War of the Republic
Heroes: Jenissa, Zeke
Enemies: Dr. No and a true Trained Warrior
As we return once more to the mythic age of Spherus history, we find our heroes Zeke and Jenissa standing victorious in the liberated township of Istava. Though the main road had been devastated by first the Republic's 'explosive' entrance and then by Armsmaster Aldrocht's tank, the villagers were already taking to the streets in celebration. Our two heroes, meanwhile, were busy discussing the situation with their subordinates. Vidal Sassoon was impressed with how 'polished' Jenissa looked despite secretly being on the verge of death, stating once again the importance of looking good at all times. Desrae was incredulous, and maybe even slightly disapointed, that the two ranking officers had managed to come out alive. Zeke admitted that the back-up from la Resistance had been helpful, and Desrae agreed that it was always important to have someone to watch your back. In fact, she told Zeke that he could count on her to be watching his rather closely, right behind him in any situation. Jenissa found this situation rather amusing, taking the time to gloat over what a superior underling Vidal was over Desrae.
Arriving to break up this banter at that moment was Varin, who pointed out that they should search the wreckage of the battlefield for Spheran survivors. In particular, he wanted to dig through the smoldering remains of the Landshark tank. Sure enough, after some heavy digging from Zeke and Varin, the Republic officers discovered a comatose but still living Aldrocht. Stating his satisfaction at being able to take the enemy commander as a POW, Varin directed a pair of his men to bear the Armsmaster away to receive medical care.
However, our heroes were about to discover that Aldrocht wasn't the only one in dire need of immediate aid, with the arrival of Ciboulette. Breathlessly, the barmaid turned Resistance member asked our heroes to come quickly. Apparently, Tarzan, the Resistance's leader, had been shot!! While Jenissa and Zeke were of course concerned, they questioned whether there was really anything they could do about the situation. They figured that maybe they should send someone with more scientific knowledge to deal with the situation, such as perhaps Funky. But then, they quickly recovered from this temporary INSANITY, realizing that Funky was more likely to catch Tarzan in a trap and then sell him some landmines than to help him, and decided to go themselves after all.
They found la Resistance's dramatic leader near the Town Hall, clutching at his abdomen and writhing on the ground in pain. Between fervent declarations that his sacrifice had been more than worth the cause, Tarzan explained that he had been shot by the Spheran soldiers for putting his hand in his jacket and pretending he had a gun. Of course, all this was said with Ciboulette gushing all over the 'fatally' wounded Tarzan. The wound was deep and painful, Tarzan claimed, with the bullet probably still lodged within. Jenissa offered to take a look at the injury, but Tarzan only clutched at his stomach more tightly, declaring that the wound was too deep and that all hope was already lost. This of course worried Ciboulette all the more, but looking more closely, our two heroes remarked that there didn't seem to be any blood oozing from between Tarzan's fingers. Gasping even more loudly, Tarzan speculated that the bullet must have gone right through, and he had likely lost so much blood already that there was no more to come. Lips drawing into a tight frown, Jenissa drew Ciboulette aside to inform her that Tarzan's "injury" was simply a fraud to gain her sympathy. Ciboulette was confused by this, inquiring what had happened in that case to the gun that Tarzan never had. And furthermore, why would the Spherans not shoot him if he...didn't...really have a gun? Seeing that logic wasn't going anywhere with the emotional Ciboulette, Jenissa said to simply take her word for it and spend a few more minutes gushing over Tarzan until he was "feeling better." This was a job of which Ciboulette was more than capable. With their work here done, Zeke and Jenissa left Ciboulette to her task and returned to see to their troops.
Returning to the main street, our heroes were swiftly accosted by Brock, who told them that in celebration of the town's liberation, the Soup Nazi was passing out complimentary soup to the whole town. Since neither had had time to eat during their lengthy liberation of the village, this was a chance that both officers jumped at. Despite the rowdy celebratory aura to the event, the Soup Nazi was as dour and strict as ever, ladling out soup to the quiet and orderly line of soldiers and villagers. This time, though, both Jenissa and even Zeke managed to get their soup and bread without incident. But Brock was not to be so lucky. After receiving his own meal, he enthusiastically asked the Soup Nazi if he could have his soup recipe. He was sure he could use it to impress the ladies in his brigade. However, this seemingly innocent proposal did not go over well. In a rage, the Nazi snatched away Brock's soup, declaring that he would never reveal his top secret recipe to anyone. Shocked, Brock vowed that as a great cook himself, he would come up with his own recipe that would blow away the Soup Nazi's. In fact, he offered to cook up a batch of this soup for Jenissa on the spot, but this latter distracted Brock by claiming that Cetina had been looking for him, and would likely enjoy a bowl of such soup herself. Needless to say, this caused Brock to go racing off, leaving a relieved Jenissa in peace.
And from there, the celebration continued into the night, culminating with a military parade of the four victorious squadrons through the town. Of course, Zeke's troops had managed to replace their shotguns with bottles of Dom Perignon (which seemed to be remarkably abundant in Istava), 'saluting' the townsfolk by firing off the corks as they would their own weapons. This champagne salute was the perfect way to finish off the celebration, and indeed the entire liberation of the town of Istava.
When the curtain rose again on our heroes, they had been relayed orders to march from Istava to the Republic Front Base to link up with the main Electran column. They had been on the march for 2 days already, and were expected to arrive at the base in just a few hours. Perhaps surprisingly, it was the Wheel who seemed to be the most relieved about this. They had been unsure whether they would be allowed back into friendly territory, especially when the job they had done could even be considered to have been 'too good.' And splitting up to allow each man to run for himself would never work, because in the treacherous mountains, they would surely get lost. The Outfit, on the other hand, didn't think that having the Wheel stuck in the wildernesss would be such a bad propisition after all.
Before this discussion could intensify, however, Varin spotted a sizeable dust cloud on the horizon that seemed to be closing fast. Unsure of what to make of this, the four commanders halted their march and put their troops on the alert. Tensely, they watched as the cloud grew nearer, until at last they were able to make out its source. Racing down the mountain valley towards them was a trio of motorcycles, the likes of which they had never seen before. These amazing machines were white with orange lightning streaks, and had several short, stubby machine-gun barrels mounted on the dashboard and missiles next to the handles. Two of the riders were dressed in tight silvery-beige jump-suits, while the third wore a scarlet jacket adorned with gold chains, and all wore helmets that concealed their face. Together, the three motorcycles raced dead-on towards our heroes in tight formation. Or at least, the formation might have been tight if the bikes weren't weaving in front of each other in a seemingly random fashion.
As if there mere sight of the vehicles wasn't enough, our heroes were shocked moments later by the sight of several balloons rising in front of the bikes. Rearing back onto their rear tire, the motorcycles released a veritable barrage of missiles and gunfire, seemingly far more than necessary to eliminate the offending balloons. Having 'dealt' with that apparent threat, the bikers gunned their engines and centred their approach on Lt. Jenissa's Outfit unit. Without wanting to appear 'rushed,' Jenissa tried to sidestep the bikes' approach, but it was too late for such dainty methods. Just as the lead biker in the red jacket was almost upon her, it suddenly roared into the air as though it had just hit an invisible ramp, and landed in a cloud of dust on the other side. Despite being startled, there was no way Jenissa could fail to be impressed by such an 'amazing' stunt, and she couldn't wait to meet the man who was responsible. She wouldn't have to wait long either. Standing straight up on his bike and awkwardly dismounting as though he could hardly walk, the man in the red jacket removed his helmet to reveal himself as Special Forces Major Lanver. On the sidelines, his two companions removed their own headgear, making it possible to discern their identities.
Suki
Race: Japanese
Rank: None...?
Affiliation: Republic Special Forces
The unranked 'officer' known as Suki could be described as a
slim, oriental man with short black hair. His rather dubious
choice of clothing consisted of a one-piece silvery-beige
jumpsuit, with the Japanese flag sewn onto the shoulder. Suki
was apparently stationed with the Special Forces at the Electran
Front Base, and was one of the priviledged few to get to ride the
amazing new Delta Mark IV motorcycles. When not busy
attending to his duties and his rigorous "training," Suki could
usually be found playing with his Rubix cube, seemingly unable to
solve it and claiming it to be impossible. He was also
characterized by riding around in circles on his bike
"cowboy-style," and for making comments that seemed to make no
sense whatsoever.
Anton
Race: French
Rank: None...?
Affiliation: Republic Special Forces
Like his near-constant companion, Suki, Anton was also a
highly-trained member of the Republic Special Forces, in spite of
his apparent lack of rank. And also like Suki, he wore the same
ridiculous silver jumpsuit, but the flag on his shoulder was
French rather than Japanese. The extent of Anton's character
could essentially be summed up in a single word: girls. To
Anton, this was the only thing in the world worth caring about,
and he would express this opinion at every opportunity,
especially when asked to help solve a Rubix cube.
Having completed his awkward dismount, Major Lanver zeroed straight in on Jenissa with a charming smile. "Target sighted," or so Suki put it in a rather obscure fashion. The Special Forces Major was relieved that Jenissa and the rest of the rookies had made it out of Spheran territory in one piece. He also wanted to assure her that the display she had just witnessed had not just been 'showing off' (despite rather strong evidence to the contrary). Every Special Forces officer at the base went through the same training at LEAST once a month. Jenissa was naturally impressed by this vigorous training routine, much as she was by the motorcycles themselves. Proudly, Lanver proclaimed the cycles to be called Delta Mark IVs, and were the latest in the Republic's revolutionary weaponry. Agreeing whole-heartedly about the bikes' amazing qualities, Jenissa asked whether she could get a ride back to Front Base and experience them first hand. Lanver was more than willing to grant this request and proceeded to help Jenissa mount up behind him. Meanwhile, Zeke and Varin protested about who would be leading Jenissa's troops, while Suki remarked in the background that the 'target' had been 'destroyed.' And with this obtuse comment, the four Special Forces soldiers went racing out of sight, leaving the rest of the officers to make the remainder of the trek on foot.
After being escorted up to Front Base by that very nice Major Lanver fellow, you've just now finished enjoying a nice toasty bubble-bath (of course you brought your own supply of bubble soap with you), and now you feel more refreshed than you have in...well, hours. After all, as Vidal Sassoon would (and did) advise you, you have to be looking your best for meeting all the important officers present on the base, and for the inevitable media attention that will follow.
Troop Status
- Supplies: PK-33 Handguns, Combat Helms, spotless set
of Deluxe Uniforms,
Climbing Spikes, completely full supplies of ammunition and field
rations.
- Morale: Your troops are, for the most part, most
relieved about arriving at
Front Base, and the rumors that Commander Kilant
himself is present at the base
are great morale- boosters. Still, some are a
little concerned by the
prominence of so many Auxiliary forces, and the
noticeable lack of
Conventionals. You have to admit, it smells a little
fishy even to you.
- Health: Your men are in good health, and are enjoying
being camped amongst
fellow Special Forces instead of those noisy Auxiliaries.
Military Communiques
- Word is out that with the exception of Major Khaurus
Vanbaal, all the
top-ranking Special Forces officers are currently
stationed at Front Base.
This includes none other than the famous Commander
Kilant himself.
- You've heard from some of the other Special Forces
officers that some kind
of exclusive, Special Forces briefing is
being given later this afternoon.
Last you knew, you weren't invited, but surely this can
only be some kind of
bureaucratic oversight.
Personal Notes
- With the Republic's top officers stationed at this
very base, this is the
perfect chance to improve your press image. Not that
you aren't outrageously
important enough already, but it always looks good
to be seen next to other
important people. Preferably with photographic
evidence.
- Cetina is very excited about Commander Kilant's
alleged presence. However,
despite his obvious importance, your Daddy has expressed
some concerns about
his family lineage, so you're not completely sure
what to think yourself.
- There is definitely a decided lack of Conventional
soldiers at Front Base.
And even more so than that, the absence of the
Republic's legendary hero,
General Gol Draam, is very conspicuous. Of course,
as far as you're concerned,
things are better off without those incompetent
Conventionals anyway.
Mini-Objectives
- Find a way to attend the secret Special Forces
meeting.
- Obtain a picture of yourself next to each of the
following officers. Of
course, to do this, you might need to find a camera
first...
Lanver:
Xelme:
Lord Brindon:
Kilant:
Wow. Although Lanver's stupidly dangerous stunts didn't really impress you, those incredible motorcycles certainly did. In fact, you wouldn't at all mind a chance to ride such an amazing machine. In any case, following that breath-taking demonstration, the Special Forces proceeded to escort you up to FB. They seem to think that stands for 'Front Base,' but you prefer to believe it stands for 'Free Brunch.' Which is precisely what you're headed to get at this very moment.
Troop Status
- Supplies: Hacksaw Shotguns, Combat Daggers, Combat
Helms, full supplies of
ammunition and rations. You heard they've got a fully-stocked
supply tent here,
so hopefully you can pick up some more beer.
- Morale: Most of your men are relieved that they didn't
have to traverse a
"near impassable" mountain path to escape that
operation in Istava. What's
more, many of them have been enjoying swimming in the
base water supply,
although apparently a recent crocodile infestation has
made that much more
challenging.
- Health: There have been a couple of crocodile-induced
injuries amongst the
boys, but so far, nothing, uhh, 'life-threatening.'
Military Communiques
- As usual, Auxiliaries command lines are in a state of
chaos. But this could
be due to the unusually large number of them that seem
to be present. You know
that the Auxiliaries ranks have been
swelling of late, but at Front Base, they
easily outnumber the Conventionals!
- For all intents and purposes, it looks like the
Special Forces are in charge
here at FB. Supposedly, some big-wig of theirs
is even around, but you don't
know too much about that sort of thing.
Personal Notes
- You are extremely impressed by those Delta Mark IV
motorcycles! If only
your unit had a set of THOSE in their arsenal. As
it stands, you can hardly
wait to try one yourself. There must be a way to do so.
- You've heard that Republic R&D team is currently
present on the base. They
may even be the ones who invented the incredible Delta
Mark IV. There are even
rumors that they work out of some kind of Island
Fortress, but that seems a
little far-fetched.
- Supposedly, this base has a recruitment office where
you might be able to
pick up some more subordinate officers for your unit. Not
that you're, uh,
displeased with the help that you have, but you never
know when some extra
manpower might come in handy.
- One thing you've noticed is that there is a serious
lack of Conventional
soldiers stationed at this base. You
thought they were supposed to be the
biggest division too. As far as you're concerned,
something is definitely way
up in the middle of the air, and it may not be any
form of wheel.
Mini-Objectives
- Discover the reason for the lack of Conventionals at
Front Base.
- Find a way to test-ride the Delta Mark IV through any
means necessary.
The action, if it could be called such, resumed in the Officer's Mess Tent at Republic Front Base. Zeke, Jenissa, Cetina and Varin had managed to obtain a table for themselves, along with their respective subordinates, and were enjoying a hearty officer's lunch. Jenissa, in particular, had a decided smell of soap and bubble-bath about her, and was smugly chiding her companions for their tardiness in arriving at the base. Of course, this could only provoke snide comments from Zeke about what the smell of the soap was supposed to 'cover up,' and even Cetina seemed rather put out with her fellow officer at the moment. Desrae, on the other hand, was more put out about her lack of a paycheque so far. This comment was made with an ominous glare at Zeke while she fingered her side-arm. Zeke had no idea about money, but pointed out that they were all dining on free food at the moment. Desrae was far from pacified however, and started muttering about having to collect an 'advance.' Vidal Sassoon, meanwhile, could only comment about how typical it was that the Auxiliaries were only concerned about money.
Varin, on the other hand, was on a different subject entirely. He was in awe of the amazing Delta Mark IVs, and was wondering what it would take to get some for his unit. Zeke instantly agreed with this assessment, adding in his own admiration of the revolutionary vehicles. Varin mentioned that the camp had both a supply tent and a recruitment tent for the potential re-assignment of military officers, both of which he planned to check out after lunch. Zeke decided that this seemed like a good idea, wondering whether or not the supply depot would have any Delta Mark IVs. Even though Jenissa owed all of her current military credits to Zeke, she too wanted to keep an eye on what the Auxiliary officer would be purchasing with 'her' hard-earned credits. However, just as the officers were about to break from lunch and see to these tasks, they were startled by the flash of a camera. They quickly turned to find them face-to-lens with the following man.
Van Gogh
Race: French
Rank: Surveyor
Affiliation: Republic Air Force
The man known as Van Gogh was supposedly a terrain surveyor for
the RAF, but didn't seem to spend a lot of time performing that
task. Van Gogh had a dark artist's goatee and was clad in a
assymmetrical french beret, and a flashy shirt covered with
impressionistic objects such as clocks, boats and of course,
chairs. Van Gogh was also armed with a camera, and wasn't afraid
to use it to capture on film anything he deemed worthy of french
impressionistic art. The 'impressionistic' part would be
achieved by holding his camera at a funny angle while taking the
picture. Exactly what use the Airforce could get out of these
photos was highly questionable.
After snapping several more pictures of the officers' empty plates, Van Gogh demanded that Jenissa remove herself from her chair, declaring it to be a 'work of art.' After briefly becoming irritated over Van Gogh's raving over the chair's beauty rather than her own, Jenissa decided she no longer needed to leave the chair, despite her earlier intention to do so. Van Gogh was naturally quite distraught over this, but Jenissa proposed a solution. She would get up her chair, in exchange for Van Gogh's camera. This deal, of course, confused the french artiste; how was he to take a picture of the chair without his camera? Jenissa assured him that he could take his picture of the chair first, and that she was only borrowing his camera. With much reluctance, the artist agreed to this proposal, but he was much less reluctant once Jenissa got up from her chair and he had a full view of the 'masterpiece.' Interrupting Van Gogh's photo-snapping frenzy by snatching the camera from his grasp, Jenissa slung the strap about her neck and hurriedly made her way after Zeke, who was already heading for the tent's exit.
Zeke had every intention of heading directly for the supply tent, eager to see just what he could spend Jenissa's credits on. But he would have to have been a fool to think that even this trivial journey would go without further incident. For immediately outside the tent flaps, he saw several posters tacked to the pavillion's side. An unfamiliar man was just finishing putting up another, before accosting our heroes in a rather threatening manner.
The Jute
Race: Jute
Rank: Jute
Affiliation: Jutes
The first thing one would notice about the man known only as the
Jute was that he gave the distinct impression of being a
trained warrior. This feat was made even more impressive
by the fact that his only weapon appeared to be a wooden canoe
paddle. Nevertheless, the Jute was a big, burly man, with wild,
unkempt barbaric brown hair, a scruffy visage, and a powerful
hairy chest. He wore a tough green
leather jerkin belted at the waist and crude leather breeches.
Despite his presence in the Republic Front Base, he didn't seem
to be part of the military, and in fact openly admitted to
plotting to overthrow their 'king.' His other main goal was to
earn the 'votes' of all those in the camp and thus gain the
prestigious position of Bretwalda. How exactly this would
benefit the Jute remained unclear.
Waving his paddle menacingly, the Jute declared that our two heroes had better be voting his way. Zeke was confused about why he would be voting for anything at all, but the Jute only grunted and motioned to one of his posters. This advertisement crudely displayed the words 'Vote Jute for Bretwalda,' along with what might have been a picture of a canoe. Meanwhile, the Jute's ire had been drawn by Jenissa, who had quietly been hoping to avoid this encounter. He was most displeased with the fact that she was wearing red, declaring it the color of his traditional enemies. Obviously intimidated by a clear trained warrior, Jenissa assured the Jute that she was all on his side, and Zeke was quick to add in his support as well. Satisfied at how easily these two weak fools had been intimidated, the Jute 'paddled' off to continues his electoral campaign, humming a primitive tribal beat as he went.
Having dealt with one trained warrior, Zeke and Jenissa decided that they would proceed on their way to hire several others. The Wheel in particular had taken losses against Aldrocht's mighty tank, and was hoping to find some reinforcements. Unfortunately, upon reaching the supply tent, he found something much, much worse - Glenn Beck. The bitter acquisitions captain wasn't at all surprised to see 'soldiers' such as our heroes raiding the supply tent, and was even less surprised that they'd just come from a leisurely, free lunch. He also speculated that the time they'd recently spent in the wilderness was nothing more than an excuse to slack off and have a bush party away from their superiors. In the face of this insulting rant, Jenissa began to think that coming to the supply tent was a big mistake. So big, in fact, that she entrusted the rest of her military credits to Zeke and quickly made her exit. Unfortunately, with the credits in hand, Zeke didn't have the option of escaping from Beck. This latter went on to presume that Zeke was looking for beer and marijuana. Angrily, Zeke replied that he certainly hoped Beck had such commodities. With a shout of triumph, Glenn declared that he had known Zeke's motives all along, but the cunning Auxiliaries officer was quick to nay-say this. He hoped that Beck had such illicit supplies so that he could report him and get him kicked off the base. This silenced Beck's bitterness long enough for Zeke to look over the list of armaments that the base actually had to offer. As he was considering his purchases, Beck pointed out that he might also want to check out the recruitment tent next door, where several supplimentary officers were available for hire. Of course, this suggestion was likely made simply to get Zeke away from his presence. Zeke didn't need any urging and decided to check out these new officers for himself.
Meanwhile, having previously escaped from Beck's angry lecture, Jenissa had no intention of hanging out with 'common' soldiers. She intended to hobnob with the elite. As such, she soon found herself directly in front of the camp's Command Tent. A pair of stoic, helmeted guards in blood red armor stood with swords drawn, guarding the door. Somewhat intimidated by this fierce display, Jenissa made her approach nevertheless and inquired whether Commander Kilant was in. The guards sternly responded that the Commander was busy preparing for an address later that afternoon, and had no time for visitors. Perhaps one of his subordinates was in, Jenissa wondered. The guards replied that this was not the case, but under inquiry, they admitted that Lord Brindon was likely engaged in his traditional afternoon tea at the moment. With a sparkling, polished smile, Jenissa thanked the guards for their help, and went on her way.
Lord Brindon
Race: Electran
Rank: Major
Affiliation: Republic Special Forces
A character of Lord Brindon's fame and caliber should hardly even
need a write-up, so much so that this author almost forgot to
include it. Brindon was a true, blue-blood officer of the
Special Forces, and he looked the part. Short black hair was
complemented by a trim, pointed goatee. He wore a shirt with a
blue breast and ridiculously puffy blue-and-red striped sleaves.
Black pants, brown suede shoes, and a red cloak with a feather
clasping it at the shoulder completed his lordly outfit. Brindon
was known to have served in the Conventionals in an exemplary
fashion, and was transferred to the Special Forces to spread his
good, old fashioned values to the fledgling troops. Brindon's
main characteristic is his focus on the importance of noble,
Electran blood, and an unstoppable tendency to label those that
did not as 'colonials.' This trait, of course, would go over
very well with certain members of the Player Character team.
She knew just where she'd find the important Special Forces major, and made a beeline straight for the mess tent. As she'd expected, Brindon was seated at a table by himself, sipping tea from an expensive porcelain tea-set. The blue-blooded lord was more than happy to have the company of someone else who properly appreciated the ritual of tea-time, taking the timely opportunity to denounce the youth of the day for skipping it. He also revealed his general annoyance at the presence of so many 'damned colonials,' or in other words, the Auxiliaries. After vigorously but daintily agreeing with the Major for several moments, Jenissa went on to comment on Brindon's fine family lineage and exemplary record of service. Of course, in doing so, she couldn't help but bringing up her own prestigious relations, stating how highly her father Senator Bremingham thought of the good Lord. Brindon instantly declared the Senator to be a fine old chap, and was most impressed that Jenissa was his daughter. Pleased at the Major's now-amiable mood, Jenissa asked if she could get a picture of the two of them together to send to her father. Brindon was most agreeable with this 'capital' suggestion, and a nearby soldier quickly snapped the photo using the camera Jenissa had 'borrowed' from Van Gogh. Seeing as things were going so well, Jenissa decided to make one more request and asked Brindon to put in a good word with her for attending the special meeting that she'd heard rumors about. Brindon agreed with her that neglecting to invite someone of such impeccable lineage could surely only be a bureaucratic oversight, and declared that she would receive his full recommendation.
Unlike Jenissa, Zeke's luck was still on a steady downward slide. He'd arrived at the Recruitment tent in hopes of escaping Glenn Beck's presence, but he found something arguably just as bad. As he pushed aside the tent flaps, he was violently assaulted by a barrage of loud thrash music, and the obnoxious face of Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin was smugly critical about Zeke's forces getting lost in the wildernees without his 'help', and declared that he'd come to the front line on his own to show the soldiers what was what. Zeke, for his part, wasn't overly too surprised that no other commander had picked up Stone Cold as a subordinate either. Then, in a stroke of brilliance, he decided to pit two evils against each other. He told Stone Cold that he'd heard that Glenn Beck had a supply of beer in his tent next door. This was just what Steve needed to hear, and he went tearing out to claim the alleged beverage, leaving Zeke to finally meet with the following two officers.
Hermione Granger
Race: Tortalian
Rank: Platoon Sergeant
Affiliation: Republic Reserves/Soon-to-be Republic Auxiliaries
Hermione Granger was a rather bookish-looking young woman, who
really didn't quite look at home amongst the ranks of the
military. She had long, puffy brown hair, and wore a long black
robe emblazoned with a red-and-yellow shield overtop of a grey
sweater and skirt. Hermione proclaimed to be a student from
Hogwarts School of the Psychic Arts, the Republic's most
respected educational institute in that area, and was currently
with the military as part of a student internship program. Given
her prestigious educational background, she had rather limited
respect for most of the 'muggle' soldiers around her, least of
all the grubby Auxiliaries. Still, despite this rather
condescending attitude, her psychic aptitude could surely only be
a benefit to any unit in which she served.
Lieutenant Surge
Race: Electran (of course)
Rank: Lieutenant
Affiliation: Republic Reserves
Known as the 'Lightning American,' Lt. Surge was all about
action, and he had the physique to back it up. He sported
short, staticky blond hair that stood straight up, electric-blue
eyes, green army fatigues and a camouflage shirt with a lightning
bolt across the breast. On his lightning-fast feet, the
lieutenant wore a pair of bright yellow combat boots. Other than
his self-proclaimed 'lightning' speed, Surge's main
characteristic was his incredible patriotism, although whether
this devotion was to the Republic or to this mysterious 'America'
place was quite unknown.
Hermione Granger had her nose stuck in a book at Zeke's approach, and only reluctantly put it down upon his repeated insistence. After explaining her credentials, Hermione expressed misgivings about joining a frontline military force like Zeke's, pointing out that she was really almost over-qualified for the job. Surge, on the other hand, had absolutely no misgivings about hitting the frontline in the name of America. Or at least, so he declared as he enthusiastically shadow-boxed against the air. However, in the end, despite Granger's reluctance and Surge's self-endorsements, Zeke felt that Hermione could bring the most diverse new skill set to his team, and thus brought both her and 12 rowdy new Auxliaries soldiers onside.
During this time, Jenissa too was in search of a trained warrior, if not for the same reasons as Zeke. Her next target for her photographic tour was Special Forces Major Xelme, who she predicted would be a tough nut to crack. This prediction would later prove to be most accurate. Having heard rumors of the Major's infamy for her gruelling training routines, Jenissa decided that the base Exercise Grounds would be a good place to check. This, too, proved accurate. Arriving at the grounds, she saw a platoon of heavily sweating men engaged in a long round of chin-ups, with their stony-faced superior harshly keeping time from the sidelines.
Xelme
Race: Electran
Rank: Major
Affiliation: Republic Special Forces
Special Forces Major Xelme had a reputation for toughness, and
her appearance did not disapoint. A stern, humorless face was
topped by a short, blond buzz cut, and her muscled shoulders were
as broad as any man's. A crimson, many-pocketed vest was worn
overtop of a black sleeveless top, and a pair of black-and-grey
camo fatigues and black army boots completed the picture. Xelme
was, above all else, a soldier's soldier, and believed in keeping
her troops in top condition to a near-fanatic degree. She is
also rumored to be Commander Kilant's most trusted subordinate
and his right hand, although these rumors have yet to be
confirmed by first-hand evidence.
Seeking to impress the Major, Jenissa decided to don her bright red aerobics outfit and join in with the work-out. However, her inability to do even a single chin-up did just the opposite. Xelme was instantly critical of Jenissa and whatever 'training routine' her unit was part of, and was surprised she'd even been allowed to march to the front. However, Jenissa turned this around against the Major, surprisingly agreeing that her men were somewhat out of shape. In fact, they were badly in need of a role model. And surely, Major Xelme would make the perfect inspiration. The Major was somewhat dubious of where this was leading, and was rather incredulous Jenissa suggested she give her troops a personal training session. After all, she didn't have time to 'babysit,' since if Jenissa's troops were anything like her, they couldn't handle any real training. Jenissa's counter-proposal was that at the very least, Xelme could pose with her for a photo, which she could then use to 'inspire' her troops. Xelme was still reluctant, but since she needed to hurry up to get to a public briefing that was shortly occurring, she grudgingly agreed. One of the exhausted men from the chin-up bars snapped the picture, before Xelme tongue-lashed him back to work. Not wishing to tempt the Major's wrath any longer, Jenissa faded away to gather her troops for this upcoming briefing.
Zeke heard about the gathering from the public announcement over the base intercom, and he too rushed to gather his troops, as he had little doubt that they would not attend without his urging. Before long, both the Wheel and the Outfit were gathered in the Deployment Zone, along with what must have been most of front base. At one end of the field lay a metal tower with a twisting set of stairs leading up to a raised platform. Jenissa had already shouldered her way to the front, where she found Cetina was already waiting. The other Special Forces Lieutenant was still rather put-out with her comrade, for sicking Brock upon her and abandoning her on the march to the base. Jenissa could only flash a toothy grin, and state how she'd had no choice in getting rid of Brock.
But at that moment, the attention of the two lieutenants, as well as that of the army as a whole, was drawn by a small column of four officers winding their way up the stairs of the metal tower. Three of them, Jenissa recognized: Xelme, Lanver and Lord Brindon, in that order. And although she did not recognize the man in the lead, she knew who he was: for while for now, his footsteps shook only the makeshift steel stairs that he climbed at an implacable pace, those footsteps would one day shake the galaxy itself to its very foundation.
Kilant
Race: Electran
Rank: Supreme Commander of the Republic Special Forces
Affiliation: Republic Special Forces
As leader of Electra's elite military corps, Commander Kilant was
a man who immediately made a strong impression. Golden-blond
hair fell just to his shoulders, framing a face brimming with
confidence and determination. Those shoulders themselves were
protected by scarlet, sloping shoulder guards that formed the top
of an elaborate armored cuirass. Glistening white bracers
guarded his wrists, and his pair of baggy military pants tucked
into his high black boots was no less white. A crimson cloak
worn Roman-style was clasped across his back, and his blade was
never far from hand. Kilant was famous throughout the Republic
for having rebuilt the Special Forces from the ground up
following their decimation during the Electran civil war known as
the Straasveck rebellion. Though his methods in doing so have
met with both praise and condemnation, there is one thing that is
certain, and that is that his name is one that would later echo
in the annals of history forever.
The crowd fell into silence as Kilant completed his ascent and rested his hands on the balcony's iron railing. And he needed no electronic aids to project his voice over the entire crowd, despite its vastness. Grandly, Front Base's commander commented on how far the soldiers had come together in the face of such seemingly insurmountable odds. The Spherans had had their turn - and now it was the turn of the Republic. He promised that soon, very soon, they would be beginning their final push to drive the Coalition back into the depths of the Belt from which it came. They, the Soldiers of the Republic, would be the shoal on which the Spheran tide would break, and scatter, like so much spray in the wind. The commander then ripped out his sword and raised it into the sky to punctuate his closing comments. This was met with the cheering roar of the crowd. Even Cetina echoed this gesture with her own sword, proclaiming with a dreamy look in her eyes that Kilant was 'the best.' Jenissa, however, was not quite so willing to jump on the Kilant-bandwagon, being rather dubious about the commander's family ties. Puzzled, Cetina stuttered that she'd thought she heard he was of noble blood, but Jenissa was still thought these connections seemed almost deliberately vague. Meanwhile, Zeke had other issues: while the speech had been inspiring and at all, he was a little disapointed by the lack of actual content concerning the force's next actions.
And thus it was for somewhat different reasons, as usual, that Zeke and Jenissa began pushing their way through the crowds in an attempt to catch up with the quickly-retreating column of officers. Unfortunately, by the time they managed to break through, Kilant himself had already returned to the command tent, but they did find none other than Major Lanver. This was almost as good by Jenissa's standards, and the amiable Major hardly even needed an excuse about why they needed a picture together. Zeke was all for this idea of a picture, and what could be a better backdrop for such a portrait than an amazing Delta Mark IV motorcycle. In fact, it would be even more impressive if someone were in the process of riding that motorcycle, to give an 'action' slant to the photograph. And Zeke even generously volunteered for the task. Lanver was most agreeable with this suggestion, musing how he wouldn't need his own bike during such a photoshoot anyway. In fact, since Zeke was so interested, he suggested that he take him to meet the vehicles' inventors. They were likely already with the bikes in the Light Vehicle Hangar in any case.
The three arrived as a group at the hangar, and Lanver promptly led them inside. Waiting there were the familiar faces of Suki and Anton. Suki was in the process of struggling with his Rubix cube, while Anton watched on, continually belittling such a 'silly' task. He was, on the other hand, much more interested in Jenissa's arrival. Side-stepping Anton's insinuations (likely to guard his own 'turf'), Lanver asked whether the docs were in. Suki indicated that this was affirmative, and that they were over in the back. Quick to lead Jenissa away from the romantic Anton, Lanver proceeded to the indicated area to introduce to our heroes the two following characters.
The Egg
Race: Tortalian
Rank: Scientist
Affiliation: Republic Research and Development
One might be rather inclined to refer to the Egg as an 'egghead,'
perhaps even declaring him 'weird' but darn smart. And
regardless of the intelligence of the person making such
comments, the Egg certainly looked the part of the nerdy
scientist. A short, hunch-backed, white-haired man, he wore a
white lab-coat, gigantic glasses and a partially undone
tie. As a scientist for the military's Research and Development
department, the Egg was the inventor of the amazing Delta Mark IV
motorcycles, and had allegedly been clucking like a mother hen
over the vehicles after since he hatched them on his slide rule.
Other than that, his main characteristic was his uncontrollable
urge to loosen his tie in the presence of any female character.
Because apparently, you didn't see very many of them in the lab
where he worked. Unless, of course, you were an armadillo.
Dr. No
Race: Tortalian
Rank: Scientist
Affiliation: Republic Research and Development
Much as one might 'crack' jokes about the Egg, one would be
rather reluctant to do the same about Dr. No. That's because No
had a decidedly sinister appearance. Appearing vaguely asian
with neat black hair, he too wore a a long white coat, but his
was tight and high-collared around the neck. More disturbing,
though, were the leathery black gloves that covered his hideously
deformed, mechanical hands. Indeed, Dr. No had all the trappings
of a mad scientist, and was known for constantly cackling
about the experiments he was planning to perform with military
funds. In fact, he was even rumored to possess a secret
island fortress, although this would late be found to be
not quite so secret.
Lanver first introduced the Egg, who he claimed to have more degrees than a red hot thermometer. The Egg countered this by asking the Major was a person was when they didn't have less on. Lanver, however, either knew better than to walk into this trap or just plain didn't get it, either one of which seemed to frustrate the Egg. He was much less frustrated, however, by Jenissa's presence, and promptly proceeded to loosen his tie. Dr. No was also pleased by the lady's presence. Rubbing his deformed hands together, he cackled about what a fine specimen she would make for his experiments. Somewhat creeped out by both Egg and Dr. No, Jenissa suggested that they let them get back to their 'very important' work (and with a sinister smile, No assurred her that it was just that), and that they should proceed outdoors where there would be better light for their photo.
Zeke fully agreed with this plan, though not before complimenting the two doctors on their amazing invention. He figured that buttering them up was the best way to earn their permission to ride one of the machines, and in this he was correct. After all, he had seen the machines available down at the supply depot, and wanted to give them a full test-drive before he considered purchasing them for his unit. The Egg gave his full approval for this try-before-you-buy deal, while Dr. No only ominously hoped that there wouldn't be any 'accidents.' And thus, while Lanver and Jenissa cajoled Suki to put aside his Rubix cube long enough to be their camera-man, Zeke eagerly mounted up and set out onto the motorcycle training course that ran behind the hangar.
Other than perhaps a Math Conference, it's hard to imagine anything more exciting or amazing than riding a DELTA MARK IV motorcycle! Not only could this be described as an incredible war-machine, but it also provides an invaluable method of training for the soldiers of the Republic. And we all know that every Republic officer engages in training exercises at LEAST once a month. It could very well knock your socks off. The following is a list of maneuvers that can be performed while riding these incredible machines - for powerful as it is, the vehicle alone is not enough to get its rider over all conceivable obstacles.
| Name | Check | Description |
| Pop-Wheelie | x5 Str. | The driver pops his front wheel into the air in an act that somehow looks impressive despite the fact that he appears to be losing control of the vehicle. |
| Live Fire Demonstration | x5 Dex. | The rider uses the Delta Mark IV's built-in machine guns to plaster anything in sight! |
| Zig-Zag | x5 Agi. | The biker weaves from side to side, ostensibly to avoid obstacles on the road. |
| Convenient Ramp | x5 Will. | Using a conveniently placed ramp, the biker soars into the air over any and all obstacles. This maneuver is best performed in conjunction with a nuclear grenade, if one is available. |
| Cowboy Style | x4 Dex. | The biker rides around in circles, firing a side-arm into the air with wild abandon. |
| Colored Smoke | x4 Int. | The biker releases a seemingly useless cloud of brightly colored smoke, which streams behind them clearly marking their trail for anyone to follow. |
| Awkward Dismount | x6 Agi. | The rider dismounts from the bike in an incredibly awkward and stilted fashion. |
After revving the amazing war machine's engine, Zeke pulled out onto the Straight Road at the start of the training course, and decided to kick things off with a pop-wheelie. Though maintaining control of the bike was difficult due to its completely solid wheel, Zeke pulled it off without problem, and went racing on one tire only towards his next obstacle: the jutting rocks. This was a perfect opportunity for a zig-zag, and that's exactly what Zeke did, although it was unclear whether this random maneuver caused him to hit more rocks than he would have otherwise. Next up, as Zeke crested a hill, he saw a myriad of balloon targets floating into his line of view. In no time at all, he had blown the offending balloons to shreds with his live fire demonstration. This marked the course's half-way point, and Zeke swiftly rounded the bend that would take him back towards the base. However, he was distracted in this task by a small group of young women watching from the sidelines. Deciding to take a page from Lanver's book, Zeke performed an awkward dismount in order to chat with the ladies about the amazing motorcycle and his even more amazing handling of it. Despite the fact that it appeared that Zeke barely got off the bike without falling down, the girls were still greatly impressed. Though he would have loved to stay longer, the rest of the course still awaited. Indeed, Zeke's next challenge was perhaps the most daunting - a narrow but deep canyon, with no apparent way across. This didn't bother the Auxiliaries officer in the least - he just gunned the engine, and drove straight in, confident that there would somehow be a convenient ramp just where he needed it. This prediction proved accurate, and Zeke soared over the canyon in a manner that defied the laws of physics and of good blue screen. Once past this danger, Zeke found himself racing across the flat sands of a dry lake. Again, Zeke knew just what to do, and let loose a cloud of colored smoke as he zoomed straight down the centre of the lake bed. This brough him right up to the finish line, where Lanver and Jenissa were waiting. And what better way to finish things off than a rowdy round of cowboy-style shooting? Suki certainly agreed, and even Lanver was greatly impressed. In fact, he thought that at the rate Zeke was going, he might end up commanding the Special Forces.
However, while Lanver was full of praise for Zeke, the Wheel's commander coudln't quite say the same about Kilant. He had been hoping that the speech would be a little more illuminating. With a wave of his hand, Lanver declared the afternoon's speech to have simply been the 'PR version,' and that the real info was for the meeting this afternoon. Of course, he immediatley back-pedalled, commenting how he shouldn't have said that, but he had already piqued Zeke's curiousity. Apparently, only the more important officers on the base had been invited, but Zeke pointed out that anyone who could drive a Delta Mark IV like he could surely deserved to count among such a group. Lanver agreed, loudly proclaiming Zeke's trustworthiness and caliber of character. He was sure to put in a good word for both of them at the meeting, and as the three arrived at the command tent, that's exactly what he did. Stepping inside, our heroes found not only Majors Brindon and Xelme, but also a half-dozen other, anonymous Special Forces officers and perhaps surprisingly, Acquisitions Captain Glenn Beck. What wasn't surprising was Beck's disapproval upon seeing the two junior officers. Ignoring Beck's bitter rant, Lanver strode to the head of the table and pulled up a chair for Jenissa beside him. Unfortunately, for Zeke, the only two remaining empty chairs were coincidentally (or maybe not) on either side of Glenn Beck.
Fortunately, no one would have to endure Beck's bitterness for long, for at that point, the man who had up until now been standing with his arms clasped behind his back spoke up. This time, Commander Kilant's speech would be considerably more grave than his previous one that afternoon. The gist of it was this: the army stationed at Front Base had been sent by the Senate and the upper Conventionals administration to fail. While they fought a losing battle against the Spherans, the famous Conventional General Gol Draam had been asked to muster the true army, which would attack just before the strength of the Special Forces and Auxiliaries caved in. This certainly explained the lack of Conventional soldiers on the base, and the general lack of cooperation from Conventional support. Zeke and Jenissa had but to recall the likes of Field-Marshall Model and Admiral Tubby to confirm this in their own minds. However, Kilant had said as he leaned forward over the table, he did not intend to play into the Senate's hands: he intended to win. But he would need the unwavering support of all those present. He was personally counting on each and every one of them in the events to come.
Jenissa, of course, was more than willing to do this, but on one condition. In the face of such grim circumstances, she would need a photograph of herself with Commander Kilant in order to bolster her troops' morale. Kilant wrily pointed out that the words he had said today were to go no further than the current room, but Jenissa argued that even so, she was sure most of the troops had a general feeling of their odds in the current situation. Eventually, despite Xelme's misgivings, Kilant agreed to this 'PR offensive,' and strode out of the tent with Jenissa, getting one of his honour-guards to take the shot.
No sooner had Zeke and Jenissa left the command tent, following the latter's photographic opportunity, than they were accosted by Sergeant Brock. And he was in quite the panic. Apparently, he'd been trying to find the two officers for the past half hour. Apparently, both Cetina and Zeke's new officer, Hermione Granger, had mysteriously disappeared. And Brock could be trusted to have looked hard. He could only come to the conclusion that the two had been kidnapped, though by who, he could not imagine. Suddenly, our heroes recalled Dr. No, and his quest for proper 'specimens.' And the only place where such dark activities could be kept secret was the Front Base Research and Development lab which, on their map, looked suspiciously like an island fortress. Hurrying to that location, our heroes found it protected by a deep but narrow moat. Jenissa suggested swimming, but Zeke advised against this, stating his suspicion that the moat was infested with dangerous crocodiles. Instead, he had another idea.
Quickly, Zeke led the way to the light vehicle hangar. He had a feeling that with the aid of a convenient ramp, a Delta Mark IV could clear the moat in no time. Flipping on the lights in the hangar, Jenissa, Zeke and Brock found them face-to-face with two people: Suki and Anton. Of course, as soon as Anton heard that there were girls in danger, he was more than willing to help, and Suki wasn't much harder to convince. In no time at all, Zeke, Suki and Anton were mounted up, with Jenissa and Brock riding with Suki and Anton respectively. As they zoomed out of the bay, Jenissa took a try at Suki's Rubix cube, and after a few attempts, managed to solve 2 of the 6 sides. Suki could only ask if she was kidding him.
True to Zeke's prediction, the Delta Mark IVs had no problem clearing the moat and crashing right through the paper thin walls of Dr. No's fortress. Or rather, Suki and Anton had no trouble. Zeke, on the other hand, failed to muster the willpower to imagine such a ramp, and ended up just ploughing straight through the water, coming out drenched on the other side.
Unfortunately, the Delta Mark IVs were too damaged from crashing through the wall to be of any use - they were still experimental, after all - and our heroes swiftly dismounted. They found themselves in a giant, domed room in the fortress' interior. A large iron cage hung over a bubbling vat of chemicals, and both Cetina and Hermione were chained inside. More importantly, the sinister Dr. No was waiting for them. In fact, he seemed rather pleased that several more 'specimens' had walked right into his lab. When asked what he was doing, No replied that through his chemical and cybernetic experiments, he would turn the captured girls into ultra-efficient super-soldiers. Acidly, Jenissa stated that the military hadn't intended for No to kidnap their own officers for his experiments. The diabolical No agreed, stating his attention to use such soldiers to take over Front Base and use it as his own weapons development centre. Naturally, this could not be allowed, especially by Brock. The heroic Special Forces sergeant swore that he would rescue the girls at all costs, and summoned a rocky Geodude to his side to do just that. However, in response, Dr. No was about to summon aid as well. At that moment, part of the wall behind our heroes was literally bitten open. And standing in the entry-way was not the crocodile that Zeke was expecting, but rather the following character.
Jaws
Race: Deksiilan
Rank: Research Assistant
Affiliation: Dr. No
The goonish thug known as Jaws was a fearsome sight to behold.
Towering six-foot-five, he had messy black hair, a white dress
shirt and grey slacks that were supported by huge, black
suspenders. But by far his most disturbing feature was the set
of metal jaws that were set into his mouth. This steel
contraption allowed him to bite through practically anything, and
he would frequently make use of his ability, both in combat and
without. On the other hand, Jaws seemed to have limited real
personality or willpower, instead simply serving the bidding of
his evil master, Dr. No. Additionally, Jaws' iron chest made him
especially resistant against any sort of beating, which he would
surely often take in defense of Dr. No.
With Jaws' startling appearance, the battle began in earnest. Unfortunately, Suki was too busy riding around in circles on his damaged bike, with Anton chiding him to finish up with such silliness, to be of any help, so that left only Zeke, Jenissa, Brock and of course, Geodude. Jenissa began the battle with a sword swipe at Jaws, but the huge goon simply laughed as his Iron Chest absorbed the blow, and retaliated with a fearsome bite that left Jenissa bleeding badly. Meanwhile, Zeke attempted to go straight for Dr. No, but the latter's "Main Villain" ability made it impossible to strike him before his minion was dealt with. A smug No retaliated with his psychic powers, but a heroic Brock threw himself in the way, using his insane defense to cancel out the psychic bolts. Meanwhile, Geodude continued to Bash away at Jaws, slowly wearing the giant down.
Meanwhile, noting the ineffectiveness of her sword, Jenissa decided to give her psychic powers a try against her ferocious opponent. This proved to be a good choice, as Jaws' Iron Chest seemed unable to protect him from these attacks. And fortunately for Jenissa, his bite, although powerful, was not particularly accurate. Meanwhile, Zeke laid into Jaws with some dirty street brawl, while Brock continued to absorb hits from No, although occasionally a bolt would get through and strike Zeke nonetheless. Finally, after absorbing a significant portion fo punisment, Jaws went down, leaving his master to fend for himself. Nearly drained of his psi points, Dr. No desperately resorted to his awkward Action Chop, using his deformed hands to strike at his opponents. However, Zeke had apparently had enough of No's sniping, and delivered a tremendously powerful hook punch that sent the evil doctor reeling. Without his lackey for protection, it didn't take long after that for Dr. No to join Jaws in the realm of the comatose.
However, just as Zeke was wiping the sweat from his brow (Jenissa, with her constantly polished appearance, needed do no such thing), our heroes heard what sounded like a primitive drum-beat from the hole in the wall behind them. Spinning around, they saw the Jute docking his canoe on the island and then running into the room, humming his own theme song. In a rage, the Jute declared that he had seen both Zeke and Jenissa at the "Red King's" rally earlier that day. This was a violation of the support they had pledged to him, and such an act of treason was inexcusable! He would have to purge them from his island and claim it as his own in order to grow his population points.
Badly wounded from the battle with Jaws, Jenissa decided to sit this one out from a bit and let Zeke handle things. But after a few fierce blows from the Jute's wooden paddle, Zeke wasn't looking that better. And furthermore, every time he attacked, the Jute would simply use his Hiland Retreat, quite possibly doubling the difficulty of any move used against him. Once Zeke had absorbed the brunt of the Jute's trained wrath, Jenissa decided to join the fray, hacking at the Jute with her Steeltek blade. Meanwhile, though the Jute was now badly wounded Zeke was on his last legs. He looked like he might be about to fall down on the spot. That is, until he pulled out a pair of raw steaks out of nowhere. One of them, he slapped over his ugly black eye, and the other he hungrily devoured. It was his special move, 'Beef on Beef,' and afterwards he looked thoroughly revived and ready to go. However, to the Auxiliary's disapointment, Jenissa felled the Jute before he got a chance to wreak his revenge. With a barbaric cry, the Jute collapsed backwards into his canoe, which promptly floated off down the river from which the moat flowed.
At long last, our heroes were victorious and could see about fleeing the two captive officers. It was ironic indeed - or perhaps, one might say, omenistic - that their first day at Front Base had not involved a battle with the Spherans, but once against their own side, in perhaps more ways than one.