After the storm passes, the Loreli lands at the Duneraider camp from where the mission had begun, a slightly comical moment happens when the girl is presented as the headman’s granddaughter he is confused for a moment until a young woman steps forward, his real granddaughter. The headman promises his protection for the mission, at least for now, Abrie is careful to make no mention of what they are actually doing, no need to incite furor over the sacred gate-tech that locals feel so strongly about.
After a few days back at the base, the work of the science team is progressing, as well as the transportation of the duke’s regiment is nearly complete. His arrival is imminent and the upper palatial halls have been prepared for his stay, the sky fortress was once the palace of the emperor of the Nusemzar Empire, a title which Duke Kadith holds yet has little meaning today. The Duke’s entourage arrives in what is not an unusual form of transport in the high density atmosphere of Nusemzar, airships. Unlike most models that are for utility or warfare, the duke’s is furnished in luxury and gold trim. When it draws close a gold trimmed air/raft, and off world import obviously, detaches from the airship to land with the Duke to tour the expedition’s facilities and to inspect the science team’s progress in the crystal cave of the gate system, the duke is amiable, a younger man, maybe mid-thirties who has come to power after his father’s death in a campaign to the southwest of his duchy against a breakaway “republic”. The airships land clustered around the top of the fortress, some of them warship-dirigibles housing the Emperor’s Imperial Guard, soldiers with polished brass cuirass and pikes, ceremonial dress and flak jackets under white tunics with SMG’s as the real bodyguards.
Dr Misishii and Abrie prepare for an official reception tomorrow, the 3rd Grav-Squad as security detail, with Walt and John, to polish up their weapons and armor to look as efficient soldiers, Jaq as representative of the Imperium, Mari the pirate is to come as a representative of her people, Kallen as guide and translator, Garet as part of Jaq’s entourage.
Comments
Garet and Kallen can take advantage of the Loreli’s infirmary for an eye and cybernetic arm respectively.
Upon hearing this order Walt will make his way to his troops and start drilling them, we will practice until Walt is happy that the men represent the mission in a respectful manner, he will also ensure all uniforms are parade worthy and in the best condition, once this is achieved he will retire to his quarters and story his ritual of getting parade ready, his medals polished to a shine, his boots polished and buffed, and his uniform clean and pressed so that his folds are as sharp as a razor. He then goes to his locker and retrieves a box and takes out his beret, carefully cleaning it and making sure his plume is in good order
Garet sighs deeply..“Well, looks like it’s Dog and Pony show time again.” He does two things, he approaches the Loreli’s doc for a cybernetic eye replacement (but keeps the eye patch), then he will requisition the Ship’s tailor for a Imperial Navy Petty Officer, 3rd Class Tunic and Uniform, Since he’ll be representing Jaq, he will make sure everything is ship shape from stem to stern.
He thinks a bit more, then decides to have all his battle ribbons placed on his uniform as well.
“Heck, I got shot at for these, might as well brag about ’em!”
Walt gets a text from Abrie: “Take a walk up to the top, I want you to recce the route up the stairs by lift shaft they are using below. Take John with you, to suss out the new guy, but keep it on the down low, just like you are taking a stroll, no need to spook the locals. It is a good climb, more than a few klicks, but I’ll get Garet on fixing the pinnace with Mary, he can pick you up. Note when the locals first spot you coming up as well”.
To Garet, she sends a text to meet her on the Loreli, where she asks if he can take a look at the pinnace that is malfunctioning, he’ll get some help from Mary, a tech that wandered in with John.
Once Garet receives the text from Abrie, he’ll find some work overalls, along with a pair of thin leather gloves, along with a work case. He’ll head from his current location to the Loreli’s pinnance.
Once there, he will once more take a deep breath to calm himself, then place his hand along the hull surface. For what seems like 5 minutes, the pilot holds his hand there until he lets it drop to his side.
Turning to Abrie, “I think I have an idea. Mary, is it? could you check the fly by wire hydraulics?” “I’ll run diagnostics on the software. Should have results back within the hour.”
Walt will get some fatigues on and go look for John, when Walt spots him he approaches and says “John you seem well versed in combat, i would like to go over the operation from a few days ago? if you would i would like a private chat and get your perspective and input into how we can operate better next time, now grab your boots i fancy a walk”
on the way as requested i will take note off time to walk it, the position of the locals, when we first see them, and any strong points, and any weak points.
Kallen hears about an arm replacement, so he ask’s around and the ends up in the ships infirmary. He eventually decides to use it, despite his shear fear of the mechanical thing. Reason being, of wanting his arm back even if it looked devilish to him.
Afterwards he finds somewhere quiet, picking up a plate as he does and then starts practicing loading his musket pistol so he can get the hang of loading it again with two hands. Whilst he does this he use’s the plate to ensure he doesn’t lose any powder nor shot.
When Garet turns around there is a crewman with “Seagull” stitched on her coveralls, arms crossed, leaning on a bulkhead, scowling at him.
Kallen’s arm is nice, looks fairly normal and is covered with synthetic skin like plastic, no bonuses, (though maybe later he can buy a combat one).
John
OOC: Assuming Walt tells John what the walk is about, John will help with the Recon. He will openly discuss what he sees with Walt.
“Hey Walt, sorry if I wasn’t making sense down below.” John said. For all his size he moved with relaxed comfort now that he was back in civvies. With the GLMG cleared and cleaned Walt had come on John while the big man was talking to his woman. He had promised to get to the encampment as soon as he could, and then closed out to talk with Walt.
“Mary and I are looking to start a good life together. She’s very good with machining tools for long term wear and to be honest, I find watching her work pretty fun. We don’t make tons of money but it gets us by. You know what I mean?”
When Garet turns around there is a crewman with “Seagull” stitched on her coveralls, arms crossed, leaning on a bulkhead, scowling at him.
Looking her up and down, Garet does not say anything at first, but once he realizes that all she is going to do is scowl he walks over to her and speaks:
“Oh yeah, I went through this at flight school..this is the part of the program where the new kid sticks his nose in, and upsets the applecart of the “this is my flight deck, any repairs or evaluations go through me” mechanic, right?"
“If I’m missing anything let me know..”
“So, you’re standing there with that sour milk face on, just waiting to read us the riot act, and warn us that this is your territory, and blah..blah..blah..”
Walking to her and putting his face in hers, but never raising his voice,but lifting his eyepatch, he continues:
“I was stuck in that hell-hole 7 MONTHS, until the major, along with 2 of my friends got me out, and the major, who, strangely enough, outranks YOU, requested that I, not YOU, check this bird out.”
“I frankly wouldn’t care if you were the Emperor, but you now have two choices, *”Gully"*. Either grab your gear, change your attitude, and help out, or beat it, your call."
“And if you”re looking for a name to curse, it’s Garet Jax, one “t”, please."
After his last statement, he wheels around military style on his heels and walks back over to the pinnance, the last thing she can hear before the distance drops voices is “So, Mary, anything on the our fly-by-wire sitch?”
Mary says “The control servos all check out fine, it’s gotta be something else.”
Seagull laughs: “That zho witch don’t outrank me, I’m a civvie, you can follow her to your doom if you like.” Walking past Mary towards a ladder to a hatch in the ceiling she says “Maybe it’s cursed.”
Walt and John, huffing and puffing up the stairs set in a rectangular pattern around the central lift shaft, notice there hasn’t been anyone using the stairs for awhile (the lifts they use), though something has been through the dust. The structure of the sky fortress is cut from the stone of the mountain, where the stone isn’t enough, they have poured cement, there are no lights and at one of the landings they here a scrabbling down a darkened hallway.
“What is it with these “Zho Witch” comments?"
To Mary: “no go on the servos, eh? well..the best way I’ve learned to solve a hidden problem, is to bring that problem into the light.”
Walking into the pinnace, and up to the pilots chair, Garet begins to perform pre-flight checks.
As the engine begins to spool up, Garet says to Mary, “I don’t feel like having your man-mountain boyfriend punch me through a bulkhead because I took you out, but keep a watch over the telementry here.”
“That should give us a better idea of what’s going on.”
John
Making sure they have the ever present lights ready, John casually swings his GLMG around and readies it. “You hear that, Walt?” We’re not alone.
When Walt is ready John moves forward and keeps scanning the area.
Garet in the cockpit finds the computer is shutting down the M-drive, showing blown relays on some power shunts, but when Mary checks the relays, they are fine.
John notices some webs from what looks like the locals call a “rock spider”, a rather biggish hunter and not really a spider, but insect nonetheless.
Walt somewhat caught off guard draws his dagger from his ankle sheave! “What a time to be caught with out a firearm” he quietly mumbles.
“What the..?” Garet checks the computer displays, puzzled. “Okay, the M-Drive won’t come on-line because the computer thinks we have blown relays, and we know the relays are fine, so either:”
“One, the computer thinks the relays are going to blow .”
“Two, there is a fault in the computers software, maybe a loop, or bad script.”
“Or three, Seagull was right and this ship has some bad mojo.”
“So let’s, for arguments sake, swap out the relays, I’ll run a diagnostic subroutine through the computer, and let’s see what happens then.”
John
Handing Walt a sidearm, John raised the glmg to ready and moved forward carefully. “Hang out, cover my back. Let’s see if it’s just a spider. If it goes to my side, shoot it. If there’s more than one I’ll back out and we can handle them or evac. You have comm back to base?”
breathe…relax…
John swerved away from any cover that would allow anyone/anything jumping him from close quarters. Keeping himself in Walt’s sight he moved towards the sound of the scrabbling.
careful…perceive…
As Kallen continue’s to practice loading his pistol he begin’s t hum a Folk song he knows, though to others it will sound alien. Whilst he hums and gets in to a good rhythm of unloading and loading the pistol he begins to reminisce about all the dangers and locale’s he has faced on Nesumzar and for all of the dangers he wouldn’t wish he’d be born any where else.
Walt confirms he has comms, he calls it into Abrie “We have movement up here investigating now”
Walt has the gun drawn, and he covers John
As John steps forward, one of the spiders jumps to a shelving unit in the hallway near the stairs:
…things are pretty close in, short range and the walls and floors are concrete or stone.For Garet, changing out the relays doesn’t change the computer’s reading the relays are bad…
Kallen has the run of the ship, base and sky fortress to wander about and see things.
“I am at my wit’s end here! Mary, you have any ideas?”
“I’ve run diagnostics, swapped out the relays, and I’m still getting a false read!”
“Maybe…”
Garet will contact the Loreli’s chief engineer with this idea, to see if it’s possible to run a relay between the two ship’s computers to see they can “talk” to each other to see where the problem lies.
The Chief Engineer (Mulberry) is at first, “who’re you?” to Garet, she does come around though, saying maybe the ship’s computer can help.
Roll 2d6
Mary
“Well, maybe a total power off and a hard reset of the relays? We can pull ‘em and check the contacts. No idea where this girl’s been and I’ve seen junk grow where it shouldn’t.”
She gave Garet a friendly punch on the shoulder. “If John gets upset I’ll just tell him your equipment wasn’t working anyway, so nothing happened.”
John
Stepping backwards quickly, John keeps his aim on the spider thing but doesn’t shoot. “Hey Walt, next time you need to bring something bigger to the party!”
Not really being a xeno-biologist, John observes the spider for what might pass as any hostility or non-hostile intent. While out of his depth here he’s trying not to just solve the problem with a high rate of fire.
Garet rubs his shoulder, chuckling with Mary, nah, I’ve yet to find a beast that flies that I can’t tame!"
“Let’s try the full power down, I’ll head to Engineering and speak with the Chief and get the interface set up, so when we reboot, we should be able to see what she’s seeing (gesturing towards the pinnance)”
Mary
“Okay, you go talk to your management friends and leave me here to do the dirty work.” Her tone clearly states she’s quite happy to be doing the ‘dirty work’. “I’ll run a full shutdown and check everything out. When you’re ready just give me a shout and we can fire things back up.”
She wagged a finger at him. “Do not power up anything, on threat of me telling John all sorts of lies about you. I’m going to be messing with the power grid and I do not want anyone else messing around while I’m in the middle of things!”
That said, Mary starts an orderly full shutdown and flags all the switches so anyone seeing them would know not to mess with them. Duct tape is always a good thing.
Here is a quick map of John and Walt’s situation:
John would also have some idea of the ricochet danger of an MG in a confined space…
Engineer Mulberry returns with Garet to look at the Pinnace, she thinks the crew have sabotaged the sucker, but isn’t sure. She asks Archie to log into the computer and run a scan on it’s avionics and control systems. A quick surface scan isn’t showing anything, and Mary can confirm that the relays seem fine, connections and contacts are within specs, Archie says he’ll have to do a deep scan on subsystems.
John
_OOC: Assuming I’m correct and our exit is blocked, it changes the situation. :) _
“Okay, Walt. Here’s where you show me you were a championship pistol marksman, right? That gauss pistol in you hand is special made. Crisp trigger, fast cycle, and you bet it hits where you point it. I don’t like being caged in and we’re not in the best tactical position. Let’s light ’em up and back out to open ground in case there are more.”
That said, and unless John sees anything that indicates these spiders are anything but large and intent on being aggressive, he flicks the glmg to single shot, checks his ricochet angle, and fires at the one closest to him.
“Nooooooo…” Walt groans as John pulls the trigger, Walt hasnt had time to enqurie if maybe these spiders have any religious or historical value to this palace, but now the spiders have been attacked Walt with target the one closest to him he rolls
Roll: 1d6
3
Roll: 1d6
4
total 7+ no bonus for skill, no dex modifier, 7
“Damn a miss” Walt grumbles
After the mission debriefing, Jaq visits with Mari to see how things are going with her. She hopes to ensure that Mari is being afforded all the privilidges as a representative of her people and wants to make sure she is getting everything she needs.
Then she checks in with Ty to see how he is doing, since she hadn’t seen much of him since they got back. While she doesn’t have anything in mind other than just a friendly conversation, whatever happens, well, happens.
When she gets the word of the formal reception, she breaks out her dress uniform, as she will be acting directly in an official Imperial capactiy. She will also visit with Garet about him being part of her entourage. When she finally catches up to Garet, he’s with Mary in the Hanger Bay. She senses something is different about him, but because of the eyepatch she doesn’t see any difference so she withholds comment.
Seeing Mary she smiles and says hello, then says she doesn’t want to be in the way, so she steps back and lets them work.
OOC: Sorry this took so long to post, I’ve been in pretty bad shape, fighting a high fever. Better now, so I’m getting the post up I should have done days ago.
John
Forgot we could roll:
Roll: 2d6+3
8 = 3[d6]2[d6]3
John hits the first spider yet two more immediately exit the doorway and jump to attack him, both clawing on in a grapple; the one near Walt raises it’s abdomen like a scorpion and fires a web strand, which misses but walt notices it sizzling like acid etching the concrete where it lands, then then spider jumping at him it strikes for a critical, knocking him to the floor!
Roll: 2d6
8 = 2[d6]+6[d6]
Roll: 2d6
11 = 5[d6]+6[d6]
Roll: 2d6
5 = 3[d6]+2[d6]
Roll: 2d6
12 = 6[d6]+6[d6]
Jaq, looking for Mari, picks up Kallen on the way as an interpreter, where she then finds Mari doing a pirate’s dance with a mug of beer in hand on a long table in the soldier’s mess in the sky fortress barracks of the locals. Ty having nothing better to do mopes along with Jaq and Kallen, his spirits lighten when he sees Mari having a good time with the local troops, when Mari sees Jaq, she grabs her and tries to pull her up onto the table with her.
Engineer Mulberry, Garet and the ship’s AI Archie, all taking Mary’s word that mechanically the pinnace seems fine, go through the computer on the craft.
Roll: 2d6
8 = 3[d6]+5[d6]
Roll: 2d6
11 = 5[d6]+6[d6]
Where they find there seems to be a partition acting like a call for a feedback loop in it, which positively shouldn’t be there as the avionics/diagnostics are hardcoded, which means a decompiler had to be run and then recompiled back into machine language, this was not an accident, this is sabotage. Archie can fix it, but who knows what else lurks in the computer, such as a glitch from messing with it’s code, the only real fix is a new computer, one they don’t have so far from civilization. Now what? Who would crazy enough to fly this thing the engineer flatly states.
John
“Two more over here!” John yelled as the spiders jumped on him. He quickly reversed his left hand and slid it down the guard of the glmg. Punching the first spider with the muzzle he triggered off a round point blank.
OOC: Not sure what the mods are but John’s just jamming the muzzle onto the spider and firing a round. 8 = 4[d6]1[d6]3
He misses (-3 close, CT is just no for close), luckily the ricochet misses as well, then they try to bite him:
Roll: 2d6
5 = 2[d6]+3[d6]
Roll: 2d6
7 = 5[d6]+2[d6]
Roll: 2d6
10 = 5[d6]+5[d6],
the first misses, the second connects, injecting poison as well for ten points total damage off John’s Endurance.
Roll: 2d6
7 = 3[d6]+4[d6]
(poison) Roll: d6
3
Tackling the posts as they came in: First, Jaq’s [OOC, hope you’re feeling better]
She will also visit with Garet about him being part of her entourage. When she finally catches up to Garet, he’s with Mary in the Hanger Bay. She senses something is different about him, but because of the eyepatch she doesn’t see any difference so she withholds comment.
Garet will happily greet her and mention something in passing about wanting to talk with her one on one when she gets time, then he will explain his assignment given to him by the major, and his current exasperation over the problems with the pinnace, but then brightly decrees that she will fly, by heck or high water.
Next, Mary’s post:
She wagged a finger at him. “Do not power up anything, on threat of me telling John all sorts of lies about you. I’m going to be messing with the power grid and I do not want anyone else messing around while I’m in the middle of things!”
“Personally, I’m betting anything you tell John would be far more interesting then most of the things I’ve made up about myself, and I’ve made up some doozy’s! But don’t fret, under penalty of a stern letter from me, we’ll make sure no one brings the grid back on while you’re working with it!”
And..Dragoner’s post:
Where they find there seems to be a partition acting like a call for a feedback loop in it, which positively shouldn’t be there as the avionics/diagnostics are hardcoded, which means a decompiler had to be run and then recompiled back into machine language, this was not an accident, this is sabotage. Archie can fix it, but who knows what else lurks in the computer, such as a glitch from messing with it’s code, the only real fix is a new computer, one they don’t have so far from civilization. Now what? Who would crazy enough to fly this thing the engineer flatly states.
“Archie, please clear this subroutine. I was tasked to have this bird ready for a lift, and ready it shall be!”
“Chief? guess I’m the one crazy enough to fly this, who else will be able to compensate for her glitches on the fly?”
“Archie, one more thing, old buddy? unless you’re at risk of contamination, keep your link with the pinnace, we’ll need to know how much has been mucked up while I go get my pick-up.”
John
Not sure I understand the above. John has 3 spiders on him? Is a 7 a hit or a miss? If it’s a hit Walt hit earlier, didn’t he?
John only has two spiders clinging to him, the five (miss) was the ricochet and the seven was a miss. Next actions?
Archie answers Garet in the affirmative, he will stay linked in to the pinnace. He opens the craft clamshell doors to the pinnace bay on the Loreli.
John
John tries to “grapple” the spiders off him by grabbing them and throwing them as far as possible.
OOC: I think I have it. John’s End is currently 0, there are 2 spiders in Personal range. Only one bit him but the damage was severe. The goal is to get them into shooting range and then deal with all three as quickly as possible so we can exit and make sure this poison doesn’t have any lasting effects.
WooHoo! Nice roll for Unarmed Combat! 16 = 6[d6]6[d6]4
If they take the 1d6 Damage, then:
Roll: 1d6 3
Roll: 1d6 1
If not, that’s okay too. They probably have a better landing capability. All John needs is a clear shot or three. :)
John’s End. is one by my count; he does throw them off by grappling, but hears more movement towards him in the room beyond though. The thrown spiders are readying to jump again, to grapple, John had to let the MG fall on it’s sling, so to “draw” it and aim is an action itself, unless to fire wild; the ricochet danger of fighting so close in is also present. MG’s aren’t a CQB type weapon, imo, and the rules agree, though mong is more lenient than CT was.
I am afraid we are getting ahead of Walt though.
Sorry guys been stuck in hospital with a drip in my arm so here goes
Walt see this unfolding and seeing john struggling with his firearm Walt will shoot the spider that is going for the grapple Walt rolls
6+4=10 plus zip so total 10 hopefully this will buy John enough time to ’re arm and shoot the others
Walt also over the comms reports “John wounded, giant spiders, assistance required”
(OOC: Hope you are ok, Chris, that is terrible sounding.)
Walt is actually on the ground wrestling with a spider, has 10 does let him throw the spider off of him though, but he is still on the ground with the spider near by. In the elevator shaft, he hears a grating sound like a platform being lowered from above.
John
OOC: Not sure of the sequence, so fit this in wherever it goes. Also, my math was off, John at 1 END. I used to know hex by sight.
Quickly bringing up his guass as he stepped to the side of the portal, John shot the closest spider with a single round.
OOC: Firing wildly as per above, John is trying to move to the square closer to Walt. That angle should give him some protection from the ricochets from the room he’s firing into and he’ll be closer to help Walt. Of course, he needs more help than Walt right now, but that’s a mere detail. :)
7 = 1[d6]4[d6]2
OOC: I think that’s a miss. It’s 2d6 + 2 skill, +1 Dex, -1 moving, and not sure what the minus is for the quick draw and fire.
[OOC: Chris, sounds bad, man, hope you have a quick and smooth recovery!]
For Gsret, he makes a sudden transformation once he hears Walt’s comm..
“Roger that, Walt, I’ll get your coordinates on the fly, ETA 8 mikes or less, over.”
Comm to the Major, “unless you have an extraction team on the Alert 5, I’m outta here.”
To any one on the flight deck: “This bus is leaving, either get on, or get clear!”
“And someone get me an ACR and ammo!”
Garet runs to the pilot’s seat on the pinnace, and immediately spools up the engines, bypassing any pre-flight checks.
Yes, I have a gentleman’s problem go under the knife this afternoon.
Walt will if he is on the ground will unsheaf his dagger (again) and will get into stance to accept any coming attack
Walt rolls (poorly) 3+1 total 4
My condolences to you, Chris, Jaq as well being sick, two things I really hate, doctors and being sick.
When Garet fires up the pinnace for a takeoff there is a shorting sound from the computer:
2 = 1[d6]+1[d6] (ouch) …with the cabin filling with the acrid smoke of burning electronics…as far as he can tell it isn’t going anywhere for a while.
For John, opening range is good, he misses though adjusted close etc. another -1, for what looks like a 7, the spiders jump again -2 for moving and being injured: Roll: 2d6
9 = 5[d6]+4[d6]
Roll: 2d6
7 = 4[d6]+3[d6]
one almost gets him, which John probably bats away with the muzzle of the LMG and is back to being up close, the other farther away, John is now on the landing near Walt, who has a spider try to jump on him again: Roll: 2d6
8 = 5[d6]+3[d6]
and it does, Walt is now struggling on his feet with a spider and trying to stab it with a fighting knife!
More actions and reactions from Garet, John and Walt.
Jaq hears Walt’s comm out, she is in the fortress with Kallen (and Mari), just below them, the locals do have a block and tackle rope pulley setup in the elevator shaft, which is how they get to the top. Needless to say, the sneaking up the stairs part is over.
Walt will defend himself he rolls 3+6=9 plus dagger skill 2 and plus 2 for stat so a whopping 13 grand total .
If Walt has chance to glance at the elevator does he ascertain whether it would hold both john and himself? And is it in a serviceable condition or is the rope/cable good enough to absail down?
Garet uses his tunic to filter his nose from the acrid smoke, while he reaches for an extinguisher before things get too out of control.
Staggering out of the cabin, coughing “Okay, looks like that option is a no-go. Archie, what else do have on board flight capable and ready?”
John
With a quick glance to gauge Walt’s status, John sends a single round at the close spider.
OOC: Mods are +2 total, the +1 Dex and -1 Close range cancel out.
13 = 5[d6]6[d6]2
OOC: Woot!
John and Walt should roll for damage and declare what their next actions are, there is another spider down the hall, readying to jump and there is the spider struggling with walt. The sound of a platform from above being lowered is growing louder.
Roll: 1d6
4
John loses 4 more points from poison, he is starting to feel weak.
Roll: 2d6
5 = 3[d6]+2[d6]
The spider on Walt tries to bite him and misses, biting at air near him.
Archie tells Garet that he has cleared it for Garet to take an air raft from the upper deck, he should hurry so they can pick up John at the Sky Fortress and bring him to the ship for treatment in the infirmary.
OOC: Trying to make up for lost time – My fever came roaring back the next night and I was just short of going to have the sawbones poke at me…:
BIC:
[Previously posted]: Jaq, looking for Mari, picks up Kallen on the way as an interpreter, where she then finds Mari doing a pirate’s dance with a mug of beer in hand on a long table in the soldier’s mess in the sky fortress barracks of the locals. Ty having nothing better to do mopes along with Jaq and Kallen, his spirits lighten when he sees Mari having a good time with the local troops, when Mari sees Jaq, she grabs her and tries to pull her up onto the table with her.
Jaq lets Mari pull her up and joins her in her dance, and dances with abandon until she hears the Comms from Walt and Garet. She suddenly becomes very serious, “Archie, how close are we to Walt and the air/raft?” Jaq comms the computer, trying to weigh who she is closer to. Although she is not carrying her SMG, she does have her pistols on her side, ready in case of assault. Once she gets word where she is closest and has evaluated (quick mental calculation of pure feasibility based on distance and her own foot speed) whether there is a chance for her to help, then she moves in that direction.
Walt rolls 2+5=7 for damage
He shouts into the comms “Who is coming down the shaft on the elevator?”
Walt will take a swing at the spider who missed him, he will also call out to John “are you alright you don’t look too well?”
Walt’s roll 6+6=12+2+2=16 total
If Walt’s spider withdraws Walt will move to support John
Comming to the Bridge: “This is Garet Jax, I am on my way to the upper deck to retrieve an air raft for a pick up for 2, count two souls engaged with Rock Spiders at the Sky Fortress.”
“Please have my departure bumped to the one slot, and have the Sargeant at arms meet me with an ACR with a sight, and 2 mags of HEAP ammo loaded.”
“Archie, if you can tie into the air raft, start warming her up. Also let the Major know what your findings were on the pinnace.”
Hearing Walt’s call about the elevator, Garet replies: “Roger that. unless you get confirmation from either myself or home plate, assume elevator holds hostiles, repeat, unless you confirm from trusted source, assume hostiles.”
“Bridge? we have any friendlies in the neighborhood?”
Garet will also comm Medical and inform them that he’s bringing in a victim of one, possibly multiple very large spider bites, and they should have anti-venom ready.
So just been told I’m scheduled to go under the knife in 10hrs time I will try to keep up to date until then, fingers crossed I will be back on deck asap with everything in working order will post when I can guys
[OOC: will toss in a prayer for a safe surgery and quick recovery for you, Chris!]
John
“Don’t let them bite you, it feels like frak!” Yelled John, with some humor. “Sustained effect, too. Mary’s gonna kill me.”
John’s strength is ebbing but he continues to focus on the problems at hand. Shooting the other spider (9 = 4[d6]2[d6]3, DMG 15 = 6[d6]3[d6]5[d6]+1[d6]), John leans up against the wall to stay steady. “Why does the elevator service have to be so good?” He chuckled.
OOC: John takes 4 points, so END 0 and STR A. Dx 9. I think; feel free to correct me as I’m getting the hang of combat.
OOC: Good luck Chris, will keep you in my prayers. Dragoner, I’m fine with putting this on pause until Chris is ready.
Mary
Hearing the comms, Mary will hop on whatever transport is heading John’s way.
All good back in ward now everything went fine!
Awaiting outcome from previous action but Walt will move to John to assist him
Into comms Walt yells “where is help, John not doing well”
Do I need to roll damage for last roll? If so I roll 4+4=8
Thanks for the prayers and wishes guys cheers!
Over the comm, Garet hears Walt’s call: “Roger: send me your coordinates, ETA 4 minutes, we’ll be coming in hot, so be ready to move, and I mean move!”
“I’ve got nothing but bad memories of those things and I don’t want any hitchhikers!”
OOC: Good to hear everything went ok, Chris.
Walt replies “I’m good to go but John isn’t looking good he needs immediate medical, coordinates are 17-2-9 we have hostile in vicinity and possibly more on the way”
OOC: Hope you are feeling better, Jaq!
Roll: 1d6 = 3
As Walt and John finish off the last of the spiders in their visual perimeter, John feels weaker from the poison. Before too long they see the platform lower to their level, black knee high boots first followed by white uniforms chased in red with gold stylized helmets with a red crest, they are armored in white flack jackets and carrying ACR’s, the best of what look to be local troops, obviously equiped from off-world. The operations oficer from the Loreli, comms in, “Hold your fire, those are probably the Duke’s lifeguards.”
A med-tech meets with Garet at the vehicle bay to ride in with the air/raft, he says they don’t have any ACR’s on the ship and taking a pistol out of the armory is too much trouble at this point. Mary appears and they catch a ride to the bottom of the elevator shaft from the entrance more recently cut in the mountain fortress above the shifting sands covering the dead city surrounding the fortress.
Jaq and Kallen meet with Garet at the bottom of the elevator shaft, where up above the guardsmen seeing the carcasses of the spiders say: “Going on a little hunt?” Somewhat sardonically in their local language, which John in his weakened state can still translate to Walt. Of the four guardsmen, one looks to be in charge says looking at John: “We’ll take you down to your people, nasty bite those things, they infest this place.” With that he takes a gas grenade and tosses it in the room where the spider have their nest and then help John on to the platform and have Walt follow, then take them down to the waiting air/raft.
The med-tech takes a look at John, injecting him with an anti-venom and begins to patch his wounds, the air/raft spiriting them back to the ship. Later in a casual conversation with Jaq, Garet has a certain epiphany, which Jaq seems to may think of at the same time: “How did they know John and Walt were there?” Mentioned to Abrie she says: “Huh, they detected the gauss guns.” Rather cryptically.
There was something to be learned from the recon mission, tomorrow it will be the dog and pony show, time for the spit and polish and to meet with their prince of Darkness, the Duke Kadith, ne’ Emperor of the Nusemzar Empire.
John
Once with the guards, and clearly identified. John lowers and safes the lmg. “Glad someone has comm.” He said. Walt can easily see the sweat rolling off John’s face and the discoloration from the poison. However, John is trying his best to keep moving towards the evac point. Once there, and under care, John relaxes and gives the medic his vitals. “Good job, and thanks.”
. . .
To Garet’s and Jaq’s comments, John answered. “Good point.” He sat up a bit but was still taking it easy. Mary shot him a “If you get up I’ll kill you!” look. “They had to be on-site even as we were. And who routinely carries gas grenades, anyway?” He shook his head. “My brain is full of tranq, so I’ll think on it. Not sure what will come through though. Your guy’s call on if it’s something to look into or not.”
Mary went over and kissed John’s forehead. She whispered something to him, and then gave him a wan smile before kissing him again. “I’ll take care of it.” she said quietly, before leaving.
Exiting the room she found a comm and chimed Walt. “Could I meet with you for a few minutes, privately?”
Mary
OOC: Assuming Walt agrees.
Mary seems to be reading a worn slip of paper when Walt arrives. She smiled at him, folded it back up, and put it back in her pocket. “I appreciate what you did for John back there. A lot of men I know would have bolted to save their own skin.”
“The big lummox and I have been talking. He wants to help out but thinks I worry about him too much.” She shrugged and smiled. “He’s not the sort to sit around and watch, I guess. A while back he gave me a list of what should go on his uniform if he needed to be buried in space. Guess I’d rather have him fully alive than buried under paperwork and unhappy.”
She looked at Walt. “If you have a spot for him, he’ll sign on. Just take care of him, would you?”
OOC: Assuming Walt agrees, Mary will head to the quartermaster to get John’s and her uniforms set up.
“I think i have already started” Walt replies to Mary, “Make ya a deal i will watch his back if he watches mine – sure there is always a place for someone of John’s calibre”
Garet, in talking with Jaq mentions:
“I don’t know, there are too many circumstances going on here. The Duke’s hand picked men just happened to be in the tower? okay we could say with a high ranking individual, it would make sense to clear any potential sniper sights, but the pinnace?”
(Garet will tell Jaq what he, Mary, Archie and Mulberry found upon review of the pinnace’s computer.)
“Something’s not right here. it’s beginning to reek of someone on the inside not wanting this expedition to succeed.”