MISSION #5 - Cargo Run

[lucetimods]

Who: Trafalgar Law (2nd Officer), Sanji (Cook), Azusa Miura (Cook's Mate), Adele Blanc (Doctor), The Hulk, Daisy, Anakin Skywalker, Asbel Lhant, Buffy Summers (Marines), Arsene Lupin III, Selphie Tilmitt, James Norrington, Mikage Celestine, Rogue, Nami, and Kurt Wagner (Sailors)
What: MISSION # 5 - Cargo Run
When: April 17th to April 21st
Where: Open Seas
Summary: A group of Luceti volunteers join a crew upon a massive ship headed out to sea, into cultist-infested waters.


It may have been nine in the morning when the group of Luceti volunteers were transported out through the tunnels, but at the shipyards the time difference meant that it was nearly midday already. A meek member of the Malnosso lower management led them along the docks, avoiding and scolding people as they got in his way, as he tried to go over the same details already present in the mission description. He was a rather pathetic looking little purple man with drooping ears, a hairless head, and webbed fingers. He apologized for his slipping over words. He explained it was difficult thinking straight in sunlight. Whenever he would stop to try and think, he'd look up to see The Hulk, shrink away a bit, and then hobble on quicker to the ship.

He was visibly relieved when he found Specialist Davis didn't look too busy, allowing him to pass off the Luceti volunteers and allowing him to get on his way. He's a new face to this particular group, but not to Luceti in general, having worked with them previously on the incident with the third floor. This odd looking group doesn't seem to have him looking too impressed. Especially when he looks at the ones who don't even seem to be fighters. But he directs his attention to Trafalgar with a few short words: "You. We'll talk once we're on board. You get your people settled for now."

With that, he and a group of other MSF Soldiers went to board the ship. The Tyr's Revenge was far larger than the ship than the one on the draft over half a year ago. It was a sailing ship, but despite its antiquated look, there was a central cooling tower in the center of the ship, which it derived its steam power. Where it used this thrust was not immediately obvious without a look at the back of the ship. (They would find out later that it was enough to propel the boat in a calm and was simple enough to avoid being blocked by Shifting, but was not as effective as a good strong wind.) Despite being crewed at around five hundred men and women, it was at least spacious enough for the crew to put in pairs. As a second officer, Trafalgar was afforded his own cabin, but the rest were sorted away into small rooms with two sets of hammocks on each side. The Luceti volunteers were kept together and it gave them some privacy, though each were pre-assigned rooms and the Malnosso didn't seem too picky about who ended up with who.

They had about an hour to get comfortable. In an hour, they'd be casting off.

----

Okay, time for your notes. First off, you will be able to interact with Specialist Davis for the mission. He won't be very talkative (unless you're his second officer), but he might answer some basic questions. He'll be around during the fighting too. Although he prefers to use firearms (think something like a P90), he'll demonstrate super strength and advanced reflexes (think Spider-Man) in battle. Some of the other MSF Soldiers will display some slight superhuman ability like him, but the vast majority of them are normally powered highly trained soldiers. For the most part, they won't talk to people from the enclosures much and prefer to keep to themselves. In general their only duty is security, so they won't be doing much in running the ship unless absolutely necessary. There will be about one hundred and fifty men and women. Most will be human, but there may be a few deviations among them (like odd skin colors, weird hair colors, eye pigmentations, pointy ears, and so on). Although a good number of them will use guns, some out of them will be using melee weapons like swords and spears. All of them will have some secondary weapon in case of a Shift that jams their guns.

The people from Luceti, along with the volunteers, will be doing the day to day work of the ship. The volunteers will be as they are described in the Nitpicker's Guide. For the most part, they're not nearly as skilled at fighting as the people from Luceti or the Security Forces, so when attacks come, they'll defend themselves but not be very good at it. Most of them will be human, with a few variations. Very, very few of them will exhibit any special abilities. In general they'll be friendly enough, though some from different enclosures may be more jaded and bitter. There will definitely be talks of escape and mutiny among some of them, whereas others will be more cooperative or too fearful of attempting a mutiny.

You can use the volunteers and security as NPCs for whatever purpose you like! That means you can give them names and maybe a bit of a personality (that's consistent with the above) and let them get killed or need help or what have you during battles with cultists. There are also droids to be found in parts of the ship below decks. They will more or less remain stationary, but they will intervene if people poke their noses in the wrong place. Or try to mutiny.

The captain of the ship won't be seen much, but she's an older lady (late fifties) that is relatively plain and unassuming in appearance. She won't talk to the volunteers and will relay any orders through Specialist Davis, but the people from Luceti may see her about the ship to see how things are going. Most of the time she will be in the captain's quarters doing paperwork. She'll look seasick for the entire voyage. Her name is Mrs. Eugenia Fruthers, Manager 2nd Class.

Note: The volunteers are sorted randomly, so it's up to you players to figure out how you want to work that out! The Malnosso aren't too picky if a man and woman end up sharing the same quarters. (How shameless!)

Here's a run down for events on the ship over the voyage

17th - Cast off, strong wind, heading east. A fair weather day perfect for sailing.
18th - Open seas with a fair wind and cloudy skies. A land mass can be briefly seen to the north. An island of some sort.
19th - Open seas with a fair wind, darker skies. The cultists make their first attack run. About mid day, four flying ships. The Malnosso use no cannons, but prefer to immediately fly en masse once in range. However, it is necessary to bring these ships down, as the cultists are fond of going kamikaze with them. Each of the four ships carries about one hundred cultists each.
20th - Open seas with powerful wind and stormy weather. Another raid will occur early in the morning, while most of the crew is still asleep. Three more cultist ships will attack and some of the cultists will make it below decks. Mid way through the battle, the ruckus will attract a monstrous kraken from the depths. The crew will be forced to fight off the remaining cultists while a great tentacled hell beast attempts to drag the Tyr's Revenge to the depths.
21st - The last day of the voyage will see the ship needing repairs after the attacks. About half of the crew will have been lost thanks to the cultists and the kraken and they will finally make port (in the same place as the ocean draft.) In the evening, the volunteers will be returned to their respective enclosures.



You can use this post for questions and plotting!

Comments

[justicereigns]

I'll try. [Dryly sarcastic tone, even in this situation, but Smoker's just frustrated at how useless he is. Almost drowning? Lame. How to thank her... He's half tempted to at least suggest she get back on board herself, but he figures if she could, she would. Oh well, it won't be too long before they finish the battle and find the two of them surviving in the water... he hopes. It doesn't take long a long time watching her to figure out what she's got in mind, so keeping still, he reaches out the best he can to help get more wood or hold things in place.]

[mikangirl]

[It's more of the railing and not too big, but Nami swims back with it anyway, pushing it towards Smoker's outstretched hands and then holding on with one hand as she tries tugging the rope free from her waist. ...could be a minute. She manages eventually, holding it up.]

Here!

[You've got a better position for tying a decent knot.]

[justicereigns]

[He also happens to be great with knots. Part of that whole being in the marines.]

[And he ties it up easily enough. That should hold come hell or high water. Or in this case, both.] Here, that's the railing, right? See any other rope around there for the other end?

[mikangirl]

The piece the other end was attached to was too heavy. [Given he had to cut the rope to stop Nami from drowning >_>;; She tests her weight against the side of the new section, and then hoists herself gingerly up.] I think this is it.

[justicereigns]

Hopefully it won't be too long anyway. [Snags a useless piece of wood for an oar, and then another for good measure. He looks up at the sky, shielding his eyes again to see if the weather will at least cut them a break soon. He shrugs out of the jacket and offers it to Nami.]

Here. You might want to wait for it dry more though. [But it'll still help her keep from getting cold he figures.]

[mikangirl]

[She nearly protests the offering of his jacket, until she realises that it won't be doing him any favours either, a devil fruit user with sea-soaked clothing. So she accepts it with a muttered thanks and peers back at the ship.

...how did the ship get so far away so quickly? She glances at Smoker and holds out a hand.] Give me one of those. We might not be able to make the ship, but maybe we can stop ourselves from drifting out of sight.

[She hopes.]

[justicereigns]

[Hands her one quietly.]

Not going to be easy in the dark. [Starts paddling, they can at least get away from the kraken corpse before more things show up to scavenge it.]

[mikangirl]

Won't be too bad. At least I've gotten used to this sky. [But yes, anything at all disrupts their raft, be it rogue wave or scavenger or one of those ships coming down, they're sunk. Pun intended. Still, that makes staying with the ship and its turbulent surroundings even trickier.]

...we'll make it back one way or another.

[justicereigns]

The sky helps you? [He's stalked enough to know she's like a weather forecaster; NO idea the serious degree of it though.]

Tch. So we will. [Determined mode get.]

[mikangirl]

[That question goes unanswered, because she's not inclined to launch into explanations while gauging the waves and their impact on the wreckage keeping them afloat, guiding them across the water accordingly... away from the ship. Because sadly the water is too damn chaotic in front of them. So Nami lapses into silence and just focuses on her job. Ship or a few pieces of wood, she knows what she's doing.

So she tries not to worry when the ship starts getting eclipsed from sight by the storm waves.]

You hammers make things so complicated.

[justicereigns]

[He's equally quiet for a bit. He can't apologize. He's tempted to ask why she bothered coming out there then, but he already knows. And he's grateful, but voicing that...]

We'll get back. Besides, pirate or not, you'd have dove over for a non-hammer too. [Almost a question, but it sounds more like an accusation.] Che, your mother's daughter.

[mikangirl]

That doesn't make me my mother's daughter. [Her tone is flat, because Bellemere is not something she wants to discuss right now.] It makes me a decent human being. Though I'm tempted to just abandon you anyway. I could probably get back on board if it were just me.

[Note how she fails to leave.]

[justicereigns]

[He's inclined to tell her to go for it then, she could probably handle whatever scavengers come for the kraken, but even Smoker knows he can manage some slightly better gratitude than that. Some. Very little.]

And do you honestly think that description fits any other pirate than your captain?

[Chomps on the cigars. Even that was giving too much away. Gratitude be damned, his pride was getting to him.] If you can make it, go, and thanks for the help. I'll get back myself. [Or drift for a long time. Still better than dying.]

[mikangirl]

[l o l so not answering that first question.] Like hell you'll get back yourself. How long d'you think you'd even stay afloat without my help?

[justicereigns]

[Scowl, scowl, growl.]

I'll find a way. [Grumpy Smoker get.]

[mikangirl]

Uh huh. [One rogue wave not dealt with correctly and you'll die. Nami doesn't bother pointing out the obvious. She just focuses on keeping their wreckage stable.] The storm will blow out in a few hours. Worst case scenario, we can catch up to the ship then.

[Assuming there aren't complications. And hoping it'll be more like a few minutes before someone sees they're missing and finds them out here. The kraken is down. All they're dealing with now are Third Party, and that won't take long with who's on board.]

[justicereigns]

Hn. Alright... thank you then.

[And that is end of that discussion to him. Because anything more either of them have to say on it will just complicate matters and get them nowhere. Poor Nami, Smoker is the worst company ever if you don't love silence. Still... progress? At least he thanked her.]

[mikangirl]

[Woo, well at least she's not inclined to hold a converastion right now! \o/

And thus several hours go past in which Nami keeps them afloat, yells random advice to Smoker about said staying afloat, and the storm blows itself out?

Pity the ship is now nowhere to be seen. Sob.

Nami'll just...rest the oar across her lap now.]

Give me a minute.

[justicereigns]

[Pauses in the rowing so they don't go in circles.]

You all right?

[mikangirl]

Yeah. [At this point she's not even gonna think about how strange it feels to be asked that by Smoker.] I just need a breather. And get my thoughts together. [She digs the compass out of her back pocket. Regular everyday one, which works, unlike the one on her wrist.]

[justicereigns]

Hn. Understood. [Takes up both sides to row.] Just point where to go, I've got it.

[mikangirl]

[She lifts a finger and points east.] That general direction for now. [She studied the charts the last time she did this voyage. Remembering points and coordinates... she's marked their drift from the ship, but that was dark and in a storm.

...Sanji will have noticed she's gone by now. Her fingers fold over the compass. Trust me.]

Kano Harbour is one point on a stretch of coast. Even giving a wide margin for error in estimating where we are from the last coordinates of the ship, if we head that way we'll at least hit land. I can work out which direction to go from there, worst case.

[She doesn't want to just find the coast. They're on a timer as it is; people go home from the mission shortly after the ship is docked, don't they? Will they get picked up out of the ocean by the Malnosso? Doubtful, or it would have already happened. And while being outside the barrier and unsupervised is high on her list of future priorities, it certainly isn't under these conditions.

Not to mention Sanji will be forced to go home without her.]

...I don't suppose you have a handy sail stashed on you somewhere.

[justicereigns]

[On the one hand, Smoker's obsessive inspector instincts are taking notes on all of Nami's skill. On the other hand... he already knew all this and he keeps reminding himself, he won't be able to use this knowledge outside of Luceti so it'd be a lot better focus on important things rather than catching pirates.] I'll try to be fast.

[He keeps on rowing and snorts in answer to her next question.] Not unless you count that jacket and my jeans.

[And then Smoker would be in boxers. And no one wants that. Luckily he was just being sarcastic as hell.]

[mikangirl]

Pity. We could get back in no time flat, that way. [Yes well, she ain't volunteering to strip either.] But still, I don't think we're in real trouble, as long as our so-called raft holds together. [Still looking down at the compass like it'll magically point the way. Well, what she's actually doing is a bunch of navigational calculations in her head. She might sound distracted.]

[justicereigns]

Tch. We'll make it.

It can't be as difficult as dealing with Baroque Works, so it'll be fine. [Because they're both way stronger since then, he means. Even with the odds stacked against them. Luckily, Smoker's not much of one to interrupt her calculations, just very grudgingly rely on them. In awkward awkward silence.]