Author Topic: East Moreland vignettes  (Read 5329 times)

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Offline DaveIronside

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East Moreland vignettes
« on: September 01, 2017, 08:46:29 AM »
OOC- 7,000th post....so figured it was time

The cold was biting and the darkness surrounded them, it had been a long trek, one of the longest they had done, it had actually been touch and go whether they could make it. They'd slogged ever onwards, one inch at a time they got closer to their destination, it was a journey that had come down to mere seconds. As they each felt their energy fading it seemed certain that they would simply just shut down and the blackness would envelope them. Then the beeping of their navigation system filled the airless darkness, they were here. They waited, and then minute by minute they got stronger as the sunlight touched their bodies. They waited for ten minutes and then tried to send their message, nothing, just the sound of silence came back. What would they do? Had they been left to their fate or was their a problem. With the first message returning nothing they tried again, a tense wait and then static, someone was out there. They sent their message again, but only more static, they'd give it one more go. With a last gasp effort the message was sent once more, this time however it was answered, a series of letters and numbers bounced back and they instantly began decoding it. Would they be coming for them? Was rescue at hand? It took them a good five minutes to work out what it meant and it wasn't good news, they were on their own. Isolated and left to themselves they had to work out what to do, first they needed rest, their energy levels from the long march across the uneven and rocky terrain had drained them and if they were to move again they'd need every bit of strength they could, and so they slept.

Hours later a buzz alerted them and each woke in turn, they checked themselves over and satisfied themselves everything was in good order, or as good an order as it could be. They turned forming a line pointing towards a new destination, it would take them several days of travel but now they felt stronger. The leader set off plodding his way towards a crater, they reached the edge and scanned the angle, it was safe enough and so the three lowered themselves down the gentle slop and across the rock pocked floor, at the other side they hesitated once more assessing whether this could be done, they determined it was and so, at a slow pace inched their way up and back on their way they went. Rocks were skirted, ravines climbed, at one point they'd had to link together to clamber up a small gully wall, one going first and pulling the others up, then repeating the process until the summit had been reached. The unstoppable urge filled them to get to the co-ordinates, it was all that filled them and then it came into view. They focused in on the sight before them, three great triangular marks knocked into the ground. They were not natural, nothing so uniform existed here, only jagged edges and razor sharp rock, the three of them headed down from the ridge, it took them a full thirty minutes to reach the appointed spot and then the messages were sent once more. This time it came through on the first attempt and the words were good. "Rest, We are Coming!"

Blinky, Solo and Bob, the Lunar 3 were going home.


OOC- Saved for prosperity as my 7,000th TIO post :)

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: East Moreland vignettes
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2020, 10:40:30 PM »
Monday 20th January 2020, Aldcliffe, East Moreland.

"Boss can I have a chat." Major Alex Redfern said as he gently knocked on the open office door of Red Legions Commanding Officer, Brigadier Kelly. The Red's may have been East Moreland's elite military unit but they flourished in the rather informal atmosphere that in many ways made them unique.

"Come on in" Kelly motioned to the arm chair that sat close to his desk. He left his paperwork on the desk, something he was only too delighted to do and joined Alex around a coffee table. "Pots still warm." He added as he picked up a stainless steel teapot from the centre of the table and poured himself one, Alex declined with a polite wave of his hand. "How was your trip down Tech City?" Kelly enquired after the recent week Redfern had spent visiting the different technology companies based there looking at their developments in search of any that could be of interest to the Legion.

"Very good" Alex spoke with glee, "Found a few potential new toys to keep our eyes on.....and this" he reached inside his pocket and produced what he hoped would be the key to success.

Tuesday 21th January 2020, Portworth, East Moreland. 11pm

"You are shitting me" Lt.Joe Wolfe exclaimed as the briefing finished.

"I shit you not" Redfern smiled, "and you Joe my boy are first up." The room chuckled, half in trepidation about what they were about to try and half in excitement at the thought of watching the huge officer try it.

"Shit" Joe exclaimed as he rose from his chair and began donning the equipment that Redfern had brought with him. "Couldn't you find anything bigger" the 6ft 4inches tall former bomb disposal officer questioned as he finally stood in the wetsuit and harness.

"Rest of you suit up and I'll see you out there in five minutes." He pulled Joe by the arm leading him outside. The man was old for a Lieutenant but that was because he'd risen from the ranks of the NCO's in his former unit before joining the Reds. He'd only been in the unit six months but Redfern liked him and thought it was a shame that the officer was only going to spend the twilight of his active military career in the Reds. "The guys expect you to lead by example OK. So when that back door opens I want you out sharpish. I've been told it'll be like being rugby tackled. You're big enough and ugly enough to put up with that aren't you."

"I guess we'll see" he tapped Alex on the shoulder before heading back into the briefing room. "OK no socks down pants guys just accept its cold outside and get your arses on the Badger." The six Red's filed past him and down to the dockside where the Ekrabadger and a RHIB were waiting. Redfern and four Red climbed into the RHIB and set off while the now wetsuit clad team climbed into the Ekra-Badger.

Twenty minutes later the RHIB was zooming around the dark ocean picking up the bobbing Legionnaires whose emergency beacons located their position. Redfern reached down and grabbed Wolfe hauling him aboard as the last of them. "How was it?" Alex asked him as one of the others handed the soggy officer a mug of warm blackcurrent juice and a blanket.

"Less like being rugby tackled, more like being hit by a bus." Wolfe's grin was just about visible in the darkness. "I reckon add 20 meters to it and it'll be more comfortable."

"Cool.......lets try it" The RHIB zoomed along and straight into the back of the Ekrabadger where instructions where hastily given to the crew before the RHIB took up position once more in the bay.

Thursday 23rd January 2020, Northfort Palace, East Moreland. 1pm

"This better be good Alex" King David tutted as he walked into his office. He had been due to go and address some petitioning environmental group but Redfern had told him he had something that was important.

Alex didn't say a word instead unzipped his black leather document folder and threw a photo on the table. "I've got the bitch" was all he said as he watched the King pick it up and a broad grin spread across his face.

"I'll be back in half an hour. Get everyone in the briefing room you need." David patted Alex on the back as he grabbed his jacket and exited to go and talk tree planting or something but the excitement of the talk ahead danced in his mind. It was perhaps the quickest 30 minutes in the history of the world, more like ten, before the King was heading down the lift into the briefing room. There were of course the usual faces, Minister of Defence Sir Harry Samuelson, General Katie Yacobs and her intelligence agency daughter Grace, Brigadier Kelly entered just after the King along with three Red Legionnaires the King didn't recognise and then the biggest surprise of all Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker. "What are you doing here?" The King enquired.

"Not a clue Your Majesty. Redfern just burst into my office, asked what security clearence I was, said good and told me to come here. If your sending me to invade Rokkenjima I'll be needing a knife and a grenade but OK." the pair chuckled as everyone began to take seats.

"Alex, the floor is yours." King David motioned for him to begin and sat back to absorb the nuggets of wisdom that were about to come forth.

AN HOUR LATER

"Downside we have some inventive speech writing ahead of us. Upside......I reckon I can get us a few million for the film rights." Tucker responded having rather enjoyed his first briefing on a military matter. Usually he was briefed once things had either happened or were underway and he was fine with that, this time however he understood why his insight had been requested.

"So Your Majesty what do you want to do?" The Brigadier asked.

"I'll make the phone call myself. It rests on them. If they say no, then its off, if they say yes then as soon as possible we go." The King replied. He reached towards the desk and picked up the phone. "If you'll all excuse me" he waited for the room to empty before speaking to Quinn Germaine on the other end, "Quinn, get me the Dartfordian's Prime Minister on the phone."  It took the King just over an hour to lay out what they needed and answer the questions that inevitably came but finally the approval he needed came. "Thank you." David hung up the phone and headed through the security door to where the group he'd been briefing with earlier were sat waiting. "Pack your bags you've a green light" David was sure he saw two of the Red Legionnaires high five as he broke the news.

Wednesday 29th January 2020, Somewhere off the coast of Dartfordia 4am

The REMNS Jekar had slowly slipped beneath the dark cold waters of the Alucard 12 hours ago. Now they sat just 10km off the target of Sea Towers. The old naval observation platform had been commandeered by the Borlanders nearly five years ago and had been left to its own devices for several reasons since then, first the fact that it was home to no more than ten people who barely scrapped by on smuggled supplies and fish. Secondly it sat on an old oil pipeline and experts agreed that this posed a danger of releasing oil into the Alucard, it just hadn't been worth the risk of an environmental disaster to deal with a handful of nutjobs, but now Redfern had a plan and stage one involved the submarine.

"You have to be joking." A naval rating had only just been told the plan by Tristian Rowe of Red Legion.

"We know what we're doing. Just get them loaded." Rowe picked up the first of the newly acquired Nano Drones "And for the love of Jekar be careful" he added as he remembered the modifications they'd had Wolfe carry out on them. Each drone was carefully slid into the tube until full. At which point it was capped off and loaded into the submarines specially adapted chute. In total 30 of the nano drones were ready, they'd need about half to reach the target for Stage 1 to be considered a success. Just as they'd finished the process the subs commander came over the intercom.

"All stations we have a go for drone launch, stand to." Rowe could hear a few feet scurry along the walkways and hatches open and close. "Launch room. Ready when you are." Rowe quickly checked things one last time and then picked up his own comms system giving him access to the Red Legionnaires for Stage 2. "Operation Pixie Dust is a go. Start your timer."

"Timer started" Wolfe's voice came back over the radio and Rowe immediately pushed a button the sound of compressed air rushing up a tube filled the room and he watched the instruments that showed the drone loaded tubes had deployed correctly. The screen before him suddenly showed a green version of the world above the surface, the nightvision camera working perfectly. He checked the compass heading and began manoeuvring the little drones towards their target. It would take them about twenty minutes to cover the distance and glanced at the screen, then to the timer, then to his instrument panel before returning to the screen. One drone had gone off line, that had been expected but he hoped to not lose anymore but saw two more lights go out before he even saw the SeaTowers platform come into view. "On target in 30 seconds" he informed Wolfe.

"Roger that. We're at the start point." Wolfe checked his equipment for the tenth time as he watched the other seven Legionnaires go through their routines in a kind of pantomime.

Rowe climbed the drones up to platform level confident the small size wouldn't have been detected in the early morning darkness. Once on board the platform he flicked a switch and the drones went into what SmartWar called auto-pilot. They would look to fly a wide circular pattern but sensors stopped them flying into walls and such like and so the semi-autonomous nature saw them spread out through the interior of the platform. Rowe watched each on a small section of screen and when the first seemed to encounter a person he pressed a button. The drone would have given a small pop as the tiny explosive went off, making no more noise than a kernal of corn popping in a microwave. A puff of Carfentanil was released and soon all 23 of the surviving drones had exploded creating clouds of the chemical all along the tower. Rowe watched as at least three figures collapsed and was sure one of them was even having some kind of fit.

With almost perfect timing the rear door of the Ekrabadger opened and the roar of the engines filled the rear. The eight man team took up position bracing themselves against the side of the low flying vehicle. They could feel the odd spray of the ocean on their gear as they whipped along. "Twenty seconds" The Air Loadmaster signalled to them, it was no good saying it, the sound was too loud and the men weren't wearing any connection to the intercom. The loadmaster's hand hovered over a button that would turn the lights in the back green indicating it was time. The men knew as they felt the Ekrabadger climb slightly and then the green light came. Wolfe hesitated slightly, took a deep breath and pulled the parachute release hard as he pushed himself towards the blackness. He felt the slipstream take him, the chute opened and he hung in the air for a moment or two before splashing down in the sea, what air he had in his lungs rushed out of him as he hit the surface hard but just as he had in those tests at Portworth he soon regained his composure. The Ekrabadger was gone now heading into its lap where it would launch the fast boats that would provide the final part of the operation. SeaTowers was just fifty meters away and a few shapes could be seen moving, they needed to be quick. The men had been selected for their swimming skills and swiftly tossed their ropes into the rigging and clambered up them. On deck they removed the MP5's from the dry bags, quickly checked them for damage and pressed on towards the shapes they saw moving.

An alarm began to blare out indicating that the Carfentanil hadn't got everyone. The Red's moved towards what they understood was the command room while two of them headed towards the boats stored on deck. Wolfe and his men began searching room to room their respirators protecting them from any lingering gas. They came across the first slumped body and a Legionnaire checked for a pulse, Wolfe watched as the man shrugged his shoulders and pressed on, the Borlander dead. They came to the door to what they believed was the main centre of the platform. A hefty size nine boot kicked in the door and the moving shadow found three rounds flick its way causing it to fly backwards. Wolfe rushed forward and peered down at the moaning body for just a split second before putting two rounds in its head. The ever moving search went on, a few more slumped dead bodies, then one who was seeming to have a fit. One of the Red's knelt and began reaching into his belt pouch for a syringe of naloxone which they'd been issued incase any of the Red's came into contact with the Carfentanil or found hostages. "What the hell you doing" Wolfe pushed forward along the corridor grabbing the Legionnaire before he could inject the Borlander having convulsions. "Save that shit" he instructed as he fired his MP5 into the Borlanders skull. Soon they'd cleared the buildings but gunfire could be heard from the boat deck. The team moved outside and could see the Ekrabadger now at rest deploying the boats. It seemed some Borlanders had taken refuge among the boats on deck and were firing at anything that seemed to move. A burst of heavy machine gun fire raked the deck as the Air Loadmaster of the Ekrabadger turned its massive guns towards the incoming fire. "What the hell" Wolfe exclaimed as he got behind a solid looking metal frame and heard rounds ping off. "Badger hold your fire. Red's on deck" he urged and breathed a sigh of relief as the heavy machine gun stopped almost immediately. The Borlanders, two of them using the gunwhales of two small speed boats as cover kept firing bursts at the Red's who knowing sooner or later the Borlanders would run out of ammunition were content to just sit behind cover.

"I'm bored of this shit" one of the Red's said after about five minutes of this stand off and disappeared off crawling on his belly. He managed to make his way along the deck behind a series of piled crates until he reached a position close to the Borlanders. He reached onto his belt and took off a flashbang, didn't bother to pull the pin and just tossed it into one of the boats the Borlanders were using for cover. There was an instant sound of panic as the last hold outs believed it was a grenade they'd heard rattling around. The panic gave enough time for Wolfe and another Red to close the distance and spray over the ships sides a burst of gunfire. A scream pierced the air as one of the Borlanders howled in pain while the other slumped lifeless against the deck. Wolfe stood upright, clambered over the side of the boat where the man was screaming and realising his MP5 was empty unholstered his pistol and fired once into the mans forehead executing him on the spot. A last sweep of the instillation found no other signs of resistance. Wolfe ordered the men to put the Borlanders into body bags for transfer to the Ekrabadger and sat down with his radio. "All stations this is Pixie Leader" he chuckled at the call sign. "Objective secure. Let the Dartfordians know we've got their platform back."

"Will do" Redfern's voice came over the radio, he'd been monitoring it all from Ostlake command where David had been sat listening on. David was already picking up the phone and just gave his friend and brother in law a thumbs up.

"Mr.Cleaver" King David said when he was put through to the Dartfordian Prime Minister. "I am informing you of the success of our operation. SeaTowers is under East Moreland control and after we recover our equipment and make the site safe we shall be happy to hand it over to Dartfordia. Thank you for the use of your facilities it is greatly appreciated."

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: East Moreland vignettes
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2020, 11:34:27 PM »
It had become somewhat of a monthly ritual thanks to Stasya's irregular cycle of periods. She though knew better than to be as edgy as her husband was. David was as usual waiting in the living room of their suite his fingers crossed hoping for a positive result but Stasya knew she could take the test a million times and the results would always be the same. She waited patiently for the pregnancy test to do its business and when the inevitable negative came in still found herself saying a silent thanks to Sessifet and then Marissa that the contraceptive implant that David thought she'd had removed was working its magic. She prepared herself for the monthly commisseration of her husband. Her desire to not conceive despite his hopes wasn't malicious, just that she was still young and had no desire to have her body become all lumpy thanks to carrying a child she didn't yet want for 9 months. David though was desperate to be a father again and she took her duty to ensure the King was happy in as many ways possible seriously. As such she had been doing this for the last four months and now her familiar sad face fixed and checked in the mirror she unlocked the bathroom door and headed out.

"Well" David predicatbly stood and turned looking hopeful that this would be the month. He would love to be able to head downstairs and tell Rhiannon that she could expect another brother or sister. While the 7 year old might have her half brother Oliver she only saw him once or twice a week and as David knew from his own experiences of looking after Caspian the poor boys Hunter Syndrome meant that he wasn't an active boy that Rhiannon could build a relationship with. David knew she'd be an amazing big sister and longed desperatly that Stasya was now about to give him the good news.

The shake of her head and hunched shoulders told the King his answer long before Stasya said, "Sorry" she did her best to appear as though she was about to cry and instinctively David wrapped her up in his arms. "I was certain this would be it." she began to sob a little to add to the deceit that she was conjuring.

"It'll happen" David held her tight for a while before taking the negative pregnancy test from her and having given it a swift hopeful glance wishing that Stasya had misread it he crossed to the kitchen bin and dropped it inside. "When Marissa thinks we are ready to be parents she'll give us a child." he said confidently as he took hold of Stasya's hand. "You're still young enough to have plenty of children and I'm not exactly over the hill.....at least not yet." The pair smiled at each other David pleased that Stasya didn't seem too sad about their lack of impending arrival of a child.

"I just know how happy it will make you." She rested her head on his chest as they stood there in the kitchen for a moment or two. "I'm sure though I can find other ways" the sadness had been replaced with a mischievious twinkle in her eyes as she took a step back and begun unbuttoning his shirt. "Perhaps we just need more practice" she had unbuttoned one of the shirts first buttons and was beginning on the second when her husband placed his hands on hers trapping them against his chest.

"As much as I'd love to I've a meeting in five minutes" He placed her hands down by her side and refastened the button and despite his desire for her settled simply for a kiss instead. "Next month will be the one." he said confidently, "We'll begin working on it tonight" the pair laughed as David kissed her hand and headed with a slightly heavy heart towards the door. Stasya meanwhile was delighted, another performance had been successfully navigated and for for now she could forget about the need to feel excited about the prospect, at least for another month. Naturally at the back of her mind there was always the fear of the implant failing but for the past 6 years they'd never let her down and she didn't think they'd start now. She headed into her dressing room and began flicking through the huge racks of dresses, she'd pick out a nice one and with Rhiannon at her mother's tonight she'd ensure she and David had a romantic evening in thus reinforcing the idea that she was pleased to keep trying to conceive. She struggled to find one she hadn't worn before and thought perhaps a trip to Lodja to visit Jasmina was necessary to restock the walk in closet the size of a small country. The Morelanders just didn't get fashion, and as quick as that the thought of a baby was out of her mind.

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: East Moreland vignettes
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2022, 05:46:17 PM »
The team began to gather in Brigadier Corey's office just as Grace Yacobs arrived. She had visited Aldfield Barracks several times in her role as an intelligence adviser to the military but this was her first visit with the new Brigadier. The senior officer of Red Legion may have left but his office remained largely the same, Corey had left the same regimental art on the walls, the book case remained and the only changes seemed to be in the family photos on the desk. "Good morning Miss Yacobs" the Brigadier greeted her as she entered the office finding Alex Redfern, Sgt Olly Thomas and Seb Johnson already seated. Corey was busy shuffling papers on his large desk. "Lets not stand on ceremony, Miss Yacobs is this media talk real?" He hardly looked up from his papers as Grace prepared to answer.

Grace was used to these kind of briefings and many of those around the table were familiar faces to her so she knew exactly how to pitch things. "Indeed. Earlier today the Achkaerin protected convoy of Crown Princess Asuna of Rokkenjima was hit by as yet unknown forces and in the fire fight that followed she was abducted. As of yet we don't know who by or what for. There is however the coincidence that this happens on the same day that Charles Ofdensen gets released from court."

"If we'd have just sunk his boat all those years ago then that'd solve that problem." Thomas explained as it had been men from his team that had abducted Ofdensen and ensured he faced trial. "These lawyers are just arseholes, a bullet would have sorted all this out. You telling me that Achkaerin couldn't find some lifer in jail who would shank Ofdensen then you just stand back and let biology and gravity sort him out." The team had all been in favour of sinking his boat at the time but politicians had ruled otherwise and now Red Legion could safely say "we told you so."

"Well the problem is we have no idea yet who has her or why." Grace repeated. "As such the aim will be to monitor our usual underworld sources. The guys who pulled this off must be professionals and so the petty criminal underworld is likely off the table. So we have put feelers out to private military contractors who have been rather helpful in the past. If some of their guys have gone missing then we could potentially imagine them being involved in this."

"We shouldn't rule out the Justicar back catalouge" Seb said, "As a nation they have lost a Princess or two in the past and we know they've been tasked with looking after the Rokkenjiman security. Who the fuck doesn't cover their own security?" It had been rather surprising to the Morelanders that for a long time now the Rokkenjiman's had handed over close protection duties to the Justicars of Achkaerin. Even if their own agency had been infiltrated the Reds thought that by now they'd have replaced the East Moreland equivalent agency long ago. There were various discussions about different approaches they would take and just before lunch time the briefing was over.

As the meeting broke away Alex phoned the King and filled him in on what had been said, of course he would be getting his own briefings but that was something Alex knew wouldn't have on the table what the two of them would now discuss. "Alex you know what my view is." David began to explain, "They thinned out the rouge Rokkenjimans and if they get a chance to I want the Nightwitches to take out Ofdensen."

"Roger that" Alex replied as he hung up the phone.