knightsoflegend | briefing ♔ i will never know myself until i do this on my own

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briefing ♔ i will never know myself until i do this on my own

This is War- 30 Seconds to Mars

WHO || Wynn, Jack, Hasmed, Lis'sa, Dovan, Solace, Koraith, Christos, Tia, Nessa, Grant, Buffy, Myri, Finnick, Spike, Gar, Archer, Des, Fred Jr., Dumage, Mark, Alainn, Zero, Colin, Lan, Eric, Val'drin, Risa, Anastacia, Faith O., Max R., Belle, Kadir, Edain, Sydney, Zatanna, Aurelius, Jaina, Erky, Davin, Riddick, Jordan, Henry, Leia, Willow, Kate, Allison, Francesca, Bo, Han, Aedan, Rocket, Drax, Nathan, Maxwell, Sam, Faith L., Cora, Dimitri, Alanna, Jaime, Klaus, Gus, Andrew, Stiles, Lydia, Gold, Jackson, Adam, Miles, Penelope, David, Derek, Andie, Kali, Cara, Nels, Taradiddle, Abigail, Astrid, Bambi, Frankie, Rose, Helen, Alaric, Alice, Lissa, Alex, Emma F., Cordelia, Zoe, Sebastian, Malina, Alcide, Phineas, Fiona, Arthur, Faye, Mars, Kate, Lila, Jameson, Felicity, Thoster, Adi, Brantley, Hook, Emma, Eleven, Alisha, Will, Dean, Grimrot [Closed]
WHAT || Andres War Briefing
WHERE || Knights HQ, Round Table Room
WHEN || September 19th [forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, please call dibs in the dibs plurk!

On the eve of battle, an impressive array of Knights gathers in the Round Table room of the castle. The usually cavernous room seems tightly packed with this many bodies, and places at the Table are reserved for Wynn, the Section Heads, all those who have had any hand in the Talisman mission, including New York, and Christos, but who's going to argue with him, really. The air buzzes with a mixture of impending dread and on some fronts, excitement. It's hard to deny that there are those in the room who have wanted to make a move on Andres for years.

Wynn waits for the appointed hour, before nodding for the doors to be sealed and calling the meeting to order.

"Before we begin, I'd like to thank each and every one of you, many who have traveled an extensive distance at a moment's notice to join us here today. I understand that many of you have little idea what you have agreed to, but I hope that before the end of this meeting, you will come to understand what we are doing, and why it must be done.

Andres' Isle has been held under the sway of the man who calls himself their "Prime Minister" for nearly a decade. In these ten years, he has turned what was once an idyllic country steeped in tradition into a tightly controlled fascist nation disguised as representative of its people.

Andres is far from the only country to fall to such a fate over the course of history, and it has never been the prerogative of this Knighthood to enforce our own personal vision of some sort of world order onto any nation. We are protectors of justice, and our enemy has always been both that which comes from the darkest depths of Shadow, and intolerance and prejudice that stems from this world.

But Dimitris Sarandis has proven to be an exception, an embodiment of all the ideals we stand against, who has aspired to systematize the kind of violence and hatred that threatens the welfare of countless innocents under his rule. He has used his position to exploit Shadowkind on the island to the point of conducting torturous experiments on them, designed to help him accomplish his goal of forcibly enslaving non-humans, so that they may serve what he sees as the superior race of homo sapiens.

As if this were not enough, Dimitris knows of our existence, and wishes to tear down our organization, understanding that we pose a threat to all he seeks to accomplish. To this end, he has conspired against us, kidnapped members of our organization and subjected them to brutal and vile torture, and attempted to blackmail us through detaining Sir Thomas Bancroft and now Sir Samcelot, into complying with his whims - to leave his regime alone entirely, to turn over our most ancient, powerful artifact, and for me to submit to death at his hand.

Killing Dimitris alone will not stop the system he has created, and will not help free the people of Andres. Most citizens of the country remain innocent, terrified into compliance, or completely ignorant of what Sarandis does behind closed doors. These people deserve our help, and the only way to do so is to show them the evil that lurks at the heart of their government, gain their support in uprooting that evil, and assist them in stabilizing their country thereafter.

To do this, we will need to go beyond the usual parameters of our missions, with a militant, strategic push into the island designed to seize the castle, and take down Sarandis' rule." He pauses there, letting that sink in. "What I will not stand for is a callous attitude towards the innocents who we seek to protect on the Island, during this insurgency. Their safety will be paramount to our operation, and as such, speed is important to what we will be accomplishing. Dimitris expects retaliation, but he also underestimates our tactics. As such, rather than attacking the castle with an army, you will be deployed about the Island in a number of small teams, each with an objective that will help us cut off Dimitris from contact with his supporters, secure Sir Bancroft and Sir Samcelot's safety, free those who are imprisoned, and confront Sarandis, taking the castle in the process.

Details of these individual operations not withstanding, I imagine there are some questions. I open the floor to you to speak."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[astrid's all like "OH COOL WE'RE LIKE EMTS :D " but doesn't say that out loud bc unlike nathan young, she actually ... learned to keep her inside thoughts inside at some point in her life. really fucking recently, but still.

will looks back at abigail, but his expression doesn't really give anything away because he's okay with her placement. less time he has to spend being concerned about her tbh.

speaking of nathan and his inability to keep his thoughts inside...]

All you ladies better hope he doesn't leak your naked pics.

I had to step in and fix a flaw in the kid's system once already. Gave me a good chance to get a look at the guts of the thing. Everything's been recoded while you were all sleeping last night, and her frequency's been locked out, replaced with a loop of old recordings. Dimitris can listen to people go on about Candy Crush or whatever all day if that's what floats his boat. But he won't get any of our communications.

[ wynn nods ] As for Sir Lincoln's question, that's why we have Sir Banks and company seeking to shut down any such alliances as soon as possible. Communications on the rest of the island will be down as well, for as long as we dictate.

So... [Stiles has been quiet through most of this, which is a feat in itself, but he slips in during a break in conversation to clear his throat.]

What are out chances here, really? Not that I'm not all for this. I mean... I'm here. But I just want to lay it out.

[He's a squishy baby squire with a soft marshmallow center okay.]

[hahahaha.

i feel like this is the moment where drax and rocket have to share a meaningful look~. HAHAHAHA REMEMBER THAT TIME WE WENT UP AGAINST A VERY POWERFUL RACIST ZEALOT WITH THE ODDS STACKED AGAINST US AND WE WERE SURE WE WERE ALL GONNA DIE AND ALMOST DID???

HAHAHAHAHA

/cries deeply.]

Having lost Knights before to villainous despots, I will not downplay the potential danger of what we seek to do here, lest our overconfidence make us lose all caution in how we proceed.

But without exaggeration, I can say that if I were to entrust the task to anyone to accomplish in this world or any other, I would always feel safe in placing it in your hands.

I believe fully that we will succeed. That we will return here with triumph in our hearts, leaving Andres a better place than we found it.

[ For as quiet as she's been she's a bit wtf about how people seem to think this shit will work? ]

Sorry but what if this all fucks up, yeah? I mean that's a lot of people doing a lot of shit that you expect to go right. What happens when it all starts going wrong. Because that nice little plan of yours might be worth fuck all.

[It's possibly because he's naturally offended by literally anything that calls his intelligence (even indirectly) into question or possibly because he is putting a hell of a lot of faith in a hundred people he doesn't know. Or maybe he's just cocky because twelve percent of a plan and some improvisation killed Ronan the Accuser at the height of an infinity stone bloodrage and if a bunch of roughnecks can do that a freakin' army can do just about anything.]

'Cause I would hope that you know what you're doin' enough not to fuck up. [Because note that he mockingly... says that the way Alisha just did. I'm so sorry.] If a plan don't go the way he thinks, you make a new plan and keep doin' that until it actually goes right.

[Or you die a bloody, violent death. But the dice say he has more tact than to say that out loud.] The chances of this playin' out all neat and orderly like this are freakin' slim.

[Han rolls his eyes glancing over at whoever's next to him. Probably Leia or Jaina.]

Kids. What, do you think it'd be better to charge in without anything?

[Clearly not someone who has ever been in a real fight.]

Things change. Least we'll all be going in with a goal.

That'd be a solid "no" on back-up plans. [ Kate deadpans from nearby. She's still pretty unimpressed with all of this, particularly the responses that questions keep getting. ] How dare you have doubts about this really sudden and extremely complex plan, Alisha. Don't you know adults made it?

[David holds up a hand before this turns into a whole other tirade like it did with whether or not Mark should be king. He leans forward from his seat at the table, before speaking, his voice is calm, probably because he's done stuff like this before - which he has (diplomacy 18).]

With regards to back up plans on the ground - we haven't even seen the actual plans yet. This is what we need to happen and who's going to do it. The specific hows and whens are probably going to go to the mission leaders. This isn't to say that we're not going to have to be flexible and things might not go according to plan, but right now, we don't have to see the back up plans. This is just what needs to be done, and the back up plans are going to come later, when we're meeting with our individual groups. It's not going to be as easy as walking in and doing what we need to do. We know that. Wynn knows that.

[He takes a breath.]

I'm not saying things won't go wrong. They probably will. War isn't easy, and a coordinated strike like this has a lot of moving pieces. But it's also not impossible either. I've done more with less. The important thing is keeping a cool head and doing the best you can to get the job done.

[Oh, look, he is good with words. Who knew?]

[ Wow, an actual answer that isn't just dismissive condescension. Kate spreads her hands and looks around at the others like how hard was that?

To David she nods, even smiles just a little. ] Makes sense.

[Pretty hard apparently because Han's still not done being an ass. He leans forward to get a look at Kate.]

If the kids have any specific doubts and problems they'd like to point out now, the adults are happy to listen.

Okay, seriously? [ lila speaks up from her spot next to faye again looking positively charbroiled done. ] We've already established everyone in this room has the right to speak. Some of the people here have never been on a mission before, they don't know how it works. Would you rather she not say anything and go into this without understanding what's going on? She asked a question that had a simple answer only one person saw fit to reply with that had any semblance of an actual answer behind it, free of disparagement. She was asking for clarification, not denigration for having the balls to speak up in this place where people have already been chastised for daring to voice an opinion. "Thou shalt be generous, and listen to and respect All." [ her hand gestures to the inscription above the door. ] Everyone here is part of the same team, regardless of age or station or gender. Isn't it better if all of the concerns are out in the open before we get to Andres? If we can't trust each other to not be entirely dismissive of valid questions, how are we supposed to trust each other in the field? [ diplomacy 45. ayup. everyone shut your damn mouths if you're going to be twats about it. ]

Edited 2014-09-13 14:46 (UTC)

[ Alisha knew she liked Lila when she met her, and now she's sure of it. She looks over towards her and gives an almost smile, though she's still feeling way over her head here. ]

Thanks.

[ And it bolsters her enough for a general glare to so called 'adults' acting like children. ]

I'm not a kid. So don't be a dick.

[From elsewhere in the room, Helen clears her throat.]

Lila's right. The task we are undertaking here today is not one to be taken lightly. It's important that we remember that each person here is an ally, each talent brought in to compliment the next. And I would personally like to thank any and all squires who have volunteered for such a terrifying and daunting mission- especially if it is your first. Some of you are young, yes, but that makes your voice no less valuable. That makes your life no less valuable. And I commend your bravery in the face of such evil and injustice.

[She isn't going to take time to scold the so called adults in the room for their behavior, but it's certainly lingering there, under the surface.]

[ Like Alisha, Kate's reaction is bascially I knew I liked her when Lila speaks up. She'd offer a high-five but they're too far apart and Lila doesn't really seem the type. So she gets an appreciative curl of a smile shot her way instead.

She's not above tipping her head to the side and staring back at Han, but the how you like them apples? remains unspoken. Her expression turns less smugly combative when she looks to Helen, watching the woman with mild (and approving) curiosity for a moment before settling back into something more neutral and serious. ]

[ yay more disagreements, she doesn't care. she just waits patiently until everyone seems to be done before her quiet voice pipes up. wynn's comments seemed kind of finale, all go fight win, let's get down to business. (to defeat the huns.) except... ]

You haven't called everyone's name. [ like will, she means will. he hasn't called will's name. ] Are there more groups? [ it's not really a let's get back on track sort of leading question, she's just genuinely curious because everyone she cares about (which is admittedly a tiny amount of people) have been assigned -- with the exception of will. ]

[Yep, Will isn't the only one Wynn hasn't called. Malina is sitting over here, drumming her fingers against her side as she waits semi-patiently (which is not patiently at all) for her name to be called.

It hasn't been yet.

Come on already.]

Yes, please. Continue.

[It's impressive that she didn't yell, really, because she really, really wanted to, and Gus next to her can probably tell (will save 10).]

[ unlike mark, wynn isn't going to try to break in on the conversation several times. he's going to just sit there and wait patiently for y'all to realize that HE WASN'T DONE YET while you're all busy leaping to conclusions about his plan... right in front of him.

oh hi girls. :) there we go.

he will gracefully resume the floor with ease to say: ] There will certainly be room to discuss concerns after all assignments have been given.

Some of you, however, seem to be laboring under the misconception that this plan of action was haphazardly constructed as a reactionary measure to events in recent days. I'd like to assure you that prior to their capture, both our Dragon's Claws had spent over a year gathering intelligence on the island, as the potential necessity of what we seek to do has been a very real possibility since the young Prince first came to our doorway.

As such, we have given long consideration to each aspect of this plan. I hope that you'll find the contingencies built into its design to assuage some of your doubts. [ that's the nice way of saying

way to assume there's no back up plan

when he's not even done telling you the plan

maybe you want to hear the whole plan.

he gives that a beat to sink in, as he looks across the faces of all those who were engaged in jumping to conclusions - or jumping down each other's throats - on both sides of the age bracket. when he seems satisfied that he has people listening again, he continues: ] The infiltration of the palace itself involves three objectives. The most important of these, and our primary concern, will be getting back Sir Samcelot unharmed. This must be held as our top priority when making any and all decisions within those walls. Our secondary objective involves seizing the castle itself. As a symbol of political power, linked inexorably to the memory of the Andres family, the palace will prove the most visible means of providing a statement that the King has returned.

The third and final objective is, of course, stopping Dimitris Sarandis himself.

Before any team moves upon the palace, members of our previous Andres team [ his eyes skate to Myri and he nods at her ] will contact one Countess Lara Tamon, who not only aided some of our Knights in their escape from Sarandis' prison before, but has expressed a desire to help return Marcus to power. With her willing aid, we will attempt to draw Sir Samcelot out of the castle alone, before we even set foot in it, under the guise of an innocent invitation by a local noblewoman to better get to know her. It is, of course, likely that Sarandis will refuse to let her out of his sight even for the space of an hour, but we need take every possible route available to us to remove her from the line of fire, before making our presence known to Dimitris.

[ mark's head snaps up slightly at the name lara tamon, and he turns to stare at wynn, following his line of sight to myri, and then he just... looks down at the table and stares at it like .____.

yep. that was a tag. ]

[Myri nods to Wynn, only glancing back in time to see Mark was looking at her, but glanced down just as she caught his eye. Still, she gives him a reassuring smile... even if he's not looking at her.]

Do you intend for us to alert Lara that we've found... the prince? [knowing that she's talking about Mark make this all so strange still.] Whether it be upon initial contact or once we arrive in Andres, I suppose I'm just curious if that information is meant to be kept hidden until the right moment?

The time for hiding Marcus' survival is past. The people need to know who is responsible for overthrowing Dimitris - and we may rally their support more easily in the process of doing so, if they understand who they're fighting for.

[It'll be nice if it's that easy. Just a phone call and Kat's out of danger. Spike rather thinks it'll be more complicated than that, but it'll be nice to have Lara and her revolutionaries on their team.

And he's sure Mark showing up will make it one hell of a reunion.

Then he sits up straighter as a realization finally hits him (wis 13). He turns towards Dumage and hisses in not nearly quiet enough a voice:]

Bloody hell, Lara's engaged to Mark!

[Because this is... clearly the important thing right now.]

[ under her breath, gar, who heard that, mutters: ] Was... [ awk. ward. ]

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