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Topic: Guns, Goblins, and Steel Monday Nights Campaign (Read 2278 times) |
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TheBaldMan
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Recently demoted Corporal McDonald is anxious to prove himself once again in combat. An unwanted promotion sent him to a desk job with a nightmare of paperwork that set him to plot his way back into action. A couple of errant order forms that sent the General the wrong ointment and gave him a very bad rash did the trick; a little better than he had wanted. Who said his special ops training couldn't be used at a desk? But at least he was back in the action side of the Army, and just in time.
It seemed they needed his special talents with heavy weapons. They even seemed apologetic about his demotion! Something big was going to happen and he had been order to join a new squad. Now if he could just tolerate these wet behind the ear morons that seem to be leading everyone about. No, he thought, keep an open mind! There had to be at least one good leader out there among those young pups...
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| « Last Edit: on: Apr 7, 2008, 10:43PM » |
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Jenniza
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ooc: in the end, it was the easiest way (in the shortest time) to give you all a feel for of my character's appearance and fluidity and personality... hence no portrait or portrait pack for tonight.
With some discussion with LB, she's been in the region for some time (TBD). I'll resolve that later in the overall story/filming of the series.
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Smart Alec
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PERSONAL NOTES:
Of all the officers I've had under my command, Joseph Abnett is the one who has managed to surprise me the most. Firstly, by actually completing a full tour of duty here in Baghdad rather than simply being transferred out in six months after ticking the box that says 'combat experience'. Secondly, by actually being a good soldier.
I've not often had an officer capable at handling both diplomacy with friendly Iraqi elements as well as battlefield command. Abnett has demonstrated skill at both while commanding 7th Platoon after his promotion to 1st Lieutenant. Under his command, 7th Platoon have earned consistent praise for their discipline and dedication, and earned a citation for valorous service during Operation Rawhide, the same action that saw Abnett earn the Silver Star.
Though I hate to lose him, I heartily endorse Abnett's reassignment to this undertaking.
Major J. Markham, 3rd.
***
COMBAT REPORT [excerpt]: Operation 'Rawhide'
... Despite being outflanked by Iraqi insurgents as they attempted to execute a breakout of the 3rd Army's cordons, 7th Platoon executed a swift withdrawl and redeploy action, engaging the lead elements of the insurgent force in a firefight for control of three main streets and seven smaller thoroughfares.
7th Platoon's adroit redeployment and their establishment of several key fall-back positions prior to the breakout allowed them to keep the lead elements of the insurgent force pinned and unable to advance for over 45 minutes, allowing other elements of the 3rd Army to re-establish the cordon and begin harrying the rest of the Iraqi column.
Enemy casualties: 45 dead, 100+ wounded, 22 prisoners, and at least 4 half-track heavy vehicles destroyed or damaged. US Casualties: 5 dead, 18 wounded.
It should be noted that over a quarter of the enemy casualties were caused before the cordon could be re-established. For this impressive tally, and for an excellent performance under fire that potentially salvaged the operation, I would like to recommend...
***
"It's official," Markham nodded. "You're on the list, Joe. I've talked you up as best I can; It's in the hands of the DoD now."
Captain Abnett stood to attention in the tent, nodding thanks in that solemn, sincere way of his. You could say one thing for the man - he took everything seriously, and sincerely. In other men that could be maddeningly overbearing and joyless, but somehow, Abnett managed to pull it off.
"If they do pick you for this, you'll be expected to pick two or three men in turn," Markham went on. "It's my understanding that they want a small group that knows how to work together."
The younger man smiled; a strange, lopsided smile that suggested some private joke or observation that, frankly, escaped Markham. "I'll have my recommendation for those two on your desk by 1800, sir."
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| « Last Edit: on: Apr 8, 2008, 1:21AM » |
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Lazybones
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I'll open the server up about 15 minutes prior to game time, to give those of you who need to prep new characters some time to level. I'll bump everyone up to 100,000 experience points at the start of play. Remember that we're only using the fighting/sneaking classes this time around, and no magic use.
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Lazybones
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And a great epilogue to our campaign, everyone! Looking forward to seeing who everyone comes up with for the start of X-COM next week.
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Smart Alec
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One last epilogue before we say goodbye, that may be a daydream, or a dream, or a morphine-induced vision, or even just a wish; but then, it might just be real. 
***
And that had been that; Operation Duck-Hunt. Target eliminated; the souls of so many innocent and not-so-innocent men and women put to rest, given justice. Joe hoped that was the case. It made the wounds seem worth it; it made the whole thing make sense.
Swathed in bandages and strapped into a seat, the Captain looked over at the rest. Aguirre, who'd grown from the timid man he remembered meeting in Baghdad to a soldier prepared to face his commander down in the name of safe strategy. Rusty, the good soldier who'd covered his back, yet again. And the other three; the ice-cold woman from the CIA, who had gotten a little colour back thanks to antivenin, even if there was no triumph in her face. And the two hard-as-nails Marines, grinning and backslapping, happy to have taken part in something History would hopefully remember.
Joe hoped it would. It was not a vain thought... or maybe it was, he corrected himself. He'd found a belief in destiny, and fate, and in righteousness, while fighting in a land far away. And here, he'd seen it vindicated, again. They'd cast down a great villain, a man whose punishment in the next life simply could not wait. It had been a rush; the knowledge that once again, he was on The Right Path once more.He'd gotten a lot more scrapes, bruises and outright gunshot wounds than last time, but it had all been good.
And none of us even died. How did we pull that off?
So why was he feeling so distant now, so sad? Was it the adrenalin fading, or the morphine? Or was it the realisation that this rush, this knowledge of beautiful destiny would never come again? He was only 29, he reflected - to have overcome the greatest challenges that Life and Fate were going to set him before his 30th birthday seemed somehow... melancholy.
Ah, well, he thought. Now was not the time for solemn introspection. Maybe I'll write a book.
That curious thought followed him into sleep as the drugs and the weariness finally overcame the sound of the wind.
***
The explosion jolted him out of his doze, and he looked around, wildly trying to remember where he was. Panic in the faces around him; a boneshaking flutter in the walls of the Chinook that he instinctively knew was bad.
There was only one feeling in common amongst them all, now - worry, and fear. Is someone shooting at us?
"Just hold on!" he heard Major Harris yell from the cockpit. "The chances of a ground to air missile hitting us at this altitude are -"
Harris's yells became sudden, sharp screams as fire engulfed the cockpit, and the smells of smoke, fyceline and death blew through the Chinook as it lurched one final time. With weightless inevitability, the helicopter's rotors fell silent, and the whole craft began to fall out of the sky. He heard someone scream, and wondered if it was him.
As the world rose up to meet them, and Joe's stomach flipped over and over, his last feelings were of a terrible fatalism. You meet your destiny - and then, you die...
They crashed.
***
There was a flash of light, so intense it hung in front of the eyes; and a landscape of brilliant blue, stretching on into infinity. He could hear voices - yells of alarm, curses, screams, cries of confusion, all coming from far away. Am I dead? He thought. It wasn't until the second flash of light that he realised how familiar those sounds and thoughts were -
- and in an instant, his senses were back; a circle of runes marked a boundary on the stone floor before him. He could hear the groans of his sergeant, the gasps of his specialist... and the panicked, bewildered noises coming from the special forces men and the CIA agent.
It's alright, he willed, not yet ready to speak. It's... better than alright.
And as he thought it, it became true; as four faces Joe had thought lost forever stepped forward, greeting and smiling. A solemn-looking priest, in golden robes. A sharp-faced, dark-skinned man with a flicker of flame at his fingers. A radiant, bright-eyed woman in red, a staff in one hand and a small, gurgling bundle held protectively in the other. And a scarred, bearded giant in ornate armour, who - to Joe's surprise and delight - gave him the most perfect American salute with tears in his eyes.
And more people, ringing them all in the now-cramped wizard's study - some familiar, some not. He could feel the desperation in the air, the hope and relief in the eyes of the Camarians, and he knew that he - that they - were needed for something.
Limping out of the circle, battered and bandaged, Joe returned Phil's salute. He might have been half-dead, but he knew he'd never felt so alive as at this moment.
Because it wasn't over... not yet.
Joe took his first breath of Camarian air for two years, and smiled. "Report."
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| « Last Edit: on: Apr 8, 2008, 4:33AM » |
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Jenniza
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The twins looked at each other and stared, Oki spoke first, "Sarah? What are you doing here?"
Susan looked back at her, then at the others, "Hey Oki, never thought I'd be seeing you again. I'm glad you and your baby are doing well. Do I get to meet Ade?" She smiled for the first time since joining the others.
Oki was shocked but happy, "How did you know?"
Susan obviously also Sarah, "I saw the fake interview and the real videos you made. Wild stuff, it explained a lot of things. There's a lot of things you didn't know about me, sis."
Oki went over and hugged Sarah and showed her the baby, "His name is Tommy."
Oki and Sarah turned to the others and thanked them for saving their lives and this odd twist of fate reunion. Oki was the one that managed to give out hugs to the others.
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| « Last Edit: on: Apr 8, 2008, 7:20PM » |
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Jenniza
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Oki explained to ... CAPTAIN Abnett as she was corrected by Sarah, that FOX Entertainment would after a couple of years slowly release the movie series of their journies as a form of fiction to slowly introduce the people of Earth to the concepts of Camar and interplanar travel, much as the Stargate series did for interplanatery and intergalatic travel through wormholes in space through gate travel. Urban legends would then be leaked as to whether there was any truth to the Camar saga over he course of several years and they'd see how Earth would handle things from there.
Now that all the chips were on the table, it seemed that the CIA was just as much on the ball as FOX News in this. The cover stories for each of them varied as to their involvement; but, basically overall the idea was to pass on the illusion that all was well on Earth and life was normal. Those that went missing would be missed. Steps had been taken back on Earth to cover their tracks in such eventualities as another portal opening and people disappearing to Camar. It wasn't clear how this was to be noted; but, it was more hypothesized when it came to this group.
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| « Last Edit: on: Apr 8, 2008, 7:24PM » |
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Jenniza
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As they continued their reunion of joy and bafflement, Sarah went on to explain to Oki and the others, "On the day that Oki and Tom were taken hostage, two other CIA operatives were taken as well. We were not able to retrieve them. Our intelligence led to you retrieving my sister... and apparently your unintended journeys to Camar. We've been tracking things since then as best as possible trying to clean up things when we learned of Oki's tapes after she left and her boss contacted the government as she and him had agreed. Oki apparently never knew it would lead back to me." She grinned at her sister. "Sorry, Oki, for the deception about working for the Peace Corps all these years. As for why you may or may not have noticed our similarities, outside of immediate familiy, most have trouble noticing I've been wearing contacts and dying my hair since high school. I've kind of gotten so used to it now that I barely think about it."
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I thought maybe it was a technical issue on my end. 
