bravenewworld | Attack on Sanctuary

Attack on Sanctuary

It’s just after midnight when the column arrives outside of Sanctuary, shrouded in darkness under the pitch black of a new moon. Bordered by mountains to the north, the city has two primary gates to the West and the East, both of which are shut tight with massive oaken doors, centuries old and further secured with an antique portcullis. The city itself is surrounded by walls of stone, easily one-fourth the height of those found in Union and about twice the height of many of the homes, sturdy stone buildings with triangular roofs, about the same size as Calderan homes. Like Union, there are many towers within the city, but unlike Union, the towers are cold, aloof structures that stand alone with no connection to the other towers. The city itself is stone, cold, gray, and unfeeling, with small drops of light from streetlamps which line the streets, emitting an eerie blue-white glow. This is Sanctuary. Home of the Magi, conquered by Gigas for forty years. This is the city that must be reclaimed.

[OOC: If you did not choose to take the Pokeballs (you don’t have to have affirmed in an NPC thread, it’s entirely up to the character), they may have either 1 large Pokemon or 2 small Pokemon. A large Pokemon is classified as any Pokemon that is 4’ tall or long per the official Pokedex guidelines, anything smaller is considered a small Pokemon. Without the aid of Pokeballs the Pokemon will be required to be out and active throughout the log, and will not be able to be recalled or sent away if they are injured and must be carried if knocked out. As always, please limit yourself to 2 major actions in the log, and declare all Pokemon accompanying you in your first tag to a log. As always, to keep the logs moving, we will be responding every 24 hours.]

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The team is respectfully but firmly escorted into a large stone seating chamber by two armed guards dressed in camouflage and carrying very advanced-looking rifles. Seated at a massive wooden table is Valeria, flanked by two more soldiers carrying rifles and standing at attention.

“Your presence here speaks volumes, treacherous people of Union and Caldera. I suspect this is another ploy for time while your forces attack mine? It will not work this time. I have dispatched troops across the city. Whatever your little plan is, it has failed tonight.”

It looks like this is off to a smashing start.

A makeshift tent was erected a few miles south of the Sanctuary border, an unassuming encampment. The supplies were taken from Gigan troops, although how their group came about them was hard to say--one could make the assumption, of course, but it was not outwardly talked about.

It took a few hours for the command center to be put together proper, and even then it was a bit haphazard. Still, it would do. Maeve looked over the handiwork, giving everything a curt nod, before she turned toward the volunteers. "All right, so this is how this will go down." She gestured toward one of the machines; "We'll be using these to communicate to anyone in the city. Normally the Warp Bands wouldn't work, which is why Ryuuko was asked to help. But, through a bit of ingenuity, we've managed to get some kind of signal to them.

"It's shoddy at best, but we'll be a direct line to the troops in the city. They won't be able to see us, and we won't be able to see them, but they can report back to us with what they find. We've got Calderan experts here to help get you the info you need. If you hear anything off, or if someone transmits something through, let me or somebody else know, we'll tell you what you need."

Maeve scratches her cheek a bit, in thought. "There's a chance we might have some interference, but we'll cross that bridge if it comes to it. I need somebody manning this thing at all times. Any volunteers for first watch?"

[[OOC: The command center will act as a means to get information to other groups. People in separate missions are encouraged to post here with what they see, and characters in this mission will be given information to give back to them.]]

The streets were awash with people and the air tense. It was eerily calm, but at the same time not, and people moved with purpose, darting through toward some unknown yet unified destination. If in-fighting was going to break out, this would be the place it would happen, but for now tensions seemed to only be at a slow simmer instead of a heavy boil.

Guards were positioned at every major location, standing at ease, with weapons showing. Exchanging glances with everyone that passed, they almost seemed to be looking for something. Trouble, maybe. It was hard to say. Whether or not they would get it was also unclear, but something seemed to be brewing.

[The path through the tunnels is initially much easier than the infiltration group might have expected. There are low-level Gigas grunts throughout, outfitted in camouflage and carrying firearms, but most of them are fairly easy to dispatch. It seems that the groups assigned to patrol the passages are the low ranking members of the Gigas military, or possibly just the unlucky few who drew the short straws when guard duties were assigned. If the group of intrepid liberators was starting to think that this mission was suspiciously easy, they would be proven right once they reached the last major juncture of the tunnels before emerging into the city proper.

Standing in the tunnel blocking the way is an elite strike squad of Gigas troops. Three of them are outfitted with the same military camouflage and firearms as the others, but these ones also have riot shields and Pokeballs readied in their hands. A fourth soldier stands in front of them, seemingly unprotected in any way and smirking confidently, posture casually slackened and seemingly utterly unconcerned with the coming onslaught. As the group approaches, he simply laughs, quickly holding a hand out to the side to signal his men to prepare for battle. In one smooth motion, all three throw their Pokeballs.]

Go, Carracosta! Escavalier! Klefki! You know what to do!

[As the three Pokemon emerge in a flash of light, a shimmering multicolored barrier appears behind the squad leader - the combined effects of a simultaneous usage of Wide Guard, Quick Guard, and Crafty Shield. With a hollow and slightly unhinged laugh the leader steps forward, dropping into a loose fighting stance, body swaying lightly back and forth to anticipate the group's combined assault.]

Ha ha ha...! Come, all of you! Let's make this fun!

As the group approaches the gate, a deep shadow looms over the entrance plaza. Even in gloomy light cast by the various lanterns up for soldiers to see by, it's difficult to miss the ominous tower that rises above the main path out of the city. Barricades are strewn throughout the open courtyard, wooden walls carved from the remains of the forest that was once outside Sanctuary. A reminder, perhaps, of what had happened?

They all face outward, arrayed in a defensive pattern wide enough only to allow a single wagon at a time to pass, and only after going through several of the emplacements. Clearly they were taking no chances, even now. A handful of soldiers and Pokemon are still milling about, and a few more were visible up on the tops of the walls and in the lanternlight of the tower's windows. The gate was shut, a massive steel wall between the outside and inside, with heavy chains leading up...into that same fortification.

A pair of spotlights atop the structure sweep the sky, searching for signs of aerial invaders, but...tt doesn't seem like people from inside the city are truly what this is meant for. This is a way to keep people out, not in, though the soldiers all seem alert, ready for anything. Could it be they've been alerted? Or are Gigan soldiers just this well trained?

The factory is one of the few well-lit spots amid the darkened city. The superheated manufacturing furnaces burn bright even at night, lending an almost infernal quality to the surroundings, hellish lights dancing in the high-arched windows to create an almost unnatural pattern on the flagstones outside. High stone walls protect it from intrusion, but who would truly wish to approach a cathedral of industry like this without cause? The gates remain open, a delivery of supplies from the exterior outpost expected shortly, but pair of men toting advanced looking rifles stand sentinel.

The streets surrounding the factory are all empty, Stygian things, long devoid of inhabitants. The military had no desire for any outsiders seeing what came and went from their facility, and what buildings remained had clearly been turned into administrative buildings. The workers there had gone home for the night, leaving avenues of approach to the lightly guarded plant, and affording the party a handy vantage point from which to observe and plan...

Once the members of Group 7 breach the city, they have been instructed to surreptitiously make their way towards a large fountain in the northwest quarter of the city. As they arrive in the late evening, it is clear that they are entering the more prosperous part of the city – the streets seem cleaner, the houses are larger, and the towers are higher. Still, the oppressive, stale air remains…

As they arrive at the fountain, someone will call to them from the darkness.

"Good evening."

Rory Donnachaidh slides unobtrusively from the shadows to greet the invaders.

"What an unexpected surprise to see you all here."

Smiling blandly as he usually does, he points off towards the right, towards the base of one of the largest towers in Sanctuary.

"…As it so happens, I was just refused an appointment with the Council of Magi last week – they have no interest in speaking with Team Evolution until they reconvene next month, it seems. Perhaps you can convince them otherwise?"

A pause.

"Any questions before we go?"

With the addition of one surly Seeker Leader, Group 8 emerges from the tunnels in… actually, it doesn’t seem look like they’re within Sanctuary proper. They can see the towers of the city faintly from where they are once their eyes adjust to the darkness, but this walled off enclosure doesn’t seem meant to be viewed by the eyes of the populace. A few members of the resistance have accompanied them this far; as they begin to step out from the tunnels, the Sanctuary natives hang back.

"It is the sheerest luck that an opening has breached the outer walls… You will emerge in the courtyard; there may be more walls separating you from your destination. Take these."

An explosive of some sort is pressed into each group member’s hand.

"I fear we do not know the layout of this area any better than you – we will create a diversion for you, but the rest is in your hands! Godspeed!"

So saying, they disappear back into the darkness, leaving the group without much guidance to go on. As the rebels have said, they are currently in the outer courtyard… the main gates still lie before them.

...It may not be entirely clear what they’re supposed to do.

But mere moments later, a massive explosion rocks the walls on the side furthest from their location. The entire building lights up – shouts echo from every direction, and soldiers spill out from the front door, rushing towards the source of the noise.

Ceilto speaks up at this point, his red eyes gleaming faintly in the darkness.

"Let’s go. We don’t have much time to waste."

The group was perhaps a bit surprised to find that when they reached the facility, they were not given weapons or technology, but instead joined by three Magi researchers and a group of twenty figures, all in robes and hoods. None of them speak, and they all mutely obey the commands of the Magi, following the team to the operation zone. The Magi, on the other hand, are quite pleasant, engaging the team in conversation, asking about Union, the food, the city, and the traditions. They do, however, remain tight-lipped on the presence of the hooded figures, claiming that they’re not able to say much. Even more curious, when the tunnels are reached and the attack has begun, they hold back a bit. The leader, a rather genial Magi by the name of Alexander speaks somewhat sheepishly.

“Well, I guess this is it. It might be good for us to move on our own for now. Honestly, I’m not certain using our research tonight is the best of ideas, there are still some issues yet to be worked out. Maybe we can… hold them in reserve?

[Despite taking some pokeballs, Gil did not use them. His Scyther is here with him, if that ever becomes relevant.]

"I can go first, I guess. And last. As long as I can get food and tea I can probably just power through the whole trip." Gil said, absentmindedly. He was more interested in the command center itself. He wandered around, poking at everything, including the things you probably shouldn't be poking.

Edited 2015-05-30 06:03 (UTC)

Had he volunteered for this? He wasn't sure he had volunteered for this. He had intended to keep his healing on hand for anyone who might have gotten hurt in the conflict, but as they had shuffled along through the tunnels, Piyo had gotten claustrophobic and flown away, everyone was hard to make out in the darkness, and he had followed the people who seemed like they knew what they were doing.

Mistakes may have been made.

Still... There was no point in saying so now. Regardless of the mission, it was his duty to ensure that no one was hurt - if not that, to ensure that the wounds would cause minimal damage. And if that meant healing and protecting in the midst of combat, so be it.

"Ah - before we go further, can everyone hold still for a second?"

Piyo the Togetic is familiar with this routine by now. The boy, hands glowing a dark cyan, presses his hands against Piyo's... stubs, which gleam a faint corresponding yellow. The colors flicker for a moment before washing over everyone in the group - applying Light Screen and what amounts to Reflect, courtesy of Lucas's psychic abilities.

Waver will be joining this log.

There was something cold about how clean everything was, it's almost like someone went in to scrub all that's unwanted, the young man thought to himself as he gingerly touched his forehead. He felt a little off - but certain he can shrug it off, long as it doesn't interfere with his senses or his agility.

Sinbad looked to the others as the strange man appears, silently questioning if they're familiar with him, having only arrived at Union within the last few months. "What kind of guard are we going to have to convince?" He asked, not sure what to think of the stranger's smile.

What a piece of work. Sure, Usagi had heard about Valeria through the grape vine, but this was the first time really seeing the woman that's sitting so prettily across from them, mainly because she had been too preoccupied the year before. ~~Can't exactly look at people when you're trying not to swim in lava, after all.~~ It takes most of her self control not to give into her smart mouth tendencies. Especially when they were being talked down too....

Wait. Oh no. What did treacherous mean. Oh gosh. Oh fml... wait! If this weren't as serious of a situation as it was, there probably would be a light bulb appearing over Usagi's head as it kicks in just what the word meant. Thank goodness for Ami and her randomly long explanations about different things.

But, Usagi keeps her cool. She has Luna the Meowstic sitting on her shoulder and Pinky the Clefairy right by her side. Both their presence along with the others that are standing on the opposite side of the table is enough for Usagi so she doesn't make a fool of herself the first go around. "And what if we were here to have a serious conversation? It's not very polite to just assume that kind of thing about people who traveled a long way to get here!"

Orrr maybe not.

"Yeah! What she said!"

Negotiations doesn't help when she is the youngest of the group, but Rin did succeed in talking with Kuon when her Enhanced friend flooded the desert through words instead of violence. Plus she is strong enough to help defend the group in case things go wrong and improvement with words never hurt. However, this is a different story because the guards and this woman that she doesn't really know a lot about is going to be a hard nut to crack. It was also difficult to decide who goes with her, but in the end, smallest and fastest would be better for traveling. Emi the Emolga sits on her shoulder as she holds Rami the Sabelye into her arms, who is staring very deeply at Valeria with his straight expression.

"Nya... At least give us a chance to speak with you."

[OOC: Ezreal accepted the Pokeballs and is packing Charizard, Metagross, Tyranitar, Gyrados, and Electivire]

Too easy! Dragon! Spark! Fry them!

[Ezreal launches his own Pokeballs, and Charizard and Electivire emerge, launching a Flamethrower and Thunderbolt attack at the enemies. Who cares about defenses? Punch right through!]

Edited 2015-05-30 05:40 (UTC)

[OOC: Takuto has Golurk with him]

[Takuto has forgone his Divine Defense Force uniform in favor of something a bit more stealthy. With Tauburn, his Golurk behind him, he signals the others over questioningly. Take them out?]

[ OOC: Sanae opted against the Pokeballs and will have Flygon with her. Flygon is level 55 and Sanae is currently 54 (this will likely change quickly). ]

[ Sanae left her uniform packed away, although she took special care to unclip Natto's leaf from it, tacking it to her shirt. She couldn't rock the DDF clothes, but she would at least be a member in spirit.

Yousei the Flygon standing behind her at the ready, the priestess nodded in agreement. They needed clear entry in. She was ready whenever everyone else was. ]

Edited 2015-05-30 05:59 (UTC)

[Valor's feelings on tunnels: CAW CAW FUCK THIS SHIT.

Despite the disadvantage of a closed ceiling, Quinn took dispatching very seriously for disarming and immobilizing the grunts that came into their way. So far, so easy, but a challenge is just waiting to happen and she is not going to let her guard down by an inch. Approaching the group of men and watching the colorful barrier being placed in between them did make her raise an eyebrow. Valor, who is close to acting like a bird backpack on Quinn since he's too tall to sit on her shoulder in some areas, squawks loudly at the men. What he is saying is pretty much profanities that are too inappropriate for Quinn to translate into human tongue.

Since she opt out of the Pokeballs, it's just Valor with her instead of a proper team. Quinn holds her bird partner back from striking right as Ezreal unleashed his attacks. Let the ranged attacks finished before a physical assault.]

At least you are providing an actual fight for once!

[Sorry, those grunts were not much a big threat to her and Valor.]

-----

[ooc: Quinn opt out of Pokeballs and just has Valor on her as her chosen Pokémon.]

Edited 2015-05-30 06:02 (UTC)

[ OOC: Lux took the pokeballs. She has Dragonite, Rapidash, Scizor, Venusaur and Zoroark. All level 55, herself included. ]

[ This was easy. Too easy. There had to be a catch. Watching the soldiers closely, she tried to note of some kind of erratic movements, some kind of tell that they were being baited. They wouldn't be provoked, even if Valor did have to be held back.

She took out two pokeballs, one in each hand. ]

Let's go, boys!

[ Whether that was to her pokemon or to the guards in front of her, it was hard to say. Releasing her pokemon from their bonds, Doyle the Zoroark and Emil the Scizor appeared in a flash of light. ]

Doyle, with Ezreal! Emil, set-up!

[ Gathering a ball of dark energy at his torso, the Zoroark threw the Foul Play blast at the guards. Emil appeared to be preparing a Razor Wind attack (for the next round). ]

[OOC: Ishimaru is taking along his Lucario!]

[The young disciplinary leader is no less tense than the residents of Sanctuary around him. Looking around at the other members of his team, he silently curses himself for not getting out more. The emotional atmosphere is complex to say the least - one that he would need help deciphering in order to best handle the situation.]

Kuroda-kun! Are you able to determine the specifics of what these people are feeling?

Through their aura, yes.

[Speaking telepathically to all the members of their team, the Lucario by Ishimaru's side shuts its eyes, the dark appendages behind its ears beginning to rise. Considering the size of the population they've been assigned to protect, it won't be an immediate reading, but it's a good place to start.]

Ami inwardly sighed. Oh Usagi, you meant so well... She takes the guards in stride and regards Valeria calmly. Her gaze is not heated, her gaze is not accusatory. Instead, she merely takes in all there is to see; the weapons, the room, the guards. She has several plans for escape if need be to get them all out of there safely. She has Aurora beside her, the Luxray is tense. She has plans upon back up plans if something goes wrong.

But she also knows she has to be optimistic. She has to try. She keeps her hands folded atop the cool wood.

"Forgive my companions, they are quite impassioned and hoping to reach a peaceful means between our people and cities," she said, keeping her gaze locked on Valeria.

"Thank you, for seeing us, we are aware that you are an incredibly busy woman and that this is quite a task for you to take such time to speak with citizens of Union. However, I believe you will find that it is time well spent. This is no ploy. This is an honest attempt to seek a peaceful solution to the matter at hand. We have no desire to see anyone hurt, on any side. Surely, madam, someone as wise as you would at least listen to what we have to say rather than to waste valuable and precious resources on something that could potentially be easily avoided?" Ami kept her tone professional but polite, though her face did not belie her emotions one way or the other.

"Allow us, please, a chance to explain our position and reasoning on the matter."

Edited 2015-05-30 08:12 (UTC)

Rei looks at Rory with a raised eyebrow, and Sarek's eyes pulse with a sickly green light, as he approaches. She's not entirely fond of this person, based on past experiences, but if he's coming along then she doesn't exactly have much choice but to deal with it.

"We should get a move on and get that meeting scheduled then, yes?"

For a moment Lucca's not sure exactly what possessed her to agree to this. She's...not a soldier, not anymore, and all this talk about blackouts and liberation and stuff sounds awfully funny when parsed in her brain. She'd fought before, she knew how to fight, and she had her gear but this was just a whole new level.

The explosion snapped her out of it, though, and a stony hand reaching up for hers helps. Gato makes an odd mechanical sound and lurches forward a step, tugging her along. Her off-hand frees the freeze ray, and she seems ready.

"Yes, let's get this show on the road."

"Them." Not "it". Haruka may occasionally oversimplify things, but she knows a telling detail when she hears one.

She neglects to point it out, however, sending Flight the Reuniclus and Breeze the Ninjask out for one more sweep around the area. No point in getting the alert called on their movements before they've even begun to, well, move.

"Do you want guards or not?" she asks, since that seems to be the most pressing issue. She looks over at Michiru to confirm the other woman had noticed what she's noticed. Nothing ever stays simple, does it?

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Page 1 of 18

Attack on Sanctuary

Mission 1: Usagi, Ami, Totsuka, Rin, Minako and Pamela

Mission # 2: Gilgamesh, Banzu and Pearl

Mission # 3: Maka, Yukiko, Ishimaru, Yosuke, Martin and Matthias

Mission 4: Quinn, Ezreal, Lux, and Bilbo

Mission 5/9: Domri, Thorin, Lucas, Asemu, Duo, and Melaka

Mission 6: Takuto, Sanae, Feliks, Mami, and Makoto

Mission 7: Rei, Eiji, Right, Sinbad, Rise, Ankh

Mission 8: Chie, Morgiana, Hayato, Taki, Lucca, and Gordon

Mission 10: Yuuna, Merrill, Isabela, Michiru, Haruka, and Estelle

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Lucas: Togetic and Eevee

OOC Note

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Rei has Beheeyem, Groovyle, Arcanine, Charizard, and Pikachu

Lucca has Golett, Grimer, Magnemite, Houndour, and Rotom

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