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The mall had been a lost cause, which...wasn't necessarily a bad thing? As long as the demo crew had gotten out of it okay, anyways... And, well, if no one got hurt on the whole. Trying not to think about it, Luxara decided to try to go on something of a walk. Sure, she could end up going through enemy territory, but considering how much she had gotten away with that already... How could it hurt to do it again?
Worst comes to worst, Stagdad could tear someone to shreds if they tried to hurt her. Maybe they could hang out at the docks near the barge for a bit, hopefully in cognito.

"Hey, Ets, wanna go explore around near the barge? Or just kind of get out of here for a bit? It's feeling kinda of empty around here right now, y'know?"

Group Progress:
Coordinates Unlocked: [1,1] [1,2] [1,4] [2,2] [2,4] [2,5] [2,6] [3,1] [3,2] [3,3] [3,4] [4,5] [5,2] [5,4] [5,5] [5,6] [6,2] [6,3] [6,4] [6,6] [5,1]
Defenders on Standby: 5
Result of Action: Discovered the Harbor!

Etsali's eyes widened at this bit of news and she stared long and hard at the greenblood while Luxara gave orders over the radio. She and Forera had a friend on the rebel side? So they knew the jerks that had been ruining all their bases? No wonder they were upset. Friends were supposed to be around to help you get what you wanted, not smash your things. Caught up in puzzling this over, she almost didn't realize she was being spoken to again, but once she did, she nodded quickly. "Sure, let's see what else we can find around there."

While they walked, the thief kept glancing over at her teammate, considering. And then they happened upon the Harbor. That was a rebel base, wasn't it? She rolled back and forth on her heels, thinking it over, and then lifted her own radio to call for a demo crew. Once it was done, she decided she couldn't just keep quiet anymore. "You know the fliers all said you're supposed to turn in rebels if you know them, even if they're your friends." She'd thought it was weird at the time she'd read it, but this must have been the kind of situation they'd meant. "I mean, they can't be a very good friend if they're making all our stuff go boom anyway."

It didn't occur to her that this might not be the right thing to say.

Group Progress:
Coordinates Unlocked: [1,1] [1,2] [1,4] [2,2] [2,4] [2,5] [2,6] [3,1] [3,2] [3,3] [3,4] [4,5] [5,1] [5,2] [5,4] [5,5] [5,6] [6,2] [6,3] [6,4] [6,6]
Defenders on Standby: 5
Result of Action: Attacking Harbor [5,1]

Man, that crew was really going to work on the base, huh? Etsali paused a second to glance over as another explosion went up. Seemed like good progress so far!

Group Progress:
Coordinates Unlocked: [1,1] [1,2] [1,4] [2,2] [2,4] [2,5] [2,6] [3,1] [3,2] [3,3] [3,4] [4,5] [5,1] [5,2] [5,4] [5,5] [5,6] [6,2] [6,3] [6,4] [6,6]
Defenders on Standby: 5
Result of Action: Attacking Harbor [5,1]

Argh, stupid rebels rebuilding things. Etsali snapped another quick order for MORE DYNAMITE.

Group Progress:
Coordinates Unlocked: [1,1] [1,2] [1,4] [2,2] [2,4] [2,5] [2,6] [3,1] [3,2] [3,3] [3,4] [4,5] [5,1] [5,2] [5,4] [5,5] [5,6] [6,2] [6,3] [6,4] [6,6]
Defenders on Standby: 5
Result of Action: Attacking Harbor [5,1]

Luxara's strained smile tightened as a demo crew was called in. At least they weren't throwing the bombs themselves, but... Even so, they had a hand in this, right?

But her expression didn't fall completely until Etsali made a point. Luxara looked away, her mouth a thin line. She remembered coming into the camp the first time, worrying about being reported, and had promised, just...so casually...that she would never report her friends who she already KNEW were criminals. Just like she was.

"It's not that simple." she mumbled. Luxara cleared her throat, and added, a little hysteria edging her voice, "I mean, when you're friends with someone, don't you want them to be safe?" And reporting them would be anything BUT that, she knew this, especially after watching their blueblood 'captain'. "I don't want to get anyone in trouble. Especially someone I care about so much." She twiddled her thumbs. "He didn't know I was here. So it's not his fault, he's just following orders like WE are. I'M the bad friend because I KEEP blowing rebel stuff up even though I know better!" she snapped. "He told me to get out of here, and I didn't, so I guess I'M the bad friend."

With that, Luxara made some distance between herself and the ensuing explosions. She watched as it was blown to bits, built on, and right when they had the opportunity to feel like they accomplished sOMETHING, no idea if it was good or bad, but SOMETHING, it was blown to smithereens anyways.

Luxara just sighed. "I should've listened to him."

Vulpin scoffed at Forera's insult. Breaks were very important! You can't work to your full potential unless you rest occasionally. He let the comment slide, he didn't want to waste his breath.

Vulpin squinted his eyes at the girl and gave her a doubting look. He knew something was up with her, she couldn't fool him. He licked his dry lips before he spoke. "For your information, Forera, it is my business." He prodded her shoulder forcefully and got into her face. "We are a ******** team whether you like it or not. We need to work together or else we're going to die."

He had barely finish his words and the barge began to shake with consistent missile attacks, and in an instant all of their hard work was gone. Vulpin bit his lip and nearly ripped his hair out in frustration. "FORERA!" He screamed. "GET YOUR s**t TOGETHER AND HELP ME REBUILD."

Group Progress:
Coordinates Unlocked: [1,1] [1,2] [1,4] [2,2] [2,4] [2,5] [2,6] [3,1] [3,2] [3,3] [3,4] [4,5] [5,1] [5,2] [5,4] [5,5] [5,6] [6,2] [6,3] [6,4] [6,6]
Defenders on Standby: 5
Result of Action: BUILT ON Abandoned Barge for [6,1]

As she glanced back from the last bright explosion to look at Luxara, Etsali's triumphant little smile twisted into a grimace. She didn't entirely see the problem still, and the fact was beginning to rub her the wrong way. She didn't care about anyone so much that she'd let it affect her like this, except maybe Keeper. But Keeper wasn't her friend, she was her lusus and, well, her keeper. The Tunnel Snakes were the closest thing she had, because they were a team, her very own band of partners in crime, even if they weren't committing crimes at the moment. Now she just felt like they were on completely different pages, like some stupid faceless rebel was stealing her team and all the fun they'd had from her.

Behind them their carefully built new base exploded into nothing and when she was done flinching away from the chaos of it, she pointed a gloved hand out towards it. "The rebels are still blowing up our things! Your stupid friend isn't stopping even though he knows you're out here!" Frustrated that Luxara was acting this way and beyond jealous of that rebel, she rubbed at her eyes, smearing black paint all over her cheeks. And then she lashed out in the only small, petty way she could think to. "I thought you were a Tunnel Snake."

There were some messages on the radio, then, about attacks on the Barge, another base they'd all built together. Hadn't...Hadn't Forera and Vulpin been walking that way? She glanced over at Luxara, mouth opening, but then snapped it shut as she turned on her heel and ran. Soon enough the base came into view and...there they were! "You're okay!"

A whisper amongst the trees tells rebel trolls to return to the Wooded Sanctuary, while a blaring command instructs royalists to return to the Coastal Base. The fighting has ceased momentarily so that each side may attend to their wounded.

From the course of the battle, it is clear that both sides are evenly matched in spirit. While the royalists outnumber the rebels significantly, the hard-fought battle was certainly not in vain. Captain Puchen herself has reportedly been active during the day, finding sleep elusive over the threat of the rebels.

What was supposed to be a construction project has fallen into messy conflict. Young trolls have been pushed into their first taste of war through the ill-advised conversion of the restoration of Old Hemisect into a temporary ousting of the rebels, and a great price has been paid for the rebellion's counter-attack.

However, although the rebel threat was severely underestimated, the royalists regained and held their ground. The fate of both sides is yet to be seen.

At this time, the mechanics of the territory game have ceased. Trolls can continue to post and roll in the training ORPs until 12:00 PM PST of the 27th, when the final phase of the meta will begin. Trolls are welcome to keep RPing in team threads until the 27th as well.