Stay Frosty II - Hitching a ride

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OOC: could Ling work up something to administer to one of the psychics to temporarily negate or at least tamper down their psychic abilities?

If so, let's assume that one of them is still alive. If not, we can say they were killed, or failing that, we administered the coup de grace afterwards.
 
Ling fiddles on the laptop a bit and tunes the nanonics to dampen the psyker's neural channels. Using a hypodermic needle she then delivers a hefty dose of them into the neck of the psyker she shot. The pskyer remains unconscious, but the medkit shows no psionic readings from her after Ling's injection.
 
If she's at all responsive I ask, "What's going on here? What's the connection between you and those creatures? Are they controlling you somehow?"
 
Ling will keep an eye on her medkit to monitor if the psyker's psi readings start to spike back up. If so, she will motion to the others what's happening.
 
If she's at all responsive I ask, "What's going on here? What's the connection between you and those creatures? Are they controlling you somehow?"
She opens her eyes and and bolts up with a furious expression and a hand gesture that's meant to be a psionic blast. When nothing happens she calms a bit but looks at Raúl with hate in her eyes.

"Control?! No they've shown us freedom. We psykers can never be free in your world. But we're going to plough this ship straight into Pitstop and oh boy with what they've done to the drive the whole sector will be reborn!"
 
She opens her eyes and and bolts up with a furious expression and a hand gesture that's meant to be a psionic blast. When nothing happens she calms a bit but looks at Raúl with hate in her eyes.

"Control?! No they've shown us freedom. We psykers can never be free in your world. But we're going to plough this ship straight into Pitstop and oh boy with what they've done to the drive the whole sector will be reborn!"
I shoot her right between the eyes.
 
The psyker drops to the ground after Raúl's shot. A little sizzle of purple electricity crosses her forehead as the last bits of psychic energy discharge themselves from her exposed brain tissue.

Potter's psyker does similar.

Potter gets small flashes of memories from the psyker as she dies. Random images from childhood, first kiss, etc Nothing revelatory or much to do with the Xenos, but it leaves a melancholy impression
 
"Sounds to me like the drive is the way they came from. Maybe we can press our advantage while they're still demoralized by our sheer cojones. Shall we vamonos?"
 
Trying to not look at the psyker he shot down. ‘Let’s go and get this shit done.’
 
Unless someone objects, let's head upriver into the heart of darkness...I mean the drive room. :wink:
 
The marines march slowly through the darkened Engineering & Drives deck. It's bright enough to avoid tripping over the odd pipe, but difficult to see very far. The Engineering part of the deck through which they are walking contains food and waste recycling units, water purifiers and heaters, Raúl's flash light at one point reveals a large oxygen generation unit about ten times their height. Impressive machines, constantly chugging and pumping but not terribly exciting. As they walk they begin to see a bright light up ahead.

Eventually they come across a large sign which reads "Drives". The floor begins to slope downward and before them they see the lit up area of the drive system. Several work vehicles busy themselves around the Jump Drive. Delivering new components being worked on by teams at nearby workstations. Those operating the vehicles are human, but the teams at the workstations are a mix of humans (clearly psykers since most of them are levitating components in midair) and xenos. At least thirty xenos in total, including a few of the large ones holding tablets.
The front of the drive is open allowing vehicles in and out, something rarely done due to the risk of being crushed by the drive core's gravity

drives.jpg

Watching over proceedings is a single giant alien, coming to around forty foot in height. It hovers in the air behind the jump drive:

monster.jpg

The Jump Drive is then flanked by:
  1. Behind: The Fusion Engine for sublight travel. It's visibly glowing.
  2. Right: A Control Station for monitoring the drive systems. Thanks to its window walls they can see that it is a collection of small offices, each filled with computers, and a small kitchen
  3. Left: A Power Plant. A black power cord connects it to the Jump Drive to provide the latter with power. A much thicker white pipe connects it to the Fusion Engine to feed the Engine with hot plasmas.
Nearer to their position, at the base of the downward ramp, the marines can see a set of large steel crates.

OOC: Renaissance artist Tiziano Vecelli has provided this stunningly rendered map:
Webp.net-resizeimage.jpg
 
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Let's take cover behind those crates.

"Kill the psionics before they can attack our brains," I say as I start blowing them away. "Anybody with grenades or rockets, take out the floater and his ugly friends."

Do I have any grenades?
 
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Ling takes cover, and then begins firing on the various psychics.
 
I use the rocket launcher against the floater.
 
The marines enter cover behind the crates and open fire. Potter's rocket streams through the air and hits the massive floating being straight in the chest. There's an strange pulse of blue energy from the being, momentarily staggering all nearby Xenos.

The big fella collapses straight into the ground, crushing some of its underlings in the process. In the confusion Raúl, Griff and Ling take out five psykers together.

The big entity gestures in the direction of the crates as it tries to stand and all the Xenos let out an ear splitting shriek and begin a forward charge. The few remaining human psykers begin to hurl crackling balls of psychic energy at the crates. The initial volley hits the crates but not any of the marines.

The marines can see the approaching Xenos split into two groups, attempting to flank them from both sides of the crates. They should reach the marines in thirty seconds.

Potter notices he has one remaining rocket.

OOC: So that everybody can make informed decisions in the fight:
Griff found a box of grenades earlier, so everybody could have three say. Raúl, Griff and Ling have shotguns and high powered magnum pistols (best up close). Potter has a sniper rifle and a swagger stick. Griff has a satchel charge. Ling has combat drugs (gives advantage in combat) and three of her special super enhancing drugs (advantage and temporary improvement of stats)
 
Ling begins administering the (standard) combat drugs to the others and herself. Should have done this earlier, she mentally berates herself.
 
I'll toss all my grenades at Big Ugly to see if it'll kill him. Then I'll use my flamethrower on the X.T.s until they're too close; then I'll use the pistol if I need to.

"You pinche pendejos didn't like fire before, let's see how you like it now! Potter and Griff take the right! Me and Ling'll take the left! ¡Ándale, ándale! Kill! KILL! KILL!"
tenor.gif
 
OOC: Griff focuses on the right flank with his rifle, until they get too close and will then bring up the shotgun.

"Take that ya ugly species-traitor bastards!"
 
[Five rounds of combat are resolved here. Multiple effects. Raúl broke them and managed to get near maximum area effect damage with the flame thrower and a near perfect grenade toss. All are drugged up and ye've gone up a Frostiness rank. Crit on a crucial save by Ling at the very end.

Frostiness Rank now "Chill", meaning you all have advantages on Saves]


Ling administers the drugs as the others begin to open fire, before using the hypospray shot on herself. The whole squad feels like their muscles are on fire, their vision focuses, colours and details about them are more pronounced. Seeing the aliens rush them just sets their blood rushing all the more, prepared for anything

As the Xenos advance they are greeted with a hail of almost pin point accurate fire from Potter who drop several of those on the left. The aliens appear committed to their charge, trampling over their fallen brethren. Their advance slightly pauses as they see two grenades launch from Raúl's arms, sail over their heads and land next to their titanic leader. One straight into its lower mouth. Two powerful concussive blasts follow blowing bits of the big guy everywhere, coating the room in a purple goo.

The aliens seem to be affected by some sort of psychic aftershock. Potter and Ling continue with the rifle fire, as Raúl turns on Old Scratch. The aliens then slowly resume their advance but are blown to bits trying to move through the intense heat of Raúl's flames. Some let out electric blasts from their prongs, but only manage to strike the crates. Most of those who encountered Raúl before break in terror, seeing the visage of the grimacing human once again proves too much, they flee back toward the Fusion Engine.

In all this confusion Griff and Ling together manage to pick off every single human psyker with a direct shot to the head.

Only the large multi-armed Xenos eventually reach the marines through the flames. The first two lash out at the marines, but they all manage to dodge the incoming blows thanks to the combat drugs' enhanced reactions. Raúl then draws his pistol and fires straight into the chest of one of them, causing it to stagger back. Griff advances forward, places his shotgun into the mouth of the other one and blows out the back of its head.

Just then Ling catches sight of the leader rising from the smoke. Lower section blown off, but dragging itself on its hands toward the Fusion Drive. It unleashes an enormous psychic discharge of red energy. Thinking quickly she tackles Raúl and Griff just in time for the blast to fly over their heads and pulverize one of the other Xenos.

More of the multi-armed tablet carriers advance through the smoke....

[Situation is:
Ling, Raúl and Griff on the ground. Eight of the large Xenos stand over them. Potter up and ready. Big guy pulling back to the Fusion drive with those that broke. All psychics dead]
 
I open fire on the Xenos above the rest of my buddies.
 
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Raúl stays low and keeps shooting anything and anyone not in a Marines uniform while whooping loudly, "¡Chúpalo!" since obviously his litany of Spanish insults is working.
 
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Ling concentrates her fire on the oversized xeno crawling toward the fusion drive. Once that one is dead, she will fire at the other xenos, targeting any that avoid getting killed by Raul, Griff and Potter.
 
Over the rattle of gunfire, Griff yells "make sure ya no fuckin' wreck the damn drive, I gotta fix it remember! But stop that big fucker!!" He then focus fires on the big beastie.
 
Raúl and Potter fire on the Xenos coming through the fire. Their tough carapaces take the rifle bullets well, but they struggle through Raúl's continuing flames. These slow them down just enough for Ling and Griff to burst the brain cavity of the giant one. Every Xenos lets out a roar as the leader dies accompanied by a wave of blue energy rushing through the drive section. Its corpse collapses onto the back of one of the fusion rockets withan almighty clang.

Dazzled for a bit, the remaining tablet holding Xenos take direct fire from all four marines. They then lash out at Raúl and Potter, but the former is too nimble to hit and the latter tanks the blows that connect.

However the stream of fire and the issues with their movement the flame causes sees them worn down. The final Xeno is dropped by a shot from Ling.

Potter and Ling notice their rifles are down to the last clip. Griff's is empty. The shotguns have also expended most of their shells. The tens of corpses that line the drive section bleed out slowly or are melting under the heat of Raúl's flames. The only sound now is the hum of the Fusion drive.

OOC: Rifles at d4 for Potter and Ling. Griff's rifle is empty. Shotguns at d4 all round. Potter lost 8HP, Raúl dodged everything from a combination of drugs, low agility and Frostiness giving save bonuses.
 
Raúl and Potter fire on the Xenos coming through the fire. Their tough carapaces take the rifle bullets well, but they struggle through Raúl's continuing flames. These slow them down just enough for Ling and Griff to burst the brain cavity of the giant one. Every Xenos lets out a roar as the leader dies accompanied by a wave of blue energy rushing through the drive section. Its corpse collapses onto the back of one of the fusion rockets withan almighty clang.

Dazzled for a bit, the remaining tablet holding Xenos take direct fire from all four marines. They then lash out at Raúl and Potter, but the former is too nimble to hit and the latter tanks the blows that connect.

However the stream of fire and the issues with their movement the flame causes sees them worn down. The final Xeno is dropped by a shot from Ling.

Potter and Ling notice their rifles are down to the last clip. Griff's is empty. The shotguns have also expended most of their shells. The tens of corpses that line the drive section bleed out slowly or are melting under the heat of Raúl's flames. The only sound now is the hum of the Fusion drive.

OOC: Rifles at d4 for Potter and Ling. Griff's rifle is empty. Shotguns at d4 all round. Potter lost 8HP, Raúl dodged everything from a combination of drugs, low agility and Frostiness giving save bonuses.
Just to give you an idea of what it was like for me:
tumblr_m6kstjyK9G1ra6hn5o1_400.gif
 
Just to give you an idea of what it was like for me:
Ah being 15 that summer when Cartoon Network UK aired a massive marathon of the Freeza saga of Dragonball to catch up with the US and Dad gave up watching the hurling games to let me see it. That fight with Jeice and Burter in the GIF was the coolest thing ever. Japanese anime voiced by Canadians, some real memories :cry:
 
"Okay, those bastards are dead but this is still no time for relaxation! Potter, check out that drive and see what we can do to avert the collision. Everybody else, let's keep our eyes open. ¡Entiéndeme! It may seem quiet but we're not safe until we get back to the strike sphere and get the hell off this ship! ¡Dése prisa!"
 
Ling goes with Potter to take care of his wounds while he looks over the drives. Hope he can do this quickly, she thinks to herself, this buzz isn't going to last much longer... and we are seriously screwed if something else shows up once the crash kicks in.



OOC: how much, if any, of the (standard) combat drugs does Ling have left?
 
I limp towards the drive and see how can we divert the collision.
 
Griff joins Potter, and looks for anything (a console, or connected power source that is safe to disconnect) that might be able to use to revert power from the drive to at least slow it's course down.

OOC: when I was a wee lad I also watched a lot of DBZ in the UK, every day after school. I seem to have lost all memory of the show though...
 
Tulpa Girl said:
Ling goes with Potter to take care of his wounds while he looks over the drives. Hope he can do this quickly, she thinks to herself, this buzz isn't going to last much longer... and we are seriously screwed if something else shows up once the crash kicks in.
I limp towards the drive and see how can we divert the collision.
Ling applies the nanopaste as they walk having gotten a good deal of field practice now. Potter's stride slowly improves from a limp to a steady walk on the way. By the time he reaches the Fusion Drive the last of the bruises are fading with only slight twinges in his neck and arms.

OOC: Potter has 7HP restored. Back to 16HP out of a max 17HP. Medkit still at d6.
 
I limp towards the drive and see how can we divert the collision.
Griff joins Potter, and looks for anything (a console, or connected power source that is safe to disconnect) that might be able to use to revert power from the drive to at least slow it's course down.

OOC: when I was a wee lad I also watched a lot of DBZ in the UK, every day after school. I seem to have lost all memory of the show though...
Up close the Fusion Drive consists of a transparent metal casing behind which they see the backends of two massive rockets. The pipe from the Power Plant enters into the casing through a sealed aperture and splits into two pipes, one feeding each rocket. Also on the casing is a computer with data from the drive. There is a grey door, the only opaque part of the casing, but it is emergency locked as the drive is on.

Potter and Griff both see that the drive computer only responds directly to commands from the bridge. However Griff notices the make of the rockets and remembers they're able to be manually adjusted. It might be possible to alter the direction of flight by physically pushing the massive twin rockets to a different angle. The only problem is that getting near the rockets while they're currently on is prevented by the locks on the door and would be risky anyway due to the heat.

Further back Raúl can see the control station that monitors the jump drive starts spitting out information on a large screen in one of the offices.
 
Are there any machines or vehicles we can use to push the rockets once we get past the locks?

To Ling: "Let's check this office and see what's going on with the control station while Potter and Griff figure out the drive situation." I keep my weapon handy to kill anything that moves.

To Potter and Griff: "If we can't adjust them from here, there's no point trying to get all the way back up to the bridge if we can somehow self-destruct the ship from here. The thing's a total loss anyway."
 
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