ic Shoaling Patterns (IC)

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

"It looks like it..." replied Starshot, shooting Doctor Archeville a look. He muted the mic for a moment. 

 

"A cave. Ripe for ambush and traps. And not just some web spinning arachnid. This is going to get dirty... and I still don't trust this new Kahn."

 

He unmuted the mic. "Boots on the ground then. See you in a moment."

 

Starshot put on his belt, hung his machete in its sheath, and checked his rifle's power cells. Fully operational. He clipped in five web shells into the under barrel, nodding in satisfaction. Finally he put on his helmet, which hummed into life, providing him an HUD full of tactical information and advanced sensor arrays. 

 

"Let the hunt begin," he intoned. "Although the devil only knows what we are hunting..."

 

With that, he opened the ATV door...

[Dr Archeville]

Doktor Archeville

 

"Traps will indicate that whoever's behind this," he said as he hopped out of the vehicle, "has been here for some time, and anticipates that this location's remoteness won't be enough to deter interference."

 

He approached Kinarr, looking the young Khan up and down (and running a quick scan of him) before offering his right hand.  "An honor to meet you in person, sir.  But if there is someone down there, your diplomatic skills may be of more use than whatever weaponry your armor may contain."

 

After pleasantries were exchanged, he ran a hand over his belt, and silently levitated a few inchaes off the ground, then moved behind Starshot, letting the hunter take point.

 

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Star-Khan had landed near the ATV as Starshot and Doktor Archeville climbed out of the vehicle. The young Zultasian stood six and a half feet tall as he looked over toward the two humans as they approached, a friendly expression on his face.

 

"You as well Doktor." He replied as he shook hands with the scientist. "Starshot." He added, giving a nod to the hunter. Doktor Archeville's scans reveled a rather advanced suit of battle armor, providing superhuman strength, flight and capable of projecting powerful energy blasts, among other more routine systems.

 

Star-Khan then looked toward the cave as he considered the Doktor's additional comments. "Perhaps. It could be that whoever is in there could simply be seeking a secluded location for whatever they are doing, not intending any of this." He gestured up toward the dark sky, where the form of a Sarcota could be seen passing overhead. "Or, it could be intentional, in which case, diplomacy may not be an option."

 

Moving over toward the cave entrance, Starshot could see it went in dozens of meters before curving off to the right. There was not immediate sign of illumination from within, or of recent foot traffic, although the rocky terrain made such signs difficult to note.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot pondered firing a lumi-flare in to the cave. His fingers drummed the compact flare gun at his belt. But, tempting is at was...

 

People fear the dark, fear some predator who they cannot see. But in the dark, the predator cant see the prey. 

 

He would rather not lose the element of surprise. And besides, he could see in the dark pretty well. His helmet overlay gave an infrared overlay of the cave. 

 

"Stay silent, stay hidden..." he murmured, creeping forward, plasma rifle at the ready, straining his senses to pick up sound or sight of whatever was in the cave...

[Dr Archeville]

Doktor Archeville

 

Viktor remained behind Starshot, using his gravity-based flight ability to hover a few inches above the ground so his footfalls would not make noise.  Should I activate my cloak?  No, I'd need to divert resources to make it wide enough to cover Starshot and Kinarr, and I'd rather use those resources to focus on detection of what's ahead.

 

And so he turned his focus outward, drinking in every scrap of information his technorganic senses could bring him.  He looked through infrared and ultraviolet bands, sent pulses of radio waves to form a radar image of the caves, even ran a few x-ray and magnetic resonance scans to peek through the surface of the cavern walls.  An immense amount of data, processed by his superhumanly fast brain to form an incredibly detailed picture of what lay ahead of them.

 

If I ran these sorts of scans on the surface, he thought, Ferrum would blind me.  But here, under all this rock, I should be okay...

 

[Thevshi]

GM

 

The strange trio set off into the cave, with Starshot stealthily taking the lead. Doktor Archeville and Star Khan actually managed to remain rather quiet as well as they followed after. The cave went in a short ways, before smaller side passages split off from the main cave. Doktor Archeville's scans did not revel anything particularly unusual or noteworthy among the rocky formations. There seemed to be no unusual mineral deposits or similar formations. As they got further in, he detected faint heat traces on the ground that were slowly cooling, seemingly signs of some being (or beings) passing through the cave fairly recently.

 

It was not long after that the Doktor was the first to hear a faint noise from up ahead. There was the soft sound of several voices in what could be chanting, although it was a too far way and soft to make out….

[Dr Archeville]

Doktor Archeville

 

Normal igneous and metamorphic rock, standard silicates and metals... many similarities to Mercury's crust, not unexpected... oh, now there's something!

 

Viktor gestured towards the heat traces on the ground, knowing Oskar's helmet could detect such traces and assuming Kinarr's armor could as well.  He left it to the safari hunter to see what, if anything, could be gleaned from the tracks.

 

Once he heard the chanting, he stopped, placed his Screwdriver to his throat, as if using it like a subvocal microphone, and radioed a message to his companions, "hold.  I hear voices ahead.  I can't yet tell how many, I'll need to filter out the echoes, but I'd say at least three, and likely more."

 

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot nodded, glad the radio in his helmet was working. It had been buzzing a little - clearly due an advanced maintenance sweep. Perhaps that's why he couldn't hear the voices at first. 

 

"Who are they? Cultists? Sorcerers? Jumped-up-dabblers?" he wondered aloud. "And what are they doing?"

 

He pulled out a gas grenade. Non-lethal, but incapacitating. "I normally ask questions first, and shoot later. But sorcerers? I err on the side of pre-evemptive action."

 

He gestured to the grenade. "Non lethal. Unpleasant, but non lethal. It won't kill anybody, but it wont make any friends either. Look, its your call Doc, but if it comes to sorcerers, I would prefer to keep the upper hand. We don't know what we are dealing with. What if they unleash an army of spectres on us?"

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Star Khan halted as Doktor Archeville signaled the group to halt and explained what he heard up ahead.

"It is likely we will only learn what they are up to if they tell us." Star Khan responded to Starshot's question. "But of course, we many not be able to trust anything they say." He added.

 

He turned to look down one of the side passages, making sure nothing was trying to sneak up on them before looking back to the group, noting the gas grenades Starshot had on hand. "If we start with that, any chance to try to talk and reason with them will very likely be gone." He paused a moment before added, "assuming they have any interest in talking, and are able to be reasoned with."

[Dr Archeville]

Doktor Archeville

 

"I would normally agree with Starshot," he started, nodding to the hunter, "that we start with incapacitating and capturing them, halting their... whatever it is they're doing, and question them later.  But things tend to go... awry when magical rituals are interrupted, are not properly shut down, as surely as an improperly deactivated nuclear fission reactor can cause a catastrophic explosion.  Knocking them out may," he shrugged, "generate a backlash that drives the Sarcota to a destructive frenzy."

 

I'd rather be disarming a nuclear bomb than dealing with... with this!  But I can do this.  I can face this.  I will face this.

 

"So," he looked to Kinarr, "I would suggest you and I enter openly, diplomatically, while you," he nodded to Starshot, "remain hidden and ready with gas and smoke grenades, should things go badly.  I should be able to navigate safely in such an environment, and I'm sure he can," he jerked his head towards Star Khan, "too, so our ability to fight will not be impeded."

 

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

Starshot nodded, hefting the gas grenade in his hand. "Just say the word and ill let loose some hell."

 

"And the word is... bite."

 

He explained; if Starshot heard that word in their conversation, he would fire. 

 

"I'm going to try and get an angle. Ill keep them in my sights whilst I stay hidden. And if I see any trouble, ill fire whether you say the code word or not."

 

With that, he melded into the shadows, searching out some vantage point in the caves where he could both fire his gun and throw his grenade. He had a suspicion he would need to do both...

[Thevshi]

GM

"My armor does allow me to survive in the void, so it will protect me from gas." Star Khan answered when Doktor Archeville suggested the two of them were unlikely to be bothered by Starshot's gas grenades. "I am ready when you are Doktor."

 

With the plan in place, Star Khan and Doktor Archeville continued forward, while Starshot moved to find concealment and follow covertly after them.

 

It was not much further into the cave before it opened into a large chamber, in the center of which were a dozen figures in tattered brown robes which completely hid their features. As the pair entered, the chanting halted, the robed figures turning toward them. One of the figures furthest to the back of the room spoke up. "You should not be here." It hissed menacingly.

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

With a flick of a metal thumb from his metal hand, Starshot took the pin out of the Gas Grenade. 

 

"We want you!" he said from the shadows, and lobbed the grenade into the centre of the cultists. The impact caused it to split, and propel its chemical gas iaround the cave. It was a light green colour, barely noticeable to the eye, but it would bring out the eyes and skin of most creature into a stinging opera. 

 

Wasting no time, Starshot dropped to the ground, his Plasma Rifle in his other hand, ready to fire...

 

 

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Starshot's grenade went off in the center of the robe figures, creating a cloud of noxious smoke that caused the figures to cough and start to move away from the cloud. Most seemed only minimally affected, though at least one seemed sickened.

 

Once they were clear of the cloud, five of the figures began to change, their forms shifting from the robed forms to a large arachnid like species with multiple legs with sharp claws at their tips. The five let out a roar as they readied maneuvered around the cavern, a few climbing up not the walls and ceiling.

 

The other six robed figures spread out in the chamber as well, each quickly chanting and unleashing arcane blasts at the three figures that had disrupted their gathering. Two blasts were directed at Doktor Archeville, with one striking the Earth scientist.

The young Star-Khan was also the target of two attacks, one missing him while the other struck his armor. However, the blast deflected harmlessly off the Khan’s armor, blasting a small hole in the rock of the ground at his feet.

 

Two blasts flew over Starshot's head, one coming a bit closer than he might like.

 

"Grue!" Star Khan stated as he watched the five robed figures shapeshift. He then focused on one of the robed figures that had attacked him, firing a blast of energy from his gauntlets, but the figure just avoided the attack.

[Dr Archeville]

Doktor Archeville

 

"Oh, I get that all the time," was going to be his opening reply to the robed figure's "you should not be here" statement.  He'd keep things light, try to find out where they were from, what they wanted, see if a mutually beneficial arrangement could be reached.

 

But then a grenade went off.

 

"What happened to," he grunted as he rolled with the arcane blast, "to 'the word is bite'?," he called out to Starshot as a softly glowing force field sprung up around him.  

 

I know this dance - let's change the beat.  Locking on to radar signatures...

 

Viktor held his (fake) Electromagnetic Screwdriver high above his head, and the tip unleashed dozens of beams of rainbow light, like a spinning mirrored globe.  "I say 'Disco!', you say 'Party!'  Disco!  Disco!"  The beams passed harmlessly over Starshot and the Star Khan, but as it passed over the cultists, it pulsed and sent a concussive blast of compacted photonic energy colliding with them.

 

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

"Grue..." muttered Starshot.

 

Grue were tricky, and dangerous. He kept out of Galactic politics, but he knew about the Grue. They could overwhelm the galaxy. Possibly the universe, even if the universe was a big place. 

 

This needed to be ended, and quickly. Fortunately, Doctor Archeville had cut down the aliens where the grenade had failed. Lesson learned - the Grue were too strong for such modest weaponry. Starshot needed to bring out the heavy guns. 

 

With a flick of a switch on his plasma gun he let the core overheat, and eject a good third of the contained hyperplasma; it spewed forth in a bright cackle of energised particles, threatening to engulf the aliens....

 

He let his hand of the trigger. That burst would deplete nearly half the plasma rifle's energy, and he needed to keep some in reserve. He rolled to the side and started shuffling, seeking cover...

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Doktor Archeville's attack seemed to catch the Grue Arcane off guard as it struck all of them, knocking several out while injuring the others, including dazing a few. Starshot quickly followed up with an overheated plasma burst, catching three of the arcane in its path, putting one down and injuring and dazing the other two.

 

Two of the shapeshifted arcane then acted, one rushing towards Kinarr on its multiple legs, slashing at the Star Khan with its blade like forelegs, however Kinarr dodged aside, lifting up into the air slightly as he did. Glancing over to see one closing on Doctor Archeville, the young Star Khan flew over to place himself between the human and the Grue, the bladed hands coming down on him, but scrapping harmlessly off his power armor.

 

Meanwhile, two of the other Grue focused their gaze on Starshot, this time not launching arcane magics at him, but reaching out with their telepathy. The hunter felt the two alien minds clawing at his, trying to latch themselves into his head….

 

After withstanding the attack from the shapeshifted Grue, Star Khan delivered a powerful blow that sent the shapeshifted form flying backwards dozens of feet to strike the wall of the chamber before the Grue returned to its normal robed form and fell to the ground unconscious.

[Dr Archeville]

Doktor Archeville

 

That's about half the backup taken out, but there are still several left, plus the lead. 

 

"Grue?  The bogeymen of the galaxy?," he called out as he waved his Screwdriver about like a conductor's baton.  "That explains why they're going down so quickly: fears often disappear when faced boldly, and dragged into the light!"  At that, another prismatic barrage lashed out, harmlessly illuminating the cavern for a few microseconds and slamming into the Grue cultists.

 

With psychic shapeshifters, questioning would be tricky even under the best circumstances.  It may be best to knock them out and restrain them first.

 

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Once again Doktor Archeville's barrage of hard light struck all the Grue arcane in the chamber. While another of them fell to the ground unconscious, there were still five up an active, which included two of those shapeshifted and the leader.

 

The leader stood back up right after taking another hit, focusing its attention on the Doktor. Rising its robe concealed hands, the Grue changed some alien, arcane words and a blast of mystical energy struck towards the Doktor, hitting him squarely in the chest.

 

Although the Grue that had the mental lock on Starshot's mind took another hit, it maintained that hold on the hunter’s mind, dark whispering filling Starshot's head…

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

...psychic... attacks...

 

...New...

 

Starshot had no experience dealing with this. The uncanny and disturbing tendrils stroking his brain.

 

He had hunted thousands of animals and beasts but none had psychic powers.

 

"...hrgh... get out..." he muttered.

 

He was a determined man by nature, but it took every ounce of determination to eject the intruder and roll to cover...

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Starshot managed to break free from the alien mind and regain control over his body as he rolled out into he was out of view in the tunnel he and the others had followed to this chamber. But just as he got out of view of the Grue, one of the shapeshifted ones came skittering after him in its alien-spider form.

 

The Grue let out a hiss and slashed down at Starshot’s prone form, slashing him with one of its wicked claws.

 

Meanwhile, the Grue that had the telepathic lock on Starshot instead focused its attention on Kinarr, reaching out towards the young Star Khan's mind. However, Kinarr proved to have formidable willpower and managed to prevent the Grue from entering his thoughts.

 

When the other shapeshifted Grue charged towards Doktor Archeville, the young Star Khan once again put himself between the attacker and the Earthman, taking another hit from the wicked claws of the alien-spider form, which once again only put faint scratches across the surface of Star Khan’s armor.

 

"Unfortunately all too real Doktor." Kinarr replied to Archeville's comment about the Grue as he counter-attacked the shapeshifted one attacking him, once again hitting it and sending it flying backwards as it returned to its normal form as it lost consciousness.

[Dr Archeville]

Doktor Archeville

 

He glanced back at Starshot to make sure he was alright, and steeled himself against any psychic trickery.  My mind is my mind.  My mind is my mind.  My mind is my mind...

 

"Indeed they are all too real," he called back to Kinarr, "as is their scheme to- what," he maneuvered so he could look directly at the lead Grue cultist, trying to get a glimpse under the hood, "to disrupt power supplies to the Coalition and the Republic?  Throw their worlds into chaos, make it easier to slip some of your agents in?  And using innocent Sarcota like that?  That's just..." 

 

A single photonic blast lashed out from the Doktor's science-wand, hitting the lead agent solidly in the chest.

 

"... mean."

 

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Doktor Archeville's photonic blast slams into the lead Grue Arcane, causing the robed figure to take a couple steps back as it hissed in pain. The figure glanced about the cavern at the dwindling number of other arcane before focusing back on Doktor Archeville and Star Khan.

"Our purpossse is not for you to know." It replied. "But there is little more to be gained here, it issss time to unleash our thralls."

 

With that, the figure began casting a spell, green mystical energy coalescing in front of it before it threw its arms outward, and the energy erupted into an ever-expanding sphere. The mystical energy passed harmlessly over the heroes and seemed to pass through the walls of the cavern and out into the atmosphere beyond….

[Supercape]

Starshot

 

"That's not good, is it?" yelled Starshot from his cover position. 

 

"Not good at all..." he muttered to himself, as he checked his rifles power cell. The overcharge had taken a large bite out of the cell, but it had 62% charge left. More than enough for some Grue hunting. 

 

The spell - whatever it was, wherever it was going, would have to wait. 

 

Bigger fish to fry. 

 

Like the Grue who was trying to take his head off. 

 

Still on the floor, he rolled a few rotations, swiped his Rifle into play, and let the alien have a bolt of freshly minted plasma!

Edited March 17 by Supercape

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Starshot easily hits the shapeshifted Grue that was attacking him, knocking it back slightly and dazing it, but it was not out of the fight yet.

 

Only one of the other Arcane was still on its feet and active at the moment, and it hurled a mystical blast at Doktor Archeville, who had anticipated the attack and was able to dodge aside.

 

Star Khan had a concerned look on his face as he considered the mystical energy the lead Grue Arcane had just unleashed. The Zultasian looked over toward Doktor Archeville. "I suspect that may have been targeted on the Sarcota….perhaps to send them into a destructive frenzy? We likely should get outside once more and ascertain what is going on." He suggested, hovering in place and seemingly ready to fly back out of the cavern.