Contract #5: Marcus Bell: Enemy of the State!

[GM Nick]

One of the Legion Riflemen moves out from behind cover long enough to fire. The tell-tale hum of a laser battery indicates what is to come.

Ranged Combat (LRB)

[Exotic Weapons (6) + AGI (7) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 5]
6 2 4 5 6 4 4 1 2 4 5 6 3
[REA (9) + Good Cover (4) = 9]
5 1 6 6 6 3 5 4 6 5 1 5 6

Max rolls to one side as a blinding beam of light slices the end off of the matrix workstation.

Ranged Combat (LRB)

[Exotic Weapons (6) + AGI (7) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 4]
4 2 2 2 5 1 3 2 4 6 5 2 5
[REA (9) + Good Cover (4) = 4]
1 5 4 5 1 3 1 4 4 5 1 3 5

Max again rolls to avoid the white-hot heat of the deadly beam. The shoulder pad of his Phalanx suit blisters but no damage is done.

[GM Nick]

Clutching his gut-shot, the Legion physical adept closes the distance between his team and Firestarter with uncanny speed.

Running Test (LP)

[Sprinting (5) + STR (7) = 6]
1 4 5 2 3 1 6 5 5 5 5 3

[GM Nick]

The second Rifleman moves to the furthest-most workstation in the beginnings of a pincer formation. He pops out and fires off a cluster of buck at Doc from a customized SPAS-22.

Ranged Combat (LRA)

[Shotguns (8) + AGI (7) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 4]
6 3 2 2 6 5 2 4 6 1 2 1 1 1 1
[REA (8) + Good Cover (4) = 1]
1 3 2 3 5 3 1 2 2 4 4 2

Damage Resistance (Doc)

[BOD (4) + Armor (16) = 9]
4 5 4 6 1 3 1 5 5 5 4 3 1 5 1 5 1 2 6 5

[ 1P DAMAGE ]

Doc flattens himself behind the workstation, but not before a piece of hot buckshot slips past his armor.

(( Sinjin's up. ))

[Conway]

((Hey guys, sorry for the week long absence...work, ya know? Great story so far..I'll try to contribute more from here out.))

Sinjin's eyes narrow as he quickly surveys the group of hostiles, eager as always for an equally conditioned opponent to rap knuckles with. The two teams pause for only the slightest blink of time before their veteran instincts override their natural surprise, quickly forming into lines of battle and identifying their opposed targets. Like a first round bell of a familiar fight club, Max's shotgun blast tolls in succession- game on.

Sinjin spots the Adept rapidly closing the distance between the teams, and smiles in satisfaction. Battle spines extend from the custom FRSR armor as Sinjin's arms flick outwards in open challenge. With a roar, he tucks and rushes forward to test the Legion's bone-crusher. He only regrets that the man is injured, and thus already damned to fall before him.

((The usual Crit Strike and KH))

[GM Nick]

Sinjin slides nimbly over the top of the workstation, using the momentum to bounce and then drive forward with a lethal spinning roundhouse.

Melee Combat (Sinjin)

[Martial Arts (8) + AGI (5) = 7]
3 6 6 2 2 1 6 4 6 3 6 5
[Unarmed Combat (6) + AGI (7) = 5]
1 5 3 4 5 5 4 5 1 6 3 1 4

Damage Resistance (LP)

[BOD (8) + Armor (7) + WM (-1) = 4]
6 3 4 4 2 3 1 3 2 5 5 1 5 3

[ 8P DAMAGE ]

The orc's boot connects with the force of an impact hammer, shattering the top three vertebrae in the Legion adept's neck. His enemy falls to the floor like a rag-doll.

[Drew Buddy]

Wincing in from the sting of the grazing wound, Doc almost rolls his eyes.

Again? What god did I piss off this time?

He spots the mage across the room preparing whatever voodoo ritual he has in store for the team. Remembering the sensation of having his nerves burned from the inside out, Doc decides to nip that drek right in the bud.

(( BF Narrow, repeat if necessary ))

[GM Nick]

Ranged Combat (Doc)

[Battle Rifles (8) + AGI (9) + RR (1) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 4]
3 1 1 3 1 6 2 1 4 6 6 3 4 1 6 4 1 3
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) = 5]
3 2 2 6 5 4 5 4 5 1 6

Doc's burst detonates the left half of the video-screen, causing tiny, sparkling shards to rain down.

Ranged Combat (Doc)

[Battle Rifles (8) + AGI (9) + RR (1) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 5]
5 4 3 4 5 3 3 1 5 1 4 1 2 2 5 6 4 3
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) + RR (1) = 5]
2 2 3 6 6 1 6 5 3 4 2 5

Another burst strafes the side of the hermetic's cover, knocking him back, but failing to inflict injury.

[Stephen]

Val sidesteps nimbly without taking his eyes off the mage, barely avoiding the limp body of the PhysAd which Sinjin kicked unceremoniously in his direction. Val's certainly more battle-hardened than he was before joining Firestarter, but he's still never been up against a team as organized as this, both in composition and in tactics. He forces down the train of thought and attempts to reenter his own void. He expels the breath from his lungs as he lines up a shot on the Legion hermetic and fires.

(( BF, repeat if necessary. ))

[GM Nick]

Ranged Combat (Val)

[Assault Rifles (8) + AGI (5) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 5]
5 3 5 4 6 1 3 6 1 3 6 3 4
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) = 3]
3 5 1 5 1 4 4 4 4 5 4

Damage Resistance

[BOD (5) + Armor (14) + AP (-4) = 4]
4 3 4 1 1 5 1 6 4 3 6 6 3 3 3

[ 4P DAMAGE ]

The Legion's hermetic mage catches a bullet in the shoulder as Val's burst riddles the skeleton of the shattered vid-screen.

Ranged Combat (Val)

[Assault Rifles (8) + AGI (5) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 3]
1 1 4 6 1 6 4 1 2 1 6 2 2
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) + WM (-1) = 4]
5 6 1 3 5 2 5 3 4 4

The second burst is wide, sending a trio of bullets ricocheting off of various surfaces.

[GM Nick]

The Legion heavy gunner emerges from the remnants of the battered vid-screen, genetically enhanced biceps bulging as he hefts a Vindicator mini-gun. The sound of a thousand angry hornets fill the room as the barrels spin up to speed.

Ranged Combat (LH)

[Heavy Weapons (6) + AGI (7) + Smartlink (2) + RC (-5) = 3]
2 2 2 1 4 6 5 1 3 6
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) = 1]
1 2 1 1 1 6 4 2 4 2 3

Damage Resistance (Val)

[BOD (3) + Armor (10) = 9]
6 2 6 2 6 6 2 4 6 6 5 6 5

[ 4P DAMAGE ]

The top of the matrix workstation seems to erode in time-lapse as the mini-gun devastates it, throwing flaming debris in every direction. Val takes a hit directly to the torso, with the brunt of the damage being soaked up by the Phalanx's ballistic plates.

[GM Nick]

Heal (5) (LHe)

[Spellcasting (6) + MAG (6) + Power Focus (1) = 4]
4 2 6 1 6 6 2 6 2 4 1 3 4

[ 4P HEALED ]

The hermetic sinks back down behind cover and places a hand over his wound.

Resist Drain (2) (LHe)

[WIL (6) + LOG (5) = 2]
2 4 4 1 3 4 3 1 5 6 3

[GM Nick]

Pandora notches a carbon-fiber arrow shaft on to the string of her composite bow. The arrowhead is a red plastic hexagon printed with flammable across the surface. She leans out from behind the smoking matrix workstation and looses the arrow, which produces a satisfying whistle as it sails towards one of the Legion Riflemen.

Ranged Combat (Pandora)

[Bows (7) + AGI (6) = 6]
3 5 2 5 1 6 5 1 3 2 1 6 6
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) = 3]
3 3 6 4 1 4 5 5 4 3 2

Damage Resistance (LRB)

[BOD (8) + Armor (14) = 7]
2 3 4 5 2 6 3 6 2 1 1 2 3 5 6 6 6 3 2 2 1 2

[ 5P DAMAGE ]

The Rifleman stumbles backwards, temporarily lost in a cloud of smoke as the explosive arrowhead detonates against his torso.

[Elliott]

The invisible troll is the last through the door and already hell has been unleashed on earth. He sees blood flying along with bullets on both side. Val and Doc are already hit, but at least there is a dead Legion soldier on the floor, neck pinned at a unhealthy angle by Sinjin's boot. Scanning the enemy shows a few forms in cover behind various electronics, and one standing in the open like a waiting invitation. With a ghostly howl that hovers in harmony with the high-pitched whine of the minigun, Tyros charges (LH).

His blood pounds in his ears as he closes on the target, time slows, the details of his enemies flesh stand out in high definition from where it shows between the Legion armor. Tyros can see the veins on the soldier's hands stand out blue, taunt from holding up the massive minigun. He can even seen the blood pumping through them, in time with his own it seems. Tyros' claymore decends in a long arch, and as it does, the mage's blood rises with it. The pressure is almost beyond control - his lifeforce and that of his victim's pulse together in the flows of mana, tugging at each other, desperate to be let out. Some secret burried in Tyros' mind escapes unbidden - almost. There is a mix of terror and elation as the claymore contacts the solider and sets this new power free (sacrifice - just a normal melee attack with all the typical modifiers (don't forget i'm charging and the defender doens't have a melee weapon), but I can use it in conjunction with a spell next round).

[GM Nick]

(( And before you ask, no, I didn't forget your invisibility. The Legion visors are all equipped with ultrasound. ))

Melee Combat (Tyros)

[Blades (8) + AGI (5) + Weapon Focus (2) + Charging (2) + Reach (3) = 6]
3 4 2 5 3 3 2 5 3 3 4 2 5 3 6 5 2 1 6 1
[Clubs (4) + AGI (7) = 2]
5 4 6 3 3 2 2 3 4 1 3

Damage Resistance

[BOD (8) + Armor (7) + AP (-3) = 7]
6 4 3 6 1 5 5 2 2 5 6 6

[ 5P DAMAGE ]

The claymore sinks several inches into the Legion heavy's shoulder, eliciting a spurt of blood that forces rivulets to course down the shimmering steel. The air between Tyros and the dripping blood seems to become electric.

[GM Nick]

[ Max = 47 ]

[ Legion Rifleman A (LRA) = 45 ]
[ Sinjin = 44 ]
[ Doc = 43 ]
[ Val = 43 ]

[ Legion Hermetic (LHe) = 34 ]
[ Pandora = 26 ]
[ Tyros = 24 ]

[John]

Max pumps Marlowe's slide and ejects the spent shell casing from his successfully fired round against the now-dead PhysAd. The casing sails off into the bedlam and is forgotten as soon as it is clear of the chamber. From the corner of his eye, Max sees the Legion foot soldier as Pandora's arrow collides with his person, showering the room in an incandescent rain of flame. Smelling blood in the air, Max swings his weapon to bear on the flailing man whom Max hopes to see lifeless on the ground well before he stops smoking.

(( SA, lather, rinse, repeat ))

[Elliott]

((Explain to me how ultasound works in a room full of automatic gunfire?))

[GM Nick]

(( To my understanding, ultrasound uses a frequency well above human hearing and thus wouldn't be disrupted by gunfire. Besides, if it's been adapted to visual technology, it has to compensate for combat sounds anyway. ))

Ranged Combat (Max)

[Shotguns (8) + AGI (10) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 6]
6 6 4 6 5 2 1 3 5 3 2 1 4 6 1 1 3 2
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) + WM (-1) = 3]
1 3 4 6 6 4 4 2 5 3

Damage Resistance (LRB)

[BOD (8) + Armor (14) + AP (-4) + WM (-1) = 8]
6 3 5 4 5 6 6 4 6 1 2 5 3 3 3 6 4

[ 2P DAMAGE ]

Marlowe's slug penetrates the wisps of smoke and clips the Legion soldier's shoulder.

Ranged Combat (Max)

[Shotguns (8) + AGI (10) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 7]
1 4 5 5 2 1 1 3 2 3 5 2 6 4 6 6 4 5
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) + WM (-2) = 3]
1 1 6 4 3 6 2 6 3

Damaged Resistance (LRB)

[BOD (8) + Armor (16) + AP (-4) + WM (-2) = 5]
4 3 3 4 3 2 2 2 3 3 1 5 5 6 6 2 6 1

[ 6P DAMAGE ]

The second slug shatters the front of the Rifleman's helmet and burrows into his brain. He slumps backwards, the Redline laser cutting a wayward gash through the ceiling as he goes.

[GM Nick]

The remaining rifleman moves to the next workstation, only one workstation away from exposing Val and Doc. He emerges just long enough to fire off another round 'o buckshot.

Ranged Combat (LRA)

[Shotguns (8) + AGI (7) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 8]
4 6 6 6 5 4 2 6 4 2 4 1 5 6 6
[REA (9) + Good Cover (4) = 6]
2 5 3 2 6 5 6 3 2 1 3 5 6

Damage Resistance (Max)

[BOD (4) + Armor (15) + Bone Density (4) + AP (-4) = 7]
5 2 2 6 1 5 3 3 6 4 6 5 1 4 6 1 1 3 2

[ 2P DAMAGE ]

A handful of shrapnel catches Max in the side, just as the elf is ducking for cover.

[Conway]

Movement draws Sinjins attention momentarily, as his situational awareness spotlights the riflemans proximity to Doc and Val. Despite their wounds, Sinjin in confident in the combat skills of the duo, and after a moments consideration decides to move on. Smiling inwardly, he commits himself to a game of 'Flush the Mage' before leaping over destroyed consoles and darting after the hermetic.

((Dunno if he's close enough? If so...Geek him! ))

[GM Nick]

(( Proceeding with a charging attack. ))

Sinjin coils tightly and hurls himself forward, his dominant hand curled in a deadly palm strike.

Melee Combat (Sinjin)

[Martial Arts (8) + AGI (5) = 5]
4 6 2 6 2 5 2 4 3 5 1 5 4
[Unarmed Combat (5) + AGI (6) = 2]
1 4 2 1 5 6 2 2 2 4 3

Damage Resistance (LHe)

[BOD (5) + Armor (7) = 5]
5 5 4 4 3 6 4 1 5 1 6 4

[ 8P DAMAGE ]

Firestarter's adept lands a bone-crushing blow that knocks the hermetic back, having shattered his visor, various facial bones and fractured his collar bone.

[Drew Buddy]

Doc's vision narrows, and the chaos subsides into a gentle background noise. The hermetic mage's bones sound like a twig snapping in the forest, the gunfire as waves crashing on the shore.

The heavy gunner's barrels spin in slow motion, winding down from their last volley. Adams calmly places his sights on target, and feels a gentle push -- one, two, three -- without sound as he squeezes the trigger.

[GM Nick]

Ranged Combat (Doc)

[Battle Rifles (8) + AGI (9) + RR (1) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 6]
3 1 2 2 6 1 2 4 1 5 3 5 5 4 5 4 1 6
[REA (7) + WM (-1) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 4]
5 1 5 1 5 6

Damage Resistance (LH)

[BOD (8) + Armor (14) + AP (-4) + Bone Density (2) = 6]
6 4 6 1 1 1 2 6 2 4 4 3 1 2 6 5 2 5 1 1

[ 6P DAMAGE ]

Doc's burst explodes ballistic plates on the Legion heavy's chest, critically wounding him.

[Drew Buddy]

Adams squeezes the trigger again.

[GM Nick]

Ranged Combat (Doc)

[Battle Rifles (8) + AGI (9) + RR (1) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) = 6]
5 1 2 4 2 1 4 4 5 2 1 6 3 5 3 2 5 6
[REA (7) + WM (-3) + Bone Density (2) = 2]
3 4 1 6 1 5

Damage Resistance

[BOD (8) + Armor (14) + AP (-4) + WM (-3) = 6]
4 2 6 6 6 4 4 1 3 6 4 1 5 6 3

[ 8P DAMAGE ]

Doc's second burst punches straight through the heavy, dropping him dead where he stands.

[Stephen]

His face a mask of agonizing pain, Val blinks away the afterimage of the Vindicator's muzzle flash and the blazing sparks of the shredded matrix console. He ignores his wound as best he can, but his hands tremble slightly as he lines up another shot on the Legion hermetic and fires.

[GM Nick]

Ranged Combat (Val)

[Assault Rifles (8) + AGI (5) + Smartlink (2 ) + FFC (-2) + WM (-1) = 4]
6 4 1 6 4 5 2 2 6 4 4 2
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) = 3]
1 5 2 5 4 1 4 2 1 4 6

Damage Resistance (LHe)

[BOD (5) + Armor (14) + AP (-4) = 9]
6 4 5 3 5 6 1 4 3 6 6 4 6 6 5

Val land a shot, but the slug fails to penetrate the mage's armor.

Damage Resistance (LHe)

[Assault Rfiles (8) + AGI (5) + Smartlink (2) + FFC (-2) + WM (-1) + RC (-1) = 2]
2 4 5 4 6 1 2 4 2 2 4
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) = 4]
3 5 1 5 3 1 5 5 1 2 4

The second burst is wide, destroying a light fixture just above the video screen.

[GM Nick]

The Legion hermetic raises his hands and issues forth a blast of white light towards Sinjin.

Powerbolt (6) (LHe)

[Spellcasting (5) + MAG (6) + Power Focus (1) + WM (-2) = 2]
4 2 1 5 2 6 1 3 3 2
[BOD (5) = 0]
1 3 2 2 2

[ 8P DAMAGE ]

Sinjin is thrown backwards from the kinetic force, snapping a workstation in half as he crashes into it.

Resist Drain (6)(LHe)

[WIL (6) + LOG (5) + WM (-2) = 2]
3 2 2 6 1 2 2 4 5

[ 4S DAMAGE ]

[Elliott]

((Shit, that's my bad. I forgot to declare counterspelling last action...))

[GM Nick]

Pandora notches another explosive arrow and looses it towards the hermetic mage.

Ranged Combat (Pandora)

[Bows (7) + AGI (6) = 3]
2 1 6 1 3 4 3 3 5 4 1 5 2
[REA (7) + Good Cover (4) = 4]
4 6 3 6 4 1 4 2 5 1 6

The arrow sails past and explodes against the rear wall.

[Conway]

((Owch...someone geek that bastard. Nice shooting Sven ))

[Stephen]

Tucked low with his back to the shattered workstation, Val growls in frustration and bleeds like a stuck pig. He cranes his face to the ceiling and screams at the hermetic over the cacophony of battle.

"I've got a bullet with your name on it, 'mano! I'm just gonna keep firing until I figure out which one it is!"

[Elliott]

Tyros has never felt so high, so ecstatic. His blood is on fire, in fact, the whole world seems to be, as his magic peaks to levels he has never before experienced. But some small voice cautions prudence and Tyros does his best to head it, holding back from unleashing the full extent of the energy flowing through him.

The dead soldier's blood, which covers Tyros' body as well as his blade, turns heavily viscous before evaporating into a haze of mana. Tyros whips his hand back (centering) and hurls a ball of pulsing red energy at the enemy mage (manaball, f4, using the 5 damage I did during sacrife for 5 automatic successes on the drain roll).

[GM Nick]

Manabolt (4)(Tyros)

[Spellcasting (6) + MAG (6) + Power Focus (2) + Mentor Spirit (2) = 4]
2 3 3 3 2 5 6 3 1 2 1 2 6 6 3 3
[WIL (6) = 1]
2 4 3 6 2 3

[ 7P DAMAGE ]

Purple flames wreath and consume the hermetic mage as they stream from Tyros' blood-soaked fingertips. So powerful is the transmission of astral energy that the troll temporarily drops his invisibility spell, so that--for a horrible instant--Tyros' face is visible, contorted with an insatiable hunger. The blood-curdling, agonized screams of the hermetic cease abruptly as the matter in his body breaks down and sloughs off into an ashen heap.

Drain Resistance (3) (Tyros)

[WIL (4) + LOG (6) + Centering (4) + Focused Concentration (2) = 4]
2 3 6 4 5 5 2 4 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 6

[GM Nick]

[ Max = 47 ]
[ Legion Rifleman A (LRA) = 45 ]
[ Tyros = 24 ]