Gone caravanning

It was a rather dreary day in stableton, all day the clouds threatened to release a downpour on the little town. As a result the majority of it's resident stayed inside, Listening to their pip buck radios as they when about their day. Almost all of the people in stableton where tuned into the broadcast of DJ pon-3, enjoying the sweet music and news that brought a little bit of light to their wasteland existence.

"...and that fillies and colts is why you should never let a diamond dog borrow your stuff, unless you have shovel and the persistence to get them back. And now it's for more music, brought to you by the lovely sapphire shores."

The voice of the wasteland's disc jockey was replaced by a mare's as she began to sing her song. However the signal cut out with a few seconds of static and then replaced by a new voice, a gruff one, speaking in an almost playful tone.

"Hellooooo stableton, Your local raider bone head here with some news. I really do hate to cut off miss shores but I need to interrupt your broadcast to bring you an important message and no sheriff it's not a threat so you can go ahead and put your gun away." There was a pause. "I'm sure most of you remember when slavers marched on your town, the blood that was spilled in the battle, it would be a shame if something like that where to happen again." The griffin's tone got more serious. "Well I'm here to warn you that that is a very real possibility. Slavers are massing in the hills and have their sights set on stableton, lucky for you lot i'm willing to do something about that. A weapons shipment is on it's way to their camp and i'm in prime position to intercept them, leaving the slavers outgunned if they do attack. And that brings us to the reason I hijacked your music, I need help, plain and simple. Any mercenaries willing to help will be paid and allowed to take their pick from the liberated weapons. If your interested head to my camp, the bone yard, about an half an hours trot north from the gate. I look forward to seeing the turn out." The signal cut back to static and then faded back into sapphire's song just as it came to a close.

Inside the bone yard, the griffin leader set down the microphone and leaned back in his chair, pouring a bottle of whiskey into a glass. There was a knock at his door. Turning he saw a deep blue pegasus in leather barding standing in the door way. "Ah, tune up, there you are." Bone said as he grabbed an audio recorder of his desk and walked up to his lieutenant. "If we're going to track this lost caravan then we'll need the help of a special pony." He handed the recorder to the pegasus. "Take this to sanctity in stableton, If he doesn't leave for the bone yard in an hour upon receiving then you know what to do." The pegasus silently nodded before taking the device, placing it in his saddle bag, and leaving the room. Bone head walked over to the window and watched as the winged pony took flight in the direction of the town, a smile creeping across his face as he took a sip of whiskey, "Let the hunt begin."

Diesel had been walking outside a house when he heard the announcement. Looking down he thought silently about what was in the caravan, he smiled as he thought of the sword he wanted so desperately. Turning around he quickly took off in the direction of the bone yard, as he got out of the main town he dove into the earth and dug his way the rest of the distance.

As he dug back up he was at a building, looking around the area around it seemed pretty empty. Pulling himself up he knocked on the door and waited to see who would answer the door. Looking around he pondered who would answer the call like him.

Whitefeather never did like those infernal contraptions for the fact of the cons to the pro's. She had been in the hospital, Volunteering what little help she could while picking up as much as she could, being a bleak place the staff loved to have at least one of there pipbucks on the radio station especially on this bleak day as it poured outside so when Boneheads voice came through worrying the ponies she really didn't appreciate it, the griffon had always been skirting on thin Ice for her. As far as she cared all of the taint in the waste resided in bodies such as him but from her rare few encounters he had proven, even in selfish manors of own self gain, he had the capacity to function in a reasonable manner as such she saw no real problem with him even now his option to, in her opinion, settle a little raider feud or weaponry boost, was still a fact for her to ignore his alignment for now.

As Bone head message finished an eerie calm fell over the place she didn't expect any of the hospital staff to help but even looking outside had proven almost no pony saddling up and heading out with an irritable sigh she she left as soon as she was done bandaging up one of the bucks taking her stuff and leaving in the direction Bone Head had provided flying through the bleak rain cutting the travel time as the Waste floor sped below her yet soaking her feathers in the speed Coming up on the Bone year she landed and began to shake her wings shaking off as much water as she could off her body before walking up to the encampment, hopefully they would know of Bone Heads plans and be opt to ask first and then shoot later.

If nothing more she wasn't here for as selfish reasons as Bone Head may have his own mind on, she honestly worried for Stableton and right now Bone Head was the lesser of two evils. She cautiously walked up to the Bone yard, scoffing at the fact, looking for anyone of his underlings to assist her, not wanting to just pop in unannounced into a Raider den.

Tiberius only just heard the broadcast, as he'd been scavenging whilst a choppy radio had been playing music for the entertainment of long-past ghosts of the wasteland. A raider interrupted the beautiful voice of a mare once known as "Sapphire Shores" with news of a town in potential slaver danger. The first thing that came to mind was that it was a trick, no normal raider was sober enough to be using technology.

But regardless, it was an interesting proposal, going after this weapons shipment. So long as this Raider didn't use it for his own little "crew".

There wasn't much of use here anyhow, so Tiberius decided it was high-time to move on, perhaps help with this little problem a town known as "Stableton" was having. Raising onto his hind hooves and calmly walking as if it were normal, he started heading in what felt to be the right direction, as Stableton wasn't that far west from where he was right now.

Nearing the boneyard, Tiberius recognised a griffon he'd seen not too long ago when helping with a different caravan. "I see trouble has lured you to this place. You genuinely worry for that town? If they've held off one attack, they could handle a second one."

Sanctity turned off the radio as Bone Head finished talking. The level of technology that took must be pretty intense, but to use it to advertise for mercenaries, to hit a caravan no less... It just wasn't right. Even if the griff was speaking the truth -which he highly doubted- they'd just be trading heavily armed slavers, for heavily armed raiders. Neither of those options were particularly good, hell, at least the slavers had a reason to try and keep them alive, over just burning the place to the ground.

He sat there in silence for a few minutes, before a knock on the loose piece of corrugated metal that served as his door broke the peace. He sighed and pulled his repeater from where it lay as he trotted towards the door, keeping the rifle on the other side of the door as he opened it so whoever was there wouldn't see it.

"Uh, what can I do for yah?" he asked the deep blue pegasus who was standing in his doorway. He looked at him for a few seconds, but he did nothing but shiver lightly for a few seconds before pulling something from his packs and handing it to him. He levitated in front of him for a moment, curious at to what it did. Then, the thing burst into life with a flurry of static as he poked one of the buttons on it.

"greetings Mr. Sanctity, or should I call you 'Killer. Have you been listening to the radio lately? Some very interesting things on there, raiders asking for help, whats next, enclave handing out candy? But let's cut to the chase. I know who you are. I know about your past, and I know that you have gone through a great deal to keep it hidden. Think of what the ponies of Stableton or any settlement for that matter, would do to you if they were ever to find out. Why a public lynching would certainly make for quite the event. Luckily for you I'm a nice griffin and am willing to keep my beak shut...for a price. I have need for your skills, after all tracking ponies is your talent. Report in for the job and this whole mess can just disappear, but if you ignore this message then I can't guarantee your safety. *Chuckle* See you soon, killer. "

Sanctity stared at the thing, his mouth dry and his stomach lurching. He felt like he was going to throw up. It fell to the ground with a dull clunk and he glared at the messenger with all the intensity I he could muster. He wanted to shout at him, to tell him he'd never do it. But he knew he had to. If Stableton found out... He had nowhere else to go. He'd die out in the wastes, alone and unmourned.

"I'll be there." he said, his voice low and strained, before he slammed the door in his face and began preparing his gear.

Whitefeather looked over seeing a familiar face in the form of a stripped one. "Nip the problem at the bud as they say" a smile, It seemed he was wary of the intent of this task as well, knowing someone else was on her side of things, even if it could be a distant possibility, was a welcomed one even it it came in zebra form. "Even if it means working with Raiders to stop Slavers" she couldn't hid a sneer at that comment but it was whom they were, nasty vile beings, as she was herself, an uppity griffoness of high standards.

Sanctity arrived at the camp with his cloak drawn around him, hiding his form as best he could. He couldn't risk being spotted and recognized by the raiders here. It was bad enough just one of them knowing. If the whole camp knew, he was doomed. He looked at two of the fellow mercenaries in surprise, he'd though they had better moral fibre than to work with raiders. But then again, they might not be here out of their own voilition either. Bone probably had dirt on everyone from here to Hoof'. He dipped his head slightly in recognition of the griffon and diamond dog, deciding to stay as silent as he could whilst he was here.

"Indeed, slavers are far too common in these lands though." Tiberius replied, accompanying Feather to the Boneyard if only due to the fact that he was going the same way as her... There was no need for idle chatter, that was something Tiberius didn't like dealing with. But once they eventually arrived, Tiberius' gaze swept across the camp. "You have some "helpers" here, raider trash." Tiberius spoke darkly, waiting for a response from somepony.

(I've been unable to reach true cause or swift in the past few days, we will be moving on but if either of you want to join in later then PM me and i'll try to work the plot around so you can join.)

The group stood before a rather large 3 story structure. On the roof there was a rather large radio tower, it's lights still blinking. The double doors opened to a darkened room, nopony was on the other side. "Enter." came a raspy voice from the darkness.

The four mercenaries walked into the building, the doors closing behind them. The room was not covered in the typical raider decor, no splayed open corpses hung from the rafters. However the walls still bared blood stains and fires burned in trash bins next to the stairs on the far end of the room. The stairs led up to a balcony that held doors to the second floor offices. The balcony also held about a dozen raiders, all pointing their guns at the 4 new arrivals.

An elevator on the left side of the lobby dinged and then opened, 3 more raiders stepping out. The leading raider was bone head and he was flanked by two higher up looking raiders. One was an earth pony mare, her mane done up in a ridiculous purple Mohawk and she wore a battle saddle integrated with two mini-guns. The other was a diamond dog, brutish in shape, his barding was covered in blades. He had enough trowing knives and hatchets to make any collector turn green with envy.

Bone looked to the pony, griffin, DD and zebra that had entered his home. "Ah about time, I was about to give up on you and let the caravan go." He signaled to the raiders on the balcony. The ponies lowered their weapons and returned whatever task they where doing before. Bone head approached the group stopping on the seal that marked the center of the room, A large circle with a radio tower emitting musical notes, the words "Eastern Equestria Broadcasting Center" wrapping around it's perimeter. "I take it you lot are her for the job then?" Bone asked the 4 before him.

Sanctity looked around at the raiders and his face contorted into a grimace under his hood. Figured that that was how Bones knew. He pulled his head back further into his cloaks hood as he waited for the guns to either go away or start firing. Either way he was equally screwed, so it didn't matter.

He looked up at the griffon as he started talking, a sardonic smile rising to his lips. "No, were here for a Luna damned vacation" was what he wanted to say, but he kept his muzzle shut. No need to poke the bear with a stick. Instead, he nodded almost imperceptibly, flicking his eyes around the room.

Swift was walking around town talking with a pony she had meet just recently when their pipuck caught the signal. She stopped the conversation asking him to turn it up. She listened in and thought hell there might be some good weapons to get if she was lucky and maybe tear up some slaver scum. She said fare well to her friend before digging down to her small cave under Stableton and packed her stuff. She took off towards the north towards the Bone Yard at a fast pace wanting to get there for a position. When she arrived she beat on the door "LET ME IN."

True cause had heard the broadcast in passing whilst trying to barter with her meager supplies to a passing trader with his mass of equipment packed onto a Brahman, no doubt one of the guards had a pip buck playing the music but she didn't really care where it came from, the discussion had ended there with a brief note of her having to leave. Sally forth!

The blue unicorn would arrive not too long after Swift did, just in time to hear the banging and the shouting as she sighed softly and trotted quietly up behind her, "I doubt that you have to yell, I'm sure somepony's already gotten their attention if your pounding hasn't done it." she said with a slightly annoyed tone in her voice from the noise that Swift was causing in trying to get hold of the group that might be inside. Surely they had someone watching at least one of the windows already, right? Who knew.

Swift stops beating on the door as she hears True say something. She turns to look towards her and felt her tail wag. "Well if it isn't little Miss Snooty Dirt Flanks." She let out a howl of laughter at her joke and stayed like that for a few minutes until she calmed down enough to speak again. "I thought after the caravan I would never see such a blue face again. Well I can guess you heard the call and came a runnin to turn some slavers into blue cheese." She started to howl with laughter again and rolled around on the ground. "I sure can think of good jokes. Can't I Miss Blue?"

Diesel let out a low chuckle when the griffon asked such a stupid joke. "No Bone, I'm here to celebrate your birthday. Yes we are here for the job." Laughing at his own stupid joke he lifted his ears when he heard the door being banged. Looking around he walked back to the entrance and opened the door on the late comers. As he opened he heard Swift trying to make and joke and he just let out a sigh as he talked, "Are you two here for the job offer?" Standing in the door frame he let his body fill it up where they couldn't get past him.

True generally was a pretty stoic one, but the line of puns that seemed to flow almost desperately out of Swift's mouth even made her groan softly before shaking her head, "Well somepony at least seems to find them funny." she said simply to Swiftclaws before turning as Viktor came out to open the door and fill the entrance, those striking green eyes focusing up toward his face and obviously having to crane her neck a bit to do so.

"Seems that way." she said simply, "Unless the jobs not there anymore, in which case we might have other business." she said, tossing her headj ust a bit to adjust her mane.

Looking up at the griffon that greeted them, Tiberius was curious. How could raiders have such a place untarnished by their disgusting habits? Regardless both a fat dog and a pony in a cloak gave sarcastic responses, neither of them entertaining in the slightest.

"Of course, unless we have found the wrong boneyard." He commented in response to the griffon, stood in a rather disciplined fashion before the dog decided to try and intimidate a couple of new arrivals. Turning on a hoof, looking at the dog and basically barking at him. "A mutt does not pose as an alpha, they sit and do as they are told. Now get back in line you mangy creature."

He was almost predicting a violent retort of some variety, either that or a mirror of what he just said. But with a stern gaze, he watched the dog and waited, perfectly able to react to whatever the dog would do... Aside from actually getting back in line.

Swift looked at Viktor smiling "Wait this isn't where we sign up for the enclave? Darn, I guess I will just have to settle for causing some havoc." She looked past him inside, seeing WhiteFeather she smiled and called out in a caw "Hello it's Swift." When she heard Tiberius yell she let out a low growl raising up her haunches.

Diesel let out a sigh as he didn't even turn to talk back, "I spent countless years of my life being a guard in New Pegasus. You do not scare me young zebra, worse then you have tried to intimidate me and failed." Stepping aside he let the two walk past him as he waited around watching the female DD walk.

Tiberius chuckled once more upon hearing the mutt's response. "If you insist, but I must have said something right, mutt. I can only hope the countless years in New Pegasus have ensured you are at least house trained." He'd have to keep an eye on both of the dogs whilst on this job. Regardless he looked over at Bone Head. "So, raider, surely you have at least something planned out for this incursion, judging by the decor in here you have the capacity to create a safe plan, yes?" Whilst talking, Tiberius kept an ear out in case something decided to get aggressive.

Bone head rolled his eyes as everyone decided to play the smart ass. Then viktor and the zebra started to show signs of difficulty. "Alright that's enough!" The griffin barked, nipping this in the bud before it ended violently. "You can have a pissing contest later, right now i'm paying you to kill slavers, not each other." Bone stood up straight and looked to the zebra, "And yes I do have a plan." He then started to pace as he shared his knowledge. "The slavers are new to this part of equestia and as a result are not familiar with the landscape. We got lucky and the caravan seems to have gotten lost en route. So the plan is simple, Track down the weapons shipment, intercept them before they reach their destinations, and redirect them to tartarus." The griffin raider stopped and turned to 6 volunteers. "Fallow my orders and we can finish this fast and you can get paid. Try anything stupid..." he glanced over his shoulder to the earth pony mare as she kicked her battle saddle's loader and aimed is in the groups direction, the front disks of the mini guns revealing a pair of smiley faces painted on them. "And the only payment you'll be getting is used bullets." Bone head finished. "Any questions?"

Diesel shrugged as he got back in line looking at Bone, "So long as what I hope is in the shipment is there, you will have no problems with me Bone. You should know my philosophy from when we went into ponyville for your sister." Nodding at Bone he looked at the other members of the group to watch them and see what they say.

Whitefeater looked at the group that had assembled "Normally I would heckle you for your method Bones but this group leaves a sour taste in my beak" her hatred and exasperation over the bickering and assumptions between one another was childish and benign yet they still fought like squabbling radhogs. She turned to Swift, although her actions she had made leading up to this point from laughing at the dead and now joking about one such as the Enclave lead her to find her rather bothersome she still put on a happy face "Hello Swift, how have you been since our last meet?" So far the others hadn't made the greatest of impression. Sanctity was a pleasant site seeming more level headed then the rest of them the zebra , while his words she would agree with, really didn't need to banter the diamond dog the Blue unicorn hadn't said much and Swift was just being Swift s she assumed. So far her impression was to get this done and over with not wanting to spend any more time than necessary with these migraines waiting to happen.

The griffon was now actually telling them to shut up, what a tardy commander, the moment it had started he should've said something. But what could one do about it after agreeing to work with him? Nothing, clearly.

"Are we to conduct operations in our own personal methods? I am preferencial to stealth whilst I am sure others are not. Otherwise, I have no questions." The zebra spoke, waiting for an answer before they left.

True Cause listened to the griffon as he spoke but otherwise, as White had noticed, she kept mostly quiet and to herself, once more casting a glance in Tiberius' direction as she'd done during the last, brief meeting, before focusing on what was being said again, it was simple, seemed simple, should've been simple. She questioned her motives in helping this group though as she saw the smiling chain guns directed in her general vicinity.

"I can be fairly quiet." she said in response to the Zebra's question. "Good way to open a skirmish, I believe." she agreed with him on that, it was best to be quiet and then let things explode into sudden chaos rather than charge in head long.

Swift let out an even loud growl from the back of her throat at the new comment from the zebra. She eased some as she heard both the griffins talking, she found Bone Head level headed and determined to help them protect the town even if he didn't want to show it. Fea was another story since she seemed to be getting upset with this all. Swift let out a sigh as her hair fell back down and her attitude grew seldom "I have been fine just a little bored." She walked up to the line and stood beside Viktor "I think digging under their sorry flanks and pulling them down into a grasp of a pair of diamond dogs will help out." She gave Viktor a smile.