OPERATION LADY IN HIGHTOWER

[amyselia 2962]

 

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGU1P6lBW6Q

 

OPERATION LADY IN HIGHTOWER

6th of Tobias’ Bounty 1743

 

 

Col. Sabari, with men, concocting the plot.

 

 

Within the confines of the dimly lit Bastille sat Colonel Darius Sabari and a short-list of staff. The men had been sitting for some many hours within that office, which had been utterly tarnished by the smoke of tobacco. A single man remained stationed outside the door, with orders to send off any visitors. Classified business.

 

Captain Jasper spoke to his compatriots. “But you have seen what they plan for our Empress - villains! A frontal assault is all but what we have left.” The younger officer had just come off of escaping the prisons of Rubern himself, and as such as filled with the brazen zeal which drives men to such heroics. His eyes were blackened with exhaustion, but his heart was full with courage.

 

Col. Sabari would have none of it, however, waving off the plan with a dismissive grunt. “We have tried, time and time again, to secure such an offensive; and we have received nothing but setbacks in return. You yourself were captured by the brutes, Jasper, you oughta know best what they make of their meals. No. There shall be no assault.”

 

Darius then stood from his desk, deep with ponderance. The question of Her Imperial Majesty’s rescue had given the Colonel too many sleepless nights to count: would the loss of one life not lose us everything? The Rubernites and their allies planned a show trial, a mockery, a humiliation of that Imperial prestige. It could not happen, so he swore.

 

“If we shall not have them by the sword, then we shall have them by trickery.”

 

So declared the Colonel, and at once the men set to work with a plan. Lieutenant Cyrus Basrid would keep the horse, while Darius and Jasper would raise the ladders. They would crawl in behind the Rubernites in the dead of night, avoiding what detection they may, and break the Empress out of her captivity by sleight of hand.

 

 

Entering the Manor of Harlingen, the estate from which the plot would be launched.

 

Departing the following evening, the trio of officers made way for Rubern under the cover of dusk. The timing served its purpose, both for cover in the evening, and for the plot itself; it would begin only after midnight, while all were asleep, and only the moon and the stars served as their sentries.

 

Reaching the outskirts of Rubern, the men stopped short, gazing up in awe to the high tower in the distance. It was there where they kept the Empress, this they hoped.

 

Further now they did ride, halting only below the tower walls. Thank the Heavens for the architecture of the thing, for the defenses allowed the officers a route up and over the walls with relative ease. Lt. Basrid remained as ordered with the horse, ready to set the Empress upon it when she was retrieved. Sabari and Jasper set to work, laying the rope ladder against the walls, and scaling it with what cover they may pray for. Afterwards climbed up Secretary John Basrid,

 

To their luck, the walls - and the tower itself - were empty. What sentries the Rubernites had ordered to stand guard over the Empress, their most prized possession, had gone themselves to sleep. The men were at liberty to do as they pleased.

 

There are multiple points of entry into the high tower. A basement, and the entrance on the ramparts. Using the lockpicks that had been supplied for the mission via Secretary Basrid’s Sutican connections, Darius failed - twice - to budge the entries. Swearing rhenyari curses, the men had to fall back to the secondary plan.

 

Another ladder was erected, this time atop the ramparts. Colonel Sabari, with care for the lives of his men greater than his own, had dreaded this possibility. Another ladder was sure to bring attention to the plot, and lead to its downfall; along with Her Imperial Majesty’s own. Undeterred, however, the men pressed on.

 

With a great crash, the stained glass panes had been shattered with a hammer. The glass came pouring down upon the ledge, and the dogs, as they do, began to howl with alert. It was now or never. Weighed down with the immensity of the situation, the men poured in through the shattered window, and made way straight as they could to free their Empress.

 

Reaching an iron door in their path, Darius set down to work as quick as he could. Time was ticking, and his adrenaline had now rendered his hands shaky. By all the grace of luck, and of God, his nerves did not break him; with a click, the men had passed the door.

 

Their Empress was just in sight now! O, they would see her out of this, thank the Heavens! Approaching the final door-they heard her shouting, now, in realization that her saviors had arrived- Col. Sabari immediately set once more to work.

 

“ Operation Lady in the Hightower “

 

Kneeling down once more, Darius set his eyes on the keyhole. He picked and twisted, the howls of the dogs getting ever-closed. His compatriots grilled him on, nearly shouting now for his work to be finished. With terror, the lock near jammed; but with enough diligence, a click was heard, and Her Imperial Majesty came bursting out the door.

 

The party scaled down the walls with utmost haste, and Lorena Christina was set upon her awaiting steed. By this time, a relief party of cavalrymen from the 2nd Regiment had arrived, with earlier orders by Secretary Basrid to harass any attempts at foiling an escape.

 

Galloping off towards Helena, and arriving just as the morning light began to shine on that rubied city, the lady in the hightower had returned. By the bravery of a few men, the Empress had been snatched from the jaws of death.

 

 

[Icarnus 1669]

welcome to the situation room.

 

[chaosgamer_ 764]

An unknown man points out that these men are part of the Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn

[EddyTheBrave 643]

Captain Jasper, burdened by the exhaustion of this nocturnal mission, rewards himself with a well needed rest after the debriefing with his fellow Ex-Gunners. 

[Pureimp10 5691]

Otto Sigmar signs the Lorraine Cross, silently thanking GOD for delivering the Empress from the hands of evil men.

[KeatonUnbeaten 1103]

Keaton Errmark harumphs in triumph for the victory of Oren. “When swords are stalled and brains come to battle, it is Morsgrad that fails; who would’ve doubted such?”

[Jentos 9422]

Curses. Bitter and raw. 

The Rubernite howled in bitter rage at the Heavens, luminous eyes drawn at the red fingers of dawn, stretching out over the horizon, his knife’s edge dragging crudely against the thick skin of his left hand, drawing blood. 

A poor compensation, for an escaped Empress... 

[Legoboy7984 3155]

Ser Robert Vyronov smiles upon the news of the Empress’s rescue.

“Good thing that these barbaric people secure lesser prisoners better than they do towards their prisoners that are important.”

[TH3GHOSTWAFFL3 489]

“Thanks be to GOD!” Exclaims Dietrich in the Reza tavern upon hearing the news, smiling widely.

[frankdh 2418]

Weeks had been spent in disquietude, the imperial princess haunted by her mother’s absence and the restless nights it had brought her. Anne Augusta had often avoided her younger sister, the smaller girl’s raven locks, and name alone further reminding her of their mother’s disappearance. For all those late nights spent crying in her room, Anne Augusta told no one of her loneliness, of her fears, instead leaving her more sudden outbursts and short temper for friends and onlookers to figure out themselves.

 

At the crack of dawn, the little girl had found herself wandering throughout Helena’s streets after a particularly vivid nightmare had left her distressed and miserably upset. For all the praying she’d done, Anne Augusta began to wonder if God had truly left her all on her lonesome.

 

The creaking of the gates stirred her attention, the soft crunch of snow following short soon after as soldiers wandered in, one by one. Wrapped in her red blankets, little Anne stood in disbelief. There she was, the empress herself, walking alongside good Darius.

 

The small princess called out, barreling into the woman, arms wrapped desperately around her. “I’m here, it’s alright-- my sweet Auggie,” she heard her mother say. Anne Augusta thought it a miracle, and in that moment she never wanted to let go of her mother again.

[monkeypoacher 8055]

“Beautiful.” Says Joseph, wiping a tear from his eyes as he hears the conclusion of the story.

[rukio 8924]

Edyth would send Lorena a care package of Lorena’s favorite food, instead of the ice cream she had intended to bring her for the trial!