Goblin Lands Heroic Event Week 14: The Strange Petrol Problems of Dr Leonard Bones

[Narrator]

Prologue: High in the Sky above the Petrol Refinery, North of Drewsport

Hide looked down at the facility below, his back on the two mercenaries. Tonight was the night they had planned for, a dark one. at his sides were five of the newest additions to the Rhug’na’ru. They were to loot the facility, as silent as the night they were attacking in. behind them were five more tribals; these ones older with more experience on a mission such as this. They would go down with the youngins and help to secure their goals: computer devices able to locate more raw oil, refiner plans and hopefully an explanation to their usage, and whatever weapons they can get. The weapons were on the bottom of the priority list.

“Tonight we strike, young ones.” He looked each of them in the eye. “In the darkness those two,” He motioned to Lord Mada and Black Lorne. “will take out the seven on the third floor, covertly of course. You ten will repel down from the Hindengog and enter the facility from said third floor.” He looked over at his helmsmen. “Myself and De’rol will be waiting in the clouds until we can see one of you on the top of the building.”

He handed one the older ones a small gas lantern. “Leave this on the roof, hidden, and light it when you need to get out. At that time we will lower ropes down and lower ourselves as well. From that point onward speed is everything, climb up as fast as you can, we will be pulling the ropes up.” He sighed and looked them over again. “If you are not on the third floor within five minutes of the lantern being lit, you will be left behind. At that point you will meet us at the preassigned location south of the facility for pickup in one day’s time.”

He looked away. “If you survive that is. The facility will be blown up by our acquaintances soon after we leave. They will hopefully have the petrol and crude oil tanks in their shadow leyas things, so don’t try to take any petrol. It will slow you down. We will be leaving quite quickly with what you have, so be sure it is worthwhile.”

“Only grab computer parts and schematics. Put them in your bags and get out quickly, be careful around the guards below. Hopefully, by the time you get to them, they will either be dead or incapacitated by either Lord Mada or Lorne. Loot the bodies for weapons only if the weapons are small enough to fit in our bags, otherwise do not bother. You will need both your hands to climb up into the Hindengog.” He smiled at them. “Be very happy the honor of the looting has been bestowed upon you! The way of the Rhug’na’ru speaks through your actions tonight! We will loot their house and leave it burning!”

Lorne observed the facility from above, taking in the sights of the refinery. He was well prepared for the venture, having equipped a heavy black hooded cloak over his plate mail. A heavy bladed dagger, freshly sharpened hung beside a hemp rope crusted with blood stains. A hand and a half sword hung on the other side, but he didn’t want to use that yet. He also had created shadow cocoons for the purpose of making looting easier. Observing the guard patrols, he made note of any locations that were more secluded and kept them in mind. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself.

Alongside him stood Lord Mada, a dark lord of the nightmare slaving Northern Kingdom of Kasanth.
Lord Mada was well known across the Northern Kingdoms and Colonies of Refuge. Part time aristocrat, part time elite operative, Lord Mada was dressed in concealing Kasanthian robes. As the robes fluttered in the wind, their voluminous inner folds showed demi-dimensions of shadow.

Lord Mada pulled his robes tight and began linking their shadows to the shadows below.

[Narrator]

Part 1

Doctor Leonard Bones was a bit bored with this work, he normally worked with people but due to personnel shortages he had been asked to come out of his previous mission. He had been previously working undercover in the colonies to learn more about the other races to learn how best to deal with the anatomy of each one.

Now he was working on fuel derivatives, of course he could do it, but a lot less satisfying. Now that he was in charge of this facility he kept things on alert, with so many other Church instillation falling it was only a matter of time before this one was attacked. Sadly he had no leyas users, he learned to appreciate these powers while infiltrating a group of aliens in the last few years.

Leonard made sure that the fire suppression systems were up to date and working effectively and that the patrolling soldiers were maintaining discipline. Every department had been given multiple radios to prevent communications from being cut off, and would place the facility on lock down and mobilize attack squads to contain any assaults. So when he was interrupted by the head of security, a dour Red Bishop by the name of Robyrne, Leonard was concerned.

In his laboratory, he watched the four holographic displays being projected by Red Bishop Robyrne with growing concerns.

One image showed the outside walkway surrounding the third floor, another the inner corridor that stretched the north wall, another the main lab and the last showed Leonard and Robyrne. The other three images showed the patrols of Knights from the lower floors who had been called up, now stalking whomever had killed doctors McMillian and Howe.

The holographic footage of the cloaked and hooded figures attacking the pair of scientists on their cigarrette break had been graphic enough. But when it occcured a second and third time, Leonard could never unsee that footage.

Now he witnessed a repeat of it. As a squad of four knights moved down the walkway, the rear two were the first to be witnessed. From the eaves of the roof dropped a strangulari’s garrote which caught one Knight and lifted him up and away before he could signal. The knight who had been next to him turned and from his own shadow flicked the jagged rear blade of an Uth sword. It tore out the knight’s throat and he fell gurgling on his own blood. His body was dragged away leaving only his cloak.

This drew the attention of the rest of the squad. They turned, firing into the shadows with a burst of popping noises. A volley of five inch long spikes embedded themselves in the overhanging roof.

“Call them back inside to the corridor leading to the main lab,” ordered Leonard as he watched the confused Knights.

“That will allow the enemy access inside,” said Robyrne.

“And what is your plan?” said Leonard, “Keep sending squads outside where the tight confines make it perfect for the enemy to pick them off one by one. I want them driven into an area where we can flank them with the Liquid Nitrogen sprayers. The main lab is the place.”
The door opened in the corridor and the pair of knights were retreating orderly. Heading backwards to where two Red Bishops were waiting for them with liquid nitrogen sprayers ready. The door to the corridor hung open, and the door to the lab open as well. A few gentle breezes fell upon the defenders. Squads of knights carrying air powered spearguns aimed at the entrace, while squads with liquid nitrogen sprayers kept watch from the sides.
None of them noticed the small computer equipment that had been stolen from a variety of places around the lab in the moments when the security operators had been tracking the dead scientists. Mining Scanners, chemical assessment gear, even small holocomputers with Earther survey data.
The Olgogs had made their way inside using the key cards of the Earther scientists. They had waited until the next group had come out for breaks, thus fooling security who were just checking the ins and outs of key cards on the higher floors.

Once the second camera image switched for Leonard Bones, he grew deeply concerned that more Leyas specialists hadn’t been tied to the defense of this project. Outside the rear entrance one of the scientist’s bodies dropped, and from its mouth extended a flowing nest of worm-like nightmares.
And the body of a knight in the same state was dropped off on the second floor, said the reports on his radio.

Then an even more concerning fact was reported. All of the smaller storage tanks had disappeared one by one. Only the four large concrete tanks remained, fastened as they were to the ground by concrete.

Leonard turned to the red bishop and said, “I want to…”

But his words were cut off when a garrotte round whipped round the neck of Robyrne. Robyrne realized his neck was caught in a noose which pulled him up through the ceiling fan’s shadow. He raised his nitrogen sprayer and pulsed a burst of it upward as he slid through the shadow.

They were on the roof, and Lorne was using a reflection to see in through the lab window.

Black Lorne fell backwards, rolling away from the sprayer. His garrote was not so lucky, freezing and shattering after being sprayed. Robyrne drew his combat knife, carved from the Claw of a Chimera
Lorne drew his hand and a half sword and felt a charge of shadow leyas charge up his arm.

They began to duel, and cuts soon adorned both their bodies.

Leonard Bones was having none of it. He looked around his office now without a head of security and decided it was time to request a transfer. He ran down the stairs, carrying only his sat-link communicator and his handheld holocomputer with his work. His precious, precious work.

[Narrator]

He leapt aboard his private hoverbike and took to drive away. Behind him Leonard could see the battle still raging on the rooftop. And a dark draconic monster leapt into the sky from the area near the storage tanks. Leonard saw in his rear view mirror the Antaris Anti-Air strider rise up and begin trading shots with the war dragon.

Leonard had heard tell of the war dragons, giant lobotomized dragons enslaved into being organic vehicles in the border wars. Now to see one in action filled him with dread. Its beam weapons cut down the knights who came outside to fight it. Then from the top of the roof came a pair of death bolts which fuzed the legs of the Antaris Anti-air platform. The Strider was grabbed by the claws of the war dragon and hurled high into the sky.

Knowing the Refinery might blow any minute, Leonard red-lined the hoverbike’s engines. He stopping looking in the mirror and never saw the shadow growing bigger and bigger overhead.

Leonard Bones roared into his sat-linked communicator, "Damnit I’m a medical doctor not a fuel jockey! Now give me a lab where I can experiment on living creatures rather then fuel.”

Then the upper section of the Anateres Strider, sans lower legs, came crashing down onto his bike. He flipped, skidded, rolled and thudded to a sudden stop. Encased in twisted metal, Leonard Bones never heard the sound of the Refinery exploding.

[Narrator]

Part 2

On the roof of the Refinery, Black Lorne Harlas watched Lord Mada’s War Dragon rise into the air. It was majestic in its power, magi cannons that studded its body began to target knights. Each beam cut down an armored form.

Lorne was not doing as well against Red Bishop Robyrne. In technique and skill they were an even match, and both suffered many a wound.

Behind Lorne the Rhug’na’ru tribals gathered, their bags stuffed with tech. One even held a liquid nitrogen sprayer dropped by one of Lorne’s kills. One lit a small torch to signal to the Hindengog floating high above.

The zepplin drifted down, and dropped its ladders. Then the Antares Strider rose up pointing its Helios cannon for an easy kill on the Hindengog. Lorne knew he could only do one, or the other. Save the Hindengog or kill Robyrne. He opted for mission success.

Lorne turned swinging the sword towards the Antares and extended its power to blast two bolts of energy. Each hit the knees of the Antares, cutting through the sensitive servos and motors and disabling its movement. Lorne could see one of the Olgogs on the Airship lean over the deck carrying a rocket propelled grenade launcher. It was Hide of the Rhug’na’ru, and he fired off an rpg into the hard armored hull of the strider sending it reeling back.

Lorne watched with satisfaction as Lord Mada’s War Dragon struck the Antares from behind ripping it from its weakened legs and hurling it high into the air.

Then Robyrne dived in close, and stabbed Lorne a few times in the kidney. Lorne smiled, the pain was little more than a motivation to turn and blast the Red Bishop from his feet. Then he saw the Hindengog was signalling lift-off. He divied into Robyrne’s shadow and sprang out under one of the Rhug’na’ru climbing the ladders.

Lorne was up and on the ladder as the Hindengog took off. He looked down, knowing he was leaving Red Bishop Robyrne alone on the roof of the Refinery. The Red Bishop shook his head in frustration.

Flying inches below him, was the war dragon. As it darted by, Lorne could see into the cockpit, at the Nightmare in the shape of a penguin who was piloting it. Wearing a military beret and chomping a cigar in its beak, the enslaved nightmare pilot was in front of Lord Mada. The penguin wrenched the control stick to the side making another pass. Now that the Hindengog was safely away, the War Dragon lit up the Refinery’s tanks with its magi cannons.

The explosion filled the sky with black smoke. It seemed to peel back the roof of the Refinery building before ripping the rest of the building into shrapnel. The heat was intense enough to create an updraft that sent the war dragon high into the sky.

Lord Mada looked back at the mushroom cloud with a grim grin.

[Narrator]

Epilogue:

Leonard Bones awoke the next morning to the sound of a plasma torch cutting metal. Then there was the sound of wrenching armor plate. Then a clang. Light streamed down at him. He saw a battered Red Bishop Robyrne leaning down over the hole with a scanner in hand.

“Alive down there, Dr. Bones?” asked Robyrne.

“That is my current predicament, Red Bishop,” agreed Leonard, “What hit me?”

“Part of the Antares,” said Robyrne, “Parts are everywhere. You feeling any pain?”

“My legs are trapped and have gone numb,” said Leonard, “Do you have any nanite syringes?”

“None left,” said Robyrne, “I was hurled a few hundred feet away on a section of roof. When I landed I was little more that a functioning head neck and right arm. The rest was a mess. It took a few injections to become good enough to travel. Enough talk, lets get you out of there.”

But it was worse than expected When Robyrne lifted Leonard from the wreck, he saw that both of the scientist’s legs were crushed. A simple enough fix with a healing nanite syringe. A grevious mauling in any other situation. And this was any other situation. Robyrne laid him out, and helped him clamp off the arteries. It made it less likely Leonard would die from bloodloss.

With the pain from the procedure subsiding, he asked, “Any luck recovering my sat-link communicator from the wreck? We could use a pickup.”

“No such luck, doctor,” said the Red Bishop as he sorted through gear he had pulled from the wreck comprised of the antares and the hoverbike. A few ampules of combat drugs from the cockpit of the antares. Its pilot hadn’t survived the crash, but his side arm had, and it joined the pile.

“Then what is the plan?” asked Leonard.

“I can build us something from this,” Robyrne said as he pointed at the wreck.

“We have a long ride, if we are taking it all the way to civilization,” whispered Leonard laying his head back and sighing, “How much food do we have?”

“Two weeks of survival rations,” said Robyrne, “Enough water for four days if we ride instead of walking.”

“Any way we could build a transmitter?” asked Leonard.

“More like a jury rigged tank,” said the Red Bishop surveying the wreak, “Give me eight hours and we will be on the way.”

“I’ll keep in the shade… and not move so I don’t expend unneeded water,” said Leonard curling up for a much needed nap.

“Yes, doctor,” said Robyrne as he lifted a damaged hover emitter and began fixing it to the side of the cockpit, “You do that.”

Robyrne lifted up a guided missile from its housing and began removing the warhead.

[Narrator]

Rewards

Rhug’na’ru gains Lots of tech Loot One Mining Scanner (can distinguish: Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Water, Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold), One Sonic Pulse Drill (Lowers S.A.R by 10 pts per combat round aimed at an object, used for drilling for liquids and gasses not metals, EP 10), maps of Unen showing all current sites known to have Crude Oil on a single Holocomputer, and the plans for Oil derricks (to draw up oil) on a single holocomputer, plans for a simple field refinery on another holocomputer (three holocomputers total taken).
One liquid Nitrogen sprayer with a half-full tank (10 shots left)

Black lorne gains one experimental Napalm Cannon. This man (or Olgog) portable launcher fires a gellied petrol shell which creates a localized fireball on impact. It uses compressed air to launch its projectile. This weapon has little use against vehicles, but exceptionally dangerous against infantry. 25 shells each does 25 Energy dmg, fire. Cannot be put out with water, requires a fire suppressant chemical, sand or to choke of its oxygen flow.

Lord Mada gains the bodies of one Red Bishop, two Scientists, along with a Church of One encrypted Radio, a compressed air speargun (standard in Goblin Lands book), 3 weeks of extended life, six multi-gallon barrels of refined petrol.

Lord Grimaldus gains Dr. Leonard Bones, Medic and Red Bishop Robyrne.
He also gains Dr. Bones’ Fuel Additive, which increases the move of any combustion engine by 5 pts for that tank of gas.
He also gains Robyrne’s Hovertank. V.A.R. 40 vs. Melee, Missile, Energy. EP 20.
Move 8 (Hover), or Single use per mission Move 18 (Rocket Engines).
Helios Cannon – 160 Energy dmg, Half A.R. Orbital Range.
320 dmg to Vehicles and Structures. Can only be fired once per combat phase and drains entire energy cell preventing movement in the same combat round it fires in (unless combined with Rocket engines).