Lei-Xulla – Dread Prism Xaxon IV – Daedalus Expanse – Aurelius Branch – Level 501 – 999
The fighting had been fierce and protracted, but eventually Lei-Xulla and Hu’Gvt’Xe had managed to rescue another three crew while putting down the majority of the mutineers in the process. But unfortunately for Lei-Xulla’s minds, they had yet to cease the Xaxon IV’s all-too-grating alarms.
*WOOOP* *WOOOP* *WOOOP* *WOOOP*
On and on the sirens blared whilst the red hazard lights flashed in concert while she and the other motley Party of survivors made their cautious way, in a barely measured bid to secure the Gal’turian Drive. All daring to hope they might secure the vanishingly slim chance of jumping to freedom, away from the surrounding menace of the Spike of Zul's fleet.
Signalling their half wounded Party to a halt, and as the alarm finally died. One of her minds employed her sphere of perception to scout the [Drive Hanger] ahead.
On the first sweep she noted an absence of something to the left of one of the drives large anchoring struts and when the mind tried probing the space in question, it still failed to yield a hint of anything solid. Be it atmosphere or even motes of dust, the absence of matter occupying the space screamed immediate danger to all her taxed minds.
Another of her minds groaned before it supplied to her tense and battered companions.
“Looks like we have an uncommon stealth class looking to give us a kindly welcome.”
Hu’s tentacles curled up as she volunteered.
“Do you want to distract it while I [Greater Acid Torrent] it like the last one?”
Shaking her head, one of her minds countered.
“Not this time Hu, you could hit the drive and then all the killing and caution would have been for naught...I could normally take them myself but we just don’t have time...”
Growling to her left Petty Weapons Officer Pok-Iut lamented.
“I told you we should have stayed in one of the Apex’s but you wou-”
But the gangley Head Medical Officer Yab’Bu’Lo, cut him off with equal frustration.
“No one asked your opinion you strength dependent coward!”
As Pok growled and took a step forward, the high pitched squeaking tone that was ill matched to the short and stocky frame of Third Engineering Officer Ija-Dou-Ren somehow stopped the burly Wo’Dan in his tracks by interjecting.
“Then I will be the bait and draw them out...”
All eyes swiveled to the unexpected petitioner, and one of Lei’s minds couldn’t help but rejoin.
“But I’ve seen your personnel file Ija...With your classes and attributes you wont even last a second against the bonus damage from a stealth classes attack, let alone buy enough time to draw whatever it is out the door in time!”
Smiling a knowingly, the stout Ija countered in an almost serene fashion.
“All the same, I would like to attempt it acting Commander Lei…”
To which Hu quailed.
“You can’t let him do this! There has to be another way, w-what...What if m-me or Lei tried to lure them…”
Huffing, none of her minds could see such a tactic working as although they were strong enough to take any of their likely attacks. There was almost Zero chance who or whatever was in there would take the bait, thus wasting even more precious moments they could be using to escape. She was about to say as much when Yab offered stoically to the squat Ija.
“I’m not much one for combat, but if you make it halfway across the [Drive Hangar]'s inner dome, I can provide Ija with a [Greater Sanctuary] that should block at least one or two post 700 physical based skills.”
Putting a large green hand on the scorched and damaged robe of Ija, Pok added.
“I say we let the little plucky Uey’tou try. Abyss knows it better then stan-”
Before Yab threatened.
“One more word out of your cowardly mouth and I’ll infect you with the Fac-Eon plague in your sleep!”
Pok looked like he wanted to put the threat to the test, but all of her minds agreed that they had tarried long enough and cut in.
“If this is truly what you want Ija-Dou-Ren?”
To which the stout Xad-Jog confirmed resolutely.
“It is acting Commander Lei-Xulla.”
Nodding she commanded.
“Best be about it then...We have wasted too much time already.”
Nodding Third Engineering Officer Ija-Dou-Ren retrieved an odd looking mechanical style staff etched with overlapping runes from his [Storage Bracelet] and saluted before trotting toward the [Drive Hanger]'s blue flickering access panel. Wasting no time he swiped his free hand and disappeared from their line of sight.
Slipping a mind back into her sphere of perception Lei-Xulla followed the Xad-Jog’s route that would have been comical were it not for the perilous situation, as he tried to act like he was not being watched. Collectively sighing, she felt their hopes of escape slip away with every blatantly obvious look Ija sent toward the drive strut where the absence resided.
Just when Lei-Xulla was about to go in herself to try and talk to the waiting shadowy assailant several things happened at once.
From a near by holo-display the unctuous face of Third Spike Eqo’Ja’Ven began.
“It seeeeems my patience has been squaaaaaander-”
Then the presence lurking near the Gal’turian drive strut vanished and appeared behind Ija. But what caused Lei-Xulla the greatest shock of all was when Ija’s odd staff shifted at impossible speed to unfurl into some kind of all encompassing suit and block the scythe like appendage of the equally as shocked insect like Elevant.
Meanwhile the third spike continued unperturbed.
“-ed, And though I am jussssssst to all who submit, I’m afraid exxxxxamples will ne-”
Before Pok-Iut smashed the holo display in an outburst of glowing fisted frustration. At the same time the rolling and encased form of Ija had regained his feet and began sprinting at impressive speed. Quickly recovering from its failed assault the chittering insectoid which Lei-Xulla now knew was not part of the crews official roster, lunged to catch up. Just as another of the black suited attackers strikes was about to find Ija’s armoured neck, a white bubble of translucent light interceded to shield his still rapidly fleeing form.
Again and again the scythe like appendages struck as Yab’Bu’Lo’s [Greater Sanctuary] skill flickered before winking out under the furious stabbing blur. Thankfully though, the skill had bought the magically mechanized form of Ija the precious few seconds needed to cross the remaining distance of the hangar to be within a few strikes of the entry way.
Now that the assailant was also far enough away from their only shot at escape, Lei-Xulla ran to the door and swiped its access pad only to be met with the horrific sight of one of the attackers scythe’s sheering straight through Ija’s upper left leg. Armor and all.
Minds now suffused with anger, one had the privilege of casting [Greater torment] on the attacker and when it screeched and evaporated into black smoke. Its skill enhanced flight faltered as it reappeared, prone on the ground some 10 meters away. Viciously she followed it up with a [Greater Mindspike] and as it further curled in on itself, all of her allowed a savage grin to form as she loosed a [Greater Lightning Bolt] to permanently seal its fate.
Vengeance wrought on the now charred and smoking Elevant, one of her minds frantically yelled.
“YAB, IJA, HEALING!”
The other members of her rag tag Party were not far behind the Arch Light Touched as she ungainly rushed to Iaj’s side. Then the staff turned armor began to fall to the floor in a tinkling cascade of minuscule inert parts to reveal the horrific condition of its once ensconced owner.
Iaj-Dou-Ren’s remaining limbs fell into jelly like atrophy at the loss of the armors support while his red life’s blood relentlessly pumped to the once white hangars floor, heedless of the white glow of the Yab’s skill, mingling with his shed armor. Worse still, his skin sported swollen bruises and leaking puncture wounds from where his pulverized skeleton had broken through.
Letting out a half wheezing half gurgling cough, his ill matched voice squeaked.
“Did y-you get it acting...a-acting comman-”
Before Yab shoved an eye wateringly expensive and visibly glowing [Greater Globe of Life] into the sht'ak eating deficient’s mouth and held it shut.
Baling her fists till her claws drew blood, Lei-Xulla demanded.
“Abyss below, w-will he make it Yab?
Turning, she intoned gravely.
“Whatever that armor was it pushed him passed what even a phase three elevant’s Vitality should be able to endure…And that’s even before I take into account his missing leg...”
As if on cue, the once stout and now gelatenously malformed body of the Arch Keeper of Instruments convulsed while the whites of his eyes took over his equally misshapen sockets. Giving voice to her own emotions Hu’Gvt’Xe wailed.
“I-It should have BEEN ME!”
Before her tentacles turned in on her core and she began to convulse in what Lei took for an approximation of sobbing while leaking blue viscous fluid on the floor below. It was at this time that Pok-Iut thought it appropriate to add.
“Damned deficient pile of Weo’Qov shtak, if he’d have waited he could have joined the rest of us in death when the Thir-”
Before to everyone's surprise, Hu rounded on him and unleashed a torrent of acid.
To the Wo’Dan’s credit, he was able to activate a skill and by a sliver of his black hair, slid out of the green font’s path to look in wide eyed shock at the normally timid Hu before turning to stammer indignantly at Lei-Xulla.
“C-commander Lei! A-are you going to allow t-thi-”
And one of her minds countermanded ruefully.
“Your lucky she didn’t employ an AoE skill…”
As the green skin male bristled, and the defenseless once white hangar floor sizzled, she continued.
“Besides, we really don’t have ti-”
Then the ship shuddered and bucked, leaving the four of them struggling to stay upright while Yab’Bu’Lou wrestled lamely with the unruly mass Ija’s body had become.
As one mind endeavored to maintain her balance and another surveyed the condition of her Party, Lei-Xulla’s third mind pressed her sphere of perception outward in a forlorn bid to ascertain the area of the Xaxon IV’s likely critical damage. Yet given she could only cover a radius of 30 meters and they were at the Dread Prism’s heart, she was collectively un-surprised when she found nothing to explain the cause of whatever had just occurred.
And just as the mind was about to give up the unfruitful search, whilst her other brought her sluggishly toward the inert drive’s control’s, a high pitch whistle froze all those gathered in their unsteady tracks.
Any Elevant worth their sodium crystals knew what that sound heralded.
True to it’s word, Third Spike Eqo’Ja’Ven had followed through with it’s threat and now, at the bare minimum, a Party of Zul’s Greater Ravagers were now aboard The Xaxon IV.
Snapping out of her paralyzed states, one of her minds half screamed to her still statuesque Party members.
“DEFENSIVE POSITIONS ON THE ACCESS DOOR!”
Jolting them into motion, all but the insensate Ija-Dou-Ren scrambled to fervently obey. Meanwhile, Lei-Xulla reached the Gal’turian drives console and brought it to life with a wave of her clawed hand. However the screens information led one of her to hiss as it resolved into detail:
[Gal’turian Drive
State: Inactive
Mana Reserves: 182,064/5,000,000
Passive Charge Rate: 5,000 Mana/hr
Coordinate Quadrangulation Array: Disconnected
Envelope of Effect: Minimal
Options -
> Quadrangulated Jump = 100,000 Mana (Locked)
> Force Jump = 200,000 Mana
> Inject Mana
> Diagnostics
> Power Down
> Reboot]
Turning to relay the bad news, her minds we’re momentarily buoyed when they found that Pok and Yab had managed to cooperate long enough to begin cajoling a spent [Greater Mana Canister] free of its safety clamps to rest it on a waiting hover trolley. Meanwhile Hu stood quivering guard to the side of the now sealed access door, their only functioning point of egress in the whole Drive’s Hanger.
As the diligent pair steered the sizeable container toward the door, one of her minds advised.
“The good news is the drives only short a few thousand mana for a forced jump. The bad news is that the quadrangulation arrays out, but seeing as there are little to no other options, if we take turns charging it we should be able to make a random ju-”
But second Communication Officer, Hu’Gvt’Xe quavered.
“B-But what about the Ravagers! That w-will only bring them with us w-where ever we end up!”
Grunting while bearing the majority of the weight of the canister, Pok countered in frustration.
“Either we stay here and get captured or we jump and make the abyssal things work for their dinner Hu!”
Leading an even more strained Yab to confirm.
“Pok may be an Intelligence deficient Hu, but in this he has the ri-”
Then another bone chilling whistle permeated the Xaxon IV’s hull, followed by rapid screeching thuds of something pacing the corridor beyond before it impacted the door and bulkhead alike.
All eyes snapped to the door as it warped and groaned in response.
Crossing the rest of the hanger Lei joined the others in their hasty attempts to overlap their shield abilities while another of her minds used her sphere of perception to discover just what level of shtak they were now in. Although she had tried to mentally prepare, Her heart froze at what her minds questing uncovered. Out in the corridor, the hulking quadrupedal form of a grey skinned Greater Ravager’s clawed and tentacled head snuffled at the miss shapen doorway, behind which she and her Party now cowered.
Frantically one of her minds made a silencing gesture before hastily putting a clawed hand over Pok’s tusked mouth as he made to speak. Yet as the howl of the grey skinned monstrosity beyond the door reverberated through her very bones, and the not-so-distant replies of its pack-mates answered, Lei-Xulla knew that her effort was for nought. But despite her expectation of their brutal and immediate evisceration, the heinous creature settled to pacing in front of the access way.
Unwilling to wait and find out why the heinous beast had not continued its entry attempt, one of her minds hissed.
“Hu, begin depositing as much mana as you can into the drive!”
To which the Raj’uk’ian squeaked.
“B-but what about t-the do-”
But Lei cut her off with a frustrated yell.
“NOW!”
Leading Hu to squeal and roll toward the console as the Greater Ravager let out a menacing growl when it was joined by another of its loathsome number.
Precious seconds continued to tick by as more and more of the monsters of nightmare continued thier crowding the strobe lit hallway until their menacing number had swelled to five. But still, despite their ferocious and well earned reputation, the beasts continued to mill in the white corridor:
[Ija-Dou-Ren has left the party.]
Whipping her eyes to the corpse that was supposed to be her charge, another a wave of anger and frustration at Fhan’s betrayal flooded her minds before one flicked them to Yab’s equally angered visage. Yet it was Pok who strangely did the recently departed Iaj the more fitting accolade as he knelt down in the puddle of his blood and closed his vacant white eyes to gravely intone.
“May the Seraphs watch over him as the system sends him to a deserving Incarnate.”
As Lei moved to put a comforting hand on the Wo’Dan’s black pauldron the mind keeping a watch on the corridor beyond noted the appearance of a new and somehow more frightening figure.
She could only watch in horrified fascination as the being clad in all red platemail walked down the corridor undaunted by the monsters that gave it deferential space. It’s almost sedate passage bringing it to stand in front of the buckled door and bulkhead before settling to stare at it intently.
Her minds busily weighed the benefits of expending precious mana on attacking instead of saving it for defense and escape when the tall figure’s even, confident tone broke her from her harried internal debate.
“Greetings survivors of the Xaxon IV! I hope his mercy is appreciated in your most generous of circumstances…Third Spike Eqo’Ja’Ven also sends his commendations for being able to so effectively slaughter your own allies...”
Scowling Lei-Xulla tersely countered.
“We will accept no praise from you or your despicable commander! You and that slug deserve to rot in the abyss for the woe and suffering you spread...As for your false god, Zul, giv-”
But she was drowned out by the near hysteric screeched.
“YOU DARE SPEAK HIS NAME! IF I WAS NOT TASKED WITH CAPTURING YOU AL-…Ehem... Third Spike Eqo’Ja’Ven requests your presence on his flag ship immediately!”
To the horror of all those inside the hangar Lei-Xulla barked a bitter laugh, before countering.
“I think we’ll stay right where we are than-”
However the screaming figure cut her off once more.
“YOU WILL DO NO SUC-...Ehem…”
Before lapsing into silence as it put a hand in its pouch and retrieved a [Holo-Communicator] and activated it.
It was mere moments before a blue and holographic, yet unquestionably unctuous visage of Third Spike Eqo’Ja’Ven resolved into being to question.
“Whaaaaaat is it Squad Leeeeeeader Jak’Tou?”
As the squad leader saluted, Lei-Xulla’s mind’s watched in slack jawed fascination as the Greater Ravagers whined and lowered their formidable masses to the floor like they were mere familial pets in the presence of a favoured giver of treats. Indifferent to her unannounced fascinating, Jak’Tou replied somewhat sheepishly.
“I have discovered the only living crew members on the traitors dread prism, The Xaxon IV. Yet despite his continuing mercy, they refuse to pay deference or cooperate! If you allow me to employ the ravagers to teac-”
Letting out a half wheeze the red armoured being fell silent while Eqo’Ja’Ven then released a sluice of viscous yellow fluid from what likely passed as its disgusting mouth. And as Lei-Xulla struggled to contain her last meal, it enquired.
“Are Theeeeeey able to perceive this connnnnversation?”
With exceeding eagerness, the squad leader supplied.
“Yes honoured Third Spike!”
Leading the translucent blue sending of the repulsive worm to reply.
“Greeeeetings survivors...If you will kinnnnnnndly accompany Squad Leader Jak’Toooooou to his boarding vessel, I would be mossssssst gre-”
But one of Lei-Xulla’s minds signalled for Yab to go and charge the drive in the place of the collapsed Hu, while another of her minds spat.
“Go eat Oui-Gov sht'ak you bottom feed-”
But she flinched as she was cut off by the half scream of the squad leader again.
“YOU AND YOUR RELATIONS WILL PAY IN FOUNTAINS OF BLOOD FOR YOUR DISRESPECT THIS DAY! EACH AND EVERYONE STAND AN EYESORE TO HIS BENEFICENT MERCY YOU UNDESERVING INGRA-”
Yet the incensed being fell immediately still when one of the appendages of the Third Spikes projection motioned to him. Allowing Eqo’Ja’Ven to further.
“Pleassssse forgive the Squad Leader hiiiiiiis diligence...Also allow me to exxxxxxtend the same offer I did to your ships preeeeevious Commander...If you provide meeeeeee with the detail’s of the meddddddddling Arch High-Seer Naz’Ul’Mek’s movements and machinations, yoooooou and your blood relations shall be allowwwwwed to persist in his merrrrrcy...”
Blinking in triplicate confusion, one of her minds couldn’t help but ask.
“Why do you not ask the Chief Scryer herself?”
Wheezing for a moment the being allowed.
“Unfortuuuuuuuunately the Arch High-Seer chose the path ooooooof cowardice and has left the forth flotilla and you to fen-WHAT ISSSS-”
But the disgusting beings alarmed visage and speech fissured into static as gravity itself warped and contorted, the ship shook once more. All beings within and without the [Drive Hangar] barely maintained their balance on the once level decking as their [Amalgamation Expeditionary Suit]'s adherent and runed soles strained and struggled against being pulled toward the wall.
All of her minds grappled in incomprehension at what new evils this day from the abyss could produce as the squad leader held onto the bulkhead and demanded in rising alarm.
“T-third SPIKE!?”
That however was not the only voice in the burgeoning chaos, as from behind Lei-Xulla came the beleaguered voice of the weary Yab.
“It’s charged!”
Completely uncertain as to the goings on outside the Xaxon IV, but collectively assured of the only sliver of a hope for the remaining crew, she screamed over the now groaning sounds emanating from the hull.
“INITIATE THE DRIVE!”
As if reality was intent on foiling her Party’s desperate bid for safety further, the intensity of the gravity field increased, forcing all those aboard to strain for dear life for any purchase as their suits soles failed to hold.
Yab, despite the new challenge of maintaining her purchase on the drive consoles pedestal, somehow found time to rejoin.
“BUT ISN'T IT SUICIDE TO JUMP WITH A MINIMAL FIELD EFFECT?!?!”
Leading Lei-Xulla to rejoin incredulously as her claws slipped and screeched against the white decking.
“SO YOU JUST WANT TO WHAT, WAIT FOR THE RAVAGERS OR THE THIRD SPIKE TO APOLOGISE AND GO THE SHT'AK AWAY!?!?!”
Managing to somehow look sheepish as she continued to dangle from the pedestal, Yab thankfully forewent her poorly timed argument as she shimmied her hands high enough to quickly slap the consoles glowing face.
The Gal’turian Drives outer bearings began to rotate and pulse in kaleidoscopic colours as they released corresponding pulses of deep bass like.
*WUB* *WUB* *WUB*’s.
It was at this point that one of her minds noted that the Greater Ravagers were taking none to passively to the unstable nature of their surroundings as they too clawed the corridor, growling and whining in discontent. Then Squad Leader Jak’Tou lost his only hand hold on account of him having deficiently tried to maintain possession of the now inert [Holo-Communicator] before going tumbling down the corridor with the item in question.
The frequency of the drives pulses increased as its inner shell began to rotate. In spite of the fraught state of affairs Lei-xulla went wide eyed as at the same time, in the corridor beyond the [drives hangar]. One of the yowling Greater Ravagers, plucked the Squad Leader from mid air and appearing to hold him solely responsible for their predicament, used its sickle like clawed tentacles to shred him and his armor alike.
As blood fountain-ed out and down the corridor and the other Greater Ravagers blurred indifferent to the quixotic gravidic forces, to nab the unfortunate beings now detached extremities. Meanwhile Lei-Xulla’s minds were stretched and strained as the flash of light signalling the Gal’turian drives transition stripped away all remaining perceptions of the tarnished and deathly reality that she had once so deficently thought of as a safe and welcoming abode.
