Construction moves along quickly.  A shelter is dug out of the hard packed ground and reinforced, barricades are erected, and a few amenities are added to the village (better plumbing, things like that).  It's truly amazing how much faster nova construction is.

The other novas on site are Pax, Makara, Splash, and Firefox.  There is another team on the southern border of the DRC, and yet another floating around somewhere else from what you've heard.  3 teams of 4 novas each, with all of you as backup.  From what you can tell, the Utopia leadership doesn't expect much from you at this early stage, since your training has been minimal, and not all of your powers have stabilized yet, so they aren't factoring you heavily into their plans (and since some of you are hiding your full capabilities, that might be part of it too).

The evening is tense, the village is nervous, and time drags by.  The Ugandan forces have promised to move from here all the way into Bunia after this attack, and seem very confident.  Frostburn informs you that the DRC forces in the south have yet to strike out, possibly waiting until T2M has defended their northern border before pissing them off by attacking in the south.

Splash greats you happily when she sees you, and is polite but brief; she is on scouting duty and is twisting the weather to make it difficult for a baseline army to approach.  Rain begins pattering around you in the village, but you can tell it is raining much harder past the perimeter of the village.

Makara is helping with construction, and he doesn't have much to say.  He's not rude though, just quiet.  Apparently you aren't the only ones who are nervous about the upcoming hostilities.  Firefox is helping to scout, and chats up Solitaire.  She seems to be expressing her nerves in her bubbly attempts at conversation (for a sample of their personality 7 years later, see Project Utopia pg. 80).

Pax remains at watch.  Frostburn is constantly on comms, and Shadow Walker left when no one was looking, apparently he had another mission to take care of.

Despite the tension and work, the night is calm, and the villagers go about their normal life.  It's a different world over here, nothing like the U.S. where the team grew up.  But the people seem to be happy, and to have an ease and camaraderie lacking in Western society these days, despite their harder lives.  A few of the younger members of the village approach the novas to watch them, fascinated, before running off to their parents (who scold them soundly for approaching you).

The night passes, and by the time an hour before dawn hits, everyone is getting bored with playing guard duty.  Even Pax, still at his post floating above the village, looks irritated.

Then all hell breaks loose.  The air shimmers in the middle of town, and several mortars come flying out of nowhere, as children with guns pile out of thin air closely behind the explosives.  Jeeps with artillery pieces mounted to their backs and driven by still more children (13yrs old maybe?) appear on the northern edge, past the barricades, and roll through.  A figure in skintight camo darts around through the village, and drops Makara with one well placed blow, while the wind picks up, the sky pours rain, and lightning crashes over head.  Visibility is next to nothing, and civilians begin screaming, adding even more confusion to the mix.

"Ah shit!" Quentin exclaims as he is rapidly enveloped by the darkness that forms his shielding. He looks all around himself, taking in the situation and trying to assess where he would do the most good. Should he try to stop the jeeps? Keep the children from hurting themselves or others? Attempt to begin civilian evacuation? Try to stop the nova that dropped Makara? So many possibilities. Too many variables to quickly solve for. [Private to GM: Shields up.]
[OOC: Edit - Initiative rolled 5 and 6, so I use the 5. - Total Init 19]
This message was last edited by the player at 04:45, Fri 19 June 2009.

Imp was just putting the finishing touches on one of the toilets when the rift appeared in the middle of the compound.  Imp draws on his powers and targets the mortars reversing their motion and sending them back the way they came.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
I will be acting on 16 (wits/mega wits +dex/Mega dex=12 plus 4) I'm not sure how tightly packed the mortar shells are but I'm going to try to affect at least two of them and send them back through the rift. 2 actions, 6 quantum spent.  first roll, 4 sux or 120 degrees,  3 sux on the second gives me 90 degrees. if the shells are falling at a 60 degree arc then i should have enough sux to send them both into the rift, albeit at different angles.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 04:02, Fri 19 June 2009.

Solitaire sat idly at her post several hundred feet in the air, keeping out of the rain with a umbrella she'd managed to procure somewhere. It wasn't that she didn't want to get wet or anything, though she didn't. It was more that to her, hardship was something to be endured, not sought, being bored was bad enough, adding wet to the mix would make it even more unpleasant.

Firefox was good company though, a pleasant sort. It was rather amusing how her hair sizzled in the rain. She was a bit talkative, but that was mostly nerves far as Solitaire could tell. The girl just wouldn't shut up, but the conversation passed the time, and Firefox was doing the talking, all Solitaire had to do was nod and agree whenever the other woman paused to breathe.

It was during one of these pauses that the attack came, and Solitaire's reply of "I know, right?" changed abruptly to "Aw FUCK!" then continued with "Kids? They sent kids? You have got to be fucking kidding me!"

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Init 17

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She saw Imp in the center, so she'd take the trucks. One moment she was up in the air, the next it was just the umbrella flying off with the force of the sonic boom and Solitaire knelt on the smashed hood of one of the jeeps.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
6 total sux Intimidate, dice hate me >_< +2 Awe-Inspiring, +3 Face of Terror. 2 Quantum spent.

---

Solitaire rose, a spectre in the rain and darkness and chaos. "I suggest you leave." She says quietly, cracking her knuckles for emphasis. "Or you will have to deal with me" She didn't know if they could understand her, but the way they were looking at her, she wasn't sure they could hear her at all.

Solitaire hoped they would run, she didn't know if she had it in her to follow through on the threat.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:24, Fri 19 June 2009.

Zeus grinned savagely at the sudden ambush. "What do you say we have some fun, my dear Sssssameul?"

Sam smiled a little too. "Yeah... fun." His body exploded as he flooded his eufiber with quantum energy, and flew off to help Maraka.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Spends 5 quantum to on eufiber, and 2 quantum on Body-Morph. 19 quantum left.

Samuel Wolfson rolled 1 success using 4d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,1,3,7. Force Field, 1 Mega Stam.

Total soak is now 14B/14L

---

He landed between Maraka and the stranger. Zeus laughed and hissed at the offender. "Why are you doing this?!" Sam yelled. "These people could die you... RAAAAGH!" He rushed at the figure, intent on doing as much damage as possible.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Spends 1 willpower to deal lethal damage.

Samuel Wolfson rolled 5 successes using 9d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,2,8,7,7,3,5,9,7. Hyper-Speed Strike, 2 Mega Dex.

If the hit connects: Samuel Wolfson rolled 3 successes using 4d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 3,7,10,9. HS Strike Damage, +1 Mega Strength. So that's 8L damage.

---

There was a guy back when Dillon was in High School who got a BMW for his 17th birthday.  He "paid" for it himself and it was excuse enough to treat everyone else -- from his parents to his classmates -- like complete and utter shit.  Caestus Pax was that guy.  Instead of a car, Pax looked like he could kick anyone's ass.  It drew a similar sort of admiration as the BMW had.

Worst, it was only when Comstock worked to squeeze his new brain-valve shut that he realized he didn't have a reason to like the guy.  He just did, even though he shouldn't.

---

Comstock had wrapped his jaws around a protein bar at the exact moment the mortars came down, and he spent the first precious few seconds of the engagement spitting the damn thing out as he went heavy.  Comstock took a brief evaluation of the situation, barking "Everyone down to the shelter!  Get to cover and stay down!"

He didn't like the situation any more than Solitaire did.  "Frostburn, this is Comstock: hostiles are children!  Repeat, child soldiers present!  Over."  Thinking fast, he grabbed one of the reporters and radiated authority.  "If you can speak to any of these people, help us get them into the shelters now!"

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Initiative: 10

One Quantum spent on Commanding Presence.  Six spent on Density Control.  Weight: 1400 lbs.  Soak: [29B/25L]  Buffed Strength 5, Mega-Strength 5.  Lasts for 7 turns before Maintenance.  Quantum Pool: [23/30]

---

After they get their briefing, Phantasm goes about helping on the construction and then makes an effort to get to know some of the locals and smooth out her use of the language.  She makes an effort think of an extraction plan, but most of it involves Gravitas teleporting everyone, and nothing brilliant comes to mind.

When the attack hits, Phantasm takes Dillon's advice and begins yelling at the natives to take cover and get to the shelter, as she activates her shields and monstrous constructs begin to bubble forth.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

Initiative: Rolled wrong the first time, forgot it was one dice.  Which is good, b/c I manage to get no successes.  You failed (no successes) using 1d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((3)).
=15
Q.Construct: You rolled 6 successes using 8d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((10,4,1,9,8,3,1,9)).
Force Field: You rolled 2 successes using 7d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((3,2,10,4,9,3,3)).

---

This message was last edited by the player at 13:54, Sat 20 June 2009.

Prodigal hovers in the air, seeming to casually contemplate the situation, rather than interact.

Harley's suit shifts into a frightening and monstrous form, but he seems traumatized by the use of children.  He makes for the nova instead, getting there in time to attack next round.

Up in the air a battle seems to be occurring between Splash and someone else.  Lightning continues to flash, the winds are near hurricane force above the battlefield (making it exceptionally hard on flyers with a cieling of more than 20ft or so), and you haven't seen her come down to help.

Pax is sweeping the child soldiers out of the way with his TK, slamming them into buildings or stripping away weapons.  He seems rather frustrated by this turn of events.  He is hovering low to avoid the winds.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

Just waiting on Zero's action, and then I'll give results of everyone's actions and report on what the enemy is doing.

---

Gravitas opts to tackle the jeeps along with Solitare. Once he obtains a clear line of fire, he begins to systematically fire at vital points of the vehicles and the weapons. He avoids, if he can, actually shooting the child soldiers manning the vehicles. [Private to GM: One maybe two blasts, wording here is actually not called shotting, its just flowery. Grav shoots at jeeps. Probably one action.]

In reply to Gravitas (msg #35):

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

Of note, activating defensive powers is an action (though most enhancements aren't), so multi-action penalties apply to stuff if you are doing both at once.  Sam I'll let go on it this round, sense he is new to the system, but Grav will need to either take multi-action penalties, or use his next action to start firing on jeeps. [Private to Gravitas: You are especially vulnerable to multi-action penalties due to layered shields.]

---

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
That'll be my second round action, then. It helps represent that the first thing Gravitas really wants to do is survey things, analyze the variables involved, and then apply himself where he thinks best (the jeeps, since almost everything else is already being handled by at least two other novas).

---

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Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Sorry for the late response.

---

Confident in the abilities of it's stronger teammates to distract or outright defeat their enemies, Zero joins Comstock in helping the civilians get to shelter. <"The enemy is here! Please retreat! Keep your heads down!"> Zero shouts in fluid Ganda or other local languages and dialects. Zero's first goal is the Baseline's safety. If it can get them secure, it will eye for a good sniper's nest to dart into and will begin lining up targets.

The village is a mass of confusion and fear.  Villagers are running to the shelter (many were already there, having chosen to be safe rather than remain in their homes over night) as machine gun fire clatters and bullets fly, killing many villagers.  Impetus manages to save at least two families by sending the explosives back through the portal (and likely injuring some of the combatants on the other side), while Solitaire frightens the jeep drivers enough to distract them from their primary mission and instead convinces them to move along the perimeter of the village.  Phantasm, Comstock, and Zero manage to save the lives of at least a dozen villagers, both by guiding them around danger, and by disabling soldiers along the way.  The reporters grab as many people as they can, then resume filming at the entrance to the shelter.  Once takes a stray bullet in the arm, while another keeps rolling (managing to get a nice picture of his wounded buddy in the process that will likely make him a good chunk of money).

The mysterious nova attacker is a blur.  Sam lands, averting the attacker's attention from the seriously injured Makara, but doesn't manage to hit the man.  Instead, he does a backflip over the attack, and streaks away, moving at clearly superhuman speed.  As he moves by he attempts to throw something at Sam/Zeus, but misses... however, he does hit Harley exceptionally hard with a barrage of tiny explosive pellets (thrown with nova strength) which knock Harley to the ground. The missed shot at Sam/Zeus impacts one of the jeeps that swerved to avoid Solitaire, flipping it from the force of the impact and explosions.  The attacker finishes his movement by leaping into the rift near the perimeter, which closes behind him.

Splash slams into Firefox (who is laying down a barricade of flame to ward off and surround a large group of soldiers), driving both to the ground.  Splash's skin is pierced in multiple spots by what appears to be ice pellets... Hail stones?  The storm immediately ceases, but the wind is still a major issue.  In the sky, there is a nova that appears to be at the center of the windstorm, who streaks off into the night.  Pax, enraged, takes off after her.  Several sonic booms follow.

More mortars come through the rift, crashing into largely abandoned buildings.  No more jeeps or novas come through and all rifts but the one in the center of town close (though there is still heavy fire coming through it).  There are several jeeps moving in from the now closed perimeter rift, while the remaining jeep that Solitaire intimidated is still covering the outer edge of the village.  And there is still a mess of child soldiers peppering anything that moves with AK-47 fire.

Prodigal watches from above.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:06, Sat 20 June 2009.

"Everyone listen! If you can safely restrain these kids without hurting them too badly, do so.  But don't risk yourselves or the villagers for them.  This is combat, they're shooting at you, do what you have to do.

Intel is coming in from... Bunia, and... Multiple other sites.  It appears there is a simultaneous attack going on here.  Pax, get the hell back here, we need you!  Currently Splash, Firefox, Makara, and Harley are all down... Prodigal is a no go, he isn't responding to comms, don't factor him in unless he starts doing something and be careful around him, he may do something stupid.

Primary nova attackers have retreated, a single portal is open, and soldiers are still shooting the place up.  Priority is rounding up the attackers and closing the gate.  Approach that gate with caution; it needs taken out, but it needs to happen from this side, going through is too dangerous.

I'm in route to provide support, but... I'm dealing with hostiles, and it's slowing me down."

Phantasm's creations materialize beside her, and slither off into the early morning shadows, stalking their prey.  Four huge snakes, with hundreds of insect legs, and the mandibles and fangs of a large hunting spider, swallow any soldiers they can find, and once filled with as many as they can carry, wrap themselves around yet more soldiers, immobilizing them.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

4 succ on size, 2 on doubling numbers twice.  These aren't smart critters (no successes spent on mental), so I'll be directing them I guess, though the rules are bit vague on how that works.

---

"Affirmative, Frostburn.  Out."  More than anything Comstock wanted to get his hands on one of the Nova attackers.  He ran for the portal at the center of the village.  Any unfortunate with an AK-47 along the way received a burst of riot bullets toward their center of mass.  Once near the portal, Comstock stood his ground: anyone trying to escape was going to have to go through him or find something bigger than a small mortar.  Nova attacker might be fast, but he would have to come through sooner or later.

"Team, this is Comstock: everyone see me?  I'm closing off enemy retreat.  Solitaire or someone, bring heavy debris to shut the portal.  Over."  Fear of whizzing bullets, hard to shake, boiled up inside even as rounds flattened against his skin or ricocheted away.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Four successes on semi-automatic burst at the first unfortunate in my way.
09:42, Today: Comstock rolled 4 successes using 6d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,3,8,1,7,9. Semi-automatic burst fire.

---

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
My bad. Forgot Initiative.
19.
10:57, Today: Dr. Zero failed (no successes) using 1d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 6. Dr. 0 Initative .

---

Zero watched the single open portal through the sniper scope on it's riffle, thinking hard. It looks to see if it can spot the Nova creating it, or if there is a uniformed officer directing the men shooting on the other side. Enjoying the distracting Comstock is providing, it speaks into it's comlink.

"Huh. OK. I have an idea. Gravitas? Can you see onto the other side of the portal? Since its line of sight, can you open a worm hole of your own? A tinny one, near & behind the feet of the soldiers, and another one that connects to it right near me? I'm hiding up in the middle right window of the gray bombed out building. I'm flashing you with my mirror."

If Gravitas can do it, Zero pulls the pins on several grenades, and rolls them into the worm hole at the feet of the shooting soldiers. It will split it's actions to take a shot at someone important as detailed below.

If Gravitas can not, Zero takes a shot (with no penalty) at either a commanding officer, or the Nova controlling the portal, or a firing soldier, in that order of importance.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Rolling grenades:
11:09, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 3 successes using 8d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,7,2,9,8,6,5,3. Rolling Grenades. Athletics. 1 Meg.
Snipping after Grenades: 3 successes
11:11, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 2 successes using 8d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,1,10,4,10,6,3,2. Snipping Multi, 1 Meg. 1 Will.

If the "Portal Plan" doesn't workout:
Without penalty:4 Successes. Snipping.
11:05, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 3 successes using 11d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,4,4,10,5,4,8,7,1,6,6. Snipping roll, 1Mega, 1Will .

---

This message was last edited by the player at 15:16, Sat 20 June 2009.

"DAMMIT!" Sam cursed as his blow missed, while Zeus moved to strike, but by then the man was already gone, and Harley was already injured. Without a word, Sam zapped his body back to human form, scooped up his wounded comrades and was off as quickly as his feet would allow him. Against Zeus's better judgement, he stopped to pick up the wounded enemy soldiers as well.

On his way there, Sam listened to Frostburn closely. "All sites at the same time?! Holy crap, these bastards are organized. I've got Harley, Maraka, and a couple of the enemy soldiers, and am moving to the nearest evac sight. Blitzkrieg out."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:08, Sat 20 June 2009.

Imp moves out of the way aw a jeep barrels though the space he used to occupy.  He Spends the next little while trying t disarm the child soldiers, either through the rather rude method of ripping their weapons from their hands or through slightly more subtle means.

"Gotcha Comstock, on it." Solitaire jumps down off the jeep she'd disabled, noting the positions of the others as well. She digs her hands into the sides and kicks off, inverting the jeep about 10 feet in the air and sending the kids tumbling out. She flys it over and smacks it down right in front of the portal, then heads off in search of another.

"I'm afraid that's a no-go, I can't open one end of it so far away from myself yet. I do have a theory about closing the portal though, diverting over to that area." Gravitas changes course from going to deal with the jeeps over to where Comstock is standing before the portal. "It seems unlikely that this portal is being made with the same method I use to create mine, but I may be able to do something to disrupt it anyway. We'll see."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Note that Warp has a duration of "Special" which is basically 1 round+(successes on a Willpower roll) rounds. Keeping it open for very long at all is very unusual. Quentin has never been able to keep his up for longer than about 12-18 seconds or so. I am, incidentally, aborting my action of shooting at the jeeps to go do this.

---

Upon arrival at the rift, Gravitas gave it a critical once-over to analyze it before setting to work. "I'm going to try to disrupt the spatial link on this side with a gravitational distortion." His pitch black, featureless form held out his open palm and put his other hand on the inside of his outstretched arm's elbow. He concentrated on the portal and began to channel gravitic energies into and around the open vortex, attempting to disrupt and collapse it.

[Private to GM: Int+Spatial, 8 successes. Spending 6 quantum to perform a technique I don't actually have yet.
01:38, Today: Secret Roll: Gravitas rolled 6 successes using 10d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,4,8,7,10,2,4,6,10,10. Int+Spatial, 3 Megas.
01:39, Today: Secret Roll: Gravitas rolled 2 successes using 3d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 8,3,9. reroll 10's.]

"Roger that. I'll take the shot."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
I forgot to add Riffle Accuracy to Z's riffle roll.
10:16, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 1 success using 2d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 8,5. Accuracy on Riffle.

So that should be 5 Successes total on sniping through the portal.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 00:49, Mon 22 June 2009.

More people and vehicles are attempting to come through the rift, and a few more mortars fly through, but they are having difficulty due to the debris piling up in front of it.

Visibility to the other side is minimal, but one can make out figures moving with difficulty... Perhaps nova eyes, guided by quantum sight can see through the distortion?  Zero's bullet zips through the rift, and buries itself in someone giving orders, though whether this is a nova or just a baseline commander is unclear.

After the shot, the rift begins to ripple and sway as Gravitas focuses on it.  For a moment there is a great sense of "otherness" to him, as power flows around him and space bends before him... The image from earlier, of him alone and transcendent, once more comes to mind.  Suddenly, the rift buckles and collapses, sending a distortion of spacial energies outward, tearing apart the soldiers nearby, and likely doing something horrible to those that were coming through the portal at the time.

Sam makes it to the evac site about the time the portal collapses, just in time to defend it from enemy soldiers approaching the area, firing wildly.  Several villagers go down before he is able to eliminate all of the soldiers, but at least he managed to save most of them.

Solitaire, Comstock and Phantasm are able to finish of the rest of the soldiers, meeting Frostburn in the middle of the village, near where the rift was.  Behind her, everything is covered in a quickly melting sheet of ice.

The village is broken.  Most of the buildings are in ruins, and many civilians are dead.  But more there are more survivors than casualties, and certainly more survivors than if you hadn't been here.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:14, Mon 22 June 2009.

"Everyone, shove the enemy soldiers that are left alive in the shelter we made earlier, and put a few cars on top of it to seal them in; we're needed in Bunia, there is extremely heavy fighting there.  Gravitas, our transport is gone, Shadow Walker took off for fighting in Nigeria and can't be reached.  Can you make it to Bunia if I give you GPS coordinates?  And you'll need to save juice for at least one more jump, because there are some early reports from the capital saying that things are getting weird there with the military, and fighting has been reported at several other sites with military bases nearby.  Its too early to tell, but it looks like a coup is in the works.

Honestly though, I don't give a shit about this country's government, whoever is in control will just keep screwing the country's people just like they always have.  If we have time after putting an end to the fighting in Bunia, then we'll do that..."

At this point, another sonic boom crashes over the shattered village, and Pax lands.
"Everyone, we're going to the capital. Nothing has happened there yet, but there may be a coup, and if there is, Utopia wants us there to prevent it. Gravitas, I heard you recently learned to make gates?  Good, you can get us there faster."

Frostburn: "I didn't receive that order, our comms system shorted out before it came in..."

Pax: "I'm acting field commander, and I just got word.  That should be more than enough.  Now GET MOVING PEOPLE!"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:16, Mon 22 June 2009.