Ch. 6 Dark Heart of the Swamp

[lwcoyote]

(Addendum) Caught twice by laser fire, Nike is very glad that she is wearing armor; even though the close-fitting gear protected her from death, she cannot help but feel rather shaken.

(deducting 18 pts of damage from armor)

[dakota]

The last line of explosives blew just as the doctor and three other villagers came out of the building. Others began to emerge from other buildings, bringing a head count of eleven. The squads shots and the rail gun blast seem to quell the Rats for the moment, with the surge holding a bit, only sporadic fire coming from them, mostly from the boat, which turned out to be a fishing boat, the cannon retrofitted to the deck and turret. The boat was in hard shape, a fire burning on the deckhouse and listing a bit to port , obviously taking on water. But it still docked to the remains of the wharf, and someone on board shouted, "Hurry up!" over the whine of the rail gun preparing to cycle again.

[Tori]

Tori's rifle was exhausted. Rather than waste time switching from bow to rifle and reloading, she grabbed her pistol from its holster. "Six? Are we leaving?"

(Remaining actions reserved until Mierin posts)

[Mierin]

Sam hesitates or a second. She didn't know if Shep was alive or dead and part of her didn't want to abandon a team member. However, Sam realizes he wouldn't want her to risk the rest of the team for just one person so she nods at Tori and says, "Yes, we are. Let's move people."

[Tori]

"Aye aye, Six! We're oscar mike." Tori burst from her hiding place, bow in her left hand, pistol in the right. "I'll take point! All y'all on me!"

And she made for the dock as quickly as she could. Any dirty rat poked his head up got a facefull of lasers. She prioritized anyone aiming at her first, and anyone aiming at her crew next. Last, she covered the Quebecoise. She headed towards the dock, taking any cover she could to cover the civilians.


Strike [dice=20+11] (called shot head)

Strike [dice=20+11] (called shot head)

Damage [dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6]
Damage [dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6]

Actions reserved: Dodge
Dodge [dice=20+12]
Dodge [dice=20+12]

Detect Ambush [dice=100]needs 55
Detect Concealment [dice=100]needs 45
Detect mines/traps [dice=100] needs 45
Camouflaged

Sense psychic and magic energy [dice=100]needs 40
Sense supernatural beings [dice=100]needs 58
Locate sound [dice=100] needs 84
Recognize sound [dice=100] needs 76
Prowl [dice=100] needs 85
Perception: [dice=20][rand=934262926681577886621126889851342338289291269972649768115764745346]

[Janxi]

Hearing Sam's order, Janxi gave a nod and looked at her battered armor. It held and kept her from suffering injury. Armor could be repaired or replaced. She spared one last glance at the rats and hissed. "One of these days, I'm going to cut you into little pieces!"

She followed Tori, and suppressed any heavy weapons fire she encountered from the rats. She still had some power in her rifle's e-clip. As she approached the awaiting boat, she shouted, "Friendlies inbound from camp!"

She ducked behind a pier and fired to cover the rest of the team and the inbound Quebecois.

strike [dice=20+8]
strike [dice=20+8]

damage [dice=6]x10+6
damage [dice=6]x10+6

Reserved for dodging, if needed:
Dodge [dice=20+10]
Dodge [dice=20+10]

Sense psychic and magic energy [dice=100]/ 40
Sense supernatural beings [dice=100]/58
Locate sound [dice=100] / 84
Recognize sound [dice=100] / 76

Camouflagd
Prowl [dice=100]/75
Perception [dice=20][rand=527040624458990140318132289223452331333120585039611959058486101071]

[lwcoyote]

Nike held her position, kneeling and keeping her rifle at the ready; she'll wait in position until the civilians were aboard the s hip before withdrawing herself, moving from cover to cover, while doing her best to support the rest of the squad at the same time.

(mindblanking on the area map at the moment)

[dakota]

"Get on!" A man in ratty attire said, stepping into view, shouting over the wihine of the rail gun, which was cycling, but had yet to fire. As the squad began to board, the fisherman said," It ain't gonna take them much longer to figure I's out of bullets. How many more?"

As the members boarded, they could feel the obvious tilt of the damaged hull. And on shore, they could see the remaining rats were beginning to swarm the buildings.

[Tori]

Tori jumped into the boat and ducked behind the gunwale. The rail gun may be out, but she had plenty of weapons to keep firing. She'd use every one of them, every e-clip and every round of ammunition to kill the last rat in the swamp, if need be.

She targeted four rats' heads and laid down a barrage from her side-arm. As she fired, she looked at one of the Quebecois. "Y'all got everyone outta there?"

Strike [dice=20+11] (called shot head)
Strike [dice=20+11] (called shot head)
Strike [dice=20+11] (called shot head)
Strike [dice=20+11] (called shot head)

Damage [dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6]
Damage [dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6]
Damage [dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6]
Damage [dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6][dice=6]

Dodge [dice=20+12]

Sense psychic and magic energy [dice=100]needs 40
Sense supernatural beings [dice=100]needs 58
Locate sound [dice=100] needs 84
Recognize sound [dice=100] needs 76
Perception: [dice=20][rand=23231859452089722849809260667297066124919849663139274641546283]

[Janxi]

Janxi looked down at her scarred armor. It was beaten, but not as badly as Kai's. If they ever got a second, she'd patch everyone up.

For now, they had to get away. She ducked down beside Tori and laid down suppressing fire of her own.

strike [dice=20+8] Called shot head
strike [dice=20+8] called shot head
strike [dice=20+8] called shot head

damage [dice=6]x10+6
damage [dice=6]x10+6
damage [dice=6]x10+6

dodge [dice=20+10]

Sense psychic and magic energy [dice=100]/ 40
Sense supernatural beings [dice=100]/58
Locate sound [dice=100] / 84
Recognize sound [dice=100] / 76

Perception [dice=20]
[rand=6785840392178047995021897129300953582706071911037351318219698176]

[dakota]

While the cats laid down suppresion with a slew of head shots that dropped rats like a carnival game, the fisherman waited for the stragglers to board (PC's not posted) " Come on troopers, you're the last to go."

[Mierin]

Sam can't help but look around for any signs of Shep and then says over the radio, "Shep, you still with us?" If she gets a response, Sam notifies the others, if not, Sam heads to the boat quickly, looking for signs of trouble.

perception [dice=20][rand=81242359694483172181986669765223565140103175242476679222560720878]

[Janxi]

Seeing nothing else to do, Janxi replaced her clip and continued firing off the stern of the boat. She looked out for anyone that might be Shep, any humans left on the shore and especially any heavy weapons or anyone pinned down.

Replace clip
strike [dice=20+8] called shot head
strike [dice=20+8] called shot head


damage [dice=6]x10+6
damage [dice=6]x10+6

dodge [dice=20+10]

Sense psychic and magic energy [dice=100]/ 40
Sense supernatural beings [dice=100]/58
Locate sound [dice=100] / 84
Recognize sound [dice=100] / 76

Perception [dice=20]
[rand=689067358708292948455999754162804736717408616696317120639801468762]

[Tori]

T dropped her depleted sidearm to the deck and grabbed her rifle slapping in a new clip. She aimed at the closest rats that she could, as long as they supported energy weapons. For the schmucks throwing spears? She'd shoot them last.

Reload rifle

Strike [dice=20+11] (called shot head)
Strike [dice=20+11] (called shot head)

Damage [dice=4] x10
Damage [dice=4] x10

Actions reserved: Dodge
Dodge [dice=20+12]
Dodge [dice=20+12]

Detect Ambush [dice=100]needs 55
Detect Concealment [dice=100]needs 45
Detect mines/traps [dice=100] needs 45
Camouflaged

Sense psychic and magic energy [dice=100]needs 40
Sense supernatural beings [dice=100]needs 58
Locate sound [dice=100] needs 84
Recognize sound [dice=100] needs 76
Prowl [dice=100] needs 85
Perception: [dice=20[rand=7734953759288958778205681969759984823090505929838960515352541717]

[dakota]

No answer came to Sam's radio call. The trawler started to pull away from the dock, and the squad could see why. As they watched and tried to lay down fire, they watched in horror as Rai tried to drag Nike towards the dock, only to be cut down by the increasingly brazen rats. The last of the explosives blew, followed by secondaries curiously much further away. Several rats ventured close to the water's edge, only to be cut down by a couple of well placed shots by the cats. No more shots came at the boat.

The deckhand approached hesitantly, clearly intimidated by the cats, "Sorry we's late. got caught up with some of dem monkeymen slavers on our way in. Cap'n's got first aid stuff if anyone needs it." He turned off the rail gun's motor.

the doctor, still in shock, huddled with the few surviving villagers, unable to look at Sam or her team.

Further up the shore, Janxi saw what might have been a muzzle flash, and Sam was sure of it. The fishing boat started to turn the opposite way