May 22 09:07:59 106 PA
From Chronicles
The current game time is: Sun May 22 09:07:59 106 PA.
The time to move will have been agreed upon by the four of you, the target picked out from information shared by Norwick, delivered by courier. There will be maps and descriptions and travel paths for a particular supply convoy. The job, stop it and eliminate all Coalition personnel, no witnesses. Particular ambush points with proper cover will be noted at a few points, including trees in one section and rocks in another. The choice of where to set up theirs.
But first the travel. Norwick will have made it clear that there is no need to be concerned with long distance travel. THe trip there will be taken care of, as will the return. All that they need be concerned with is executing the attack. The place to meet for the attack will be about five miles outside of Kingsdale. Not too far a walk and at that meeting point will be Norwick. A tallish man of swarthy complexion with a preference for blue as his hooded robe and cloak are a dark, royal shade of it. Along with his will be a gathering of five men sitting around a small fire, whilst Norwick is standing a few meters off, waiting with his hands folded into his sleeves.
She's gotten all 'made up' for the party. Meu likes parties. And Tirzah has her pretty convinced that this is her birthday party. So she's made sure to look her scaries. Like some giant white ghost, she tromps along, a loyal albeit brutish presence not to be found far from her compatriot, Tirzah at any given time. Seeing as she's playing the part of Tirzah's 'loyal steed' at the moment... This isn't particularly difficult. Norwick gets little other than a slightly distrustful look from her. But at least she isn't roaring around right about now.
Riding atop of the red striped giant sits perched on her shoulder, legs crossed and quaint as Meu lumbers along underneath her. Under one are she holds her helmet and in the other her plasma thrower rest on Meu's shoulder beside her.
Norwick will observe the approach of the two, giant and rider, with a tangible interest and a general lack of fear. Though nearby the five men look distrustfully towards the giant woman. They're modestly armored and lightly armed, mostly pistols, but one fingers a heavy rifle he has leaned against his chest. But none of them do more than stare or pointedly ignore the coming fighters. As the two near, the robed man draws his hands from his sleeves and spreads his arms in welcome. "Well now, this is quite impressive," he says, his tone a pleased one. "And quite fearsome. Very nice indeed. Ready for action, are we?"
Meu is very very clear on what her part to be played happens to be. She raises her 'club' and slaps it down into her fist, even as the scent of blood wafts off her. She grins toothily, and answers Norwick with her usual simple sort of accuracy,"Meu smash." Tirzah grins at Norwick, accented by Meu's boast. "We're just here to enjoy the party and its special guests." She replies with a wink as she combs her fingers through her hair in a playful manner. "As you can see Meu was overjoyed to learn she'd get to go to such a party, we spent alll morniong making her pretty for it." She notes with a demure smile.
Celaeno comes along somewhat after the other two. Wearing a black jumpsuit over her rather unhelpful urban camouflage, she simply strolls along, right hand hooked around the thumb of one of her swords' hilts. With a smile and a wave she approaches Norwick, considering. Meu, too, gets a few sidelong glances from the woman, though she refrains from any comment. Considerably less impressive looking than the other two, she maintains a healthy distance - just close enough that her presence is noticeable.
Norwick smiles widely in response to Meu's simple declaration, bobbing his head in a nod towards the giantess before regarding Tirzah. "Mmm.. yes, no doubt it shall be quite an exciting event," he muses aloud. "And with so motivated a participant." His eyes shift back to Meu, studying her intently before Celaeno makes herself known as well, if discreetly. "Come now, no need to be shy," he shall say to her, motioning for her to near before his arms hands are folded into his sleeves once more. "One more and it shall be time. I wonder, do any of you have any last moment questions or requests?"
Meu wrinkles her nose, looking a little confused, then shrugs at Norwick, starts mining for nosegold, and wonders of Norwick. "Meu have question. Meu smash?" Suddenly, she declares,"Teer-zuh make me pretty for party!"
Tirzah chuckles light from atop of Meu's shoulder before placing a calming hand on he giant's head. "Almost dear, this man will make a dorr for us to take to the party, then when the guests arrive, Meu smash." She corrects patiently before looking to Norwick. "None here, though I suggest we be quick once Vargus arrives, Meu can get impatient." She advises before looking to acknowledge Celaeno. "Hello."
Celaeno only takes a step or two closer, smirking slightly to herself that she might be considered shy. Of course, the only response that's elicited is that she moves to put on her helmet, checking that she does indeed have all of her equipment. Meu's comment causes Cel to look her over once more, with a slight shake of the head. "Hello," she responds to Tirzah, and finally to the group at large.
"Soon enough, you shall indeed smash," Norwick promises Meu. "And you look quite pretty, yes." And he says it with a straight face as well, barely a flicker in his smooth manner. His eyes shift to Tirzah then. "Quite the blunt instrument. Under your guidance?" he observes and queries calmly. He considers Celaeno briefly before he notes, "This will be a simple mission, as I am sure you all know. Once you eliminate the guards, use this to signal me." He draws from his sleeve a small, simple device with a single button. He lifts it on his palm and, with a casual pass of his fingers and a soft breathed word summons a tendril of faint energy to lift the object towards Tirzah. "I will both transport you back and see that the goods they are transporting go to those who could make much better use of them. And I will pay you on the spot, upon your return. Twenty thousand credits each. No questions?"
Meu looks up over her shoulder at Tirzah, looking confused, though not unpleased,"Meu get paid for smashing?" Well now! An added bonus it seems. "This is be good day. Meu smash, and Meu get present! And Meu look pretty!" She certainly seems flattered by Norwick's assertions, anyway.
Tirzah just smirks looking down at Meu. "I told you Meu, do and look your best and you'll get it all plus more parties in the future." She reminds her sweet giant with a soft smile. Then looking to the trinket she snatches it from the air to safely deposit it in her suit's shoulder pad. "In and out, piece of cake. You like cake Meu? Professionals get cake." She notes with a cunning smile.
Celaeno nods at the instructions, thumb still hooked, "And any survivors?" Her voice questions flatly, glancing at Tirzah and Meu. "Or are they to be tied up with the rest of the goods, and shipped off to where they can do some good, as well?" This question is bright, almost chipper. "And who doesn't like cake?"
"Kill them all," Norwick replies without hesitation. "There are to be no witnesses. No prisoners." He will lift a hand and say, "Abide just a few minutes. Your way will be opened soon, that you might begin preparations. And when your wayward fourth shows, he shall be along as well." His other hand emerges from its sleeve, this time with a small device with several large diamonds and emeralds inset into it. He turns a moment after extracting it, taking a few steps off to the side. Once in place, he begins to chant slowly, his free hand moving in smooth flicks and passes as he begins to channel a spell. A powerful spell. Over at the fire, the men who are with him continue to eye the trio warily, but keep to their cluster. It will be a few minutes indeed as the man of magic works through his spell.
The spell takes not long to cast and once it has finally been completed, a portal will open up before Norwick like an oblong eye of blue-white power, the edges crackling as the fabric of reality is ripped open between two points. "Quickly now. You haven't long," Norwick will reply as he steps aside and motions for them to go through. And on the other side will be wilderness. If the maps were right, several hundred miles from Kingsdale, just south of Tolkeen's border.
The lay of the land is simple. The caravan is set to travel through a slight dip of a valley, along a well traveled trail that has been blazed over decades of steady commerce, the vegetation along it long since ground away to leave the bare earth. But to all sides nature holds sway. To the north the tree cover is heavy. To the south it is lighter. Ahead, where the trail rises out of the valley a large stone juts from the earth, no doubt holding a few tons of weight to it. The three are now left with an hour to prepare themselves.
Considering the layout and Vargus' absence Tirzah decides to adjust things a bit. Jumping down form Meu she points to the rocky area. "We're going to change the game a little bit Meu. Instead of the game I talked with you about earlier lets have you hiding behind those rocks. And then when our guests get here see how many you can hit with huge rock from above. If you hit them all, we go get some special cake after." She proposes, pointing out the rock bluff
Celaeno enters the portal last, with only a slight hesitation as she approaches. But once she's through, she's through. Finally approaching the other two, grinning under her helmet. "She takes them from the front, you hit a side, I try to swing around back?" She asks with a glance at the stopping power that is Meu. "Just make sure you don't hit me on accident."
Meu claps her hands together happily as she goes to tromp over to, as well as climb up and to the area so indicated,"Meu go pretend to be a rock now! Show you real good how Meu be all sneaky an' quiet, an' stuff." Indeed. Hunkered down just right, she could tend to look just like a boulder herself,"Meu gonna get all the cake she so sneaky!" This, the others are assured of. Even Celaeno gets an annoyed answer,"Meu gots good aim." She sets her club within easy reach as she settles, and begins perusing for nice, throwable rocks and boulders so she can array them.
Vargus pauses a moment before stepping through the rift, seeming to focus and peer through the dimensional aperature, although he seems to be aware of the time ticking by, since he moves forward and steps through the event horizon just as Norwick takes the breath to give him the 'hurry up' speach. Emerging from the other side, he turns and helps his familiar into the air with a little bit of a throw and then moves to cover behind the rock.. even with the time, there's no use in being sloppy.
Tirzah snickers before finding her own shady spot amongst the bushes. Setting up she readies her plasma thrower and her link to the elemental plane for their approaching guests. Once she's in position and the time nears she channels that link into her armor, empowering it for the encounter.
"Glad you could join us," Celaeno calls jokingly as Vargus comes through the portal. Moving to take position a little ways further up the trail than the others, taking to the south side amongst the lighter cover. Propping herself up, she does the best she can to keep out of sight of the road, drawing her swords but doing what she can to relax. Long distance to Meu: Namtar assumes that Meu won't be moving for now?
Once settled, its just a matter of time before the target comes into sight. A line of four heavy trucks rolling down the road steadily, with thick, wide tires. The trucks have a weathered look, but are in good condition, the lead truck holding two individuals, the next two each holding a single driver and the last holding two in the cab. All the men are armored, though it's hard to see just what they're packing in particular just yet. The trucks will trundle down into the low dip in the ground smoothly, shaking as they roll over the uneven terrain, but remain stable as they move into position for the ambush.
The arrival of the convoy at hand Tirzah draws on her link to air once they are all in the target area. Forming a trio of electrical balls she conjures and releases them to form a field behind the convoy cutting off the path back from where they came.
Meu is as patient as she's ever been. Day to day life has always been, for her, one frantic unthinking rush to fulfill one impulse after the other. This is different. This is a hunt. And Meu knows how to hunt. She understands that sometimes, the prey is too fast. So you have to block it in. She grabs hold of the largest rock she can find, aims carefully, and HURLS it right at the lead truck's grill as it moves into place, all while belting out a great roar at the top of her voice as she does so. It's not just a happy exhultation on her part. She's trying to look as godawfully scary as she knows how. Surprise!
Well, with the sound of the convoy comes the inevitable sound of ambush and rocks. So, to join in, Celaeno charges up one of her swords, giving it a pale blue glow as she moves to close with the rear truck, trying to stay out of their line of sight, though her energy seems focused mainly on getting there.
Vargus braces himself against his knees against the rock. He holds a curved, sleak particle beam rifle in his right hand and his left starts to trace strange patterns in the air with his left. After a few seconds his voice ramps up slightly and with a quick gesture his form seems to blurr slightly, his movements appearing to execute faster then just a moment before. He moves a little to the right side of the rock and braces the rifle.
The sudden attack has a few effects. The heavy rock that gets thrown at the first truck does the deed of stopping it, though part of that is the driver slamming on the brakes in respond to the impact, the big truck listing to the side, diagonal to the ones behind. The other three come to similar pauses, though with less listing than the first one. At once two in the front truck act, the passenger, wearing heavy crusader armor, with a sleek rifle in his hands that has the mark of Wilks particular brand if sleek black hardware. The driver, in Gladiator armor, opens the door to his side as well, but only leans out a bit with his own Wilks weapon. The same for the other drivers, each with a similar kitting. The passenger in the rear truck hops out as well, his own larger Wilks weapon half lifted as he scans for aggressors.
Meu snatches up her club as she leaps towards the lead truck from her hiding place, still roaring. The plan may have been originally to throw rocks, but the sight of the coalition pretty much has her enraged. She reaches for said vehicle, hands moving towards the bottom of it, as muscles begin to strain,"ARGBHEAJGRAG!!!" She might be saying something. Or she may have just temporarily lost the capacity for words.
Vargus takes a quick scan of the weaponry being sported by the opposing force and leans up a little from his spot, (1) his left hand coming off of the front of the rifle to again trace a complicated pattern in the air. Upon completion, his form glows faintly, but fades to a dull lumiscence. (2) After the spell takes effect upon his person, he leans back into the rockface and, seeing Meu charge the first truck trains his weapon on the second and snaps off a pulse at the vehicle's driver.
With both swords drawn and ready and the driver of the rear truck with his door open in front of her, Celaeno brings both swords around in a whirlwind of activity. The sword in her left hand leaves a trail of faint white, the other humming quietly to itself as they're brought down together at first, followed by a single thrust with the frozen blade.
The focused fire from Tirzah goes a touch wide on the rear passenger, singing him more than roasting and draws his ire, The attack responded to with a quick lift of his weapon, the man will fire it at Tirzah, the oddly barreled weapon unleashing a trio if thin laser beams at her a moment before he drops to a knee, steadying himself after the snap shot. The front truck is actually lifted by Meu, though it's a strain to get the heavy truck up. The wide wheels make it a bit difficult to actually flip the thing, its axle groaning as it gets twisted by the effort it takes. The lead passenger in the heaviest armor takes the fire he gets, focused for the moment on the nearest threat, his own weapon leveled at Meu to fire off a laser shot at her whilst the driver of the front truck leaps out, stumbling as he skitters back from the vehicle a few steps. The rear passenger manages to block one of the blades, whilst the other two score, cutting deep into his armored chest plate. He quickly reorients his own rifle to fire off a laser shot in response. The driver of the second to last truck hangs out of the cab a bit, Aiming back towards Cel to get a shot off at her, whilst the driver of the second truck slips out, moving out wide to get a bead on Meu, though holding his fire for a better shot.
While lasers start to fly, the lead passenger and the read driver appear to have some issues with their weapons. The front passenger's merely fizzles with a sharp, disturbing beep before becoming inert and the rear driver's actually starts to smoke. Perhaps the blocked blade did more damage than he'd thought before, the pull of the trigger providing nothing.
Tirzah sighs at the CS armor interfering with her fun, but seeing as the soldier takes to one knee she draws her link to conjure another trio of electric balls and send them to encricle him with a flick of her wrist. Then seeing as she's using her magic she draws forth a fireball tuning it to seek out the heavily armored passenger. Long distance to Meu: Namtar factored it into a few of them losing actions.
Meu grins nastily at the soldier passenger leveling his rifle at her. Then? She closes her eyes for a moment, muscles straining, veins standing out on her shoulders, back, and arms. For a moment, she looks ready to just drop the whole thing. Then? She suddenly roars, a very familiar, and very Meu-like sound,"MEU SMAAAAAAAAAAASH!" And with a sudden surge of strength, she flips the truck over violently. A moment later, she is breathing heavily as she beats her chest like some angry ape, declaring her victory over her 'foe'. Meu. Conqueror of the automobile.
Vargus sees everyone else taking fire and sighs a little and shaking his head as he moves out from his nice and comfy cover behind the rock. He drops down to his left and moves off at an oblique angle to put himself behind the front passenger, since he's so focused on Meu. He sets his stance and again fires a pulse into the man's heavy armor, then drops to one knee and fires a second burst. Perhaps this will get his attention.
Celaeno's attempt to move out of the way of any responding fire proves... more than futile as she remains somewhat off balance from her attack, letting the laser score a direct, burning hit. Looking down at the poor, unlucky driver, she hears the flipped truck before she sees it, bringing both swords around one more time, certainty draining away somewhat.
The combination of the lightning and the fireball do a number on the read passenger, his armor melting and deforming in places. Failing. But some stubborn will keeps him steady as he draws a bead on the woman. This time, the oddly formed laser rifle fires out five of those thin beams, all focused along the same path in a tight bundle to strike home. As the truck goes over, the passenger drops the inert rifle, taking a few steps back as he goes for his sidearm, a heavy Wilks pistol. Meanwhile the driver of the first vehicle opens up at the big, threatening giant woman, backed up by the driver of the second truck a few meters back. The rear driver deflects one of the blades again before catching a cut. THe weapon still held in one hand as a blocking device, he slams his other foot on the gas, wrenching the wheel of his truck to the side as he looks to pull around the stopped trucks on the north side, just enough room there to try and pass. The second to last driver takes another shot at Cel, hanging on to the inside of the door frame as he does so, the shot a futile one.
Tirzah grins as the soldier takes a gambit with his rifle but only manage to singe her actuall armor at the cost of his life as the field around him continues to assault. Drawing from her link she recharges her armor's enhancement for her next opponent.
Meu growls as she feels something stinging and painful thudding into her chest, and causing some burn marks. Yet another of her inarticulate roars follow as she reaches for the nearest driver firing upon her, hands diving in for his waist to grasp and lift him into the air,"DIE!"
Vargus pivots on his planted knee and moves back to his feet to continue along his angle and take a bead on the second driver through the open passenger door, firing another burst from his particle beam rifle in an attempt to distract the constant fire from Celaeno.
Ducking as the truck jerks forward, the shot sizzles overhead as Celaeno regains her footing. It only makes sense for the man to try to flee, she supposes, but that would defeat the entire point of the ambush, now wouldn't it? So, in a chase to who can get where they want, first, she gives chase, moving to grab hold of and subsequently board the truck.
Celaeno also decides that the dexterity of a hand will do a whole lot better 'grabbing' than a sword, letting her vibrosword drop to the ground as she moves.
Indeed, the rear passenger's armor fails an instant not even making a sound as his flesh is vaporized by the intense electrical storm about him. Falling to the ground in a mangled heap. The front passenger growls back, "You first monster!" The heavy pistol is leveled and twin beams of focused light lance down to sear and burn along chest and shoulder. The front driver following his example as he assails the big woman, his own laser raking at her side. The driver of the second truck glances back, seeing one of his own start to move out. He decides to head that way as well, getting himself back into the truck and settled, but not yet rolling. The driver of the third truck takes a hit to the back, glancing that way before he twists and draws a bead on Vargus. The weapon's second barrel emits a -thut- as a small grenade is lobbed his way, but the angle is off and it skitters too far to the side, detonating harmlessly. Close counts, but that wasn't close. The fourth truck starts to pass the column on the north side as Cel manages to grab onto the back and hoist herself onto the rear bumper pretty well.
Her vanquished opponent is replaced by the driver of the fourth truch trying to drive over him and past her. Not something Tirzah is going to let pass, if he escapes she doesn't get paid. Forming tow more sets of electrical balls she sends them our on the truck's path totalling three fields for it to get through along the north side. You paged Celaeno with 'You could cut through it, though it might take more than just one slice.'
The fourth truck on its way with Celaeno hitching Tirzah decides to trust the girl with stopping it as her attacks would likely be nulled anyway. Instead she runs up to the third truck, plasma shower in hand and hoses down the diver side. Heated seats, comes standard.
Perched on the bumper of the fleeing truck, Celaeno swings her head around the side to see what's going on, only to be confronted with a magical barrier of shimmering sizzling. With a slight grimace, the barrier fries along the truck, dissolving into nothingness as she's hurtled through. Her eyes settling on one of the tires, she takes a swing at it, giving a satisfying "Poom-thumpathumpathumpa" as it shreds, spitting rubber. Just barely holding onto her sword against the force of the blow, she begins crawling along to the other side, toward that tire.
Vargus begins to lean into his rifle to fire another pulse, but glances over to Meu and lets the rifle drop as he brings his left hand up again to trace some symbology in the air, ending with a gathering gesture and seeming to throw the conconction at Meu, which coalesces as a bubble of blue-white energy that surrounds her form.
The driver of the second truck flinches just slightly as the plasma gets flung at the side of his truck, the glass melted through, though some of the plasma catches there and on the frame of the door, the man's armor pockmarked by several large globs. He then pulls hard on the wheel and hits the gas, swerving the truck around to start passing on the south side, opposite the other truck making a run. The fourth truck's acceleration flags almost at once, canting just slightly to the side as the driver continues to keep it moving steady. The man being held my Meu and the driver of the first truck continue to fire on the now shielded giant with mixed results. The one she's holding fires, but again it fails on him. Cursing he drops the weapon, reaching for the old standby, the vibro-knife. THe driver goes wide with his first shot and scores with the second, the barrier around her holding easily. And the third truck's driver switches targets to Tirzah, another 'thoot' sounding as one of the mini grenades arcs her way, followed by a laser shot, both hitting square.
Noone ever accused Meu of being a genius. This is shown by the way she makes a rude gesture at the people shooting her when the weapons stop hurting her. Oblivious to the fact that she did NOT create that bubble, she roars,"MEU INVINCIBLE! PUNY FIRE-STICKS WORTHLESS! MEU MAKE SUPER-BUBBLE!" She adjusts her grip, so the poor man she holds can see what's happening to him, props him up against her shoulder, and charges the truck head on. It swerves at the last minute to miss her, causing her to thump, grunt-first, into the truck. The man she was holding takes the brunt of the impact as she goes staggering off the side when she rebounds,"WHEEE!"
The third truck swerves as Meu charges it, the big vehicle canting to the side due to the force, though the driver manages to keep his cool, just barely missing a wipeout in the trees. But the big truck is only delayed, coasting briefly after the sideswipe as the driver recovers from the shake.
Muttering as the third truck drives aay from her complementrary shower of plasma Tirzah conjures two fireballs and attunes them to home in on its front tire.
Coming up on the other tire, Celaeno shifts the sword into her other hand before leaning in to take a swing at that one, too. Unfortunately, it doesn't respond quite so well as the first, her sword skittering away into the path without popping it. Fine. That's... fine. With what force she can muster, she leaps off the back of the truck, rolling toward the passenger side before unslinging her rifle, glaring at the thing.
Vargus can't help but chuckle a bit at Meu as he heard the truck behind him hit the trees, he turns and fires another burst from his rifle at the truck's front tire, he pauses checking the damage and fires another pulse at the ground locomotion.
The second truck, starting to get rolling again after the swerve, gets the worst of the burst from Vargus, the tire hit in several paces before it blows out, the turn to get back underway ending up with the truck overcompensating, the loss of a wheel making it all the harder to control. Nevertheless, the driver continues to fight with it, gaining little ground as he tries to straighten it out. The man in Meu's grip gets jostled in hitting the truck, losing his grip on his knife, it flying away. The driver of the first truck keeps after Meu, another laser shot sent at the giant woman, going wide as he attempts to not hit the man in her grip. The fourth truck gains little traction with one tire blown and the added weight against the other back tire seems to do the rest of the deed, the severely weakened tire blowing out, stopping it entirely. The driver of the third truck keeps low and fires off another laser shot at Tirzah, burning at her varied armors.
Meu finally gets bored with her meatshield and toss him behind her as she lifts up a hand. A deep breath swells in her chest as she reels her fist back, aiming it straight towards the door of the truck,"BYE BYE TRUCK!"
Tirzah is also bored with her opponent, conjuring her last trio of lightning balls and flicking them to set up in the cab of the third truck before turning away to look to the limping second truck.
With her target coming to a stop, Celaeno keeps an eye on it, opting to simply take the easy route, snapping off two shots at the driver of the first truck. With a sigh she begins wondering just how they're going to get all four truckloads back through to Norwick without any working trucks - but on second thought, that seems like it might be more his problem than hers. Hopefully.
Vargus wrinkles his nose a little at the still semi-mobile truck and fires again at the damaged front tire to complete it's process of obliteration aided with another pulse from the particle beam rifle. After the shot, he glances down at the powerpack display on the side of the sight and nods his head once.
With the passenger of the first truck tossed, he lands a few meters off and, after righting himself, scrambles to start beating feet on out, headed back the way they came. Angling to skirt past the energy wall, of course. The driver of the first truck, taking fire, turns to return fire at Cel, whilst the second truck loses another tire and all ability to roll entirely, the driver moving to slip out of his truck on the south side after Meu's punch into the passenger side, the truck heaving a bit to the side under the force of that hit, though other than a large, deep dent in the side and some tearing in the armor, it holds together. The driver of the third, finding the cab filled with lightning, leaps out, rolling onto the ground on the south side before regaining his feet. The fourth truck also comes to a pause fully, the driver slipping to the other side to hop out of the open passenger door on the north side of his truck.
Meu cackles happily as the man deserts his truck, and dives for him, reaching out for his head with both hands,"COME HERE! MEU GOING TO EAT YOU LITTLE SQUISHY MAN! RUN!"
Vargus's brow furrows, causing the front of his chitin armor to dip down slightly. Rifle angling down again he spots two of the fleeting drivers and weaves a quick pair of spells, his skill at manipulating the energy apparent at the speed at which both take full form and a two nets of magical energy speed from his outstretched fingers toward the closest two on foot.
Having just a little bit of power left and seeing the fellow trying to step out on their little party Tirzah funnels the last of her juice into the air around that man building pressures to left him from the ground and very high into the air. Up up up, and down, with no cushion splat against the inside of his armor from 120 feet. She watches of course just to be sure, taking a shot with her plasma thrower at her favorite driver in the interim.
With the driver of the fourth truck making his break on foot, only to be netted, Celaeno refocuses her firepower on the man shooting her. Up comes the rifle, and she snaps off two quick shots.
The escape attempts of the runners are cut short. The one headed north gets taken down by net, the one south by Meu. The one headed east falls. But after laying stunned for a moment on the ground, he gets himself up and keeps going. Obviously EBA has more shock resistance than some might think. The one that Cel shoots goes down at both hits, while the driver of the third truck, his armor damaged, tries another route, tossing down his gun and lifting his hands.
Meu holds the man she has grabbed high up in the air, and wraps the palm of her hand around the face of the armor-helmet, then begins to twist and wrench. It begins to give, though, little hairline cracks appearing as she works him like a diner trying to get at an oyster's softer parts.
Vargus whistles loudly through the goo of his armor and a green and chrome blur streaks in from overhead, Steelwind streaks down after the last fleeing caravan guard and pulls up short, his wings flipping forward to fire out a quintet of metal feather-darts into the man's back. Vargus himself moves up toward the one that has surrendered, keeping him covered with his rifle. "This is the part where you don't move..." comes his voice through the chitin. He looks around briefly, then intones another spell and a telekinetic force manifests and grabs Celaeno's dropped vibroblade, which pulls the weapon over to hover next to the captive in a threatening manor.
Tirzah growls as the one she dropped gets back up. "Can't you guys take a hint?" She asks retorically as she takes a concentrated shot at him.
Celaeno lets go a grunt as her target goes down, moving to the netted man, rifle up. As she approaches, she says, "Take off the helmet, or you're going to die," brandishing the rifle in one hand as she unhooks her neuromace from the other. "And you'd best be quick about it."
The netted man stares up towards Cel without making a move to do any such thing. "I die either way, no doubt. Why should I make it easy on you?" he spits. Meanwhile the one Meu has shouts out as her twisting of his helmet causes some considerable pain, up to the point that her brute force forcing of the helmet not only pops the seals that keep it on, but ends up ripping his head off with it in a sudden twist. The screams stop then. Meanwhile the one that's under guard, but otherwise free glances towards Meu, then back to Vargus. his armor is ripped and torn, but he's starting to look froggy, eyes flitting about.
Meu pulls open the popped-off helmet, then quickly begins to eat the dead man's head in large, eager bites, even while she approaches the man who surrendered, making a grabby, grubby little hand for him,"Take off glove." She smiles meanly.
Vargus winces, trying not to hear the pez dispensor that Meu has created from the guard. He motions the one he's covering with the barrel of his rifle toward the one in the net. "Your life expectency over the next few minutes depends largely on how well you answer a few questions posed to you, gentilmen." He pushes the guy a bit to keep him out of the giantess' hands.
Smiling with a measure of satisfation as her shot drops the deserter Tirzah lowers her plasma thrower to walk back to Vargus and their prisoner. Approaching him she diverts her eays from Meu as she enjoys the one she has, but holds up her hand to ask Meu to give her some time with this one. There is another live one and many dead after all. "You have until Meu finishes with your compatriot there to explain to us how you might be worth 80000 credits alive." She tells him flatly her lack of tact coming naturally.
With the scream, and its sudden cessation coming from elsewhere, Celaeno laughs behind the mask. "Well, it could always go nicely, or not. And if you don't take off the helmet, well, we might wind up taking our time with you, or just turning you over to the big one who flipped your buddy's truck. But, ultimately it's your call," she says, leveling her gun.
"What?" The one that's still on his feet is obviously scared. Who wouldn't be in such a situation. "I don't know what you're talking about.. I.." One more glance towards Meu does it, the man seeming to think taking his chances are better than chancing getting into the hands of that thing. He turns and bolts, making for the thick trees. The last one stares at Cel a few moments then wrestles off his helmet. He's a human. Male. Brown hair, not very notable from the next guy. Except he seems a bit more brave than the others. "Go on then, look me in the eye while you do it. If you can." There's scorn in his voice, expression firm. And he'll stare at Cel.
Meu roars with glee as, at first thwarted, she's given a new target. She goes bolting into the woods after the man.
Vargus', who happens to be standing with a rifle pointed directly at the man, obliges the fleeing individual, since it's obvious the choice he has just made. He simply pulls the trigger on the rifle, sending yet another stream of charged particles downrange. Off to the side, he says to Celaeno, "Give the guy a little break.. he can move very much in the net. It'll last another minute or so.."
Tirzah shurgs as the one priso9ner forfeits his life and digs out the signaller from her shoulder pad. "Make it quick guys." She tells the others to indicate its time to finish up. Walking over to the back of one of the trucks she looks at opening it to see what they were hauling.
"That wasn't too hard, now was it?" Celaeno asks, suddenly shouldering her rifle and thwumping the man with her neural mace once. As its electricity does its thing, she moves to grab and drag him toward one of the truck's, ultimately trying to prop him up near one's sliding door. "Now, I'm a nice woman. Really, I am. And I'm sure under all that bluster, you're a nice guy. Now, I'm just wondering why such a nice man would be doing such a bad thing." The neural mace remains at the ready as she watches him. "And could somebody please get me my swords?"
The fleeing man goes down when Vargus fires at him, so Meu won't have to give chase. The neural mace will stun the netted guy, but he won't be very talkative. He could talk, but other than the jerk and noise from the shock, he gives up nothing. Meanwhile, a look into one of the trucks will reveal quite a few large MDC packing crates. All sealed and mostly unmarked, save for a few generic packing marks.
Vargus leans the rifle against his shoulder as Steelwind arcs back to roost on the man's right shoulder. He moves his hand to one side and the floating saber drifts over to Celaeno, bobbing in the air. "I got one of them, I didn't see where the other one landed." He moves over to one of the close bodies and picks up one of the interesting Wilk's rifles, and slips the whole large weapon into a small sack at his left hip, then looks around for one of the smaller sidearms, and for any extra grenades. Meu meanwhile will rip into the poor downed guy. She'll return tot he man being 'interrogated' and make a reach for him,"He mine, now, right?" She grins hideously, apparently eager to have her prize, should she be allowed to 'crack it open'.
Seeing the MDC crates Tirzah flicks the signal to call for their exit before turning to head back to the others. "Well the military grade crates tells me enough, you dont transport food or medical supplies in those, they're reserved for more unstable good that need to be isolated during transport. Probably explosives." She offers in opinion before looking at the last netted guy. "Either you consider keeping this one alive worth the money it could cost?" She asks them her look serious.
@emit Celaeno sighs at the man's unresponsiveness, taking the sword as offered her. With the pushing of the button, the imminent arrival of people who would likely kill him anyway, and a hungry Meu... well. Her sigh is loud and heavy as she looks at the man. "Sorry, man. Thanks for taking the helmet off. I'm afraid this is the best I can do for you," before flicking the vibrosword to cut through the brainstem, and up into the brain as quickly as possible. "Not an issue any more, go for it, pretty woman," she says before simply turning away to find her sword.
Vargus looks at the crates, looks at Tirzah, and back to the crates. AS he walks, he answers the woman's question. "I think we should bring him along.. job was to leave noone here to report, and if he comes with us, he won't. No telling what more information he could have." He slings his rifle and pulls a flashlight from a beltpouch, again casting a spell with his offhand. Upon completion, his form shimmers and blurs, becomming somewhat translucent. He walks over and sticks his head into a crate, then brings the flashlight up to peer inside. He repeats for a few more crates.
It won't take long for a Rift to open up once more and for Norwick to step through, followed on his heels by the five men who were gathered about the fire. They drag along what looks like a portable shop's worth of tools in several large cases. "Well done, friends." He speaks without pause, as if he's done something of this nature before and has the whole speech memorized perfectly. "The spoils here are now my property. Anything in the trucks and on the bodies. The credits are your reward, thus I would see that anything you all have taken already be dropped promptly." His voice kept cordial. He pauses as he notices one of the men is still alive, Meu's eating habits not touching him in the least. "I'm sure you are all wanting to get home and enjoy a relaxing break from such stresses. Come now, come and I shall see you well paid." The man drawing from his sleeve a quartet of cred cards.
He will add, quite pointedly towards Vargus. "I did not say the cargo could be inspected. What is transported is not your business. Only its procurement." The ones he does get to look in are the ones on the outside edge. They have simple rations. The sort military and wilderness explorers tend to use. The ones towards the back.. who knows? "I will make this very clear for you all. This is no game to play with the likes of me. You do what is asked of you. No more. No less. You get paid. I will overlook it this time. but another deviation will result in a diminishment of your pay."
Tirzah shrugs walking over to Norwick to collect her cred stick. "In Varguses defence, clarification about that before hand would have been proper." She says to him before looking to Meu. "Ready to go get some cake Meu?" She asks as she waits for her giant friend on this side of the portal.
Meu is still busy nomming on her stuff. She swipes a card, of course, then looks at it and idly contemplates chewing on it, unbothered by any pesky moral considerations at the moment, then she stifles a yawn,"Cake now?"
Vargus's eyes narrow slightly at Norwick, "First time you've met me, chum. I don't know you... I help liberate a cargo, turns out to be explosives, and an orphanage gets flattened in a blast. Makes me responsible. I want to know what I'm involved in... keep the conscious clean, 'ya know?" He hooks his thumbs into his belt. "The job's done, to specifications. You didn't want the cargo inspected, not my fault it wasn't in the contract." He shifts himself back into reality, canceling the spell and holds out his hand, but stays where he is. "I'll take my cut, now."
Celaeno remains quiet as she scrounges, ultimately sheathing both of her swords and resecuring the rest of her weapons about her person. When finally she moves to get her chit from Norwick, she'll ask brightly enough, "And all the scrap and salvage? We grabbing all we can carry now, or is that for you, too? Might be able to get a little bit for some of the less than scrapped armour." Momentarily, one of her hands seems to be trying to get something from a pocket that isn't there before she glances down and stops herself. The others are, ultimately, ignored.
"I would think it common sense that one does not poke about without need in what belongs to others. But now you all know," Norwick replies, proffering a card to Tirzah. "Once you have your pay, you are free to depart through the gate. Lets not dally, it will not last forever." Meu's card is handed over without a glance, though he does note, "You may wish to be rid of that here," he suggests to the giantess, though without much worry for being obeyed. Vargus, however, does not get his card at once. Norwick eyes him carefully. "Listen closely, good sir. I am the one who is paying you. If your conscience is going to become a problem, then it would be better that you find work elsewhere. As well, you will remove the item you took from the scene." He smiles at Vargus. "Then you will be paid." He then looks to Cel and hands her one of the cards. "THis is all you need be concerned for. The rest I will see to."
Tirzah nods to Meu smiling widely. "Yep we go have cake now." She promieses before stepping through.
Vargus looks at the interesting pistol in his hand, shrugs, and drops it on the ground, then looks back to Norwick. "The job's done, chum. It's your reputation if you back out on it now. But as for possession of goods, /we/ risked our asses to to secure this cargo. You risked your wallet. We're turning these crates over to you, and the payment is for those services rendered."
Celaeno takes the card with a carefree shrug. "Alright. Might want to offer a little more next time, or just give pickings over anything not your cargo, or otherwise important to you," she says. "Standard business practice. After all, cash isn't everything. There's weapons and armour, too," she finishes with a chuckle, moving to pat him on the shoulder and go through the gate, leaving Vargus to either continue arguing, or follow her.
"Worry not, I will see to your repair and rearm," Norwick assures Cel. "I do not pay heed to the practices of others. And when you work for me, neither do you. Be well now." His attention returns to Vargus. "Yes, you risk yourselves and you are paid for that. The cargo is not yours to barter with. Nor will you hint at crossing me if you wish to remain in good health." He gives Vargus his card. "So too I will be accounting for all that is left here. If I find a piece missing, including the arms and armor of the dead, there will be an inquiry. I trust in your good faith that there will be no need of that, yes?" He eyes Vargus a few moments, then turns to approach the trucks where the five men are already working to get them back into driving order.
Vargus scoffs, "I'll bet it's just your ego that you use to rip those portals through space, huh?" He tosses the card onto the ground. "You keep what you have, I'll keep what I have and we'll just call it even, humm? I want nothing more from you." He turns away from the rift and with his back to the others, raises his right hand and gives a little salute off of the top of his head.. he's gone before his next foot would have touched the ground.
