World War II - The Vanguard Issue #3 - Operation Dynamo! Dunkirk group

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:OOC You have options - get the heck out of dodge and retreat further towards the BEF, go intangible and attack the Nazi camp with grenades, call on the Dark Power and stand back as the biggest firework display in history goes off, wait for your friends to get back, even call for reinforcements and hold the line, buying more time for the BEF to evacuate. They need three days. You've given them one, maybe a bit more, by your actions and those of your team, but the cost on day 1 has been high, and it's not finished yet for Lionheart and Sentinel! Anyman is in a world of pain, deep behind enemy lines with a very real problem of how to get out alive presenting itself. Things are bleak, but you aren't finished yet. The Shadows Darken, the Vanguard is the light. Over to you...

Having had time to think, Frostbite had called for the others to listen to what he had to say.

"We're going to call in for more support, so that we can try and get out troops out, but frankly I don't trust the people over there. I'm sure that the Commandant is a good man on the wrong side of this war. He'll be overridden and we've got to make attempts to pull back whilst we can."

Looking about Frostbite new he was asking a lot, but they were here to organise a retreat and regroup they were in no shape to do much else.

"I'll buy us some time, I'll use the cover of darkness to cause as much damage as I can in the camp, although if their smart they will realise that will be the case. When the attack starts going off I want my team to come over and help out as best they can. But wait for the mayhem to start going off or you'll be cut to ribbons trying to get to my position. And I'll need all the grenades and explosives I can carry."

As the officers set about giving orders, Frostbite turned to Gravity Girl,

"You know the more I think about it the more I worry about our prisoners. That SS officer, he house a shadow, red eyes, nasty smile. He wouldn't have let those prisoners go free without a reason. I think our French officer was right, his men may be a trap. I want our people on high alert. Lionheart told me about men who could change into werewolves, Ani-men he called them. Or who knows what else they could have planted within them, given how much experimentation the Nazi's have been undertaking. Put one of our guys onto watching them and the camp."

With that Frostbite strode off into the camp to get ready, he felt tired and wanted to sleep, but he knew closing his eyes right now wouldn't mean he'd get any rest. He walked his fatigue off, letting the cold night air give him some pep in his step as he strode to collect his munitions.

OOC:
1. OK I know Tank Man is out of things so I want one other to stay behind and then have whatever of the rest can come, to join me. I guess it ought to be someone like Fastback, someone who can let us know what is going on in a pinch.

2. Once I've got munitions I'm not interested in talking or having a villain to hero monologue exercise. I'll just start planting grenades to go off in the most sensitive areas beginning with the munitions and supplies and then working among the men. The idea is to flit from one area to the next, using intangibility and the ground to move about without making myself a target.

3. To aid in this process I will put on a jacket and uniform of an SS officer, if I can procure one or a soldier if not. Sure there are items to be had easily enough. I want to add to the confusion by making the darkness, confusion and a bluff by disguise add to the whole attempt at making it harder for me to be pinned down.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Having given his orders Frostbite looked to the setting sun, knowing that the cover of darkness would be all important. Were he to be seen his ability to plant the grenades would be impaired, having to turn tangible under a hail of bullets! That didn't bother him so much but a grenade struck by a bullet going off in his hand, then triggering other grenades, would certainly cause him more than a headache!

Suddenly there was a blur of wind, and Frostbite instantly iced up, on the defensive!

"yougottacomequickthere'ssomethinggoingonwiththeprisoners!" exclaimed Fastback! Frostbite rose, looking beyond Fastback. Muttering a curse under his breath, he saw the edge of the setting sun disappear from sight behind the trees, the final orange edge seeming to signal the end of the day and the start of something else!

There!

He heard shouts, cries, the rattle of gunfire!

Across the camp, where the prisoners were held captive, there were flashes of lightning, like a storm was going off at ground level! Cursing, Frostbite started towards the trouble, then turned.

In the distance he heard the rumble of armour as the Nazis started to advance! They were coming, and would be here in under an hour! Gravity Girl soared down, almost out of breath "We watched them like hawks! It didn't matter! First one, then another of the prisoners started to collapse, and it was as if they were mummified corpses, drying out before our eyes! A second later... and it was just that... they rose, grabbing the nearest living person and ..." she stopped, even the hardened Emma Steed needing a pause. "Sucked the life right out of the soldier! His skin was restored, the French Prisoner looked absolutely terrified, unaware of what had gone on, and the soldier he'd drained? He was a husk!"

Fastback gathered herself before talking. "What if they drain one of us?" Screams and bright flashes - happening more and more now - caused everyone to turn. Soldiers were firing point blank into the prisoners, and the dried out bodies ignored the bullets, pulled the shooters in with nigh on superhuman strength, put their mouth next to the soldiers and FED!

Frostbite turned around. He still had time before the Nazi onslaught began, but would there be any soldiers left by the time he got there?

'Ingenious.' remarked the inner voice. 'The Prisoners 'dehydrate', losing their life force, but are able to drain the living nearby to restore their life! The drained soldier, in turn, rises moments later to drain life from the living! A Vampiric virus.'

Frostbite realised then that the warning he'd deduced from the German officer had referred to the story of the Trojan horse. The French prisoners were innocent of wrongdoing - they had nothing to do with what was going on. Instead, they'd been injected with some kind of virus that unleashed the deadly force that now drained the life from the living, and turned them into life draining vampires!

The trigger had been sunlight. Or rather, lack of it.



OOC The Nazi trap was sprung when the sun went down. Despite plenty of guards about the prisoners, all it did was provide them with more sustenance. Now all the drained will be rising to drain more of the living as the virus spreads like wildfire! The nazi army has seen the lightning flashes as their trigger, and is on their way! Let's see, options... tackle the life drainers, before they spread out of control? get the French to gather their injured and pull back, right now - or dig in to meet the Nazis head on? Head towards the Nazis to take the fight to them. It's dark, and Frosty can be sneaky, using the ground for cover, so he has a reasonable chance of slowing them down. perhaps he wants to send a message to the rest of the Vanguardians , get the ship over here, pronto? (At this point in the time line it's gathering the others from their own particular versions of a tight spot) You may have other options, but right now with every passing second the life drainers are spreading...

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:OOC The Nazi trap was sprung when the sun went down. Despite plenty of guards about the prisoners, all it did was provide them with more sustenance. Now all the drained will be rising to drain more of the living as the virus spreads like wildfire! The nazi army has seen the lightning flashes as their trigger, and is on their way! Let's see, options... tackle the life drainers, before they spread out of control? get the French to gather their injured and pull back, right now - or dig in to meet the Nazis head on? Head towards the Nazis to take the fight to them. It's dark, and Frosty can be sneaky, using the ground for cover, so he has a reasonable chance of slowing them down. perhaps he wants to send a message to the rest of the Vanguardians , get the ship over here, pronto? (At this point in the time line it's gathering the others from their own particular versions of a tight spot) You may have other options, but right now with every passing second the life drainers are spreading...

Frostbite pursed his lips, thoughts sought to tumble through his mind as he fought for mastery in the overwhelming sense that everything was falling apart around his ears.

But he pulled himself together, the steely calm of leadership gave him focus as he sought to order his thoughts and get orders out as soon as possible.

"Right Steed with me, Fastback I want you to tell the French to start pulling back, anyone who cannot go on their own can be given the chance to stay and delay the Nazi advance. We'll issue them with explosives. Start getting the men back, meanwhile Steed and I together with the other Justicars will create a fire break, if light was what was needed, we'll need to use grenades and fuel to create a barrier that will either kill these things or blow them apart. Since being with the Nazi's they're no longer the people they once were. All we can do is make their deaths count for something."

With that Frostbite set off to where the men where, he quickly sought to grab some fuel canisters rolled them into the mass of men and threw in a grenade after it to set them alight, hoping that since these creatures were dried husks before hand, fire might be their weak point.

Quickly he arranged to have more cannisters brought forward, so as to contain the creatures, before things spread as did panic and mayhem. He had Gravity girl reduce the mass of the cannisters so he and the other justicars could follow suit rolling them in among the men so adding to the flames and destruction seeking to coral the infection.

"When we've finished here, I'm going to send a message to the Nazi's they won't forget in a hurry." He said between gritted teeth as he went about the grim task, his anger barely contained at what had been inflicted upon these men.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

"Sounds like a plan!" said Gravity Girl, dashing to where some of the vehicles used by the French were parked up, hidden in a copse of trees. Between her and Frostbite they soon had lighter than air barrels floating towards the flashes of light and screams of the dying Frenchmen! It was utter carnage! men ran everywhere, seeing bullets blast into the bodies of their once comrades and out the other side without slowing them down! The only thing that did slow them was when they grabbed a passing soldier, drank his life force, then sagged back, appearing as a normal French soldier again, save being bewildered and frightened by what was going on! Meanwhile the drained soldier would rise, as a dessicated husk, grab another soldier and start the cycle anew!

It was spreading like wildfire through the camp!

Barking orders to any who would hear, the French Colonel continued to fire at the men who'd been prisoners. If they'd 'fed' bullets appeared to affect them, dropping them when enough had been pumped into the man. A downed corpse would quickly deflate, becoming husk like, then rising and moving towards the living again!

The Colonel turned as Frostbite and Gravity Girl turned up. "I don't... if this..." he took aim, firing again, and again. "If these got to where the bulk of the army is... it could turn them all into creatures like this!"

Gravity Girl turned pale at the thought, but Frostbite didn't let it slow him down. Grabbing barrel after barrel of fuel he tossed it into the midst of the French prisoners, then grabbed up a discarded gun and took aim.

BOOOM!

The explosion lit up the night, blowing bodies everywhere! Burning dried out husks stumbled here, there, unable to drain anything as their bodies disintegrated in the searing heat! Again and again they tossed barrels in, watching out for telltale lightning flashes to indicate where the abominations still lived!

Just then, Frostbite heard a distant BANG! and a whistling sound...

"Oh no!" said Gravity Girl...

=========

"Open fire! Target the flames!" ordered the Nazi SS Officer.

The rows of tanks fired shell after shell at the burning French camp, accompanied by the pounding of artillery guns! Soon the sky was lit with tracer and flashes as the shells struck, blasting the French to smithereens!

=========

Frostbite looked about...

The French were smashed! After the initial shots to gauge distance had fallen short, the Nazis were now pounding the area where the French soldiers had dug in! This helped - with destroying the life drainers that remained - but the French retreat turned into a rout!

Fastback sped up, then sagged, holding her knees and gulping in breath "We're done! The French are in full retreat! Do we stay to fight them or get out of here?" Even as she spoke the boom of exploding shells nearby drowned her out, and the group were showered in flying dirt!

Gravity Girl shook her head. "If we don't hold the line, the Nazi forces will be on the BEF in a day, and everything we've fought for will be for nothing! We may as well invite Hitler to call Parliament to order now!"

With fires burning all about, and ears filled with the screams of the dying, Frostbite saw the true horror of war at that moment. Overwhelmed by superior numbers, possessing a power that could not be measured but unable to use it without great cost... and having to see those he defended be blown to smithereens by an honour-less enemy ... it was too much!

He felt then the creeping tendrils of a Dark Presence in his mind. 'I feel your pain mortal. Perhaps it is time. I regret though... there will be a heavy price for you to pay...'

Gravity Girl shook Frostbite again. "Joe! Joe! Snap out of it! We need to go! let's send word along the line for the French to retreat so as to minimise casualties, and wait for the others to get back! When we're gathered together we can strike back! If they've dcoen their job the Nazis won't advance far anyway - unless they want their tanks running out of fuel!"

'Ignore the woman!' urged the Dark Voice inside. 'Call on my power! Crush your enemies! Save the day!'

Fastback looked about, wiped a tear from her eyes. "So many dead..." she whispered.

OOC Another tricky choice. The others should be returning in the next couple of posts though, so Frostbite just needs to ride this out, somehow. Consider this to be the 'Empire strikes back' phase of the war so far....

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:Fastback looked about, wiped a tear from her eyes. "So many dead..." she whispered.

OOC Another tricky choice. The others should be returning in the next couple of posts though, so Frostbite just needs to ride this out, somehow. Consider this to be the 'Empire strikes back' phase of the war so far....

Frostbite responded to Steed's insitent shaking. "I feared this might happen, it was why I had hoped we'd be able to get people out first, but it all takes time. And now we've lit the whole place up for the Nazi's to pound us at will."

Again the voice spoke, velvet smooth, but Joe also knew that the voice spoke truth...at what cost, how much is too much. "I'm going to take advantage of this confusion, and finish what I started. I want you all to help the French get out and give the order to retreat. I'm going to give them a taste of their own medicine, they've lit up their position by firing on us, and in the dark its so hard to tell one soldier from another. I'll join you soon, but get everyone back and look out for the others."

Steed could tell that his tone of voice and by the look he gave, he was in no mood to argue. Though Joe realised that he had been overcompensating this whole time. Knowing that the others had taken heavy looses and knowing how little the others could do in such overwhelming odds, he'd done most of the heavy work himself. But what else could he do, he wasn't going to throw the Justicars to a needless death, just to make them feel useful!

Having gathered up the remains of his stuff, he floated forward in the stolen uniform he'd got, intangible he flew in a straight line toward the armoured divisions.

As he came forward, he saw the tanks. Moving speedily , he came from underneath, emerging in a tank where he'd drop a grenade and retreat silent like the grave. A grim look of concentration on his face as he did what he had to. Moving from tank to tank he came up form underneath dropping grenades into them.

Then he sank down again, moving on deeper into the camp to attack the soft underbelly of supplies, fuel and if he could find him the Commander. If he could kill the body, the Shadow demon would have to find a new host, which might slow him down for a bit longer.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Frostbite tried to ignore the pounding of the guns as he sped towards the Nazi lines, knowing full well they'd be pounding the French into annihilation! Furthermore, the Nazis were advancing along the line, albeit slowly, with the sound of booming cannons ringing out in the night! The other French forces fared better - at first - because their position wasn't lit up like a beacon...

Until the Nazi Jet packers soared down, dropping flares and grenades into their midst!

Then all hell broke loose.

Gravity Girl and Fastback watched Frostbite go, then hurried the French forces along, using their powers as best they could to shield or help the smashed French troops!

Gravity Girl cast one look back at the diminishing form of Frostbite... he took on too much, but what else could they do? Grinding her teeth with anger she continued to cast a gravity shield in the air over her head, and protecting a number of troops.

Suddenly she was rocked as a direct hit struck the edge of the Gravity Shield, throwing her to the floor! With face full of mud, she was helped up by the Colonel, but both heard the incoming tell tale sign of a shell approaching!

BOOOM!

=========

Frostbite popped up in the first tank he came across, moving without sound and keeping a calm head.

He pulled the pin and let the grenade free from his hand. After a moment of falling it became tangible, and clattered onto the floor of the tank. He moved onto the next one.

Kurt Scharnell loaded another shell up, then glanced down. "Vas ist...?" he said, pointing. The Gunner glanced down, shouting "Schn..." BOOOM!!!

=========

"Did you see that? One of our tanks has been destroyed!" shouted a Commander, looking out across the battlefield through night vision binoculars.

A wondrous invention recently handed out by the futurists, he'd come into their possession after the previous owner - the Colonel - had no use for them!

The SS Officer stepped alongside the man. "Oh really?" he said, smiling. "We've seen someone do that that sort of thing before. Let him." The Captain shivered as the SS man started walking out into the battlefield, towards the line of tanks.

=========

Frostbite surfaced after destroying the fourth tank. He checked his stash of remaining grenades.

5 left. Supplies had been hard to come by and the French were woefully ill supplied, but the consolation was that so were the Nazis too, thanks to the Vanguard. He targeted the next vehicle and sped towards it. He almost missed a shadowy figure in the darkness point a hand and chant something in a long forgotten language...

OOC Roll of 15, hit. +3 WC +6 DC. 10 points used, x2 damage. 14Htc damage, ignores dividers. It's a magic attack, similar to Energy Attack but it ignores dividers completely rather than merely reducing them, as an Energy attack would do. Grade 2 Intangibility would be immune to it (no physical harm taken whilst intangible)

Taken somewhat by surprise, Frostbite turned, and saw a dark silhouette with glowing red eyes in the shadows. "I say there old chap." said the Shadow Priest in the SS Officers body "How about we go a round or two, what? Marquis of Queensbury rules?" he laughed, using a posh English accent. he made boxing motions with his fists, then laughed. "I think not." he added in a dark voice. Despite the booming going on around them, Frostbite had absolutely no trouble at all hearing the man! "Did you like my spell? I had no idea whether you would even feel it, but it looks like I have your attention." His eyes narrowed. "There's plenty more where that came from, but you're probably not in the chatting mood right now, what with your friends being slaughtered and all. Don't worry..."

Pairs of red eyes winked into existence all around Frostbite. "The Shadows are Darkening. It's almost our time." snarled the Priest. "Have at thee!"

OOC Frostbite has delivered himself into the hands of the Shadow Priest, somewhat! There are a dozen shadow fiends forming around him, and like Frostbite, they are intangible too, able to move through solids, like ghosts and turn tangible, albeit momentarily, to strike with claws! Whether they present a threat to Frostbite when he's intangible remains to be seen, but they are ready to pounce... as is the Shadow Priest. Initiative Heores 3, Bad Guys 5. The Shadow fiends close in on Frostbite. All are intangible so within striking distance of our hero. The Shadow Priest is 10m away. He holds his frame. All around the guns are going off, and the gallant French are being pounded into the floor! 4 frames to Frosty, then 2 each for the Shadow Fiends (having already had one) and 5 for the Shadow Priest.

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:Pairs of red eyes winked into existence all around Frostbite. "The Shadows are Darkening. It's almost our time." snarled the Priest. "Have at thee!"

"Oh I wondered when you'd show up. I'm surprised you didn't go back in time to Ghengis Khan the way you guys are shopping around for disaster or further into the future?" Frostbite quipped as he pulled the remaining pins on his grenades, suddenly chucking them in with speed and a quick wave before diving down into the Earth.
"I hope this blows you back to kingdom come!"

He knew they might come after him, but down here he'd have as much chance as they would. Down, down, down he went. Beneath the smell of loam and earth to where he could taste the grit of rock. Then willing himself forward, he flew through the ground as fast as he could manage in a straight line.

When he could take it no longer, he flew up. Got his bearings and then headed back under again heading toward the French lines. His mind was a whirl, how much longer could he hold back his powers, but equally in a place where the shadows were popping out of the air all around him, he knew that he and everyone was terribly vulnerable. If he unleashed his power in these circumstances whilst he might win, he would most likely decimate the BEF along with the enemy. And who was to say that this wouldn't equally strengthen the enemy as well.

"If only there were a way to use what the Shadow Demon's fear against them...!" He thought to himself, aware that in all this time they'd found nothing that they were weakened by save the Shadow Princes.

As he speed forward he had to focus on the task at hand, helping the remaining soldier retreat, without accidentally causing more harm to one another in that retreat. He only hoped Bletchley and the DICE boys had got somewhere, things were looking grim and it nagged away at him that little stood in the way of Hitler to whip them all out. Fighting to control his emotions, Frostbite fought back his sense of growing anxiety and dread. What was the point of all this power if you couldn't use it? He didn't care about his own life, but he'd never give into using the power if it mean the needless death of his own men, his own forces.

Resurfacing again, he took a quick bearing before carrying on, to try and catch up with the men.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Sure he could hear the 'crump!' behind him, Frostbite sped down into the earth, trying to remember which way was 'up'! Going through solid materials, he had to hold his breath - it was similar to swimming, save he couldn't see beyond the object in front of him.

He flew down, down, until his lungs started to burn, then further down still!

Finally, about to gasp open his mouth, he charged back up to the surface, or what he hoped was the surface anyway!

He sprung out, gasping for air dozens of metres where he'd been. With his head above ground he saw the Shadow Priest/SS officer float effortlessly off the floor, a near invisible sphere around him. The ground was a smoking crater.

Slowly, Shadow Demons started to emerge from the floor, saying something in their own language. Angry, the Shadow Priest struck out, slaying the Demon even though it was intangible! Frostbite ducked down as the Priest looked about, then moved back to his forces.

Realising that getting involved in a senseless brawl with the obviously more powerful Shadow Priest would be dangerous and possibly fatal, he made his way back to his own lines, troubled with his thoughts.

It was Joe Rigdon who spoke up in his head, the man from the future giving his thoughts on what Hoskyn felt. 'I believe the Dark Power feels as frustrated as you do. Until your body, your mind, is ready, calling on the Dark Power will be like putting your hand into a bag, hoping to pull out one useful thing when everything else is a grenade, with the pin pulled! You will get there, but the road won't be easy. I and Guy St Ives, the man you know as General Wynn, were on the verge of gaining better control when the Nazis messed time up. Now it's all down to you Joe! Just remember - even with the power you have, you are far more powerful than the ordinary soldier, who looks up to you and follows your lead! You should be aware that negative emotions, like despair, from such as us as food and drink for the Shadows. More than that, a banquet! Do what you can, and be thankful you can do that much. The soldier in the trench faces the same enemy you do with far less to aid him!'

=========

The attack continued through the night.

The French forces moved back as best they could through the cover of darkness. As day started to break the full extent of the devastation was realised. Frostbite and his team had managed to get many of their soldiers away, but the carnage elsewhere along the line told it's own story. The line was broken, and the way clear now for the Nazis to drive towards the BEF in all their might! All that slowed them now was the lack of supplies, and they were much better guarded this time round!

Exhausted, Frostbite looked to the stretcher. Gravity Girl was bandaged heavily, having been near an exploding shell. Her incredible superhuman stamina saved her, though those close by, including the Colonel and many French troops, had been killed.

Fastback, slowed by lack of food, had been dragged, unconscious from the field of battle by two brave soldiers, who died for their efforts when the Nazis raked the field with gunfire. She, too, was being tended for.

All about, Frostbite saw broken men, wounded, battered, shell shocked. The night had rained death down on them, with nowhere to run. Now the day promised a new onslaught. The Soldiers were too bewildered to fight, too exhausted to run.

Only a miracle could save them now.

OOC We'll catch the other team (Anyman, Lionheart and Sentinel) up to this thread to get you on the same day so just supply a 'flavour post' before any actions are decided, if you will

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:It was Joe Rigdon who spoke up in his head, the man from the future giving his thoughts on what Hoskyn felt...Do what you can, and be thankful you can do that much. The soldier in the trench faces the same enemy you do with far less to aid him!'

Mentally Joe through about what his companion said. It made a lot of sense, he remembered how the in Atlantis he saw the Shadows feed on the despair of all that was going on there. Resolving to do better, but knowing all the same that things were getting darker on so many levels, still he pressed on.
=========

Admin wrote:The attack continued through the night.

All about, Frostbite saw broken men, wounded, battered, shell shocked. The night had rained death down on them, with nowhere to run. Now the day promised a new onslaught. The Soldiers were too bewildered to fight, too exhausted to run.

Only a miracle could save them now

Frostbite, having spent time among the wounded, consoling them where he could offering what reassurance he felt was genuine he moved about seeking to fend off his own dark dreams. Doing something, even though exhausted was better than letting the despair win. Once he'd made sure Gravity Girl and Fastback were ok, he then spent time with the other able bodied troops, checking in with the men, saluting them as he went, listening to them as they showed photos of a loved one, or read and reread a letter from home.

Yes it would take a miracle, but in many ways that they'd survived as long as they had, was itself no small miracle. Tomorrow would be another day and looking back across the way he came, back toward Berlin, he had to wonder how the others were getting on.

Sj

The VANGUARD!

Roll Call:

Frostbite (on the ground, battered, weary, alive)
Gravity Girl (hospitalised)
Fastback (slipped into a coma due to blood sugar levels)
Tank Man (hospitalised)

Lionheart (recovered from a nasty headache)
Spartan (PSI agent, ok)
Boudicea (PSI agent, ok)
Guillotine (PSI agent, ok)
Frostbot (repaired)
Anyman (being treated for radiation poisoning)
Silver Sentinel (got a new pair of underpants and a new suit, ok)
Hotshot (ok)
Thunderclap (Hospitalised, no lower legs, being treated)
Sterling Silver (Hospitalised, 90% burns)
Mist Maiden (Traumatised)
Garland (MIA, presumed comatose in a forest near Berlin)
Anchor (ok)

=========

The ship limped its way down the coast, avoiding entanglements with Nazi warplanes along the way.

"The problem appears to be one of spare parts." explained the Frostbot. "For the engine section affected, there are none on board this vessel."
Hotshot, leaning back in a chair, called out "No, no, don't try to cheer us up! I wanted some gloomy news! You know, something that will make us wonder why we bother!"

His sarcasm was lost on the robot, and the Vanguardians gathered around a glass top table set on the bridge showing a map of the region. Anyman, bandaged as usual, joined them. "Feeling better?" asked Spartan. "You've been out for hours. Here." he offered a cup of tea. "If you imagine hard enough it tastes like water filtered through sweaty socks. Best not to ask where it came from."

Hotshot grimaced as he sipped from his cup, heating the bottom of it with his hand. "Smells a bit like coolant of some kind."

Guillotine looked about, innocently.

Boudicea broke up the chatter. "Our long range scan shows the Nazis are sending new supplies to the front. More than that, deep scan shows that a small fleet of vessels is gathering in space. And..." she scrolled the map. "The giant Nazi mechs are here... " she moved a finger across the map and pointed "And here. There..." she pointed, to a position not far from an advancing mech "Is where Frostbite has retreated to."

Spartan paused before speaking. "They retreated in reasonable order, given how rough they had it. The rest of the line is sundered. What survivors there are were broken into small pockets of wounded and shell shocked. They won't fight again. Only the efforts we made to stop the supply chain prevented the Nazis from advancing more than a couple of miles."

Boudicea continued. "Here..." she scrolled to the beach. "We detect a number of sailing vessels, as well as British ships of the line. There are hundreds of thousands men bunched up though, waiting for rescue. We've run the simulations. There's no room or time to organise an effective defence. They are being herded. We picked up Nazi transmissions too. It's too soon to estimate wounded numbers, but Berlin is shattered. There were rumours of Hitlers demise..."

Some of those around the table lit up with joy, even cheering a little...

"But he has made a radio address and voice scan proves authenticity 100%. He vows revenge on the Allies, and has declared Anyman the number one enemy, to be destroyed at all costs." she turned to Anyman. "Congratulations. You ticked him off."

"Closing in on Allied positions. We're being fired on. Nothing the shields can't handle." said the Frostbot.

The ship came to land gently some several hundred metres from the new French line, such as it was. When the doors opened, it was clear to those who emerged that the French would no longer prove a barrier to the onslaught that was coming...

=========

Frostbite turned, wearily. He nursed a cup of tea, and a haunted look on his face mirrored that of the few French soldiers around him.

There'd been thousands. Now there were hundreds, and those scattered around in small pockets, unable or unwilling to move. Some opened fire on the incoming ship, until Frostbite called out for them to stop. The Vanguardian stood, and started to walk over. Looking back on the battlefield of the previous night, he saw an expanse of smoking craters and scattered bodies.

The reality of war bit home, and its bite was sharp indeed.

OOC You have a number of choices - somehow mount a defence against a Nazi line miles long and getting deeper by the hour, or help with the evacuation. Maybe you want to disrupt the new supplies, or perhaps even take the fight to the Nazis? You have the rest of this day (it's around 0600 hours) and tomorrow to get the 325,000+ troops safely home to Britain. Anyman has recovered, and all those not badly injured or hospitalised have recovered lost health, but your ranks are looking very thin now...

The VANGUARD!

Roll Call:

Frostbite (on the ground, battered, weary, alive)
Gravity Girl (hospitalised)
Fastback (slipped into a coma due to blood sugar levels)
Tank Man (hospitalised)

Lionheart (recovered from a nasty headache)
Spartan (PSI agent, ok)
Boudicea (PSI agent, ok)
Guillotine (PSI agent, ok)
Frostbot (repaired)
Anyman (being treated for radiation poisoning)
Silver Sentinel (got a new pair of underpants and a new suit, ok)
Hotshot (ok)
Thunderclap (Hospitalised, no lower legs, being treated)
Sterling Silver (Hospitalised, 90% burns)
Mist Maiden (Traumatised)
Garland (MIA, presumed comatose in a forest near Berlin)
Anchor (ok)

His sarcasm was lost on the robot, and the Vanguardians gathered around a glass top table set on the bridge showing a map of the region. Anyman, bandaged as usual, joined them. "Feeling better?" asked Spartan. "You've been out for hours. Here." he offered a cup of tea. "If you imagine hard enough it tastes like water filtered through sweaty socks. Best not to ask where it came from."

"Lead lined bandages with some weird gunk in them to help keep the radiation from affecting everyone and continue to heal me," Anyman said grimly. "At least I don't feel a lot of pain now."

"But he has made a radio address and voice scan proves authenticity 100%. He vows revenge on the Allies, and has declared Anyman the number one enemy, to be destroyed at all costs." she turned to Anyman. "Congratulations. You ticked him off."

Anyman smiles through his bandages. "Sounds like Operation Hounds and Hare needs to go into effect soon," he says. "I pop up everywhere and have their Ubermensch run all over the place trying to kill me while the resst of you take on the easy stuff ... you know, the easy stuff? - tens of thousands of troops, weird advanced weaponry, giant robots - easy stuff!"

Frostbite turned, wearily. He nursed a cup of tea, and a haunted look on his face mirrored that of the few French soldiers around him.

There'd been thousands. Now there were hundreds, and those scattered around in small pockets, unable or unwilling to move. Some opened fire on the incoming ship, until Frostbite called out for them to stop. The Vanguardian stood, and started to walk over. Looking back on the battlefield of the previous night, he saw an expanse of smoking craters and scattered bodies.

The reality of war bit home, and its bite was sharp indeed.

OOC You have a number of choices - somehow mount a defence against a Nazi line miles long and getting deeper by the hour, or help with the evacuation. Maybe you want to disrupt the new supplies, or perhaps even take the fight to the Nazis? You have the rest of this day (it's around 0600 hours) and tomorrow to get the 325,000+ troops safely home to Britain. Anyman has recovered, and all those not badly injured or hospitalised have recovered lost health, but your ranks are looking very thin now...

"How about a pincer movement of our own," Anyman suggests. "Instead of meeting them head on and trying to hold, let's all attack one side, probably the side closest to the beach. Hit it from the side, then close it off and destroy what's the middle?"

He thinks for a moment and then looks up.

"Wait! Let's really use me effectively! Does this ship have the capability of projecting movies? Maybe a bunch of portable projectors? With sound? Can such equipment form images in mid-air? Making them huge images?"

"What have you got in mind, Anyman," Guillotine asked.

"This," he says with an evil grin. With that, he stretches his neck, shortens his arms and thickens his hands until all three are roughly the same size. His body and legs shortens too. He then morphs his three appendages into three upper bodies and heads - One of Hitler, one of Goerring and one of Heinrich Himmler. He then does a very short pornographic comedy routine with all three men, taking on thier voices and recorded mannerisms, in German.

"We transmit that all over the place, especially if it is live and they know it, the Ubermensche will be all over the place trying to find me and stop it. What do you think? We seed their lines and command centers and supply lines with this, it should drive them to distraction. Big distractions if we do it right."

ooc: about time I use his acting ability as a main skill. Basically asking for a holographic projector even if he doesn't know those words.

The VANGUARD!

Roll Call:

Frostbite (on the ground, battered, weary, alive)
Gravity Girl (hospitalised)
Fastback (slipped into a coma due to blood sugar levels)
Tank Man (hospitalised)

Lionheart (recovered from a nasty headache)
Spartan (PSI agent, ok)
Boudicea (PSI agent, ok)
Guillotine (PSI agent, ok)
Frostbot (repaired)
Anyman (being treated for radiation poisoning)
Silver Sentinel (got a new pair of underpants and a new suit, ok)
Hotshot (ok)
Thunderclap (Hospitalised, no lower legs, being treated)
Sterling Silver (Hospitalised, 90% burns)
Mist Maiden (Traumatised)
Garland (MIA, presumed comatose in a forest near Berlin)
Anchor (ok)

DavidMcMahon wrote:"We transmit that all over the place, especially if it is live and they know it, the Ubermensche will be all over the place trying to find me and stop it. What do you think? We seed their lines and command centers and supply lines with this, it should drive them to distraction. Big distractions if we do it right."

OOC: I read this then completely forgot to reply, thanks Dave.
======

Frostbite smiled at Anyman's routine, as much as the then blushed at what he was saying. But in truth he was onto something. Frostbite was dog tired and unsure of what to do next. His mind weary with the shear effort of fighting, let along the strain of what he'd witnessed and thinking about how to do it all again the next day.

"Fox and hounds." Well certainly we'll have a lot of the Ubermensch coming down on us, so if we can get them running around after you, with a routine like that, we'll clear up in no time. The only problem I can see is two fold, first you need to get about without them picking up on you and second how do we project this stuff with the ship as damaged as it is?"

Frostbite thought about it for a while, "Is there anyway Sentinel can have a fiddle about with the damage coil and sort of patch it up?" He wondered as he looked across to Frostbot. Suddenly aware that the two of them had been apart longer now, than at any time since he gained his powers.

OOC:

Apart from making Anyman's plan work, I'm all up for attacking one side.


Sj

The VANGUARD!

DAY 2 OF DUNKIRK EVACUATION

Roll Call:

Frostbite
Lionheart
Boudicea
Guillotine
Frostbot
Anyman
Silver Sentinel
Hotshot
Anchor

OOC Just listed the active team members. Everyone else is on the ship in the infirmary being patched up.

Frostbot considered for a moment. "The Tesla coils are useless, and unless Silver Sentinel has suddenly developed fine control of his power to rewind the coil thousands of times to a hairs breadth of thickness, I'd say the best plan is to take one from a functioning ship. The projection plan has merits though. This vessel has a number of systems designed to transmit images in various languages and size, able to enlarge the image to dozens of metres high, and the sound to echo out across a mile or so. The standard messages seem to be 'We come in peace' and 'Even though our technology is far superior to your own we have decided to share it in the hope that you will trade your household waste' which didn't make much sense. I suspect the latter message to be a ruse, as the next message in the stream was 'Surrender or be obliterated, you creatures are beneath our contempt!' "

Spartan shrugged. "For propaganda purposes it might make the Nazi forces angry, but the best we can do is transmit signals to wireless radio sets. There are very few television sets to speak of."

Guillotine looked at the map. "There must be SOMETHING we can do. They have regular forces massing in a line to drive the BEF into the sea, long range scan shows an alien fleet building in space above our heads, though they are mostly vessels like ours, scientific rather than war ships. We can't find the thing that fired that missile though, worryingly. Then there's the Nazi superhumans, those giant robots and who knows what else? Today they'll be reconnecting supply lines, and you can bet they won't make the same mistake twice!"

"Boy, you're all cheerful and light, ain't ya darlin?" said Hotshot, rolling his eyes.

Boudicea stood up. "Frostbite. You mentioned something about a 'space mirror'? Something to reflect the suns rays to fire a death ray from above? You took out one mirror, but from what I understand it will be one in a series? Also, the Nazis appear to be field trialling all sorts of dangerous weapons, turning men into super fast speedsters, life stealing zombies and who knows what else? Anyman, using your abilities you could find your way into the camp, find out what they have to try next and turn it on themselves, no? The P'utinarians should be now realise that the Nazis aren't interested in them now that the Psychic Network is down. They'll simply use their ships to teleport between. That could work for us, if we teleport to their camps and cause havoc, then teleport out into another sit and do the same. We've drawn their most powerful superhumans to Berlin, how about we pick on some of their industrial cities? Dresden? Hamburg? Give them something to think about? Make them think THEY'VE been invaded."

She shrugged, then sat down again, checking her nails. "I'm just a grunt though. I'll leave the planning to you boys. Pornographic comedy routines ..." she chuckled.

Anchor shrugged "Ah cannae see why we can't contact General Wynn an' get him tae churn out more like us. Only thing is, it's gonna be carnage oot there wi'oot trainin', but we few aren't enough ah reckon, specially if them hard barstewards come back and start kickin' oor heads in."

OOC Just a few more options. I realise that with so few of you against an entire army of hundreds of thousands of men, it's going to seem overwhelming, but there are other options. And a few surprises on the way...

"Are you saying that there are multiple portable units we can use to project sound and images," Anyman asks to get clarification. "With their own power sources or some kind of broadcast radio power?"

"Many Germans are very moral people. Lutheranism started in Germany after all. If we could project images that seem to be the actual folks invovled ... involved in drugs or homosexual acts, this will enrage or dishearten many soldiers to find their leaders doing such immoral things."

The VANGUARD!

DAY 2 OF DUNKIRK EVACUATION

Roll Call:

Frostbite
Lionheart
Boudicea
Guillotine
Frostbot
Anyman
Silver Sentinel
Hotshot
Anchor

Admin wrote: Boudicea stood up. "Frostbite. You mentioned something about a 'space mirror'? That could work for us, if we teleport to their camps and cause havoc, then teleport out into another sit and do the same. We've drawn their most powerful superhumans to Berlin, how about we pick on some of their industrial cities? Dresden? Hamburg? Give them something to think about? Make them think THEY'VE been invaded."

Frostbite considered what Boudicea had suggested and took not of Spartan's comments as well.

"Folks no one is a grunts here," He said smiling encouragingly at Boudicea, before moving swiftly on, "And right now we need to think differently if we are going to stay one step ahead of the Nazis. You're right about the P'utinarians, from what we know they should be more amicable to helping us. Having warned them their own people having been needlessly slaughtered they may be open to helping. Frostbot you and Lionheart see if you can contact them and get some help.

I suggest Spartan, you and Anyman work on getting the message out that this whole problem in Berlin came about because of the drugged up brains of their high command, indulging themselves whilst their forces and nation burn. A massive accident on an industrial level, which city could be next? That might just add to the melee of confusion and dishearten the other forces.

We'll contact Wynn and see what he wants to do, its about time we fed back. Perhaps he can help with the weather as well. Anyman when you've finished with the broadcast," Frostbite was a farm boy from a good home, and he'd blushed considerable at what Anyman was suggesting. But he also felt that there was a danger in going too far and being found out as a result of overplaying their hand. "I think we get you into the camps. You work best on your own, but stay in touch." Frostbite pointed to his head, so as to be clear what he meant.

"As for the rest of us, we need to find out if its feasible to get to one of those science ships, steal a coil and perhaps blow the rest of them up. Since Hitler has used super science from the beginning I don't trust those ships up there at all. They've got something planned and letting there uncontested is to invite disaster at some other point."

Frostbite looked about to see if there were any other comments before ushering everyone off once again, in four different directions all not without considerable risk.

Sj

"The Tesla coils are useless, and unless Silver Sentinel has suddenly developed fine control of his power to rewind the coil thousands of times to a hairs breadth of thickness....

"Hang on hang on 'tesla coils' okay I'm guessing your not talking about the spring in my mattress. Let 'tactical nuclear missle' go over my head because as a rule of thumb at the moment if its got a fancy name its pretty much out to kill us, am I right? Just remember what year this is okay chaps and envolve me again when you speak english or want something blown up" Steve said as he turned away unblinking at the constant talk of technological possiblities.

OOC: Everyone continues untill present post

IC: "Er....excuse me gentlemen, 'projectors' like a cinema right? Well rather than infuriating Jerry and maybe making him fight harder for his country what about using your acting skills (OOC: Pointing at anyman) to impersonate Hilter and give them false orders" he questioned looking around at the others with blank looks.

"Okay here me out. Tell the Nazis the war is over, or whatever it takes to get them to retreat so we can get are boys safely home, search for any men that have been cut off and then dig in closer to those bastards give us a better tacial advantage without even a shot fired?

............well what do you think? I know its not very 'me' but plan B is. One of us stays behind in the ship using the projector cinema thingy to copy images of the ship, thosands of them and meet them head on while we all attack one side, probably the side closest to the beach like Anyman said and blow the crap outta them. They'll never knew what hit them? He added removing another cigarette from his case and tapping the end agaisnt it.

"And hey if you cant pick who to fly the ship on the sucide run, show me how to fly the bucket of bolts and I'll do it, I'll fly it right at them" The man didnt even blink as he finished the sentence, he just staired right through them but you could see the anger in his eyes as his right eye just twiched a little

smaug wrote:"Okay here me out. Tell the Nazis the war is over, or whatever it takes to get them to retreat...One of us stays behind in the ship using the projector cinema thingy to copy images of the ship, thosands of them and meet them head on while we all attack one side

OOC:

Ok Paul looks like we've got loads of ideas spinning out of this:

IC:

Frostbite held out his hand as his summarised what has been offered so far:

"i) including attacking via propaganda on the radio.
ii) Attacking on one side with the ship?
iii) A possible suicide run blowing up the ship and detonating it at the same time.
iv) A possible side swipe invasion whilst distracting the enemy by popping up in their camps and even industrial centres.
v) A possible infiltration of camps to get further information and find out about their plans.
vi) A possible jaunt to the science vessels above to steal the parts we need

Stop me if I've missed anything. I think the think is we can't do all of these things and more importantly some of these things are time sensitive.

We are limited in what we can do because the German front line will need quiet something to stop it, followed by German Supers who'll rush back to the Front Line, if they've not already got there.

Our priority is to protect the BEF getting back across, to do that we need to use the resources we've got most effectively. Right now that means, Anyman using the Radio to get something going and the P'utinrians for teleports, But we do need something for that front line. If we can cause confusion via the radio, I don't think it will be long term, as won't be any holographic display. Once the games up, the games up. Its keeping the game going that is going to be challenging.

I think therefore we hold of the doomsday scenario as a last resort, we only have one ship and we want to make sure if we do blow it up, we do it where its going to hurt the most. Right now, limping along that isn't going to happen. Besides if it went off here, it would cripple our own forces and limit what we can do by way of a counter attack, if the entire French Western board was nuked by a Alien Space Ship."

OOC:

Ok having written all that, it sounded better coming from Frostbite. Anyway reviewing the options I think we have to go with: i) iv) and v) as the main areas we can tackle right now and then try and find another way to break this open.

I think in addition the ship, since its limited in speed and capacity ought to hang back to defend the weaker areas of retreat, its still got weapons and the chance of causing mayhem by beaming things about the place. Frostbot can deal with that.

I think if we can get the P'untinarians to help then our goal is to get out teleporting about and making mayhem before we can get clobbered. Wouldn't it be great if we all dressed up like Anyman as well! That would cause mayhem to, surely.

Meanwhile I think we'll contact Wynn, let him know what is happening and find out what he thinks or if he can offer any other help.

Sj

The Vanguard

OOC If you guys want to decide on a definite plan, and who is doing what, we'll take things from there. I understand it's kind of 'open' but I'd rather that than you guys feel like you're being led by the nose. For instance if you want to go back to Berlin, fine, persuade neutral countries to fight, again fine. Everything we do from this adventure on is our version of World War II, and every now and again (with players consent) I will 'hop' in time, listing major events that happened and describing how the Vanguard were involved, so we're not playing out the war day by day. There'll be different theatres, missions, setbacks, triumphs etc, and I hope, a surprise or two along the way.

"General Wynn? Can you hear me?" asked Frostbite. The Dark Powered Vanguardians in attendance (Frosty, Anyman, Silver Sentinel) could all hear the reply.

'I'm here Joe. Good to hear your voice. Reports are patchy, but it seems you've given the Nazis a bloody nose! Tell Lance that all the intel lines are clogged with the hunt for the 'insidious Anyman' and that the surviving members of Hitlers cabinet will be announcing something shortly, on what to do about the British 'Ubermensch' Menace. The French are in a mess. Their army is crumbling. The efforts to get the BEF off the beaches are the priority, but our new Prime Minister is worried, despite his pretty speeches, and I think he's making contingency plans should the BEF be smashed, which would leave Britain defenceless. Obviously, it's our job to ensure that's not the case. To that end DICE has been given the highest authority to advance our super soldier project, and I'm not bloody happy about it! Slobbie has been picking recruits as best as he can, and I will start empowering them today. I'll do as many as I can before this ticker starts to complain, but I don't mind saying it's dangerous! One bad egg and we're in a world of hurt! One blessing is that the P'utinarians aren't working with the Nazis any more, so unless they have any other shape changers, we should stay below the radar here at Bletchley. Once the new lot are outfitted, catalogued and briefed, they'll be hung out to dry, like the rest of the Justiciars and you lot were.'

The bitterness in his 'voice' is quite clear. He was convinced the Justiciars weren't ready for front line duty, and the casualty rate from the first day appeared to bear this out.

'Listen... Joe, Steve, Lance. I know what you're fighting inside. I know the price that must be paid. I can't call on the power, but I have this ability to change others instead. You fellas are out there in the muck, blood and mess, and I know the temptation to unleash the force is great. Hold on! If you have no other choice then so be it, but I have a nasty feeling that once our secret weapon is out of the bag, the game will change. For better or worse, I don't know. For starters the bloody Yanks are still sat on their arses whilst ours is being kicked, but Roosevelt is a good egg. Churchill has made deals with him, because they don't want to see us goose stepping to Hitlers tune any more than we want to. Problem is, if they don't get into the game soon... it might be all over before they can join in! Good luck! More later...'

OOC I'm going to knock out 7 more Justiciars. They have 3 power slots, stats are 45 points to assign with no more than 16 in one stat. Dex is a useless stat in this game, so I will figure something out with that. The point of telling you this is if you guys want to turn out a couple of characters apiece, be my guest. If not, no problem, I'll knock 'em out in the next day. Will keep an eye on what the group decides and how the roster will be split. If you do want to make a couple of Justiciars apiece, just PM me with the details (see the 'Notable Information thread' for character layout. Here's an example:

Spiderweb
Harry Burns, male, late teens
Powers: Speed, Agility, Wall Crawling
Notes: Cocky, joker, feels a need to impress and justify his place in the team. Uses wrist mounted hand guns that fire a variety of munitions. Carries experimental compacted 'net bombs' that explode and cover the target in strands of sticky web glue that slow them down.
KILLED IN ACTION - whilst on a mission in Berlin by a Shadow Demon agent.

If you give the character a reasonably strong weakness or limitation, I'd probably ok an extra power slot. For instance Anchor has 'on' or 'off' with his powers and weighs 1 ton when his powers are 'on' which makes things tricky. That sort of thing would give an extra grade to play with. Anyway, that's your call. I'll turn out any additional characters required to make up to the 7.

The Vanguard

OOC:

As regards to what is happening, having outlined the proposals I/Frostbite is saying we go for:

i) including attacking via propaganda on the radio.
iv) A possible side swipe invasion (this depends on the second part which is getting the P'utinarians to help us with teleporting of course) whilst distracting the enemy by popping up in their camps and even industrial centres.
v) A possible infiltration of camps to get further information and find out about their plans.

Unless we follow the priorities laid out we'll be all over the place. We are still a military unity and we have our orders. Wynn said, "Their army is crumbling. The efforts to get the BEF off the beaches are the priority," We're not free wheeling adventurers going and doing as we please.

Since its more difficult to attack them face on or side on, without their being some regard action to distract their supers, we'll end up being forced to use the dark power, so lets avoid the tight spots that make that more likely.

As regards the second idea, I've not got much time today, but if I get a chance I may have a go later. Thanks for the suggestion, maybe we can come up with some that can always be held in reserve anyway?


Sj

OOC: SS doesnt really mind what the plan is although he isnt terribly good at stealth as you know he prefers going toe to toe in a straight fight.

He looks up to you guys and still feels way over his head with tec and generaly, feels like the 1900s have turned into a B movie almost over night so he just rolls with the punchs. Fighting Nazis is all he knows and not much has changed with that (all be it he now can form metal and blast plamsa out of his palms but you know what I mean) it brings his feet back on solid ground so to speak

The Vanguard

"Radio Propaganda is only going to work with folks who have radios, not the soldiers in the field" Anyman reminded the group. "Trying to fake messages from Hitler won't be easy or will even be impossible if we don't have the codes he would use to verify that the messages are from him. We get those code books, any of our intel chaps can fake messages and tie up their lines."

"I have no idea of the capabilities of this ship, you do. So figuring out its role is up to you. How many folks can it carry? Could it be better used in evacuating our folks instead of in a combat role? OR is using it to transport us hither and yon while we attack its best use?"

"So attacking their leadership at their HQs, killing them, and getting any and all codebooks and code machines should be a priority. Nazis aren't fleixble. It is a dictatorship. Cut off its head and the body doesn't know what to do. Sergeants would take over for our leaders if they died but theirs wouldn't dare."

ooc: Doesn't help to have the Enigma codebook if you don't have an Enigma machine to reproduce that code.

The Vanguard

DavidMcMahon wrote:"So attacking their leadership at their HQs, killing them, and getting any and all codebooks and code machines should be a priority. Nazis aren't fleixble. It is a dictatorship. Cut off its head and the body doesn't know what to do. Sergeants would take over for our leaders if they died but theirs wouldn't dare."

ooc: Doesn't help to have the Enigma codebook if you don't have an Enigma machine to reproduce that code.

OOC: Arggghh too many options. Paralysed with indecision.

I think we're beginning to grind to a halt owing to the limitations of dialogue via a PBEM and that there are litterally loads of things we could do, but keeping the BEF safe is our priority. If we can fight in different places from behind the lines going as a group and striking then retreating, it might help the front slow down.

Ok so we can't use the radio. So we're left with doing what we do best which is infiltration via teleport and blasting everything in site (so Sentinel will be fine), whilst Anyman goes back under cover. If we can all dress like him, then so much the better.

I also like the idea of using the ship to transport people, not sure how effective it will be if its damaged though?

I'm just aware also if we go for a head to head, we'll end up under even more pressure to unleash the dark power, and we'll wipe out the whole of Northern Europe and have killed more people than the Nazi's ever would and open the door for the shadows to pour through. So I think we ought to avoid that which will push in that direction. Behind the scenes stealth is it and offering whatever assistance we can by using the ship to ferry people about seems best to me.

Ok Paul over to you, all this back and forth is hurting my head.

Sj

Admin wrote:OOC I'll pore over the various to and fro messages and pick out what I consider to be your preferred team options. Just a few quick notes:

Comments:

I like option 2,

2) Anyman is your stealth/sabotage 'go to' guy so he could create all sorts of confusion behind the lines. The rest of you are more 'straight up fighters' but it's chucking him back into the Lions den again...

Yes but its what he does best ;-)

3) Frosty (as leader of the overall group) could petition the BEF itself to lend a hand. So far they are sat about on the beach waiting to get the heck out of dodge.

No I think we go for ferrying them across the waters, I'm glad that came up as an option, I'd never have thought of it.

5) Lightning strikes, flitting about here and there, slowing them down and nipping at their ankles might be a better way.

Ok lets go with this for the rest of us, even if we can get the P'utinarian onboard with teleporting us, we could still dress up as Anyman and try and sow discord and confusion.

Sj

Ok lets go with this for the rest of us, even if we can get the P'utinarian onboard with teleporting us, we could still dress up as Anyman and try and sow discord and confusion.

ooc: Yeah, how hard is it going to be to come up with trench coats, fedoras and head bandages?

Even the women could dress up like that.

So it sounds like:

Anyman going after the various HQs behind the lines - taking out their leaders, grabbing codebooks and codemachines. with his new upgrade to Grade Two Strength, he can dish it out more than he can take it.
The rest doing lightning strikes against targets of opportunity -fuel dumps, ammo dumps, supply convoys.
Using the ship to ferry troops back to Englad, when possible.

And Anyman has actually had little if any contact with the P'utinarians, so he doesn't really know what's up with them. Somebody could clue him in about them and their current status. So they have more ships to help with the evacuation? Can they be talked into helping us? Is this something Anyman should try or Lionheart or someone else?

What about the ships in space? Who controls them? Anyman hasn't been clued in on them either. Are they against us or for us? Could we make them allies? Can we appeal for humanitarian aid in rescuing trapped soldiers, if nothing else?