hit
hit
hit
hit
hit
miss
Laboni: 22-4-4 = 14
Coming into the second turn, the racers recklessly try for another exchange of fire right before they need to execute the toughest turn of the track. Ratrod and Laboni appear to be the center of everyone's ire, and each of their racers starts coming under heavy fire.
Ella fires the gatling at Ratrod, but the ysoki's armor plating manages to withstand the attack without too much of an impact. Solenopsi fires the tesla coil at Ratrod's racer, but the lightning seems seems to get absorbed rather than scorching the surface! In fact, Ratrod seems to get a small boost from the blast! Haastaskin fires are Orsis but strikes a far-off pile of junk with the artillery laser.
Meanwhile, Lemgem strikes true against Ratrod's machine with a cannon firing bright blue cannonballs. And for good measure she fires her taser again at Nyizin, shocking the skull racer once more!
Velocity's chaingun riddles Ratrod's racer again, slowing him down. Orsis and Ratrod both fire their weapons at Laboni, scoring two hits on Top-gun.
Lemgem, now not under fire, keeps boosting and shoots ahead unhindered. Nyizin manages to kick her racer back into operation and regains momentum. Orsis struggles to keep his smoking ball rolling straight (careening off junk piles as he goes). Velocity, also not under fire, manages to shoot forwards!
Even Ratrod somehow (miraculously) manages to keep up his speed. The boost from Solenopsi's tesla shot seems to have made up for some of the pressure!
Unfortunately, with direct hits from Orsis and Ratrod, Twik struggles to keep control of Top-gun. He skims a junk pile at the edge of the turn, almost goes off the course, and then regains control again. The near miss costs him some time!
Coming out of the turn, Ratrod is in the lead, followed by Lemgem and Velocity, and only after that by Laboni in Top-gun!
||||Round 4||||
Lemgem 2100/3000 ft
Nyizin 1850/3000 ft
Orsis 1250/3000 ft
Velocity 2000/3000 ft
Laboni 1950/3000 ft
Ratrod 2200/3000 ft
hit
hit
hit
hit
hit
Laboni: 23-4-4 = 15
The home stretch is coming up fast for the racers. Piles of junk crowd the edges of the track, serving as precarious obstacles for the cluster of racers all contesting first place. Solenopsi fires Top-gun's tesla coil and misses narrowly, lightning instead running up a pile of broken down vidscreens.
Lemgem lands another cannon-ball shot on Ratrod, and Velocity keeps up their end of the bargain by keeping their chaingun peppering his vehicle as well. Ratrod struggles to keep control and is forced to slow almost to a halt just as he's about to pitch off the track and into a junk pile!
Orsis and Ratrod fire their weapons at Top-gun and land a plasma blast and a metal rod. Twik is forced to fight a racer briefly bucking as it's sensors go haywire. He keeps control, but not without losing some speed.
Velocity also keeps firing at Lemgem, perhaps seeing her strange paint-based racer to be the most likely to sneak across the finish line.
Between swerving to avoid piles of junk and avoiding debris on the track, almost every racer struggles this round. Only Orsis, way in the back, has a clear path to traverse.
With Ratrod struggling to speed back up, Lemgem takes the lead, followed by Laboni and Velocity!
||||Round 5||||
Lemgem 2400/3000 ft
Nyizin 2125/3000 ft
Orsis 1750/3000 ft
Velocity 2250/3000 ft
Laboni 2275/3000 ft
Ratrod 2200/3000 ft (stalled out this round)
|
Twik can see the finish line but there is still Lemgem in front and a couple more racers right behind them.
Seeing no one stepping forward to fire their guns, Twik quickly switches controls, waits until the last possible moment and fires their energy weapons at their racing opponents...
hit
miss
hit
hit
hit
hit
Laboni: 20-4 = 16
The finish line is in sight, and all of the racers make their last ditch efforts to secure a victory. Top-gun fires all weapons, but only Twik manages to land a blast on Lemgem with the tesla coil.
Lemgem lands her rainbow taser on Velocity's vehicle, and Velocity returns the favor by peppering Lemgem's machine with the chainguns. Holding to their word, neither of the fire at Laboni, instead turning their secondary weapons on Ratrod. Velocity's second chaingun riddles the front of the racer with holes!
Orsis looks for an opportunity to avoid last place and fires at Ratrod, landing a spear in the back of the ysoki's vehicle. And Ratrod continues to focus his ire on Top-gun, squeaks of anger managing to be heard even over the cacophony of weapon fire.
While almost all the racers (Top-gun included) manage to endure the assault of direct hits, Lemgem's primary paint canister suddenly explodes, sending her flying through the air! Her racer hits a junk pile, deploys a spring, overshoots the return bounce to the track, deploys a second spring, and SOMEHOW manages to get back. The crowd breaks out into a huge cheer, but her momentum is long gone, and she makes no progress this round.
Nyizin takes advantage of her position near the back to re-engage her arcane boosters, shooting her past Lemgem, Velocity and Ratrod!
Moments away from the finish line, Top-gun is in the lead, followed closely by Nyizin's racer and trailed by Velocity and Ratrod's racers!
||||Round 6||||
Lemgem 2400/3000 ft (stalled out this round)
Nyizin 2875/3000 ft
Orsis 2250/3000 ft
Velocity 2750/3000 ft
Laboni 2925/3000 ft
Ratrod 2750/3000 ft (stalled out this round)
|
|
Twik looks mildly astonished as, after the smoke clears from the latest fusillade, Laboni and her racer appear to be in first place.
Seeing the finish line very close, his focus tightens as the end of the race is imminent.
Twik focuses their attention on the closest competition...Nyizin
As long as at least one of the energy weapons hit Nyizin, Twik fires at Ratrod, otherwise at Nyizin.
miss
miss
hit
hit
hit
Laboni: 16 = 16
Lemgem and Velocity hold to their alliance, splitting their fire between Nyizin and Ratrod. While Ratrod endures the assault and speeds eagerly towards the finish line, Nyizin's racer has lost all of it remaining armor plating in the boost it just attempted, and it takes punishment from all sides. Shots from Lemgem and Velocity, and even Ella's artillery laser, blast the racer. It struggles to dodge and weave against the fire, losing precious time.
Twik, in a moment of desperate determination, tries to use a smaller pile of junk as a ramp to leap to the finish line. But at the last moment he remember Orsis' advice about how unstable the ramp is and instead stays with a safer route. With a few close calls with junk littering the track, he manages to keep Top-gun moving at full speed!
Ratrod, Orsis and Lemgem are similarly successful, speeding as fast as their vehicles will allow. But Nyizin and Velocity can't quite keep full control and end up slowing down.
As the flag waves at the finish line, Top-gun places in first, followed by Ratrod, Nyizin and Velocity.
||||Final Standings!||||
Lemgem 2900/3000 ft
Nyizin 3150/3000 ft
Orsis 2750/3000 ft
Velocity 3000/3000 ft
Laboni 3575/3000 ft
Ratrod 3300/3000 ft
A few minutes later the battered racers and their pilots and getting hosed down and tended to. Laboni staggers out unsteadily, flushed with excitement "Oh wow, somehow... You guys did it! I don't think I could have done that in a million years! I thought we were done for when I was getting to the finish line but-" A representative from the Racetrack crew interrupts her with instructions to make her way to the podium for an interview. "Ah! I'll be right back."
-----
"-...this is so amazing! I have so many people I'd like to thank! My family and friends that believed in me. My awesome pit crew. My mentor Radaszam. Um. I'd also like to thank Ratrod. Without him the Scrap Battle would be a shadow of what it is today, and all us junkracers owe him for that, and for allowing young punks to shoot their mouth off and still have their day on the track." An actually apologetic looking Laboni bows to Ratrod and then extends a conciliatory handshake.
Ratrod doesn't really look entirely mollified by this part of the speech, but takes the handshake anyway. He twitches his nose at the young mechanic and says something that doesn't quite get picked up by the microphones but gets Laboni to grin. As they a deescalate their relationship a lot of the other Salvage Union members relax. Respect is still being paid.
No doubt it's partially gentle pressure from the rest of the Union, and partly giving her enough rope to hang herself that motivates Ratrod to invite Laboni back as a Scrap Battle Regular. Overwhelmed, Laboni accepts with a dazed expression on her face.
Before you all depart, she insists on passing along the bulk of the prize money to you as well as a 'new' suit of graphite carbon skin armor. "I think you all could use this more than me. Think of it as a bit of extra thanks. Plus, I'm not so sure junkracing is right for me. Though... maybe I'll do one more race." She grins. "Thank Radaszam for me!"
|
Kalkan sighs and shakes his head and addresses the group. "That was amazing. Well done, all. You didn't have much to work with, but you pulled it out." He pats Laboni on the back then makes his way for the door. Let's get out of here before the young one does anything stupid. Like challenge Ratrod again. He stops just outside, however. "Well, where to next? Perhaps we can see the leader of the Exo-Guardians."
|
Ella stares at Laboni when she mentions one more race. "Considering your deficiencies in ability, I think that would be unwise. However, you may have developed an addiction profile, which would explain the desire. You should know that we will not be available to assist you again. "
She nods to Kalkan. "That would be acceptable."
|
|
Yes, let us assist the Exo-Guardians. Perhaps we can serve with more honor.
While a lack of body language and an non-emotional voice would indicate to most that Haastaskin is simply looking forward to the next assignment, those who are more sensitive or perceptive might realize that she is truly eager to get as far away from this mission as possible.
As you make your way cross-Station to meet up with Zigvigix of the Exo-Guardians, your communicators ping with a message from Radaszam:
---The runt just stopped by. Looks like you pulled her out of the fire. Good news for the Society and good work from you. That and I'm getting messaged about ad deals from some of the race sponsors! Looks like things worked out just fine. Good job you lot, you have my approval!---
--------
The Exo-Guardians don't currently have a headquarters in Absalom Station, but their leader, the shirren Zigvigix, has left instructions directing all contact to a park in a poor but trendy neighborhood of the Downlow.
You enter the park to see a perfect example of untidy-chic. Garbage litters the ground around this cement lot, a public space filled with undulating metal sculptures covered in graffiti of grotesquely adorable creatures. The sounds of music and chatter drift over from the nearby clubs, chronically interrupted by the roar of the local gangsters’ engines. A heavily augmented host shirren is sitting on one of the park benches, eating a simple meal of cold grub-noodles and rice candy. Their antennae perk up and turn at the tremor of approaching footsteps.
"Welcome, new recruits! I was watching that junkrace you helped with! Very exciting! Some great moves!" the shirren’s voice telepathically projects to all of you. "My speech-name is Zigvigix, but feel free to call me Ziggy, if that would be easier for you. Have some rice candy to celebrate your graduation! Today is your big day!" He proffers the bag of candy with one claw, gesticulating with his chopsticks with the other.
"When you are ready, I have two assignments I could use assistance with. The first is to help me secure a new headquarters on Absalom Station. I’ve been in talks with our station’s protectors, the Stewards, and they were kind enough to give us ownership of a warehouse here in Downlow for that purpose! The current owners no longer want it because a vicious alien took it over and kills anyone who goes inside. Once the alien is gone and the warehouse cargo has been returned to its owners, we can start installing desks and computers, so please go in and incinerate the creature!"
"My second assignment..." Zigvigix twitches their tooth barbs for a moment and then holds out a credstick. "Please buy the brand-new Strawberry Machine Cake album, Star Sugar Heartlove!!!, which is out today, and give it to Historia-7. I wish I could do it myself, but I... I have trouble standing for long periods of time. Thank you very much!"
Hearing Kalkan's question, Ziggy spears another twist of grub noodles into his mouth and telepathically responds "The album's not for me. Not at all. No. But ever since the Scoured Stars incident, Historia-7 has been really glum. Losing her predecessor really hit her hard. I know SMC, that's Strawberry Machine Cake, really cheers me up, so I hope it'll do the same for her!"
Ziggy gives you a thumbs up with a free claw, mentally sending "Good luck recruits! It should be easy for you!"
----------
You head straight for the warehouse Ziggy indicated, finding a large and surprisingly solid looking structure. A security blockade and minor force barrier have been set up around it to avoid any locals wandering too close. The building has only one entrance, the front, and a few small high windows. The Station security forces there wave you up with a "We got word you were coming. I haven't seen the creature myself, but we lost a pair of men to it before setting the barrier up. Massive feathers as sharp as razors were sticking through their chests. We'll bring the barrier down long enough for you to get in, but that's all we're doing until we see your signal that it's dead. We'll take the barrier down permanently and hand over the deed afterward."
Once you go on in you see the warehouse is a single large open space with a 30ft tall ceiling. Cylindrical structures, which appear to be containers and 10ft tall, are clustered around the room. Crates are scattered about as well, some slightly open, as if something or someone tried to investigate what was inside. In the north west section of the room, an area of scaffolding 10ft high is piled with crates and boxes. In the south western corner a small shuttle appears to be plugged into maintenance equipment. A 10ft high catwalk circles the entire space.
The entire area has only dim, flickering light.
Kalkan and Ella's voices echo in the cavernous warehouse, but there isn't any obvious sign of the alien you've been sent to deal with. At least, not yet.
|
|
With the voice controls of her communicator set, inside her armor, Haastakin begins listening to Vesk battle music set on background level. Just as she steps into the warehouse, she secures her helmet and readys her red, blue and yellow inscribed tactical doshko for combat.
Gazing with her lowlight vision she stalks over to the middle of the floor, her head 'on a swivel' sweeping back and forth around the room.
The group heads on into the silent warehouse cautiously. Haastaskin and Twik don't spot any sign of the alien. Either it's very good at hiding or it is somewhere deeper into the warehouse.
Kalkan checks the partially opened crates and finds that that contain shipments of consumer goods. He also finds a flashlight inside one of them.
The party spreads out as it wanders forwards, leaving Kalkan relatively exposed. Although he does his best to keep his antennae roving for threats, he fails to spot the presence of a creature behind the large vehicle to the southern, far end of the warehouse.
His only warning is a *thwick!* as a white, feathery barb flies out from the concealed creature and strikes him square in the chest. His eyes and antennae trace the path of the feather barb back and spot a large amalgamation of feathery appendages pulling itself out of its hiding space! The feathery tendrils wiggle aggressively!
Kalkan and Ella seize the initiative!
||||Round 1|||
Kalkan - 8 damage
Ella
Feather Stalker
Haastaskin
Solenopsi
Arnold
Twik
The feathery fronds of the feather stalker abruptly turn to peer towards Ella as she casts her spell, but seeing no immediate threat it lurches forwards towards the rest of the party! It whips one of its long limbs around and launches another feather blade, this time at Haastaskin!
The feather blade strikes the vesk, burying itself in her leg.
||||Round 2|||
Kalkan - 8 damage
Ella
Feather Stalker
Haastaskin - 4 damage
Solenopsi
Arnold
Twik
Everyone is up!