Probe:
They say that no battle plan survives it's initial contact with battle.
It is up to the combatants to improvise where needed in order to survive
and bring about victory.
So it is with this battle.
The plan had been thus. We were to teleport into the city, and the non-magic
users were to disperse before Zerm exited his home. While I wish we could
have had the Crystallic deploy us to various locations to set up ambush,
I was told that the nature of Atlantis prevents such elegant teleportations.
It was either a bulk rate, group teleport or we walk to Atlantis. That
done, they were to take pot shots at him, either distracting him or-if
the magical shields that we all figured he'd use failed in this mage battle-he'd
be worm food when a high velocity round drilled him. Belboz ALMOST got
the timing down. He struck too soon, apparently.
The man's must have gotten over finding his ghostly friends gone. He
must have put two and two together, and come up with us. He must have either
internalized his grief and emotional shock, and must have been on his way
out to greet us.
He must have, because he's out here and he looks PISSED!
Zerm:
In all the eons I have walked Terra and breathed her air, I have NEVER
been so humiliated in my life! That, and I have never have failed my friends
so….
I have become so in tune with dear Dr. Vincent and Turoc-Kith that I
can tell that SOMEHOW, their anchors to this world have been severed. It
doesn't take a large leap of logic to figure out just WHO is responsible.
I know who I scream out in anger against as I rush to the exit to reach
for the teleporter block. There are friends that I failed by not anticipating
such a bold move on the "heroes" part.
I am not really surprised to see them at my front doorstep.
So be it.
I will enjoy avenging my friends by killing the lucky ones, and torturing
those unfortunate enough to be captured by me AFTER this battle!
Probe:
Fifteen seconds into the battle and we've already taken casualties!
Several of the dragons, the Eastern born ones, were a touch too late
in countering something like a combined fireball and lightning bolt. At
least my dragon friends didn't get caught with their magical pants down!
I hadn't even known their names, and find myself more than a bit sad
that I hadn't the time to ask!
Right now, I'm doing something admittedly stupid, but it's the only
thing I know of that could possibly save the less well protected groundpounder
(i.e. non-mages).
"Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" I scream as I switch my plasma
rifle to it's most lethal, and most inaccurate, setting. My plasma bolts
dance upon the magical shields that the Atlantian mage has up, joined by
the magical might of countless spells I have no name for. The automatic
fire from my rifle may not be able to slay the foul mage, but it sure has
his attention!
I at least have the satisfaction before what happens next….happens.
I have the satisfaction in seeing a trace of fear in the tall looking punk
as I blaze away while hopping and dodging all over the place. Also, I have
the satisfaction in seeing the others get away to cover.
"BARTASTH!" Zerm screams, and I suddenly find myself disconnected from
my Avatar, and my base unit up in the arms of a large statue. I find that
I can't re-establish contact with my now inert Avatar, nor can I even open
up the bays to my shell. I look down from my unit's sensors at the man
who's somehow piggybacked some type of combo teleportation/restraining
spell upon my tachyon transmission. I'm not even sure that he is aware
that I'm really looking down upon him, because he didn't even glance up.
Perhaps I should have asked the Regent to make one of those Circles
of Protection around my base unit.
I see him turn his full attention back to the attacking adventurers,
and then see him smile a cold.…cruel smile.
Zerm:
I must admit, I've never quiet been attacked in such a manner by someone
so quick!
If I had been without my mage shield, I surely would be dead.
I even felt a stab of an unfamiliar emotion that takes me a second to
recall the name for. A second to recall exactly what it was. Fear.
This mad thing makes me feel fear after eons.
He dares!
He deserves a special fate for such, and I know the perfect way for
saving him for my pleasure. I ignore the fleeing rats. Half ignore the
spell castors arrayed against me, and call forth a spell that I had invented
to strike out at fools who dare insult me from afar using a magic mirror
and other telecommunication means. It is overkill, for the man is right
in front of me but then again, it's quicker to cast than the other versions
I have….
I bark out the command that will neutralize him, making him harmless.
I see his form fall to the ground like a puppet with it's strings severed.
I then turn back to the upstarts, and notice one lone figure aiming
one of those new weapons I'd spied upon earlier through my scrying pool.
The flame red hair and the female curves provide me with a hint who this
is.
It would figure that the ancestor of Helena Thessamer should attempt
a rescue.
The magical armor she has chosen to wear probably would have been a
good choice if her opponent had been anyone else than it's creator. Hell,
it would have been a good choice even against my uncle, Telsa!
HOWever, I know a few quirks within that set of mail.
Astra 2:
A twisted hand gesture by Zerm and a flash of red from the crimson glyphs
upon her armor are the only clue given to Astra 2 why she'd slammed into
the wall behind her. She passes out to the sound of links of chainmail
falling from the spot she'd just occupied. She would awaken to find herself
suffering from several cracked ribs and a monster of a headache.
Right now, she's out for the count.
Head turn at a whining sound that is rapidly building in volume….
Probe:
Zerm is still looking at, what my optics inform me from the edge
of it's visual field, at Astra 2. I see that, he's getting ready to say
something. Perhaps even a spell to finish off the sister to Queen Astra.
No. This will not be.
This would be Aryan must be brought to an end, and quickly before any
of my friends have been by this slug of a man!
Within each base unit of the Inuit line, there is a bay for almost any
type of component the unit feels is needed to carry out his or her mission.
I myself use a small pulse laser in there, just in case I ever get captured
and boarded by Enemy scum. It can be used in it's deployed mode, or it's
stored mode. With it deployed, I'd be able to have taken a few potshots
at Zerm safely enough. However, I can't deploy the damn thing.
B plan, I guess.
The unit was also the electronic equivalent to a gun put in one's mouth
and pulling the trigger. I mean, I could use it as a last resort to deny
sensitive, vital information to the Enemy. I'd basically blow my electronic
brain out with that pulse laser.
It was more of a ship to ship weapon than an anti-personnel weapon.
The Alliance foot soldier preferred the more reliable plasma rifle to an
equivalent laser rifle. Laser rifles had the bad grace to break at the
wrong times. The mirror for the laser were a nightmare to do maintenance
upon, and it's deadly beam could be blocked by chaff…even a heavy enough
dust storm!
My laser drew enough power from my base unit's power source to be usable,
unlike the equivalent plasma weapon or rail gun system. It could vaporize
my higher functions easily, and continue out through my armored shell to
hit whatever I darn well wished.
Besides, I notice that while plasma bolts and magical bolts don't penetrate
this joker's shields, I can still see Zerm plain enough. Meaning, light
gets through! Meaning that while it may defract the light, I have a special
deilvery for Zerm. I have an offer he's not going to refuse!
The charging capacitor whines up to a screeching banshee wail as I make
a few minor adjustments to just WHERE the beam with splash out. Estimates
show that this will still fry me, but ironically enough the I/O inerface
will be be intact.
Not that it'll matter to me.
Malachi Dronocis, Regent Queen of Ethiopia:
I curse silently to myself as I view the horrible scene before me. Tears
run down my scaley muzzle as I watched Probe sacrifice himself so the others
could live! I'd felt it via the link we magic user had made to quickly
gather everyone needed for the final safe destruction of the slipgate.
I had made all manner of preparation for this battle, ready to protect
myself with every scrap of magical knowledge I'd learned since freeing
myself from my egg, and I'd totally overlooked Probe!
Initially, I'd hated that Golem….hated them all.
He and his comrades had shaken my race to it's foundation.
Then I'd learned that it had all been due to a deception perpetrated
by a race of alien reptilian men, the Enemy, were the actual cause for
my race's near extinction.
Even more to my dismay, the Golems had even given what I'd only be able
to term as a fair warning to the Council to disassociate themselves with
the Enemy. The Council of Wyrms had reacted in typical manner, and had
damned all of dragonkind in the process.
I still hadn't trusted Probe much when he'd joined us, but finally he
and his companion, Probe, would prove to me and my draconian friends…..he
was a person of trust and honor.
Hell, he was a friend! He even SAVED my lovely Sigin from death,
as well as my friends (dragon and human). He'd saved my friends again and
again.
I should have put a circle of protection around his base unit.
I cry as I watch, through the Crystallics, the others gather around
the crater hole that had been their enemy, Zerm. I watch as several mages
cry out as they realize what sacrifice Probe had made. I watch Astra 2
stir, and groans.
I then pause, confused, as Inquirer shouts something while pointing
up at a panel that had popped open as that bolt of searing light had vaporized
Zerm. I then see Inquirer pull out one of those sapphire that were bespelled
in the same manner as the one that had entrapped her spirit within. Suddenly,
my jaw drops open in amazement at what she does next!
She had taken that gem into battle on the off chance she could use it
against Zerm. She still gets to use it as she climbs quickly up the statue
and touches the gem to the still active I/O port on Probe's lobotomized
base unit. People look slack jawed as the gem begins to glow and pulsate
in a similar manner to Inquirer's gem.
See, though Inquirer's mind had been sucked into the gem and the
magical crystalline matrix within mimicked every circuit of the old shell
that had housed her conscious, the bottom line was it had sucked Inquirer's
soul within the gem…..
-
 As it did with Probe's
spirit.
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