A meeting with Sio

[Celiana]

I saw the looks of disbelief at my choice of attire, though I still needed to put the finishing touches on my own suit of Beskar'gam before I could stroll through combat zones. As it stood the bodysuit I was wearing was Echani in origin and while not heavily armored it could withstand quite a lot. The comment about it being as useful as a rubber axe wasn't exactly true though. Echani focused on freedom of movement and the heavily shielded body suit allowed for that movement. I fought in the Firedancer style anyways allowing whatever weapon I held to become an extension of myself and me to flow through the battlefield effortlessly.

Checking over my weapons and looking over to Lady Kerrigan I saw her suit of Beskar'gam which looked impressive to say the least. I heard her mention suicide bombers and was glad I'd brought my Verpine Rifle. I could eliminate the bombers from afar. "Lady Kerrigan, what would the bomb-vests look like so we know what to look for? Also how heavily are these people armed and what kind of armaments will we be facing?"

Moving so that my Verpine rifle came to rest across my chest I brought the buttstock tight against my shoulder and chambered a round just in case. Always better to have one in the chamber than be searching for one to load into the chamber I thought.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Celiana"]

Suffice to say Firemane was practical and adhered to the cult of superior firepower. Their grunts stuck with duraplast since it was rugged and tough, without being unduly heavy. Anyhow, the Gunship had lifted off into the sky and soon left the pompously named Fort Kerrigan behind it.


"They're not modern enough for bomb vests. Chances are they'll throw themselves at you with primitive explosives. Possibly after faking a surrender," Siobhan informed the girl. "Most of their weapons are primitive. Pikes, bolt action rifles, antique slugthrowers. But they've got Force imbued weapons and have been able to steal some modern guns, like bolters."


"If someone fires a bolter explosive bolt at you and you try to deflect it, it'll blow up in your face and shower you in shrapnel," Freya helpfully pointed out. The further the Gunship got, the colder it became. Soon the shores were covered in snow and glaciers appeared. Snowflakes rained down from the heavens. It was eeriely quiet as they shot over the blue sea. Too quiet.


In the distance, the island came into view. However, there was a thick fog around it, obscuring visibility. Primitive warships, which were powered by steam, could be seen, in the sea. "Ironclads dead ahead, ma'am," the pilot reported. "Permission to engage? Wait...we got aerial contact." Primitive steampunk gunships shot through the sky, unleashing a barrage of rockets. The Firemane Gunship's big guns roared, blasting one of the primitive gyrocopters and bringing it down, while engaging in evasive manoeuvres. The enemy's guns could not seriously hurt the Gunship, but could still be a problem. The Gunship shuddered when it was struck by enemy fire, though the barrage against it was inefficient. Most of the enemy flak on the surface ships missed outright.


However, something felt odd to Siobhan. For just a brief moment, the shape of a downed enemy craft flickered when it caught fire and exploded in dramatic fashion. It was so subtle that it would have escaped someone less skilled, but she was an experienced Master. "Hold fire. They're illusions," she barked. She stretched out with her senses, feeling the same from the other enemy ships and craft. Then a massive wind came into being, gripping the Firemane gunship with the force of a small tornado in an attempt to crash it. Siobhan was knocked around and crashed into the Gunship's floor.

 

[Celiana]

Suddenly there was weapons fire. Lady Kerrigan was in the midst of explaining the enemies' weapon capabilities when I saw there was something wrong based on the look she had on her face. As soon as she said to hold fire and announced they were illusions a wind came into existence and actually gripped the gunship. Lady Kerrigan was knocked around then hit the deck and didn't move Fierfeck'la Osik! I hoped she was alright.

Suddenly I became cold and aggressive. "Pilot! Set us down on the nearest landmass to the target zone and array the weapons to provide cover fire while I tend to Lady Kerrigan." Extending my senses I found that she seemed to so that was a relief. Placing my left hand over her chest I funneled a bit of Force Energy from myself into Lady Kerrigan. Hopefully she'd be back up in a bit as I had no idea how to command troops. "Landfall in two minutes ma'am! Your orders will be carried out until Lady Kerrigan is back up."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

OOC: wasn't sure how to play this one so I hope you don't mind your being knocked out briefly.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Celiana"]


The powerful storm was still raging. The pilot tried to steer the Gunship safely as it experienced strong turbulences. The tornado whipped around across the island and the ocean, threatening to crash the craft. Columns of snow were thrown around across the way and pulled into the sky.


Slowly, Siobhan came to. Her head bloody hurt. Blood dripped down her forehead, but she was focused enough. Feeling rather put off by the sudden storm, Siobhan decided it was her turn to play goddess. She raised a slightly shaky hand against the assault of nature, and commanded it to come to an end. Power rippled through her when she used her hand as a conduit, then a wave of telekinesis exploded outward and slammed into the tornado, dissipating it in the same way a typhoon dissipates a springy shower.


As the weather returned to its former state, the Gunship made a harsh landing on the edge of the Xioquo island. The Gunship was a mess and probably not serviceable anymore, but they were in one piece. Siobhan was momentarily out of it. Shapes could be seen moving to them in the distance.


Freya immediately took charge. "Move it, girls. Get the Lady out, take cover and kill those bitches." The drows moved towards them through the fog. Spears, boulders and and primitive slugthrower fire rained down upon them.


Moving like a well-oiled machine, the Firemane soldiers took cover and formed a firing line. Bolters roared and flamethrowers spat fire, slaying charging Xioquo as buckshot and explosive bolts reaped a bitter harvest. However, not all were so easily slain. Leading the charge were Xioquo clad in dark, alchemised, rune-covered armour. Force imbued swords and halberds were their weapons. As their brethren were cut down, they sucked the life force out of them with Force drain.


"Eat this, queen," Freya snarled and took aim with the Lancer. She fired the launcher and a missile exited, shooting towards a Xioquo witch. Being unfamiliar with the weapon, the drow tried to push the missile away with telekinesis. However, this backfired horribly on her as the missile exploded, having reached a safe distance from its point of origin. The shockwave blasted the witch away and blood coated the snow. One Xioquo sorceress, wielding a Force imbued sword, decided it would be fun to attack Celiana. Sickly green and yellow light emanated from her hand, trying to suck the Jedi's life force and vitality from her.

 

[Celiana]

Lady Kerrigan had come to and the commander that I'd had lead me to Lady Kerrigan back at the fort had taken charge. Suddenly there were spears, slugthrower fire, hell even two people wearing force imbued armor and weapons. The commander had taken one out with a missile launcher while I'd sensed the other approaching me using Force Drain on the battlefield. She was using the death around her to strengthen herself.

Suddenly I saw a Force Imbued sword and the witches hand emanating green and yellow light wanting to use Force-Drain on me. My Firedancer training took over I'd ignited my Aqua saber upon landing and now I flicked my right wrist up severing the witches hand. An unearthly screech sounded from her maw and I continued with the upstroke of my saber before slashing down through her other wrist. Pulling my silenced Reaper pistol I walked over as she tried crawling away and put three rounds into her two in her back, and one through the back of the head.

I really hadn't enjoyed the necessity of what I'd just done but it had been necessary. I hoped Lady Kerrigan would be up and about soon though. As it was I clipped my saber back to my belt and found a position with cover and concealment in the fog then went prone with my Verpine Artemis sniper rifle. The scope was picking up quite a few different heat signatures and breathing in then out I squeezed the trigger ending another of these fanatics' lives.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Celiana"]


The Xioquo's assault was spirited and courageous. Perhaps some of them had learned from the final battle. Seeing that a death charge did not work, they sought cover. The Force-users among them drew upon their elemental powers to erect walls of rock and snow, providing cover for their shooters.


However, the Firemane troops could not be stopped. The air was filled with the staccato of bolter and blaster fire. There was a loud explosion when a portion of the wall was blasted by Freya's missile launcher. Then at Siobhan's signal, some of the Firemane soldiers activated their jet wings and shot into the sky. Thanks to the ARGH gear, they could bypass the elemental fortifications and bombard the Xioquo from above.


Siobhan joined them as she took off into the sky. Slug rounds, spears and blasts of elemental fire and ice bombarded her, but none seemed to hurt her as she rained down destruction upon the drows. The ground seemed to shake beneath her boots when she landed in the fray. However, one of the Xioquo had gotten her hands on a bolter and fired. Siobhan realised the nature of the weapon too late and thus drew upon her telekinesis to block the projectile on reflex. The explosive bolt detonated prematurely and the shockwave slammed into her. It crashed into her telekinetic shield, but the collision made her lose her balance.


Pain surged through her when a piece of shrapnel connected with a shoulder joint and penetrated her armpit. Feeding upon her pain she lashed out and crushed the shooter's heart. Chains of ice wrapped themselves around her limbs, seeking to immobilise her when a Xioquo cryomancer drew upon her power to turn the Countess into an ice statue. Siobhan could feel her limbs growing heavy and an icy hand sought to freeze her arteries, but a Force Scream broke not only the ice, but sent her opponents flying. Picking up her bolter, she fired and electrocuted the cryomancer with an ion round.

 

[Celiana]

I saw Lady Kerrigan through my scope and after taking out several of these....people was maybe being too generous. I decided to weave my own tapestry through the battlefield. Pulling the metallic bolts from a pouch I levitated them with The Force and began spinning them to slug-thrower speeds. Shouldering my rifle and clipping it secure I uncoiled both my razor whips and clipped them together on my belt and calling my sabers to both hands I ignited them both. Aqua and Ice Blue, then immersing myself in the currents of The Force I began moving my hips.

The segmented razor whips clinked and I waded into the fray. Spinning I severed the tendons in one of the insurgents legs and flicking my wrist out cut their throat with my left hand saber. A crowd of three began to rush me with Bolters and flicking my right hand I directed the cloud of metallic bolts into their chests with The Force. Then seeing Lady Kerrigan be hit I embraced what she'd taught me earlier and unleashed a burst of Force Lightning into the three who were struggling to remain conscious after I'd flicked metal slugs into them.
Becoming momentarily distracted I barely dodged a Force imbued blade and quickly inverted my right hand saber impaling the warrior as they rushed me. I quickly side-stepped and went into a roll and as I came up I severed two of these rebels legs before inverting my sabers and stabbing down through their chests.

I came up beside Lady Kerrigan as she finished electrocuting a insurgent with an ion round and said, "Afternoon M'lady, Hell of a party isn't it? They rolled out the welcome wagon and everything."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]