Xaun picked up the rune-covered object that fell from the downed elemental.
Xaun picked up the rune-covered object that fell from the downed elemental.
[dice=mysticism]1d20+5
"Well, I think we figured out just how they had the vaporator guarded," Rook said, brushing himself off and looking around.
"That poor creature was likely coerced into stifling the water supply," mused Xaun. If only they had been able to communicate with the elemental! It might have been a useful ally.
"We should retreat for now," Rook said, ears pricking at distant sounds.
You don't even get in the back door of the machine shop when Aibretta rushes out to meet you.
"“They’ve got him! The Azlanti, I mean. They’ve got Jellik. The idiot snuck out for some ill-advised sabotage, and a pair of those damned soldiers caught him. They’re not going to imprison him—they’re going to execute him any minute, just to the southwest of here. I think they’ll wait only long enough for a small crowd to gather, and then make a lesson out of him. Please hurry, rescue that damned fool.”
"Captain?"
Xaun gasped. From the first, that man had seemed foolhardy. And the brutality of the Azlanti was astonishing. Making an example of a man to terrorize an already subjugated people!
"Rook, we have to save Jellik!"
"Offload whatever spare weapons and armor we have here. Aibretta, get anyone willing to fight armed and armored and meet us at the execution as soon as you can. Spray paint Xs on the front and back of anyone using Azlanti armor so we know who's friendly. Seo-Yeon, your priority is getting to Jellik and getting him to safety. Pratt, cover her. Xawn, 287, you're with me. We can try to distract the Azlanti until Jellik is free. Once he is clear or the Azlanti lose interest, we go weapons free. Always target officers and commanders first," Rook said, settling his pistol in its holster and turning for the door.
"Affirmative," 287 responds as it takes out its two pulse caster pistols and Azlanti revolver, checking the ammunition on each. It then separates into it's two halves and each take up a position on either side of Rook.
Aibretta tells you that you have to hurry. She'll see if she can get the other colonists to set up a distraction to prevent reinforcements, but she's sure that Jellick will be executed very soon.
When you arrive on the scene, you see a larger azlanti man in what looks like more serious armor and he is weilding a taclash. There is another azlanti man in lighter armor , but not a model you have seen before. He is sporting a pistol at his hip and a large longarm on his back. Between them is a manacled Jellick. He has been badly beaten and is clearly unconcious. His manacles have been hanged from a lampost so that his feet are a few inches off the ground.
There is a crowd of colonists gathered, but they seem to be keeping their distance.
The heavily armored one speaks. Though he is speaking Azlanti, he seems to be using a translation computer because you hear it also translated into common.
"This troglodyte was caught trying to dismantle our communication jamming equipment. As he is an inferior breed of humanity, like the rest of you, he is not worthy to receive the dignity of a trial. Azlanti trials are for more important matters, such as parking tickets to poor Azlanti Teamsters." The two chuckle at their own private joke.
"As such," he continues after a moment, "He shall be subject to summery execution, by a painful air embolism introduced to the bloodstream." the two laugh again as the lighter-armored one pulls out what looks like a hypodermic needle. "Any last words from the accused?" The two pointedly ignore the crowd who shout things like "He's unconcious you moron!" while the two feign listening to the clearly feinted man. They then pull away while shaking their heads. "Ah, look at that. He can't formulate any defense, he knows that the Azlanti system is always right, and thus, there is no counter to it."
The two men look like they are going to execute Jellick momentarily.
"There are plenty of words and as your training has clearly not included how to tell if a man is conscious or unconscious, I will speak them for the defendant," Rook said, leaning on his cane for a moment and beginning his distraction.
"Surely such pointless cruelty does little to validate your claims. Such grandstanding only serves to bring you down to the level of that which you claim to be above. I have traveled far and can tell you now that everything I have witnessed here is unremarkable and base."
Xaun whispered to Rook and 287
"Jelik won't last long unless I get to him soon. Very soon. And I those two won't stop with him. They mean to forment panic and chaos!"
Pratt moves quickly and quietly toward Jelick, keeping Seo in sight. His rifle is ready, and he'll fire if the Azlanti executioner actually moves to inject.
Both halves of 287 step up on either side of Rook with pistols drawn but held down.
Even with concealment, both men notice Pratt's pulled weapon and start to smile.
"Well, lookie that, the pond scum has started a riot. Looks like we'll have no choice but to put in some target practice-I mean, quell this riot. Terrible shame we'll have to kill that talking dog, he would've been fun to throw in a zoo!"
The two draw their weapons.
---Round 1, FIGHT---
Bold may Act
Pratt
Seo-Yoon
Rook
Reconstructor
Xawn
Bad guys
Jellick
"I am not a violent soul but you Azlanti make it very easy," Rook said drawing his pistol and firing.
Both 287s begin firing at the near Azlanti.
---Round 1, FIGHT---
Bold may Act
Pratt
Seo-Yoon
Rook
Reconstructor
Xawn
Red -14
Green
Jellick
Seo-Yeon shakes her head.
Humans...doesn't matter where in the galaxy it seems, all the same scumbags.
Laser Pistol in hand she moves to flank them, carefully avoiding to get to close, then feinting and shooting at the one with the red armor.
"DIE YOU AZLANTI SCUM! THERE'S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN!"
Pratt resolutely steps forward, opening fire as he does.
Red Goes down.
Green carwheels up to Pratt and attempts to inject him with the syringe in the middle of a back handspring
Jellick Gurgles
---Round 2, FIGHT---
Bold may Act
Pratt
Seo-Yoon
Rook
Reconstructor
Xawn
Green
Jellick (1 round w/o medical)
Both 287s send a flurry of shots at the last Azlanti.
"Xawn! See to Jellick!" Rook called out and moved to put himself between the last standing Azlanti and the unconscious man, drawing and striking with his hidden blade as he did so.
Pratt steps back, levels his rifle, and blasts the foul Azlanti fiend.
Green goes down! Combat over!
On Red:
troop ceremonial plate, standard taclash, survival knife, tactical semi-auto pistol with 9 small arm rounds
On Green:
Senior Azlanti Specialist Cadet armor (Equivilent to Zeizerer Diffractor 1), Hypospray (Equivelent to Syringe stick, Standard), Caustoject, Liquidator, Training Sniper Rifle (Equivelent to Coil Rifle, Precision)
"How is he?" Rooked asked, sheathing his weapon and kneeling beside Xawn and Jellick.
Jellick is stable, though it will take some time for his wounds to heal.
"We were close Rook," says Xaun. "Very close. I will need help moving him,"
"Affirmative Ghoran Xawn. I will aid you." 287 holsters its weapons and moves over and picks up Jellik's unconscious body. "I am prepared to move."
"Back to Abrietta, I'm sure she'll be happy to see him alive," Rook said with a smile, knowing there was a decent chance the hard-bitten mechanic would want to finish Jellick off for getting himself caught.
"Acknowledged Captain," 287 responds and begins carrying Jellik toward Abrietta's.
You take him back to Aibretta who sets him up on the couch, yelling at his unconcious body the entire time for taking 'fool risks' and being a 'stubborn so and so.'
"What's the situation Aibretta?" Rook asks, putting himself in an out-of-the-way spot.
Pratt takes a brief rest.
Aibretta thinks for a moment.
"Well, I've heard from some of my contacts that the Azlanti are run pretty ragged by your exploits. Several of them were injured trying to round up the Hobgars, the Moisture vaporator is no longer guarded so we can sneak out as much water as we need, and you've stopped the execution. Also, it seems you found what they were after. Honestly, I say just take care of that one patrol, just to be sure, and then maybe assault the base in the morning. That'd be what I'd do at least. Also, feel free to use my machine shop to break down or make anything you need."
"Captain?"
I'm heavily in favor of taking care of that patrol first as well. It's a high risk leaving someone who could fall in your back anytime. Just imagine we get into a firefight and they barricaded themselves, then suddenly that patrol shows up from the other side! We would be trapped!
Or they take hostages in the camp or start to attack for retribution. It's a thread we should definately tie up.
Seo-Yeon walks up and down the crowded room while talking, playing with her laser pistol in her hands all the while.
Rook throws a disapproving look vaguely in 287's direction.
"Then we see about the patrol next," Rook agreed. "We've done well so far, so the sooner we handle this the better."
"If it's quite alright with everyone, I'll take this armor we found. At some point, I plan on personalizing it, but for now I think it might do a better job than what I have on."
"I agree,"said Xaun."The sooner the better,".
Xaun couldn't stop thinking about the Brutality of the Azlanti. Their cruelty was almost casual. What would become of the Galaxy if they got a hold of this new technology that Cedona had discovered? Oh Cedona! The thought of her in the hands of these awful people was almost too much to bear! She was a strong, resilient person. Xaun had to believe that she would survive what ever the Azlanti put her through long enough for her friends to get to her.
A thin sweet resin welled up in Xaun's eyes. Not quite tears but an emotional expression all the same.
"Agreed Captain," 287 says and checks over its weapons once more.
After a quick rest, the team is able to make it to the makeshift cemetery no problem.
"Let's get the gate open and post up on either side. With luck we can lure them into a crossfire."