FalloutJack

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

Singe

A Bar on Taris.

Things did not go well.

The plan was thorough enough, let's be clear here, but even the best-laid of operations can't account for everything. The fact is that it stopped before it even started, because unfortunately Moff Drak's paranoia spiked, and he thought he'd get attacked by - and we're not even kidding here - an overgrown Zabrak who badly-damaged an Imperial Star Destroyer...alone. Honestly, that sort of thing would've given Singe the willies, but for the fact that it was little more than a rumor. Maybe Drak knew something more, like maybe certain mutterings about the infamous Lord Vader, who was now dead. Nobody could tell, but the point was that he'd ordered his Star Destroyers on patrol, TIE Fighters all over the place. It was impossible to get into the Mandalore System without being stopped, checked, and possibly blasted out of the stars. A normal team couldn't do this, right now. Or rather, not just ONE team. Singe called in one of her contacts. She hadn't contacted 'im lately, so she figured he could use the money. Thing is, what she got...was not what she expected at all.

People heard a rhythmic sort of pounding from far off, coming closer. What took a little too long to register soon became clear that these were footsteps, and the figure was through the door as the realization dawned. Many eyes stared at what came through the door, there. It was tall, heavyset, and armored. Black-and-orange from head to toe, with a large pack on its back, as well as a big gun. The figure was armed to the teeth, which at least that much wasn't a surprise to Singe, but she was expecting a big ole' shaggy Ranth, not a heavy Mandalorian! She sat there at her table alone, with Morgas and Goggles essentially watching from other parts of the room, and not one of them knew what the hell was going on! At least...not until the figure spoke.

"Meeting in person? That's new."

"So's the armor...Devero?"

The armored figure sat across from her. The build seemed right for a Ranth, but last she checked...he didn't have anything like this. It was only after someone came to ask if he had a drink to order - "Something hard. If it's got blood in it, make it a double." - that Singe actually calmed down. That was Devero Ruffalough, alright. Violent pyromaniac with ordinance for days...and apparently now a new set of armor? The Sephi took a swig of her own drink, processing this. She sent silent messages for the others to stand down. They didn't have anything that could penetrate that armor, anyway...

"It's been a while. Apparently, long enough for this to occur. How did you get that way, anyway? It's clearly built for you, so I doubt it's stolen."

"That's kind of a long story, aaand I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about it. Short version: The Mandos saw some promise. I made the cut. They didn't think I would, but my natural affinity for all things violence and destruction kinda' helped."

"Alright...this actually helps me alot. I'm putting together a pair of teams to assassinate the dictator of Mandalore, which I was originally hired to do with a much more subtle plan that involved infiltration, trickery, brainwashed droids, explosives, and a swift exit."

"What went wrong?"

"A bigger, badder blockade."

Devero just went "Heh." as he got his drink, then activated the drinking tube in his helmet for it. There was a pause here...as Singe was still taking this all in. A Mando! Him, of all people! Yeah, his skill at blowing things up WAS impressive, and the Mandalorians appeared to favor something a bit more low-key than him, so what did he DO to make them recognize him?

"I take it there's a new plan that involves something a bit more direct?"

"A bit more. I was going to have you show up as new hired muscle, maybe even fool Drak into believing there was a section of your kind still loyal enough to the Empire to serve. I don't think that part's gonna work right now. Don't you...never take that off again?"

"That you or anyone else is aware of. Is this going to be a problem? Because I'd think this would make the troopers evacuate their polycarbide armor."

"I agree, which is why I'll make sure the people I assign to you are all well-armed, while the distraction team is mainly meant to get the blockade's attention enough for you to slip through."

"A good plan, but don't worry about the team. I've got one."

He hit the side of his helmet and said "Come on in. Job's waiting for us.". A few seconds later, the bar received a second heart attack...as three more Mandos walked in, took chairs, and sat at the table. One of them was part green, made to accommodate a Rodian, with some impressive dual blaster pistols and a couple weapons on his ba- Was that a Disruptor? Oh geez... Another was skinnier and wore a light armor that had blue on it. Seemed mesh under metal plate. He had only a sidearm. The last one was a definitey black and gray that... For some reason, she was getting an Imperial vibe from him, especially with that convertible rifle on his back. That looked Imperial issue, which bothered Singe alot. Shit and sons of bitches... She was staring down four goddamn Mandos, all of them with some sort of serpent marking on their armor.

"This isn't what I expected."

"We know! Isn't it great?"

"You four want to be the assault team, to push through Mandalore, no subtlety at all."

"There might be some subtlety. Maybe."

"With those suits?! I mean, I guess the parts that are Beskar helps, but if it were that easy to take down the government, someone would've done it, by now. It takes more than a four-man team."

"There will be a plan, once we touch down, don't worry. We've attacked Imperial-controlled areas before, and done alot worse, even before we joined."

"What's the big deal? I once killed an invincible man."

"No one is invulnerable."

"We know. He's dead. But he was covered head-to-toe in Beskar skin, and he was one of the Empire's Inquisitors, so imagine how tough that was. Trust me, we know our stuff."

Given the artillery that she'd seen on their person here, Singe decided to just let that go. Maybe they had a point. Maybe it was just about fucking time for the Mandos to take back Mandalore. She could make a bigger distraction team, send these guys in. If they were that confident, and the others let them be in a clan, then...what the hell, right?

"Okay, so here is the revised plan... And don't worry. If you guys pull this off, you'll be sitting pretty on credits for a good while."

TARAK

He was just getting the Cleaving Tusk refitted with a new droid brain - just a simple one to make life easier - when he received the call. It was from Diabolus. He must've had new orders. Looking around and silencing the nearest person, he opened up communications.

-Ah, Mr. Tarak... You are on...Corellia, yes?-

"Yes. I was taking the time to secure the suppliers and lean on some of the manufacturers, so they send that which we need to the locations we desire. The Dread Adversary will be busy for quite some time..."

-Good, good... But now, I would like you to take your attention away from there...and head towards Kuat. It should take you no time at all. The Imperials are trying to take it, and since they would not embrace your presence, they can burn, and we will make sure the frail Republic keeps their foothold. But as you do, REMIND the denizens of that world that they are to be open to ALL business, to continue to supply us, no matter what.-

"Very well. I'll leave immediately."

-Do that, and...do keep your senses about you. I feel the Force on the move. There may be a Jedi...-

"Not...for long."

Not if he tries to interfere... Tarak snarled as he jumped into his Sith Fighter, and launched! To Kuat, he woud go, and arrive very soon. After all, it was only a stone's throw away, as far as hyperspace was concerned...

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

Devero

Everything in here basically occurred in a Fate Core campaign.

Name: Devero Ruffalough

Alias: Gun Dog, Wild Riot Ranth, Wyrm Slayer

Race: Ranth

Faction: Mandalorian

Alignment: Neutral

Class: Bounty Hunter (Heavy Gunner)

Appearance:

To begin with, Devero is a Ranth, a hairy caninoid hailing from the planet of Caaraz. The world is one of a harsh climate, due to its unusual north-south rotation causing one side to bake volcanically while the other side is a shifting tectonic mess of a frozen tundra. Nearly all of his kind are described as tall, heavy-furred creatures with natural survival and hunting prowess, making them excellent trackers and combatants. They are strong against the elements, particularly cold, and Devero considers himself strong amongst his kind. Many are similar, and thus you will often see the muscular frame, the dark-haired body, the semi-flat muzzle, the dark eyes, the clawed hands and feet, the whipping tail... This goes on, and it is fair to say that Devero at least looks normal for his kind. However...there's more.

Devero has Mando Armor. It's not stolen either, as it was clearly outfitted FOR him. He wears Mandalorian heavy armor, which has yet to be completely Beskar, but it's still very tough. It is a black-and-orange armor designed to fit his size, including a Pre Vizsla-style helmet with side-mounted antennae that is built to accommodate his muzzle and head shape. Markings on Devero's armor show off the jaws of a great beast painted on the whole of the front chest plate area, with a mark of some kind of serpentine creature on his shoulder in yellow, as an indicator of the clan he belongs to. Weaponry will be described below, but we must draw attention to the heavy backpack mounted on the armor. It is a powerful combination jetpack/powerpack, with missle-launching capability. It speaks to Devero's violent nature...

Personality:

Devero is a modern Ranth, as opposed to a nomadic one. When the Galactic Empire discovered Caaraz and saw the potential use of his kind, he was among those to go into space. As a result, he is very non-traditional, though survival and battle instincts run strong. He is a wild thing, though, a creature of violent impulse, and not even out of anger, most times. He loves it, especially explosions! Yes, our boy here is kind of a violence junky and defintely a pyromaniac. He howls in triumph or when he's bored, he has a demented Scooby Doo laugh, and he was intimidating to people even BEFORE he got the armor!

Our crazy-go-nuts caninoid, however, DOES have a saner side to him. It's not to say that the wild side was all a bluff, but it DOES just so happen to be great cover for his attention to what's important, which is making sure he kills specifically those that are his kind's and his clan's enemies. (Yes, the creed does state that your own race of origin shall not have preferential treatment, but given who his enemies already were, it does not actually matter.) He is reluctant to break what little standards he has as a sentient being. Pushing him to a point, he IS open to a potential hire that could set his skills to tip the balance in a fight, but you also have NO idea what he's thinking, even without the helmet on.

Post-armoring, he's really loving this. Devero now considers himself one of the most dangerous individuals alive in the galaxy, and he rolls with it! He commits pretty much to the way, but he is still who he is, which is a Ranth who really loves his work.

Items:

Mandalorian Armor (Heavy Type) - A set of armor made for heavy infantry and built to accommodate the Ranth species. It is black-and-orange, with a smidgen of yellow, with the chest plate made of Beskar, while the helmet, arms, and legs were all formed of Matrix Armor, an armor used on ship hulls created to turn aside energy attacks. As stated above, the design on the chest depicts the jaws of a great beast, and the clan marker is that of some form of serpent.

Combination Jet/Powerpack Unit - The unit was broadly based upon a JT-12 Jetpack, which was capable of housing three small missles, but this was a heavily-modified version crossed with a heavy powerpack, making it closer to Paz Vizsla's unit, complete with heavy cord for connection to a heavy weapon. The missle launcher naturally responds to a built-in targeting computer with a HUD in the helmet.

Custom Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon - Read as 'blaster minigun'. This is a well-known weapon of very dangerous proportions, a rapid-repeating blaster weapon built for heavy suppression and destruction. Devero's in particular has an added feature, though. With a little parts realignment, the weapon becomes an anti-armor cannon with an ion discharge. This is what his powerpack connects to, and is thus usually stored on his back when not in use.

SoroSuub Firelance - A short blaster rifle he uses as a sidearm. It's as light as a carbine, and has a very good stun setting for capturing people, as well. It's hooked to Devero's side for an easy draw.

Grenades/Explosives - Devero is an expert demolitionist, and therefore makes alot of his own devices when he cannot find a supplier on his own. So, he may be found carrying frag, flash, cryoban, ion, adhesive, and other grenades along with proper demo equipment on his belt at any given time.

Compact Flame Units - Mounted on the underside of both arms of his armor at this wrists. They fire at a higher pressure than normal due to the integrating parts from a Firestorm Flame Projector that use to be attached to his Firelance.

High-Capacity Grapple Line - Left-arm mount for his armor. Due to his size, the standard grapple launcher is slow to reel him up to places, and that led to a nasty leg-biting one time, so he went and got an upgraded model.

Micro-Rocket Launcher - Integrated into the wrist of right gauntlet of his armor. This fires a single shot at a time of compact rocket-propelled explosive. It is meant for quick penetration and blowback.

Sith Light Saber - Found on Dxun and attached to the right arm of Devero's suit. He isn't trained in its use, and he is not a Force-Sensitive, but he's got a good swing of it. Its placement as a fixed device is so that he basically can't accidentally cut himself with it.

Background:

Born on Caaraz, Devero was among those taken and 'hired' by the Galactic Empire after their species was discovered and a general uplift program was put in place to train them to work for the Empire. Educated in the ways of the galaxy according to their view, it was only his own general cynicism and his fellow Ranth that kept him from being just an Imperial soldier. Ranth were considered second-class citizens in the Empire, employable but not desirable. They were overworked, underpaid, and Devero personally hated that he didn't get to blow things up enough. His violent pyromaniac tendancies tended to get him into trouble...or rather sometimes, the next Ranth over because of how difficult it was for Imperials to tell them apart. Nevertheless, he spent time working for the Empire while it was still intact, except he also kind of wasn't, because he was also a member of the Ranth underworld, a group known simply as 'The Pack'. Their goals were that, in not trusting the Empire, they would exploit the Empire by taking them for all they were worth under their noses. Supplies went missing, weapons were misappropriated, and even some of the accidents that supposedly destroyed articles were faked events. Not all of them, mind you, but some of them.

In time, though, he decided to leave Imperial employ altogether and became a gun for hire, and sometimes a bounty hunter...which actually landed him in enough hot water to be thrown into a crimelord's prison for a good number of months. It was here that he met a group that would end up getting up to all kinds of craziness and hijinx in the universe. Specifically, he met a Rodian bounty hunter, an Echani martial artist, and an ex-Imperial agent - the likes of which would help him get free and work to get revenge on the crimelord, except...things didn't go as planned. It all started when a Moff wanted them to kill an Echani diplomat on Coruscant, who was actually their guy's uncle. They still did it, buuut there was a bit of a problem...in the form of Inquisitors. You see, something that wasn't realized at the time was that...the Rodian and the Echani were Force-Sensitive, aaand so was the Echani's sister, who was one of the Inquisitors. Naturally, when the Dark Troopers waltz in with a pair of 'laser sword' users, it's time to leave and collect their pay. Problem is...the Moff was dead, killed and made to look like they did it in order to get him out of the way and make an excuse to put their little party on the most wanted list.

It was after ducking some trouble for a while that they got the attention of a Mandalorian. Between their known actions, their thrilling victories in an underground deathsport, and the knowledge of the Force-Sensitivity (which Devero did not share), the Mandos were intrigued and interested. So much so, in fact, that they were invited for training on the planet Dxun, a deadly jungle planet once inhabited by Sith and Imperials alike. The fauna of this planet were ruthless, and the traps left in Sith tombs deadly, but the four of them pulled through, as did another team. On the day of their pickup, they all decided to explore one last ruin...only for a huge creature to practically unearth the place as it attacked them! The creature was a product of ancient Sith alchemy, a converted Exogorth that was simply known as a War Wyrm. The Sith left them as guardians, and this one was more vicious than anything they'd encountered before, including the Zakkeg and the Hssiss!

Despite the creature's obvious savage power, the group prevaled. It helped that actual working Sith weapons had been found and used in battle, as well as the fact that Devero got the beast to swallow ALOT of explosives that subsequently blew up its neck. Devero took the jaws as a trophy and painted the pattern on his armor, while the likeness OF the Wyrm became their clan symbol. From here, it was all about earning their Beskar to turn those starting full-body armor suits into proper Mando Armor. Success was varied, and they got some, but the motherlode was sadly taken...by an Inquisitor who has used ancient alchemy to bond the Beskar to his SKIN, making him damn near invulnerable!

Well...unless you had ion weapons handy.

Supporting Characters:

Mandalorians - You know 'em, you love 'em, but cross 'em, and you die.

Clan Wyrm Slayer - Ghil Vayn (Echani Male), Kelmor Jath (Ex-Imperial Human Male), and Rissa Oze (Rodian Bounty Hunter) make up his fellow members aboard the ship, Halcyon Star. It is a small clan that they themselves started out.

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

@Alternax Thanks for the heads up.

"Darksaber? The fu- No, I don't care about that. I like to blow things up!"

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

@nitemare shape

Kay, so... I just got inspired to something, but I'm gonna need another character.

Devero

Everything in here basically occurred in a Fate Core campaign.

Name: Devero Ruffalough

Alias: Gun Dog, Wild Riot Ranth, Wyrm Slayer

Race: Ranth

Faction: Mandalorian

Alignment: Neutral

Class: Bounty Hunter (Heavy Gunner)

Appearance:

To begin with, Devero is a Ranth, a hairy caninoid hailing from the planet of Caaraz. The world is one of a harsh climate, due to its unusual north-south rotation causing one side to bake volcanically while the other side is a shifting tectonic mess of a frozen tundra. Nearly all of his kind are described as tall, heavy-furred creatures with natural survival and hunting prowess, making them excellent trackers and combatants. They are strong against the elements, particularly cold, and Devero considers himself strong amongst his kind. Many are similar, and thus you will often see the muscular frame, the dark-haired body, the semi-flat muzzle, the dark eyes, the clawed hands and feet, the whipping tail... This goes on, and it is fair to say that Devero at least looks normal for his kind. However...there's more.

Devero has Mando Armor. It's not stolen either, as it was clearly outfitted FOR him. He wears Mandalorian heavy armor, which has yet to be completely Beskar, but it's still very tough. It is a black-and-orange armor designed to fit his size, including a Pre Vizsla-style helmet with side-mounted antennae that is built to accommodate his muzzle and head shape. Markings on Devero's armor show off the jaws of a great beast painted on the whole of the front chest plate area, with a mark of some kind of serpentine creature on his shoulder in yellow, as an indicator of the clan he belongs to. Weaponry will be described below, but we must draw attention to the heavy backpack mounted on the armor. It is a powerful combination jetpack/powerpack, with missle-launching capability. It speaks to Devero's violent nature...

Personality:

Devero is a modern Ranth, as opposed to a nomadic one. When the Galactic Empire discovered Caaraz and saw the potential use of his kind, he was among those to go into space. As a result, he is very non-traditional, though survival and battle instincts run strong. He is a wild thing, though, a creature of violent impulse, and not even out of anger, most times. He loves it, especially explosions! Yes, our boy here is kind of a violence junky and defintely a pyromaniac. He howls in triumph or when he's bored, he has a demented Scooby Doo laugh, and he was intimidating to people even BEFORE he got the armor!

Our crazy-go-nuts caninoid, however, DOES have a saner side to him. It's not to say that the wild side was all a bluff, but it DOES just so happen to be great cover for his attention to what's important, which is making sure he kills specifically those that are his kind's and his clan's enemies. (Yes, the creed does state that your own race of origin shall not have preferential treatment, but given who his enemies already were, it does not actually matter.) He is reluctant to break what little standards he has as a sentient being. Pushing him to a point, he IS open to a potential hire that could set his skills to tip the balance in a fight, but you also have NO idea what he's thinking, even without the helmet on.

Post-armoring, he's really loving this. Devero now considers himself one of the most dangerous individuals alive in the galaxy, and he rolls with it! He commits pretty much to the way, but he is still who he is, which is a Ranth who really loves his work.

Items:

Mandalorian Armor (Heavy Type) - A set of armor made for heavy infantry and built to accommodate the Ranth species. It is black-and-orange, with a smidgen of yellow, with the chest plate made of Beskar, while the helmet, arms, and legs were all formed of Matrix Armor, an armor used on ship hulls created to turn aside energy attacks. As stated above, the design on the chest depicts the jaws of a great beast, and the clan marker is that of some form of serpent.

Combination Jet/Powerpack Unit - The unit was broadly based upon a JT-12 Jetpack, which was capable of housing three small missles, but this was a heavily-modified version crossed with a heavy powerpack, making it closer to Paz Vizsla's unit, complete with heavy cord for connection to a heavy weapon. The missle launcher naturally responds to a built-in targeting computer with a HUD in the helmet.

Custom Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon - Read as 'blaster minigun'. This is a well-known weapon of very dangerous proportions, a rapid-repeating blaster weapon built for heavy suppression and destruction. Devero's in particular has an added feature, though. With a little parts realignment, the weapon becomes an anti-armor cannon with an ion discharge. This is what his powerpack connects to, and is thus usually stored on his back when not in use.

SoroSuub Firelance - A short blaster rifle he uses as a sidearm. It's as light as a carbine, and has a very good stun setting for capturing people, as well. It's hooked to Devero's side for an easy draw.

Grenades/Explosives - Devero is an expert demolitionist, and therefore makes alot of his own devices when he cannot find a supplier on his own. So, he may be found carrying frag, flash, cryoban, ion, adhesive, and other grenades along with proper demo equipment on his belt at any given time.

Compact Flame Units - Mounted on the underside of both arms of his armor at this wrists. They fire at a higher pressure than normal due to the integrating parts from a Firestorm Flame Projector that use to be attached to his Firelance.

High-Capacity Grapple Line - Left-arm mount for his armor. Due to his size, the standard grapple launcher is slow to reel him up to places, and that led to a nasty leg-biting one time, so he went and got an upgraded model.

Micro-Rocket Launcher - Integrated into the wrist of right gauntlet of his armor. This fires a single shot at a time of compact rocket-propelled explosive. It is meant for quick penetration and blowback.

Sith Light Saber - Found on Dxun and attached to the right arm of Devero's suit. He isn't trained in its use, and he is not a Force-Sensitive, but he's got a good swing of it. Its placement as a fixed device is so that he basically can't accidentally cut himself with it.

Background:

Born on Caaraz, Devero was among those taken and 'hired' by the Galactic Empire after their species was discovered and a general uplift program was put in place to train them to work for the Empire. Educated in the ways of the galaxy according to their view, it was only his own general cynicism and his fellow Ranth that kept him from being just an Imperial soldier. Ranth were considered second-class citizens in the Empire, employable but not desirable. They were overworked, underpaid, and Devero personally hated that he didn't get to blow things up enough. His violent pyromaniac tendancies tended to get him into trouble...or rather sometimes, the next Ranth over because of how difficult it was for Imperials to tell them apart. Nevertheless, he spent time working for the Empire while it was still intact, except he also kind of wasn't, because he was also a member of the Ranth underworld, a group known simply as 'The Pack'. Their goals were that, in not trusting the Empire, they would exploit the Empire by taking them for all they were worth under their noses. Supplies went missing, weapons were misappropriated, and even some of the accidents that supposedly destroyed articles were faked events. Not all of them, mind you, but some of them.

In time, though, he decided to leave Imperial employ altogether and became a gun for hire, and sometimes a bounty hunter...which actually landed him in enough hot water to be thrown into a crimelord's prison for a good number of months. It was here that he met a group that would end up getting up to all kinds of craziness and hijinx in the universe. Specifically, he met a Rodian bounty hunter, an Echani martial artist, and an ex-Imperial agent - the likes of which would help him get free and work to get revenge on the crimelord, except...things didn't go as planned. It all started when a Moff wanted them to kill an Echani diplomat on Coruscant, who was actually their guy's uncle. They still did it, buuut there was a bit of a problem...in the form of Inquisitors. You see, something that wasn't realized at the time was that...the Rodian and the Echani were Force-Sensitive, aaand so was the Echani's sister, who was one of the Inquisitors. Naturally, when the Dark Troopers waltz in with a pair of 'laser sword' users, it's time to leave and collect their pay. Problem is...the Moff was dead, killed and made to look like they did it in order to get him out of the way and make an excuse to put their little party on the most wanted list.

It was after ducking some trouble for a while that they got the attention of a Mandalorian. Between their known actions, their thrilling victories in an underground deathsport, and the knowledge of the Force-Sensitivity (which Devero did not share), the Mandos were intrigued and interested. So much so, in fact, that they were invited for training on the planet Dxun, a deadly jungle planet once inhabited by Sith and Imperials alike. The fauna of this planet were ruthless, and the traps left in Sith tombs deadly, but the four of them pulled through, as did another team. On the day of their pickup, they all decided to explore one last ruin...only for a huge creature to practically unearth the place as it attacked them! The creature was a product of ancient Sith alchemy, a converted Exogorth that was simply known as a War Wyrm. The Sith left them as guardians, and this one was more vicious than anything they'd encountered before, including the Zakkeg and the Hssiss!

Despite the creature's obvious savage power, the group prevaled. It helped that actual working Sith weapons had been found and used in battle, as well as the fact that Devero got the beast to swallow ALOT of explosives that subsequently blew up its neck. Devero took the jaws as a trophy and painted the pattern on his armor, while the likeness OF the Wyrm became their clan symbol. From here, it was all about earning their Beskar to turn those starting full-body armor suits into proper Mando Armor. Success was varied, and they got some, but the motherlode was sadly taken...by an Inquisitor who has used ancient alchemy to bond the Beskar to his SKIN, making him damn near invulnerable!

Well...unless you had ion weapons handy.

Supporting Characters:

Mandalorians - You know 'em, you love 'em, but cross 'em, and you die.

Clan Wyrm Slayer - Ghil Vayn (Echani Male), Kelmor Jath (Ex-Imperial Human Male), and Rissa Oze (Rodian Bounty Hunter) make up his fellow members aboard the ship, Halcyon Star. It is a small clan that they themselves started out.

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard [Pt. 2 - Open] ~

In constant sorroooow!

Sorry, had to do it with that 'soggy bottom' mention. Their attires really did nothing for the rain. There was marginal protection against cold, shielding from the sun's heat, the wind was okay-ish, but the damp? No no no... The rain would drip down, and it would get absorbed into the clothing. Soon, it could absorb no more and it ran down your body, until finding a low-point to exit. By the time that's happened, though, you're feeling wet and cold down your back and in the seat of your pants, and the only way to rectify this apart from actually finding somewhere warm and dry to evaporate all the liquid was to stuff a towel into the now-soaked area so you have a layer of something comparatively dry in between you and it...and that didn't last forever.

Such is the folly of those without umbrellas. And in general, that was 100% of the army.

But enough about that. They were there to wait on the arrival of others before...ugh...Middleton got here. Captain Middleton sauntered in, and all conversation and fleeting amounts of joy in the world just evaporated. This was a man who destroyed good, just by existing. Others arrived, but the last was apparently Jean, and Captain Grumpus didn't like that. So, there was a brief to-do about that, while Isaac, Diana, Senja, Lucia, and Britta looked on. Nothing came of it, though. Frankly, nothing Middleton could do could really make things worse than already having to personally deal with him. He couldn't exactly shoot people without reason, and being late just wasn't gonna cut it.

But let's move on from the misery of Captain Middleton. Let us get down to the reason he called them here: The laying mission.

The Captain paced back and forth, talking to them like this was a familiar thing to them. What he failed to realize was the general confusion regarding the mission until it was actually stated. Isaac had guessed, and Britta had thought it sounded familiar, since they were both farmers. It was less obvious to others, especially since this would be their actual first. Chances are, Middleton had had others before him like this, and just assumed that everyone knew by now, even though that was untrue. Nevermind that, though. It was exactly what Isaac thought it was, from the context of the mesh. They were re-obstacle-ing No Man's Land. They needed to go out, find the mesh area that was blasted out by recent artillery, cover it up, and get back. It was immediately obvious who the protection and lookout half of this brigade was going to be. Gunners had to haul their own materials, and though it was less cumbersome of late, it was still a weight, one which you didn't want to add the rolls of mesh around them. In a way, that meant that Isaac and Britta lucked out, but...

I'm the one with the most experience with this, both the hauling AND the placement.

His background in actually dealing in barbed mesh - not military-grade, but civilian - meant that he could handle it quicker with less risk to his hands, say. Next logical choice to that was Britta. This was a concern mainly for Diana, as the Vastergoths were high society people. True, she had become a soldier like everyone else here, but that didn't mean her background had changed. And Lucia? Ho boy... Well, as long as they kept their eyes open and shot at any enemies incoming and- What?

There was another team going out, right now, on some sort of mission. Now, Isaac didn't consider himself an expert on war strategy or anything, and neither did Britta for that matter, but did everybody else think that maybe twice as many people out there trying to sneak across No Man's Land might draw twice as much attention? If Middleton did, he obviously didn't care! Oh, he made a good show of saying 'If you can't complete the mission, you just get yourselves back here.', but they knew this man. He wouldn't take complications from the increased activity as an excuse. He was still chasing glory for sending his squad on ridiculous missions, it seemed. Sheesh... He was glad that Rikes was back on messanger duty. Isaac caught a look from Britta now, her brow knitting for a moment before raising an eyebrow. She was going 'Are you thinking what I'M thinking?', and he nodded. They were almost guaranteed to have alot of attention, maybe even draw artillery fire from the back. That alone haunted Isaac for a moment.

Once Middleton left their presence, Jean stepped on over to him to catch up.

"I guess I'm alright. A dull roar of irritation broken up by aggravating moments of our Captain. You notice I volunteer for alot of patrol to avoid having him in my face. Britta makes alot of rounds."

"Being a helper by nature has its perks, if you want to keep ahead of someone you'd rather not be around, and it's a big trench."

"As for what's new, I've been keeping myself occupied with the Isaac Store. I don't have to focus on the big situation if I'm trying to make it better in small ways. If you need anything, Jean... Maybe something the Quartermaster won't okay?"

"Actually, I've got an even better idea. Why don't you partner with us, Jean? If you're not too busy."

"Hmmm. Yeah, why not? You've been with us from day one."

They both trusted him a great deal, AND they both knew that his life needed some more meaning to it. Why not add 'Helping those in need' to the pot? It couldn't hurt, right?

Ambition 2.0. (Massive Crossover Superhero Sandbox)

Gotham Harbor

At about the time that Jon was facing the pier, his ears would've picked up something like "Oh, that's what he meant." from further up and behind, but upon turning his attention back in that direction, he would find nothing there. Funny. It was the same voice as the stranger he'd sent inside, and as far as anyone could tell, she was still inside. And this was true. Our fair Timekiller was currently hauling out that jumble of computer hardware and cameras out of the now-dislodged plexiglass tube. It wasn't that hard to overcome said tube. A precisely-controlled acceleration of time gave her impacts shockwave force, a variation on how her father's moves worked. By the time Raimi had removed the unnecessary bits - camera, extra wires, etc. - and had just the computer, the Super was calling down to her. She appeared below the hole he'd made, helmet singed in the middle-front area and the left gauntlet looking severely burnt all over.

"I did what? I didn't see- Hold on."

This would be the first time the Kryptonian had actually seen one of her portals open. It had a glow that was silver, white, or blue... Maybe all of them at once. And there was a shimmer, as though a constant movement occurred within. Raimi entered, and the portal closed. Then, she re-emerged from another portal to stand atop the weather machine with him, having gone to the point where the spotlight had appeared and realized what he was talking about. Upon returning, she had a thoughtful expression on the part of her face that Jon could see...providing he wasn't x-raying her mask right now. (It wasn't lead-lined.)

"Yeah, no. I've got no idea why that happened, unless a freak short-circuit did it. But hey, if he's there, let's go get 'im. The guy damaged my suit."

She wasn't too happy about that, especially while officially stranded in time for the second time in her life. Stating that she'd meet him there, Raimi dropped down into a portal and - as soon as Jon looked over at the waterfront - another one formed near the warehouse in question, looking things over. She was against the wall, for now, figuring that if she took to the roof or was particularly out in the open... Well look, the guy liked to mess with weather, right? If he had any short-range weather devices - and he might, if he wasn't just naturally empowered - the first thing he'd want to do is gust her around the place. The Super could just charge in, if he wanted. Her attention to stealth was after a certain bat-themed crimefighter who would take advantage of ample distraction or go in with some sort of a plan first.

Innocence Lost - A Science Fantasy RP [v.03]

NERO KAYAKOS

Hah! Worked like a charm! He didn't have any clue at all on how to pilot this ship, but it was the perfect way to get Natasha to get their asses moving in a hurry. So, rather than disappointment, the career stabinator was grinning as she got them underway. Of course, he watched her operate the controls now, making future threats a little more credible, should they come up. Once they were underway, their captain turned to apologize, but Nero just laughed.

"Relax... I just wanted you to get moving, no argument, and ya did. So, no worries!"

It was weird that he was in such a good mood from all this. Maybe it was all due to the action he was getting. He wasn't sure. The merriment barely even paused when Natasha asked him if they were attacked and if that was the cause of the sudden uncontrollable FWOOSH in the park. He just sort of shrugged at her.

"I dunno. I heard about it second-hand, went there to assist."

Anyway, there was a conference being called and all hands had to get there. Nero turned to move, but noticed then for the first time that there was a pain from when he'd crashed. Several battered areas were starting to make themselves known again. He needed to make a quick stop before hitting the conference room. They won't mind...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So, Natasha had elected to bring everyone to one room to get information to and from Moonstrike One. During this time, Nero was the one there who was listening and eating a slice of cake. It was pretty good, too. Once Natasha was done reporting the incident, the avatar of M-1 made a point to 'glare down' Ash and Flame for their stockmarket manipulations causing harm. It caused a bunch of people alot of trouble, including a number of arrests made, plus someone actually pulled off a data robbery. This left them with not very much money, all of a sudden. Nero stopped for a second, then looked down at his plate.

"This cake just got expensive."

He shrugged, though. Money like that was something he didn't know what to do with, anyway. Anyone who DID have an idea already went and took care of business at the bazaar. Him? Musical needs along with his sweet tooth were addressed. Also, he had a chainsaw, which was pretty fucking sweet, in of itself. Still, it looked like Ashton's fantasy about him retiring to a farm with a girlfriend was gonna have to wait. He didn't even know anyone he liked that way, anyway. The Star Marines were mainly just his fellow Star Marines, maybe even friends. They weren't close like that to him.

Anyway, the news disappointed a number of them, probably those with bigger plans for those bucks that they just couldn't delve into now. Milliard looked especially pissed, and decided to head off to bed. Nero kind of muttered "Dammit.", because he wanted a bit of a pain-killer for his tumble earlier. He'd probably be able to walk it off, but it was from a crash, so it might take a little while if unassisted. Eh, maybe Laurey had something, 'cause she had need of that stuff earlier, but lately didn't seem to have the problem. The young man would've asked her, as the conference seemed to be letting up after the report of Realist's surprise departure and a new ally, but uhhh...something else caught his attention: Finbarr.

Finn had clearly been daydreaming there, and while he had been, his stomach had provided a bit of context. Forget the doc, forget pain-killers. Nero may've just finished a portion of cake, but as he saw the other boy take off for the mess kitchen, he'd have a quick follower. Well, quick-ish. Anyone watching Nero carefully would notice a bit of a limp from the injuries he was ignoring. It made him fall behind a bit, but it's not like he didn't have any reason to wander in. He had to return the plate and fork, regardless.

"So, onions, eh? Dis for the guy that's coming on board, or can anyone try?"

Anyone working the kitchen would remember that while Nero wasn't an accomplished chef or anything, his cutting skills in any context were wizard, and he still could cook for himself. Finbarr was just better at it. So, at the very least, he had a competent assistant to work with, if he needed it.

Dragon Ball: Universe Zero

@Darkmoon Angel This is just a check to see whether you'd like to post before me or not.

Ambition 2.0. (Massive Crossover Superhero Sandbox)

Still One Mile Up

The guy was a Super, alright. She didn't follow the lives of people like that in the comics nearly as much, but he had the strength, the flight, and the ability to see the inner-workings of this weather machine. The two of them got to the central structure and he seemed to see right through the place, seeing that there was enough room for a person inside to physically access the core. This was good. It meant that their plan didn't have to involve either of them hunting down all over the place for an access panel to try and hotwire this thing from a precarious position. They could split their efforts and work that much faster on the problem at hand. Raimi smirked as the Super ripped open a hole for her, stating his intentions as she prepared to drop inside.

"Alright, let's do this."

As soon as she entered, the field that was accelerating Jon retracted, and everything moved around him at a normal pace. He could take it, though. The cold would never bother him, anyway.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Inside The Machine...

The rip in the weather machine was through outer-plating, some wiring, and heavy insulation, leading the inside to appear smooth with plastics and ceramics lining the floor, walls, and ceiling. In the center was a thick plexiglass tube surrounded by two metal supported from above and below by metal rods. Inside the tube was what had to be the power generator...but also the computer and what looked like a few cameras. With no warning at all, Raimi then found out the reason for all the insulation: A built-in security system. The rings had a series of outlets that fired lasers, or a pinpoint particle beam. It didn't matter which it was. The first shot stabbed into her left gauntlet when she reflexively blocked, and would've gone further if she hadn't ducked away. Amidst the roll, she produced a slow-time field in the chamber and...

"Whoa... That's not good."

The machine was still firing at her, and even at a slow speed, several more beams of light were moving in her direction. They weren't less harmful just because they were slower, only easier to avoid. Raimi moved around the room and found that the rings were meant for an omni-directional coverage. As soon as her image resolved on camera to this thing, it would open fire from whatever laser port on the rings happened to be facing her. Not a terrible problem, except for one thing. She couldn't maintain this field for too long. There was a rumble in the floor that indicated the physics of the room were clashing with the outside. If the Super was moving the machine now, it meant that the room was trying to stay in place from the effects of slow time. And while she could just envelope herself in faster time instead, this thing was going to chew itself to bits with the lasers. Even with the insulation, the room was starting to take on a burnt quality, meaning the machine would eventually damage itself, at some point.

Quickly, she moved closer, stepping on the bottom ring and grasping the upper ring from its underside, so she could pull back while being out of the line of fire. Lasers fired rapidly, but with a grunt of effort, her claws pulled off a chunk of the ring. She did this with the lower one as well, feeling immediate heat from lasers going off close to her feet as another chunk came off in her hands. Both times, the electro-shocks in her gauntlets were going off, and it fried the wiring inside. Raimi fully-expected to have to do that after pulling off parts of the rings, but apparently not. Of course, the reason for that was something a little more Weather Wizard. Arcs of electricity now fired off of the two rings, in seemingly random directions before delivering a shock directly to her noggin!

"Hot, hot, HOT!"

The inside of her helmet was also insulated, but of course the heat would transfer, and that made Raimi back the hell away. This room was now like one of those leaded glass balls with arcing volts of electricty inside. The two rings were spitting electricty all over the place, preventing her from getting near. She gritted her teeth at this. Even in slow motion, this was bad, and the room was starting to rumble quite badly.

Dammit, what do I do? The thing might burn itself out eventually, but that'll take too long! And even if I rigged up an acceleration that WOULDN'T hit me with more energy than my body has room for, the effect would DEFINITELY tear this place apart way too soon! God, if I could just get it to short itself out... Wait...

This weather man had done a pretty good job insulating the place, but the one thing he couldn't do that with was his own security measures, and it was a duel system, above and below. The bolts above and below were repelling one another, but if she completed the circuit... Well, one removal of her damaged gauntlet later, there was a clawed metal hand thrown between the two rings, a HUGE volt reaction as the energies collided violently, and something backfiring above and below. Time returned to normal, though Raimi now prepared to accelerate herself to deliver enough force to break the tube from its housing - or break it off - and snap the core from its connected systems. In a minute, Jon would find the machine no longer rotating outside, and things beginning to calm down.

Star Wars: Legacies (Always Open)

@Jaredthefox92 Feel free to consult others you may be interested in confronting to get things rolling along.