Celestia's Finest: Old World Blues

[DigoDragon]

"We're soldiers, from Equestria," Rose answers. "The CPI attacked us, tried to kill some friends with their strange tech. We decided to take the fight to them instead of just sitting around. They got a mad genius named Hyper Thought building them super weapons."

Rose rubs the back of her neck. She felt this air of impatience down on her. "We managed to take down their best airship, but it wasn't easy. Yes, we could use the help to take the CPI down. Nothing too hard. Just draw their attention from their main hub in Ashtown so we can get at Hyper Thought. There'd be plenty of good loot for y'all in it. Recognition, territory... All that good stuff. We just want to stop their tech supplier."

[Elbeyon]

"My name is Partial Charge. Everyone calls me Love. I'm from the Junk Town way south on the coast by Black Skull Island. It's a little ways away from the edge of the Sea of Clouds."

Love tries to keep their attention. "Stumbled across everyone isn't actually a bad way to describe how we ended up here." Love lays out some truth. "In the last day, we've dealt with a mess of killer and down right weird vault tech. The last of which was bombs set to blow this place away; that we dismantled. Everyone here is alive because of us. Yeah, we're taking advantage of the situation we stumbled upon. We didn't have to wake anyone up, but a room full of bosses would be stupid to pass up and ignore. We're simply being opportunistic with the situation presented to us to gain your attention."

"The CPI enslaved my brother. Hyper Thought has made a chip that controls people like dead puppets, and they've stuck them in anyone they can, tricked or unwilling. They have a whole factory set up to enslave people on an assembly line. They brainwashed my brother, put him on an airship, and made him fight me. I've taken out the device in his head, but he hasn't recovered yet. The CPI has a lot of weird tech and an even weird vault in Ashtown. I would have taken care of them for what they did if they were some nobodies, but the CPI is growing stronger and wants to enslave everyone with their strange technology. It's not pretty. The chips take away all emotions, the person, and lock them inside their own bodies. The CPI leaders don't want allies - they want everyone to bow to them under mind control. The leaders secretly hate the idea of a free person. Powder Keg from the Red Scorpions will back me up. We can show you what they've done to ponies. What they plan to do to you."

Spoiler: OoC

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I have social skills to roll! I'd appreciate if I was let know when they are applicable. I do want to roll them.

[userpay]

"Names Brazen Hoof, also from Equestria." Well the briarhound was out of the bag, might as well shake loose the rest. "We're just here to take care of ah problem named Hyper Thought whose got no issue with usin ya'll against yer will which we don't like one bit. Aye we need help, yer help, but this is ultimately to keep the Wasteland safe. If ya'll don't want Equestria muckin around that's understandable but we'll be gone soon as Hyper Thought and his underlings are dealt with if that's what ya'll are wantin."

[Miltonian]

From Sniper's vantage point, he sees a few of the bosses are searching their pockets in what they think is a stealthy manner. They aren't finding anything, but...

The griffon growls. "I'm not agreeing to anything until I talk to my boys." Several others mirror the sentiment.

Dirge, however, looks thoughtful. Concerned and disturbed too, but for the moment he is digesting this information. "I would like to see this proof," he says, "This lines up with a few things I was investigating before I took a trip here."

[Elbeyon]

"Star, our radio operator, is on her way. I'll put on a worthwhile show while you wait to reconnect." She offers up a token toward that end. The griffon is certainly one of the rougher people here. They have a diverse bunch. Powder Keg said that the squad would have to take a hit to win over some of the gangs. It might be time to divide and conquer their hearts through methods they respect. Dirge seems interested in talking things through though.

The beautiful fact of them being connected to Equestria means they can show off more technology. Love's projector show got a lot more interesting now that her footage isn't so limited. Love keeps her calm nature throughout the conversation, careful never to show weakness, "Down to the Wire lent us her projector for just such an occasion." Love warms approvingly to Dirge's interest. "Let me show you." She smoothly walks backward, wise to turning her back to a griffon, and starts setting up the projector. She intends to provide proof that the chipped soldiers are tools of flesh to the CPI, no longer ponies of their own freewill. "Zombies" as Rose likes to put them.

[DigoDragon]

Rose texts Star to please hurry.

[D.KnightSpider]

"Heads up, ponies. Some of our guests are giving themselves a pat-down to find out what's on their being." Sniper said via sub-vocal comm.

He readied his rifle. A familiar hunger made is presence known as Sniper was struck anew by how frail this world was. A single twitch on his part and a pony would die. The past few intense situations were all the same-- a tease of danger without any actual combat payoff behind them. A part of him, he found, was frustrated and starving for a kill.

Withdrawal. Great.

[Miltonian]

Star finally arrives, pushing a cart laden with the clunkiest radio the team has ever seen. This thing belongs in a museum, but it seems to be working. "Sorry, sorry," she says, "This thing is, wow this is heavy. Let me find a place to plug it in." She'll begin searching for a plug.

Unfortunately for Sniper's withdrawal, the changelings have stripped the bosses of all weapons. They come away, disgruntled and looking very put out, but they might be trouble later. He identifies five targets.

While Star is setting things up, the bosses watch the presentation. Even those that are impatient and trying not to pay attention can't help but glance that way. What they see leaves an impression. Dirge, at least, looks disturbed. He temples his forehooves together and thinks. "I want to verify this with my ponies," he says quietly.

[DigoDragon]

"I want to verify this with my ponies," he says quietly.

"Alright, we only have so much radio. While Star sets up, I'm gonna hand out numbers so everyone gets a turn." Rose will use Sniper's info to identify the least-patient/most-trouble ones to go first and then she'll line them up from there.

"So that we're not here all day, please keep it to one call each. There's only so much battery power on this equipment I imagine."

[D.KnightSpider]

"I have eyes on five." Sniper performed the oxymoron of silently saying.

He kept his rifle ready, but didn't take aim yet. Meanwhile, he began cross-referencing their data to figure out who would be most likely to have a very with PK and if that beef would trigger a problem.

[Elbeyon]

Love subs Scope, "Roger." She checks her TacNet to see which gang members went for weapons.

They need to show the CPI are a personal threat to the bosses. It doesn't matter what the CPI does unless it'll affect them personally.

Love pulls some media tricks to try to draw in everyone's attention. The presentation isn't simply limited to visuals. She vocally presents alongside the video and tries to use sound to intrigue the bosses enough to pay attention. Love wants to spark their interests enough for them to investigate the video further and find a self-serving reason to pay attention.

When Dirge speaks, Love replies, "Star is the right person for the job. We can call up others to provide their own statements as well." Good Hope, Powder Keg, and Night come to mind. They can't all speak about the mind control chips, but they've all been witness to the CPI's military force.

Spoiler: OoC

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A short late post from me.

[Miltonian]

Dirge ends up first in line, the griffon near the back. Star supervises. It takes a while, but one by one the bosses call home. The conversations goes along similar lines, but most of them hear things that confirm the danger of the CPI. After all, the changelings have been working the gangs, getting them ready to be whipped up to war.

By the end of it, they are all in a much more amenable state. After the last call is made, a moment of silence falls over the assembled leaders. "So," Dirge says, "What's your plan?"

[DigoDragon]

"So," Dirge says, "What's your plan?"

"Our plan is essentially divide and conquer. Your gangs will be set up to attack several small CPI outposts around Ashtown. They're lightly defended and rely on reinforcements from their central hub. Since you'll outnumber their ability to send reinforcements, the CPI is going to be forced to spread itself thin to keep up," Rose explains, using hoof gestures due to not having a map ready. Perhaps Love has one to put on the projector.

"Once the CPI has dispatched their forces, my group will sneak into Ashtown and take out their main radio station, killing their ability to talk between units and coordinate a counterattack. without communication, they'll fall apart; CPI grunts don't have an ability to think for themselves and are easy to predict. From there we take out their factory and your groups can loot whatever the CPI leaves behind when they rout. "

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper stayed quiet, patient and ready.

A quick check verified his rifle was set to stun.

[Elbeyon]

Clarity provides definition. The details can always be elaborated on and established as support cements, but it's important that the general plan is known.

Sure, Love stands at the ready and replaces the current projection with a blank map of the wasteland for everyone to use as a prop.

[Miltonian]

That sets the bosses to muttering and arguing among themselves. Some are for the plan, relieved that they are not being asked to take part in the main assault. Others are strongly against it, especially if it involves working with long-time rivals. Others accuse their rivals of agreeing to help, but planning to betray them and take out someone's home base while everyone's off 'fighting the good fight'. However, the griffon, Bloodclaw, has come around to the idea.

None of them are outright refusing or saying that it's not worth doing, but they are hung up on the execution and minimizing the risk to themselves.

"Bashing skulls together? What are we waiting for?"

[D.KnightSpider]

So far, so good. Now they had to get this group off rivals functioning as a team.

Sniper frowned. Let the cat herding commence.

[DigoDragon]

None of them are outright refusing or saying that it's not worth doing, but they are hung up on the execution and minimizing the risk to themselves.

Rose whispers into her mic for the team, "Take note who hates who."

"Bashing skulls together? What are we waiting for?"

"We'll need a few days to prepare. Give everyone a chance to round up your teams and figure out which outposts to assign everyone. We'll trade radio frequencies to keep in touch and hopefully we'll have a few more radios to keep everyone in contact when the day comes." Rose remembers the day the assault needs to take place, but unfortunately her player is a little out of it after such a long day, so hopefully that detail can be glossed over as spoken.

[D.KnightSpider]

"Already done." Sniper replied via comm.

He forwarded Wire's information to Rose's communications system.

[Elbeyon]

“The amount of organization and teamwork required of us to topple the CPI will take time to skillfully assemble. I can’t do this alone; none of us can do this alone by hastily moving forward. The actions we make must be together, because there is no other option available to any of us. That is simply the reality of the situation. Anyone betraying us should weigh as an obstacle toward everyone’s efforts and indirectly furthering the CPI’s actions against us. Bad blood won’t be so easily forgotten, but it needs tempered so that our edge will be sharp, aware to the present danger. We only need to work together for several days while maintaining that thought. Several days to change the wasteland.”

[Miltonian]

"Well this is a lot to take in," a mare chuckles bitterly, "First, you've been kidnapped! But we rescued you. Now we need you to get your ponies together and declare war against some massive faction."

"It's never happened before," Dirge says, "That's why it could work. It'd be...unexpected for us to all work together." He's quickly become the EDF's greatest supporter. And his rap sheet isn't too long, either.

Within an hour, the bosses come around. Not all willingly, but they see the necessity. There is still a lot of suspicion, but the alliance is formed.

[DigoDragon]

Glad that the team managed to win over the gang bosses, Rose offers one last round of free healthcare to anyone who wants her to check on anything; bruising, odd lumps, joint pain, dizziness, ear aches, halitosis, fatigue, nausea, and death.

[D.KnightSpider]

It was a little too early to count some chickens, but all signs were positive at the moment.

Still...Sniper couldn't shake a bad feeling. But, then, there was nothing new about that.

[Elbeyon]

The pressure to work together seems slightly self-sustaining at this point. Plenty of lessor problems other than outright betrayal still need addressing though. Love plays mediator with some of the "inclined to disagree" bosses and tries to get them to cooperate even if for a short while. The cooperation between rival groups is vital to the entire group's success. There is an attempt at supplying food and drinks to everyone to meet their most basic needs. A warm soup can warm the mood. A little catering hitting the group's bits is acceptable, she thinks, at this point if they can manage some support from outside the room. If possible, maybe, even get some water buckets and cloth in here so people can get some of the stink off them.

Love catches/remedies any missed personal introductions. Everyone here will be her acquaintance if she has her way. Star is already been doing a spectacular job as comms operator. Still, Love starts trying to draw up more formal lines of communication and the basic details she'd need to learn about the group's that enables that communication. She tries to get everyone talking, so no one feels misunderstood or neglected throughout the process, basic team building.

[Miltonian]

Fortunately, no one needs Rose's offer to help with a case of death. That sounds quite painful. A few do have lingering nausea, though, that her expertise could help with.

The only thing left to do is to open the door and hope that the changelings have had time to disappear before the bosses meet their teams and try to piece together exactly what happened.

[DigoDragon]

Fortunately, no one needs Rose's offer to help with a case of death. That sounds quite painful. A few do have lingering nausea, though, that her expertise could help with.

Apparently the M*A*S*H theme lied to Rose on this subject.

She'll tend to the nauseous. Rose has some basic pills that should help with that. She'll let the leaders see themselves out? Rose will let her squad mates handle that part.
Physicial (3d6)[8] (vs 14 I believe)

[D.KnightSpider]

Waiting, unseen, for hours on end was almost nostalgic. Sniper held his position and waited for Love to show the gangsters out the door. He didn't want to spoil the mood by revealing the assassin in their midst.

[Elbeyon]

Love opens the door and heads out into the hall with a positive attitude. She walks back with the bosses, at least, until they reach the familiar guest area. The projector has to wait, unfortunately.

[Miltonian]

The gang leaders surge forward and, those whose gangs are still here, immediately search them out. Others look for the nearest shower. Or the nearest changeling to punch. Despite being told that there were changelings walking around earlier, Pins and Needles are nowhere to be found. Their room is empty, the bed made, and bathroom freshly cleaned, as if no one had ever been there.

Cabal is not immediately visible, but one of the engineers runs up to Love with a grin. "We did it!" she says, "We got the blockage cleared! Soon as we check the elevator over, we can get out of this place!"

As Rose and Sniper are walking out, having finished the treatments, a mare steps up behind them. "Psst!" she says, "Lt. Rose? Lt. Sniper?"

Star gets to work disassembling the radio and carting it back to it's original place.

[DigoDragon]

As Rose and Sniper are walking out, having finished the treatments, a mare steps up behind them. "Psst!" she says, "Lt. Rose? Lt. Sniper?"

Rose spins on her heels and assumes a defensive position. She calms down a moment later when she realizes she's not being punched. "Uh.. yeah?"