[Taocow PBEM] Chapter XI - Dissension in the Ranks

[Aaron Clausen]

> > > [Talas]
> > > Talas tells Alex that he has so minor healing skills. And uses 'Healing touch' on
> > > Phaeton.
> > > [/Talas]

> > [GM]
> > Phaeton's cuts and bruises fade away, but it is still very clear that he has is suffering
> > some serious internal injuries.
> > [/GM]

> [Talas]
> "Lady Alex quickly get Mr. Phanton and yourself down the passage!" Talas then draws
> his rail-gun. And prepares to lay down suppressive fire once Lady Frost's Wall fails.
> [/Talas]

[GM]
Talas's suppressing fire hits four of the Deadboys, not doing a great
deal of damage, but certainly forcing them to seek cover.
[/GM]

> [Alex]
> "You have got be insane," Alex replies, "That heat will kill him in moments and probably
> will even overload our suits ability to survive. It looks it is a choice of dying in a fight or
> dying in the lava. I think I would rather go out fighting."
> [/Alex]

[GM]
As if to answer Alex, several of the Deadboy's return fire, blasting
away at the altar, which must be made of some megadamage material, as
it isn't completely vaporized.
[/GM]

> [Ted]
> "We are a little short on options, Alex," Ted yells back over the gunfire. He aims at the
> next Dead Boy in line and fires. "Talas! Do you have any magic that can get us out of
> this?"
> [/Ted]

[GM]
Ted's shot strikes the Deadboy and forces him behind a statue.
[/GM]

> [Talas]
> "I am Sorry Mr. Ted, but I do not. Lady Frost can you do any thing to help Mr. Phaeton
> survive the heat in the tunnel?" Talas then quickly switches from the rail gun to his
> particle rifle, and turns towards Alex "Lady Alex, I have already left behind too many
> friends. If to stay and fight is your only choice then I will stay and Fight by your side."
> Talas then turns back towards the Ice wall. Says a short Elvin prayer, and prepares to
> start sniping the heads of any one how comes through the ice wall.
> [/Talas]

> [Ted]
> "This is suicide!" He looked around for Lady Frost and projected to her telepathically,
> *What can you do about the heat down there?*
> [/Ted]

> [Talas]
> "It may be, Mr. Ted. But I can not bring myself to abandon any more friends."
> [/Talas]

> [Carlos]
> Carlos, wondering what the hangup is, mutters to himself "Estás de broma", pops his
> head up from the staircase and fires some more shots of his rifle at any Coalition forces.
> [/Carlos]

[GM]
Two of Carlos's shots hit their targets.  The party is at least
keeping the Deadboys from approaching, but sounds outside make it
clear that more troops are on the way.

Finally, the ice wall gives completely away, leaving behind pools of
water and shards of the wall.  There must be at least twenty Deadboys
now, and Alex and Bongo recognize the hand gestures as signals that
they are preparing to storm the altar.  A number of Deadboys create a
steady stream of suppressing fire, as the doors crash open to reveal
three full conversion Borgs, who promptly aid to the suppressing fire
with their railguns.  Pieces of the altar are flying off, revealing a
steely black surface beneath.  It's much more resilient, but even so,
small chunks of it are giving way to the railgun fire.

Talas manages a couple of shots, though the air is thick with energy
pulses and railgun flechettes.  One shot goes awry, the other hits its
target and a Deadboy's head is blown off.  The rest of the body keeps
firing randomly, even hitting some fellow CS troops before finally
toppling to the ground.
[/GM]

[Bongo]
Bongo does his part, firing as much as he can, hitting one of the
Borgs and taking a good chunk out of its armor.
[/Bongo]

> [Lady Frost]
> "Can't say as I've ever tried to cool down a raging lava river before, but if you guys can
> keep our friends busy for a few, I'll give it a shot."
>
> Moving past the group and into the blistering heat, Frost begins to lay down waves of cold
> onto the molten rock.
>
> "Anyone mind telling me how this much lava is so close to the surface and not blowing all
> over the place?  I only took basic science classes in high school, but I'm thinking this
> should be kind of impossible..."
> [/Lady Frost]

> [Ted]
> "That is part of the reason I think we should go that way," Ted answers.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
Frost finds the work exceedingly tiring, and the heat truly is an
agony to her in her icy form.  Her mind focuses on cooling the lava,
shutting out the sounds of combat above.  Slowly, or so it seems to
her, the temperature begins to drop and the lava loses some of its
fluidity.  A little longer and there is a darker, cooler semi-elastic
shell on top.  Finally, though still at least 40 degrees or so, the
lava river is cooled off, and the passage, while stifling, is much
more bearable.

Though producing ice has never tired her before, Frost now finds
herself dizzy and disoriented.  She feels her knees buckling and her
vision darkening even as there is are large explosions above.

To the horror of the rest of the company, the Borg soldiers are
throwing grenades at the back of the room.  Two blow up close by,
knocking Talas, Bongo and Ted to the ground.  There are loud shouts,
and the Deadboys, along with their Borg comrades, start running
towards the altar in a hail of energy rifle fire.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen   mightymartianca at gmail.com