The blasted landscape is rugged but relatively unfettered, dead as it is, so the driving is not too technical as Maxim follows Imagine's directions to and fro. Every few seconds another shot rings through the cab as EH-RK drills another sniper shot into the ellicoth. The stupid monster keeps coming, its tiny brain ill-equipped to understand it was dying a final death.
When the terrifying blob of flying tentacles finally topples over he stops the vehicle to allow the android to pluck a couple finishing shots into it, and they all watch it slump into a pool of itself. All the same, Maxim gives it a wide bearth when he swings around to return to the Marrowblight's hovel. A few minutes later they are parked nearby, within a hundred paces, the rear of the vehicle facing the shack where EH-RK can lay prone with his sniper rifle trained on the entrance.
"Ready to see what this thing is all about?" Maxim asks Imagine. He energizes his solar weapon, the Morning Star appearing in his hand.
The curtain at one of the windows of the old shack move. The shenanigans outside didn't go unnoticed.
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"Ha! My plan _totally_ worked! Stick with me guys, with my cunning and flexible brains and your over-bearing, directionless, and overall ogre-like brawn, we'll save the universe yet!" Imagine brightly remarks in a style that surprises no one.
"Hellz yeah let's go see who would be nuts enough to keep that thing in their backyard.
Or, I guess, they weren't as smart as me to know how to kill it. Meh. Either way.
Alright, EH-RK, go see who that grateful citizen is up in that window who thinks that we don't see them."
"Well hey, you're the brains, but we got this. I'd rather have that big gun aimed over my shoulder in case things get weird, like they always do."
Maxim approaches the door to the hovel, and knocks. "Land shark, I mean, pizza delivery!"
This bizarre, circular hovel appears to be made from long dead wood and clay to fill the gaps. For decoration there are massive bones included in the framework. A front door hewn from sickly wood stands ever so slightly open.
"Come in, door's open." a voice comes from inside.
Maxim instantly recalls the last time he opened a door, and was nearly killed, which was today, just a few hours ago. So it's fresh.
"Sorry, we're not allowed inside. Company policy. There was a mixup one time and the guy ordered pepperoni but we brought him anchioves and so he ate our delivery boy instead. No worries though, I'll wait."
The door takes most of the blow as the sonic blast hits the wood and cloud of splinters engulfs Maxim. He is prety sure this means he is not welcome, the shot was no salute and the whistling sound with raising frequenciy indicates, that the big gun is recharging for the next shot.
A little light falls into the hut through the shattered door, but until the dust settles, there is no clear target. If one would dare to stand still to check.
Eric will fire the instant he gets a shot at anything moving inside the building
EH-RK shoots past Maxim - he is 82.51% sure he will dodge to the other side - and sets some of the interior decorations on flame with his weapon.
Hearing the weapon charging, Maxim closes the distance, solar weapon swinging at the marrowblight. He approaches in an arc, from the side, so that EH-RK still has an unobstructed shot.
"We're just here to ask a few questions!"
Maxim faces a hulking undead humanoid with sharp claws at the end of the hands, that hold the heavy gun. In addition half a dozen additional bony appendages with sharp claws, growing out of her back, align, pointing in Maxim's direction.
He is quick though and lands a hit that leaves a deep cut, a black ooze flowing from it. "The only thing you'll find here is death." the merrowblight answers, ignoring the wound.
Also, Photon Attuned.
The hut is a one room living space, that is also a mess. There is minimal furnishing, behind which the merrowblight tries to hide. The floor is covered with the remains of the last meals. Bones, like the whole garden, just not as dried out and bleached yet.
Boreal gets out of the car and lets her oversized nailclipper ready to get that thing a manicure. She charges the undead at tremendous speed, ignoring the obstacles on the way and slices into the merrowblight with the doshko. She is set on showing this abomination what an honorable fight is. Not this cowardly shooting through doors. But the result of that is less than impressive, as the undead simply dodges it.
The merrowblight drops her gun and retaliates in melee, getting to painful hits in.
Maxim takes another swing with The Morning Star.
Photon Attuned. (x2)
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In front of Imagine three tiny men appear. Each is of darkest hue and powerful build, though their drastically tiny stature somewhat diminshies their seeming prowess. As if too make up for their size, each of them begin an immediate loud and vocal and very, very high-pitched diatribe as they RUSH headlong at the merrowblight.
"I am sick and tired of these muthafluffin undead in this muthafluffin plane of existence--"
"--and you will know that I am the lord when I LAY MY VENGEANCE DOWN upon you--"
"You shut your face! If we want to hear you talk, I will shove my arm up your pooper and work your mouth like a puppet!"
And so it goes as the earth elementals surround the undead and kick at her shins.
Eric continues laying down fire
The little stony guys are really effective in what they do. The merrowblight gets some really gooey legs. Which is the equivalent of bloody for this kind of undead.
As the vesk seems to be rather clumsy she attacks Maxim this time.
EH-RK adds a shoulder wound to sore shins. But despite all the slashing, shooting and slamming into the undead she still stands.
Maxim hacks at the uncompromising monster again.
"Just put the claws away and talk to us!"
Fully Photon Attuned.
"I'm telling you to f@#% off all the time in sign languge. You just don't get it." Xerantha comments, just before Maximcuts deep into her again.
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"And _I'm_ telling you Imma fluff your corpse!"
"You like me? You lookin' at me? You wanna fluff me you fluffer?
I WANNA FLUFF WHEN I FLUFF!"
And so it goes as the diminutive stonemen keep up an unrelenting torment against the toes and feet of the undead horror, sounding more like chipmunk sailors all the time.
Imagine, for her part, is pleased with her creations' work, and feels no need to perform any more labor.
Eric continues laying down fire
Imagine's distractions clobber the undead into a pulp of dead meat. One could say EH-RK makes sure it doesn't recover, but with undead, they are destroyed immediately, with no hope of getting them back from toppling over.
A short search of the hut brings up nothing of interest - at least to living humans with the need for some hygiene with their food - but the datapad on the remains of the undead.
Maxim retrieves the datapad and gives it to EH-RK to hack/scan.
Eric trots up and says Humanoids: You all seem intact. That is good.
Eric examines the datapad
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The minute men of ROCK stay true to their word and keep up a sustained beating of the remains of the former undead, performing acts best left un-remembered or dweled on too long.
After a fashion, either from a weakening of the magic keeping them here, or from them feeling utterly pleased in their despoilment, they return to the realm from which they came.
Imagine's smirk of pride will not be reduced for sometime. She doesn't need to say anything, confident that she has, again, saved the party and the planet.
Maxim looks over EH-RK's shoulder and points at the screen. "That doohicky there - does that help?"
EH-RK fumbles around the display, which is simple but unusual in a way. With Maxim's help the special login screen shows up. But there is no hint how to enter the needed information.
Vesh. You learn of Vesh's conspiracy with Xerantha and Harvinne Nessex. Apparently all the stuff you found about the corpse fleet was set up evidence to lure you into an ambush here, to get rid of you once and for all. With the marrowblight dead this is a rather dead end.
"I hate this f++#ing planet!" Maxim tosses the datapad back to EH-RK.
"I don't know about you ladies, but I feel a bit outclassed here. Sure, Imagine's faerie death squad is awesome, but if we have to tangle with another ellicoth the best I can do is taunt it until it eats me.
"Eric, after you hack that thing, can you ring the Starfinders or the Ambassador and convince him to extend us a line of credit for some bigger guns? I'm outta cash. Better yet, let's call them both and double up. We need armor too. This s*~% I'm wearing is useless."
He picks the marrowblight's gun off her corpse. "Is this thing any good?"
Humanoids: Apparently this has all been a ruse. Be on your guard. Eric hands over the datapad for others to read the files.
Human Maxim Petrovich: The Starfinders have been notoriously spendthrift during this entire exercise. Perhaps Ambassador Nor will be more generous.
Maxim examines the datapad.
"Time to end this thing. What if we use this to send a message back to Vesh. We could pretend to be Xerantha and try to lure him here, but I prefer the Captain Kirk approach," Maxim explains.
"We get Vesh on the line and let him know we splattered the ellicoth like a bug and then proceeded to tear Xerantha limb from limb from limb, and now he better come down here and finish the f@~*ing job himself, or else we'll keep kicking doors in until we find him."
Satisfied that nothing further can be accomplished in the marrowblight's little murder house, Maxim drives the group back through the checkpoint.
"See? Not a scratch on it, just like I promised," he says to the guards at the perimeter gate.
If the guards insist that they relinquish the vehicle, he will call another taxi to pick them up and return to the Ministry office where we can all get some much-needed rest and recalibrate.
As Maxim steers the vehicle back to the part, where the city has breathable atmosphere, he encounters a huge pile of bones and skulls blocking the road. He gets surprised by it behind a turn and just manages to brake in time.
As there are steep slopes to the left and right of the road - even though only three foot on ane and eight foot on the other, it is clear that this is no coincidence. 50 feet behind the car, two figures step out of hiding and throw spike stripes on the road.
Right then a creature looking somewhat like an asian woman, just undead, climbs the pile of bones from the far side and appears on top of it. "Petty, foolish, irritating Starfinders! All of the effort I spent to weave this deadly trap, and for what? To have you bumble through, unharmed and yet still so ignorant? Allow me to enlighten you. I am Captain Zeera Vesh, esteemed officer of the mighty Corpse Fleet—valiant navy of the true Eox—and you will go no farther. You’ve meddled enough in our plans. Now, I shall succeed where my lackeys have failed. I shall destroy you and bring glory to the Corpse Fleet once and for all!"
"Hmm, I must have made a wrong turn. Surely this pile bones wasn't here when we drove in."
Maxim backs the truck away from the pile, about halfway to the enemies and the spike strips behind them. He yells out the window to the figure atop the pile. "Sorry, I didn't hear any of that from inside the truck here. We're looking for the turn off to Daytona Beach. Did we miss it back there somewhere? The kids are really distracting. Who did you say you are?"
He puts the truck into Drive. "Buckle up, boys and girls." He slams the gas, ramming the bone pile.
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As there are steep slopes to the left and right of the road - even though only three foot on ane and eight foot on the other,
Imagine wakes up from her light daze. "Huh? Is someone trying to kill us again? I knew we should've spent the night in that nightmare hut. Hey, the next time I say it's okay to sleep in a nightmare hut, we're doin' it!"
The is not too much of a headstart but the electric drive has enough momentum to get the car to an astonishing 20km/h (12mph). Which makes the impact bearable, as the bones bring the car to an immediate stop. The car is half buried under bones and the shockwave this sends through the pile topples over
Captain Zeera Vesh who falls prone and slides down the hill out of sight.
Boreal gets out of the car to go after Captain Vesh. She doesn't care for the minions.
The bone troopers start using magic, to shoot missiles at the group.
Maxim, surprised by the size of the bone pile, which he assumed to be much smaller, nevertheless gets out of the vehicle and attacks the nearest Bone Trooper.
Photon Attuned (x1)
Eric exits the car, drawing his sidearm and firing at the nearest enemy
Eric moves 40' towards some cover if he can find it.
Maxim brings his built in light saber down on the bone trooper, cutting quite some bones in half. The reminder of the skeleton looks as if in danger of collapsing.
EH-RK shoots the other one, leaving it similar damaged with a large whole, where the center of the chest was.
Before Imagine starts working her magic again in the relative safety of the car, three more bonetroopers appear out of nowhere, as more of the magic missiles hit the living.
Captain Vesh comes back to the top of the hill, only her pride wounded a bit, but facing Boreal might change that.
Boreal lashes out at the confident undead, with her doshko.
The confidence of Captain Vesh seems to be justified, as Boreal doesn't manage to get past her defenses.
The bone troopers are indecisive whom to shoot and spread their missiles over all living standing outside.
Eric continues moving and firing, attempting to get into cover.
"HA!" shouts Maxim with a glee bordering on madness.
Maxim moves to the other spellcaster near the spike strips and brings The Morning Star down with great vengeance!
Photon Attuned (x2)