551/TZ: Machines In Dragon Land

TZ: Machines In Dragon Land
Date of Scene:	06 September 2014
Location:	TARGET: The Rookery (TR)
Synopsis:	The Garlean Empire come to make another strike for The Rookery-- this time though, they send in the Vanguards to do the job.
Cast of Characters:	Alexis, 522

---

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
The Rookery is a location that has been requested by the higher ups to be obtained, though Gaius Van Baelsar himself can not lead the charge yet again into this land, a few of his men who have been given permission to handle campaigns of such types have decided to test there luck here once more.

So what is deployed to this land? Not men, that is fore sure. Instead the drop airship release several metal crates down onto the ground near the borders of the Rookery before they can be seen moving away from the soon to be battlezone.

Soon the crates break apart and black with chrome marking machines power up. There is a gold-red glow in the head slits as power is drawn in. They rise up standing somewhere around 10 to 12 feet tall. They have a massive rotating gear of some kind in the back that spews blue flames at times, and device of some kind at the shoulders.

There arms are like lances, and there legs though shorter then the upper body, carry the machines at a rather good clip across the rocky terrain with no problem. They march forward and as they get closer to the defenses in place. Those devices on the shoulder open up and fire missiles directly at the defense line. The explosions creating a blue ball of fire in it wake, consuming whatever it impacts with a powerful detonation force.

Alexis has posed:
Challenge and improvement was a way of life for Pokemon Trainers. You work hard, you fight hard, you get better. In this day and age, isn't wasn't just against pokemon, either. You had to be pepared to deal with other types of opponents, monster or otherwise. And you don't get more iconically powerful monster than dragons.

After a rather intensive training session with her pokemon vs. the various kinds of dragons present Alexis had been taking a break on one of the higher former fortress towers, out of the way of the dragons roaming about. Until something flies overhead, pulling her attention back to the world around here. ".. Now what could that be?"

With a grunt she got partway to her feet and krept over to peer between the protusions of the tower top, you know that retangular up and down designs castle walls tend to be displayed with regardless of historial accuracy. Crates, which turn into robots?, which start firing on the defense posts.

"Sigh, just can never get a break," the tomboy mutters, though she doesn't sound so much upset about the matter as she backs away from the edge and darts back down into the tower to return to the ground level. Looks like there's going to be a bit more training to do yet...

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
The Vanguards continue to march on. The metal airships however are hanging back, seeming to stay out of the way of this conflict, as they will deploy the people to fortify the area /if/ this is even successful. They had no idea if a second stroke of luck with the Vanguards would happen again.

The Vanguards for now seem to ignore the elite union member who is moving down to greet them. Instead they continue to lay siege against any defensive towers or guards that present themselves. Easily making a mess of things and using those lance like pile-drivers to rip into structure supports.

It was hard to say what was powering them or what they even be weak too. Though with no person in sight, it was rather clear that these machines were operating on there own and were not being remote driven.

Alexis has posed:
Alexis reachs the ground and the edge of what remains of the wall, giving her a clear view of some of the machines tearing into the barricades as the general Union defenders attempt to back away before they get skewered as well. A few of them have the nerve left to fire at the warmachines, for all the good of nothing that it does.

Okay, it's an actual attack. That's all Alexis needs, reaching down to grab one of the pokeballs off her belt and expanding it. Robotic attackers. Perfect for what she came to train with today, it would seem. With a smirk she tosses the ball out, releasing it's occupant.

Suddenly a booming roar, slightly metallic in edge, echos through the Rookery as two bulky feet and a heavy tail slam to the ground. Sunlight glitters along the metal plates covering it's body like armor, reflecting a brief lens flare off the ceratopsian like horns jutting up from it's head.

The roar is deafening, intended to get their attention. It also has an odd reverbrance to it, like it was trying to shake something loose in the constructs. But it's mainly to get their attention on the hulking Aggron instead.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
A few Vanguards almost seem to 'wince' at the loud roar. The slots in the head part of there body flicker with light and several do start to make there was toward the Pokemon, while some others are held up by the other Union defense.

The Vanguards though don't seem to be any rush to get there, but instead the missile launcher opens up again and fires several of the Ceruleum warheads right for the Pokemon, attempting to knock the beast back. The attack, thankfully-- seems to be of a lower yield then what the Vanguards had used on the defenses early on.

Alexis has posed:
Alexis cusses under her breath as those weapon ports open up, and decides she's not going to be able to just stand back and let her trained battle monster do as he feels necessary. "Grindstone, use Iron Defense!" Just as she shouts the missiles fire, as the Aggron hunchs down a bit at her command and his armor plates shimmer with an even brighter metal sheen just before the explosives impact.

There's smoke and explosions as there tends to be when explosive warheads go off... and out of the debris cloud comes charging one very angry looking metal-plated dinosaur, his armor showing some scorching in a few spots from the missiles but really, it's mostly made him mad. Grindstone's charge is aimed at the front the group, head first.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
Grindstone comes rushing in and the two Vanguards in his line of path, quickly move aside, while a third actually braces itself for the impact. The Pokemon slams right into the crossed lance arms, shoving the Vanguard back, as the feet slide against the dirt terrain.

At this point the Vanguard looks down ta the pokemon before it and actually goes to not only shove it back, to give both of them some distance, but comes in with its Lance arm in upper cleaving like motion to not only cut the pokemon...

..but to knock the beast right off its feet-- that is. If the pokemon isn't quick enough to get out of the way of the Magitek machine.

Alexis has posed:
Wham! Well Aggron's bulky, stable build makes it a bit hard to knock on its back, but the lance blow after the shove is enough to make Grindstone stagger backwards with the hit. He shakes his head a bit to clear it, then looks at the robot again. Wait, these things are made of metal, aren't they?

Realizing that, Grindstone lunges at the Vanguard against, this time... opening his mouth? Wait, does it even know any biting style attacks? No, but it's not using an attack. He's using the fact that he -eats metal- to try and take a big bite out of the Vanguard!

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
The Vanguard staggers back as Grindstone comes in once more. It raises up the lance arm to block the attack and Grindstone's teeth go to slam down on the the lance. Garlean Steel is strong stuff. It is earth equivalent is perhaps of the best factory military steel that can be made, but yet as light has that of the sheets of metal used on shuttles.

So the teeth do get a bit on the armor, but the Vanguard is able to rip its lance free from those chompers and then part of the pauldron armor lights up with several red swirls of light as it draws the Lance arms back. The gear on the back hisses out blue flames and smoke as it charges up.

Then once more Grindstone would find himself under assault as the both lances are not only shoved forward in a piercing strike, but actually are blasted off like a cannon shell, reveling it was on a sheath level for another set of lances.

Thankfully it seem to the other two Vanguards who had come to the Pokemon's call are staying a bit out of this-- at least for now, but they are starting to circle. Looking for that opening perhaps.

Alexis has posed:
Grindstone manages to grab the lance arms before they can spear him, but the sudden launching of the weapons takes him by surprise and the propulsion blast is enough to send him hurtling across the landscape until he slams into one of the ruin walls.

Though the Vanguard itself might find in a predicament of its own as a black shrouded blade comes suddenly thrusting at it from behind.

-Skip Back to a Few Moments Ago-
Alexis, realizing these were a bit more than just attacking robots, clicked open a second pokeball, and as she grabbed what looked like a pair of swords materializing from it, they wrapped the sashes bound to their handles around her arms and the Trainer seemed to disappear into a flicker of shadows.

Which brings us back to now, where she's appeared behind the Vanguard while it was blasting off her first pokemon and trying to run it through with one half of her Doublade with the Shadow Sneak trick.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
The Trick attack works! Alexis manages to by pass the massive gear and jam right into that sweet spot. The blades go clean in and it actually kinda jerks its body. She would notice though that blue liquid of some kind is running out from her impact point and if her blades remain down her swords as well.

Though when her blades are removed the Vanguard topples nearly over and seems to about then power down, though flames can be seen starting to gather up from the sudden failure. Blue flames at that, seeming to be catching on whatever that blue liquid is.

At least-- until the whole Vanguard then explodes, scraps of metal go everywhere, including that massive gear. It irrupts in a big blue flame and the other two Vanguards quickly step back from the explosion area. Though one does get clonked upside the head.

Alexis best be wise to do the same...

Alexis has posed:
Alexis pulls the sword-mon out afterwards, making a face and trying to shake some of the blue stuff off after the robot falls down. "And here I wasn't expecting it to bleed in some way." She glances back at the flare of blue flames though. "Ah crud." She hops back a few steps and brings up both blades of the ghost-sword crossed in front of her, but the blast happens before she has a chance to command them to use a defensive move. She really needs to get it evolved to the version that has the shield if she's going to keep doing this.

Well she doesn't come charging out of the explosion like the Aggron did, she's not -that- tough. But she is still standing afterwards, abiet rather battered up now. "Right, you guys suck being close to when you fall down. Noted." The sashes unwrap from her arms, and grab the counterweight sheaths to go with them, binding the two swords together

And then she throws them spinning end over end like a sawblade towards one fo the remaining Vanguards. Or more like throws them free and the swords fly blade first towards them, counting on them hopefully not realizing the swords are actually an animate Pokemon and not just weapons before its too late.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
One of the blades buzzsaws in and leaves a nasty gash in one of the Vanguard's armor along the arms. Another also perhaps gets a nice gash across the chest as well. They stagger a bit from the impact, the one hit in the shoulder is gently leaking whatever that blue liquid is. It is almost like water, but just a touch thicker-- like oil perhaps?

The Vanguard that got hit in the chest though has something rather mean planned for Alexis and that is the simple fact those missiles come to bare. They fire out one right behind the other, trying to blanket the area around her in explosions-- and if that Pokemon has even moved in for combat. It may find itself in a similar issue.

Alexis has posed:
The spinning assault ends with the Doublade (blades?) coming back into Alexis' hands. Just in time for more missiles to be brought into the fight, bombarding them on the area. This is gonna hurt... Or it would of, if a pokemon didn't pop himself out at the sense of imminent danger and shield her. Afterwards smoke rolls off the form uncurling from her to stand up, revealing one blasted and very annoyed looking, large badger-like creature. "Typhlosion." <Geez Lexie, always getting into trouble without me.>
"Oh shaddup and nuke them Scorch.... And don't call me Lexie."

Scorch turns his attention back towards the Vanguards. "Tyyyy" There's a FWOOSH as the heat glands around his neck ignite, resulting in a collar of rising flames erupting from his shoulders. "PHLOSION!" And more importantly to the robots, the blazing gout of flaming hot wrath that comes blasting out of his mouth in return.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
A new combatant has arrived! More correctly a fire type pokemon. When the fire pokemon unleashes its blaze of hit flames, the two Vanguards quickly move. It may become apparently to Alexis as the fire pokemon blasts out the flames, the blue liquid on the ground from her earlier attack catches on fire and burns in blue flames.

The vanguard that got impact in the chest also gets caught by the fire, but only enough to scorch its metal body. Thrusters of some kind can be seen activating as it propels itself right at the Fire Pokemon to try and shoulder check the poor thing, while the other walks around looking for a good point to jump in.

Alexis has posed:
It's enough for Alexis to get out of the way, grabbing the dazed swords pokemon she was using in the process of getting up from behind Scorch as he braces himself for impact. The robot slams into him, the extra momentum from the thrusters giving the impact enough force to throw him backwards from it, tumbling across the ground before he finally manages to dig in with his claws and brake the moment.

T<Two can play at that game,> Scorch retorts as he kicks off the ground and launchs himself back at the robot assailant. The flames seem to surge from around his neck and shoulders as he does so, turning the Typhlosion into a flaming ball of destruction tearing towards the Vanguard.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
The Flaming Pokemon slams into the Vanguard at full bore. The impact not only denting the armor, but scorching a great deal of the metal, including melting it in some places. The Vanguard nearly toppled over and quickly re-corrects itself, though it nearly falls back over again.

If the Fire Pokemon isn't careful though it will find itself find getting sneaked attack from behind. More correctly by two overcharged lance points firing right for it from the Vanguard that had the nasty cut in its arm, that still had some of the fluid dripping out from.

Move quick Scorch! Cause this may hurt!

Alexis has posed:
Scorch winds back with one fist intending to finish the job, but stops before he can swing when the other robot opens fire on him. With a yowl he barely manages to twist out of the one lance, but the other catchs him head-on as the evasive move puts him directly in its path, the overcharge projectile throwing him -hard- into the rocky wall of the valley.

Though the attacking Vanguard may notice the sudden appearance of a shadow at its feet. And if it looks up it would see why, because that Aggron climbed up onto one of the cliffs while the others were fighting and is now trying to jump on top of it. That's one big, heavy dinosaur, lemme tell you.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
The Vanguard does notice the shadow, but it doesn't really have a chance to look up before the massive pokemon falls down upon it and crushes it under its weight. The Ceruleum within explodes and the blue flames wrap around the Pokemon, though thanks to how it landed, the explosive force is more outward then up and thus it has that awesome movie effect of the Pokemon being surrounded by the blames as it is victorious over its foe.

As for the last one that heeded the call, its head slots glow as it suddenly stomps its foot back. A latch slams into the ground as electrical current-- or something that looks like electricity moves around its frame. There are a few clicks before the massive gear in the back starts to rotate in with a great deal of RPM. The energy seeming to be going into the missiles and with a full lock on-- the Ceruleum warheads go flying out, one right behind the other, and another.

All heading right for that victorious pokemon. So long though as Alexis stays out of the firing line-- she is amazingly actually ignored, and if she does try to go, she may find someone reaching for her arm.

Not in a harmful way, but to keep her from getting /killed/ by the payload the thing is putting out. If she looks to who. She will see someone in black armor part metal and part leather, with red cloth-like material in the front. The helm is full face and the eyes-- the eyes of the person can not even be seen.

He seems to be the only Garlean soldier down here- and he seems to come down here just to make sure, oddly enough-- that she didn't get hurt. What is up with these guys? Though he is standing around six foot three.

Alexis has posed:
The moment just gets an added effect by the blue flames blasting outward as Grindstone throws his head back with a roar.

Unfortunately the moment of triumph is short-lived as the one remaining Vanguard opens up, literally and figuratively, to bombard him in a cascade of missile fire. "Grindstone, look out!" Well she's not dumb enough to run head-first into a barrage of missiles, but that someone abruptly steps in to grab her was probably a good idea all the same. "What the... let go of me!"

A little too busy celebrating, Grindstone doesn't notice the retaliation attack until it's too late, missiles slamming into him and the area around him, the blasts smashing him backwards into the cliff he'd jumped off and knocking a chunk of it over. If he had -not- been a beast more of metal and stone than squishy bits, that probably would of been a lot worse of an attack. As it is, the combination of explosions and rubble falling off the cliff wall is enough to knock him out, however.

<Hey, hands off the trainer!> Having recovered from his own whalloping, Scorch steps in to shove the soldier away from Alexis. <Only her boyfriend and me get to grab her like that!> "NOT THE TIME SCORCH!" Alexis shouts back, followed by a louder "STORMFRONT. OUTTA HERE!"

How they got into the valley in the first place becomes apparently as another shadow passes overhead, this time from the large dragon that swoops down from where he had been snoozing on the cliffs, passing low to the ground just long enough for Alexis and Scorch to grab on. As the Salamence pulls up again Alexis recalls the Aggron to his own pokeball as they speed by, then upwards and away to vacate the valley altogether.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
The Solider is knocked back by the pokemon as he tsks and raises up his gunblade at the beast. Though it seems Alexis makes a quick escape with her pokemon before a retaliation can be brought forth. Alexis will notice as she flies away that those metal airships that were staying back are now moving in. They almost look like something out of a science fiction that that of a fantasy-- though how they are able to fly is nearly impossible to be seen.

Garlean troops are dropping down from the airships and are moving in to take control of the area. Machines that are ride-able can be seen deploying. Kind of remind one of the magitek armors from Final Fantasy 6 (the one with Kefka). Any Union members that dare remain are quickly handcuffed and shipped off to be taken to the confederacy cells.

The military here doesn't take any time at all.