lucetilogs | Mission # 10 - Operation: Hospital Freedom

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Mission # 10 - Operation: Hospital Freedom

Who: Commander: Gai Tsutsugami, Soldiers/Guards: [Faith Lehane, Amelia McFly, Hyuuga Neji, Masaomi Kida, Nara Shikamaru, Edward Elric, Susan Richards, Precis Neumann, Katara, Rock Lee], Negotiators: [Gregor Vorbarra, Tarrlok, Nephry Osborne]
What: MISSION # 10 - Operation: Hospital Freedom
When: September 3rd-4th
Where: Desset City General Hospital
Summary: A group of Malnosso soldiers have gone off the deep end and intend to join the cultists and sacrifice the patients inside a hospital.

The volunteers had only two hours to read the message before they were expected to step on the teleporter in the tunnels and be deployed. They were then met by Malnosso soldiers who briefed them on the situation as they were flown to the scene in five separate helicopters. Along with blueprints of the hospital, they were also given a folder of documents with profiles of the soldiers in the hospital. As typical protocol, the windows were blacked out. When at last they arrived, it was on a building adjacent to the hospital itself. The building itself was forty stories high, the same as the hospital across the street.

On the roof they were met with a familiar face. Specialist Davis. He was accompanied by ten additional soldiers, all geared up and ready to deploy. He seemed more annoyed than usual. Even more so than the battle up on the Moon.

“Alright you lot, listen up, cuz I ain’t saying this twice. You aren’t my first choice for this mission, but you were all MARS was able to get. You all should be familiar with the details of the mission already. If not, better brush up before we go. But let me make one thing clear, because you lot seem to have a pretty hard time with this one. No one dies. These ain’t a bunch of kids from some other bubble you can cut up if you decide you don’t like them so much. These are men and women who spend every day defending this world. And if that ain’t enough for you, they know enough things that if they escape here and get to the Cultists, it could jeopardize everything. Including your enclosure. If anyone has a problem with that, you can get the hell back on that chopper and stop wasting my time.”

The soldiers with him seemed a little surprised by his unusual behavior. It was clear that Davis was aware of recent events. He was none too thrilled to hear of the results. “So to make sure you don’t go in and try to kill the first soldier who gets in your way, we’ll be packing nonlethal weapons only. Tasers, stun guns, tranqs, and the works. Some of these soldiers may take a little more than that. We’ve got a powerful psychic in there, so be sure to wear the earpieces you were given on the chopper. That should keep him from getting inside your head. But that won’t stop him from taking control of patients and hospital staff. This should go without saying, but you can’t kill them either. If any of you do, I’ll make sure it’s a good and long time before you ever go on a mission again.”

His orders finished, Davis left the group to make his final preparations with his soldiers. The Lucetians were given access to several totes containing the weaponry they were permitted to take with them. During that time, Davis could be spotted at the corner of the building with an unidentifiable woman wearing a hood. After their conversation, he returned to the group to take some final questions. Once everything was ready, the operation was ready to begin. Step one? Taking control of the opposing roof.

---

The Desset City General Hospital is a forty floor building located in the middle of the city. For an idea of what the city looks like, well, imagine any modern major city. The city is very much a bustling metropolis, quite different from the draft that took place there over two years ago.

There are numerous soldiers within the hospital. Fifteen notable soldiers are listed here, but there are numerous other ‘novices’ among them. It was originally a group of two hundred soldiers, but there’s been a lot of infighting after the hospital was taken, so it is unknown how many of them survived. Aside from the fifteen in particular, most of the soldiers will not possess any unique traits, though you are certainly encouraged to invent NPCs to flesh out as much as you like.

The building is large and chock-full of important people, facilities, and equipment. While most of it pertains to the hospital’s everyday runnings, there are some “easter eggs” ripe for the finding should the team of volunteers conduct a thorough enough search. However, remember that your characters are here on a short mission and will likely not be able to search everywhere. The hospital is on emergency power only and so not even the mad convenience of elevators can help them zip around to all of the floors.

Floor 40: Emergency care, for in-flight patients arriving by chopper. Several badly injured patients are still here being cared for by hospital staff, but in danger of dying if not allowed surgery. Several soldiers guard this floor.

Floor 39: Special Care ward. Typically reserved for wealthy or important members of the organization to receive individualized care in nice and spacious accommodations. Already evacuated and abandoned.

Floor 38-31: Various wards for different problems, varying from heart, lungs, and other injuries. Most of the surgeries are performed here.

Floor 29-20: “Death Penalty Syndrome” ward. Several floors dedicated solely to caring for individuals who have accumulated enough Death Penalties to no longer be able to care for themselves. Some are more far gone than others. Most of the soldiers are pinned up on these floors, being particularly interested in sacrificing these patients as an ‘act of mercy’. Most of these patients have either been in the world for centuries or are soldiers and fighters.

Floor 19-18: Shift Labs. Occasionally -- with both natural and fabricated Shifts -- there are subjects who are unable to return to their previous state. These floors house labs used for researching ways in which to cure the Shifted, whether they be part of the Organization or from an unfortunate enclosure. It’s clear that these labs are very busy and some of the qualifications hung up on the walls suggest that very prominent doctors and scientists are employed by these labs. Although patients have been evacuated, volunteers will find their charts left behind. These charts list names, vitals, as well as geographical locations. At least ten of the subjects are listed as having been from Kin’cora. Note: These two floors are equipped with a Shift that cancels all powers.

Floor 17: Records and archives. While most records are digitally stored, there remain some considerable hard-copy collections. However, many of these doors are heavily locked and will require both time and patience in order to be opened. Should any volunteers opt to investigate, provide us with a semi-directed paragraph of your character’s attempt as well as their search and we will provide you with intel, should they succeed.

Floor 16: Psych Ward. Patients suffering from mental problems are kept under close watch. Some of these patients are in similar frames of mind as the soldiers and may inevitably become additional reinforcements.

Floor 15-10: Private doctors maintain their own offices here by appointment.

Floor 9-7: Pediatrics, OB/GYN, NICU. There seems to have been some recent vandalism done to these floors which pre-dates this hostage situation. Sloppy, threatening graffiti clutters the walls and wards saying things like “NO MORE LUCIES” and “MAKE PEACE NOT BABIES”.

Floor 6-1: Reception on the first floor, with emergency care occupying the rest. Soldiers are even on this floor, keeping anyone from entering from the ground entrances.

Basement Levels: Inaccessible.

The NPC, Kovan Foster, will be the only enemy soldier controlled by a mod. A pair of a negotiator and soldier will be allowed to approach him in a three-way thread. There will be a thread on the accompanying mod post to volunteer for this and we’ll randomly select the person at midnight.

It will be discovered that Kovan Foster has managed to bring a Shift-augmented explosive with him. This explosive has the potential to destroy an entire city block if it’s not stopped. They’ll discover there’s not enough time to move it to somewhere safer. However, Floor 19 has a room that cancels Shifts temporarily. If the explosive is moved there, it will cause the explosive to go off, but the damage will be contained to a smaller area. This will save the entire building, however there will be no time for this person to get out in time. Due to the power canceling Shift in effect on that floor, they will also be entirely unable to avoid being killed.

Anyone can volunteer to be this person. However, if none of the Lucetians immediately volunteer to do this, inevitably one of Davis’s men will do it instead. While either option is fine, a heroic sacrifice may impact the MSF’s perception of Luceti.

That’s all! For any plotting or questions, please use this post

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There's no telling if he's working with someone, however. He's not being controlled, that's for certain, so we can assume he's one of the soldiers. But whether he's the only one down here...

[Katara shook her head.]

I don't think so.

[That would be too easy.]

So... what if the guy who does the controlling is down here.

Then we'll need to take him out just the same. It's too late to turn around and ask for reinforcements.

[Just confirming that. He realizes that wasn't a strong part of the question.]

This said, depending upon his level of control, he could turn any of these people against us. You need to be prepared for a variety of scenarios.

Nonlethal, remember.

Linda can only effectively hit one target with a Thunder Wave at a time.

[the one that causes paralysis. to clarify]

[He shoots Katara a Look. Seriously. Do you think he likes killing people or something?]

What?

[...Oh and they're arguing now.

...He's going to go and talk with Linda over here. She gets him]

I specialize in nonlethal. And Masaomi's not one to forget. [Just a reminder. They don't have time for actual arguments. He knows this is really bad for her, so he should be more fair. The sooner they get out, the better it will be.]

If we need Thunder Wave, [saying this as he focuses back on strategy] we should reserve it for a soldier. If there's more than one, Katara can use waterbending to freeze them long enough to be sedated. Unless they're very strong, I can hold back anyone else with my jutsu and subdue them.

[She gave him a fixed look and then glanced at Masaomi. She spoke quietly and quickly, pressing her case. And she's speaking to you and Linda too, Masaomi, so you'd better be paying attention.]

The reason why I reminded us is because when we signed on for this mission, we agreed to let ourselves die if the only alternative is killing one of the enemy. But that means we also had to agree to let each other die. [The words burn in her throat past an internal shriek of 'Never.' But she pushed forward.] Because the cost of our lives would be hundreds of thousands of others. That's why we have to make sure any methods we take work the first time. Nonlethal, but full force. We have to make sure that's our focus, that's our goal.

[She was reminding herself: there were no alternatives.

Because this is us, and if it doesn't work the first time, I don't know if I can hold back if the choice is seeing one of you die. Don't make me find out.]

Edited 2012-10-07 16:18 (UTC)

[He's not looking at them as he replies. He's not looking at Katara when she presses her case - he's doing this thing of conversing with this Partner of his without words. It's going well until her point hammers in and Linda goes to speak up. Masaomi silences her with a look, reminding her of their personal agreement. She bites it back, but then coats her tail in iron and uncoats it. the sound of plates coming together two or three times will be echoing a bit in here and she doesn't care they said it wasn't stealth.

As for Masaomi... no, one of their lives is worth more than that. But he did sign up for this and so it's somewhat irreverently that he forces out-] Me and Shikamaru aren't "heroes," you know.

[Shikamaru doesn't look either. He doesn't have a Pikachu to converse with, so it's his own irritation he's suppressing in the back of his head as he hazes through strategies.

What she's saying is stupid. He understand why she's reminding herself. Katara, despite everything she's been through, is as far away from as soldier as one can make themselves.

It's like she doesn't get that there's the mission objective, and then there's a soldier's objective. Which is funny to him, because outside of this he thinks (likes to think) she understands it well.

It's Masaomi, bless him, who finds the right words - describes it more perfectly than he could right now, even if he's the only one who will understand it (maybe it was meant for him to hear as much as it was for her, now that he thinks of it).]

He's right. [Now he'll turn to look at her.] What you described, "agreeing to let each other die instead"... I didn't agree to that. Did you?

[This is said to Masaomi. He doesn't wait for him to affirm it.]

Full force, take them out the first time. We can do this. [Of that he's absolutely sure.] The only way that is viable is if someone here can't fulfill this mission without going out like a "hero", dying so everyone else can live and thinking their friends would be okay with that.

No. No one dies means no one dies. [That might still be a little raw for him. Maybe.] We're not wasting any more time debating that. If either of you disagree, I will escort you off this floor personally.

[There are a million and one alternatives.

He will take every single one if it's to make sure he never has to see a friend die again, or put them through the same thing.]

[At Shikamaru's question she looked between them. Could she do it? Could she let them die if doing so would save hundreds of thousands of lives?

Katara glanced down.

...she couldn't. She couldn't do it. Her heart broke with the weight of it, but she knew she couldn't do it.

So she'd just have to make sure that it wasn't an option.

When Katara looked back up to them, there was a strange quirk to her lips, as if something was painfully amusing. She seemed more inside her skin than she had been since they'd entered this ward.]

I guess it's a good thing he didn't ask me that. He might not have let me come.

[She glanced at them with hard, bright eyes, that funny little smirk still on her lips Don't die. I'll never forgive you if you let yourselves die.

She met Shikamaru's eyes and let him read what was in hers. They could do this. She was a doctor, a healer. She knew hundreds of ways to stop someone without killing them, and not all of them were particularly nice.

And it was time she put some of that to use. She glanced at Masaomi.]

Masaomi, you and Linda should save Thunder Shock for the people under his control, especially the patients. If we're lucky, not only will it knock them out, but the electricity could reset their system and make it harder for him to grab hold again.

Edited 2012-10-08 02:24 (UTC)

[Ans Masaomi takes this moment to kiss Linda on her cheek port. The girl protests, whining a bit, but if you were to look at him the moment Masaomi looks away and back at his friends, you'd think she were a blushing school girl.

Hah] Deal. She can stick to Iron or Aqua Tail between those two, or just a good old Quick Attack.

[And he rolls his shoulders. So Thunder Wave for the solders, Thunder Shock for the possessed ones? He feels good to be cleared to use the more damaging one on them by Katara...

Anyway, he now gets out his collapseable baton and extends it]

[That's more like it.

Sometimes, Katara, for all that you aggravate him you can remind him why he adores you. All of you, even Linda.

It's not the Ino-Shika-Cho combination. It's not anything like any squad combination he's been a part of. But he loves this team. He loves his friends. And he's convinced that whatever this floor decides to throw at them, they can handle it. He grins wide, so filled by this sentiment.]

We'll move in a V-formation until we encounter our targets. Katara in front, Masaomi and I in the middle. He and I will cover left and right while Linda observes the flank.

[Eyes still lit and hard, Katara nods. She agrees with putting her at the front - she can deal with a lot, and what she can't deal with immediately she can knock to the side and disorient to let her boys handle. Shikamaru's jutsu, in particular, will benefit from having her shadow in front of him. Good.]

Let's do this.

Solid. [And with that, they get in formation. The formation inthe hall leads down the the only logical place for the enemy to me. Giving up stealth, it also means that the enemy is aware they are here. It also means that the redhead with the flamethrower will be the first they encounter.

Namely, almost as soon as they set out down the hall. He's still singing a song, but now it's a a different one. It's light as he's ahead of them, but he quickly makes note of, you know, three people in hall. And so the guy laughs before just bringing his flawthrower to bare properly and- well. Torrent of flame.

He doesn't signal to call on a radio to anyone, but presumably the loudness of him launching fire at the group will stand out enough to summon all his comrades. He'd be best to deal with quicker as a result]

[Which would be the second reason Shikamaru wanted Katara up front.

As such he doesn't bother dodging-- but he will take advantage of the nice lighting that flame provides. Their shadows are black and writing on the floor; almost imperceptibly his will darken further from that, shooting off behind him like a bullet. He's already preparing for the second wave.]

[That is an awful lot of intensely concentrated flame. It's like fighting a very, very good firebender. Katara met the first incoming blast of fire with a watershield, but she knew that she couldn't simply hold him for long - that much intensity could burn through water.

She didn't have the mobility she'd like, having to stay on point and make sure the shield guarded Masaomi and Shikamaru, but it didn't stop her from sending out a waterwhip to where the man had been standing from beneath her shield. If he'd stayed in the same place, and from the direction of the flame she thought he had, it should push him solidly back, causing the flameflower to go up and allowing her to advance and finish this.]

[Masaomi, meanwhile, can't really do much here. He's got his baton out and ready to come in and intercept, but mostly he's keeping watch for whoever might be coming out.

...None yet.

Linda's also eager here. But without orders from Masaomi she can't actually go in there. After all, an electrical spark (technically), even her tail-based moves have a light charge) might cause him to blow up

So both are on standby, really, gritting their teeth as John there stumbles, but collects himself and spreads his large wings]

Katara, you have that covered?

[Just. Asking. Because what the guy was doing was a very simple strategy. Push the line back, partner comes in to attack from behind. He's questioning whether or not to spare Masaomi to fall back a few paces to check when--

Tap-tap-tap. The sound bounces off the walls in a side hall they passed further down with the empty rooms before stopping, when something like a small and round grenade hits the ground.

WELL HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWER IS A YES because Shikamaru's attention is quickly diverted. His shadow snakes up, suddenly solid, to wrap around the item like a cord and throw it back where it came from.]

On it!

[And she is - moving forward the moment the flamethrower falters. She won't let John regain his feet, moving instead to blast him with water, in a whirling movement. John dodged midair, but Katara countered. She sped up her attack, slammed John into the wall, the water turning to a band of ice around him.]

[Unfortunately, John is psychotic. so more than likely, if he has any means to resist, he will resist. Even if they wouldn't strike a normal person as viable.

...That said, Masaomi is town between the two of them, and instead just goes to close his eyes and listen. the grenade came from behind them, which means either one of the possessed people were being direct controlled to something more stable or there was another soldier back there.

Linda's the one who hears the door opening first- Passed John there and Katara, two mook soldiers come out, both holding something that looks like AK 47s. Before they bring them to bare though- Masaomi snaps his fingers, and Linda launches a strong Thundershock over at them, racing to break the distance. Masaomi follows her, effectively breaking the formation a little (lagging Shikamaru a bit) but he does not get into point]

[At about the same time that's happening, the grenade goes off in the side hall, the sound of glass shattering and sweet laughter to follow.

Out of the smoke comes a blue-skinned alien girl, not a scratch on her. She's armed to the teeth, but with a sort of glazed look in her eyes as she pulls the pin out of another grenade lifted up to her mouth with her tongue. "Gzork, you're missing the party."

Shikamaru throws a shuriken at her in the same minute, aiming for a bicep to distract her from his shadow now moving flat against the ground. He's still keeping track of the rest of the fight, distractedly. Linda's Thunder Wave, at least, seemed to have a strong ans instant effect on one of those soldiers.]

Masaomi, you and Linda finish up there. I have a job for you.

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