[spoiler]To be honest, I'm not happy with this. Life drama happened and soured my mood over the weekend, but it's done so... bleh?[/spoiler] [u][b]Hoths Bar[/u][/b] "None of the heavy stuff," Hoth sets two glasses on the bar before two weary fighters, "enough to take the edge off, but not enough to dull your wits. We've a war to win boys." Hoth has graciously allowed his bar to be used as a field hospital and command center due to its location near the River Gate. The large room buzzes with activity as medics and fighters scurry about. Titan and Liam are discussing tactics around a holo of the city in one corner while Acro observes. Aku, Veggie, and Giant sit at a table recovering after their battles and sharing their experiences. The doors fly open as Lee runs in, panting, "Backseat told me about Tigers! I can help!" Giant stands, "Over here!" He leads Lee to a row of cots where Dr False and other volunteers are treating the wounded. Tigers is laying pale and motionless in a cot with his gear next to him. Lee kneels over him crushing one of his flowers into the wound and it is healed. A few moments pass and Tigers sits up coughing up a bit of thick, dark ichor. He looks around the room then shakes Lee's hand, "I thank you, friend." Lee smiles and tips his hat, "That's what I'm here for!" Suddenly, Holmes and company barge into the bar. "Greetings everyone!" Holmes shouts, "We've little time, I need six volunteers to join us on a quest to deal with the beam and possibly fight the Goddess of Death!" The room falls silent until Scylla the Sea Elf breaks it, "Can I stay and die in this bar instead?" Watson steps forward, "Everyone, this is Captain Scylla. Captain Scylla, everyone. She and her cohorts have offered their help and I vouch for her." "I'm staying with my men," Liam says without taking his attention away from the map. "As am I," Titan adds, "But I wish you luck." Veggie steps forward, "Well I'm up for it!" Followed by Aku, "You have my sword." Then Lee, "And my guns!" [b][i]"AND MY AXE."[/b][/i] Giant bellows, slamming the pummel of his axe into the floor for dramatic effect. Tigers stands, adjusting his armor, "I think one near death experience is enough for today. I shall assist with the city's defense." Acro approaches with Ember at his side, "My soul is beyond her reach, so I'm in." "I can be of service..." an imp says from the bar. Ring narrows his eyes at the creature, "How so?" The imp grins and flys awkwardly to a nearby table. "I'm Jeff. I was a close friend of the Prophet Xronad, and may have done a bit of snooping in the Witch Queens mansion... I can guide you!" Ring can tell this creature is a slimeball, but he detects no lies in his words and nods to Holmes. "Then let us be off!" Holmes shouts, "Gather close as I prepare the teleportation spell!" The group forms a circle around the wizard and in a flash of light they vanish just as another pulse shakes the city. There are murmurs and complaints, but everyone recovers quickly and is back to work. "What's your status Cobalt?" Titan addresses the map and a mechanical voice responds, "30% efficiency. Anomalous pulses have damaged many systems throughout the city, making it difficult for my units to operate. All available Titans have been sent to reinforce the city gates. Larger units require further maintenance." "Fish Elf," Liam growls, "What do you bring to the table?" Scylla sees all eyes on her and realizes for the first time just how alone she is. "Well," she smiles wide and proud, "We got two Galleons and a dozen Frigates all armed with cannons upgraded with that same magic fire rainin down on your city. That please, milord?" Titan nods, "We could use that. Maybe we should consider using a few ships to evac civilians?" "Cobalt, add them to the map," Liam strokes his chin. "No, we'll need their guns for what I have planned." He inputs a few commands and the three watch a simulation play out. "Bold, I like it." Titan responds, "We'll have to time it around the pulses for our vehicles." Scylla produces a Sending Stone from her coat, "I'll give my people your orders." "Hey, siege towers are on the move!" Backseat says over comms. "Let's get to work." Liam grabs his helm and they depart. [u][b]Southern Gate[/u][/b] A rocket flies into the base of an approaching siege tower and the whole thing crumbles apart, dropping Wights and golems into the ranks below. Tilman begins reloading his launcher then drops it and falls to his back as a serpent beast climbs over the edge. He draws his revolver and unloads two shots into its face as Brotherhood Knights scorch it with laser fire and the beast falls. Looking over the edge, Tilman sees the beasts have been using their own dead to scale the wall. "Loot!" He shouts, climbing onto the ledge, "Catch me!" Tilman backflips off the edge, an arch of flame following him, then unleashes a column of fire into the beasts below. Loot fires his Tommygun into the army below with one hand and launches a whip of liquid gold out to Tilman with the other. It wraps around his chest and pulls him back to the wall, then Loot uses the momentum to send it into a nearby siege tower, sharpening it before impact so it slices clear through and decapitates a few of the Wights within. The tower lowers its ramps and the Wights storm onto the wall. Loot unloads into their legs to cripple and trip them until a beast climbs the tower and lunges, impaling him with its long clawed legs. Several gold whips shoot out of his body and slice the beast to pieces. He rises, then dodges a blade meant for his chest that pierces his arm instead, which freezes over. The Wight stares blankly at Loot as he looks at his golden fist. "Pff," Loot smiles and punches the Wight in the face until it no longer has one. He cracks his knuckles, shattering his frozen arm and reforming it into a blade. "I'm gonna own this whole damn city after this." A rocket flies past his head into the tower followed by a wave of flame that incinerates the remaining Wights. Tilman walks up to Loot, catching his breath, and they look out to the remaining dozen or so towers. "That was my last rocket." "Please make room for these units," the mechanical voice of Cobalt asks from behind them. Three Titans awkwardly march up the stairs and take up positions upon the wall, which is only just wide enough to support them and the various fighters. A Scorch unit deploys canisters into the crowds below and sets them off with a blast of thermite while a Tone unleashes a barrage into two nearby towers. The Legion unit simply reduces a tower and several dozen undead to tiny bits with a seemingly endless hail of lead. As the fighters cheer on the devastation, Backseat calls them through Tilmans radio, "Liam needs you to open the gate when you see the signal!" The two exchange glances of confusion, but head for the controls as instructed. Loot begins shlorping all over the controls again, "Alright, ready whenever I guess..." Tilman points to the sky, "I think that might be it." From the direction of the sea, a dozen balls of green flame rise and smash into the enemy outside the wall just as another pulse washes over them. After recovering, Loot immediately opens the doors just as Liam and two dozen clones zoom past them on speeders. They glide through the path of flames and bodies created by the Elven ships, then loop around to prepare to charge the enemies main line at the River Gate. Liam raises his black saber and points it forward, leading the charge in a wide v formation firing their blaster cannons into the enemy ranks. As they approach, Liam roars a battle cry that his troopers join and their formation tightens, then they slam into the enemy. Liam alternates slashing on each side of him while his clones fire blaster carbines into the horde. For every one of theirs they lose, dozens of the enemy fall. Past the undead before them, Liam sees Titan and his Mandalorians formation approaching and raises his saber. Titan notices and does the same with his sword, then their formations break enough to pass eachother and surprise the enemy as they attempt to regroup. ~~~ Gorlok watches this from his monitors and nods approvingly, then frowns and turns to the shadows, "Now would be the perfect time to strike from within." The hulking form of the Flesh Sculpter steps forward and rumbles an acknowledgment.