Celestia's Finest: Comrades in Arms

[D.KnightSpider]

One hoof bats away the encroaching tentacles as he twists into an aileron roll that spins him out of the secretary's reach.

Eyes narrow. A hoof slides into his rifle and brings it to bear. The old anger flickers but doesn't have enough power to influence him. Grief, however does.

"I'm sorry."

Longshot opens fire.

Spoiler: Mercy Kill

Show

Attack
(3d6)[3][6][2](11) VS 21/20
(17 Base Skill +5 Weapon Mods +2 Rapid Fire -1/2 Distance?)

I rolled the wrong numbers on damage. See the OoC thread for proper damage results.

Damage (Lethal)
(3d6)[2][4][2](8)
(3d6)[2][4][4](10)
(3d6)[6][3][6](15)
(3d6)[1][1][4](6)
(3d6)[1][3][5](9)
(3d6)[1][4][2](7)
(3d6)[4][4][4](12)
(3d6)[2][5][6](13)
(3d6)[5][6][1](12)
(3d6)[4][2][6](12)

[Elbeyon]

Ocean

Longshot's ScoutBot follows fast as it can, but Longshot is four times faster except when it comes to moving in straight lines. His immediate upward curve has the ScoutBot slowing and trying to avoid the falling into the mage's reach.

Engine

Love's ScoutBot must have reached the engine room by now? She checks on the BugBots trying to retrieve the book and orders the ScoutBot to help if they haven't managed the task yet.

She dodges out of the way of the griffon. Crap! Steam. That's not good. Wait!? Did it just shatter the wrench in its claws by using it!? Uh oh. At least it lost its leverage?

Love uses the BugBots in the ship to warn people about the approaching twelve foot armored zombie (or its actual height). The situation is growing beyond her control and no longer isolated to the engine room. She needs to escort ponies out of the way of danger. There are already two dead people on her hoofs. She orders a HoloBot out of her bag to summon a Love to try to gather the pony zombie's attention. She doesn't have enough time to make a dynamic LoveHolo so the image is just a pre-recording - the holos are designed into the other visual/audio spectrums such as heat. She has to try everything and anything.

Scomm, "Brazen, a giant zombie is leaving the engine room. I need help with containment!"

She raises her rifle and unloads on the pony zombie. She has to slow it down until Brazen arrives even if for a second! She shouts at the leaving pony to try to gather its attention again. "Hey! Don't run away! Where are you going? I'm back here! Attack me!"

Love flies around to her advantage, flying closer for attacks, and flying away to give herself dodging room. She eyes the griffon to ready herself for the next attack. She stays near the ceiling to prevent it from gaining a height advantage during its attack.

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Fire! 40mm Tangler! (ST 24)
Love has her weapon harness on now! I missed the maneuverability!

(3d6)[7] vs 22 = 14 (GL) +4 (Targeting) +4 (Floor)

[Miltonian]

"Then why in Eyr's good name are you dressed like one of my ensigns?" the Admiral demands of Rose.

---

Longshot's barrage tears through the mutating mare and blows her away. She falls into the ocean, a long, echoing wail following her down.

The darkness below surges up to meet her and turns the ocean the color of ink. She disappears the moment she slips below the surface. The blackness folds into itself and disappears.

Lil Twi comes online, voice bright and cheerful. "Error! Subject does not fully exist in this reality. Results inconclusive. However, comparison with similar phenomenon does give a warning. Do not touch it! Mutation and psychosis are the likely result of contact with extra-dimensional entities, at the very least."

---

The Scoutbot has not reached the Engine Room. In fact, her robots seem to be reporting that they are miles and miles away, or no more than a few inches. None of them are in the right spaces anymore, yet all of them report that they remain aboard the ship. Furthermore, even the ones sitting literally on a pony report no life signs within range. The few that she manages to directly contact, however, take her warning and begin moving towards the deck.

Love's grenade explodes and binds the zombie's feet to the ground. However, it merely takes another step, snapping the tangler as if it were made of cotton candy. It entirely ignores her holo and moves out into the hallway.

As for the griffon, its claws latch onto the bent pipe and, with one, horrible crash, tear it off the wall. A foot-thick section of pipe about five feet long is now in its grip. It turns towards Love as scalding hot steam fills the room.

---

Spoiler

Show

If Brazen makes the save, he will be able to move forward and run into the second zombie.

[userpay]

A voice...? Brazen shakes his head. The voice didn't seem substantial and it certain didn't come from his immediate vicinity. Brazen clears the unheard question from his mind just in time to skid around the corner and come face to face with the second zombie. "Whoo... Yer ah big one ain't ye?" The earth pony remarks before his shotgun belches rounds at the thing.

Spoiler

Show

5 Round burst, normal shotgun rounds, recoil value 4.
(3d6)[14] vs 24
And misc damage rolls for however many hit.
(6d6+4)[26]
(6d6+4)[25]
(6d6+4)[22]
(6d6+4)[24]
(6d6+4)[28]

[D.KnightSpider]

This day gets better and better.

There wasn't any time to ponder the Mare's fate. Bottle up the emotion and deal with it later because there are still a lot of ponies in need of help and loose ends to knot.

Longshot takes a quick look over the area and, provided nothing appears of interest, begins flying back toward the ship.

EDF Comm.: "The secretary has been taken off the board. I was not able to apprehend. Request a sitrep."

He switches off the comm.

"Alright Little Twi..." Longshot grimaces. "I've got to figure out a new nickname for you. One that doesn't seem so disrespectful. Anyway, can you tell me anything about the phenomena as it relates to the ship?"

Spoiler: Can we go back to dealing with bomb threats?

Show

Perception for the Sea
(3d6)[4][2][5](11) VS 16

Scan the Ship
(1d6)[4](4)

Perception for the Ship
(3d6)[3][4][2](9) VS 16

[Elbeyon]

Love knows that voice! She shouts, "Brazen! These things are cannons! They treat Tangler like butter! Don't get hit!"

The ScoutBot hasn't reached the room? That's - they shouldn't be that slow. The update from the robots with the wrong information is disorientating. She orders all robots being affected to stand down. Their assistance will have to be minimal or none. Something is wrong with Seaworthy? All the robots aren't out of commission. Why? Oh no!

Scomm to Longshot, "Brazen is fighting the second creature in the corridor!" Scomm, "The local area around the engine room is experiencing a bad reality distortion!"

No, the robots aren't wrong. The problem is with Love. She is thinking one dimensionally. She needs to change her mind.

She updates her message to any crew members she meets. The area around the engine room is now a 'magical' hazard. No people are to approach until further instructions. Her tone is steady, strong, and reassuring. She will update them as new information becomes available, but they need to leave the area for their own safety.

She needs to keep moving ponies away from the area.

Love watches the griffon break the pipe instead of her. Her vision gets filled with hot smoke. Oh, pony. She can barely see anything at all. She'd like to rely on the BugBots as a better gauge but they aren't designed to account for reality being all funky. They'd feed her incorrect measurements. She has to rely on her poor sight, nose, and ears.

Scomm, Love's voice is being 'fast forward' by a small percentage as she tries to send more information than by mouth, "Seaworthy is - No, the book!" The Old Iron King's tablet flashes to mind. The heartbreak on Rainbow Dash's face. "No, I shouldn't destroy the book. It's too unknown."

Love can't do much while blinded. She tries to lock-on to the griffin with her radar while accounting for her new reality. Her spare hoof moves into her Saddlebag, and she moves closer to Seaworthy. She tries to start a SCAN on the book if possible.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

Radar!
(3d6)[4] vs 16 (Sensor) +2? (Software) +/- (Other(s))

SCAN
(1d6)[6] / 2

[DigoDragon]

"Then why in Eyr's good name are you dressed like one of my ensigns?" the Admiral demands of Rose.

"To throw the captain off his game, sir," Rose answered.

[Miltonian]

Brazen's shotgun goes off, but the massive undead raises a forearm and blocks several of the shots. Two of them, however, slam into its chest, penetrating through its flesh. However, that doesn't seem to have slowed it down. It stomps towards him, each step shaking the ground. It can't reach him this turn, but if he stays at this corner, it will on the next one.

----

The ship has slowed to about half-steam, allowing Longshot to catch up.

As he does, his onboard helper says, "Scanning! One moment." Then, it hums cheerfully for a second or two. "Aaaaand done." She clears her throat. "The ship is currently experiencing a dimensional anomaly related to the Thing in the Water. As the Creature Below's attention is currently on this are and we are entering an area of flux, it is unwise to refer to the One Who Swims the same way more than twice. If the Threat grows bored, the Enemy will hopefully leave the area."

Longshot sees nothing apparently wrong with the ship, other than a bunch of the crew scurrying around on top.

----

Fortunately, the sensors in Love's suit are more than up to this task. Unfortunately, that means she sees the pipe swinging down towards her head like a massive baseball bat!

The SCAN locks onto Seaworthy's book, but will need some time to complete its analysis.

----

The Admiral hesitates. "You have ID, I presume."

[DigoDragon]

Rose drops the disguise so she can find her military ID and show the admiral. She levitates it towards him for convenience.

"Lt. Rose Croix, combat medic for the EDF."

[D.KnightSpider]

Longshot's face drifts to Little Twilight. He stares at her for longer than I'd advisable given their current rate of speed.

"Are you... making movie references?" Eyes on the prize, flyboy. "Right. Don't attract attention. Don't touch the water. Try to instill boredom... Thank you, Little Twi."

EDF: "Copy. do not allow any of the crew to go overboard. Touching the water is worse than death and I am not being hyperbolic. I'm coming in to assist with the creatures

"Love," Longshot moderates his voice so that it's very controlled by not condescending. "if you can shut this down, then do it. Whatever good you think may result from keeping things intact isn't worth this risk. We're dealing with something much, much worse than Tartarus."

Longshot pours on the speed and races toward Brazen's last reported location. His rifle is up and ready to fire.

Time to end this.

[Elbeyon]

She mentally adjusts her radar for the warps in reality. Love might as well have her eyes closed at this point. Underneath the radar, she only sees smoke, but the radar displays the body moving through the smoke. She gets a radar bounce off the pipe and tries to fly back away from the swing until she is out of reach.

Scomm, "I'll let ponies know." She updates her message to anyone in danger: Avoid water. She didn't imagine anyone wanting to swim in the freezing water, but she might be able to sooth some ponies away from being prone to danger or the boat's edge.

The book! She doesn't know if she can shut this down! Scomm, "I don't know if damaging the book will make things worse! It could be a seal." The book may be able to help a ponies in the future. Scomm, "I'm SCANing it now."

Love crushes a crystal in her hoof. Hurry up Little twilight! She delves deeper into the book's magic outside just its magic aura. Love will also step to give herself room to retreat.

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Analyze Magic!
(3d6)[13]

[userpay]

Scomm: "Duly noted." Great, so not only did the zombies look big and nasty they played the part to. Brazen's shotgun continues to unload on the approaching zombie for another moment before Brazen ducks behind the corner he'd come from. "Come on ugly. Got yer playtoy right here."

Spoiler

Show

Move and attack (attack and move?) back down the corridor for three spaces, 5 Round burst, normal shotgun rounds, recoil value 4.
(3d6)[13] vs 22
(4d6+4)[24]
(4d6+4)[16]
(4d6+4)[23]
(4d6+4)[11]
(4d6+4)[21]

[Miltonian]

The Admiral scans her ID, scrutinizing it. Then, his eyes flick behind her to all the sailors pouring out onto the deck. His blade falters. "What in the...what's going on?"

----

The AI salutes and disappears from his HUD.

Longshot, after a few seconds, comes back over the deck of the ship. Unfortunately, Brazen and Love are still belowdecks. However, he sees a very convenient hatch towards the back that he could open quickly with a strength check.

----

"Scan complete!" Love hears a cheery voice say, "That is a Chaos Tome, a book which contains a fragment of Protean Essence. The magical spells written in it have all been changed and warped due to the fragment's presence."

"It should be safe to handle, so long as you do not actually read any of the words in it without proper preparations."

Love feels very powerful magic all around her. However, the Analysis indicates that it is Transmutation of the twelfth tier, equivalent to that able to be cast only by a god or by a fieldmouse. Only one spell is active, including Lich Form, Heat Area, and Plant Growth. Due to the interference by the gravitational field of the nearest black hole, the thaumaturgical index is unknown and precisely 32.12347 on a scale of 0 - 0.234986.

Love's previous dodge left the pipe free to swing around and smash into a generator. Smoke and sparks join the steam. Alarms go off and red light strobes through the misty room, bathing everything in a eerie shadows. Even if Love survives, the engine might not. The pipe swings around, unnaturally fast, and comes in for another blow as the griffon presses its advantage.

----

Once again, most of the shotguns bursts strike the raised foreleg, but a third one gets through and strikes the chest. Though the wounds do seem to be closing, Brazen's damage is far outstripping the healing. And that third strike seems to knock the wind out of it a little. It lumbers forward a little slower and rounds the corner after him. It glances left, it glances right, and then its hooves slam into the floor, denting the panels. It begins trying to tear them loose.

[D.KnightSpider]

Longshot accesses the ship schematics, previously uploaded by Love, and makes a quick cross-reference against TacNet. If everything lines up then Longshot goes for the hatch.

Magboots lock against the ship's hull. His hooves wrap against the hatch lock. He pulls.

"Star." He tries the comm again. "Do you copy?"

Spoiler: Low Tech Lockpicking

Show

ST
(3d6)[6][3][2](11) VS 28

[Elbeyon]

She 'flutters' out of the way of the first attack. A sharp grimace hides underneath her armor as the engine takes a hard smack. The engine will be destroyed at this rate. She has to get the griffon away from the machinery.

The SCANS are informative if not exactly the results she wanted. Scomm, "The magic is so strong! I'm not sure I can dispel it!"

She says to her armor, "Thank you, Little Twi, for the quick analysis. Protean Essence? Is that something I can use to stop the local reality distortion?" Love asking was a longshot, but she didn't see the harm in asking.

The untextured model of the griffon comes at her again. She has to defend the engine! She spins mid-air and tires to elbow the pipe away from anything of value. Her grip on her gun loosening such that she has to grab it again to gain access to the trigger. She continues her elbow spinning until she is behind the griffon, raises her rifle, and unloads into the body.

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Parry
Step/Move
Attack

Fire! Rcl 1
(3d6)[11] vs 24 = 14 (Beam) + 5 (Targeting) +3 (Lock-on) + 2 (Rapid Fire) +/- (Other(s))

Burn! (3)
(6d6)[16]
(6d6)[29]
(6d6)[21]
(6d6)[28]
(6d6)[14]
(6d6)[16]
(6d6)[18]
(6d6)[17]
(6d6)[18]
(6d6)[21]

Spoiler: Edit

Show

Love has questions for Little Twi!

[userpay]

"Havin trouble there fella? Rather you just stay put to be honest." Brazen lets his shotgun fire off a full ten round burst hoping to put the thing down for good.

Spoiler

Show

Full 10er and standing my ground this time. 10 round burst, normal shotgun rounds, recoil value 4.
(3d6)[9] vs 25
(4d6+4)[19]
(4d6+4)[23]
(4d6+4)[19]
(4d6+4)[15]
(4d6+4)[21]
(4d6+4)[25]
(4d6+4)[22]
(4d6+4)[24]
(4d6+4)[21]
(4d6+4)[20]

[Miltonian]

Brazen fires! But it is not enough to stop the titanic zombie. With an awkward, shuffling run, it flings the torn up panel towards him like a frisbee. It clangs off the walls, spinning round and round, and passes just overhead, continuing on down the hall behind him.

Longshot wrenches up the hatch just in time to see a bent and shredded metal floor-plate fly through the hallway below him. It ricochets off the walls and finally embeds itself in the door at the end of the hall.

----

Love parries the pipe and rebounds off her armored hoof, bent almost in half. Then, she twirls around and unloads into the griffon's back. Her salvo tears through its body, sending beams of light in one side and out the other. Unfortunately, they completely overpenetrate and strike more of the machinery behind it too.

However, that is not enough to down it. With the broken, bent pipe, it charges Love one more time, pipe held in front like a spear. But it misses, catching on some fallen wires. The pipe is torn from its claws, swings around in a circle, and slams into the side of its head, twisted, sharp metal first. The body twitches a bit, and then dies once more.

[D.KnightSpider]

"Brazen, I'm entering the hallway behind you." Longshot forewarns his companion via EDF comm. "You hit him low and I'll hit him high. Watch your head."

Magboots disengage. He flips around the hatch, pushes off the hatch's edge and charges down the hallway. Everything but the rifle sighted on the zombie before him blurs into meaningless background.

Longshot closes to point-blank range and fires.

Spoiler: Have A Neck Massage!

Show

Attack
(3d6)[4][4][4](12) VS 16
17 Base Skill, +5 Weapon Mods, +1 Rapid Fire, -5 Target Shot: Neck, - 2 Move and Attack

Damage
(6d6)[5][6][4][3][1][5](24)
(6d6)[3][1][6][4][2][4](20)
(6d6)[5][5][4][6][1][5](26)
(6d6)[5][6][6][5][6][3](31)
(6d6)[3][6][1][3][4][5](22)

[userpay]

"Welcome back aboard." Brazen replies over comm, ducking lower to allow Longshot greater freedom of fire while continuing to saturate with his own rounds.

Spoiler

Show

10 round burst, normal shotgun rounds, recoil value 4. Guess ill only roll 5 damages though since it's unlikely that any more than that would hit anyway.
(3d6)[10] vs 25
(4d6+4)[22]
(4d6+4)[21]
(4d6+4)[26]
(4d6+4)[19]
(4d6+4)[18]

[Elbeyon]

Love looks awesome knocking a pony sized pipe away to protect the engine, then she turns around to shoot the engine. She wants to facehoof herself. That's all that needs to be said. She wants to facehoof so hard.

She readies to dodge the low-definition figure coming at her, but the thing meets its end in a tragic osha violation.

Scomm, "No hostiles detected in the engine room. Hopefully, the zombie stays down."

Longshot told Love to stay away from water...

Scomm, "Attempting Dispel on book."

She asks Little Twi, "Will Dispel work? Can I wield the book to stop the distortion? How can I stop the distortion?" Little Twi doesn't know everything.

She probably shoots a Dispel shot at the book and flies to try to pick it up.

Spoiler: Roll

Show

Probably: Shoot/Move

Fire!
(3d6)[16] vs 14 (GL) +4 (Targeting) +4 (Floor)

Dispel
(3d6)[7]

[Miltonian]

Longshot and Brazen's assault hammers the remaining titanic undead, almost beheading it up top and almost destroying its entire torso down low. In the end, their combined force is too much for it to withstand, though still possessing some structural integrity, it falls over backwards and expires.

Now they only have to deal with the alarms and smell of smoke coming from the engine room.

---

"Recommended course is to kill the source of the distortion," Little Twi says cheerily, "Unfortunately, there is no reliable data on a way to do that. However, as the book is likely drawing the One who is the Cause of All This's attention to the boat, destroying or neutralizing the book would help That One's attention wander elsewhere. Recommended course of action: shoot the book. Or close it, if you feel like getting close."

[DigoDragon]

"What in the...what's going on?"

Rose leaned back against the wall and crossed her forelegs. "I think my squadmates are below deck fighting some kind of creature tearing up your engine room. So... guess I'm stuck here a while. My suggestion? Order one of the crew to cuff the captain before he wakes up."

[D.KnightSpider]

"Copy that." Longshot replies over EDF Comm. "This hostile has been neutralized. I think... I think we got them all. Does any pony else need assistance?"

Some of the tension breaks. Longshot looks at the tangled mess in front of them and grimaces. It wasn't right. The family wouldn't even get a decent funeral out of those remains.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

No action taken just yet.

[Elbeyon]

Scomm (EDF), "Copy, Longshot. No hostiles here. The engine took a real beating and is figuratively hissing at me. There is a lot of steam in here." They'll have trouble seeing even with Hyper vision.

Love asks Little Twi, "Why do you keep changing the Water Cooler of the distortion?" Love hopes Twilight knows what she means.

Scomm (EDF), "I'm going to try to neutralize the book by closing it."

Love will move to the book and try to close it by flipping the book covered closed with her utility knife.

[DigoDragon]

EDF Comm. "This hostile has been neutralized. I think... I think we got them all. Does any pony else need assistance?"

Rose turns on her internal commlink and mentally EDF scomm's to her team: 'I wouldn't mind being not the Admiral's prisoner now.'

[Elbeyon]

Scomm (EDF), "Rose! I have that video all prepared." Love sends her the (holo)video. "What's going on?"

[D.KnightSpider]

EDF Comm.: "Affirmative. I'm on my way to help with the steam. Rose, I'll see if Brazen can head topside with proof of our battle. I can explain the situation to the Admiral in full... or fairly close to it... but only once the magical effects are terminated. This entire situation is a banished mess."

Longshot smacks Brazen's shoulder as he drops off the comm. "Next time, I could do without the welcome reception, otherwise, glad to be back on board. Mind hauling some of these remains up to the Admiral?"

Once he receives Brazen's reply, Longshot heads towards Love's location so as to provide cloud control.

[DigoDragon]

Scomm (EDF), Rose mentally replies, 'To answer your question, Love--the admiral is clueless on who we are and cutlass on the steel pointed at me. LS, Brazen, I'll... continue to sit right here and wait.'

[D.KnightSpider]

"I understand, Rose, but we're not out of danger yet. Maybe you can use Love's recording sent three posts ago to covince the Admiral this was all a setup."

Longshot shakes his head. What. A. Mess.

[Miltonian]

Admiral Stormwind turns away from Rose and calls out to one of the crew, demanding a report. The answer is not good. Damage in the engine room. Several crew members found dead of pistol wounds. And the Equestrians sorted it all out. The Admiral cautiously lowers his sword. "Right then," he says to one of the crew members, "Stay with her until I'm absolutely sure we aren't being played here. Other than that, miss." A tight smile tugs at his lips. "It sounds like you're not trying to kill me. I see no reason you have to stay exactly here."

----

The steam has spilled out of the engine room and is rapidly filling the hallway. It's boiling, scalding stuff, something that one a person in a sealed suit should be anywhere near. Until it is taken care of, the crew aren't going anywhere near the engine.

But just as Love closes the book, the machinery begins to wind down. The great engines that drive the ship forward turn off, cutting off the flow of steam and keeping it from filling the whole below-decks. Now, it is merely a matter of moving it all outside or cooling it enough for the sailors to get in. However, they will soon be sitting ducks, floating in the middle of the ocean.

Little Twi answers Love. "Not using a the same name twice prevents certain sorts of entities from realizing that they are being referred to. This, in turn, diminishes their interest in the goings on aboard this ship."