Jan 12 23:31:48 106 PA

From Chronicles

Kid will arrive at the appointed time for the trip out, pulling up rapidly on her motorcycle before pulling into a smooth fishtail stop. She'll be fully armored, right to the helmet and, for the moment, will seem content to stay that way. She won't say much for the moment, mostly speaking when spoken to as well as efficiently assisting with any preparations that need be done before the departure.

Joshua is in the area walking his horse to the rendevoux point. He's also in full armor, and loaded for bear. Or possibly dinosaur.

The time approaches for the departure of the group for their journey through the wilderness to the place that Sage's people had come from. Standing beside her horse, the light auburn haired woman is in the process of securing saddle backs and other items around her saddle. She had been expecting Cali to drive her truck for them, but some important work had come up and the woman had been forced to decline. Having trouble finding a suitable replacement that could try her vehicle, she has decided to prepare for the worse in getting her horse Summer Riddle ready for the trip. She pats the horse gently, "Just like last time." She murmurs to her horse.

Tirzah guides her hovercycle away from the gates slowly, taking some time to check over her weapons to make sure no one else has been fiddling. Satisfied she ties down the plasma thrower to the hovercycle itself and slings her shotgun at her hip. Behind her an embery figure holds on as her passenger, its glowing red eyes a definite sign of the supernatural. The aquatic helmet of her armors hangs ready from the handle bars, and satisfied that she is ready she accelrates to arrive at the rendezvous.

Content now that all is done, Kid half sits against the seat of her leaning bike, secure on its kickstand. While she waits, she checks over her pistol carefully, examining it with an eye for any potential issues should it come to being used. Though even after she's finished with it and shoved the item into the holster at her thigh, she remains somewhat withdrawn, head dipped, arms lifted in a cross. Waiting.

Joshua reaches the general area he was told to be in, and simply waits, talking quietly to his horse and readying his saddle bags.

Once it seems that people have started to gather, Sage slips on her helmet to seal up her armor against the chill of winter. She wont have the luxury of enjoying the inside of a vehicle like she had planned, after all. She gives one last check over of her gear and weapons. She has packed away some special gear in case they should happen to run into any undead while out and about. "Thank you all for coming." She says, looking to the people gathered. She nods faintly to the man that she hadn't originally expected to bring along. "If everyone's ready, let's mount up and move out." She says, before swinging into Summer's sadle and beginning to guide her horse towards the gates of the city and the highway beyond. "Tirzah, I trust you've had a chance to review that map." She wont leave until she's sure everyone is ready, though.

Tirzah nods with a confident smile. "I have, looks like a pretty simple jaunt. So long as everyone keeps there heads they'll be fine." Then on that note she turns to address the group. "Stay together, don't go off alone to investigate something. My radio will be on channel 56, if you see something that warrants a look give me a call and I will. Its my job to find the trouble, and help you avoid it, any assistance you can lend will be appreciated." She instructs with s slight smile.

"I'm good," Kid replies to Sage through her armor's speaker. Now that things are getting started, she straightens up and turns to slip astride her bike. A quick check given and she adjusts her armor's radio before she flips back the kickstand and starts it up. The machine roars softly before quieting down to a steady rumble and once Sage takes the lead, she starts after, keeping the pace matched to that of the horses, from the initial trot on to faster speeds.

Joshua simply nods. He pats his horse one more time, and jumps into the saddle. "Alright, Vera. Here we go again," he mutters through the speaker.

Once the group has set off from the city, the environment conditions and the physical capabilities of the horses are the main limitations on the pace they can set as they head north. After a while of moving along the highway, they have to diverge from the main highway onto lesser roads. There are tense moments along the way as wilderness predators decide to get closer looks at the travelling group, but none seem to be bold enough to press an attack beyond an initial probe. The meals are prepares by the combination of Sage and Tirzah consisting of dried meats and other suitable trail foods. Overall, the trip is largely uneventful beyond hearing things in the distance and seeing the occasional patrol. The last day before they reach the community site where Sage grew up, the main sounds are the ones they make themselves. "Should be getting close now..." Sage comments over the radio, even if the trails look largely the same.

Tirzah doubles up her precautions as the destination nears. The trip having been an easy pace thanks to the horses she let her Aide off for additional scouting. Turning to meet with it she share some words and then split up again. The aide heading east, Tirzah going west. Setting a preliminary perimeter. If she spots anyone or anything she'll pause there and call back for instructions.

Kid will prove to be a good, if not enjoyable travel mate for this trip. She doesn't complain, she doesn't deviate from the group or get knocked off focus by this, that or the other, but she also doesn't socialize much. She takes her meals quietly and tends to turn in early. Her fieldcraft skills are nonexistent, but what few things she can do she assists with without being asked and without much talk in the doing. Coming up to the place, she slacks on the speed when the leads slow, but otherwise keeps her silence and becomes a bit more watchful. Letting the path ahead be defined. Joshua spends the trip chatting casually to anyone who will listen about inconsequential things. The pace is easy for a veteran traveller, and he helps out from time to time. When it's indicated the the group is nearing the destination, he pulls his rifle off his back and readies himself in case he's needed.

As the trip is reasonably long, Sage will likely engage in small talk with those that offer it and comfortable silences with those that prefer not to speak at large. As it had been planned to have Tirzah scout out the place beforehand, Sage will slow her horse's progress to give Tirzah a chance to scout around. Unsure of what to expect, she gets out her own rifle and checks it over to ensure nothing strange had occurred during the trip.

The community site itself is largely deserted from the looks of it. With the snow, its hard to tell if there's been any recent traffic through the area. Yet, there is a clear sign of inhabitance within one of the buildings as smoke rises from a chimney. Its the one to the left of the round building. As of yet, there doesn't seem to be any activity out and about the place itself.

Tirzah says, "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." Tirzah chimes over the channel as she meets back up with her aid at the north end. "Perimeter is quite, and most of the village is too. One of the buildings has a fire lit though." She relays back to the group in a calm but serious tone."

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." Tirzah chimes over the channel as she meets back up with her aid at the north end. "Perimeter is quite, and most of the village is too. One of the buildings has a fire lit though." She relays back to the group in a calm but serious tone.

Kid will sit up some as the pace slacks, riding in a more upright posture, giving her a better ability to keep a general watch around the traveling three. When the report back on the village itself is given, she absorbs it, but for now doesn't comment on it.

Joshua keeps up with the group, staying quiet, which he'd been since they got there. He just readies his gun and watches the building with someone inside.

With the report coming back on the village, Sage considers it briefly. "Could be some of those that stayed behind." She comments, "Let's proceed with caution?" She suggests, as she begins to walk the horse into the opening. "They'll know me if that's who they are." She begins to trot the horse, "If you need to put your vehicle somewhere... there are buildings along the left west side of the road..."

Tirzah makes her way back west to park her hovercycle behind one of the said buildings, her aide following. Collecting they keys and her plasma thrower she grunts a little at its weight as she slings it on her back. Realizing her aide is not the best for a diplomatic greeting she asks it to say with her cycle and then heads back towards the road and the house beyond it. "Be careful Sage. Might not be them." She warns before waiting to see how it goes. Kid will slow to a crawl as Sage starts to walk the horse, glancing towards where the building is that was noted. She'll stop, then dismount, to keep the noise down, just in case. Walking the bike over to the building, she'll slide it alongside before locking the controls and leaving it be. Free of it, she turns and draws her heavy pistol out, keeping it low to the side as she moves back towards Sage.

Joshua slides off Vera and leads the horse to the indicated area. He ties her off to whatever's handy, and heads back to Sage, where he readies his rifle again and covers Sage.

"I'll try..." Sage replies to the warning as she trots the horse up towards the house in question. The horse hooves seem to attract attention as a figure emerges from house. A quick look reveals the man isn't carrying any weapons that are noticeable and its unclear whether there is any armor besides. "Who goes there?" A male voice calls out to the rider. "It is Sage, Benny." She replies, before she slides off of the horse since it seems the situation is harmless enough. She communes briefly with her mount and Summer trots purposefully towards the West as if having been commanded. Some chatter follows between the man and Sage. The man seems to be rather nervous about something and apologizing to Sage and begging her to come into the house. Tirzah relaxes as she sees that Sage recognizes the fellow. Walking up closer to join her friend she stops a few paces behind, patiently waiting to be introduced and such. The clatter of an unsecure shutter draws the attention of Kid on the nearest building to her. However, Joshua seems to catch something out of the corner of his eye. Something big in one of the windows of the building to the south east of the round building. Its gone before he can fully look at it, though.

Kid won't point her gun at the man that emerges, but her helmeted head does point in his direction for a few long moments before she simply looks away, letting Sage handle him. Instead, she keeps a general watch on the area, the turn of her helmet indicating the sweeping field of her view.

keeps his rifle in position and ready to fire, but not threatening the man. He keeps his attention mostly focussed on the surroundings, but his gun is never pointed far from the stranger.

Joshua keeps his rifle in position and ready to fire, but not threatening the man. He keeps his attention mostly focussed on the surroundings, but his gun is never pointed far from the stranger.

Concerned for the Benny fellow, Sage prompts for what the problem is exactly but the man seems to be madeningly vague. She begins to edge towards the house before she notices that Tirzah is still around. "Oh... this is Tir...." She begins to make the introductions when her grip becomes more sure on her rifle. A shout from that building that building that Joshua saw a flicker of tthing comes, "Krug found!" this proceeds a very large man spotting a plasma cannon clutched in one massive arm and a locked chest under his other arm. Someone in the shadows of the inside of the inhabited building curses before muttering something and suddenly the area the area where Sage, Tirzah and Benny seems to roil with a horrific feeling. The shout seems to bring the attention of others that had been hidden away as noises come from the two other buildings.

Kid focuses at once on the meaty hunk of trouble coming out and his big gun. An obvious threat, Kid is entirely too quick to snap her pistol up, steadying it briefly with her other hand before she snaps off a particle beam at his hugeness. That this might be a moment for a non-combative resolution doesn't even seem to slow her.

A shifty, twitchy character named Fast Eddie comes out of the north-west building from the round one, "About time, Krug!" He complains, before eyeing the scene before him and giggles madly. "Finally some action!" His twitchiness geting an outlet as he takes a pot shot at the pair of women deciding to settle for the one that seems to be the leader in the Gladiator armor.

Xandos being the shadowy one in the doorway steps out into the door frame with a theatric pose. "Behold my fearsome powers!... begone from this place and we might let you live!" He says with a flair that really belongs on the stage instead of a battle field. He seems to have already done what he wanted as the women seem to be too startled to do anything to him.

Joshua quickly recovers from his surprise, and his shot isn't far behind Kid's, as he goes to remove what he considers the most dangerous threat and shoots to disarm Krug.

Sashir comes out of the round building, looking over towards the big man only to see him come under attack. The second weapons fire is noticed by her and she brings up her laser rifle to unleash on the man attacking her comrade. She doesn't say anything, comprised to be silent and effective.

The big guy know as Krug or Mr. Beefy to others, stares dumbly as Kid shoots at him. He wasn't expecting there to be any people shooting at him, it seems. When he does recover himself, its to stumble and drop the chest and have the cannon shot out of his hand. A howl of rage comes from the man, before he begins to paw around for the weapon.

Expecting some other form of danger, Sage's warning is cut off as her mind is taken by horrific images. She freezes with indecision before she's able to bring her fear under control. An ion blast rips into her armor from the twitchy fellow. Her reactions seem to be bogged down by sluggish muscles unwilling to comply.

Tirzah shrieks, I mean the guy is really big, REALLY big. So her damsel in distress instinct kicks in. And though if makes her look more waifish than she will like to admit later it does bring her Fire elemental companion running from her hovercycle.

Kid steps to the side and kneels as she lines up her next shot, carefully tracking the big guy with her pistol as he fumbles for his weapon. She's keen to the sudden activity all around her, but pushes it back as she squeezes a second shot off, looking to drill another furrow into the big guy's armor with the heavy pistol. Keeping focus despite the distractions around her.

"Hey! You! This isn't no underwater theme park!" Fast Eddie giggles madly before turning his ion blaster on to the woman with funny armor. "Take..." His crazy-like voice trailing off. "What the hell is that?!?" He exclaims, hopping nervously from one foot to the other as he is freaked out by the presence of the elemental.

Xandos momentarily gets distracted by the outburst of Fast Eddie, and has just enough willpower to tear his attention away from the horrible elemental that comes. "I see that you leave me now choice!" He says in an over-the-top villains voice and mutters another spell that causes a magical net to fly on the pair of women before him.

Joshua turns from the engraged big guy, now that his weapon's on the ground and pops off a shot to do likewise to Fast Eddie. Unfortunately, Fast Eddie's a bit too fast and twitchy, and he misses.

The attention that Fast Eddie's outburst causes the other two (Sashir and Krug) to look over and get startled by the appearance of the fire elemental as well. Krug having a cooler hand manages to get his hands on his weapon before he freezes up.

As Xandos continues his theatric performance, Sage's fear subdues in time to react to the magical net that he tosses at her and Tirzah. She deftly rolls over to the side and begins to fumble with her rifle to get it into a ready firing position. pub Every gun, that is.

Tirzah vainly tries to escape the net but cannot, cursing the arcane adepts she shoots a look to her aide. "Burn them would you?" And it does calling fourth if elemenal powers to form a vast blaze around Xandos and his companions, 30 ft long, 30 ft high and 20 ft thick.

Kid keeps on her cool focus, flinching just slightly at the sudden blaze of fire behind her. Who knows what's going on back there, but since it doesn't seem to be around her, she keeps her eyes on the big guy, pressing her advantage while she has it. A third particle beam lancing out at the big guy, looking to burn through that armor of his quickly.

Xandos makes an annoy noise, "Do you really think this will bother me?! Fool!" He mutters, and a spell snaps up to make him imprevious to the flames about it. Despite being a little singed, he steps out of the flame mostly unscatched. "None can stop the mighty Xandos!"

Finally getting tired of the cheesy wizard dialogue, Joshua turns and pops a blast in Xandos' direction, but his shot again goes wild when he becomes distracted by all the magic being thrown around.

"Hot! Hot!" Fast Eddie complains as he dances out of the wall out of fire. "You'll pay for that!" He twitches between deciding whether to attack the elemental or the people. Deciding that one of the people must be the controller, he takes aim at the leader that he'd choosen to pick on earlier. An ion blast ripping out towards the woman.

Sashir recovers herself well enough to focus her own ire back on the people attacking her companion. Her rifle coming to bear on Kid since that person seems to be doing the most actual damage of the group.

With a howl of rage, Krug finally manages to get his stuff together with this weapon and balance. He rears up and screams at Joshua, "You hurt Bertha!" He roars before letting loose with his plasma cannon.

As Sage rises to her more dignified crouch, she doesn't see the ion blast in time to try to move out of its path. The ion ripping into her armor once more. She brings her rifle to bear on the mage as he seems to be the easiest target of them, she unleashes a pulse on the man hoping to take some of the cockiness away.

Tirzah grimaces, completely amazed that given her trapped state she's not swiss cheese yet. Not willing to push her luck she draws from her link to energize her armor. "Don't worry about the guy who wants your attention, take the big guy out." She suggests to her aid and it takes it to hard, unleashing a bolt of plasma at the mammoth fellow.

"Would you shut the ever loving fuck up?!" Right about now, Kid has had more than enough of the mage's lip, so she twists around and lines him up for some particle beam loving from her fourth shot, letting that lash at him with a power only rivaling the snarled whip snap of her flinty voice. Given enough fuel to spark her fire, she unleashes it. The laser fire isn't even felt, though the smell of seared materials as he cuts along her armored side will reach her soon enough.

"How dare you!" Xandos bellows in rage as his pretty armor no long has its perfect condition. He pauses long enough to cackle as Kid misses. "All fear Xandros!" Before he tries to snare the woman in the gladiator armor once more with a magical net.

Giggling like mad, Fast Eddie nearly dances towards where one woman remains snared. "Yeah! Leave him alone!" He protests at Sage's decision to shoot at his boss. Another ion blast being set towards the woman in the gladiator armor.

"Take the package and go Krug!" Sashir finally speaks up as she continues to focus on the woman with the particle energy pistol.

Given his command, Krug nods to his comrade before taking up the chest under one arm befor lumbering for the road forest path that is near the building he came out of. rough forest path, even Growling too herself as the mage seems to put her back on the defenses, Sage rolls off to the side once more as she tries to keep the rifle from fumbling from her grip. She manages to avoid the net once more, despite the mage's best efforts.

"Don't let him get away." Tirzah orders as she draws from her link to sheath her body in flame and go about getting out of the net. The lemental nods in wordless obediance and runs after the hulk, making a powerful attempt to tackle the large fellow.

Let the fire thing handle the big guy, he's softened. Kid wants this loudmouth. Annoying and a mage.. yeah. Go time. "You're gunna get it," she growls as she sends a fifth bolt of nasty particles at him, steadying her aim a bit with her free hand after that less disciplined snap shot. He's dangerous too, with those nets of his. The more down, the worse the odds are.

Xandos makes an annoyed sound as Sage manages to elude his net once more, "Eddie... kill her!" He gestures towards Sage before turning to Kid. "Come to Xandos and meet your doom!" He says, deciding that he'll try to snare another one of this group instead. The annoying loud mouth woman with the particle pistol this time.

"Right boss!" Fast Eddie cheerfully responds, deciding not to get to close since the netted woman is all fiery and stuff. He snaps another shot off at Sage, hoping to deter this person from hurting his boss.

Noticing how things are going and what Xandos had told them before they were to struggle against this group, Sashir notices the fiery elemental as it goes for the big man. "Hold on, Krug!" She calls as she runs in chase to help her comrade.

Krug having little brain power for this kind of danger, just keeps running for the forest path.

With the Ion blast flying over her head, Sage is able to focus on the mage again. "Never leave a wolf to nip at your heels." She utters, as her rifle comes to aim once more and unleashes a pulse on the mage.

Seeing as the large foe was nimble enough to evade its tackle the elemental changes tactics, drawing on its abilities to erect another wall of flame in front of its prey.

Kid goes down in the net cursing with a considerable arsenal of dirty language. Amid that she'll belt out, "Fucking coward, fight like a man, finger wiggler!" Kid's words an open snarl of challenge to the mage. Her pistol gets dropped and she pulls one of her vibro knives, immediately starting to slash at the net's structure from the inside. "Gunna curbstomp your face when I get outta here.."

Noticing his plight, Xandos seems to be given momentary pause before he casts a spell on himself to grant him more armoor. Laughing maniacally now that he's managed to put two people out of commission. He turns on Sage. "You should know better than to pick on someone greater than you!" He thrusts a finger accusingly at Sage.

Fast Eddie grinning maniacally as he takes close aim at the woman but seems to want to take extra time to aim this time since he missed last time.

With the wall of fire baring the way, Krug stumbles to a stop in confusion. He looks left, then right, then heaves the chest in an attempt to get it past the flames onto the rough forest road.

Sashir stumbles closer to the elemental before she pauses to think on how to handle this situation.

Realizing the plight of her friends, Sage isn't sure that she can handle the two on one that this situation seems to offer. Tapping into her power, she turns her attention to hurling the mage back against the wall of the building to distract him.

Kid keeps cutting against the net, only gradually able to saw through the magical.. whatever the hell it is that keeps her enclosed. Of course, the din of the combat covers over just what she's muttering darkly. A good thing as such colorful topics aren't for the faint of heart or delicate of constitution.

Letting his cohorts deal with the elemental and securing the chest, Eddie simply giggles as he unleashes once more unleashes an Ion blast on Sage. Ignoring his boss's thud against the wall of the building.

Unsure of how to handle the elemental, Sashir decides to see if it can be hurt by her laser rifle. She takes aim and pulls the trigger hoping to distract it away from Krug.

Tirzah bides her time unable to do anything until she burns through the net, best to conserve her energies for when she does get out. The elemental pays no heed to the energy attack that does appear to scar it minimally. Instead id unleashes another plasma bolt at the large one.

Having momentarily thrown Xandos off his game, Sage realizes her disadvantage as she realizes the hired gun with the mage has virtually unharmed armor while her own is beginning to worse for wear. "Sorry..." She murmurs to her friends as she forced to run for cover. Trying to dive past the corner the building to obscure herself from sight. Stumbling back to his feet, Xandos begins to rouse himself from the disorienting effects of being thrown against the building. He recovers himself enough to cackle as the third person is forced to flee.

Joshua curses loudly through his armor's speaker, pulling his rifle to aim directly at the mage. "That was a very expensive coat, and I am presently goin' ta become irritable," he comments as he fires a blast in the mage's direction.

For a big man, Krug can be nimble when he wants to be. He manages to duck out of the way of the bolt but seems hesistant to try shooting at the elemental. Instead, he starts to amble for the edge of the firewall and take his chances moving around it.

Kid snips one of the magical fibers. "That's right.. laugh while you still got some fucking teeth, pansy." She starts sawing again, the next one down being attacked viciously in leu of having a mage to throttle.

"Quiet! Quiet!" Fast Eddie complains, frustrated that his target should decide to be sneaky now and move out of sight. He turns his attention on the loud mouth woman instead. "No one talks to my boss like that!" He tries to aim carefully at the woman so that he wont hit the net. But, he's not too choosy either way.

Mildly encouraged by the slight damage she perceived by the first hit, Sashir takes aim again. "Hold on Krug!" She calls, as she unleashes once more on the elemental.

The elemental draws for more power, erecting another wall to cut off the ogrish one's escape. Boxing him in so to speak.

Collecting herself quickly, Sage peeks around the corner. The rifle is a little too long to bring around on the mage but its enough to get a good bead on the Fast Eddie fellow. She decides it'll have to do as she unleashes another pulse.

Despite the laser that eats into her magical armor, Xandos surveys the situation. He blinks as he finally notices the burning woman in one of the nets. "Eddie! Her! Her!" He screams before he laughs as he thinks his work has been well wrought. He mutters out a spell before disappearing from sight. "See you guys later!" He cackles before beginning to make his own way out of the area.

Joshua growls as the mage disappears, and quickly sweeps the area with his thermal scope. As soon as he sees the mage, he thumbs his rifle to burst and lets fly.

Krug gets the look of a caged animal as he's trapped and even his limited mind tells him that fire probably wont hurt fire too much. He begins to trundle for the other gap into the forest now.

Kid notices the attack that strikes her, her helmeted head shifting to stare towards Fast Eddie. "Stuff it, junkie. You're scrawny ass is next," she belts back at Fast Eddie. "Bet helpless is the only way you get your women." Feeling vicious tonight? Yes we are, but you use the weapons you have. Of course, she's still cutting while she's doing her damnedest to emasculate the sorry sucker. Sadly she can't give him the accompanying look that goes along with that sort of scything commentary.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Fast Eddie snaps back at Kid, considering shooting at that woman again before he complies with his boss' orders and turns the Ion pistol on the fiery woman instead.

Sashir curses faintly as she misses, but realizes what the elemental is trying to do. Since her own armor is relatively unscathed, she decides can take the chance of the fire. She runs for the original wall of fire to jump through to the rough forest road behind it. "Hang tight!" She calls to her comrade.

The elemental was ordered not to let Krug escape, and it wont. Creating another wall it closes Krugs avenue of escape, now the brute wil have to go through the elemental or a wall of flame to leave.

Despite the mage's attempt at escape, Sage is relucant to leave her friends at the mercy of Eddie as the man has done a number to her armor as it is. She pops out again for another pulse to see if she can't get the man off her friends.

Xandos seems to be content for running for the forest path himself. The flames he seems up ahead doesn't concern him much since he doesn't need to worry too much about flames right now.

Joshua lines up his shot on the fleeing mage, carefully tracking him through the thermo-imager scope. He lets fly another pulse at the coward.

The blast from Joshua's rifle rips right through the magical armor that the mage had erected around himself. His armor looks to be in bad shape at this point. Its hard to tell if there's much protection left as he seems to stumble to the ground with a cry. Krug ends up sitting down in hopelessness.

"Then stop being a pussy and fight like a man," Kid snarls back at Eddie. "You and your boss both." Not that tshe even pauses her hacking at the net, snapping another thread. Deciding that he still has time to work on the women, Eddie makes a rude noise in response to Kid before pulling the trigger on Tirzah once more.

Through the wall of flames, Sashir seems determined to get the Big Boss ATV that they'd cleverly hidden along the path up and running. Although, the fire was a bit disconcerting with his hunger for her armor.

Its target detained the elemental simple waits for further instructions, completely oblivious to everyone else.

Having lost track of the mage for the time being, Sage seems content to continue working on Fast Eddie.

For the time being Xandos seems to remain on the ground. Perhaps he was killed by the laser blast. Or perhaps he's playing possum.

Seeing the mage down, Joshua turns toward the next real threat. He fires a pulse in Fast Eddie's direction. "Hey, lay off the women-folk, ya yeller dog!"

As Eddie's scream comes, it spurs Sashir just to drive off as it seems the mission has gone horribly wrong. Leaving Krug abandoned in the firewalls and the mage still on the ground in unknown shape.

With the combat seeming to end, the annoying as hell Eddie down, the mage gone and the sounds of weapon fire fading, Kid pauses her sawing to glance about. "If that goddamn mage is alive, he's mine," she growls, resuming her cutting. She'll be out soon. Someone might want to put the mage out of his misery first.

Tirzah finally burns through her net moments later and makes her way to her aide and it's prisoner. She'll glance around for the others and gesture for them to follow if she does spot them. In reply to kids claim she smirks. "After we question him." Once at her aide and Krug she gives him a look of actual compassion. "Its really sad when people like that employ creatures that cannot rightly judge for themselves." She notes aloud with a gesture to the crumpled Xandos. "Throw down your weapon and we will heal your wounds." She tells Krug in a firm tone.

As Eddie screams and falls to the ground, Sage relaxes and leans against the building for support. "Thanks." She says, taking a couple breaths before she begins to rise from her seat. "I wonder where Benny got off too... didn't see him since he ran off." She says glancing about, before fingering her damaged armor as she tries to get a sense of how bad the damage is.

Joshua looks at Eddie in satisfaction, before smoothly drawing one of the pistols at his hip. He points the rifle one-handed at Krug, and points the pistol at the downed mage. "Told 'em I was gonna get irritable," he says, his augmented voice sounding pleased with his work.

The big man has become to rock himself back and forth while in the sitting position. His prized Bertha in his lap. He looks up when the woman approaches him, he considers the woman briefly before tossing the cannon away. His armor looks like a can opener would be sufficient to finish it off.

Kid finally yanks her vibro-knife through the last few threads to wiggle free. She comes out with her pistol in right hand, knife shifted to left and she's pissed something fierce. The moment she snaps to her feet, she kicks Eddie viciously, regardless of if he's dead or not. "Prick," she mutters, not pausing to differentiate before she turns and scans the field of battle. Spotting the mage, she starts talking his way at once.

Tirzah smiles warmly as Krug complies. "Heal his burns and let the walls down, we don't want a forest fire." She tells her aid as she collects the weapon. The aide complies and the walls vanish, leaving charred earth in their wake. Keeping her warm smile she calmy looks at Krug while he is treated. "Why were you here?" She asks gently.

Keeping her rifle at a relaxed pose, Sage soon decides that Benny will show up when he's ready to. The sound of the conflict already gone now. The buildings where the fire touched them looking worse for wear with parts destroyed. She wanders over to Eddie check on the man while kicking the weapon away from his hand. The man's death clear to her before too long. Then she makes her way to rejoin the others.

"Now, I do believe there's a chest of some kind over by the lunk," Joshua states, moving to keep his line of fire clear on both Krug and Xandos. "Seemed ta be important to 'em. He ignores Kid, not really caring what she does to the mouthy mage.

Sitting more normally, Krug decides to stay where he is as one of the women speaks to him. "Krug come here because mage say..." He says, thinking that's the answer the woman wants.

Kid is just as gentle with the mage as she was with ole Eddie once she gets to him. She nudges an armored boot under his shoulder and firmly knocks him with a kick to roll him from front to back. Finding him still alive, she plants her foot on his chest and levels her heavy pistol at his face. "You'd best start talking before I start shooting. Cause I'm itching the shoot your sorry ass right now."

Seeing that the mage is in good hands and believing Krug, Tirzah asks her aide about the chest. Which it points out laying right wear Krug tossed it. Smirking Tirzah walks over to it to take a look.

As she gets closer, Sage considers the scene before her. Unsure of how she might be the most help, she makes her way towards the mage and kneels down beside him. Its easy enough to tell that the true wound is behind, and Kid is standing on the man's chest.

There is blood dribbling from the corners of his mouth. "Xandos... will... return....!" The mage manages to gasp out in defiance of Kid's order before he begins to try to chuckle that turns into wracked coughing.

Joshua lowers his pistol since his line of fire is hopelessly blocked on the mage. "Oh, put the damned man out of his misery," he comments before walking up to Krug, keeping the rifle trained steadily on the big guy.

"Krug's! Krug's!" The big man calls childishly as Tirzah goes for the chest, but he seems to restrain himself enough to not make a hostile move on Tirzah.

Kid snorts faintly and dips to a knee, that knee firmly impacting on what's left of the man's chest armor. "Not after I spread your fucking ashes all over this place," she murmurs to him, her tone turning sickly sweet before she cooly shoves her activated knife into his throat and twists. Not worth wasting another shot on this one. Nor does she seem unacquainted with death, looking the man in the eye to the last. She yanks back the knife then and rises up. "Burn him. Maybe he can come back and maybe he can't, but I sure as hell ain't taking no chances," she states aloud before starting towards Krug. "What about this joker?" Asked as she points that bloody knife in his direction. Scary lady coming!

Tirzah draws somepower from her link to lift the chest off the ground and push it towards Krugs, but stops a few paces away. "Mostly harmless, leave him be." She says to Kid as she lets the chest down to the ground. "If what we came here for isn't in here Krugs can have it and go about Krug's business. That is if Krugs tells us everything about Krug's time with the 'great' Xandos." Tirzah offers to the brute.

Whether Xandos dies before the knife or because of the knife is anyone's guess as the mage seems to let out a dying final breath. It seems clear enough that the man is dead to Sage as she simply looks away as the man is finished off. Once the deed is done, she briefly begins to search the body since she heard the man was referred to as being the boss.

Joshua keeps his focus on Krug. "Answer the lady, boy, and you can go on yer business. I'm keepin' yer fire-shooter, though," he adds as an afterthought. "Ya ruined my coat. I liked that coat."

Krug seems content with the knowledge that as long as he sits right here and doesn't try to cause trouble that he might just live through this. He watches the chest before looking between the people and the forest path where Sashir had disappeared. "Krug... saw fancy man... Great Xandos in bar... bought drinks... said smash woman, grab ... something important... get money..."

"Hey, don't go giving away any loot we got outta this like you're in the lead around here," Kid protests as Tirzah makes said offer. "Maybe you got cash to throw around fixing your gear, but I got a new life to start and that ain't cheap." She stops sort of coming right up to Krug, but will tell him, "You stay harmless. Cause I'm feeling stabby right now," Obviously.

Tirzah frowns at the mention of a woman being smashed. "What woman? When? Where?" She asks in rapid succession. She says, Kids concerns mirrored by her own in regards to the gun. Both ignored as she sits on the chest and listens intently to Krug after shooting Sage a worried glance.

Rifling through the belongings of the dead mage, Sage takes up anything that might devulge some clues, before she begins to walk over toward the rest of them to look through the items. She's distracted for the moment, "Huh..." She comments, "How's it going here?" She asks, as she looks to the man that's left standing - so to speak.

Joshua shrugs. "Krug here's givin' the low-down on the recently retired spell-slinger. An' bein' all cooperative," he adds in a disappointed tone.

"Woman not here?" Krug says over to Tirzah as if not comprehending the question. Kid frowns faintly as she steps closer to the big man. "Then where is she, dimbulb? Details." Feeling a bit irritable overall, Kid lets off a little steam at the big lug. "The sooner you get the details out, the sooner you can leave." She holsters her pistol, but leaves her knife in hand. It's good for menacing, just in case.

Tirzah sighs, exasperated by Kid's attempts at being tough and realizing this is going to be slow. "Maybe you guys want to go check the buildings they were searching? Someone may be hurt." She asks the group with a worried tone with no air of authority. Then turning back to Krug she rephrases. "Where were you when you smashed the woman?" She asks slowly.

"Ah..." Sage replies to Joshua, "They may have been here for us." She gestures with the papers as if offering the others to take a look at them. "Unless there was another group heading this way..." Likely meaning the orders were a touch vague. She glances to the flinty woman and the gunslinger that came with them, "Yeah, you two go look around. Let me know what you end up wanting." She says, before looking between Tirzah and the big oaf.

Joshua sighs and thumbs the safety on his rifle, before slinging it over his back. He keeps his pistol out and goes to follow orders. "I want that fire-shooter, 's what I want," he calls back as he goes to inspect the buildings. Tags: joshua, kid, sage, sage tp, tirzah