18+ The Republic of Free Men

[fellowknight]

"Speeches are all very well, Frand, but it doesn't help us deal with what you've just put in front of us." Captain Alex rubbed her temples gently and closed her eyes. She was thinking of a plan. "So how long do we have before this fleet is upon us? Enough to prepare, train, build defences? Or are they coming tomorrow? Which end of the spectrum? If this fleet is as big as I gathered from your letter, we'll have trouble just fighting it off. We need to use tactics and deception, as much as I hate to admit it. I'm open to suggestions, but for now, Frand, you seem to know best what's being planned, so you're in charge of the defense and counter-attack of this republic. Any objections?" No-one said anything. "Good. Now, Frand, what do you suggest?"

Barnan took in a sharp breath as he came to realize what was ahead. Naval and land battles the size of which they'd never experienced. Bloodshed all around, as he was sure they'd lose hundreds even if their defense was sufficient. And time. Time was the one thing they had the least of. A few hasty weeks, maybe a month if the right people were payed or kept quiet. Ahead of them, Barnan knew clearly, was a war.

Slipping into a seat he was familiar with, Barnan nodded and pulled a rough folded map out from under his chest armor, unfolding it on the table. It was a map of Tamriel, with all of the major and capital cities for each province and island, rivers, mountain ranges and peaks, bodies of water, bays, and seas. It also included a detailed map of Stros M'Kai. He smoothed it out with a gloved hand and position it so everyone could see.

"We train. Teach the residents of the island how to fight and sail with enough skill to defend the shores at the least. I believe we should all agree it is vital they be comfortable fighting and manuevering on sea as well as land. They won't learn fast or easily and they'll make alot of mistakes; more than likely, it will take them a good week and a half to really get the hang of it. We'll make them get the hang of it in one. While we handle that, we must also look to the islands other defenses." He paused, taking a breath.

"Jayden, i too agree with your 'wall of cannons' idea. Quaint, but it has a start. The island is huge and we're currently spread too thin to evenly spread what few supplies we have across the entire shoreline, not the mention the isle off to the west. A relocation to a more open area is sufficed, but would only leave the abandoned parts of the island to enemy advancement. And they will most certainly set up a crippling camp on the isle, should we choose to abandon that."

"Perhaps watch camps at the major points of the island and isle could work. Along the Saintsport, the western shore, and like minded areas. An emergency counter-attack can be launched; oil and flaming arrows is one idea, but i'm just thinking here. The Spine may prove a good place to funnel enemy attacks. Maybe we can find a way to utilize it. The bay too, can be rigged for defense."

He took another breath.

"They'll come in numbers. Expect this. Thousands will surround us. Skilled and strategic, swift and quiet, strong and endurable will all be among their ranks and they'll have enough bodies to circle the island several hundred times. I'm sure they expect numbers, tactics, sheer force, and time to break us. We'll use this against them. Turn them on eachother. Greed is an unsavory illness and that can prove to be a very useful foothold for us."

"On an off note, i'd say we move our head quarters to the Ogre Tooth Mountains; it's hidden, contains overlook positions for the island, and wont arouse too much suspicion. Before anything begins, we must look to our own business and finishing our own affairs."

"We need to unload our ships and push all supplies we have towards the next few weeks. Any deals or continuing business any of you have needs to be wrapped up by this time tomorrow, and any people you know who could help us need to have been contacted this week at least. I know a few people in Hammerfell and Cyrodiil who may be able to offer aid, but i need time to contact them."

"Above all, we remain quiet and swift. This will spread fast and the people we trust could very well turn on us in a moment's notice. We need to get to them and either urge an aid or eliminate them as liabilities. It's not a thought any of us should relish but we are in the midst of a plot that could very well destroy us all. They wont be looking to take prisoners."

"Do not tell anyone you don't trust like your own brother. We wont have long at all to do any of this. I'd love to say a month but on realistic terms, it's likely we'll have no more than four weeks to prepare ourselves, if not less."

He carefully eyed everyone gathered at the table before concluding,
"I know none of us get along very well, or at all for that matter," He looked at Remi and Lu'ah with an apologetic demeanor. "but we are in this together and i'll be damned if we all die because someone stepped on someone else's boot."

"We have differences. Either we overcome them or they kill us. That simple. These next few months will not be easy, i promise that, but if we learn to work together, we can survive and maybe even thrive. Think of what waits on the other side.."

He casted a final glance about the others to process their reactions, then looked to Alex and nodded, taking a seat.

 

[Simus]

Braids listened intently as Barnan spoke and tried to rally everyone behind a solid plan. She wanted to support him. She wanted to believe his plan would work. He was passionate, eloquent, rousing. His own words were stirring him to action and in turn the others. She wasn't sure how much of the group noticed but she had always supported Barnan. Always come to his defense, even when she didn't need to. Barnan didn't notice her much socially but they had worked together more often than with the others. They had become steady allies, maybe even friends. Braids, at the very least, wanted something more.

But this time she couldn't support him. She needed to speak her mind. Once the table had reached a quiet moment she stood up to address everyone.

"Barnan that was an impressive speech." She said. "Eloquent, passionate, rousing. You organizing our defense is an inspired choice. But I have to disagree with your plan." A few members were about to object but Braids continued on. "Please let me explain. The Empire and the Dominion have access to hundreds of ships and hundreds of thousands of men. Any defense of this island is going to fail. The campaign to take it will be long, difficult and costly but it will eventually succeed. And we will all be dead. Our homes and ships will be destroyed, our friends and neighbors will be slaughtered. People like Netty's husband and children will face certain death if we hole up in the mountains and wait. This is a tactic of last resort. Only when we have resigned to the fact that nothing could have done would have saved us.

What we really need is for those fleets to never reach this island in the first place. Our ships are our greatest weapons and our crews and the people that support them our best resource. We must use them to full effect and take the initiative. We must initiate a first strike."

Netty handed her a bag and out of it Braids pulled several rolls of paper. On them were diagrams, drawings and rubbings of dwemer inventions and translations, along with a map of Stros M'Kai marked with several locations. The top roll of paper was a drawing of a large metal ship's hull with completely enclosed decks, no sails and a large propeller.

"As I have said before, this island has some of the best-kept dwemer ruins in the world. The orerry is one of the most significant but there are two others that will be of more immediate help. They are ancient foundries on either side of the island. Massive steam powered factories with self working machines that can produce hundreds of weapons and armor pieces a day and with their own mines that feed them with metal. They are also, under specific supervision, capable of producing more sophisticated machinery."

She pointed to the diagram.

"This is a very special type of ship. It is almost entirely of metal and is capable of submerging itself under the sea. This lets it move virtually undetected by surface ships until it rises which means it can be both the best escape vehicle and the most deadly ship killer. Its cannons can be used when surfaced but it has special exploding ballista bolts that can be used under the water. Striking at ships at theer bellies and backs where they are helpless to strike back. The ancients used these submersibles to defend this island and they struck fear into all who tried to fight them. This will be our weapon against our enemy. We will target their command ships to break their organization. Their flagships to break their morale. Their supply ships to break their ability to fight. And through it all, the fear we create will be enough to make them leave. Perhaps, if we are very lucky, never to return."

 

[fellowknight]

Barnan listened closely as Braids gave credit to his plan but also gave cold evidence to why it wouldn't work and suggessted a new plan. One involving an initial first strike by a sumbmersive boat. A dwemer contraption.

Inwardly, Barnan was impressed with Braids' intuition over the situation. Over the years and the many times they'd worked together, Barnan came to realize he admired her craft and even, in recent months, enjoyed her company.

She was directly outspoken with a factual nature that could still rally others with the assurance of realistic goals and plans. Her personality was an oddly satisfying mixture of tamed passion and quaint content that always let Barnan perplexed and intrigued.

Despite what he'd said earlier, Barnan did concern himself with Braids well-being and more times than most, volunteered to watch her back on shady business deals. He cared about her, somewhere deep down, like no on else he'd met and he knew exactly why.

He nodded in agreement as she came to a stopping point.

"She's right. My plan can prove a tactical resort and i'll improve it over time, but i agree with Braids on this one. We must make the first strike. We can't wait to be struck. Dwemer contraptions are the most technologically advanced in history, and we'd surely surprise the enemy if we were to use this boat Braids is talking about." He looked to Alex and met her gaze. "I say make her in charge of defense and counter-strikes for the republic. I'll do better advising tactics or some like minded area. I can still get in contact with those people for future aid, if needed. And the residents will still fight by their own will. It's just a matter of time and effort." His eyes lingered to Braids for a moment before returning to the map on the table, pretending to study it.

 

[Wolfbane]

"I'm glad someone agrees with us. We will not run, but fight fire with the hottest f* king flame there is. Take the fight to sea and give them no quarter. We have too much here;These people would rather die than abandon their homes and businesses! The Blue Wolf can fight above sea due to her speed and agility. Not to mention closed, dark spaces aren't really our thing. We can easily gather weapons, ammo, and parts for the people so they can stand together in this fight! If we do not resist, they will weed us out, Frand. It would be foolish to trap ourselves while all the have to do is wait until our provisions run low, or attack us in sporadic waves.

We can do a lot of damage with the Wolf, that way they have more to fight from under and on water. We would need back up as well. Jayden? How do you feel about being above water with us? Could be The Vendetta's time to shine," Remi smirked as he proposed the plan. There is no way Lu'ah and Remi would abandon their home, their inn, and run like cowards. They were pirates! They will do anything to remain that! Lu'ah and Remi both refused to run and hide, even if it meant stepping on a few necks along the way. Blood will spill like a roaring waterfall, and the fires of cannons will light the ocean on fire. This was their intent.

If you want peace, prepare for war.