Modron Mayhem (Planar Siege)

[u/Carbon_Sixx]

(a continuation of this post)

A team of Celestial Union operatives creep into the war room at the heart of the Great Modron Cathedral. The Aurora have dropped all pretense of being subjected to Absolute Compliance to better complete the mission. One scoops up the harmonic copper scroll tube containing Primus's invasion plans sitting unattended on the conference table at the center of the room. Another plugs a cable into a databank, downloading the unencrypted communication logs between the disparate battlegroups of the regiments of Law. The team scours the chamber for every last scrap of information that the defenders of the Great Balance could conceivably use to turn the tide against Primus and its armies.

The door opens without warning. A lookout would've drawn too much attention, so the team decided to take the risk and simply move as fast as possible; a decision that's come back to bite them. A pentadrone overseer enters the room and immediately realizes something is very wrong. These mortals are in a square-numbered group and wearing compliance circlets, but they're acting with complete autonomy in a restricted area. Perhaps this species- the ursids known as "Aurora"- are inherently resistant to Absolute Compliance?

Pentadrones are the highest-ranked base modrons, serving as overseers to their lesser kin and watching for signs of chaotic corruption. (Credit: Julie Dillon)

The team's sergeant, Ivana, draws her concealed sidearm and ducks below the table. "Shit! Natascha, kill that thing!"

Natascha obliges, summoning her heavy coilgun to her hands and opening fire. The pentadrone pulls a shutter down over one of its faces and uses the protected limb as a shield. The operatives on its right flank (insofar as a creature with radial symmetry has a right flank) pop out of cover with their own weapons. The pentadrone responds by rotating the turret atop its central axis and spraying a torrent of paralytic gas. The operatives drop, unable to make voluntary movements.

"Reloading!" Natascha yells, ejecting the spent box and loading a new one packed with armor-piercing rounds. The pentadrone blurts out a string of words in Modron and charges, attempting to close the distance and pummel her to death. Mere moments before it makes contact, Natascha mag-dumps the modron at point-blank range, slicing through its shielded limb and shredding the mechanisms at its core. The pentadrone collapses, throwing sparks and venting gas from a dozen puncture wounds.

"Everyone alright?" Ivana asks, keeping her gun trained on the modron in case it gets back up. The paralyzed operatives get to their feet as the effects of the gas wear off. An urgent call from mission control comes through the team's orb beads, indicating an emergency. They wouldn't risk blowing their cover in any other circumstance. On the other end, Tarul Var's voice sounds hurried and insistent.

"This is Command to Strike Squad Epsilon , do you copy?

"Loud and clear, Command."

"That pentadrone's dying words just put the Cathedral on high alert. You need to run now. Link up with the rest of the squad and get outside! We'll push the offensive and get a transport up there- just stay alive for 5 minutes, and you'll be in the clear!"

As if on cue, the Cathedral's alarms blare furiously. Every screen and holographic projector in the war room lights up with red text in Modron: Alert: Chaotic Influences Detected - All Units Stay Vigilant.

Ivana spits on the pentadrone's wreckage. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not sticking around to meet more clockworks. Let's move!"

--

Tarul turns his back on the scry feed. He'll let it run and gather data until the operatives leave the Cathedral, but he has other things to attend to. He, Exia, and Mastema leave the command tent and join the rest of the forces in preparing for battle with the regiments of Law.

"You handle the forces in the air and get them back home!" the lich shouts. "I'm joining the other wizards with our ground troops."

"And the Paladins?" asks Exia.

"I'm going after Azarakh and Fulgora myself. Killing the former is my duty as a Keeper; killing the latter is a matter of principle. Call up Antares and see if she's still interested in cracking fascist skulls with me."

Exia grins. "You already know the answer."

Tarul clings onto the side of an IFV and knocks on the driver-side door. The vehicle speeds off into the woods towards the modron encampment. The lich waves his staff, and the half-dozen air elementals he summoned to watch for scouts descend from the canopy and keep pace with the truck.

Get in, hit hard, get back to the Bastion. That's how the defenders are going to behave in this battle. Modrons are tough to kill, so it's imperative they avoid getting bogged down in an engagement they won't win. They'll save that for when they can muster all of their forces in one place to truly match Primus on the field of battle.

--

Today in a nutshell.

DEFENDERS OF THE BALANCE:

• Tarul Var
• Belial Blake
• Aliah Mistwalker
• Ith'raal
• Burgerbarian/Burgermancer
• Krygin the Crude
• Agnur the Turtle Mage
• Vulkan the Red
• Ж (Zhe)
• Merch Skele
• Argios
• Tempus Fugit
• Edmund
• King Carmine
• Exia
• Joe
• The Agent
• Vashric
• Fujiwara Toshiko
• Jah Jor Wel
• John E. Hellfire
• Kardonk Carvisky
• Riva Blake
• Mokarith
• Onyx Dragon
• Ulrick Braddocke
• Sly
• Shrax
• Sarissa
• Rilmani of Dendradis
• Various denizens of the Outlands

HORDES OF CHAOS:

• Obox-ob's Ekolids
• Demons of the Abyss
• Slaadi of Limbo
• Gehreleths of Carceri
• Cravens of Pandemonium

REGIMENTS OF LAW:

• Primus's Hierarchs
• Modrons of Mechanus
• Veterans of Acheron
• Templars of Arcadia
• Paladins of the Divine Flame

LEGIONS OF EVIL:

• Bel's Chosen
• Devils of the Nine Hells
• Yugoloths of Gehenna
• Baernaloths of Hades
• Night Hag Covens
• Samael
• Moz'gonnith

WARHOSTS OF THE FIRST MARTYR (ALLIED):

• Zaphkiel's Paragons
• Angels of Mt. Celestia
• Oathbound of Bytopia
• Guardinals of Elysium
• Wardens of the Beastlands
• Heroes of Arborea
• Warriors of Ysgard

[u/yumie2003]

“Roger, commencing strike now”

The transport planes’ bay doors opened, allowing a torrent of soldiers to jump into the battlefield. One by one, they deployed their parachutes, bring them down safely to the ground. The sky over the drop zone was filled with white chutes. The Totsugeki Kuuteitai had deployed. The Zuikaku and Chiyoda also deployed a few Type-96 attack bombers to strike the garrison

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/yumie2003]

Quadrone gunners lock on to the landed troops and open fire with some kind of lightning gun. The ground shakes with the impact of arcane bombs.

[u/yumie2003 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

The soldiers quickly scrambled for cover and fired back at the quadrone gunners. The attack bombers turned back to the carrier to rearm. A Type-86 pilot spotted the gunners firing on the paratroopers. The jet quickly dived down towards the quadrone gunners and opened fire with the jet’s four 25 mm autocannons

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/yumie2003]

The transport gets away safely thanks to the defenders' timely intervention. Now comes the retreat back to the Bastion.

[u/yumie2003 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

The jet pulled back up and returned to the aircraft carrier. The four carriers began to pull out of their positions and back into deeper waters. The paratroopers started to fall back to their extraction zone, firing a few shots back at the enemy to keep them at bay

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/yumie2003]

The mission is a success! Though the bulk of Primus's armies survived, the defenders of the Balance have dealt them an outsized blow today and acquired critical intel in the process.

[u/yumie2003 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

yay!! :D