plot:phoenix_team

Phoenix Team


“Nobody Can Keep Us Down.”
Art by Puffy.

Phoenix Team is the informal name given to the 'troubleshooting' organisation created in PA 269 by Luca Pavone and a loose coalition of his close contacts and friends, operating out of Sargasso.

Pioneered in PA 269 with a crude gynoid called Yttrium rescued by Luca, the Phoenix Team was put together when Yttrium discovered her rescuer's particular set of marketable skills. She coaxed him into meeting with Sargasso's mayor to get out their and get some exposure, hopefully getting in the mayor's good books along the way. Despite good intentions, their first job went less than ideally, and the Team got the ire of the Noir-based criminal syndicate/corporation1) Gruppen Tanhauss: A pharmaceutical company discovered to be funding criminal activities within Sargasso.

The Phoenix Team doesn't put a cap on what they can do for their clients, negotiating and meeting with them directly to see what they want, what they'll pay, and then going out to get results. Luca prefers not to promise his clients much, but aims to deliver the best outcome possible for them. Sometimes though, trouble comes to the Team and they were swept into the middle of it.

In addition, due to Luca's notoriety, associates of the Phoenix Team are advised to conceal their identities if possible, lest they be associated with an infamous ex-EAD soldier and scoundrel. This has had the unintended effect of having team members appear to be masked superheroes.

The Phoenix Team's main organisation is very ad-hoc, with many missions being planned on the fly. Usually, clients and friends of Luca contact him first, and Luca will contact people in Phoenix Team to see who will help him out in the venture. Whoever comes, comes, whoever doesn't, doesn't. Sometimes, clients will contact other members of the Phoenix Team first, and let them handle the task. Overall, it is highly likely that in any given mission, the makeup of who is in will vary wildly, and the characters may not even agree with each other.

It's showtime!” - Luca Pavone, introducing the Phoenix Team dramatically.

The following people are directly affiliated with, or known to work for the Phoenix Team.

FaceNamePlayed ByRoleNotes
Luca PavoneLucaCombat/LeaderEx-EAD soldier. Can't resist a fight.
Yttrium BlueOsakaAlien/Con ArtistFrequently gets into trouble.
- Seiren IsbalaMoogleTech/RiderFights abominations with Rider Kicks.
- Mr. SnufflesJimmyAlien/CheltiAlso has 'Sparrow', a parrot.
Breyja SarnAshlinnCombat/MedicalMaidenhand for hire.
- Ravnir Star TreaderShamRAIKENEnjoys thinking. Is homesick.
“I have a shipment of high-quality, flat-packed, fast-assembling furniture which would look great in the warehouse on Midway. However, some assholes intercepted one of my light freighters and made off with it. Get it back and I'll give you some free, and toss in some other goodies. Make 'em scream and I'll toss ammo in for free!” - Johnny Longhands, making a proposal.

The following people are known associates, who provide Phoenix Team with assistance, but do not provide direct support in missions.

FaceNamePlayed ByRoleNotes
- EchelonNPCTech/HackerEmployed by Rex Tannerman.
- Johnny LonghandsNPCLogisticsKeeps the team supplied.
- Ally KellyNPCCombat/MaidenhandLets the team stay at the Hero's Armaments.

The following people can be friends or foes of the Phoenix Team. Their motivations and allegiances may align with the Team's, or go against them.

FaceNamePlayed ByRoleNotes
- The DriverLucaCombat/VehicleEx-EAD soldier. Codename: Driver.
- Jirou "Decker" HarridanMoogleCombat/RiderEx-EAD soldier. Codename: Decker.
- Seija IsbalaMoogleTech/Mad ScienceCEO of Cloverpaw. Seiren Isbala's evil twin.

The following people have requested the services of Phoenix Team.

“Don't worry boys, there's plenty of Luke to go around!” - Luca Pavone, heckling a Vogeljäger Security detail as he punches the crap out of them.
“They've got guns! Why are you - OHMYGOD - DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!” - Yttrium Blue, hiding behind cover.

The following people, groups, and beings are enemies of the Phoenix Team.

  • Gruppen Tanhauss - A medical conglomerate operating out of Noir with holdings in Sargasso and intent to do a hostile takeover. They are responsible for subverting local businesses, supplying criminals and gangs with weapons and drugs to use, lobbying through Sargasso's city hall to weaken protections in trade laws. Their modus operandi consists of acquiring property and assets devalued by rampant crime, buying them up at a cheap price and otherwise intimidating the owners, and installing their own brands in their place.
    • Frankie Papadopolous - Responsible for match-fixing the Drill Tanks, Frankie was posing as a mechanic at the Drill Derby. He got taken in by Luca, and handed to Rex Tannerman and Echelon for questioning.
    • The Driver - Mentioned by Frankie, the Driver is claimed to be a former EAD operative.
    • Vogeljäger Security - Gruppen Tanhauss' private security force. Drawn from the likes of thugs, mercenaries, and criminals from Tanhauss' Zero-G Max Security Prison, they are made fiercely loyal to the organisation through drugs and augmentations. It isn't uncommon to see them protecting Tanhauss' assets with force.
  • Abominations - Rocky creatures borne from meteors smashing into the ground, rapidly assimilating surrounding material and creating an aggressive synthetic life form.
  • The Apachopper Club - A gang of ground and air bikers, often causing mayhem in Sargasso from the back of their crude and loud choppers and skimmers. They'll pick a fight with anyone, maybe even each other.

The Phoenix Team operates their business out of the following locations:

    • Apartment 7-02 in Sargasso's Ferros Block
      • Luca's apartment building, comfortably furnished. Contains a workbench and a computer.
    • The Hero's Armaments Pub on Barrier Island
      • A hideaway under the pub is offered for the team by Ally Kelly if someone needs to lay low.
    • 55 Midway Beach, Barrier Island
      • A small warehouse owned by Luca Pavone, used as the team's planning base.
      • Contains a bunkroom, some lockers and secure storage space, a civilian-grade computer and workbench, space for two cars or six motorcycles, a kitchenette, and a hangar area for the group's One-Stop Fantail (formerly a cold storage).
      • Resupplied irregularly by Johnny Longhands.

The following events are presented in chronological order, by year.

Characters with bold names are introduced in that thread. Characters with italicised names are antagonists.

Name/Link Persons Involved Summary Outcomes
PA 269
Drop in the Ocean Luca, Yttrium While eating a bowl of noodles on a balmy night, Luca witnesses two policemen apprehend a gynoid. Sensing something suspicious about the police, Luca gives chase. Luca ends up rescuing a crude gynoid called Yttrium, apparently being targeted by her former employer for not paying debts. Luca takes her under his wing reluctantly, but she ends up moving in permanently.
Through the Gift Shop Luca, Snuffles, The Apachopper Club Whilst relaxing at Wayward Mall, Luca meets a mysterious Chelti going by the name of “Mr. Snuffles” and their bird. Hot on Snuffles' heels are a gang of bikers, hell bent on smashing the mall up. The duo give chase, recognising bounties. Luca manages to knock a few heads, while Snuffles gets their mark. The two offer stay in contact with each other in future.
Do it Clean Luca, Yttrium, Ally, Echelon, Frankie2) The first job as 'Phoenix Team', Yttrium and Luca meet the Mayor of Sargasso to investigate match fixing in the sport of Drill Tanks. The initial stakeout and seizure of the crooked 'Frankie' goes wrong, resulting in Yttrium coming undone, Luca getting the ire of her debtors, and having the cantankerous Echelon assigned to trace Frankie's contacts. Luca also gets beaten up a lot! With the help of the Maidenhand barmaid Ally, and Luca being greeted by a Unit to explain himself - interrupted by a hit squad; Echelon uncovers the syndicate Gruppen Tanhauss was responsible for supplying cash for the drivers throwing the races. Luca and Yttrium's less than ideal handling of the start has provoked the conglomerate into war against them - and potentially Sargasso. Luca seems pleased to have a 'recurring antagonist' though.
Push Them Back Luca, Seiren, Abominations Whilst watching the beach in the midst of doing errands, Luca notices strange meteorites streaking across the sky, and a boy decked with high-tech gear chasing after them and warning people to run. The meteorites land and transform into sandstone abominations. Luca and Seiren fought the abominations and won together. Later, units and local Police showed up to help with damage control.
Something's Cooking Luca, Yttrium, Breyja, Vogeljäger Security Commissioned by retired Sourcian film star Elena, Luca and Yttrium must confirm the whereabouts of the actress' former director turned slime farmer, who hasn't replied to her messages. Their last known location is a slime farm up north in Sargasso's Bayous. Luca and Yttrium did some detective work together and tracked Gerald's whereabouts to a cavern in Devil's Depths. His last known associates were from Hildebrandt Farms, a company connected to Tanhauss… Enlisting the help of the Maidenhand combat medic Breyja Sarn, Luca and the mercenary trek into Devil's Depths together. They found the black-market operation Gerald was dabbling in, blasted it to bits, rescued him, and gave the Vogeljäger security present a headache. Gerald was happily reunited with Elena. And everyone had pizza afterwards. Luca is owed a favour by Elena.
All The Trouble You Can Afford Luca, Yttrium, Driver, Frankie Praising their current fortunes and the success of the Phoenix Team so far, Luca and Yttrium take some time off together at home. However, while channel surfing, Luca discovers that Frankie was busted out of a prison bus in transit, and soon identifies the culprit: The Driver. Luca makes his address to the members of Phoenix Team, telling them to get ready to take Sargasso back from the Criminals, Gruppen Tanhauss, and the Driver. Meanwhile, Driver is spotted talking to a shady figure in an unknown safehouse. Frankie is with him, and due to be whisked elsewhere.
Tail in Tail Luca, Jirou Luca is contacted by a former EAD member Jirou Harridan, formerly codenamed Decker or Rider. He agrees to meet Harridan at the Hero's Armaments. Luca and Jirou agree that the chickens are coming home to roost, and that the remaining EAD members must be reached out to. They disagree on how to deal with the problem. Jirou passes Driver's psych file to Luca, wishes him luck in his efforts, and warns him to stay under the radar.
Hunted Ilsa, Muller, Dr. Lange Gruppen Tanhauss looks at the fallout from the incident at Devil's Depths, and the extraction of Frankie by Driver, and covering the hole caused by Ewings Slime Colony being routed. In the meantime, Tanhauss' PR department fabricates a narrative that pins the bus incident on former EADs 'reliving glory days' and 'acting out'. Determining that Luca and Yttrium are priority targets, Tanhauss steps up their efforts to deal with the duo, as well as smear whatever reputation is left of EAD. To this end, Dr. Lange has developed Brokkoldat - artificial and disposable humanoids made of vegetable matter, and he fixates on Luca's arm, and proposes to steal it from him. Ilsa meanwhile cannot enjoy a sandwich.
See Inside Luca, Breyja, Seiren, Snuffles, Ravnir, Ally, Yttrium, Brokkoldat Deciding to get to know his team better, Luca decides to host lunch at the Hero's Armaments on his dollar. However, the lunch festivities are interrupted by the arrival of a large Weird Thing shaped like a mutated crustacean, and the assembled team deals with it - along with a Raiken by the name of Ravnir. The Crustacean was dispatched with relative ease by the team, and the team retreated back to 55 Midway Beach to recuperate, meet Yttrium, and discuss further the goals of Phoenix Team and how to tackle the problems Gruppen Tanhauss are causing for sargasso. However, during the briefing the warehouse was raided by Broccoli Soldiers, engineered by Tanhauss. With the Broccoli soldiers splattered on many of the warehouse's surfaces and the cops coming in to investigate the racket, Luca found himself having to explain himself to the cops not once but twice as to why he's back on active service. A Unit interviewed Luca and Yttrium regarding the heroics and the construction of Phoenix Team, giving them the green light to operate within reason for Sargasso's wellbeing, and to fight back against Tanhauss' influence.
Because We Can Luca, Breyja, Seiren, Snuffles, Ravnir, Yttrium, Apachoppers, Driver The scene opens with Galacta Candy turning away some hawkers from the Blue Sky Society. The hawkers put Galacta Candy on a blacklist, attracting all sorts of trouble for the company - ranging from technical interference to theft. Cut to a couple of weeks later, and Luca is casing the Blue Sky Society's building in Sargasso's CBD, on the phone to Seiren. Midway through the conversation, a ram-raid by the Appachoppers occurs, and Luca hastily calls the Phoenix Team to Seiren's aid. After getting Galacta Candy back under control3), the team investigated the source of the truck used in the ram raid, and tracked it down to a self-storage facility on Hellion Overlook's outskirts - occupied by the Apachoppers. However, shortly after arriving, the team discovered that Driver was hiding in the facility with a mecha! It was discovered that the Driver's Mecha was remotely piloted. Luca and Breyja were injured in the course of the fighting, and the EAD hysteria in the media reached a fever pitch in the wake of this incident. Gruppen Tanhauss is highly annoyed at the loss, but Kransky and Sons Self-Storage are grateful for driving the motorcycle gang away, and rewarded the team handsomely.
All That Good Luca, Breyja, Snuffles, Yttrium, Ravnir, Johnny Immediately after Because We Can, Luca spends some time in recovery, taking in the sights and sounds and treating himself to some meals out and groceries. With the money he was rewarded and cash from other contracts, he contacts Johnny Longhands to meet him at the Heroes Armaments, and calls the team together to get them privy on a business deal and share a meal together to bond. Luca purchased a One-Stop Fantail for the Phoenix Team to use, and contacted Elena to refurbish 55 Midway Beach with a hangar to store the new spacecraft. The construction is underway at this point, as Johnny hangs onto the spacecraft for him.
Through the Cries Luca, Yttrium, Rumia, Snuffles, Breyja, Ravnir, Yttrium, Driver, The Crone Early one misty morning at Ferros Block, Luca was door-knocked by a woman calling herself The Crone, and with her was an imp who claimed that her mistress had been kidnapped by someone fitting Driver's description. Luca was quick to spring into action, and as he was preparing Jirou Harridan sent him a message stating that he too had heard of Driver being rampant - and would be sending an associate of his (former EAD 'Shadowcat') to assist Luca. Currently Underway…!

OOC


1)
the two are considered one and the same in Noir.
2)
Also mentions The Driver.
3)
With the aid of several MBFs composing Seiren's security team, bork bork.
  • plot/phoenix_team.txt
  • Last modified: 2018/12/11 04:46
  • by jimmy