Book Two, Chapter Five: The Broken Tether

[shiivster]

*Jeckle observes from afar the type of Ammo being used and the results and tries to think of a way to give her team the upper hand and rescue the soldiers.

Rolling "1d100" 4 times - skills and totals to follow - pass/fail

1: 23 = 23 - Weapons Engineer [ID weapon type] - /56 - Pass
2: 59 = 59 - Intelligence - /60 - barely a Pass
3: 57 = 57 - Paramedic [pushing the skill check - may work by visual expecting negs] - /71 - Pass [maybe]
4: 47 = 47 - Weapons Engineer [devise ammo type for more effective counter attack] - /56 - Pass [maybe]

Perc - 7+
JIC - d20 - 9
JIC - d100 - 63

[dakota]

" What in the hell are those?" Khris said, watching with his IR. " everyone on your toes. If one of those things spot us, they make attack us too. Steelfist, contact the camp if you can and see what we can do to assist. Jecks, hang close unless you've got some long range toys you haven't told us about. Better yet, you and Dante find us a defendible position, somewheres they have a limited number of approaches." He raised his IR again and watched, trying to pick out a weakness.

[albatross]

Watching the battle up close, its plain to see there are more than a hundred on the strange creatures. Anti-aircraft fire is raining down within the camp from elevated positions on the hill blasting tents to bits, not to mention the barrage pouring out the camp in all directions. Whenever the Anti-Air guns hit one of the creatures, they do significant damage - a few seconds of the big guns and they are blown apart. The tank's anti-personnel rounds that shriek overhead are just as deadly. The small arms assault rifles and grenades the troops are using aren't as effective. The creatures can wade right into the assault rifle fire unless the soldiers concentrate their fire.

At first Jeckle and Kris cannot really discern any weakness, but after about thirty seconds, Jeckle picks up the pattern while watching a machine gun nest mow down the enemy. Steelfist interrupts their observations: "The commander didn't copy, the lieutenants say they are engaging the enemy on all sides and to attack wherever there is opportunity for crossfire."

By this time Jeckle has realized the weakness - the machine gun nest is using tracer rounds, as are the anti-aircraft guns - the white hot tracers seem to have more impact on the strange creatures.

Some of the creatures notice the team and about a dozen start stalking towards them, or maybe it is two dozen - they are tough to see as they flit from shadow to shadow, despite their size. At least they don't have guns - yet.

[shiivster]

'hope you guys got tracer rounds. high impact .. high penetration. they hit harder and faster .. you need to focus on targets and destroy them before the next one .. back to back should do .. and side by side. their weakness out gain .. maybe .. '

'and maybe a machine gun nest if we could .. that would be best ... '

[dakota]

" I think you're right, Jeckle." Khris agreed, drawing his pistols and swapping them for his precious Dragunov. He checked the oversized magazine before flicking off the safety. " I don't do tracers though. Still got a thing against giving away my position..., wait," his dragunov was gone in favor for a monstrous cannon of a rifle. " Crosshairs used to mix tracers in this thing. He set all his spare .416 magazines down in front of him and sighted along the barrel, ignoring the scope/ He had to brace the heavy weapon's bipod on a rock to balance it. " Watch your ears folks. going loud." Once he had what he thought was one of the creatures in his sights, he depressed the trigger

Strike [dice=20+5][rand=5815756069986958528137060621795646836848326482618447672136026866]

[albatross]

The .416 tracer round slams into a shadowy beast dead on, and staggers it. Its not quite dead, but a second round or two ought to do it.

[albatross]

After Shroud fired, Steelfist opened fire. In moments, more than a dozen of the shadowy creatures were creeping their way towards the team. Moving swiftly, silently, visible only in the infrared spectrum they leapt forward to attack the team.

[shiivster]

"so glad the glasses are polarized .. "

*she knows that there is little to nothing she can do to help now. she opens a sleeve and pulls hte slingshot up to arm it. then grabs the C4 'beads' she has and activates them one at a time .. aims and then fires.

Result of the throw of dice "1d20" : 17 = 17
Result of the throw of dice "4d6" : 6 + 3 + 1 + 2 = 12 [damage]

Result of the throw of dice "1d20" : 13 = 13 [possible strike - no bonus]
Result of the throw of dice "4d6" : 6 + 6 + 3 + 4 = 19 [damage]

[albatross]

The C4 beads Jeckle is slingshoting damage of course, but not enough to destroy the creatures.

The dragon Glarung reappears next to Steelfist and lays down a stream of flame, incinerating a couple.

The radio signals from the main camp start to degenerate into grunts, yells and a few screams as the creatures close the distance and engage the soldiers hand to claw.

Kris feels several of the ring creatures summoned inside the camp, and also a couple back at the plane: Strongbow and Ionic. The ones in the camp seem to be focused on defending their soldier masters from the horde of shadow creatures.

The team has little time to worry about others just now though, as the dozen or so shadow creatures attacking them have been reinforced by ten times that many. They spring forward quickly from all sides - except Glarungs side, which is now filled with flaming trees as the dragon continues to torch the shadows which approach and lash out with its own much longer claws when they get too close.

[shiivster]

*Jeckle comments 'those not wearing my glasses .. close on five. gonna flash them '

*pulls out a flash grenade .. and hopes that the bright light will stun the critters enough to halt their approach.

~toss~ *on the count of five [she did count aloud] it goes off and bathes the immediate area in light 30' circle. she hopes that helps ..

[albatross]

The shadow creatures halt and are stunned by the flash gernade, hanging back. They really don't appreciate being lit up like that.

Kris can feel one of the ring creatures back at the plane disappear. It would be nice to think it had been recalled, but he knows that Ionic or Strongbow must have lost their creature in a fight.

[dakota]

Khris was worried when one of the team lost their creature., but he had to concentrate on keeping the others alive. " Jeckle! hit them again. It seems to stun them." He held up the M-109 and it vanished, replaced by his Dragunov. With the creatures stunned, he went to automatic and began to fire off short bursts [dice=20+3][rand=52228195848464944040644843294964149087152741224149670662229341069]

[albatross]

In the aftermath of the stun gernade, the team is able to kill several of the shadow things. Glarung burns a dozen to the ground where they stand, and Steelfist and Dante are able to kill one or two.

Kris' dragonuv fire is also effective, though most of the ones he hits are badly wounded, one does go down.

[shiivster]

'alright, but i've only got three more on me. ready in 5 .. 4 .. '

*on zero the second one does its flash of bright light. she might not be able to do a lot, but she can at least warn them when the flash comes

[Dome]

Dante which could do little when the creatures were far away, drew his swords and stood his ground when the creatures reached melee range, even able to kill one of the shadowy beasts.

He stands now sword at the ready and prepares to strike down any that get within reach again.