Jag – Officer’s Dispatch 26
Heroes: Jag, Balarai Snowe, Atobe Keigo, Dust, Pacci, and Lord Flash
Enemies: Brontus, Vultura, Ex-Senator Montilar, Jack Frost, and Exavur
Recent Duties: You and your lawyers are all rather relieved to be back at Law Division HQ in the capital. Granted, the atmosphere in the city is tense enough, but it’s a long way away from rampant looting, murderous colonels, people pretending to be ghosts and most importantly of all, from Arch Hall Sr.’s face.
Troop Status
-Supplies: Schmitzer SMGs, Armored Flak Vests, Deluxe Laywers’ suits, and briefcases full of legal documents.
-Morale: Thanks heaven that International Talk Like a Pirate Day is over! That Jean-Paul is so impressionable to local culture that it seems to affect his vernacular at an alarming rate. Hopefully now the language in your unit will return to a more professional level.
-Health: William Mattar claims to have suffered serious optical damage in the last mission, and has been trying to sue you for reparations. The cause, he says, is one of the giant statues of Arch Hall Sr.. That ingrate!! He should just be glad he didn’t have to witness the real thing!
Military Communiques
-Commander Kilant has warned you that the situation is shaky in Electra city. Many of the police seem to have fled the city in the aftermath of the Senate’s flight, and criminals and looters continue to take advantage of numerous riots. It’s been up to the military to maintain order, protect the city from outside attackers and guard the new provisionary government, and you’ve placed your men on a rotating shift around the clock to aid in this endeavor.
-Kilant is furious over the Chancellor and Senator Lorinda’s deaths. As for yourself, you don’t know whether your dubious fellow officer, Atobe Keigo, had a hand in this or was just a hapless pawn, but either way, you have lost any degree of trust for her.
Personal Notes
-The fact that rampant crime now plagues Electra city is a source of outrage for both you and McMason. Through his police contacts, McMason has just learned that a political prisoner by the name of Montilar escaped from the city’s downtown prison just last night. Given the political unrest of the current situation, you suspect this is no coincidence, and plan to get to the bottom of this despicable crime.
-There is a decided aura of tension in the Electran military base. You’re not quite sure what it is, but from the way some of the other Special Forces soldiers have been looking at you and your men, it’s almost as if they’re not happy to see you. Of course, it could just be the fact that no one is ever really happy to see a lawyer.
-As if you needed any more trouble, you arrive back in the city to find a message waiting for you from Steve Wilson, Deksiilan garage lawyer. Apparently, he’s discovered that the military has started accepting corporate sponsorship to aid its ailing finances and research program, and he claims that private business should have no part in a national military.
-No matter what anyone else claims, the major villain around here isn’t the Dragon, Exavur or even Dr. Wily, but rather Jackie Chiles. It’s clear to you now that his role in all of this is bigger than you initially suspected. One way or another, Chiles needs to be stopped, and you’re the only man around who can do it.
Mini-Objective
-Solve the mystery of the political prisoner Montilar’s escape.
Balarai Snowe – Officer’s Report 25
Recent Duties: Although you would never admit it in public, things are quickly going from bad to worse. The Khan has played his hand at last and and if you're not careful, will destroy you for allowing Jag and the others to survive.. Your men, under the sway of the Evil Baron Waldorf, are of half a mind to join him. There’s no doubt about it – things are coming to the boiling point, and it’s going to take some ice cold Snowe to cool it down.
Troop Status
-Supplies: Bombardier Field Artillery, 2 Remote Mines, Gortex winter parkas and snowshoes, a ‘dangerous’ dunebuggy, a life-size statue of a Denchulli ‘Brave,’ several crates of armor, artwork and swishy clothing, and a paper that appears to be the property deed to Arch Hall Jr.’s manor.
-Morale: Your men are feeling a little nervous after almost all the rest of the Auxiliaries pulled out to join the Khan’s rampaging forces. What’s worse, you’ve even heard rumors that Jack Frost has been sighted somewhere around the base. The last thing you need is both him and the Evil Baron in the same place...
-Health: Your men seem to have mostly recovered from International Talk Like a Pirate Day during the march home. Of course, all that really means is that they’re sober enough to be a threat to you. Wonderful.
Military Communiques
-The vast majority of the swollen Auxiliaries ranks have fled the city under the orders of Genghis Khan. Those few that remain (you and your men included) have been placed under the command of Captain Mace, the new acting Auxiliaries commander. Supposedly, Rodric is still around here somewhere too. Other than those two, you and Zeke seem to be the next highest-ranking Auxiliaries officers that haven’t defected.
Personal Notes
-The upstanding Mr. Green was elated by the defeat of Arch Hall Sr. As promised, he has issued a wad of cash amounting to 2000 marks, which you may add to your funds. Of course, it’s all in untraceable, small bills...
-You like to call Dorn ‘your’ Sergeant, but really, he answers to no man. Since arriving back in the capital, he’s been talking about his mayoral campaign of Mansville, and figures he needs to bring in some politically savvy women. When he heard that one of the Senators in office was a young woman, he was gone on another quest before the dust even settled from the hole he busted through the wall.
Mini-Objective
-??
Atobe Keigo – Officer’s Report 25
Recent Duties: Frankly, you can’t say you’re too upset to see your nemesis Lorinda finally out of the picture for good, and what’s better is that apparently Arch Hall Sr. is too. Unfortunately, there was a steep price to pay, and you’re going to miss Nurse Joy – she was one of the few people around you really genuinely tolerated. And apparently, you weren’t the only one...
Troop Status
-Supplies: FLAME-THROWERS, crimson uniforms, kamikaze headbands, LUBOSH, your personal tennis trainer (sadly, seemingly indefinitely), Crimson Armor of the Republic, and your original Coca-Cola hat. The pirate one was much too big for you anyway.
-Morale: Bad news: Stenda has reported to you that there are whispers of revolution in the ranks! You don’t know who or what could have planted the seeds of this rebellion, but Nurse Joy’s death has certainly not helped matters. You are personally seething that your own boys would dare rise against you after all you’ve done for them, but one way or another, there has to be an end to this talk
-Health: Of all the time for Seigaku to be in top condition, this is not a good one, since it makes it all the easier for them to take you on.
Military Communiques
-You’ve received word from Exavur asking you to meet him, alone, at an abandoned warehouse at 1600 hrs. today. To what point and purpose, young missy, he would not tell you. This makes you more than a little apprehensive, but then again, it’s not like you have anywhere better to be.
Personal Notes
-This is just wonderful: you appear to be locked out of your own manor! Your mother has informed you that she is “expecting guests,” and given your usual habits, doesn’t want you around ruining the décor. Oh well, at least that means she won’t be getting on your case for a while, so as far as you’re concerned, it’s best not to stir up that viper’s nest anyway.
-After your discussion with Xelme, you’ve become rather curious about this ship that seems to mean so much to her – the Lyonlot. You suspect it must be what she’s been working on all this time. You wouldn’t mind getting a look at the thing, if only you could find where it was.
Mini-Objective
-Pacify the talk of revolution among your men.
-Find the location of the Lyonlot.
Dust – Officer’s Report 24
Recent Duties: In your opinion, there are few causes more worthy than defeating the evil Arch Hall Sr.. The whole time, your hand was quivering from the desire to pistol-whip that guy. Ahhh, what you would have done for a shoulder-mounted rocket-launcher. Regardless, though you’ve left the city of Crescentia behind, it seems you’ve managed to bring most of its plots and intrigue back with you...
Troop Status
-Supplies: SIR Rifles, Camouflage Scout Uniforms, Sniper Scopes, Field Mortars, and Climbing Spikes. You really can’t agree with those loud, unprofessional mortars and can’t quite see how Snowe tolerates the things.
-Morale: On the one hand, the Boyos all but have the Conventionals barracks to themselves now that they’re back in the city. On the other, they’re feeling a little lonely, and more than a bit intimidated. Especially by the way some of the Special Forces have been giving them the ‘evil eye’ – or so they claim.
-Health: The Boyos are in good health, especially now that they’re away from that ‘haunted’ city with all its ghosts and murderers. Though frankly, Arch Hall Sr.’s face was a bigger threat where you’re concerned.
Military Communiques
-None. You’re not even really sure who is in charge of your division at the moment, and given what you know of Electran commanders, they probably wouldn’t tell you anything anyway.
Personal Notes
-From what you gather, the seeds of revolution you planted amongst young, impressionable Seigaku are sprouting nicely. Echizen even came to you the other day requesting firearms for that clip you gave him. Of course, this is something you couldn’t comply with until giving the boy some certified training, but if you have your way, it won’t be long.
-On the topic of Atobe Keigo, you are coming to trust her less and less. Her close association with the man now known to be Exavur makes her highly suspect.
-You’re extremely wary of the man formerly known as Smith. Kilant may not be all on the level, but at least he doesn’t seem as overtly racist. You don’t know what Smith’s plan is, but you wouldn’t be surprised if ex-Senator Montilar was in some way involved…
-Even you can tell there’s a cold breeze blowing through Electra city. And there could be no surer sign of this than the presence of Jack Frost, Snowe’s untrustworthy former footsoldier. You’ve heard rumors that he’s recently been sighted around the base. You don’t know what he could be up to, but it can’t be anything good for your Boyos, that much is certain.
Mini-Objective
-Uncover whatever plot Jack Frost is involved in.
Pacci – Officer’s Report 17
Recent Duties: Pac-pac-pac!! You’re reasonably certain that giants classify as ghosts, and if they don’t, that Arch Hall Sr. certainly must, if the scariness of his face is any indication. Either way, they both had to be defeated. However, the evil Dr. Wily is still on the loose, and since even Commander Kilant doesn’t seem to take the threat seriously, it’s going to be up to you to stop him.
Troop Status
-Supplies: PK-33 Handguns, SIR Rifles, Bright Yellow Deluxe Uniforms, and a fashionable European carry-all which now contains several Energeon Cubes, a Verizon wireless cell-phone, and an amazing vintage Pacman arcade machine.
-Morale: The Pac is elated to be back at the base, and more importantly, back to their Pacman machine. Fortunately, it seems there hasn’t been any trouble with the power, though Bumblebee attributes this to the nearby presence of Energeon cubes.
-Health: Bumblebee’s eye is slowly recovering from his brush with the evil Arch Hall Jr.. Maybe there really is something to that ‘steak therapy’ that Zeke recommends.
Military Communiques
-None. Not that you ever really know who’s in charge of your division anyway.
Personal Notes
-You’ve tried to convince Commander Kilant that the evil Dr. Wily is trying to take over the city and ultimately the world, but he claims to have ‘bigger problems’ to deal with right now. How could anything be bigger than an army of evil robots??!
-You’ve heard rumors around the base of yet another robot sighting. This robot is dressed in red, and apparently has been known to appear and disappear seemingly at random all over the base, and indeed the entire city. No one seems to know who he is or what he wants, but if it’s another of Dr. Wily’s robots, he has to be stopped, and you’re the only man for the job.
-With the military strapped for cash and resources, you’ve heard rumors that they’ve even started taking corporate funding to boost their finances. In particular, you discovered a Vanilla Coke poster on the side of your Pacman machine! This has made both you and the Pac wonder about the smooth, enigmatic flavor of new Vanilla Coke, although frankly, you have yet to actually acquire any.
Mini-Objective
-Solve the mystery of the enigmatic red robot.
With Arch Hall's manor destroyed, and the Senator Lorinda dead (not to mention Nurse Joy!), the heroes regrouped at their headquarters of the Boddy Manor, and attempted to explain to a furious Mjr. Xelme what had happened.
"The Senator is dead?!" fumed Xelme. "Who let this happen?"
Several interjected, letting Xelme know that it was young Keigo's fault. Xelme turned her gaze to the young Electran, silently demanding an explanation.
Keigo managed to state her case as well as she could without mentioning the name "Exavur", but Xelme was not stupid, and demanded to know who had sprung Keigo from the basement in which she had been locked. When Keigo let slip the name of the disgraced former Special Forces commander, Xelme's rage became even greater. Much to Pacci's sadness, Xelme didn't seem to care too much about the loss of Nurse Joy, instead focusing on the whole Exavur detail.
After she calmed down somewhat, she let them know that the Conventionals had regrouped and were heading towards Crescentia. They were to escort Senator Lamika back to Electra City, where they would report this whole matter to Kilant. There would certainly be the possibility of suspension, she told Keigo, her voice set with ice. Some units, including the Wheel and the Foreign Legion, were told to stay to support the evacuation of any remaining military personnel. The rest were dismissed, gathered up their troops, and headed out.
The loss of Joy, coupled with Xelme's foul mood, might have made the trip back sombre had it not been for Lord Flash. Finding himself not at the centre of attention, he decided to fix that by buzzing Lamika's cage in his Spitfire, and generally flying dangerous tricks low to the ground.
Early in the trip, Dust sent his few remaining Boyo Scouts (save Seamus, who would be more than happy to blow their cover) ahead to scout the terrain. Soon, O'Keefe came back with a report that there were Spherans to either side of the party. The Spherans, it seemed, had them caught in a pincer attack.
They quickly planned their next move. Protecting the wagon was their main priority: Dust's and Snowe's men would stay back and provide covering fire for the rest of the units, while Keigo, Pacci, and Jag, along with their units, would escort the wagon and prevent the Spherans from getting at the Senator. Lord Flash would harass the foes as best he could from the air.
As they met the attack, they saw that their enemies were none other than remnants of the House of Stormwind: Vultura and her snipers, Brontus and his juggernauts, as well as a number of scouts and martial artists. Executing the plan, they charged up the centre of the pincer with the wagon containing Senator Lamika. The heroes' fire proved to be remarkably effective: at one moment, all enemy units lay broken on the battlefield. This, along with good tactics, allowed them to move the Senator through the pass in the minimum time possible.
But despite the light-heartedness, there was a general sense of mystery about the base. Dust mentioned that he had heard reports that Jack Frost was around Electra City, which Snowe seemed both intrigued and angered by. Others were more guarded, simply excusing themselves, and setting about solving these enigmas.
(NOTE: What follows next is largely incomplete, as a ton of "out of the room" discussions happened. It represents only what the players shared.)
After this, he set about making an office worthy for such an officer. Heading over to Future Shop, he bought a number of plasma TVs and video cameras, as well as very bright lights. He ordered them to set them up so that each wall of his room was covered in a TV, and the ceiling too. The two video cameras were so that he could watch anyone outside his doors, and also watch himself (because, as he put it, "Unless there's girls around, I'm the only one worth watching!")
He did see something strange, however: a man in a trenchcoat trying (very obviously) not to be seen, lurking around the batteries section. Of course, Flash paid him very little attention, as the man was neither a woman, nor Flash, and thus not worthy of his attention.
Pacci immediately played the flute, and Proto-Man appeared, looking a bit puzzled. Pacci told him that he was just testing the flute, and walked out.
Reaching the manor, Dust and Keigo knocked, and were greeted by Atobe Kunimitsu's snooty butler, after which a short meeting occurred.
Arriving there, they found his wife. They introduced themselves as fellow officers from the military, and questioned her as to his habits. She told them that Ricky would often leave at strange hours, then come back a bit later. Not getting much real information, the two decided to act on instinct, and left for the casino.
They arrived at the casino, and talked to the manager. Ricky had, it seemed, showed up here a lot, and was considered to be a high-roller. He spent lots of money, rarely making back his gamblings, but, the manager told them, "if he had done that often, we wouldn't be in business very long." The two then realized that someone, likely Frost, had been injecting funds into Ricky's account. Finding that out would be made easier, however, by the fact that Ricky was currently gambling!
The two walked over to him, and attempted to bluff their rank. But Ricky wasn't dumb, and called them on it. They, however, called Jag, who arrived with Balarai Snowe. Under the vicious interrogation of the lawyer, Ricky crackled, and talked. Frost had been financing him to get information on the ship he was working on for Mjr. Xelme. The group headed back to the base to inform Kilant.
But regardless, an order was an order, and the two headed out. Arriving at the warehouse in the district, they found things dead silent, and too dark. From behind them, they heard the sound of unsheathing swords, and a light poke in the back of their necks.
"I knew it," smirked Dust, and willingly dropped his guns. Pacci followed suit, and the two of them were taken away.
They all wasted no time in singing the betrayal of Keigo, and while doing this, Snowe summoned two thunder sabres into his hands, and cut his bonds, as well as a hole in the bottom of the cage. And with that, the Snowe Man disappeared.
Dust, seeing an opening, decided to roll the dice. He quickly cut his bonds with the republic sabre Snowe had left on the ground, and dropped a dust bomb onto the floor below, covering the area in a huge plume of choking Dust. When the dust cleared, Dust was nowhere to be seen. But Exavur, reaching into a vent, seemed to know where the Denchuli was hiding, and threw him back in the cage.
Suddenly, the ship was lost from view, and the screen warned of a hull breach. Exavur raced out of the room, eager to end his problem once and for all. He told Keigo that the other officers had become a dangerous liability and ordered her to dispense with them.
With Exavur preoccupied, Keigo set about burning the bonds of the captives, allowing them a way out. Hearing the flamethrower roar into action, Exavur spun around and demanded to know what was in Keigo's head. Just then, Kilant burst through the door, levelling his sword at Exavur. With a grin, the latter pulled his pistol and declared that no one could survive a dead man's last shot. He fired the bullet he'd been saving all these years - only to have Kilant perform his signature deflection and send the bullet whirring back into his own chest. With a look of shock on his face, Exavur toppled over the edge of the railing of the command deck. Kilant quoted the Special Forces manual, stating how one must always let the enemy's weapons be your own.
Our heroes now freed, they met up with Snowe, who handed them their weapons, and headed to the rear of the ship. Snowe had told them that the ship was minutes from crashing from his destruction of the engines.
Just as Kilant was opening the emergency door over the wing, however, he was hit by a mysterious ship's boom which sent toppling out and hanging onto the edge for dear life. Swinging in from the shadows, Exavur reminded the impudent upstart that he wrote the Special Forces manual, and moved in for the kill. Our heroes all jumped on to the wing, and attempted to create enough of a diversion for Kilant to climb up. But this was difficult, as Exavur could move quickly, and the pirate was difficult to hurt indeed. But Jag and Snowe proved to do the best in this regard, and Kilant eventually made his way on to the wing, though not before being badly bloodied by Exavur's sword. Kilant and Snowe then pulled out their thunder sabres, and hit Exavur with their special Duo-Tech, Art of the Sabre, sending him tumbling from the wing of the jet.
Heading back in, they congratulated each other on a job well done. Kilant revealed that Snowe was in fact one of his top secret operatives and had been working for him the whole time. But on the wall, an advertisement for Llama cigarettes seemed to speak to Balarai Snowe.
"Balarai Snowe. You have betrayed me."
"Yes, my Khan," replied the Electran man. The others, for their part, couldn't figure out who Snowe was talking to.
"Sacrifice yourself, for me," spoke the sign to Snowe.
"Yes, my Khan."
And before anyone could try to stop him, the (heroic? treacherous?) Balarai Snowe ran to the hull breach and jumped from the ship, sending himself tumbling to the earth below.
In honour of the last session of the sneaky and insidious Balarai Snowe, we present here the full, unabridged version of his final report...
Balarai Snowe – Officer’s Report 25
Recent Duties:Although you would never admit it in public, things are quickly going from bad to worse. The Khan has played his hand at last and seems to poised to sweep over all of Electra with his forces. Your men, under the sway of the Evil Baron Waldorf, are of half a mind to join him. With Lorinda dead, Kilant’s trump card for dealing with the Conventionals is gone, and there’s no telling what Exavur will be up to next. There’s no doubt about it – things are coming to the boiling point, and it’s going to take some ice cold Snowe to cool it down.
Troop Status
-Supplies: Bombardier Field Artillery, 2 Remote Mines, Gortex winter parkas and snowshoes, a ‘dangerous’ dunebuggy, a life-size statue of a Denchulli ‘Brave,’ several crates of armor, artwork and swishy clothing, and a paper that appears to be the property deed to Arch Hall Jr.’s manor.
-Morale: Your men are feeling a little nervous after almost all the rest of the Auxiliaries pulled out to join the Khan’s rampaging forces. What’s worse, you’ve even heard rumors that Jack Frost has been sighted somewhere around the base. The last thing you need is both him and the Evil Baron in the same place...
-Health: Your men seem to have mostly recovered from International Talk Like a Pirate Day during the march home. Of course, all that really means is that they’re sober enough to be a threat to you. Wonderful.
Military Communiques
-The vast majority of the swollen Auxiliaries ranks have fled the city under the orders of Genghis Khan. Those few that remain (you and your men included) have been placed under the command of Captain Mace, the new acting Auxiliaries commander. Supposedly, Rodric is still around here somewhere too. Other than those two, you and Zeke seem to be the next highest-ranking Auxiliaries officers that haven’t defected.
-Kilant himself has warned you that the situation in Electra city looks grim. He even suspects that something is amiss within the ranks of the remaining Special Forces, but exactly what is impossible to say. With the Majors gone from the city, you are his top operative, and he will need you more than ever. To this end, he has issued you with another weapon to turn the tide to your favor. You may add one Thunderblade to your inventory.
-You’ve appraised Kilant of what details you know of Lorinda’s death. While there’s no telling what Exavur will try next, he’s instructed you to keep a sharp eye on Atobe Keigo, due to her frequent contact with him. If she steps out of line, you are authorized to take any and all necessary action…
Personal Notes
-The upstanding Mr. Green was elated by the defeat of Arch Hall Sr. As promised, he has issued a wad of cash amounting to 2000 marks, which you may add to your funds. Of course, it’s all in untraceable, small bills...
-You like to call Dorn ‘your’ Sergeant, but really, he answers to no man. Since arriving back in the capital, he’s been talking about his mayoral campaign of Mansville, and figures he needs to bring in some politically savvy women. When he heard that one of the Senators in office was a young woman, he was gone on another quest before the dust even settled from the hole he busted through the wall.
-While you prefer to control the information from the background, the time for waiting in the shadows may have come to an end. Kilant’s enemies are on the move, and you’ll do anything it takes to stop them cold, and put them on ice.
Mini-Objective
-Discover any plots that threaten Kilant’s position, and put them on ice.