Cyber Wars Ch. 13: "Fallen Knights"

[Darth SS]

Angel snorted, and said, "Ya' mean Eastern Canada?" He pulled up a map, and showed them where Labrador was.

"Only in the winter does it break freezing temperature. Now, Newfoundland is actually much better, because it's a very solid landmass that has nice refreshing water during the summer months, and just ices really quickly during the winter. All things considered, things could be goin' a LOT worse."

OOC: Assuming we're fall/spring. Preferably spring.

[Wolf99x]

OOC: (twitch) let's not turn this into a battle of wits in terms of Canadian geography. In theory, Newfoundland & Labrador would be in the Northeast. They are on the easternmost part of Canada, and basically the furthest north that you'll find 2 people within 10 miles of each other. Furthermore, the Labrador Sea is constantly hit by the Labrador Current, A cold-air current. Ergo, that water is cold...although Miller may have been exaggerating. And for the record, we're somewhere in May or June I think.

BIC:

Wolf put a hand up. "Nobody was questioning how bad things COULD get, and we're not turning this into 8th grade geography. Let's just agree that we need to get over there and fast."

"So it's time for another round of 'piss off the general'?" Kaitlin asked expectantly.

"Exactly" Wolf said with a devilish grin.

[Zephie]

(( I hate you guys again. :p

Kidding. ^^ But... next time something like this happens, and you don't feel like waiting for me to get back from work, someone please take control of Wraith, just so that he's at least there. He's not that complex a character, just have him come in and sit down and nod. He's a pretty quiet guy, anyway. ))

Wraith was in the middle of a guitar session when he got Wolf's first message, having just gone off-duty and showered since he'd been on the graveyard shift last night. He'd put his stuff up hastily and turned it off and was just about to call the teams when Wolf's second message came through. Naturally, he sent a quick acknowledgement and hurried down to the briefing room. He'd walked in just after Miller had started the disc in the player and stood around silently, and now asks quite simply, "Why don't we just blow it after we evac, if it's that important? Unless it's just that important?"

(( See? ))

[Wolf99x]

OOC: I'll do that in the future. Sorry about that.

BIC: Wolf looked over at Wraith. "It kind of is that important. The skybases are expensive to build, and there are only 3 of them in existence as a result. But you do have a point there."

He adressed all of the gathered soldiers.

"If worse comes to worse, I say we blow it up. It may turn out to be the only way to keep Mastermind from getting the weapons tech he so desperately wants."

Miller nodded slightly in agreement.

[Zephie]

(( S'okay, don't think too much of it. It's just that I check these forums much more often than I post 'cause, well, I only post when I have something to say or am addressed. ; ))

"Makes sense," Wraith adds with a nod.

[batgirl]

The shrill morning whistle woke Jade as usual. She groggily got up and stretched. After washing her face and putting her hair up, she was chained and ushered out of her cell with the other inmates. As they passed through the corridor to the mess hall, their barcodes were scanned and they were handed a tray. After receiving her colorless breakfast, Jade sat down alone to eat silently. As she looked down at her food, a shadow loomed over her. She looked up, it was one of the inmates; a mountain of a woman flanked by two similar but smaller lackeys. She was smirking, Jade just looked down again. "Hey! How come you never say nothing? You always sit here by yourself." No response. "I was talking to you!" "Don't mind her boss, she's probably a mute or one of those 'tarded ones." "Nah, I hear she was a military captain or something and she got thrown in here for screwing with Mastermind or somethin'." "Is that so? Well I don't like military type, nor do I like silent girls who think they're better than me. Get up!" Jade didn't move. "I said get up!" The woman grabbed Jade by the collar and pulled her to a standing position. "I...don't want to fight..." "Well that makes it easier for me then." The woman dropped Jade and pushed her back. The guards helped the prisoners move the tables, sensing a fight and a good chance to make some money was nearing. One by one they began shouting out bets. "50 cigs on Viper!" "75 says scrawny girl will kick her ass!" Viper began to trash talk. "You ain't nothin'! Useless! Waste of air, I'm gonna free up another cell tonight by whipping your sorry ass all the way to the morgue." Jade just stood there, but her adrenaline was pumping. Viper came at her with a right cross which hit squarely on Jade's jaw. However, Jade didn't even flinch, her nanos kicked in at full power and she didn't feel a thing. Viper looked shocked. The old Jade might have fought her, the Jade from the prison until now would have walked away or taken the beating, but no more. Jade's blood was boiling, she was tired of the beatings and this woman who decided to challenge her was going to be the target for her rage. "No more! I won't take it!" Jade delivered a savage spin kick to Viper's face. Blood spewed out from her nose and mouth as her nose and jaw bones craked under the force of a slightly nano-augmented kick. "Shit!" Viper began punching wildly, all of which Jade easily avoided. She delivered a knee to Viper's gut and a vicious uppercut. Viper rose in the air a few feet and landed with a thud. The crowd was cheering this whole time for blood and gore. Well, they got it. Viper lay in a bloody mess on the floor. The second she hit the ground the guards jumped Jade while two of them dragged Viper away to the infirmary. Jade thrashed about and managed to get out of the dogpile and take out a few guards. She was tiring quick though, using her nanos while being deprived of sleep and food wore her out rapidly. Soon the guards were on her again in force and she couldnt break free. The captain of the guards yelled "take her to the hole and lock this place down!" as they kicked Jade in the stomach and dragged her now unconscoius body down a dark corridor and to the hole.

[Darth SS]

OOC: I live in Canada, and I have hit the east coast once or twice. However, I guess that "cold" is all relative. And I feel I should point out I thought Saskatchewatonian winters were a bitch...then I spent a week in Levis. THAT WAS COLD.

IC: "Well, while I'm normally all for the fix it with an explosion solution, have we considered that there might be technology that we can use?"

He leaned back in his chair, grinning slightly. "Nice gut-shot to Mastermind, and it'd fall under spoils of war."

[Wolf99x]

Wolf had to agree with Angel, especially since he had been thinking the same thing. He turned to Miller.

"Yeah, what exactly, technology wise, is on the Skybase?"

Miller thought for a second. "Well, there are a few OTAVs, including experimental stealth models. There are also numerous prototype firearms, most of which you helped test when you worked for FLAG last year."

Wolf nodded, "Well...can we possibly use any of that against Mastermind while we're in the Skybase?"

Miller nodded. "The guns are in an armory that hasn't yet been broken into. It's located in the middle of the ship." He pushed a few buttons and it displayed a map of the Skybase with the armory highlighted. "The OTAVs and all other fightercraft are held in an internal hangar until they get raised to the flight deck on top by a cargo elevator. We sabotaged that elevator before Mastermind could steal the OTAVs. Alternately, the OTAVs can be flown out through a side hangar, but we encrypted the hangar door locks pretty well. Still...Mastermind could break through. If at all possible, Knight wants us to get all the OTAVs out of the ship, especially if we have to destroy it...as well as as many firearms as possible."

"Well..." Wolf said. "At least I know our insertion point." he pointed to the top of the Skybase, above the armory. "That way we can keep the weapons out of Mastermind's hands."

He stood up. "Wraith, Angel, get a couple stealth helicopters ready in Hangar 1. I'll be right back after I give the general and his wormy sidekick another coronary."

He walked out of the briefing room and headed towards the administrative offices.

Arriving at the General's office, he knocked on the door. The general's voice came shouting at him

"Whatever it is you want, you ain't getting it!"

The XO added his 2 cents as well. "Yeah, what he said!"

Wolf sighed, and pulled out a piece of paper. Just as he was about to slide it under the door, Kaitlin walked up to him, twirling a throwing knife in her hand.

"Let me deliver it" she said grinning.

Wolf handed her the letter. She speared it on the knife, opened the door, and threw the knife into the office. There was a meaty thwock! sound, followed by the first officer screaming his head off in pain.

"ARGH!!! Sir, she's stuck my hand to your desk!"

Wolf laughed as he slammed the door shut. "Nice throw."

"Thanks, what was on that letter anyways?"

"Oh, the usual UNODIR. Except I added a line about if he stopped me from doing this, I'd have to shoot him for every innnocent life harmed by inaction."

"Think he's read it yet?"

There was another howling scream from the office.

"Yes." Wolf and Kaitlin burst out laughing as they headed towards hangar 1.

OOC: UNODIR means UNless Otherwise DIRected.

[MC43]

OOC: All right, I just want everyone to know that, yes, I am still alive (if any of you care enough about me). I've been kinda busy the past while, what with the last few weeks of school (You know, the final run to make sure one's grades are up to par with parents, you know, those couple final weeks), and as an added twist, I've been asked to sing at my cousin's wedding which happens to be today. I'll get a post up as soon as I can, but I can't say when that will be. I'll be back, I promise.

[Toshiro]

The prisoner's steely grey eyes unnerved the guard meant to question him today. He'd heard stories, most of them were probably just BS to scare the new guys, like the story that he'd been here longer than any other prisoner, but there was some stuff... he'd seen the guy go through an entire session in stone-faced silence, never answered a question, never cryed out when they hit him.

"What is your name?" The guard asked, looking at a clipboard. The prisoner looked at him for a moment, they way a cat watches a person going about their daily routine, and looked straight ahead and answered.

"Madigan, Leon. Lieutenant. 001984." The guard looked nervous.

"Do you know why you are here?" Leon paused to think for a moment before replying, "Because it was a convenient place to hide me away, they were hoping I'd get beaten to death by now I'm sure." He glanced at a few of the others and winked just as the guard's baton jabbed him in the gut.

"Do you know why you are here?" the guard repeated.

"Because it's just so damn fun, playing with guys like you all the time." The guard almost looked distressed at that, his face suddenly hardened again and he brought his baton down on Leon's shoulder. Leon gave a slight grunt and fell forward, placing a hand on the guard's chest, seemingly trying to keep from falling. He righted himself and stood up slowly. The guard stared at him for a moment, and then continued.

"Do you understand why you are here?" Leon seemed only partly interested as he looked around at the other prisoners in the room, most being questioned, some being beaten. He looked back at the guard, who shifted uncomfortably at this.

"Yes. I killed someone, which led to my execution, and now I'm here, because they don't want anyone else to know. And when we are finished here." He leaned in close to the guard, "I'm probably going to kill you."

The guard suddenly blanched, and for a moment that seemed to last forever, it seemed he would do nothing. Once again however, he gathered himself and brought the baton to bear. This time, before he could strike, his face suddenly contorted in pain and he fell to his knees clutching at his arm and struggling to breathe. In the ensuing chaos, Leon looked right at Jade, catching her attention before fainting and dropping to the floor. Jade was the only one who noticed his hand brush across the guard's neck as he fell. The guard's breathing quickly returned and he kept looking from Leon, unconcious on the floor, to the other guards and back again, confused and frightened.

That was the first day anyone could remember a reformation session ending early.