Rbz12: Eye for an Eye
General Summary
Having found the Parasect, Echo called in the rest of the crew by radio as Saskia snuck off into the shadows to get an advantageous position. As he waited, Echo poured over the footage from the cyber-eye. He discovered the console above the Parasect was damaged -- its mounting points were damaged and coming apart. With the right strike, they could send it crashing down onto the Parasect.
Meanwhile, Benesh and Reinhard gathered as they waited for Quinn to emerge. Benesh had opened up his rifle and has a confused expression on his face as he looked through its innards. "Maybe I could take a look at it?" the warrior offered as he walked up to the top of the hill. Benesh nodded with a thankful expression and handed the weapon over. He had trained for many hours at range shooting, and participated on a few royal hunts. But he always had a servant for managing the weapons.
Reinhard expertly striped and cleaned the weapon, but he found that part of the firing mechanism was damaged. Unfortunately, it would not be something they could fix in the field. "You should consider using a sword," he grinned as he hefted his new weapon in his arm, "It never runs out of ammo!"
At that moment, Quinn at last made his way out of the maze of the Precursor forge, and the trio make their way up the dark cave entrance.
The trio rejoin Echo just as he finished reinserting his cyber-eye with a wet plop, much to the discomfort of the group. From their vantage point, the could see Saskia quietly stepping around the far side of the Parasect, pulling a cable out from one of the walls. She thought to string it across the corridor to close off an avenue of escape. But as she pulled the cable tight, a spark surges through a frayed section. The air crackled sharply as a jolt sends her flying onto her back. Everyone tensed as they look to the Parasect. But the creature remains still in its presumed slumber. Quinn moved out next, picking out a path atop several fallen panels and a pile of debris that let him scramble to atop the console over the Parasect. His path loosened several chunks of debris which skitter down onto the floor. All the while the crew looked on in amazement. Benesh concluded that the creature must be deaf, or perhaps was deafened in the last fight. Grinning he stepped out from the shadows and draws his ornate rapier. He pointed the weapon at the Parasect in challenge, "Today will be the day you fall, foul spawn!" He did not expected the show of bravado to draw any response (except to embolden and impress his allies). But to his surprise, the Parasect uncurled from its crouched stance, eyes gleaning with menace. It must have heard everything all along! Benesh's arm quivered in fear as he suddenly found himself alone, toe to toe with a house sized monstrosity. But before either of them could act, a rock sailed out from nowhere and slammed into the side of console above the Parasect. The console shuddered and buckled before crashing down onto the creature! Dust and dirt bellowed out in all directions. For a moment, the crew believed the deed done. In a single stroke, Echo had sent the creature to its grave. But that hope was short lived. As the dust clears, the Parasect dragged itself out from the shamble of shattered panels, screeching in anger. The creature was still focused on Benesh and bore down toward him. None of his fancy fencing lesson could have prepared him for this, but Benesh decided to raise his rapier in a defensive swirl. Saskia, however, had a better plan. Having snuck in behind the creature while still cloaked in the dust cloud, she unleashed a volley of fire from her pistol into the creature's underside. It whirled around to face her, narrowing missing her with its enormous claws and forcing her back toward the corner of the room. Reinhard charged into the fray at that moment, a battlecry on his lips. He swung his new blade downward in a powerful arc. There was a bright flash, but for a moment, it appeared to do nothing. But then one of the Parasect's giant legs slid down from its body, yellow-brown liquid spraying from its stump as Reinhard danced away. Quinn moved in to surround the creature now. The collapse of the console ledge had knocked him to the floor, but he emerged with a large rock in his hands, slamming it down to crack the monstrous crab's tail section. The myraid of attacks caused the crab's attention to dart back and forth. It swung its claws wildly, failing to connect with anyone. As it turned toward Saskia, she unloads another volley from her weapon, scoring several hits at the soft joint between its top and bottom shell. It reared on its remaining legs as it let out a bloodcurdling screetch. Benesh took that moment to swoop in to deliver a glorious finishing blow. He charged at the opening that Reinhard had created, jabbing his rapier in a running fleche. The blade stabbed into the unarmored stump and his arm sunk all the way in to his elbow. The creature stiffened and, a moment later, a gout of yellow-brown blood spurted out all over the noble explorer as the gigantic creature collapsed onto the ground! The crew stared in silent awe as the creature crumbled. At long last, the beast was slain. It seemed like weeks ago that they had set out on this task, and at long last, it was completed. Jihun was the first to break the silence, emerging from a hiding place half way down the hill, "Great work, team!" Meanwhile, Benesh wrenched his arm at his rapier, grunting as he freed it from the creature before raising the weapon in victory. The crew tried to keep their distance as the yellow-brown goop smelled foul, but he managed to hug a very hesitant Reinhard in thanks. Quinn took a knee a few steps away from the creature, uttering a prayer of thanks to the Gardeners.
As the dust settled after battle, their attention turned to the logistics of their situation. They had vanquished the monster, but they were still without a way home. It was impossible gauge how far they had gone, and therefore how far they had to go back. As the mull over their options, Reinhard was suddenly struck by an idea. Moving with fevered conviction, he took his blade and began carving up the Parasect's cadavor. "Help me with this," he called out as he pulls out several pieces of the creature's shell and began pulling on its tendon. Several hours later, they assembled a macabre haul of body parts on a sled made out of the Parasect's top shell. Realizing what Reinhard's plan was, the crew helped pull the sled back to the battered remains of the fire engine and began stripping out parts and replacing them with bits of the Parasect. There were a few grim trophies as well -- one of its pearlescent eyes and one of its bright red claws ("To help with aerodynamics!" Reinhard insisted.) It was an improvized, ramshackled affair to be sure, but, miraculously, it worked! The contraption had only half the number of wheels as the original (several made of bound shell pieces), and had to be steered by pulling on tendons, but it lumbered along dutifully.
The trio rejoin Echo just as he finished reinserting his cyber-eye with a wet plop, much to the discomfort of the group. From their vantage point, the could see Saskia quietly stepping around the far side of the Parasect, pulling a cable out from one of the walls. She thought to string it across the corridor to close off an avenue of escape. But as she pulled the cable tight, a spark surges through a frayed section. The air crackled sharply as a jolt sends her flying onto her back. Everyone tensed as they look to the Parasect. But the creature remains still in its presumed slumber. Quinn moved out next, picking out a path atop several fallen panels and a pile of debris that let him scramble to atop the console over the Parasect. His path loosened several chunks of debris which skitter down onto the floor. All the while the crew looked on in amazement. Benesh concluded that the creature must be deaf, or perhaps was deafened in the last fight. Grinning he stepped out from the shadows and draws his ornate rapier. He pointed the weapon at the Parasect in challenge, "Today will be the day you fall, foul spawn!" He did not expected the show of bravado to draw any response (except to embolden and impress his allies). But to his surprise, the Parasect uncurled from its crouched stance, eyes gleaning with menace. It must have heard everything all along! Benesh's arm quivered in fear as he suddenly found himself alone, toe to toe with a house sized monstrosity. But before either of them could act, a rock sailed out from nowhere and slammed into the side of console above the Parasect. The console shuddered and buckled before crashing down onto the creature! Dust and dirt bellowed out in all directions. For a moment, the crew believed the deed done. In a single stroke, Echo had sent the creature to its grave. But that hope was short lived. As the dust clears, the Parasect dragged itself out from the shamble of shattered panels, screeching in anger. The creature was still focused on Benesh and bore down toward him. None of his fancy fencing lesson could have prepared him for this, but Benesh decided to raise his rapier in a defensive swirl. Saskia, however, had a better plan. Having snuck in behind the creature while still cloaked in the dust cloud, she unleashed a volley of fire from her pistol into the creature's underside. It whirled around to face her, narrowing missing her with its enormous claws and forcing her back toward the corner of the room. Reinhard charged into the fray at that moment, a battlecry on his lips. He swung his new blade downward in a powerful arc. There was a bright flash, but for a moment, it appeared to do nothing. But then one of the Parasect's giant legs slid down from its body, yellow-brown liquid spraying from its stump as Reinhard danced away. Quinn moved in to surround the creature now. The collapse of the console ledge had knocked him to the floor, but he emerged with a large rock in his hands, slamming it down to crack the monstrous crab's tail section. The myraid of attacks caused the crab's attention to dart back and forth. It swung its claws wildly, failing to connect with anyone. As it turned toward Saskia, she unloads another volley from her weapon, scoring several hits at the soft joint between its top and bottom shell. It reared on its remaining legs as it let out a bloodcurdling screetch. Benesh took that moment to swoop in to deliver a glorious finishing blow. He charged at the opening that Reinhard had created, jabbing his rapier in a running fleche. The blade stabbed into the unarmored stump and his arm sunk all the way in to his elbow. The creature stiffened and, a moment later, a gout of yellow-brown blood spurted out all over the noble explorer as the gigantic creature collapsed onto the ground! The crew stared in silent awe as the creature crumbled. At long last, the beast was slain. It seemed like weeks ago that they had set out on this task, and at long last, it was completed. Jihun was the first to break the silence, emerging from a hiding place half way down the hill, "Great work, team!" Meanwhile, Benesh wrenched his arm at his rapier, grunting as he freed it from the creature before raising the weapon in victory. The crew tried to keep their distance as the yellow-brown goop smelled foul, but he managed to hug a very hesitant Reinhard in thanks. Quinn took a knee a few steps away from the creature, uttering a prayer of thanks to the Gardeners.
As the dust settled after battle, their attention turned to the logistics of their situation. They had vanquished the monster, but they were still without a way home. It was impossible gauge how far they had gone, and therefore how far they had to go back. As the mull over their options, Reinhard was suddenly struck by an idea. Moving with fevered conviction, he took his blade and began carving up the Parasect's cadavor. "Help me with this," he called out as he pulls out several pieces of the creature's shell and began pulling on its tendon. Several hours later, they assembled a macabre haul of body parts on a sled made out of the Parasect's top shell. Realizing what Reinhard's plan was, the crew helped pull the sled back to the battered remains of the fire engine and began stripping out parts and replacing them with bits of the Parasect. There were a few grim trophies as well -- one of its pearlescent eyes and one of its bright red claws ("To help with aerodynamics!" Reinhard insisted.) It was an improvized, ramshackled affair to be sure, but, miraculously, it worked! The contraption had only half the number of wheels as the original (several made of bound shell pieces), and had to be steered by pulling on tendons, but it lumbered along dutifully.
Report Date
06 Nov 2021
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