The evil council continuation (Possible NSFW)
boz 
* Shortly after the submarine incident Sharp finally dock on the island capital harbor on the surface. Mina carry out Irma who cried of joy upon finally being in open air out of the submarine. *
GovernorBot: Welcome to our territory general Sharp. I believe you had an eventful journey.
Sharp: That’s the least you could say, it turns out the gryphon fleet manage to manufacture or acquire sensor that detect metallic underwater object after all. And their depth charges are much better than I thought those looser could ever do.
GovernorBot: The most important is that you made it. The lost of a submarine to them would have been embarrassing. But I will wholecircuitly agree with you that the empire’s mainland people underestimate both the gryphons and our island garrison power greatly. I’m eager to show you that the lack of attack on this island have more to do with the resourcefulness of its citizen who are loyal to their new empire, our formidable defenses lines that are certainly the empire’s finest as well my personal great management of the empire’s property.
Sharp: That’s no shortage of pride for a robot.
GovernorBot: You can just look around this harbor to see our pride. Look at the peninsula east of here, you can see the news fortress of Yahi. The gryphon had a little lighthouse there before, we kept it as a fort high point but now there’s an entire system of connected blockhouses and anti-air defense points all around it, and on the cliff toward the sea and this harbor’s bay, the largest artillery pieces this island industry now modernized by our empire could produce. Safely carved in stone that resisted the waves for centuries and are sure to resist the naval artillery gryphon are known to have at this time but were no match for modern excavation machine.
Sharp: Impressive fort. I can see why no admiral would be fool attempt to attempt landing on this city itself. But what about the rest of the island? Cause under the sea down there we noticed something else was in the water with us. Something that had a mass sensor disruption device.
GovernorBot: Hmm, a disruption machine you say. We have notice the frequent issues with our sensors in the past. I used to raise the alert level the first times it happened thinking our enemies might have been behind it. But I have later noticed the gryphons fleet was also suffering from its effect I believed it was a natural phenomenon of some kind and I stopped doing that and now try to imagine a way to attack them during the blind times but the blind times have been too unpredictable to be used properly so far.
Sharp: They will become very easy to predict once we’ll have captured the machine that cause them. Do you have any idea why would anyone want to slip here unnoticed? And where cause the people behind that certainly landed somewhere on this island, a point that wouldn’t be well guarded.
GovernorBot: For unguarded place to land I could tell you a few areas, most of them in the middle of nowhere. Come in my office we’ll look at a map of the island.
Sharp: Very well. And tell one of the workbot to escort my two companion to the local hotel and find us a place for three. Make sure to have at least one room with a direct access outside and a great view. The gryphon one badly need to see open spaces right now to get over her claustrophobic panic attack.
GovernorBot: Of course sir. Anything to give the organic visitor of the empire mainland a good impression. You can come along knowing they’ll be in good hand.
* They went together in the governor office. *
GovernorBot: Here we go, a map of the island. * He show him a map with plenty of marks on it. *
Sharp: What’s all those marks?
GovernorBot: Defense lines. You can see indeed there’s a few area on the shore that’s are almost not defended * It point some of them on the northeast and the west. * But they are by no mean weak point we would have forgotten. They are just the beaches with the worsts defensible terrain and no way to build coastal artillery in peace on them. So I choose to leave them and instead build several layers of defensive lines deeper inland beyond the reach of gryphons’ naval artillery to make any successful landing there strategically pointless. As well as a defense system around this very provincial capital city consisting of several fortification and trapped bridge on the western river, not to mention a division of combat bot to respond to counter attack against any breakthrough that may happen station further north. Of course that division was unable to fitted with ragnite using units here but Robotpony managed to invade Crete the Crystal empire and Equestria without Ragnite, so we too shall be able to defeat a gryphonian force without it too.
Sharp: This is all very interesting. I see that you indeed were a very good governorBot for this place. But I think I saw what I was looking for on your map. * He point at an area west. * This is the weak point for infiltrating spies or smuggle goods. The first town from the beach is almost past the first line of defense you had set up.
GovernorBot: We have control of a nearby hill to overlook the town area as well as a cloud base floating around.
Sharp: But if it’s some people that can pass for locals or have some local support. They can use the town to pretend they are allowed to be there and if their lies work, no amount of firepower will change anything since you’ll choose not to it. I want to visit this town. And interrogate its inhabitants.
GovernorBot: As you wish. You can take a vehicle from the capital garage to go there.
Sharp: Also about your defense lines, what about the diamond dog and their digger tanks, they could just emerge anywhere, “lines” lost their values.
GovernorBot: Ah I’m glad you pointed that out sir. Let me show you something. It’s an invention by one of the local gryphon who assimilated to our empire. * He look in a desk and take out a folder. * She said she’d rather not be associated with a a digging invention as a gryphon but her design is still a wonder that finished to make this place truly impregnable. * He show him a design of a “screw” with a device on top of it. * It’s an underground anti-tank mine. You place it somewhere and the screw bury itself at the selected depth. It cannot go very deep because otherwise the ground pressure trigger the explosion prematurely, but it’s good enough to protect areas from digging vehicles. I have protected most critical zones of the island against the possibility of such an assault.
OOC: And I’m going to cut this short here cause I’m dragged into some chore.
boz
@14Fan
OOC: The idea there was you finding the explosives intact so you could use them to break a hole in the secret passage you didn’t found the opening mechanism for.
OOC: The idea there was you finding the explosives intact so you could use them to break a hole in the secret passage you didn’t found the opening mechanism for.
And sorry, but I won’t be really on until late as usual, I just happened to get online before going away today and thought I’d make this one post.
boz
@14Fan
* After you found the explosive, Daring Do took them out carefully yo set them against the wall you thought blocked the exit. She lighted the fuse and turn toward you. *
* After you found the explosive, Daring Do took them out carefully yo set them against the wall you thought blocked the exit. She lighted the fuse and turn toward you. *
Daring Do: Alright, this is just a little cave so you want to take cover and cover you ears cause it will go boom with some echo.
boz
@14Fan
* BOOM *
* BOOM *
* You can tell why Daring suggested that as pieces of flying rock fly around your cover and the deafening noise is heard. But a moment later after the dust from the blast was cleared you can see see the cave is brighter so it must mean light make it through the a new hole now. Daring get out of cover to look first. *
Daring Do: Ah, we did it, we should get to your library from there easy.
boz
@14Fan
* You walk back out of the caves and get back in the library basement where Twilight and the librarian came back alerted by the explosion. *
* You walk back out of the caves and get back in the library basement where Twilight and the librarian came back alerted by the explosion. *
Twilight: Have you found anything.
Daring Do: Sadly no, the artifact was a fake. It have a real power, but nothing in its magic memory to write home about. But we cleared the underground of your library from Caballeron which is something. There’s a pretty big tunnel system down there.
Twilight: How do you think it got such caves.
Daring Do: They do look ancient for real too, Caballeron must have just found them somehow. So not dug by diamond dogs or early earth caveponies. But since there’s little sign of it having ever been the base of anyone before Caballeron, that would only ever interest a geologist.
OOC: I must say that by now with the lack of anything on the other fronts, I can only advise you not to follow Daring Do on her mission in Gryphonia with your favorite character. Who know how long it could take for anything to happen there, it might only be during the next major holiday that give people around a full week of free time.
boz
@boz
* Sharp when back to the capital hotel where Mina and Irma where housed in its best suite with access to a terrace on the ouside. He get in and see Mina on a couch watching a local tv channel and Irma on the terrace outside looking at the horizon. Knowing what she just went through he start by talking to Irma. *
* Sharp when back to the capital hotel where Mina and Irma where housed in its best suite with access to a terrace on the ouside. He get in and see Mina on a couch watching a local tv channel and Irma on the terrace outside looking at the horizon. Knowing what she just went through he start by talking to Irma. *
Sharp: How are you Irma?
Irma: I’m feeling better here… I know we only got it by profiteering from you position but, thank you. I needed this place with its view, without walls or a hull between me and the sky.
Sharp: * He go sit on her table with her. * Hey I took this position to profit from it so profit as much as you want. It’s on me.
Irma: I needed a break from this, from the submarine journey of course but also the GDF. And you offer me one with this. * Chuckle. * I guess we all can be as selfish as you in our moment of weakness. But I’ll be strong again.
Sharp: Maybe by then you’ll have choose to be strong on our side.
Irma: In you dreams.
Sharp: * grin * Ever since the begging of the great Equestrian turmoil, I think I have a good record of making my dreams come true my dear. But enjoy your day for now. * He stayed some time with her. * I’m going to see Mina now, I’ll bring you dinner outside.
Irma: Wow, you decided to pretend to be nice today?
Sharp: Yes, but don’t go tell that to everyone, it’s only for you and Mina. * He left. *
* He continue with Mina. *
Sharp: Saw anything good.
Mina: The news say all quiet on the blockade, almost nothing that concern new. The weather is supposed to be clear al week. A lot of news talk about the war against the donkey actually. They managed to spin a narrative where Robotpony’s avenging the defeat of the gryphon king against the donkey and is the real champion of Gryphons’ honor.
Sharp: I bet that work pretty well, that must be how they swayed the underground mine inventor to our side. That governorbot must have had that propaganda idea, it is a pretty good governor for a robot I don’t remember Robotpony having created himself to be to be unique like Blitz, Spark or Casey. Wanna come outside with Irma and me for diner? I’ll order it from the room service.
Mina: Sure.
* Sharp took a phone in the suit. *
Sharp: I’ll take 2 of your best local gryphon specialty and… * Look at Mina. *
Mina: Oh you know I’m find with fresh tropical fruits and grass.
Sharp: Your best plate or fruits and freshly cut hay. Serve us on the terrace.
* They went outside where they are served by a workbot. The gryphon local specialty is a stew of flower seeds and fish, which satisfy Sharp even if he’s a pony. *
Sharp: It’s nice here and you should both take your day ladies, but I have a mission for us tomorrow. We’re infiltrating a civilian town to search for potentially subversive activity linked to the submarine Mina discovered. In here Minotaur lives among Gryphon a lot so you’re both invited. Especially you Irma in case we’d ever meet one of your old GDF contacts.
Irma: I’m sure they’ll welcome me, and they don’t know Mina’s face. But you are a bit too known for that kind of mission.
Sharp: Don’t worry, hiding as a pony is surprisingly easy. Some mane dye, a cutie mark cover up and I’m all set. I’ll be fine.
Mina: I’m up for it.
Irma: You were nice today, but you really expect me to help you with that?
Sharp: Look at this city Irma. For the lack of choice in leadership the gryphons here have, you must admit this is by far the most prosperous land in Gryphonia. By helping us, you help the gryphon living here and playing along with the empire live the good live.
Irma: …Maybe. But those rebels I would help you find out. You’ll do worse to them that this good can justify.
Sharp: If it can help convince you what I really want is not to especially crush the GDF, or what is left of it, but to take one machine they have and that we need to wreck the gryphon royal navy. On that front our interest align, if we can strike by surprise we might even kill the queen in our attack. A success the GDF could only dream of but that is within our reach, if we can get our hands on that disruption device. That’s all we want. And the faster I will find it, the faster I will leave the rebels alone unless they are looking for another fight with the empire.
Irma: …I will come. I won’t help you all the way, but I will come.
Sharp: Fantastic, I will get us a vehicle and prepare a disguise tomorrow then we’ll move there.
OOC: I wish I could have done better than this post on that front but I’ve hit a block and I had little time.
boz
* The next day Sharp went by the barber shop down the street from the hotel for a new mane color and a cutie mark coverup, changing his sword for a symbolically oh so different olive branch before going back to meet his girls. *
Sharp: I’m back girls. How am I?
Mina: * chuckle. * You new green mane color suit you in some way.
Irma: Somehow that cutie mark doesn’t make you look as good as usual.
Sharp: Glad to know you usually think I look good Irma.
Irma: I swear you!… * She got red of embarrassment and anger mixed. * I’m only talking objective fashion style. It’s not like I could ever like a jerk like you or anything.
Sharp: * Grin. * Anyway, let’s go. The vehicle should be at the door.
* They went down, the governorbot had lend them a vehicle that looks civilian enough from the truck fleet so they could be a little more unnoticed on their trip. *
Irma: I’d like to drive.
Sharp: Do you know how to?
Irma: No, this is new to me. But after the submarine experience I want to be in control of the machine I’m in.
Sharp: Well I understand. And it’s a part of being in a modern nation like Robotpony empire after all. And I’m sure the locals will prefer to see the gryphon among us drive too. * He let her take the command seat and guide her maneuver on the way, it was mostly ok but she had to correct course and drifted off the track often. After they crossed the first bridge from the capital and the town after they arrive at a canyon to travel through with cliff on each side. *
Sharp: I think I should take back the control here before something scratch this vehicle paint. I’ll let you drive again when the road will be clear.
Irma: Alright. Thanks for letting me do it at all… despite what we are for each other. * They switch side. *
Sharp: I still want us to eventually change that. Maybe this mission depending of how it goes could do that. If I do good, crush your gryphons enemies and do good here. Maybe you’ll start liking me for real.
Irma: I don’t believe it will happen, but you’re probably right that this is the only place where you can hope to make it happen.
* They continue their journey and Sharp give back control to Irma they finally reach the last heavily controlled hill where they had to ran through a checkpoint occupied by Guardbot that Sharp had the credential to pass easily, then they reach the town. It was a fairly large town actually, not merely a hub between farms but a place with a few neighborhoods and a little bit of light industry even if the governorbot thought better of investing in its development considering it is the first town to fall in some of his most likely defense scenarios. Sharp stop by a garage privately own by a local gryphon. *
Sharp: Let me talk first girls.
Sharp: Hello sir. I see you are not affiliated with the empire, but I guess you lived with them long enough to work on their machines.
Gryphon mechanic: Yeah… They don’t normally come to me though, the imperial forces get their maintenance done either in the next town on the road inland or in the outpost on the hill for military vehicle.
Sharp: I guessed so, but I’d rather avoid dealing with imperial military. I have card to cross the checkpoint, but I couldn’t pass a more “extensive” verification, if you know what I mean. It already doesn’t help that I’m a pony on a island where my kind are rare.
Gryphon mechanic: If you are in the resistance, I want no trouble sir.
Sharp: Don’t worry lad, I’m not trying to buck the imperial anthill. I just make money I shouldn’t, that’s why I can pay well for your service and for you to guard my vehicle while I’m gone. I’d also be willing to give a pretty good tip if you could lead me to people who have a way to leave this island for gryphonia’s mainland, for me and my two associates. Life must be hard in a place the imperial management don’t bother lifting into the tech age.
Gryphon mechanic: Ok to park your car here for a price. But I stay away from business like your smuggles and that. I only know one thing I can tell you.
Sharp: Go on.
Gryphon mechanic: My son go to a bar in town, he said he saw strangers there a few time, Gryphon strangers, not underground dwellers. Those strangers must come from the outside.
Sharp: Much appreciated. * He hand him some coins and left. *
Mina: Why asking to go to Gryphonia?
Sharp: I knew that to go anywhere else the most logical choice would be the tunnels. By asking for Gryphonia we have better chance to find the submarine’s people. Even if gryphons hate submarines they must have found a few willing to suck it up for the cause, or they recruited a few foreigners for that operation but I doubt it. Let’s check that bar now. Even if I’m mistaken about the origin of this sub it is clearly the place to go for intelligence.
Irma: A place you badly need to visit then.
* They go to the bar in question but Sharp stopped them. *
Sharp: Let’s look around first, in case we see something interesting. * They look around. Sharp noticed the fact the windows to the basement are covered, it’s usual to have them secure against thieves but it’s odd to have them covered which prevent lights from getting it. Mina look the floor around, she didn’t saw much but noticed that there’s traces of many people which confirm the bar popularity. Irma was in luck, she after flying to the room she find a piece of paper talking about a concert happening in that bar. *
Sharp: What did you find girls?
Mina: I found traces around.
Irma: I found this. * She hand him the paper. *
Sharp: Never heard of that band. I thought they needed some kind of license to play anywhere in the empire. To ensure ideological purity in the culture.
Irma: You’re not going to have the guards come at them are you?
Sharp: Of course not. But that place just got a little more interesting.
* They get into the bar in which they are alone. *
Bargryphon: A gryphon a pony and a minotaur get into a bar. Sound like the beginning of some kind of joke.
Mina: Do you know other jokes like that? We happen to be looking for interesting people.
Bargryphon: What do you mean? * She move on the counter and move her hands beneath it. *
Sharp: Let’s have a drink first shall we. * He sit at the bar to order a strong rum, to look natural but also to see how the bar gryphon would move to the rum bottle at the other side of the bar and if she grabbed a weapon down there. But it seem she didn’t. * What my friend not used to subtlety was trying to say is that we are looking to attend this underground concert your place is hosting. Don’t worry, our friend that gave us this paper trusted us. * He show her the paper.*
Bargryphon: Oh, ok. I was just waiting for eventual people who would show up last minute. Let’s me unlock the cover bench for you.
Sharp: Much obliged. I’ll take the whole bottle of rum to bring too.
Bargryphon: There’s a second bar below too but alright. * She gave him the bottle and he dropped some coins. *
Sharp: I’ll know the next time. * They moved downstairs to an area that look much better where a scene is surrounded by a dance floor itself surrounded by seating and tables. Sharp went for a table near where some gryphon who looked sleep deprived a little were sitting. *
* Their attempt to looks natural payed as a gryphon from the other table approached them first. *
Gryphon: Hello my pony friend. Enjoying the show I see.
Sharp: Indeed. The pretty things are going to hell… How appropriate lyrics to describe Equestria’s current situation in the great turmoil.
Gryphon: You lost much to Robotpony the nod and all these things?
Sharp: To be completely honest with you, no, I played my cards really well ever since this whole mess begun and I’m better of now than before. But I can see how the wind is going, and I know my luck streak might end at any moment. So I enjoy the present like there’s no future.
Gryphon: Interesting point of view for a pony. Tell me, what does a pony do in a place like this? Judging by your cutie mark I’d say you are some sort of diplomat, Equestria sent you in mission here via the tunnels?
Sharp: Yes. In Equestria they are quite worried the Robotpony fleet trapped here by the gryphon royal navy could one day if freed from their siege be used for a landing on their shores. So they send me to look for allies on the inside they could get to make sure this don’t happen.
Gryphon: So now the so regal Equestria is willing to compromise on keeping a royal gryphon at the head of Gryphonia?
Sharp: Officially right now, no. But, if that island was to fall, they could be open minded to show gratitude, especially if after that you still have a good hand to play against whoever is on the gryphon’s throne. And they might be willing to help this happen within what wouldn’t break “plausible deniability”.
Personally I saw the situation too, the GDF surprisingly survived its early defeats, that only further prove that the will of the gryphons is on your side, at least compared to queen Penny, or they’d have let you fall into oblivion. Tim might be another matter but it is not a question yet.
Gryphon: Your trust would be well placed sir. And it is no secret that we wish to get international recognition. We have an opening from the dogs, but many gryphons wouldn’t like that. Equestria despite its weakness is still held in high esteem diplomatically, and the natural closeness between gryphon and pegasi made it a valuable support internally too. It would be a dream to get their recognition.
Sharp: So I think we’ll have a deal. But I’d need to see what you truly are capable of before considering helping you.
Gryphon: Sorry but we have our secrets.
Sharp: You have a way to slip through the blockade, and not by the tunnels, that we’re sure. We’re very interested by that power. To ship our help secretly.
Gryphon: I will openly admit we do, make this be something that weight for us being strong enough to worth supporting. But I ain’t going to reveal you our trick. It is too critical for our operations. And we think we can achieve much even without Equestrian help even if we’d appreciate their recognition after the fact.
Sharp: As you wish. As you thought I’m a diplomat so I know when insisting on a demand would only hurt friendship for nothing.
Gryphon: That’s more the kind of pony wisdom I expected from your kind.
Sharp: Only normal for a pony. I will go transmit your openness to an agreement to my government. We’ll see what we can do if you ever request our unofficial help.
* They part way. *
Irma: You lied to them all the way.
Sharp: I told them no lies that would crush them which should be sufficient to satisfy you.
Mina: I don’t think we learned that much either.
Sharp: On the contrary, we proved that the GDF have the disruptor, not anyone else. We proved that this town was indeed the center of everything, so clearly the disruptor is close, in the closest bay with deep enough water for their submarine most likely. We also saw that they’d like help, but aren’t desperate, so we know they have a plan, a plan that most likely involve the dogs. Of course I could have deduce that from the start, after all the gryphons have the militants, the dogs have the most heavy Equestrian made weapons industry, they are a perfect match.
Irma: And you will stop this plan?…
Sharp: Yes, for our sake, I must stop them from hurting Robotpony’s empire’s interests. However I know you don’t want a bloodbath of GDF people and I won’t make a bloodbath of GDF people. Once I’ll have stolen the disruptor, they’ll be forced out of this island and will cancel that uprising or whatever they wanted. And once I’ll have send Penny’s fleet to the abyss they’ll have an opportunity to take a chuck of the archipelagos from the royal house if they really want to fight to get a country so bad.
Irma: I guess it’s enough. But I don’t like that too much.
Sharp: I’ll take my team of elite guard bots, we’ll go looking for that cloaking submarine’s bay and capture it when it surface.
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