Replying to Burgurk's command Shakti says, "With your pardon commander, but I think it might be a better use of my time to sit and meditate upon my control of the erstwhile warlord, Hollis. He is removing his team from the village, but should my control lapse, there is nothing stopping him from turning around and coming back. I considered that a better option than fighting in the town square. At least then, the bystanders can be gotten to cover. However, my command to him was to get his band as far from here as possible, as fast as possible. If I maintain my control a bit longer, till dusk for instance, they are that much less likely to simply return when Hollis returns to his own wits."
"Ah, I didn't know your power needed continual concentration to work. Of course, stay here until all the mercs are well out of town."
If Burgurk feels any animosity in the psychic energies surrounding the Faelerin, he will immediately say "We have come to set you free, I swear it."
Shakti sets herself up in a place that she can maintain her puppetry for as long as possible. Hollis has left and is taking his men with him to a place far to the south. Though you can’t see through his eyes, you know that it is his final refuge in the area.
Inside the mine, as you get closer to them, the leading Faelerin seems to send a wave of calm your direction. ”We are simple folk,” he continues in your mind, ”we ask only for that which you came to give and nothing more.” Along with his words, you get a vision of a verdant world that seems to be blooming with life in all manner of colors and shapes. It seems to be keeping the rest of the captives settled. The chains holding them appear to be simple iron and would easily be removed with an advanced weapon.
"That is a beautiful world you come from. Were you forced here from it, or come willingly here to escape some horror? If you want to go back, I'll do my best to see that it happens."
”Our world was beautiful once, but what you are seeing is only a memory of what was. We are here because of the demons that came through those open holes in the sky. Some of us thought to run through them to escape, and here we are. We have soon learned that this world is little better, but do not have anywhere else to go.”
The chains are removed easily enough. The mind speaker seems to have them calmed for the moment. You count twenty six in all, including him.
"That is a beautiful world you come from. Were you forced here from it, or come willingly here to escape some horror? If you want to go back, I'll do my best to see that it happens."
"Wait, y'all can send people BACK? I was told I was stuck here."
"Well, yes, rifts work in both directions. But seeing as you have no idea what kind of world is on the other side, and as far as I know you can't control where a rift goes, most people choose to stay with where they are, no matter how bad it is. Unless, it is *really* bad... he says, waving his hands at the Faelerin.
"Are there others of your kind on this world? Do you know where they might be?"
”There are some that have come through before, but we have not seen them. Our group was captured by that man as soon as we came through.”
"We'll take you to the Legion, if anybody knows where your people are, they will."
Burgurk says into comms "Ok, everyone, let's spread out thru the town and try to calm the townsfolk down. If anyone find someone wounded (more than a scratch), contact Shakti. Shakti, please heal anyone you're called to tend to. Everyone else help restore order, even if it's trivial - help clean up damage to buildings, help children find their parents, etc. The better impression we make on these people, the easier it will be to bring them into the Legion."
Shakti replies back into her coms from her chosen meditation space, "As you wish commander. However, due to my rather exhausted state, I suggest we triage the wounded in terms of usefulness in repelling any attempted assualt. While I am hopeful that once my control ebbs that the Hollis will keep his company away, in order to save face in front of his men if nothing else, there is a chance he will instead decide to turn around and attempt recapture of this village. I suggest this might be a good time to approach the local leadership to accept Tomorrow Legion assistance. If they decline, we should withdraw to a safe distance."
"Very well. Shakti, continue your hold over Hollis as long as possible. If you can read his mind once you let go, let us know what his intentions are.
Everyone else : change of plans - help with the cleanup and helping folks find each other, but bring all wounded to doctor's office. Ezekial, help the doctor in any way you can, stabilizing the wounded until Shakti is free to heal them magically, which shouldn't be more than half an hour or so.
I'll find the sheriff and have him set up able-bodied and armed men at the main gate of the town, in case Hollis decides to come back. Then I'll help with the cleanup and re-locating."
= 9, a Raise
Ezekial tries to wrangle the townsfolk into some semblance of order, knowing they'll be a little happier to have some work to take care of that will take their minds off the troubles of the last while.
With each of assigned your duties, you spread through the town of Paragould, keeping Hollis at bay while you get the town organized. While they have little in the way of weapons, should Hollis comeback, they are more determined to keep to themselves than ever. It will probably take some time before the Legion can hope to earn their trust, but your victory against the demon raiser and his mercenaries will go a long way towards helping that. Specialist Jimenez eventually regains consciousness later that evening, though her wounds and possibly her psyche will take some time to permanently heal, barring outside intervention. She states that she is fit to travel and thanks Ezekial profusely for not leaving her behind. Private Casey is also thankful as well, as he seems to be overjoyed to see her when she comes up, almost losing his military bearing.
Shakti reports that Hollis has come to his senses, but that he isn’t planning on coming back, not right away at least. Apparently, when they returned to their camp, he got a message from someone. Shakti couldn’t tell who exactly, but the skeletal black armor was telltale. After that, Shakti lost connection.
Saturday, 11th November, 109 P.A., 11:28 pm. 20oF. Cold, Paragould Town Hall
Most of the town can’t sleep, as they are worried about what comes next. They called a meeting of the mining foremen, what passes for their leader listens to questions while you watch and looks at you as if he expects answers.
”So, now that those mercenaries are gone, who is going to protect us? We have no training and no weapons.”
” We were doing fine before that magic man came through.”
” We were doing fine with him too. They stopped taking our folk and kept us safe.’ ”But they were working us to the bone in the meantime and we couldn’t even use all of the mines. We had nothing left to sell to keep us going.”
”These Legionnaires helped us and they didn’t even ask for payment. That should tell you something!”
The leader, who also seems to have been part of the group that was trying to help get rid of them before you came, looks to you after banging a pick on the table. ”Listen, I have heard that these Legionnaires have a large army. Can you promise that they will be here when Hollis returns with his forces?”
Shakti looks around at the silence, and decides it's time for the obligatory speech. She steps out from the wall where she was leaning, summoning a little light to her staff, and a little boost to her tongue, to compensate for the paranoia of these simple, xenophobic simpletons.
"Nothing is certain in life. The magi and the demon he was summoning represented an intolerable risk to life. Before long, the creature would have exhausted their supply of easy fodder," she gestures at one of the blue-skinned d-bees. "When they were all gone, what do you suppose they would have turned to next to feed its power? Do you suppose Hollis would have volunteered some of his men, and kept your citizens safe? Now that he is gone you have choices. If you think your lot might be better with him should he return, then by all means, welcome him. Blame us for his expulsion, and live under this warlord, subject to his whims; at least in till a more powerful one comes along to displace him."
"The Tomorrow Legion has an army true, but it is small compared to the coalition or even the federation, and it cannot be everywhere at once. It survives as a pact between peoples, for mutual protection, not servitude. They'll not force your hand, but would welcome you should you choose to join."
"...I think what my compatriot is tryin' to say is that the Tomorrow Legion would be glad to hep y'all out. It's what we do."
Burgurk adds "I do not have the authority to promise you this, but I will urge the Legion to send a small contingent of soldiers here. Should they need meet with forces larger than they can handle, they will be able to contact the Legion immediately for more support, which should get here quickly."
The small contingent of leaders debates for a few minutes after hearing your speech and supporting arguments. When they are finished, the head one looks to you. ”We will accept your contingent of soldiers to help us until we are better able to defend ourselves. Their conduct will help make the decision to join your Legion or not. Better hurry to contact them however, Hollis is not a patient man and I don’t think it will take long for him to come back and claim what he thinks is his. “
It takes a bit to get a secure line to Chief Elle and it is a bit choppy at best, considering the distance, but you do get through. ”Sergeant? I expect that you survived the encounter. Tell me about it.”
Burgurk reports their activities in detail about the mine, what they found there, what they did there, and how they got rid of Hollis and helped with the cleanup and tending to the wounded. He then reports the townsfolk's concerns, and asks if a half-dozen well-armed and well-armored soldiers could be dispatched to the town as soon as possible, and asks how long it will take them to get here. He emphasizes that the presence of the squad will help the townsfolk be more likely to join the Legion, and that Hollis could decide to return at any time.
Sunday, November 12th, 109 PA, 0800 hours. 23 degrees, Overcast, Makeshift Barracks.
Chief Elle listens to Burgurk’s report and nods along sagely. ”You have done excellent work team. A bit more unorthodox than I would have hoped, but that is what your teams specialize in, isn’t it? A promise of assistance can be honored and we will certainly send a platoon of troops as we can spare, however, as you are over a hundred miles away, it will take some time for them to reach you. In the meantime, I want you making sure that Hollis does not return. You are to perform reconnaissance and when safe, hit and run strikes to weaken his forces. We have reason to believe his being hired by that summoner was not mere coincidence. Find out who he is working with and if possible, to what end. On another note, we are reassigning Specialist Whiteangel to our newest Air Force Squadron. In a few hours, one of their transports will arrive to pick her and suit up. Once the platoon arrives, they will be under your command, sergeant. They are good men and women, but they are green. You will need to help them setup defenses and use them to help you with your mission. Questions?”
"Wouldn't hit-and-run strikes on Hollis just prompt him to attack the town in retaliation? Also, I suspect very few people in this town own a gun, much less know how to shoot straight. Wouldn't it be better to wait until the troops arrive, so that we have a large armed and at least semi-trained group to defend the town before aggravating Hollis?
Also, if the Legion can spare it, even a few long-range explosive devices would be a big help in thinning Hollis' forces. What can you send with the troops?"
Chief Elle nods sagely at Burgurk’s questions. ”This is why I used the words ‘when safe’, I believe. If you do not feel it safe to strike at Hollis, then do not risk yourselves or the town of Paragould. That being said, the less he has when he does show his cards and decides to attack again, the easier it will be to repel him, yes? I have already sent word to brief the platoon I am sending, but they will be well equipped when they arrive. Just remember that once in field, the ammunition they carry will be finite. They should arrive tomorrow morning at the earliest. While you are waiting, establish yourself in town. Find out where to barrack the men and where you can setup a temporary base of operations. I have a feeling you will need it.”
Ezekial takes the chief's suggestion to find a base on himself.
"I'll take a look around, Hoss, see what the villagers are willing to spare. I reckon Hollis' men were holed up somewhere besides the local waterin' hole, so should be the easiest spot. Maybe they left some ammunition and suchlike behind fer us too."
Burgurk says to Ezekial "I'll talk to the sheriff and mayor about this as well. Let me know over comms if you find Hollis' men's quarters. Shakti, can you act as lookout for the time being, I suspect your senses are better than ours. Let us know if you sense that Hollis starts to move towards town, or if you see him in the distance."
Burgurk asks around as to where the sheriff and mayor have their offices. If the town is lacking one or the other, Burgurk will talk with him. If both offices are filled, Burgurk will go to one and ask him to accompany him to the other. Once we're all together :
"Some soldiers from the Legion are on their way, they should be here by tomorrow morning. We need to be prepared in case Hollis decides to come back. Are there any townspeople who own a gun and can shoot at least reasonably well? Does anyone have any armor of any kind? Sheriff, can I use your office as a base of operations, or is there some unused building I can use?"
Ezekial asks around and finds that Hollis’ men kept a few storage buildings as barracks, once he arrives at one of them, he sees that the men left the place in a hurry, leaving cots and some extra gear laying around. It seems that either they were ready to leave or that they had a plan to return to collect the rest at some point.
Burgurk is able to easily find the man that considers himself both the sheriff and the mayor of Paragould, one Marcus Davidson. Or at least, you find where his body is buried. ”After Hollis and that demon moved in a while ago, they took to running the place. We don’t really have much of leadership other than the foremen from the mines. I suppose we could hold a vote for the time being, until a more permanent position can be set up. Only a few of us had any actual weapons, and as you can see, most of us are not soldiers. Else, we would have kicked Hollis and his people long ago. You were the tipping point. While we thank you for that, we have a mess to clean up and hopefully, with your help, we can do it before he decides to come back for us. You’re welcome to use any of the open storage building as a base of operations, until we get our mines back up and running, we have little use for them.”
"I would humbly suggest that you allow us to run things for a while, since we need to prepare for Hollis' return. I assure you that I have no longing for power, but as a military man I can organize your defenses quickly if put in charge."
”We will have to take that up with the foremen. Trading one military group for another so soon may not be such a welcome change. I am sure you understand.”
The lead foremen shakes his head. ”I can’t fathom having another group of warriors taking over just after we booted out the last ones. With your help of course. Thing is, not a one of us are truly warriors.” He sighs. ”We have decided to allow you to help bolster our defenses, but we have the right to say no to anything we don’t think is good for Paragould. Deal?”
"That is acceptable. I shall run all my decisions by you first."
To the foreman and his comrades over comms, Burgurk says "We'll use Hollis' warehouse as our base, he left some supplies in there. Also, one of our air transports will be arriving soon to take one of our companions on to a new job, please spread the word so that people don't panic."
For the rest of the day, Ezekial and Burgurk continue to help clean up the town and heal the wounded, while Shakti keeps watch for Hollis.
Sunday, November 12th, 109 PA, 1205 hours local. 26 degrees, Overcast, Warehouse
You spend most of the rest of the morning tending to the wounded and making sure there aren’t any stragglers of Hollis’ men in town. For the most part, Paragould is slowly trying to return back to its way of life before the summoner appeared. The difficult part is convincing them that the Tomorrow Legion will be able to keep them safe should Hollis, or any one else with conquest on their mind come around.
As promised, at a little after noon a transport arrives to pick up Anya and her suit. With one of her trademark ‘check you later chummers’, she gets in and is taken to her new assignment, whatever that may be. Chief Elle wasn’t clear about it and she probably wouldn’t tell you if asked.
Most of the people of Paragould are human and you notice that most of them seem more comfortable around Ezekial than Burgurk or Shakti. The Faelerin stay near you and you can sense some distrust between them and the people of Paragould.
Right after Anya leaves, one of the locals approaches your temporary base. Private Casey calls to you from the front and announces that this person, a young man of about twenty, has seen a few of Hollis’ men skulking about near the outskirts of town. They didn’t do anything, but took off after they were spotted.
"Thank you, young man, for the alert."
Burgurk goes to the foreman and says "Even if your townspeople aren't fighters, they can keep their eyes open. Some of Hollis' men were just spotted outside of town, and ran away when they knew they'd been seen. If we put some of the townspeople all around the edge of town, they could shout out if they see anyone, which might keep skulkers at bay."
The foremen nods in approval. ”My people are on edge as it is, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem for them to keep watch over the rocks to see if anyone’s coming. Still, I don’t want to spook ‘em either. When did you say your army is coming?”
"I can start hangin' around myself, if y'all want. Keep an eye out, and some tricks up my sleeve."