Showdown at Frost Mountain

[npc_kun]

Characters: NPCs Fugue, Orca, Locke, Nothing, Charger, Steve and OPEN
Date/Time: Monday, September 26, 2011
Location: Frost Mountain (mostly the caves)
Rating: PG, possibly upwards for violence and/or language
Summary: Orca is executing the last steps in his plan to abduct and subdue Fugue. Locke says hell naw. Meanwhile, the rest of the Sphere

Comments

※ Rescue Efforts

[npc_kun]

Brianna, Bellflower, Lyle, Castle

[ice_echani]

It was an unusual group that Brianna was leading into the caverns, not the one she would have envisioned three days ago. But three days ago had ended... badly. And while the three people with her were not in the Watch, Brianna had thrown her trust in the Force and her own native instincts.

All of them, she knew, would fight with every piece of courage and devotion they had; each had one who was dear to them among the captives. Two of them were ranged fighters, one was a swordswoman and a skilled healer, and Brianna knew her own skill. And that her gunmen had no magic or connection to the Force could be a boon if those Force-cancelling creatures were here.

"Stay close, and do not speak unless necessary. Keep all your senses on alert," she instructed before starting forward, lightsaber in hand.

[wayofflowers]

Bellflower followed behind Brianna. She did not know the others in this group particularly well, but she had faith in the Watch and in their leader, and she would do her best to protect everyone here. She had Minazuki drawn, though carried low to the ground, for now - a long blade had it's uses, but in close-quarters, she had to be careful.

At the instruction, she nodded a silent assent.

[bloody_pens]

Castle was rather surprised that Brianna had let him come along on the rescue team, but figured it was because he had a personal stake in it- and several of the Watch's own fighters were down, as well. So he'd jumped at the chance to follow her, Lyle and Bellflower into the caverns

[cathar_jedi]

Already drawing on the Force like a shroud, Juhani was silent and half visible, almost fading into shadows, though she was not fully camouflaged yet. This was a somewhat larger group than she preferred, but she supposed she could not in good conscience range out by herself. Not without word.

Her lightsaber was at her belt. Juhani's camouflage could not hide that blade - indeed, having it active seemed to make her entirely visible again. Later. There would be the chance, later.

[live_ringer]

Over the past few days Lyle had been fighting back more rage and helplessness than he'd known he was capable of. It felt like the only thing tempering his urge to fly off the handle, to go do something was the fact that any rashness now could be terribly costly. He couldn't have risked that, not when Stellaris or anyone else might possibly reap the consequences. That was why when Brianna had expressed willingness to take fighters, Watch members or no, he had jumped at the opportunity

[ice_echani]

Brianna took a deep breath and stretched out her senses, letting the cold of the tunnels sharpen her thoughts and instincts. She could feel Juhani more than see her, and ahead... a gap. Brianna's mouth set into a thin line. As she had suspected, the Force-cancelling creatures were here. But she couldn't take that as proof that they were on the right path. Probably they were scattered all throughout the caves.

"There is a space in the Force up ahead. It is likely we will find beasts there," she said in a low voice. "Be ready." Force or no, she could hear unpleasant vocalizations echoing towards them.

[ooc: feel free to pick a nasty or two for 'em to fight, guys!]

[wayofflowers]

Another nod from Bellflower, and she extended her senses to try and see what was around them. No Hollows, certainly - she'd have been able to feel their particular pulse, and she didn't here. There was the sound of footsteps, running towards them - multiple sets. And an eerie sort of laughter, too, that wasn't quite human-sounding.

She couldn't make anything out - too dark, perhaps? - but her blade moved anyway, coming up to connect with the first enemy. It connected, and there was an explosion of blood splattering over the front of the party.

[bloody_pens]

Castle was beginning to feel more and more out-of-place the further they went in- he'd hardly noticed Juhani, meaning she had some sort of means to shroud herself. Very handy. Bellflower had her sword, Brianna was a trained warrior (she had to be to hold the position she did), Lyle had multiple guns, but he only had one... and Tribble's teeth.

Should have thought of that before volunteering, you stupid ass. It's too late to back out now. Besides, Genius and Simon are counting on you.He was shaken from his thoughts with Brianna's words and the unexpected arrival of an enemy- which Bellflower quickly dispatched, covering all of them with blood. Tribble gave a small yelp of surprise then dropped to the floor, baring his teeth, fur on end, tiny growls bubbling from deep inside him

[cathar_jedi]

It began in earnest with the first contact, and Juhani fiercely suppressed the odd sort of relief that rose in her, for she knew it was false. I shall not be seen, she told herself, and the Force washed over her like a wave.

Camouflage was always a strange experience, as if she became an entirely different person. She could only move at a creeping slow pace or risk breaking it. But it would be broken if she found herself within that bubble of neutral Force.

And not only that, of course - Juhani had gone, briefly, without the Force before. That sickening sense that all life had fled, and what remained was a hollow mockery.

But she would not think of that now. Juhani crept, ignored, forwards and to the side, trusting she would not be shot, attempting a flanking maneuver, so that if anything too formidable to be felled by bullets manifested, it could be attacked from two fronts.

[live_ringer]

If the mood in the cave hadn't been serious enough before, the sound of flesh bursting and the cloying metallic stench of blood brought a somber macabre to the whole affair. The game was most certainly on, now.

Absently, Lyle noticed that Castle had managed to dispatch one of their attackers with very little trouble. Everything about the other man read as 'civilian' to him, so he had resolved to keep an eye on him while in the caves. The fact that he was holding his own left Lyle surprised and impressed.

That wasn't exactly something he could dwell on, though, as he soon heard an ominous buzzing not before him where the rest of the action was happening, but behind him. Spinning around Lyle caught sight of a handful of flying creatures zipping out of side tunnels embedded in the walls of the cave. Their silhouettes were reminiscent of giant insects but their cries sounded like those of a bird of prey. He had to admit, he didn't particularly care what they were so long as he took them out before those nasty, sharp appendages they

[ice_echani]

Brianna activated her lightsaber at once, but Bellflower and, surprisingly, Castle were too fast for the creature and the droid. She didn't flinch at the blood splatter; it was nothing compared to the drenching she'd received from the ogre

[wayofflowers]

Bellflower nodded, and stepped forward. There was a weird... buzz to the air, in a way, though if she had to heal, she thought she probably could. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

"The creature that exploded - it's invisible in this gloom, so pay attention to the sounds."

There was a somewhat more audible buzz, as more of the huge wasp-birds came towards them, and Bellflower arced her blade up to slice through the pack.

[bloody_pens]

Castle only noticed the second wave of flying buzzing insect-birds as soon as they were on top of them; thankfully, Tribble was at the ready, and leapt upon one that Bellflower had missed, sinking teeth into its neck. He was glad that the others were with him- were he on his own, or if it had been just him and Lyle, they would have been sunk.

Being an ordinary human, Castle didn't feel any sort of change when he stepped into the nullifying area, through Brianna putting away her weapon made him feel on-edge, as did Bellflower's warning about an invisible creature in the gloom. How were they supposed to fight what they couldn't see...? Tribble finished worrying the buzzard insect that he'd killed and rolled forward, his hair still on end, tiny nose sniffing the air for threats as they pressed on.

[cathar_jedi]

In the null area Juhani faded back into sight and stopped, glancing about, her pointed ears cupped and held away from her head. She could not see as well as humans could in low light. Breathing itself seemed more difficult. There were things moving in the gloom and she could not feel them

[live_ringer]

It was some comfort to have the light of those beam sabers (he knew they were called lightsabers, but somehow, the other moniker came to mind more easily) cutting through the gloom, but Lyle still punched the button to activate the flashlight attached to his vest and illuminate the path before him. After all, their opponents knew they were here and there was no sense in risking friendly fire because he couldn't see what he was doing.

As he did so he caught sight of Juhani being caught off guard by a droid. From what he had seen of those robotic beings she could probably take care of it easily enough, but that lizard creature she had wounded was still writhing, claws scraping against the ground as it crawled toward Juhani with teeth bared. Even if the saurian was impaired that thing wasn't the sort of complication anyone needed, so Lyle finished it off with a shot to the throat.

Then things got strange. The moment the reptilian being stopped twitching a... thing flapped out from one of the side caves. It wasn't one of the avian