[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter XVII

[Aaron Clausen]

>> GM]
>> As Ted is speaking to Vesper and Alter-Ted, the broadcast comes in
>> from Oz ordering everyone to prepare to disembark within 30 seconds.
>> Ted reaches Louissa who is free but still walking towards the rift
>> when gunfire from the ship severs a large portion of the tentacle, and
>> it comes crashing nearby with a loud "flop". The horrific scream from
>> within the rift is swiftly met with other tentacles reaching out of
>> the rift and smashing into the top of the pyramid, crushing a number
>> of the bedazzled women, and one striking the gruond not five feet from
>> Ted and knocking him off his feet.
>>
>> And then the spell seems to be broken. Several of the women's eyes
>> widen as they see the horror that awaits. A number turn on the
>> remaining Maliks, and Louissa finally seems to regain some
>> consciousness. She looks to Ted, and then to Alter-Ted. "Two... two of
>> you?" she manages to say. "Where am I?"
>>
>> Alter-Ted bows, "Your highness, there is no time." He turns to Ted,
>> and then to Vesper as Vesper reaches the top of the pyramid. "Your
>> Lord Osmar,  or whatever his rank, has made it clear you have to
>> depart. Get your Louissa out of here. What are we going to do with
>> these women?"
>>
>> From Oz's vantage point he sees the women on top of the pyramid freed
>> of the spell, some attacking Maligs, others screaming in horror. When
>> he looks at the base of the pyramid hundreds of feet below, he sees at
>> least forty or fifty, maybe sixty people, including children rushing
>> towards a tiny figure he recognizes as Alex.
>>
>> One of the crew comes up to Oz. "Sir, it would appear we have a brief
>> window to pick up your companions. But we have a problem down on the
>> ground. A large mob, friendlies I think, but still a large one around
>> Lady Alex."
>>
>> Then over the comms one of the crew reports, "Sir, we're seeing a
>> dozen vehicles rolling in, arriving at Lady Alex's position within two
>> minutes. They're heavily armed, and look to be these Maligs, sir."
>> [/GM]

> [Ted]
> "I want to say that we should not leave them behind," the real Ted stated
> with regret in his voice, "but we may have no choice."
>
> He put an arm around Louissa to steady her, then struck with his sword at
> the nearest chain binding one of the other prisoners.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
The chain easily breaks, freeing the next woman. As she regains her
senses, she helps the one in front of her free herself, and then the
next woman. It won't be long, but maybe too long in Oz's time frame,
for all the women to be freed.
[/GM]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper looks to Ted, "We try to take who we can with us, perhaps blow
> these Maligs to high heavens to at least help those we don't have room
> to take with us."
>
> Vesper roughly guestimates how many people are in need of rescue and
> radios Oz. *On Radio* "Oz we have roughly twenty civilians that need
> rescue, can the ship handle that ?"
> [/Vesper]

OOC: That's twenty civilians on the top of the pyramid (all women). On
the ground, around Alex, there are at least twice that number.

> [Alex]
> Cautiously, Alex will put her armor clad had on the shoulder on the girl
> who is hugging her leg. Alex states, "I will do what I can but everybody
> needs to be ready to go now."
> [Alex]

[GM]
One of the men that came with Alex through the sewers shrugs. "We
don't have nothing but the clothes we be wearing."
[/GM]

> [Alex]
> Calling back to the ship, "Can we give these people an evac
> somewhere?'
> [/Alex]

> [Oz]
> Oz responds on the open channel that goes out to everyone in range.
> "We don't need another fight- one minute thirty seconds from now we're
> leaving. Everyone who can get on board by then can come. Captain,
> reset your timer." He shouts at the crew on deck. "Drop any ladders
> and any lines we've got handy. Let's get as many people as we can
> aboard within the time limit. Jacek, station your men to keep an eye
> on those vehicles. If we come under fire, blow them to hell."
> [/Oz]

[GM]
Jacek awkwardly salutes, still not quite used to taking Oz's orders.
"We'll make sure they don't get through."

Captain Neeson, looking a little dazes, comes down from the bridge.
"Sorry, Sir, got a bit of a... headache. We can make room for
everyone, Sir, but it's going to mean stuffing them in the hold next
to our, er, prisoner. And our supplies won't last long with that many
extra mouths to feed. But we'll get them aboard right quick."

Rope ladders are dropped over the railing to the top of the pyramid
below. It takes a bit of effort but Vesper, Ted, and Alter-Ted quickly
help all the women up the ladders. The Maligs left on the pyramid try
to fight back, but the creature from the other side of the Rift is
clearly not happy, and begins grabbing them in its tentacles and
dragging them into its dimension. Sadly, it also grabs one of the
women and rapes her with its tentacle, but before anyone can react,
the creature drops the woman back on to the pyramid and withdraws all
its tentacles back on to its side of the rift with lightning speed.

The woman who was raped lies bloodied and still.
[/GM]

> [Oz]
> Oz looks at the two hoverbike scouts. "Find us the fastest safe path
> out of here. If you come under fire, evade and return to the ship."
> [/Oz]

[GM]
The scouts salute and immediately head for the hoverbikes, which
streak away from the ship, heading eastward to find a route that goes
around the city.

Meanwhile, the Malig army comes closer and begins launching some sort
of mortar rounds. One of them goes off not twenty feet from Alex,
killing three people and knocking several others to the ground. While
Alex has been in this situation before, these poor people, so long
enslaved to the Maligs, know nothing other than to panic and begin
running in different directions.

>From the ship weapons start blazing as Jacek's men, and the dwarf
company, along with the ship's crew open fire. The leading Malig
vehicles explode into bits of metal, plastic and flesh at the
onslaught, and from what Alex can tell from her position, the rest of
this Malig assault force, quickly stop and reverse, splitting up to
avoid being struck again. From the pyramid and the ship, it's clear
that the ship's attack took out a good third of the Malig force, but
that still leaves several vehicles, including what appear to be at
least one rather old but potentially still deadly missile launcher.

Ted, Vesper and Alter-Ted have managed to get everyone on board, save
for the raped woman who lays on the ground.

The ship may have bought Alex some time with its destruction of
several Malig vehicles, but the people are panicked and running
around, screaming and crying.

For Oz, if Alex and the civilians are to be rescued, it means having
to drop altitude and get a lot closer to the remaining Malig
armaments.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com

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