking about here?"
@xenon@Teyao
@AvaPOh my gosh. Wow. What's that like? How long have you been doing this kind of thing? That's amazing xD
Hahaha, thanks. I have been flying for a few years as a part of my education. Getting my BA in Flight Operations and working on my commercial certificate at the moment. I love it, and looking forward to it being my career soon.
@AvaP interesting coincidence. I looked it up and my dad had a plane like that. He still flies today, though not that model. His cockpit was not that advanced back then, though it is now.
It's a really common plane, next to the Cessna 172. But that's cool though. One of our aircraft still has the "steam gauges" as it were, with no electronic interface, but the rest have a GPS in them.
@AvaPWait, is that from a cockpit, or am I being silly?
Yeah, I'm currently flying Archer IIIs with a G1000
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