Jammers:Chapter 3, Turn 16 Summary

We see just how blood thirsty some of the Company are this turn....

Comments, criticism, and flames always welcome and in fact are requested. I
crave feedback:)

Past turns and further information (such as who's who) can be found at the
Jammer's webpage:
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/3001/jammers.htm
!!!!!Please note the website address has changed!!!!!!!!!


-------------- =storyline break
*************** =time break

IC:
Holland calls out, through the voice tube, from his seat on the Helm, "Tell
Deigatt to secure those two sleeping Scro.  We need them alive for
questioning."
Holland then returns to his scanning of the stars for more unexpected visitors.

Billy nods and heads towards the scorpion ship.

Kain pushes up off the deck, turning and ending up in a seated position,
his shortsword held loosely in his right hand.  Getting to his feet, Kain
slams his
sword back in it's scabbard as he kicks the blood from the bottom of his boots.

"Wasn't that hextreme, Seguld?" Deigatt calls angrily. Before the gnome has
a chance to answer, the minotaur turns to Raken, who has just boarded the
scorpionship, and asks, "Where his Leera? Belowdeck?"

"Don't know," Raken replies.  "She went invisible and boarded the scorp.
Where she went after that I know not; I'd advise allowing her to reveal
herself when she deems nessecary, to avoid revealing her position to
potentially hostiles still alive.  I'll help those I can here now, but I
might be needed aboard the Man-O-War."  He surveys the ship.  "You know, we
might just increase our chances of surviving this mission... how do you
feel about dressing like an ogre commanding a crew of scro pirates?" he
says with a mischevious smile while preparing his spells and herbs.

"Ack!" Robert exclaims turning to Seguld while reloading his  crossbow,
"Did you have to burn them?  If you wanted them dead, I  could have shot
them."

Seguld shrugs his shoulders and looks to Robert. "Don'tKnow'BoutYou,
WorkedPrettyWellFerMe." Seguld performs a quick reconnaisance of the STAR,
making sure none of the scro vermin are hanging on the sides, then he
approaches the scorpion ship.

"It may have worked, but what about the air?" Robert motions with  a sweep
of his crossbow, "It's not clear any longer.  Not pure.  Full  of smoke.
Fire's not good with only the little air we have with the Star."

"NextTimeI'llLetYaWasteYerBoltsOnEm." Seguld shakes his head. "AsFerTheAir,
ItHasn'tBeenPureSinceTheBigGuyBoarded." he chuckles slightly and then
returns to the ballista beginning reloading.

Seguld calls out to Deigatt, "AllClean'Ere. NeedAnyHelpSearchin'Her?"

"No," Deigatt calls. "Heveryone hon the STAR should remain there. We'll
look foolish to our hemployers hif we leave hour own ship habandoned. We
should hurry here; the helven ship may need hour hassistance."

Billy rolls his eyes and spins on himself and heads back towards his post.
"If anyone is in need of medical assistance, I'll be right here."

Italapate climbs down the ratlines that connect the tail to the maindeck.
He grins as he looks over the destruction.  "Good job guys!" he says as he
claps Galan on the back.  "Nice shot there at the end."

Galan turns sharply at Italapate's touch, staggering a bit as he does.
Seeing only the other man, he stabs his sword into the deck and leans
against it. "Thanks." Gazing about the deck he says, "Seems we did all
right.  You people do this often?"  Sagging, he looks down at the blood
soaking into his sleeve.  "This needs to be dressed.... soon, I think."

Pate looks at the wound and clucks his tongue. "tsk, tsk, and me with nothing to
wear.... Oh, and we do this all the time... Did we forget to mention that in the
recruitment drive?"  The young man digs in his medicine pouch as he talks.
Finally, he pulls out a mostly clean rag, and starts to wrap it around
Galan's
arm.  "Don't worry, it's only a little make-up." he says.

Galan stares at Pate for a long moment before saying, "You won't take
offense if I just thank you and ignore the rest, will you?"

Pate looks askance a moment then grins.  He slaps the man on the back and
laughs.  "I have no idea what you are talking about."  He ties of the strip
of cloth.  "Have someone look at that."  then he jaunts back over to the
Star, leaping over the joined gunwales with just a little less than
practiced ease.

"Here Galan, maybe I can help," Kain says quietly. Placing a hand just
above each of Galan's wounds, Kain narrows his eyes in concentration.
After a few minutes, and with Kain's frustration growing, the warmth of
healing finally begins to spread through Galan's arm and chest.  He
maintains the slight pressure on Galan's wounds for another minute before
drawing away.  "Sorry I couldn't do any more," Kain says apologetically,
"it's been a bad day."

"Lets get this over with.  You take the port side Diegget I'll take the
starboard.  Grigree, Nilaroo mind backing me up?  Seeing Galan's wan state
Ferric says, "Why don't you sit this one out and let Vais take care of you
Galan."

"Right,"Galan says, nodding.  He pulls his sword from the deck and slowly
moves to the railing.  Lacking anything else to do, he takes the time to
look over the elven ship as he sinks back against the rail.

Vais looks at the rather large wound on Ferric's buttocks and says, "While
siting is not yet appropriate, you as well should wait while the others search."

Vais and Raken then start working on Galan and Ferric, as Deigatt, Grigree,
Kain and Nilaroo prepare to seacrh below.

Below,  Leera looks more closely around the helm room. She quickly ascertains
that no one else is in the room. She finds the strongbox is locked, and
marks her symbol upon it with a quill from the chart table.  Then she
begins examining the charts.

Deigatt says, "I will go first, the Grigree, then Kain and Nilaroo."

Grigree grunts and nods an affirmative.  Taking one last look around the
deck he moves to the hatch Deigatt is planning on going down.  After
Deigatt slides down the ladder, Grigree glides down on his membranes and
lands facing the opposite
direction.  the four then quickly explore the maindeck.

The room(#5) the ladders open to is obviously the ship's galley, when not
in action, as small brick stove reveals. On either side of the cabin are a
number of interconnected, large metal gears, beside each are a series of
turncranks.  The port machinery is shattered and in pieces, as the wall is
missing where the claw and some of its machinery were ripped from the ship
during the battle with the man-o-war.  Three doors exit the room (or, did
at any rate). Forward, one door leads to the scorpion's head, this door is
standing open and reveals the room beyond is empty.  On the same bulkhead a
short stairwell leads to a door above and to the side of the bridge door,
leading out on _top_ of the scoprion's head (if it were not, currently, a
large hole from the battle. Note this door does not appear on the std
scorpion deckplans, as I added it for easier boarding party access).
Finally, a third door leads aft.

The aft door opens into the crew quarters(#5), eight sets of bunks staked
six high are in here, so that the large room would sleep 48 scro.  Small
chests are secured beneath the bunks, and empty weapons racks line the
walls.  Another ladderwell opens aft, next to a door which opens into a
cabin just below the curve of the scorpion's tail.  Deigatt motions Kain
and Nilaroo to scout below, while he and Grigree examine the cabin.

The cabin (#7) is obviously the captain's quarters. A large bed is built
into the ship in one corner, and a desk, bolted to the floor, dominates the
room.  A weapons rack with a pair of javilins, and a large chest complete
the spartan furnishings.

Deciding to recheck this room later, Deigatt and Grigree head forward to
the scorpionship's bridge(#4).

Deigatt enters slowly and remains close to the door. "Where his the helm
hon this ship?" he mutters.

Standing fairly close to Deigatt, the invisible Leera answers "I don't
know, Deigatt. I've been wondering that myself."

Deigatt whirls quickly, his axe ready, but he sees nothing. "Leera?" he queries.

Grigree lifts his arm and points with a sword towards the coffin shape.
"It is, grrr, that," he says as he walks over to the coffin and opens it.

Almost the moment the lid is lifted, a haggerd, naked elf pushes his way
out and scurries to a corner, where he crouches and watches Grigree and
deigatt with wary eyes.

Grigree holds up his sword reflexively at the sudden movement. Seeing the
scared elf, he slowely puts it down and holds his arms out away from his
body.  "We not, hrr, hurt you.  We friends."  Still keeping an eye trained
on the elf, Grigree turns his head towards Diegatt and says, "I see this
on, rrr, jetatin' neogi ship before.  That," he tilts his head towards the
coffin-shape, "is soulburner."

Deigatt steps forward, staring at the vile contraption; then he quickly
raises his axe over his right shoulder and brings the blade down on the
box.

Deigatt's axe sinks deep into the wooden lifejammer.  There's a bright
flash of light, when it's gone Deigatt has disappeared and small, black
rainclouds have formed on the ceiling of the scorpion's bridge.  After a
moment, they begin to rain big, fat drops of water through out the bridge.

------------------

Nilaroo and Kain find the cargo hold(#9) is empty of all but 2 stacks of 6
bunks, bolted to the bulkhead next to the ladderwell.  Some small chests,
similar to those in the crew rooms above, are secrued beneath them.  Doors
open to port and starboard off the cargo hold.

The portside door reveals (#10, port) a room with three beds, three desks,
and three chests, all bolted to the floor.  An empty weapons rack is right
next to the door. It appears to be officers quarters of some sort.

The starboard door (#10, starboard) is padlocked from the cargo hold side.
The keys hang from the wall a few feet away. kain pulls them down and
unlocks the door as Nilaroo stands ready with his sword. When the door is
flung open, it reveals fifteen beings lying in straw on the deck, all
chained togther.  They cringe away Nilaroo and Kain.

"Ah, please, please don't be frightened," Kain says quietly.  Holding the
ring of keys in his hand, Kain looks to Nilaroo and adds, in an undertone
designed for only Nilaroo to hear, "I'll work on their chains, hopefully
I've the key here."

Moving slowly, Kain approaches the chained prisoners, showing them he has
the keys.  "I hope I have the right key here," Kain smiles, "we'll see
about getting you all out of those chains."

One of the elves, slightly taller then the others, but just as bedraggled
shuffles forward. The scars of old whip wounds are etched across his naked
chest.  "Are they gone?" he asks quietly in common.

Working his way through the keyring trying to find the right key, Kain
nods.  "We belive so, 's we're searching the ship for any others now," he
answers.

The elf nods, "What do you intend to do with us?"

Kain shrugs.  "Dunno...set you free of these chains to begin with," he
smiles as he finally finds a key that fits. "Our company must rendezvous
with an elven Man-O-War, a ship that size should be able to.. ah..
accomodate you better than our eelship.  But, we wouldn't leave you on a
dead ship, if.. ah.. that's what you meant." As he's speaking, Kain works
his way down the line of chains, unlocking them as quickly as he can.  "You
all can wait here until we've finished the.. ah.. search of the
Scorpionship for any Scro that may be hiding.
We'll help get you abovedecks when we know it's safe, alright."

The elf and the other slaves nod in acknowledgement of Kain's order.

------------------

Back on the STAR, Talus watches anxiously over his drawn bow as his
comrades disappear below the deck of the scorpionship. As time passes and
it becomes clear that the scro have been defeated, he releases the tension
on the string, but keeps an arrow nocked.

Holland, seeing that many have headed below decks on the scorpion, uses the
voice-tube again, "Robert, get over to the Scorpion and seatch/tie up those
two sleeping Scro before they wake."

Italapate says, "Phewwwwwww!  Seguld!  What a wonderful stench you have
discovered... I don't want to be invited to any more of your bar-b-ques."
he waves his hand playfully in front of his nose.

Italapate notices that the badly damaged Man-o-War has begun to move, and
is now heading towards the STAR and her scorpionship captive. He rushes to
the bridge to find anything that the Star has in the way of signal flags,
but has to settle for a towel on a stick.  He then heads to the side of the
ship nearest the elven vessel and waves an all-clear.  "Hope anyone over
there is all right.. it was kinda odd they didn't join in in the
battle....." he says to himself, though loud enough that anyone who wants
to can make out his words. "'course, I also hope these flags haven't just
told the fleet we are declaring war on them......"

Date/time: 11:30 am 7th day of the 6th Month, 5049 OC

"We look on the same stars,  the sky is common,  the same world surrounds
us.  What difference does it make by what pains each seeks the truth?  We
can not attain to so great a secret by one road..."
Symmachus,  "Memorial on the Occasion of the Removal of the Altar of
Victory from the Senate House" (392 AD)

Paul Westermeyer,  westermeyer.3@???.edu
Phd Candidate, History, Ohio State
Adjunct Faculty, Humanities Department, Columbus State Community College