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Despite his innards turning to robotic circuitry, Tulgram knows an even greater threat are nanobots taking over his mind! He manages to inject himself with a powerful inhibitor to slow the nanobot threat.
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Amhesha rushes in to take another shot at the devil, being too close to even attempt to use her scope, sadly, but close enough to aim directly for an organ.
Using Tulgram's shoulder as an improvised bipod, Amhesha sends another supercool slug spinning towards the devil at supersonic velocity!
Meanwhile, back outside, Xylian wipes his rarely-used sword clean of imp guts and returns to guarding the entrance.
Initiative (Round 5)
Theodore
Zharis
Hacker Devil (inhibited)
Xylian
Amhesha
Tulgram (rewire flesh, FF))
Bold should go!
Theo steps up and keeps swinging his massive paws at the pesky devil, trying to reach him around the computers.
Zharis triggers her jump jets to get up the the ceiling and then uses her Falcon boots to walk across the ceiling to get a good shot (both from her camera and her gun). As she walks she draws both of her holstered weapons, both because it will look good on camera and also so she can try different types of damage.
First she tries her disintegrator.
Theodore starts to scale a row of mainframe computers until he gets high enough to swipe down at the hacker devil from above, claws sinking deep into the surprised fiend's scalp!
A second later, Zharis jump jets with perfect aerial skill on top of the same mainframe row and sprays the badly-wounded devil with acid--only to find the liquid sloughs off the creature's skin with no effect!
Seeking to escape back into the virtual world, the devil's flesh starts to turn into floating bits and bytes of pure data!
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As the devil attempts to meld into the computer, Theo swings his hooked claws at him again. "Not so fast, Old Nick!"
Theodore flicks out a paw and sends the hacker devil back to Hell before it can again invade the computer system!
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Hey! Tulgram is not very happy - he clearly wanted to finish off the devil himself.
"At least I get to brag to the folks back home about taking down a devil," Amhesha grumbles, she also wanted to finish it off herself. Amhesha then looks around the server room for any kind of alient technology first and foremost. Or, failing that, both her objective her and more Anassan to analyze with the help of her exocortex.
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"Hm. That entity was stronger than I expected. I thought you had it on the ropes when you caught it with your staff, doctor Coldforge." Xylian says as he checks the computer for any nasty surprises left behind.
Well, the entrance was dramatic anyway, even if the shot didn't do anything... she could edit it to look better in post production.
Great job, everyone.
She walks back down to the floor on the off-chance that there will be loot on the devil.
After searching this room, she checks in on the Anassanois to make sure they are well, and then searches the rest of the place as well.
The devils are down, Amhesha relays telepathically in Anassan. I'm going to check for any new tech, or more scraps of your language for my exocortex to absorb and parse together with me.
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Although the devil is destroyed, its insidious spell continues to affect Tulgram! The duergar's voice becomes tinny and halting, his movements jerky, and his face unmoving and emotionless as his insides continue to turn from flesh to advanced circuitry and gearwork!
A search of the data center and the computers turns up nothing else of interest, but it's a snap for the group's skilled computer technicians to open a digital channel to the resistance. In moments, they implant a hidden code that will allow extensive access and influence over the occupation's entire network!
Although dazed by the sudden turn of events, the huddled anassanoi technicians--obviously having been mistreated--send telepathic messages of gratitude and concern to escape before more occupiers return.
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:)
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Professor Xuuvats, if I completely become a robot, don't forget to clean my program code, please. Tulgram frowns cheerfully while his body copes with the foreign invasion.
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Fortunately, Tulgram's hardy constitution rallies enough to finally halt the robotic transformation before it's too late!
~~ What is the state of the... hostages?~~ Xylian asks whilst he returns to his powered armor.
Do you mean the Anassanois we just rescued, the enemy leader we have on ice, or are you referring to Vessu's brother perhaps?
Amhesha asks, telepathically, in a marginally improved Anassan. I apologize if my grasp of your language isn't much. I am Amhesha of Ydajisk. Are the three of you doing alright? We have a medic with us if any of you need medical assistance.
Like three people speaking simultaneously, a trio of distinct telepathic voices respond at the same time, and it's hard to pick out a single strand. Tired but--glad to be--seen my cousin?--physically okay--you are not like us!--war over?--Thank you! Realising they're telepathically speaking over one another, they seem to hold a quick conference amongst themselves and then one broadcasts feelings of gratitude and urgency: We are well enough to travel--is there a safe place we can go before more of the invaders from beyond catch us?
Can you describe your cousin? And I know we're not like you, but I come from a culture of whackjobs who don't take well to occupiers, so who would I be to decline to take out a literal devil? We'll take you back to the resistance's base of operations before the occupiers get back, but the war isn't over just yet. Amhesha relays back.
My cousin was in the Spire when it fell. A mental image of an anassanoi is transmitted along with feelings of concern, but frankly it's hard to visually tell this one apart from the others you've seen. Perhaps anassaois recognise each other as much by psychic auras as sight? All three exude feelings of eagerness to leave this place where they've been effectively enslaved and to join other free anassanois in the resistance.
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Disappointed at the lack of loot, Zharis consoles herself that at least they rescued some people who hadn't been turned to zombies, or brainwashed (or so she hopes), so the footage was going to look especially heroic.
Okay, I think we're done. Let's head out.
Amhesha switches back to spoken Common. "Agreed."
Aye. Let's get out o' here ta a safe place an' take a little breath.
The journey back to resistance headquarters with the three rescued anassanois proceeds smoothly, with the newly added ability of resistance techs to keep remote tabs on occupier patrols adding an extra layer of safety.
Zhyffor is waiting for you just inside the underground cistern-turned bustling command centre. Another great victory, thanks to our friends from beyond the fiery wreathe! Feelings of deep gratitude accompany his words. But they’re quickly followed by feelings of trepidation. And yet rest must be delayed—a message has been broadcast on a public channel by the occupation. They wish to make the trade you have proffered! They say if we turn over the captured efreeti interrogator Nurleth, they will release Leirol, sibling of Vessu--he whose ongoing anguish permeates our thoughts! A proposed place of exchange has been named—the Stadium Anassan. An image of an oddly-shaped, cavernous building featuring a triangle-shaped playing field accompanies the words. Yet many here feel it is a trap most devious!
It could be a trap, so we should prepare for that, but for Leirol's, and Vessu's, sake, I think we have to try. Can you tell us more about the stadium? We need to know all the entrances and exits. Also, Tulgram, we'll need something to keep Nurleth, and also Leirol, calm and inactive. Leirol in case they brainwashed him like the Protector we found.
And, if they've turned him into a zombie, well, no reason to leave our enemies alive then. But we'll go in hoping that we can make a fair exchange.
I think we should broadcast back from a safe / public channel that we agree, but we require Grunph as the representative for their side. He might hate us for killing some of his team, but at least he knows that we kept our word and let him and his sniper go.
What do the rest of you think? What else can we do to make this survivable?
"I would suggest sniping the building, but they probably already know the resistance has a foreign sniper helping them, so it woild be riskier than is needed. That sounds like a fine idea to me."
Zhyffor must have anticipated Zharis' request, because the anassanoi has a full layout of the stadium (drawn from municipal archives) ready to display on a large computer screen in the resistance's makeshift war room. Still, concern continues to accompany his telepathic words. We will not attempt to dissuade you, for the compassion you show one of your own is most admirable! Yet, should you wish me and other anassanois to go in your place, we will do so readily in recognition of all you have accomplished for us. Our planners suggest concurrent operations, with a simultaneous task to recover the sacred objects necessary to induct a new Protector.
Having a sniper in the stands might be a good call... to cover us in case of treachery.
It is almost certainly a trap, but it is also too good an opportunity to pass up. If we get away easily, we should check Leirol for tracking devices before bringing him anywhere sensitive. Theo sends, arms crossed and leaning on a post.
"Yeah. Far enough away and it should be fine to set up a nest, now that I think on it. But we have to make sure if it isn't ppen air it's somewhere close so I can join you if things go wrong."
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"Why not land the ship in the stadium?" Xylian projects blandly. "That would give us the upper hand. Or we could bring a bomb with us... for insurance."
Good ideas. I would love to have Hop there with us, and we have to go to the ship to retrieve Nurleth anyway. Bomb is a good backup idea, although let's try not to blow up the stadium if we can help it... belongs to the planet, not the invaders.
I'm interested in how this gravitoss game is played. Are there special suits or balls that help teams maneuver in zero G? Would it help us to challenge them to a game? I am thinking that would draw a huge crowd... and Amhesha could blend into the crowd that way, and set up to snipe from the audience. We'd have to be a lot more cautious about any bombs, and the other side isn't known for trying to limit civilian casualties, so not sure. Would it help the cause or hurt the cause... what do you think Zhyffor? Would it get people to rally behind us, or is it unnecessarily dangerous for the fans?
Also, got any expert Gravitoss players in the resistance? We could use the training and/or help, if possible. We don't want to challenge them without a good chance of winning.
... Actually, now that I am thinking about it, how popular is this game in your society? It would be great to have the whole audience suited up and ready to play / cause confusion / flee, depending on how things go. Or, or applaud in the right spots.
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"As long as the reports about us only include me being a sniper, I think I can manage blending in well enough," Amhesha adds. "I'll have to reconfigure my armor a bit to make it not obvious I 'serve'," Amhesha says as she adds air-quotes, "someone who the occupiers will immediately disapprove of if they know who He is."
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Tulgram listens to this with raised eyebrows. Tha'ss'a how I imagined tha work o' a scientist, huh. Then he finds Vessu and takes him to a different room from the rest of the company. All those things ye've been telling us aboot... That ye were going ta gas us an' turn us over ta tha efreets. That ye've been involved in subversive activities 'afore. Tell it again... On camera. With these words, the duergar turns on the video recording.
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Zhyffor listens to the discussion and adds in a useful point here and there.
To Xylian's suggestion of landing a ship in the stadium, he says:
Now that the occupation knows the ship identifier codes you used to enter Kahlannal, they will have reprogrammed their anti-ship batteries to target it, making an aerial approach extremely dangerous. The message is accompanied by an image of the Sun Diver coming in for a landing in the stadium only to be met with scores of rockets.
Later, he responds to Zharis' questions about gravitoss and having an audience. Since the occupation, recreational activities have been suspended, and I think it will be difficult to arrange a match at short notice. And in any event, we would be loathe to put civilians at risk if it is a trap. Gravitoss is normally played by those able to control gravity through mastery of solar winds--those whom your Nib and Taeress call 'solarians'. And yet, the machinery exists to enable the zero-gravity field over the playing area . . . perhaps that could be useful to you in some way?
Meanwhile, Tulgram takes Vessu aside. The man is rapt that a deal is underway to get his brother back and willingly (and apologetically) repeats his role in the sabotage scheme.
"You could always poison her so she dies after the exchange, doctor Coldforge. If there even is an exchange. So she cannot share any information she gathered."
Let's not harm anyone unless they try to kill us first. We have to be the good guys here, or we'll lose the trust of our allies... and our audience. Save the guerilla tactics for the actual battles... and given, this might turn into one, but we have to try for the legitimate exchange. It's an uncertain trust, but we have to play diplomats. It's the only way to get Vessu back, but also, later we may have to negotiate a cease fire and a withdrawal from the planet, and if we are seen to be untrustworthy it could make the war longer rather than shorter.
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Xylian shrugs. Hostage negotiations are not a course he took at university. Definitely more Zharis' purview, and she has proven more competent than most.
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Tulgram nods, having filmed this confession. For what purposes he needs it, he does not explain. Then he returns to the squad and clarifies what the final plan is. The burly duergar agrees to almost anything, as long as he doesn't have to pose as a solarian player in some strange alien game.
Amhesha nods, agreeing with the plan as she lifts her rile again, the mass of bullets rattling around in her auto-loader.
"Zero gravity technology. Interesting. I can't say immedaitely what use we'd make of it, I certainly can't fly, but interesting nonetheless."
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Once all the preparations are ready, the anassanois send a strike force led by Zhyffor on a mission to retrieve sacred Protector relics while simultaneously ensuring a science team from another part of the galaxy is able to slip into Stadium Anassan.
For the latter group, it looks as if your plan to arrive early has paid off. There's no sign of occupation forces. The stadium is completely empty and shows signs of not having been used in the months since the occupation began.
Xylian doesn't need much protection, nor could regular every day objects offer much protection to his large armor, so he is content to be directed by security specialist Bear. He scans, with his eyeballs, the stadium, looking for - ideally - a way to access the stadium's cameras. It presumably has cameras. He is still not sold on the wiseness of not hiding a bomb in their prisoners stasis pod, but it's too late to do anything about that.