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Post by Brian the Flying Penguin on Aug 29, 2005 3:38:26 GMT -5
Far to the north of the Toad Empire's Penkoon base lays the Two Mountain region, so named for the two extinct volcanoes that are the planets highest peaks. The surrounding terrain is relatively flat, making the mountains that much more distinct. The mountains are honeycombed with the habitation tunnels of the Two Mountain Clan, one of the largest penguin clans on the planet. Culturally, the Clan has been heavily influenced by Kanopians. There is a Daimyo who is advised by clan elders, warriors and farmers. A short distance away from the base of the mountains the Stormtoad officer Major Cane has erected a forwards position.
Characters to include Toad NCO's and troopers, and penguins.
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Post by Brian the Flying Penguin on Aug 29, 2005 4:09:53 GMT -5
Major Cane of the 2nd Stormtoad regiment felt the cold. But he didn't show it. It would go on being cold whether he shivered or not. It wasn't cold enough to kill or incapacitate him, so it didn't bother him. The soldiers he had brought with him from Penkoon Base had not yet reached his level of detachment. They had their uniform heaters turned up to maximum, huddled around a heater or just stood there, rubbing themselves to keep warm. Though he had little but contempt for their ability as soldiers, Cane had been mildly impressed with the efficiency with which they had created this forwards position; digging a trench and setting up the communications array. True, he had had to pick up one of them by the head and throw him out of the transport before they got it into their heads that he wasn't about to let them go back to the base, and true that the man concerned would not be walking again for several weeks, but once they accepted the situation they carried on as efficiently as any troops he had commanded. That, coupled with the fact that finally he had an opportunity to bring the filthy inhabitants of this world to battle were causing in him a sensation whose name he had forgotten.
Ah. That was it. Satisfaction.
There had not been a lot of cause for satisfaction in his life of late. 'Infantry warfare' seemed to be a dirty expression in high command these days. Assignment on Warren had been an interesting diversion, but even he could see that hunting down native terrorists was an ineffectual exercise. Then he had been sent to Penkoon.
The conditions of this world had defeated the advanced technologies of the Imperial fleet, so they sent in a group of Stormtoads. Which was fine, as far as it went, but when Cane had said that he'd need far more soldiers to have any noticeable effect, they'd given him conscripts who could barely tell one end of a maser from the other. Coupled with an enemy that he couldn't bring to battle and his own famously bad temper, the Toad forces had achieved little.
But that was about to change. He knew where they had been hiding. Time to teach the penguins the meaning of Imperial rule.
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Post by Norris on Aug 30, 2005 1:45:58 GMT -5
Within the mountains, one penguin was going about his business as he had always done every day.
Milo Clancey was a prospector who lived alone in the desolate parts of the caverns. His home was no more than a cave with a few trimmings here and there. Right next door was a mine-shaft, where each day, Milo went to dig out a truckload of Synothium ore, a highly-unstable and indestructible mineral that could become a unique power-source if refined just right.
Milo always sold the Synothium to whoever came up to his cave, but Milo has constantly refused to sell any to the Toads, no matter how big a price. If there was one thing this old penguin knew, it was to never trust a Toad.
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Post by Brian the Flying Penguin on Sept 5, 2005 2:59:19 GMT -5
Cane studied the entrances to the mountain fortress through a pair of digital binoculars. Those entrances that he could see were protected by impressive looking stone keeps. Wouldn't stand up to modern weapons of course, but a direct assault would be spotted right away. Then the penguins would either fall back, collapse the tunnels leading to that entrance or -as Cane had found out to his cost the year before- send every available warrior to the area and attack until every Toad was dead. They'd take massive causalities of course, but they seemed willing if it meant that they would win. Much as Cane hated the idea of acting cautiously on what was supposed to be a Empire planet, he was a good enough soldier to come up with another plan.
He decreased magnification, and tried looking at the mountains as a unified whole. How were the penguins getting water or food? Melt water from the mountainside? Or perhaps they had subterranean wells? Food could be hunted during the brief summer season and preserved. Their weapons... How would they get their metal... They must mine from somewhere, and they would hardly be likely to undermine their own homes. What he needed, Cane realised, was a local prisoner. Someone to interrogate without risking giving away his presence. He turned to one of his squad.
"Get out the geophys survey. Where should there be mines around here?"
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Post by Norris on Sept 5, 2005 9:54:25 GMT -5
Milo had stopped his daily work for a lunch break.
Although there was no way of conceiving time, to Milo, lunchtime was whenever his stomach gurgled.
Biting into an undercooked herring, he pondered for a moment about how much more Synothium he could mine out before the cavern ran dry.
He knew that the primitive "army" that the Two Mountains had bought every piece of Synothium ore that he'd dug out, but how much longer would it be until the mine was redundant? It wasn't as though he could work in another mine; there weren't any other Synothium Quarrys in the colony. Milo thought long and hard before he was back to work digging out the ore.
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Post by Brian the Flying Penguin on Sept 7, 2005 5:30:03 GMT -5
The map in front of Cane displayed the probably locations of valuable minerals. Not the certain locations, Cane noted sourly. No one from Toad Science would deign to come to Penkoon. No, these had been worked out by a planetary physics team in a nice warm office somewhere, based on crust shapes and hundred year old surveys carried out by Rigellians.
It hadn't told them about synothium. That had been a nasty surprise when they first set up Penkoon Base. Now they knew it was here, however, it did become easier to locate mineshafts. There were a few locations around here, and Cane whittled them down based on distance from the hold entrances. Hmm. Still more than he was happy with, but the only other way he could think of finding out was to check in person.
One of Canes first acts as head of Penkoon Base had been to replace the ridiculous blue and gold uniforms with grey and white. That, combined with the cameo cloaks, should be enough to conceal them from the watchers at the gateways while they checked out the possible mines. Cane picked five of the least useless squad members, and ordered the rest to stay on guard. Then, hugging what cover the bleak landscape offered, he set off into the foothills.
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Post by Norris on Sept 7, 2005 8:10:28 GMT -5
Milo stopped his digging suddenly, thinking he heard footsteps outside.
"God, **** it!" he grumbled to himself. "That's your echo, Milo! Pull yourself together!"
Milo resumed his loud hammering, carefully removing the ore from the walls and placing them into a small wooden cart behind him. This cart led along a small set of rails that led to the entrance of the mine and from there, Milo exchanged the wagon for another empty one.
It would soon be time for the crude "Security Force" to collect the next truckload, 2:00 pm as usual. But Milo continued to hammer.
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Post by Brian the Flying Penguin on Sept 9, 2005 5:13:30 GMT -5
Cane looked impassively at the second 'possible mine site' the map had given him. Nothing. His scanner wasn't even picking up ore readings. Another officer might have given it up as a bad job, but Cane had the bit between his teeth and a lot of frustration to work out on some penguin miners.
Location three was higher up the valley side. Cane found the walk easy, but after a time became aware that the conscripts were falling behind. He stopped to glaring at them, and as he was turning noticed an area of snow that had been marked by footprints. Might not turn out to be a waste of time after all.
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Post by Norris on Sept 9, 2005 7:27:06 GMT -5
2:00, bang on time.
At the entrance to the mine were two penguins in primitive clothing, very unlike what Milo wore.
Trundling the cart to the entrance, the two strangers replaced it with an empty cart that had been dragged along the rough causeway, and paid Milo the usual, three fish and a jar of water.
Milo accepted the pay and placed them in his cave, before drifting off to sleep. He wanted to rest his arms before returning to the mine.
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Post by Brian the Flying Penguin on Sept 11, 2005 8:23:45 GMT -5
Cane had seem the penguin's approaching, and signalled for his squad to duck into a near by gully. Peering out, he watched them move away from the mine sight with the ore cart. Synothium. He contemplated simply blowing the load up, but the resulting explosion would easily be seen from the keep. Killing the penguins presented a similar problem: undoubtedly they were expected back.
He waited until they were out of sight, then followed their tracks backwards. He was expecting to come across a large mine works, guarded and with many workers. The cleft opening in the hillside that was the entrance to Milo's mine was something of a surprise. A more articulate Toad might have made some remark about how primitive a system prospecting was, and how it demonstrated the superiority of the Empire. Cane just thought it was stupid to be out on your own when you could expect to be attacked.
He spread out his squad around the entrance so as to have warning if any other penguins were around. Assuming that the miner was still inside, combat would be a noisy affair and he didn't want the cart-pushers to hear anything. Judging the distance to be sufficient he loaded a photon grenade into his barrel mounted launcher, pointed down the tunnel and fired.
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Post by Norris on Sept 12, 2005 9:50:48 GMT -5
A sudden shock of energy ran straight through Milo, and before he could react, he was out like a light.
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Post by Brian the Flying Penguin on Sept 14, 2005 3:22:36 GMT -5
Cane swept the entrance to the mine with his gun light. Nothing. He waved his conscripts forwards, and then followed them in. The tunnel was a good size, and the support beams looked solid enough. Keeping his gun covering the forward element of the group he edged closer to a wall. He saw a silvery sheen on the rock face. Synothium ore. One of the conscripts shouted ahead of him. Eyes narrowing at the breach of military protocol Cane strode towards the shouter.
The conscript -Private Teil, Cane remembered- had found the unconscious Milo. Cane picked him up and held him at arms reach in one hand. Ugly bird.
"Return to base."
The relieved looking conscripts filed out of the tunnel. Cane picked up a length of rope, bound Milo, then threw him over his shoulder.
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Post by Norris on Sept 14, 2005 9:23:46 GMT -5
Milo simply flopped about like a toy, unaware of what was happening, and still in a state of unconciousness.
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Post by Brian the Flying Penguin on Sept 15, 2005 7:40:02 GMT -5
The Toads made better time back to their temporary camp. Milo was taken into the transport and chained to the inside hull. Taking a few steps back Cane waited for him to regain conciousness.
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Post by Norris on Sept 16, 2005 9:07:21 GMT -5
Milo groaned as he came around. Trying to place his hands, but found them to be restrained.
"What in the name of...?" he began, and saw Cane towering over him. "Oh, Toads," he grumbled. "Well, what d'yall want? You know how dangerous it is to throw new-fangled gizmos around in a Synothium mine."
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