[Taocow PBEM] Chapter IX - In The Ruins Of Old Chicago

[Aaron Clausen]

> > > [Alex]
> > > The ex-Coalition Range decides to at least subdue Arden before
> > > continuing her escape. She fires a Neural disruptor grenade at him.
> > > [/Alex]

> > [GM]
> > Alex's perfect shot easily hits Arden, knocking the crazed elf to the
> > ground.  Arden foams at the mouth as he convulses from the effects of
> > the grenade.
> > [/GM]

> [Ted]
> Ted leaps for the elf's weapon, intent on disarming him. He is not sure
> what is wrong with Arden, but if he is dead, he will sever the elf's head
> in hopes that that will neutralize whatever had possessed him.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
Arden appears very much alive, though clearly behaving in a fashion that
would lead Ted to believe that he is not behaving "normally".

As Ted's hand touches the blade, he feels a seering pain that causes him
to drop the knife to the ground.  Vague and menacing runes can be
glimpsed shining off of it.
[/GM]

> [Alex]
> Alex yells while heading for her bike, "I don't have any handcuffs but
> has some rope. Maybe we could take him to a mind melter?"
>
> Alex turns around and ties up Arden as quickly as possible.
> [/Alex]

[GM]
Incapable of doing any more than a few spasmodic twitches, in short
order Arden is tied up.
[/GM]

> [Lady Frost]
> Dodging behind a bit more rubble of her one time home, Frost briefly
> argues with herself over ripping up yet more of the city, but quicky
> decides that Chicago DPW wasn't likely to get upset at her this time.
>
> With some effort, she repeats her shot against the skycycle, only this
> time she aims the chunk of pavement at the nearest group of ground
> soldiers she can find, then ducks behind yet more debris.
> [/Lady Frost]

[GM]
Lady Frost's second chunk of pavement has a devestating effect on two
of the Deadboys.  It smashes down on top of them with a deafening
WHUMPH!  When the dust clears, a leg and two arms are all that remain.

The final Deadboy opens stops dead in his tracks and drops to the
ground, opening fire and hitting Lady Frost before she manages to get
completely behind the debris, hitting her in the left leg.
[/GM]

> > [GM]
> > Bongo, running as fast as he can, finally catches a glimpse of
> > their vehicle, abandoned days ago by his reckoning, but only
> > yesterday in  this timeline.  It is still well hidden beneath a
> > large wall, with the sign  "Gardens of Enchantment" still readable
> > on it.  Fortune finally  seems on Bongo's side as he sees the
> > vehicle is unmolested and his keen  ears can detect Osiris's horse
> > inside.
> >
> > Angelica is not far behind  Bongo, when, as she runs past what must
> > have once been a city park, now  dark and dingy with vaguely menacing
> > looking trees, she hears shuffling  from within and a faint voice call
> > out "Angelica... Angelica...  Don't  leave us, Angelica."  Though she
> > has been with the company only a  short time, she swears that it sounds
> > like the dwarf Rod Black.
> > [/GM]

> [Bongo]
> "Now THIS is a sight I've been hoping for..." Bongo grins as he scrambles
> into the pilot's seat and begins to power it up.  "Alright ladies, gentlemen
> and whatever-the-hell you might be," he says into his comm as grabs the
> controls, "the bus is rolling -- gather up everything and everyONE you don't
> want left behind and get on board!"
> [/Bongo]

> [Angelica]
> Wait! Do you hear that? It sounds like the Dwarf, Rod Black. Shouldn't we
> go check it out?"  Angelica turns towards the direction of the voice, but
> doesn't take off 'till she get's a response.
> [Angelica]

[GM]
Bongo, obviously thrilled to be flying again, doesn't seem to hear and streaks
up in the air.  The voice becomes more urgent.  "So little time, Angelica.
You must help us..."

Meanwhile, the rest of the company soon also sees a new craft in the air, a
somewhat scarred Coalition hover vehicle.
[/GM]

> [Osiris]
> Looking out of one of the old broken windows at the crumbling enforcer
> the old knight smiles at his handy work and takes up a position in the
> ruined buildings with a nice view of the battlezone.
>
> Scanning about the building he IDs the entry and exit points just
> in case he needs to make a quick get away and sets up a crude trip wire
> to alert if anyone tries to sneak up on him.
> [Osiris]

[GM]
If there are any other Deadboys around, they seem pretty occupied.  For
the moment, at least, Osiris's presence has been forgotten.
[/GM]

> [Osiris]
> Unslinging his trusty pulse rifle he looks through the scope at the
> sky cycles and then at the ground troops that are heading towards his
> companions. If the sky cycles give him an opening he will blast one of
> them then he will load a plasma grenade into the tubes and hit the
> ground of CS forces with it if they are close enough.
> [/Osiris]

[GM]
The only Sky cycle still in view is the one pursuing Kyle, and which
has just successfully fired on him.  Osiris fires on the Skycycle.  The
shot hits the Skycycle, and knocks it off course, where it promptly
careens into a building with a large explosion.

Osiris then turns his attention on a small squad of Deadboys moving
towards the company.  Osiris fires a plasma grenade into their midst.
The grenade lands a little off to the side, but hits two of the Deadboys,
knocking them off their feet and definitely distracting the rest, who
take defensive positions behind the rubble, and open fire on Osiris's
position.

Most of the shots go wild, but one comes disturbingly close and
blasts a rather large hole above Osiris's head.
[/GM]

> [Osiris]
> Osiris then keys his PTT "Bongo, Osiris here - what is your location
> and status? over"
>
> Then if he sees that Lady Frost needs help handling the ground troops
> he will move in to help clean up.
> [/Osiris]

[GM]
Kyle sees the remaining Skycycle get hit, and veer off course into a
building.  He now no longer has any pursuers.  He also sees a rather
familiar-looking CS hovervehicle suddenly launch into the air.

Meanwhile, Bongo has two signals come through on the Hovervehicle's
comm.  One is a friendly voice "Bongo, Osiris here - what is your
location and status? over."

The other is a much more urgent voice.  "CS vehicle, we're under
attack.  Request your assistance with rogue SAMAS and D-bees!"

Bongo also hears a somewhat unhappy horse in the back.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen   mightymartianca at gmail.com

Palladium Rifts PBEM:
http://members.shaw.ca/selfreferential/rifts_pbem/