Scene #2538: Grand Theft U-Boat

Owner	Pose
Wo	It is a quiet evening in a quaint, coastal German town. The city itself is of moderate size - enough to have some industry and life to it, while still edged by more traditional building styles. This is somewhat helped by it appearing to be straight out of an earlier period of the 20th century, for those that are familiar with Earth timelines. While none of the propaganda that one might expect or dread from a Germany of this period can be seen, that does not mean it lacks a certain undertone. On approach, one thing that is striking is the depth of the sea here, right up to the very edge of the land itself. This deep water is perfect for merchant shipping and trade, certainly, but it also has purpose for other industries, such as producing and sheltering machines of war. Set against the relatively peaceful town, the steel warehouses and cold, concrete structures mark a contrast easily seen in the rapidly fading daylight. Every so often, a truck will pull up, delivering more supplies, and even at this hour, the dry docks are busy repairing damaged ships as well as assembling new ones, the arcs of the welders vibrantly, if locally lighting the water nearby. Hammers echo and grinders rasp. It would become readily apparent that it is a military shipyard. And this is where the Wo-class aircraft carrier and her Confederate allies come in. She had trained her eyes on this for some time, and now that the time was right, with active ships gone and a changing of security still undergoing training and familiarization, she had placed the call in. Speaking over the radio, she makes their mission and instructions known. Her laser focus improving on her normally stilted speech: "Surface...allies. Infil-trate, the sub-marine facilities. Acquire - every ship, you can. Des-troy, what you can't." This facility must not be allowed to make these war materials, especially (or secondarily, to the Abyssal carrier) if they were planning to provide it to enemies of the Confederacy. Conventional and stealthy landing craft are provided to any that are looking to infiltrate the submarine pen, which would have been made obvious as a particular reinforced concrete bunker. The second phase of the plan, as detailed, involves a surface assault to destroy the assets outside - any that are planning to take part in that general mayhem are welcome to join Wo, herself, as she and a fleet detachment await the insertion of their allies. Abyssal ships of every description slip out of the water: A Ru-class battleship (not the Elite one some might have encountered), a Nu-class light carrier, even a few Wa-class transports are on standby to help with any materials that are 'acquired'. And of course, tons of your average I-class and Ro-class Destroyers, buzzing in anticipation. This surface distraction is quickly noticed by the facility's radars, and a general alert is given. The civilian workers that were inside of the submarine pen quickly empty to take shelter, leaving a few security people shakily clutching rifles, as they shout between each other. They were not prepared for an attack, at all. This also prompts a radio call to anyone nearby that could be considered 'friendly', even to a neutral facility more concerned with its world than others.
Sanary Rondel	That last mission was something of a dud. Defending a coastline from a largely sea-based enemy was difficult considering Sanary's lack of aquatic and aerial-based equipment, but this time would be different! Not in actually fighting at sea, but because the mission seemed focused more on hitting the ground and just being on ships by coincidence. That would work just fine as long she didn't need to actually jump off a dock or climb into a submarine personally. She's wearing her trusty set of green armor, the gunaxe loaded with lightning shells in her right hand and a massive kite shield held in her left. <I'm in position at the sub facility. Gonna start raising some hell.> And with that, the axe healer opens fire on the security personnel, blasting lightning at the closest and easiest targets. Clearly, she's not trying to make herself hidden or anything.
Taro	Create a very large distraction, and the real work will be ignored until it's too late. It's a tried and true tactic, used many times with great success in the past. No great surpise that Taro approves of Wo's methods. Of of those stealthy one-person skiffs that the Abyssal fleet has graciously supplied slips toward the part of the bay that the submarines have been penned. Hopefully it remains unnoticed and unchallenged until he's close enough to jump to shore - being non-buoyant means swimming to shore is not really an option for the android. While it seems unlikely, given the ancient level of technology compared to his own, that the locals would notice a radio transmission from him, he decides better to not chance it for now. Hos own side should know where he is approximately anyway.
Wo	The radio call for help is somewhat desperate, and obviously from someone without much experience. "Ghosts and monsters are coming from the sea!" He didn't know any other way to describe them, and from what little they can see from the spotlights that suddenly switch on . "They've got guns, but haven't opened fire yet. W-what do they want?" The sounds of gunfire, small arms, erupts simultaneously over the broadcast as well as the outside of the naval facility, as the nervous troops and security people on the outside decide to shoot first and ask question later. For what it's worth, the rounds bounce off the armor of all of the abyssals present. The Nu-class even emits a throaty sound that could be considered a rudimental form of laughter. The Ru-class isn't as amused, though, levelling one of her massive banks of turrets in the direction of a guard tower. Inside, the hapless second string security there isn't faring much better. They run around, uncoordinated, and are fairly easy to pick off for Sanary. A few do manage to squeeze a few rounds off, but their lack of skill is obvious. Also moving in on are some generic, black-clad Confederate mooks that had been shadowing Taro, somewhat. Just in case of trouble, and to maximize their gains. Their significantly more modern weapons remain at the ready, as they begin to move in; one squad in particular locating the radio room and quickly snuffing the life of the one that had been putting out the calls for help. The final burst of gunfire, and then static, made that clear enough.
Shigure	Several Hours ago. Shigure was uneasy. She sat on the docks, looking out at the water, but felt a sinking pit in the base of her stomach... she knew that feeling far too well. Something was going to happen. Something terrible. She got up from the pier, turned and ran into the Mess where Kuma was chatting with her sisterships over one of Mamiya's parfaits. The huffing, wild-looking Destroyer gets the Cruiser's attention quickly enough, and after some persuading, Kuma joins Shigure in the Docks and they launch on a patrol sortie. Present Shigure skates along the waters surface, cannon-fa deployed and radar scanning. Kuma skates about 20 meters to the Destroyer's port, squinting into the gathering dark. "I can see the port lights, kuma! Dead ahead, kuma." she calls, pointing forwards, and waving at Shigure. "Surface radar is picking up multiple contacts. Two /very/ large." replies Shigure, looking back at Kuma. "We might be outmatched if Admiral cannot arrive in time." Kuma chuckles. "We'll be fine, kuma. Just stay close and we'll cover each other." offers the cheerful cruisergirl, thumbs-upping, before turning serious. "Admiral, what is your ETA, kuma? We have Abyssals here."
Blurr	Talk about archaic technology. Blurr would be one of those people to whom this fleet would seem awfully backward. Well, would BE awfully backward. Honestly, he doesn't understand why the Feds would target these, they're practically ancient and hardly worth the trouble--they can't possibly have thought the Union would just stand idly by and let them take whatever. But maybe they just have something in mind that he isn't thinking of. Whatever it is, it can't be up to any good. Upon receiving the transmission, he is inwardly a bit exasperated at the natives' lack of skill and common sense. What -else- would they be after, but the war machines, albeit incredibly archaic ones? At any rate, he heads straight for the docks where the vessels are being kept, scanning for hostiles. He may or may not have detected Taro's approach, but for the time being he does't make a move yet, remaining in vehicle mode parked in a lot near the pens. If someone were looking closely, though, they might notice that a certain very sleek-looking blue sports car looks awfully out of place in this Earth-20th-century era environment.
Nagato	Nagato, the Admiral of the Fleet Daughters. Upon hearing the word Abyssal from Kuma, she's taken to the sea and heading out. She was quite a few miles out but she was determined to assist her Fleet, after all, what sort of Admiral would she be if she didn't show up herself on occasions. "Kuma, I'm closing in, provde covering fire." Nagato was also without her own personal fleet today, not enough time to ready everyone at once. The turrets rotate into position and Nagato's face is steeled for the inevitable conflict that will come soon. "ETA is five minutes, Kuma."
Wo	OUTSIDE: Anything unusual, like an ultra-futuristic automobile, doesn't take the notice of the gathered Abyssal fleet. Surface technology is a bit less familiar to them - this particular Wo-class even called a car a 'land boat' not so long ago. She remains standing behind the Ru-class and Nu-class, watching the humans desperately wandering around the walkways and guard areas, firing at them with guns of a caliber that have no real hope of doing damage. Especially not when fired by non-Elites. A few rounds even impact the large, bulbous hat that she wears, splintering off shards of black metal and a leathery flesh, causing the aged shell to glint fresh. It is purely superficial, though, just as the ones striking the Ru-class are. The tall Abyssal battleship has that one row of guns still levelled at the guard tower, apparently just waiting on the signal, her dead eyes afixed on it. With their people having moved inside, the signal comes, as the Wo-class glances up from her meditation on the state of the facility. She raises a black gloved hand from the top of the fragmented shank of metal she uses as a staff, and splays her fingers. With that, the Ru-class opens fire with her massively calibered guns - even though they remain portable to a human-sized creature, the damage they create upon impacting the guard tower is catastrophic, sending the soldiers inside tumbling an uncomfortable length to the ground. The Destroyers, perhaps as many as a dozen of them, creak open their human-toothed jaws, 5-inch gun barrels protruding and joining in the opening salvo. Their fire is indiscriminate; seemingly, willfully seeking to damage buildings and partially repaired and constructed ships alike. Perhaps an observant one might notice that the one place their shells seem to avoid is the area around the submarine pen. Though certainly, ones inside could still begin to feel the ground shake. The aircract carriers, Wo-class and Nu-class, soon join in. The Wo-class carrier, hand still extended, launches a wing of Abyssal fighters - drones roughly a meter across, that soon expand to two meters once they escape the cavernous mouth of her hat-slash-flight deck. It is likely that their most hated enemies - the fleet daughters - might respond, so securing air cover early is a good idea. The Nu-class is more concerned with helping with making things explode, and launches dive bombers - similar in their sleek shape as the fighters, but each carrying an additional payload of a bomb instead of a rapid-fire cannon. They climb and then dive on targets of opportunity, including surface vehicles: that includes Blurr, if he isn't watching. Their jet engines scream as they make their approach, diving out of the air as they release their payload. An additional distraction arrives as the fighters seem to have spotted something, on the horizon. Buzzing between them, they report as the eyes of their Wo-class mothership. Her mask-like face manages a frown... But the operational details remain intact.
Wo	INSIDE: The black-clad Confederate troops quickly storm the building. The local security troops that don't simply surrender are being quickly quelled in the face of a more well-trained and modernly equipped force. Perhaps if they hadn't been caught in the middle of a changing of the guard, so to speak, they might have stood a better chance. The Confederate Elites would continue to encounter pockets of resistance, but for the most part it's obvious that they're just trying to buy time, in the midst of the confusion. In a last ditch effort, the few remaining in the submarine area itself have realized that the invaders might be looking to steal the submarines, and cut off from reinforcements, they seal several inch thick blast doors and begin piling any cargo crates they can find. "They're inside," they shout between each other, and over the clear on the radio! With things barricaded as best they can, they hunker behind some waist-high containers and ready their rifles, expecting the worst.
Sanary Rondel	Sanary's focusing her efforts on just making as much noise as possible, pelting those security guards unlucky enough to actually in the way of her barely-aimed lightning shells. She makes little effort to avoid the shots sent back her way at first, simply trying to just soldier on through the return fire and healing herself to look as intimidating as possible. That doesn't last too long, of course, since she eventually does take some semblance of waist high cover while joining with the Confederate troops. "Give it up! We'll go easy on you if you surrender peacefully, and nobody else has to get hurt!" She then follows that up by channelling magical energy into her eye and firing a heat beam from the eye into that very cover those guards are hiding behind, triggering a small, yet concentrated explosion.
Taro	Arguably this could at first been construed as an act of resource denial - destroy the submarines while still at dock so that they cannot be used later. This is also a tried and true tactic. Taro's small skiff pulls up alongside the breakwater wall near the pen, then bobs precariously as he and his two cyber-elves disembark with a leap. Or more properly, Taro leaps while the two 'elves cling to his shoulders. He has made the assumption that the operatives following him are sufficiently trained, and so simply expects them to keep up. The cacophany of bombs, artillery, and small arms fire should cover the sounds of their arrival as he and the others approach the dockhouse holding the submarines, though Taro keeps his head down all the same. He expects the doors would still be guarded, or at least the surface doors. Whether it as just as well guarded underneath...with a silent hope that the harbor is not as deep as the sea on the other side of the barrier, he heads to as close to edge of the building as he dares, looking for where there would be access from building to the sea.
Shigure	Kuma narrows her eyes a bit, sighting the range as the shapes emerge over the horizon. "Coming into range now, kuma. Set maximum elevation. Prime high explosive shells. Thirteen degree spread. FIRE, kuma!" "Air Radar picking up signals. Hostile Carriers in the enemy fleet." warns Shigure, as her AA guns begin to track the targets as they come into radar range. The destroyer's guns don't have the same kind of range as Kuma's, so her battery remains silent. "Confirming your last, Admiral. We have engaged. Hostile fire seems to be avoiding the Submarine storage area... they may be seeking to acquire supplies from the ships... or the vessels themselves." notes Shigure over radio.
Blurr	Blurr has been keeping track of Taro's movements ever since he approached the docks on that skiff. He's the only one not trumpeting his arrival everywhere, so the Autobot suspsects that he's the one who's been assigned the primary objective. Additionally, he's noticed that the others have chosen not to fire in that area. Unfortunately, having his attention focused elsewhere meant that he let the divebombers hit him, explosives scorching his armor and likely cracking it in several places. Shuddering, the hover speeder moves swiftly toward the dockhouse, switching to a spot closer to the front doors. He then activates his holomatter projector, and what appears to be a blond-haired teenager materializes inside the building near one of the seaside entryways and opens it to the outside. Spotting Taro the avatar waves at him. "Psst! Hey! Over here." Is that the opening Taro is looking for? Should he trust a random stranger?
Wo	INSIDE and JUST OUTSIDE: The younger and green soldiers making the last stand, as it were, look confused and nervous at Sanary's ultimatum. There's even some glances between each other, and it looks for a moment like at least two of the men might take her up on the offer, to stand up with their rifles dropped. That's before the apparent lone veteran among them, a more grizzled and middle-aged man, barks critically, "You saw the monsters they had outside, and this woman just took bullets while barely flinching! You think they're just going to let us walk out of here!?" They seem to reconsider his words amidst the thundering rounds impacting the base outside, and all draw their guns anew, levelling them and opening fire on the axe cleric with their period rifles. "We're not going to let the First Squad have all the glory anymore! Drive her back!" The young men alongside him holler a gutteral cry of approval! It is not as though Sanary is entirely alone, either. A squad of the Confederate troopers had converted on her location, similarly, apparently shadowing her. They provide cover fire for their Elite operative, hoping that they'll do most of the heavy lifting for them. Technological gulf aside, there's something to be said for efficiency. "Leave it to second-rate soldiers to not realize when they're outgunned," snarks one. This prompts the locals to growl and dig in their heels even more, intending to protect that final blast door with their mortal lives! JUST outside, Taro also has some backup in the form of some more of those black-clad soldiers that had arrived on similar vessels, sticking close to his position. One, apparently an infiltration expert going by the patches on her amphibious uniform, takes a good look at the doors of the submarine pen, "Been a while since I'd seen one of this vintage." She glances to Taro, then lowers a visor, seeming to be scanning the periphery of the door for something, then laser focuses on it. "Bingo. Won't be much different than cracking open a tuna can...huh?" The Fed soldiers collectively turn to the source of the voice, this strange in particular, weapons drawn on instinct, but they won't fire unless Taro gives the signal. They didn't have an Elite planted this far ahead, did they?
Wo	OUTSIDE: By the time Kuma and Shigure arrive, the lights of the facility as well as the adjacent city are joined by other, less welcome glows. Several of the conventional ships that had been docked at the facility, primarily Destroyers and cargo ships, are already aflame and beginning to billow thick, black smoke. One of the Destroyers (a type 1936A type, by any visual reference guide) even ruptures and partially explodes, as one of the Nu-class' dive bombers strikes its magazine. It is a scene out of a fleet daughter's nightmares, quite literally in some cases. With all the damage to the facility and ships, there's little left to save, but maybe they can at least put a stop to the Abyssal's mayhem. The Destroyers are hell bent on exacting their pent up rage on the surface dwellers, but the three more capital ships among their number certainly notice the approach. The Wo-class quietly turns her head in their direction, taking them in with her nearly telescopic night vision, aided by her flight of Abyssal Fighters: A Destroyer and a Light Cruiser? Two that are familiar to her, no less. "--don't - be fool-ish," she chides, even though there's no way they could hear her. Her Fighters are not designed for air to ground combat, of course, but that doesn't mean they won't exact what authority they have. The wing banks sharply, heading towards Kuma and Shigure and opening fire with their cannons, the jets screaming overhead. The Nu-class recalls the dive bombers, thankfully enough for targets like Blurr, the foul things returning to its enormous maw, before it launches a fresh wave of torpedo bombers. The Ru-class, meanwhile, has had her fill of blowing up conventional ships and buildings. She turns her enormous guns on Kuma, next; firing on her at range, but having a little difficulty with the smaller, faster ship. This doesn't stop her from droning, in a heavily reverbed voice amidst what almost sounds like radio static, "Sink... SINK..." One of Kuma's shells actually flies right towards the Abyssal Battleship, but she raises one of her huge gun batteries towards it like a shield. It seems to render some of the guns on that side inoperable, but she still has another set, which is quickly levelled for yet more return fire. The Wo-class, by virtue of the Fighters, also noticed a contact further out. One far larger than any light cruiser or destroyer. She radios ahead to a detachment that was securing the combat zone - they wouldn't be caught surprised this time. They were ready. A Ta-class Battleship, and Ri-class Heavy Cruiser - again, not the Elites anyone might have met - as well as yet more supporting Destroyers, sail to intercept and cut off Nagato before she can join the combat theater, opening with long and medium-range salvos as soon as they close within distance. The more humanoid among them echo that same refrain, "SINK..."
Shigure	Kuma lifts her arms defensively, and banks over hard to starboard, skating around the blast plumes. The shoulder cannon clanks as it reloads, swapping for Armour Piercing to tackle that battleship. It's a very uneven match, even so. "Shigure! I'm going to close to torpedo range, kuma. Keep me covered kuma!" she calls, as she kicks off faster. Shigure nods, and kicks up to full throttle as well, lifting her cannon-fa as the Fighters scream in. The twin-cannons begin firing rapidly, 25mm autocannons sending ribbons of tracer fire skyward. She holds off on the larger cannons, until she spots the incoming torpedo bombers, then fires off flak bursts into their flight path. "I'm disappointed in you guys." she muses softly.
Nagato	Nagato lifts up her arm as the shells rain down and splash down the sea water onto the Admiral and with a grunt, she lets out her stoic face once more. "Blockaded. They were waiting for this." she shakes her head and starts heading in reverse, firing off the shells from her cannons towards the group. "You want me to sink? Work for it! You will see the might of the Big Seven!"
Taro	Did they? An inside person? A sympathiser? These are not entirely out of the question. Still, Taro is skepical, even if this is not reflected in his expression. He holds up his gloved hand in a belaying gesture to those following him, then gives the presumed teenaged boy a hard look. Does he appear to belong here, or failing that, appear to be one of their faction? Then, one word, spoken in perfect British English: "Passphrase?" There isn't one of course, but let's see how he reacts. He's also not about to let this presented opportunity to go to waste. A tiny nod from him signals the cyber-elf on his left shoulder to spring from his shoulder and zip through the air toward (and hopefully through) the opened door.
Blurr	The avatar's brows go up at the request for a passphrase, and he holds up his hands in a dramatic shrug. His appearance is rather generic, so it's difficult to tell if he belongs here or looks like a Confederate or not at first glance. "Hey, this wasn't exactly planned, okay? I just saw you guys headed in and figured--hey!" he dashes in front of the elf as he tries to make a beeline for the open door, hopefully blocking the entry. He's speaking English as well but sounds more American than anything else. "You can't just go charging in like that, they've got the entire place rigged!" He's lying, of course. "But I saw them laying the charges, I know how to get through without setting any of them off."
Wo	OUTSIDE: The Wo-class carrier, even now, is holding back a bit. Sending Fighters to do a Bomber's job, for example. She still grimaces, almost as if it were her own body being shot apart by Shigure's anti-aircraft fire, even if it is only initially those strafing jet drones. Yet, could it be that she had developed a soft spot for the loyal, mild-mannered Destroyer and the lively, energetic Cruiser? Such feelings for her are impossible, of course. No matter the intention the effect is the same: The strafing doesn't really do much besides serve to harass the two. The Nu-class reacts a bit more strongly, gurgling as it wills its torpedo bombers in, their altitude declining to barely above the horizon itself. Two of five are struck before they can finish their run, but the others drop their payload, a triplet of white streaks foaming through the water. The Ru-class battleship is still intent on having her gunnery duel with Kuma. The single-minded nature of an Abyssal unfortunately doesn't have her doing much else besides making use of her raw firepower, especially since there are no enemy aircraft to worry about. Her expression does not change a fraction as her cold, lifeless eyes remain fixed on Kuma, apparently not sharing anything like the Wo-class' nostalgia. She only sees a target that needs to be sunk. "SINK," she says, yet again, broken record style. Her voice is forceful, demanding, yet not quite a shout. With all of this going on, in the background, the Wa-class ships from earlier actually advance towards the docks behind the Abyssal's lines. They fire out tow cables and begin the process of hauling away some of the still-smouldering wreckage, since it's there for the taking. The Destroyers finally cease the heaviest part of their bombardment, moving to support and guard the transports that are serving as tugs.
Sanary Rondel	There's a look of mild relief on Sanary's face as some of the soldiers appear to be taking her seriously at first, although that doesn't last long once the veteran pipes up. "It's called armor and magic! Look it up." As she ducks behind cover again to avoid taking more unnecessary wounds, however, she does start to think a bit more. Do these people even have internet access? They're not Elites, so it could be a significant barrier if their technology is even worse than what she had back home. "Seriously... Ech. Well, we gave 'em the chance." She sighs and and flashes the Confederate trooper a brief grin before re-emerging from cover with her shield raised in front of her to cover her less armored bits while plugging away with those lightning shells once again and trying to advance slowly in an attempt to draw even more of the fire to herself rather than the troopers themselves. Commander she isn't, but unnecessary casualties just mean more healing duty for her later! Those hesitating troops aren't getting shot at by her, at least. Unless they shoot at her, anyway.
Wo	INSIDE: No, definitely no internet. Certainly, though, they had encylopedias. Regardless, they don't seem to be interested in negotiating, anyway, and a fire fight ensues. For the most part, it goes about how one might expect a fight to go, between a few, poorly trained security guards and one non-Elite Veteran, against an Elite and some decently drilled troops. That is, not well for the former. The lightning shots are completely out of their capability to deal with, even if they were using more modern firearms and equipment, several being taken out despite their use of cover in the standoff. They put up as decent a fight as they can, mostly by following the orders of the disciplined Vet, and two of the Fed troops even take non-vital hits - but with those soldiers also plugging away in support of Sanary, the outcome becomes obvious. The Vet eventually hollers over the gun and axe-fire, the former of which rapidly begins slowing on both sides, "Alright. ALRIGHT. There's no more need for this! No more young people will die today." He stands up and drops his weapon, and the other soldiers soon follow suit, their heads bowed in humility. The Fed troops might be snarky, but they're also human. They give the surrendering troops some harsh words, but let them off with that much, after they gather up their rifles. That leaves only the blast doors, which one of the Confederate soldiers places a blast charge on. It might be thick steel, but like that would stand in the way of what they have on offer in the multiverse. The charge less explodes than fires some kind of acrid substance, which begins eating away at the steel plate, the remains of the door crumbling from whatever had infiltrated its previously rigid crystal matrix. The interior way to the submarines is open, and the soldiers begin pouring through to begin securing their catch of fish. The soldiers that are with Taro trust this sudden newcomer about as far as they could throw a Gundam. While the upheld hand causes them to unready their weapon, they still don't seem to want to bother with any pleasantries, and they begin making their way towards the apparently opened door. They don't outright begin trying to move through it, just yet, though. Their Elite is still handling the negotiations here, such as they are. Ah, the old 'Passphrase' gag... "We'll just defuse the bombs, then," one of the demolitions experts in their number says, and despite the visor you can just practically see the roll of the eyes behind it.
Taro	If Blurr can sense such things through his holoemitter, the cyber-elf feels fuzzy in a static charge sort of way when it smacks against the young man's forehead. 'Ow...' it warbles in complaint. The answer, paired with the reaction given to his cyber-elf's attempted entrance (how would such a small creature set off charges?), only adds to his skepticism. And, as much as he enjoys playing such games, this opeation allows no time for them. "Then we will take care of them," he states. A sidelong glance at their infiltration expert, followed by a nod to signal her and the others to continue on. To their 'helpful' young man, in a coldly rational tone, "You have two choices. Prisoner, or corpse."
Blurr	Blurr watches as the enemy starts taking off with...burning wreckage. And not only burning wreckage, but burning wreckage of -archaic- technology. Seriously? Like, -seriously-. Did they just want an excuse to beat up on people who couldn't put up a real fight? Pshh. Then, the defending humans who had been trying to keep the Feds back from the submarines retreat, emptying the area of friendlies. And since Taro isn't falling for his deception, he gives up on that front and decides to quit with the charades. "Okay, that does it. No more games!" Abruptly, the avatar disappears, and the blue hover speeder outside the building that the Feds had apparently not paid much mind to suddenly flips outward and upward, standing up into his full form and wasting no time in leveling his weapons at the submarines and anyone near to it. If he can't stop them from stealing the machines, then he'll make sure all that's left of them to take home are burning scraps!
Sanary Rondel	By the time the fighting is over, Sanary's taken a few more hits of her own from all the gunfire. Nothing serious, and the shield helps quite a bit to limit the damage to herself even further, but there's still some bruising even from where those bullets had impacted against the armor. "Should've listened earlier." Letting out an irritated sigh, the axe cleric walks right up to the veteran and levels a dull one-eyed stare at him (possibly even with the height difference), then gives him a quick flick on the forehead. And with that, she gets to work on using the healing magic on the survivors, Confederate and local guard alike. "Alright, guys! Remember: Take what we can, destroy the rest. The subs, any weird tech, other... Stuff. Just make sure everyone's out before you blow the place, eh?" Not like she really recognizes most of what she's looking at in this place. Thankfully, there's the troopers to handle that part! That'll make it easier for Sanary to focus on the medical work and getting the other injured out of there.
Wo	INSIDE, AND SORTA INSIDE: Taro doesn't have to tell the troops twice. They're ready to finish their side of this and collect their combat pay. They once again level their weapons threatening at the hologram, then give some confused grunts as the illusion is dispelled, to be replaced by a piece of technology they had been ignoring. Hey, most of them don't even come from versions of Earth, not like they should be expected to know what should be hanging around early 20th century Germany! "What the hell!?" As the gigantic machine levels his weapons, a few of them grab onto nearby railings and such to brace themselves, though to their credit they don't immediately drop their weapons, instead pivoting them to the new threat. Regardless of how ineffective they might be against a large robot, they're here to finish this mission, damn it! A few others begin moving inside through that door from before, figuring that the thick concrete that he has targetted is ironically safer than remaining in the open. The troops with Sanary remain blissfully unaware that they're under the gun, for the moment, and begin looting the place of anything that seems in any way useful. "Yes, ma'm," they respond in unison, while some of the others round up and secure the prisoners, taking them off to other wings of the complex. They're not exactly tech experts, and like their comrades outside, especially when it comes to 20th century Earth stuff, but there's certainly a few shiny baubles and crates to begin loading into the vintage submarines. Those machines sit, pristine and looking practically unused, in the shallower waters of the submarine pen's interior. One crew has already entered one and has fired up the diesel engines, which can be heard rumbling even from the immediate exterior, now. "Nice of them to even keep them fueled up for us," the engineer calls, then overhears something on his comm, as the troops from the other group file in, in a bit more of a hurry. "...what, some kind of giant robot is going to shoot the place!? Damn it, hurry!" The Vet that Sanary had flicked doesn't have much of a reaction to that, but as he's hauled away from the area, he does give a glance over to the submarine pen and the new occupants of it. He has to have one last laugh, "Hah! Serves you right! I hope you all get trapped in a cave in with all those damn submarines!" They'd already cost so many lives today, it's only just that they take them with them. The Confederate soldiers are still professionals, so they hasten their work, firing up three more of the submarines, while other soldiers begin shooting up the place. Not that they put in too much effort - if that report is right, the place will be toast anyway, soon enough.
Taro	Taro gives an irritated glare at the spot there the young man once stood. A deception, with the intent to delay. He can respect that, but that does not make him any less irritated at it. He then pivots towards Blurr as the Autobot reveals himself. Like many of the others, he is not from any iteration of Earth (and in spite of his Master's best intentions, he's still fuzzy on its history), and so the anachronism was missed. He too gets a hard glare, and while he'd rather vent some of that irritation at his fellow machine...no, discretion. His mission is to get the submarines underway. Thus, with a sneer, he turns and dashes for the door that the avatar had so nicely opened for them, and motions for those following him that haven't yet already entered to hurry up. Once inside, he breaks into as full a run as the catwalks and corridors will allow.
Sanary Rondel	Spotting the new batch of troops filing in, there's an extra sense of relief from Sanary as the good news starts coming in. Or at least until the bad news starts coming in about the building coming down. "Ah... Balls. Okay, let's get what we can into the subs. Keep your heads covered!" With nobody else to focus on healing, the healer starts following the other troopers' lead to get whatever they can into those functional submarines, then just firing heat beams at whatever they're shooting at. "Let's not stay here too long. No point sticking around if this place collapses on top of us." She grimaces at the sounds of explosions rocking the outside of the building, firing off one more blast at what she can only hope the troopers know won't get them all buried before climbing into an active submarine and waiting for the exit!
Blurr	Blurr continues his assault against the building, repeatedly blasting it with high-energy photons from all sides in rapid succession. His movements are incredibly fast, especially for someone of that size. The entire place is shaking violently, the roof threatening to cave in and crush whoever is inside. Bits of concrete debris from the ceiling and walls start to fall from above. They really better hurry, if they want to beat the fastest Cybertronian alive! Hopefully that poor veteran is still around to at least watch. Once the building is as smashed as it can be, the Autobot transforms again, folding back down into his vehicle form. If they aren't rushing out of the exits on foot, that can only mean one thing--they're trying to escape in the submarines. Thus, he suddenly abandons the bombardment of the building and speeds off toward the water, his supersonic velocity allowing him to skim over the surface without sinking. Then round and round he goes in a giant 400-meter diameter circle, causing the water to twist into a massive whirlpool that immediately starts sucking anything not clamped down hard into it to be dashed to pieces against the rocks at the sea floor. Loose pieces of the damaged building are the first to go, and it doesn't look like these ancient submarines will be able to come out of that unscathed!
Wo	INSIDE: Oh, the Vet is! He's not exactly in the area that is about to collapse, but he's still close enough to have a good laugh at the Confederate invaders' expense, especially as a large chunk of the roof starts to give way, and crashes into one of the submarines before it even has a chance to take on passengers. He asides to one of the Confederate soldiers that is just kind of staring at this from the end of the corridor, "Didn't know you multiverse people had this much fun. Might have to consider signing up for some of it, myself." And so, despite all odds, through the power of explosions, the grizzled old military veteran finds a new motivation, and new places to explore. Eventually, though, a not-so-subtle nudge is given to keep walking even further into the complex, AWAY from what is currently exploding and collapsing. These soldiers don't want to be anywhere close, either! Meanwhile, at the submarines, the engineers are doing their best to get the last of everything in order, and their people loaded. Unfortunately, one of the already fully loaded submarines is directly under a shard of concrete that groans and twists under the weight and force being exerted on the outside. The men aboard try to scramble out ahead of it, but only a few make it. The ship, half-crushed, sinks to the bottom of the submarine pen, with a few of the Confederate soldiers aboard. They can be heard banging on the sides of it, but there's little that can be done for them right now. They knew the danger. This partially obstructs the path for the others, but they finally lurch forward, ideally with Taro and Sanary aboard, moving towards the exit, as the submarine pen collapses around them, water splashing as yet more fragments of the ceiling plummet. A gas line also gets jarred loose, ignited with sparks, causing an internal explosion. In all, six submarines manage to escape, with two sunk with Confederate hands still aboard, and the others too damaged to mess with. The lead submarine, not having time to bother with activating the pen's door, fires a torpedo ahead at it instead, blasting a thankfully submarine-sized hole in it. Thank goodness for action movie physics. "Let's get out of here," an engineer calls! However, once the lead sub is outside, they're not quite out of the woods, yet. Or, sea. Whatever. The strange current in the ocean rocks and wheels the submarine, as it begins to get swept up, "W-what!?" It's surprisingly hard to get a fix on what is happening inside a glorified tin can, but considering the listing and momentum, they're soon to figure it out, "A whirlpool!?" They holler back to the other submarines as the current completely overwhelms their turbine's grunting protests, "Gah, there's a freakish whirlpool! Is it that robot!? GO AROUND." The lead submarine, with more Confederates aboard of course, can fight the current no longer. It gets dragged beneath, fracturing on the sea floor and flooding. Three down... The Abyssal destroyers nearby have been alerted to the submarines leaving, and it's their job to help cover it. The gigantic current is something they don't understand, but they do understand when it smashes their allies. A half dozen turn from covering the last of the transports hauling away salvage, levelling their 5-inch cannons at the - well - BLUR of a thing that is, apparently, creating the strange current. Several rounds are incoming, it's hopefully enough to buy time for the other submarines that come out, one by one, and do their best to skirt around the enormous whirlpool. As the immortal phrase goes: Hold on to your butts!
Taro	The tactic of resource denial is in fact being exercised tonight - it just isn't by their side. Taro grabs the guardrail to avoid bouncing off the wall as he rounds the last corner as he and the team following him reach one of the remaining submarines. "In!" he calls, not that he expects them to need to be told, and moves in that direction himself. His pair of cyber-elves zip ahead of him to drop into the open entry hatch, to find the control room. Just as he's about to cross over himself, a falling chunk of concrete and rebar clips his head and catches his left shoulder, sending the android reeling. He falls between dock and submarine with a splash, and he sinks as quickly as the concrete that struck him. Three seconds later, one thoroughly drenched and deeply scowling android reappears in a flash of a teleport (possibly to the surprise of the others), and without a word drops into the entry hatch without even bothering with the ladder. His eyes take on a pained cast that has nothing to do with his injuries as he surveys the craft. But he does not complain. This is why they're here, after all, and in frank honesty, so long as it moves, right now that's all that matters. The engine room is unfamiliar, but there's enough here for him to understand how to make it operate, and without voicing any grumbling, he sets to work getting the engines started and trusting the others to take it from there. It is a horrible, terrible ride, and he'll end up with the scalds to prove it by the time they're done, but so long as they survive long enough to reach the open sea...
Blurr	Blurr is moving so fast that he is quite literally making good on his namesake. He isn't called 'Blurr' for no reason, that's for sure! He's turned into a streak of blue and white on the perimeter of the whirlpool. Its massive size makes getting around it rather difficult, and anyone trying to skirt around the edges will feel the pull of the current threatening to suck them down. It will be difficult if not impossible for the rest of the fleet to get a lock on the speeding Autobot, however, since he's confined himself to a particular area, blanket fire is much more effective. Some of the shells take chunks out of his armor, causing him to falter somewhat. Thus, the current weakens, hopefully allowing at least the sub with Sanary and Taro on it to make it out alive if perhaps a bit battered.
Sanary Rondel	Until today, Sanary thought flying was the worst method of transportation. The sense of weight suspended hundreds of feet in the air, knowing whatever she was on could plummet to the ground at amoment's notice. Being at sea wasn't even that bad in comparison aside from the rocking of the boats, mostly because she at least knew that the sea itself would keep her from just falling to her death. And then there was the submarine. Oh, how little she knew! Even the fear of death that struck her every time she went flying on anything was nothing compared to this. At least flight just made her laugh uncontrollably in some sort of subconscious effort to appear calm. This... This truly was hell. She couldn't even pretend to laugh in the submarine, being too distracted by trying to keep her stomach from emptying itself several times over and failing completely in doing that. She'll have to apologize to everyone else in there with her later.
Wo	SUBMARINES: "Oh shit," one of the pilots so eloquently puts it, not quite panic in his voice so much as acknowledging how deep they're in it. They've confirmed the current as well as Blurr's activity with the relatively primitive sonar aboard. "How are we supposed to 'GO AROUND' that?" The remaining submarine's turbines are already fighting against the current as best they can, the diesel engines groaning under the extra load and the frames, while still sound, can be heard to emit a worrisome creaking for any passengers. One of the engineers over the local comms suddenly says, "Well, it's just water currents right? Hold on, this is going to sound crazy. Throw the turbines full speed into the direction of the current." There's a brief radio silence, and it is very brief considering there's precious moments ticking away, but pointed one. "Well, alright. I guess it's a bit like surfing then. Not much to lose!" One of the soldiers aboard stares a bit at Sanary, his own hands clutching an overhead handle to avoid being tossed around in what would likely be a shaky ride even without the added concern of a whirlpool up ahead. For what it's worth, it's nothing none of them haven't seen before - in fact that likely mirrors some of their first times aboard a naval vessel. "Heh, first time huh?" His voice sounds cool even despite the situation they're in. These are professionals, after all. "Just put your head between your legs while we ride it out. It's probably going to get even bumpier in a few moments, hearing these crazy people." With Taro's assistance, the engineers aboard all the submarines get to work on their plan. It helps that the Abyssal destroyers have apparently helped slow down the current, but it's still about to get absolutely hair-raising. Instead of fighting the current and being sucked in, they all seem to speed up as the diesel engines could be heard to fire up in response of the full throttle. They plow straight into the edge of the whirlpool. They briefly lapse with the lowered current, and then the added speed along with that of the water beneath sends one, two, three and a fourth submarine whirling around, and then finally dispensed unceremoniously from the 'lip' of the vortex. The fifth, sadly already damaged, can't quite get enough juice. Even with the weakened whirlpool, it gets pulled under. Thankfully none of our own heroes are aboard, though the professionalism breaks as the soldiers on it give their final yells, before their radio falls silent. "Damn," the guy that had tried to help Sanary mutters. All the more important to hold on, though. It's not like the submarines got out of this quite that easily. The momentum actually had tossed them into the air, briefly, and when they crash back down it rattles their hulls. They stay intact, but when they finally get clear enough to perform a dive, even some of the old pros might have to change their underwear. "We..we made it!?" "Let's not find out if that robot has an underwater mode, too. Geesh!" The Abyssal destroyers are all too happy to continue their assault on Blurr, if given the chance. But after a few more moments and confirmed radio contacts, Wo holds up a hand. Moments after, they cease fire, and begin moving to flank around her. She gives a glance toward the burning wreckage and smashed buildings that remain, closes her eyes, and actually gives a somewhat weary sigh. Not that anyone is around to hear it. Mission basically accomplished, this place won't be making or repairing any war vessels for quite some time after today. With that, she turns to submerge, herself, and the remaining Abyssal vessels follow her lead.
Blurr	Hmph, Blurr is a bit disappointed when he isn't able to sink -all- of the subs single-handedly, though quite a few of them did go down and only four survived. He stops running, transforming back to his biped form near the shore. As the Abyssals retreat, he continues to fire upon their rear flank until they are out of range. Can't let them leave without a proper send off, now can he? "Ha! That'll teach them to mess with the Union." Turning his attention to the smoking wreckage of the human's shipyard though, he considers getting these people some better technology to rebuild with. Who needed those archaic weapons, anyway?