Owner	Pose
Santolouco	It's clear after several hours of planning. Dak is a very good strategist. Good enough that he's also open to ideas from someone else to help keep his tactics unpredictable and creative as well, so John's input has been quite well received. The current standoff has been alleviated a little, as they were able to get a single planetary defense blast off to take down the orbiting ship that was bombarding them.     The Utroms could have destroyed the palace easily prior to that, but they want to make sure they keep Honeycutt intact, which has caused them to be less final in their assault against the palace. The biggest problem they face is the fact that the Utroms just plain have too many artillery units for the Neutrinos to be able to mount a proper offensive. The Neutrinos have superior numbers at this point, but they are mostly infantry, meaning they would have to face the artillery to get into battle.     "So that's about the size of it," the commander says. "I imagine that now we have you here, though," he says. "It could make a pretty big difference in getting to the enemy. If we can get past whatever they have that is causing that interference with your ring."
John Stewart	"If this were any other fight, I'd just act as a flyby bomber and cut off their artillery units while doing guerilla style warfare helping out your people." John concludes, "but the second they see me, you can bet they'll throw everything they have at me to buy time to suppress my ring." John agrees. "Which means we have two potential options, the way I see it." John highlights the artillery units with a sweep of the hand, "I go after these in a blitz, taking them out on a path your forces can support me from. Then, when I bait out their supresssor units, you focus your units on that while I fight my way out of the field." Then, he points to the front line, "Or, I can act as a force multiplier right on the front and push up, acting as artillery, trench warfare style. They'll /have/ to focus on me with their artillery if they want to break that, but I'll be defending your resources and taking pressure off of you." John looks to Dak, "you know your people best and this terrain. Are these solid ideas, or is there another option?"
Santolouco	Dak frowns, "That could work, but I don't want you to be taken out by that artillery. How much punishment can you take from those guns?" he asks. "Utrom weaponry is pretty good. If you can draw their attention, it might be possible for our teams to take it to them," he says. "But it'd take a good ten minutes for them to get all the way there. And they will be vulnerable until then. Trench warfare would actually be great, but it'd take us forever to dig trenches up to their line. Maybe a few days."
John Stewart	"Ring, display schematics and statistics. Cross reference with any known tests of Green Lantern defense shields against them." John orders of the ring as he looks to Dak, "I can dig out trenches in seconds with my ring. I'd just need cover."
Santolouco	The ring brings up the schematics of several different models, and soon enough finds the ones that are outside the palace. No known tests of this model against Lantern rings, however, they are rated lower than some of the ones that have been used against them. They pack a wallop, and extended bombardment would be able to break the average user's ring, but it seems that it could take quite a few hits before breaking through a Lantern's defenses.
John Stewart	After a moment to read the information displayed on his eyes, he nods, and John looks to Dak, "Digging trenches to give you a strategic advantage seems like the best option. I can use the trench itself as cover against indirect fire, and I can recharge my ring under cover. Is it feasible?"
Santolouco	"We do have a few shields of our own, but they can't take many hits," Dak says. "If you can dig trenches, we could make our way to their artillery line. Once we make it their, we can turn some of their own weapons against them. Utroms are cowards. If we break their line, they'll most likely retreat."
John Stewart	"Get your people ready then. I can shield myself while I dig, but it will get done much faster if I can simply focus my Will on the digging construct." John tells him.
Santolouco	And so they do. Within the hour, the platoon of Neutrinos is prepared, ready to make an assault. Dak looks over the troops, giving them the prep. "Okay, here's the moment of truth! We got a Green Lantern with us, John Stewart. He's going to be digging us a trench so that we can get to that back line. When we make it there, we come out swinging, and get hold of that artillery."     Outside, the mobile artillery units remain stationed. Occasionally a blast is fired from one of them, reminding the Neutrinos that they are still under seige. The ground is torn and broken all the way across the battle field, It's taken a lot of punishment in the last few weeks, but it means that the ground is already well broken to be dug.
John Stewart	While he's never done this specific thing... he had to study engineering to get a good idea of Architect work as a baseline. John is an expert on these kinds of things at this point. When he gets to the point they agreed on, he silently aims his ring into the ground, and he glows green as a trenching construct forms of Green energy. Within moments, he's digging a proper trench, spacing and all, and the dirt is flying out of the sides, being conpacted by the construct to become it's own makeshift sandbags. Within seconds, he's tunneling to the point where he's walking slowly forward. He wasn't kidding when he said he could get this done quick.
Santolouco	As the digging starts, sure enough the artillery takes little time to adjust. The pulse of their cannons releases a massive blow, pluming as they explode against the construct shield. The troops file in, while a few of them make their way to the surface, giving John's shield a break as they erect a force field several feet in front of him.
John Stewart	He was expecting it... but the blow still knocks him off his feet and onto his ass, stopping their progress briefly as he gets up, groaning. "Wow, I need to pump a lot more power for that." John notes, mostly to himself. Then, he presses forward again, focusing his full Will on pushing his digging construct to it's limit to get to the back line quicker, gritting his teeth from the reinforcment he's putting into it.
Santolouco	A blow against the shield above. And another. Three more hit at once, and it breaks, the blue force field sparking away as the impact of multiple blasts at once is too much.     "I hope that didn't give them any ideas," Dak says, "Next Team!" Another duo rush to the front line, but not before another blast strikes the surface, sending one of the Neutrino soldiers, and a load of dirt back into the trench that's being dug. The new pair set up their shield a few paces ahead of the current operation, the rain of fire continuing.
John Stewart	"I'm not being very subtle here." John explains, "If there was ever a prime example of taunting bait, this is it. They have to know letting us cut into their formations like this needs to be countered. At least we're drawing their fire from your other positions." Indeed, John has the ring silently monitoring the artillery now that they know about this plan... and mentally sets the ring to tell him the best times to form the shield as they go forward. "If I were them, I'd have explosives ready, which is why I'm going to start zig zagging this once we get near their positions."
Santolouco	Units start advancing, detaching from the large artillery units which can be seen through the ring's scans. They are about twelve feet tall, and within them are brain-like figures, small comparitavely, looking out from the chests of their mechanical armors, their slimy tendrils command the heavily armed suits as they start advancing on the position. It's true that it's taken most of their focuse. They haven't devoted all of their units to the pressure, but they seem to recognize that the presence of a Lantern needs to take their primary attention.     Remotely, there's another pulse, a concentrated combination of the artillery as several of them fire at once, trying to break the green shield.
John Stewart	The ring audibly states, <<warning: Assault armor advancing, timed with concentrated fire from artillery units. Without defensive shield in full focus, I estimate breach of position before directive is achieved>> The AI in the Power Ring states as John looks at the mental map himself. The translator in the ring auto translating for John's comrades. With a far away expression, John stops briefly, "I'm looking at the situation from the sensors... yeah, we're not gonna make it if they focus everything here. I'd tie up my ring with a defense shield for all of us." He looks to Dak, "get your people into a turtle formation. I'll get us underground and we can go from there. It'll be slower, but at least we'll only have their soldiers to worry about from behind." Without waiting for input -let's face it, artillery isn't going to wait for a decision- John Wills the digging construct to reconfigure, turning it from a trench machine into a tunneling machine, spitting the dirt out behind themselves for some cover.
Santolouco	BOOM! The blast hits the shield for one final blow as the armored assault suits begin sprinting. The artillery starts to change target, now that their units are closing in on John's position. At least he doesn't have to worry about the artillery anymore. The other units will, however. The assault suits being firing much lower power, but still highly attacks, trying to close the distance to stop the advance.     "Pulse Grenades!" Dak calls out. The commandos with him ready their grenades. "On my mark! Throw!" They hurtle their grenades at the incoming suits, and it's shortly followed by pulsing WHOMP that knocks several of the attackers off their feet, and disables a few of them. He looks to John. "They gotta be desperate if they are coming out in the suits," he says. "Utroms can't breathe our air here. If their suits are breached they'll suffocate."
John Stewart	He keeps focus, pushing the tunnel to the coordinates agreed upon, "The more time you buy me, the more cover we get above us. Once I turn around, your people will need to move for me, it'll be messy." Indeed, the tunneling machine 'whirs' louder as John tries to gain as much ground as possible. "Tell me when to defend us..."
Santolouco	"The artillery has changed focus," Dak says. "If we can take out the pilots, most of the artillery should stop, they are controlling the units remotely most likely. Here they come!" Into the trench behind them, three massive armored units land heavily in the tilled soil, and arm cannons from the first in line start exploding in the direction of John and the commandos. It looks like the assault came before Dak could give that call for defense.
John Stewart	The AI was monitoring it, so it gave John a mental prod... and the machine suddenly disappears as John stops focusing on it. Instead, he brings his Ring around and Wills a defensive bunker into existance around the group, complete with narrowed firing slits. Being an architect and former marine has it's advantages. "Try to breach from here." John strains out, taking miltary grade weapons fire would be a drain on any Green Lanterns willpower. "I'll go offense if I have to, but some of you will die if I try it."
Santolouco	A few commandos stumble back in a perceived imminent death, only to have the shield rescue them. Other commandos fill into the slots in the shield, while the bulk of the unit starts piling forth where the drilling had given them and opening.     The arm cannons of the forward assault unit suddenly stop as one of the commandos manages to strike the reinforced transparent metal that serves to protect the occupant. Several more strikes cause him to bring one arm across him in defense. Then a blast strikes something explosive, sending the first armored unit into the side of the trench with enough force to embed him there. Legs move, but it seems fast stuck into the grime.     The one behind him leaps over, and it's rockets come up over its shoulders as it prepares to fire a heavier payload, trying to force down the shields.
John Stewart	With the bunker in place and holding, John slides up so he can aim his own ring through the slits himself. He's going to feel this later, but lives are at stake, and his Oath binds him to the defense of these people. Besides, he's an excellent sniper, might as well support where he can, right? As the rockets start to come up, John starts firing Green concussive bolts at the suit, either to take the rocket pod out of commission, or to intercept the rockets as they fire. AI targetting assistance will allow him to project instant interception fire, after all. "On the bright side, they're easy targets for your own defensive lines from behind. I still have plenty of energy to keep this up."
Santolouco	The second explodes as John strikes the payload before it can be launched, knocking out that suit and the one behind it.     "We're through!" call one of the commandos from the hole below.     There's a sudden explosion, and from the whole a wash of flames comes up. Out near the back line of the artillery, a similar plume can be seen. Something just went very wrong.
John Stewart	<<Report: misthrown grenade. Eight casualties. All unable to continue fighting.>> The ring reports audibly. "Too late for reinforcements." John concedes, "Ring, scan for technology similiar to what was used in orbit. Do they have countermeasures for me?" The bunker shrinks as John resizes it for those remaining. Less willpower needed means he can think. "If we're lucky, I can finish the job myself with you all taking cover in the tunnel."
Santolouco	Dak clenches his teeth. "We came here to fight. People die in war," he says, waving the smoke and heading into the tunnel. "Can you make that thing stronger if we all retreat into the tunnel and make it smaller?" he asks. "We got a small window for this, we win or die on these next few moments."
John Stewart	John glances to Dak with a serious expression, "As long as they don't get to that pod and reactivate that thing, from this distance I can probably destroy all the artillery emplacements myself. Getting under their shield was the issue. You've never seen a Green Lantern in action before. There's a reason they're focusing most of their artillery this way." All of this is being said with a defensive shield up around them.
Santolouco	"Fantastic, well let's get moving then," Dak says. He disappears into the hole, and starts making his way to the other side, his two remanin men along side him.     Inside the hole, it's a gruesome sight. Four of the men are still alive, though badly injured, two dead, and two...well, there isn't much left to identify of them. But the smoking hole does reveal the daylight on the other side. The radical explosions of the artillery commence again. This time they are hitting the palace wall.
John Stewart	This is going to suck. A personal defense shield flares up around himself, and his eye glow intensifies. Suddenly, he floats... and darts though the tunnel, heading right for the artillery emplacements and positioning himself just barely at the foundation of their frames. Behind one of the emplacements, John Wills a chainsaw into existence capable of cutting through battle armor, and starts to relentlessly work his way through the base of the first one. Anyone looking his way will be able to see him, with his bright that green shield is.
Santolouco	As John cuts through the first artillery unit, the screeching of metal against metal can be heard. The Utrom disengages from the unit as explodes, the battle suit stumbling away from the wreckage of the artillery. He's immediately pummelled by energy blasts from Dak and his two commandos as they follow out of the hole, mud and blood covering them from the journey through, and a war cry on their lips. "For Neutrino!"
John Stewart	The momentum is theirs, and John doesn't join in the battle cry. It isn't his planet, and pretending he is would be disrespectful. He needs to get this done before they have the bright idea of trying to pull that canceller technology out of the pod. Instead, he immediately flies over to the next artillery platform, repeating the same process with his armor shattering chainsaw as he continues to break their supporting backline...
Santolouco	The response begins to draw the reaction, and the full artillery line stops. 12 more Utroms, all but one of the artillery units, disengage in their battle suits, and rush forward. Dak orders his commandos to the husk of the destroyed artillery cannon, while he himself? Well, he's sprinting ahead for one of the undamaged units whose pilot previously had disengaged to attack them in close combat. Of course, three assault suits are now rushing him, aware of what damage he could do from that position.
John Stewart	This is as good a time as any to start working on clearing this part of the battlefield anyway. John knows full well the value of experienced officers like Dak... and is getting a good idea of how reckless he likes being. Instead of going for the next artillery piece, John changes course towards the nearest assault suit, disappears the chainsaw, reinforces his shield, and starts flying right into the suit like a battering ram, angling himself to smash him into one of the artillery emplacements. Two birds with one stone, as it were.
Santolouco	The artillery unit is crushed as the suit connects with the vehicle from whence it came. Dak makes it to the empty unit, and grabs the controls. It swivels, and unloads on two of the other units that are far enough away to be targeted. One of them was the last suppressing fire for the palace forces, and on cue, hover platforms start bursting over the wall with small teams of soldiers, ready to help finish the fight.     The other two battle suits turn on John, opening fire with their full payloads desperately, but it's clear that their siege has been broken.
John Stewart	Unfortunately, John was too busy focusing on the suit that when they launch alpha strikes at him, John takes the full brunt of it, and everyone on the battlefield gets a front view seat of a Green Lantern bulleting away from the sheer forces sent against him. Within moments, he disappears from view as he crashes into the side of a hill, cratering it and sending up a cloud of dust from the impact.
Santolouco	The two commandos who had been taking cover respond, now that the suits need to recalibrate. They may have struck the Lantern, but they now have little defense against the Neutrinos who close in on them, pulsing their blasts repeatedly against the suits until both fall.     The units sweep over the battlefield, and the few remaining Utroms lay down their weapons. The day is one. Dak exits the artillery, and looks to the hill that John had crashed into. "Lantern Stewart!" He calls out, flagging down one of the hover platforms as they draw near. "Check on the Lantern!" he declares as he jumps upon the moving platform which makes a bee line for the impact zone.
John Stewart	Even a Willed defense shield doesn't stop the body from experienciing some feedback. Sure, Inertia isn't a thing inside a Green Lantern flight field, but you can stop get knocked around by forces that the Power Ring doesn't have an active hand in compensating for. As Dak approaches, he finds a rattled by alive John Stewart who is laying there as he waits for the ringing in his ears to stop. "I don't hear anymore artillery shells. Are they down?" John asks, unsteadily.
Santolouco	Dak hops off, laughing as he sees the still living John Stewart. "Yeah, yeah they are down," he says. "You just freed planet Neutrino," he declares, reaching a hand out, not sure if Stewart is in position to take it or not.
John Stewart	He seems steady enough and grabs the hand. Dak doesn't feel anything from that hand, with it still being wrapped up in a Power Ring atmospheric bubble, but the weight is there. "One step at a time." John mutters as he looks around the field... but then he nods slightly, "even so, celebration." John looks back to Dak, "I have matters to deal with myself, but feel free to report back, I can take things from here." He doesn't tell Dak about the larger implications of what just happened here: Bound by his Oath to the Green Lantern Corps, he just forced his fellows into a galactic war against an Empire that has countermeasures for them. Sure, he was bound to do it by his Oath... but that doesn't make the strategic situation any less dire on his part.