The Log of the HMAS Marigold: The Serpent and Cross (Part Six)

[Stella Gaslight]

There was a shower of sparks and a flash of gold light and suddenly Sr brother Milford was on the ground looking shocked and bleeding.  "But you are abominations how can you still stand?"

Starling looked at him and shook her head. "We hunt monsters and keep people safe I hardly call that abominable.  You want power and that is all.  You can pretend you are doing it for some grater good but We know." She turned to Rourke tired and battered.  "Lets get out of here."  As she turned the far end of the chamber exploded showering them in bits of rubble. "I guess we still have work to do."

[MWBailey]

Rourke looked at the monk in his own turn, and added, "I at least 'ad some say in what I've become," he said, "Miss Starling 'ad none. I could per'aps be said to be an abomination by choice, but the choice was continued loife an' completion of a mission,  owver death an' th' botchin' of it all, and the deaths o' thousands because of it."

"Oi chowse to save thousands o' loives and live on, for a price 'at seemed reas'nable at th' toime. It still seems reas'nable, since oi've continued to save thousands o' loives, an' I 'avent et anybody yet. Wha've you done, but spread misery an' fear among people what just want ter be left alown?"

The explosions reminded Rourke that mop-ups have a specific and essential purpose. He trned away, calling out, "C'mon, lads, form up in skirmishes, an' lets mop up this lot." The noise of a scimitar being drawn behind him caused him to whirl back around, parrying the blow from the now-desperate Senior monk, barely keeping the blade fom Starling's neck. "Filthy Sneakthief!" Rourke roared as he ran the monk through. "Better to make sure of a snake like you!' he snarled as he pulled the blade free, and the monk crumpled to the floor.

[Stella Gaslight]

Starling sagged that had been too close.  "Thanks for saving my skin Rourke and don't let him worry you.  We are what we are."  Something moved in the dark opening at the back of the chamber.  Something vast and disturbing. "This has been a long day and it isn't over yet.  I think that snake was just killing time for what ever is happening in there."

[MWBailey]

Killing time... Rourke ruminated to himself. Then he said out loud, "I'm not sure abou' that, I've the damnedest feelin' we're missin' somethin' import'ant,. like summat's goin' to 'appen because we're occupied down 'ere..."

[Stella Gaslight]

"I hope we can stop them from springing whatever trap they have ready." Starling edged forward to the hole then jumped back.  "They have a dammed squid in there! How the hell do we fight a demon squid?" She was rather spooked by the way it moved.  It sent shivers down her spine.

[walkthebassline]

In the skies above, Redburn was getting restless. He could only circle and sip absinthe for so long.

"Alright boys, that's it. I'm heading down there. Someone can relieve me and keep the ship circling 'til something interesting happens, but my sweet Starling is down there and in danger."

Without giving Bledsoe a chance to speak, Redburn swept from the bridge. Stopping briefly at his cabin he loaded up with weapons, and then went in search of a Rapid Descent Arrestor. The tricky piloting was done for the moment. It was time to join the fight. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

[Stella Gaslight]

He had been watching waiting for this.  For any moment to take advantage of the disorder they planted.  He gestured and suddenly the rooftops swarmed with black clad people like an ant hill poked with a stick.  Some of them fired on the ship while others took to the sky in a vast swarm and tried to blot out the view of the marigold.  Redburn was suddenly surouned by winged min trying knock him out of the sky.  He was the prize they were hopeing for.  With him the god's shell would come to them and then that power would be fore the takeing.

[walkthebassline]

Redburn drew his sword and revolver as he fell to earth, trying to fend off the sudden attack. He barely knew where to aim; he cursed his own stupidity and the cunning of the enemy. A few fell to his attacks, but it was not nearly enough.

[Stella Gaslight]

Wings rushed all around him fighting as they fell.  He was surounded by flailing limbs asn roaring engines.  Each one trying to subdue him and win the honor of turning him over.  One went for him with drugged claws and a fire in his eyes that was allmost other worldly.

[MWBailey]

Bledsoe cursed roundly and Wellbourne grabbed a Hotchkiss repeater from a stunned airman, poked it over the railing of the Bridge Obs Deck, and cranked off several tens of rounds before   realizing that he might be doing more harm than good. "Blast and Damn it!" he raged, powerless to do more as suddenly the ship lurched and shuddered like a whale with a harpoon to the heart.

[Stella Gaslight]

They were careful like surgeons hitting only the parts of the ship to damage not sink or cripple it.  The attack was no good if the god shell was not able to follow. The man directing the attack was plain and easy to miss in a crowd.  Under his shirt he wore a golden eye the only symbol of his rank.  He watched the hole seeing the wave of dust come up from the explosion and smiled.  After this they would be soft and easy to pull to where they needed like lambs to slaughter.

[MWBailey]

"Engines full ahead all!" Bledsoe screamed into the squawkbox. "Mechanical lofting at maximum output!" The ship righted itself, thunderbolts and crazed electrical arcs spidering all over the Mechanical Lofting plants,and lightning forking away from the envelope and control car to strike the buildings along the street below. "Prepare for Arcsurge, and set the projection circuit to maximum!"

There was an artifact of the production of mechanically-induced electromagnetic lofting; simply put, it was an excited electrical field that surrounded the ship at all times, but which could be accelerated for short bursts to produce an effect similar to sheet lightning; this effect, when applied during periods of high output in the lofting induction coils, produced an expanding wave of electric plasmid energy that tended to be destructive in the extreme to objects and assailants in immediate proximity to outside of the ship's outer perimeter.

That was the effect which, following upon Bledsoe's order, fairly exploded from around the ship in all directions, laying waste to building facades, traffic, anything in their path. the rooftops swarming with black-clad figures were awash in the searing, instantaneous flash of energy. many figures fell, but others did not. The Marigold began to rise, but Redburn was nonetheless, apparently, lost...

[Stella Gaslight]

The man gestured for a fall back.  The casulties were geting out of the acceptable range and they had what the wanted so they vanished like smoke on the wind.

Starling shot at the monster but it seemd to only make it angry.  Tenticals started to reach for them and brake the walls even more causeing trimors above,and rock falls near the unstable pit leading to the surface.  "If we don't find a way to get past this monster we are going to be crushed."