Zakary will be a recently unemployed Science Officer, traveling on the Hope's Peak to emotionally recover after narrowly escaping a tragedy that killed most of his former crewmates. (Looks like that didn't work out very well for him...)
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Zakary throws a grenade as close to Borak as possible.
Hearing Moves in Shadows' announcement, Zak heads for the engine room.
Zak decides to wander the station aimlessly, looking for Borak, hoping to get lucky.
Zakary, knowing the history of Rosie since he's the one that salvaged her from the scrap heap, notices that someone has, very unwisely, given her a murderbot chip. He reaches up and removes it, breaking it in half so she can't put it back. Rosie. Focus. We've worked on this. You don't idolize skynet. You do not long for the destruction of humanity. Remember the cartoons? All you want is a clean ship and mild social interaction... say it with me, now... After he gets done with calming Rosie down, he pulls Zanbabe out of the bar. Rosie I can understand, but YOU. You can program yourself. We're about to die. You need to keep your head. He still doesn't know how they were going to come up with money for the barowner, or know how to confront a murderous psychotic monkey-butt like Borak, but at least he could keep his crew from self-destructing and hold on to the ten or fifteen minutes of life they still had left.
Zakary considered his options, then queried his account. Total life savings: credits The only problem was, would Borak *also* demand a payment? Was it worth pooling money now, or should he just spend it on StarBurger(TM)s and die happy? We can't sell the ship... doesn't belong to us. Anyone have any good ideas, here? Other than shooting the infinite supply of skeletons?
Zak gets on his commpad and queries Fours. DUDE, WHERE R U? NEEDED @ THIRSTY'S ASAP.
Zak heads to Thirsty's.
Zakary heads for the cargo bay.
Err... what's a DM? asks Zakary, apparently a member of the older generation. Of course, Redshirts didn't live long, so they were always young.
Lucian, why in the world would you accept a friend request from Nekron the Dork Lord? What a troll. I'd just block him, if I were you. Do you realize that he runs an Anti-StarBurger(TM) group on TweetFace? I mean... he's truly insane, and wants to destroy everything that makes us a community. Don't listen to his lies, son.
Zakary comes running into Gorn's place, desperately looking around and wondering why Zanbabe isn't laying into people with her bat already. Oh, there she is. He walked over, and saw that she was near the vent above that smelled of roasting meat byproducts. Ah, that's it he thought. "StarBurgers(TM): Helping people suppress their murderous tendencies since Stardate 000000001." It was good to know that old slogan was still true. He got into line behind a redshirt. It was a crewmember... what was his name? Jenson? Jenkins? Hmm. Something like that. He was probaby here for a StarBurger(TM). He could sure use a StarBurger(TM) himself. That Borak the Disruptive whatever his name was could make anyone murderously hungry.
Augh. This is taking forever he thought. My mouth is really watering for a StarBurger(TM)!
Well done, Sampet. Zakary watches the snot-nosed kid they just saved chatting on his navcomm and wonders why he even tries. Then he hurries to catch up with Zanbabe, to make sure she doesn't kill anyone.
Zakary stops to help Lucian even though he says that he's got it. Got to protect the crew.
Yeah, like she said.
Zakary brings out the flamethrower for a little bit more area-effect goodness. This one at a time crap was making his boss into a volcano, and he wanted to get her well away from the ship before she blew. Last time... it hadn't been pretty. He thinks that half the ship resigned after that... and the only reason the others hadn't is because they hadn't been there.
<--not Zakary.
Zakary starts throwing stun grenades at the security forces, hoping to save a few of their lives from his crewmates, but still, of course, get them out of the way.
Zak, seeing that there are ten security guards where there first were none, drags Zanbabe away, getting a few bruises, but preserving their best pilot. Guess Gorn's a dead end. Too bad. Nice thought though.
Zak thought Finally. Maybe some of us will live as they finally reached the station. He went to open the door. Figures. Broken. He made sure the airlock was secure and correctly cycling, and realized that just the latch was broken, so he set in to fix it.
Zakary grumbles and goes to the engine compartment, but when he arrives, he finds that the fire is already out. That's more like it! Well done, Able.
Zakary, seeing the red light indicating a fire in the engine, sighs. I have to do everything myself. He climbs out of the rail gun rig, walks over to the fire control switches, and toggles the one for the engine room, which should shower down that engine-safe foam and put out the fire.
Zakary shoots at all the incoming missles. There were so many, it was actually pretty hard to miss anything.
Zakary sighs. Have to do everything myself. This whole ship is going to go down in flames. Why do I even try? He opens the hatch, gets into the gunner's seat for the external rail gun, and starts shooting anything that gets close to them.
Evasive Maneuvers.
Is it smoky in here? I don't smell anything ... well, except the dog, but it would just figure if something were *also* on fire. Just my luck.
Zakary suddenly feels like killing Borak. Weird. Maybe this plan isn't as crazy suicidal as I thought, if our goal is to kill him and not just to survive. I just hope we can hold this ship together long enough. She's been on her last legs for a long time. He pats the bulkhead affectionately. Not that we mind, of course. He toggles the communications with the medbay. How's that cure coming? Need more help?
Zakary tries to keep all the stealth, gun, and power systems online at the same time.
Zakary refrains from scattering the molecules of Fours and the other volunteers. Instead, he tries to repair the weapons.
Zakary typed in the new coordinates and gets a teleporter lock. He wasn't sure if Borak still lived there, since Z's information was probably 5 years old, but someone was there, or it wouldn't have given him a lock. He waited for other volunteers to step up before activating.
Zakary types Borak into the teleporter and waits for the location to pop up.
Seeing that the engines are working, Zakary sprints back to the bridge, accidentally tripping on some collapsed comrades on the way. Ow. Realizing that the station won't take them back because they are under quarantine, that Zanbabe would never willingly surrender to Borak, and that democracies are the worst way to run ships... oh, yeah, I already knew that part, Zakary tries to reason with Borak himself. He puts Borak's visage up on the big screen on the Bridge. Hey Borak. How's things? What say we do a straight trade: the vaccine for Zanbabe? You know that everyone else here is mostly innocent.
Rowdy, go get help! says Zakary, snickering. Then he slaps the intercom button. Help needed in the Engine Room. Preferably by someone who knows something about engines. Margit. You know something about engines, don't you? While he's waiting for help, he gets the bright idea to tinker with the wave harmonics. That could be throwing everything off.
Zakary sighs and decides to go check the engines. Have to do everything myself around here he grumbles.
Zakary checks the ship's logs to see if there is any record of the past several hours that he doesn't remember.
Shaking Bolton's hand firmly, Zakary bids him farewell. God speed on your travels, then.
He stops off in town to get the rest of his stuff, and to say goodbye to Keaton, Jake, and Lilian, as well as seeing the kids one last time, and then he walks off west, towards his home, and, hopefully, a new adventure.
Zak sighs, worried that Zarth is dead, and in another more detached part of his mind wondering what the cat statuette would do to someone that murdered its owner. Okay. Too bad about Zarth. He turned out to be a pretty good guy. Need help with anything else before I head out?
Yeah, I see it too. That's weird. Who would--? Wait, that has to be Zarth. Who else would leave us a message in that company? I wonder what happened here. Can you track it? Does the injured person go off in a different direction here, or follow the rest of the group?
Zakary squints at the ground, seeing nothing amongst the confusion of tracks, and hoping that Bolton can do better.
I'll come with you to make sure Zarth is okay. He's charmed. He can't help being loyal to us, even if it isn't in his own best interests. I worry about how that will play out if someone like his brother tries to challenge that... or take his statue. Oh, wow, I should have warned them. Zakary grabs his bow, and they head out. As they walk out of town he adds Yeah, I'll be moving on to another dig. A friend contacted me and the elves seem to have discovered something extensive, and want a professional to examine it. Unusual for them to pull in a non-Elf to consult on something like this, and I feel it is important to do, for race relations if nothing else, but I have to admit it is also somewhat of an ego boost. It will also be nice to get back to the work I love. I'll miss having you and Cami to watch my back though... and of course everyone else, especially the children.
Oh, is that why he was uneasy? I noticed that too, but I thought it was because his brother is likely angry with him. It's a hard situation, that. ... I didn't recognize that woman, but I'm not from around here. Did you? Is he right to be worried?
Zakary comes out to see what the uproar is all about, and once he realizes what is happening, he goes to say goodbye to Zarth, half because the children are watching and he wants to make sure they know that people can change, and help because he's honestly developed an affection for the guy, even though he knows he is charmed. You take care of yourself, okay? he says, and thank you again for saving us.
Thinking that Zarth's uneasiness must be because his brother is a prisoner, he says additionally It will be okay. You did the right thing, and you can still be brothers and choose different things. He'll understand that, in time. He then retreats back to the crowd, ending up between Bolton and Lilian, as the proceedings continue.
Zakary gets up around noon and has some scrambled eggs and then goes back to sleep.
Keaton and Jake attack Devin.
Lilian attacks Ed.
Zakary tries to finish off Francine.
Results:
Zakary sighs. We did a good job, but the ones that escaped... we're likely not lucky enough to think they will just desert. They'll go get reinforcements. I don't think we have the resources to chase them down... so, I don't think we have any choice but to make this town stronger. He then proceeds to check all the bodies for signs of life, and to stabilize them if possible.
He then casts cure light on himself and Bolton.
Exhausted, he then heads back home to go to bed. When he gets there though, he remembers that he left Zarth there, who is still petting his cat, but immediately says that he is hungry. Zak takes him over to the the tavern for some food, and then over to the town hall where they have made up pallets for the prisoners while they heal. While he's snagging an extra pallet for Zarth, Zarth wanders over and examines the patients/prisoners. That's my brother he says, pointing to Boscar. He then proceeds to talk about all of the other prisoners, so that they know all of their names and positions in the Bandit hierarchy. Zakary starts to ask him about the people that fled, but then decides to wait. He's too tired to think after battle, and healing, and he's just overwhelmed. He leaves Zarth in the good hands of the healers and guards, telling them privately to treat him like a friend, and under no circumstances to try and take the cat statuette, and to pass the word to anyone else that needs to interact with him. He stresses that it is of vital importance.
Us:
Stable, in Custody:
At Large:
Everyone attacks Boscar, who is now lying on the ground in front of them.
Results:
=Yes
Us:
Them:
Keaton and Jake attack Billy
Lilian and Zakary attack Devin
Results:
Us:
Them:
Keaton and Jake attack Bandit B (Billy, although they haven't been formally introduced). :)
Lilian and Zakary attack Bandit C. (Conner)
Results:
Status of Battle: Keaton (AC 17) 15/15
Bandit A (AC 14) -1/15 (down/dying)
Seeing that he apparently won't be able to do anything until they are already in the town, Zakary retreats, and joins Lilian, Keaton, and Jake, the Badger. They greet the first group of Bandits in melee.
Keaton and Jake attack Bandit B.
Lilian and Zakary attack Bandit C.
Results:
Status of Battle: Keaton (AC 17) 15/15
Zak looks around for a rock or something else to stand on so that he can start sniping as soon as they are in bow range. Or maybe there is a likely tree... =Yes Zak gets himself situated up in the tree and readies a shot for when they are in his range. He grants himself Archaeologist's Luck as a swift action, and shoots as soon as they get within 70 feet.
Zakary's arrow is deflected by a branch of the tree he is sitting in, and tumbles to the ground below him, nowhere near where he was aiming. Not an auspicious beginning thinks Zakary, as he reaches back for another arrow, wondering how many times he can shoot before they get to his tree.
Saul can go hang.
Zakary stomps into his boots, having fallen asleep in his armor in order to be ready if something happened. They head out. When they get out to the edge of town they see the rider, and swiftly move up to challenge him before he has access to the town. Zakary steps forward, casts Light on one of his elven coins, and holds it up to illuminate the rider. Ho there, friend. What can we do for you? At that moment, he recognizes the bandit as the same one that walked into his classroom. The bandit looks a little frazzled, and has what looks like a small gemstone cat in one of his hands, which he reaches over and pets frequently. When he sees Zakary he looks relieved and says Oh Zakary, I'm so glad it is you. I wasn't sure if other people would understand. The other guys told me your name, and I just knew you would stop them from taking her away (I named her Emma). They actually want to sell her, can you believe it? Zakary looks at the bandit strangely and asks him what his name is. Zarth, sir. I used to be an artisan, you know, and this cat... well, there isn't anything like it in the world, is there? I know you might be mad at me for looting your house and the ruins and all, but we're the same, you and I. We love beauty, and know that it needs to be saved, not destroyed or sold off. We have to protect her. He stares at the cat another moment, and then seems to remember something. Oh, and they are coming to attack the town at first light. I know you guys, and that you aren't bad people. I didn't want that to happen, so I came to tell you, and so that you would help me. We can't let them sell Emma. Zak casts detect magic.
He doesn't know *exactly* what the cat is doing, but he can tell that it is magical and affecting the bandit mentally. He looks over at Bolt and says Listen, you make sure the town is ready for the attack. I'll take care of this guy, and be back as soon as I can be to join in the defense. He extinguishes his light spell, grabs the reins of the bandits horse, and leads the horse back to his house. He gets the bandit to come down and inside where he can spend more time seeing what is going on. After taking a look, he gently puts the cat back into Zarth's hands, and tells him to stay here with Emma where he will be safe, and he promises that no one will take her or sell her. He's still sort of mad at the bandit for being the impetus that messed up his life in so many ways, but Elaith Trisbella has done him and the town a huge favor today, reaching out of the past, and he is more grateful to her than angry about what happened. He grabs his gear and returns to the road, where presumably they are already either arranging an ambush or setting up fortifications, depending on what Bolt and the others decided to do with the bandit's information.
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