As the team left the lower chamber, they headed back  up the stairwell headed towards the artificial church. They met Earl and Aeviternus headed back down the stairs.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:30, Sat 02 June 2012.

Relieved to see the group he had so recently met, Aeviternus absently twirled the staff in his hand over his index finger while he watched their approach.  All seemed accounted for, if a little worse for wear.

He watched for Malcohm as well as the families, waiting to see how all this movement was to occur.  Though with what he'd seen from the Tibbs brothers, his mind was open to the possibilities.

"Good to see you all." he nodded at the group as he spoke.  "Zhè shì hǎokàn dào nǐ shènglì. Fēi lóng, ránhòu shì bù pǐpèi?" he asked of Xuan, the mirth in his voice apparent as his relief was undisguised.

"Lóng shì tài huá.Shēntǐ shì méiyǒu shēngmìnglì de, dàn qítā dìfāng de xīnzàng tiàodòng."

John moved with deliberate purpose, directly up to Aeviternus. There would hopefully be another time to talk, but every minute gave them more chance of exposure. He would have to make it quick.

"The slick man jumped out." There was a touch of acid in John's words. Slick was one he did not want to let get away from him. With more solemnity he added "The other three are dead." A frown creased his face and he looked away.

As the others approached, John changed the subject. "Fx's head was removed. With some force. Your handiwork?" John glanced at the spinning staff in Aeviternus' hand.

"We're headed to the helicopter now, and it seems it would not be prudent to bring you along. The Captain will clear you when we get back, and we'll bring you in after that. We'll need a way to contact you." Looking shrewdly at Aeviternus, he hesitated. "That is, if you want to."

The hood nodded at John's answer.  At John's question he followed his eyes down to the staff which ceased to spin, then he half bowed in response.

So they don't trust me yet.  Interesting, but not surprising.  I suppose they can't be blamed after what has transpired here tonight.

The prompt for a means to reach him caused him to smile, though most of them wouldn't see it.  "Either of the Tibbs brothers have the ability to reach me.  I don't exactly carry a cell phone."

John eyed the staff again at the half bow. It had him more intrigued than he'd have liked. Biting back the request to handle it and searching past the cowl, he once again considered Aeviternus. A hooded mystery figure standing non-chalantly in front of him, who gave very little away, fought by their sides and knew more than he should. Maybe too much altogether. What is your objective?

He intentionally let the silence grow heavy between them while he waited for the others to catch up, as he studied this man and considered his actions and non-actions throughout the night, waiting for any reaction. Will we be speaking again? Time would tell. Or Orlando would tell, if he truly could contact Aeviternus without a phone.

The silence was broken by the growl from John's stomach. Why did that happen every time he was within audible earshot of this man? John squeezed his eyes shut briefly and released a defeated sigh. Aeviternus probably thought him half starved. He chose not to try to explain.  Instead he turned to see how close the others had come.

Next mission, he would remember to bring a Powerbar. Or two.

Kirby listened quietly as John and Aevi spoke. Having nothing to add he simply nodded to John indicating for Tsunami to lead on once he was ready.

As the silence pervaded, Aeviternus watched the rest of the group climb the stairs, keeping an eye out to see if Malcohm and his followers were to join.  He realized that Xuan was watching him, and with that speculated that they may be in a showdown of sorts.

If patience is your contest, you may be in for yet another surprise, jungle cat;  Aeviternus mused.

As John's stomach betrayed his iron will, Aeviternus' own stoicism failed to hide the jerky movements from his shoulders as he tried to stifle his silent laughter.

A smile in his voice, he looked at Kirby; "I realize that I am not one of your soldiers, so this is merely a suggestion: you may want to feed this man or the ride home could get...precarious.  Suddenly I'm relieved to be joining you at later time as I am snack-sized..."

Looking somewhat dejected, John looked at the Captain, shrugged and turned to leave. He avoided looking back at Aeviternus and decided that being in front was a good place to be at the moment. His back to the group meant that he wouldn't have to see how they might be looking at him right then. A good sleep and a new day was sounding like the best thing in the world right then. That and food. Spicy noodles with calamari maybe. Too bad you couldn't take a helicopter through a drive-through.

Hefting his staff, John moved at a light jog in the direction of the helicopter. He pushed everything else out of his mind and focused on the job one last time that night; scouting a safe route to the chopper and avoiding detection.

Kirby adjusted the weight of Alex's lifeless body on his shoulder amd smiled at Aviternus's statement. There was an amused shine in his eye as he spoke. "Aye, we'll gets him a tube steak or somethin fast fast. I could do fora bite myself. We'll be in touch soon soon." He looked up the stairs ad John, ready to follow, but thought of one thing more.

"Oh, and they're not my soldiers. I'm their's." He then followed John without another word.

And the best kind of leader.

Resolved to parting ways with the group as assertively as he was informed, at least for now (who knew what the future  held), Aeviternus made his way down the stairs into the main chamber.

Once in the room he made his way for the mysterious bald man with the answers.

Orlando placed his hand on Aeviternus's shoulder as he passed down..."I'm not sure I can get ahold of you, my brother yes, but..." he handed him a card, it simply said:

                               God's Servant

                      If you need help call this number:
                               312-425-4545

Orlando looked to Earl,"I don't need to know where you're goin, but call me when you get there," and he hugged his brother good-bye. Then gave both men the Analectine symbol and said in Latin, fare well and good travel. Orlando had noticed that his brother had been crying, but happy, he could only guess that something amazing had just happened. Orlando made a mental note to ask his brother another time. He hit Max on the back and pushed him up the stairs.

"Thank you," he stopped to reply, and the card disappeared into a denim pocket while continuing down the stairs.

--------------------------------------------------Break-------------------------------------------------------------

Orlando and Max were loaded and had just finished up what they considered the last important test on their ability to block outside forces of mental intrusion.  The female doctors were most helpful if not excited to discover a few tid bits of their own.
The research was also loaded with the help of Mr. Wu and what couldn't be downloaded was read by everyone in the three fast days of preparation....

Kirby, had been all but recluse, strapped to his desk when they weren't training for the drop or giving them intelligence on outside matters at hand.  He was trying to get certain provisions lined up down the road as well as convince Colonel Sharp that the new plan was the best plan, and of course that Sharp had to trust Kirby that the new plan didn't need to be known in its entirety....needless to say, Kirby was still on the phone...

Aeviternus and Malcohm had many conversations in preparations of the pod descending into the atmosphere.  Aeviternus was apparently technophobic and had had a minor panic attack the first session.  He was relieved to know that most of what Malcohm was trying to show him would not be needed and that all he was trying to do was to get Aeviternus more prepared for the many possibilities.  After three days Aeviternus was comfortable with being able to open the door to the pod once it had turned on remotely. Remotely was really the only option at the time and would apparently cause more of a problem with detection.  After the first two days of torture Aeviternus didn't care about that...

The final count down had happened, Aeviternus would be headed to Earth at above Mach 1 speeds over the coast of California just before dusk flying through the air at 45,000ft, allowing the team to work in daylight, and then quickly be covered by night fall for their getaway, just at about 8:30 pm on this hot June day. Kirby had their plane ready and all operations underway...

The team sat in a coffee house engaging in their last conversations before their plane left to rendezvous to the incoming comet...

....over 20,000 miles away...

Aeviternus, packed with all necessary belongings sat drinking something close to Turkish coffee with Earl, Malcohm and two of the engineers that had been preparing the pod for its tragectory...

...Last words before take off...

They way I figure it, we got one shot,"said Orlando as he sipped his coffee. Do you mind if we go over our roles one more time, I just want to be sure. I will help everyone like I did in the practice run.  I'll be sprinkling some magic dust on us to make sure things get a little easier.  It is kind of like magic luck with a little bit of skill mixed in.  I'll be ready if we land him in the plane half dead too!" Orlando said as half joke and half truth.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:55, Fri 28 Dec 2012.

After going through the practice runs Max wondered if there was an easier way to accomplish this dangerous task.

Bringing an object, that object being Aeviternus, under control while moving in a high speed platform was the problem. Max knew he could slow and control Aeviternus's decent to safety, but what if the platform was eliminated interiorly regarding Aeviternus fall to earth?

Why couldn't Space Ghost (Aeviternus) deploy a parachute during his fall from space. Once he reaches the planes altitude carrying the rest of the team, we all jump, land and sail away.

If needed Max could assist with Space Ghost and the teams descend safely to John's ship.

Max shared this ideas with the team and awaited their response.

Max's idea was sound and a best guess scenario. " Max, Malcohm offered this solution, I don't think a space ship has need of parachutes.  They probably don't have any." This was Orlando's best guess at why we weren't using this as our solution to begin with.

The mission at hand held multiple stages of difficulty.  The first was getting Aeviternus to land in the back of a moving jet while he himself careened through the air at post speeds of sound. The second was getting the group ready within seconds to jump out of the same plane to their second destination, including getting Aeviternus fit with a parachute himself conscious or not. Kirby had achieved getting most of the gear they had needed for their trip.  Each man had a secondary flight pack that would be attached to their chutes hanging below their feet as they cascaded through the air.  The problem being that each extra pack weighed in excess of a hundred pounds so missing their mark and landing in the water would be...well...very bad if one could not breathe underwater.  From the beach each man, would need to carry the gear unseen to the docks where John's boat sat waiting for their departure.  Getting to the craft unseen or molested and out of the docks was the final trio of events. If the sailing vessel made it out of the bay then they were probably home free.


Everyone make a strike rank roll in the combat thread, along with your updated tables.  Place your table and then your roll under the table.  We will do this event in order of STrike Ranks. Talking and communicating with be brief and quick, but still possible.  The initiative will start with Aeviternus opening the pod, and leaping (not costing him an action).  From there I will start with the highest strike rank. Descriptions of actions will be done in this thread.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:51, Mon 31 Dec 2012.

Considering both men's words, John made to clarify the actions.

"Is our aim to bring Aeviternus back to the plane or drop to my boat? Either way, I will only take one parachute, for him. I won't need one. If I am out there, with a detachable tether to the plane, I can aim for him when I jump out. With Max's and Orlando's aid, I will grab him and transfer the bag over. Then I can either be pulled in, or detach to fall to our drop zone. If I am with Aeviternus, then even if we both drop to the water, I can be of help to him."

With another thought, he added "Actually, if all goes to plan, however unlikely...if Aeviternus is secure, I can advance to my boat and prepare it for departure before anyone else arrives." That's a big if.

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg # 19):

Max scratched his head, showing his confusion with what the 'REAL' plan for Aeviternus was. Then smiled at John regarding his negative comment towards the sky-fall plan, regardless of how daunting it seemed.

Max looked to Kirby for his leadership skills and pulling this critical plan together, thinking I'm a scientist not a strategic planner.

"Cap'n how are you running this operation...what's the plan?"

Reiterating what John asked. "Are we looking for the Aeviternus plane pull-in plan or the dropping Aeviternus direct in the Pacific Soup plan?"

Giving Kirby a serious stair. "Please note that I prefer the latter of the two. I've moved very heavy objects over great distances before. I know I can direct and slow the fall within our safety parameters, placing us on Johns ship."

Max that's a lot of weight, trying to move all of us, is this something you have tried. I feel we should stick with our current plan and bring Aeviternus into the plane, then have everyone jump together to the beach.  I think between Kirby and Max they can guide us down. Kirby and all, I'm assuming that as we land we are ready for action just incase we are attacked on the ground."Orlando hoped to just bring Aeviternus into the plane.  He didn't think going from the pod to the ground was a good idea.

In reply to Orlando Tibbs (msg # 21):

Max shrugged his shoulders at Tibbs, smiled, and winked. "Will 2 tons do?" Spoken with a bit of joking sarcasm. "But that would be a K.O. for me." Max laughed!

Max thought all five team members with gear would be somewhere in the 1800 lb. range. A minor test of power.

It was clear what Tibbs wanted to do. Max knew what he wanted to do, but what of their comrades?

Max looked up at Tibbs. "I guess the decision is up to the Captain?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:05, Wed 02 Jan 2013.

Can he really do that much? Amazing!

"No disrespect Captain, but no, it's not entirely up to him Max. Not when it will be Aeviternus' and my life on the line. Literally. Nobody is disputing your power or capabilities my friend, but I have to agree with Orlando. I believe that the first plan is the best option, and it's what we trained for. We go fishing, and reel in the catch. I just wanted to make sure there were no last minute adjustments. This seems the safest way."

Seemingly looking inward briefly, John hesitated before continuing.

"My confidence in myself can easily change to arrogance. In this case, it seems it has. I have no right to jeopardise the life of Aeviternus or the success of the mission. Please forgive me. I am...working on it."

"Anyway, we should run through the task, one step at a time. Agreed?"

Kirby listened to them all as they spoke, finding himself nodding with Orlando and John, frowning slightly at Max’s plan. He had remained seated in the netting-style seat in the cargo hold of the plane while they conversed. When he spoke his tone was easy, but carried a confidence of command

“We’re gunna to do des how we practiced. No sense taking more risk on now.” He continued quickly, leaving no room for argument. Kirby ticked off the remaining points with his fingers. “First, Pythian will do his magik on us. Second, Cool Hands and aye’ll get the package into deh plane – first slowin’ then guidin’ him in here.” He looked each member of the team to ensure they were following. “Third, Pythian gives the package a looking over. If he’s able, we put a parachute on him. If not, we’ll strap him to Tsunami for the jump - we have hooks for that in the civilian gear - Let’s be clear clear, unless his life is in critical danger, we’ll get off des bird whether he’s awake or not.

“Fourth, we’ll jump. First Tsunami, then Cool Hands, then the package, then Pythian, then me. Aye’ll play over watch. Once your chutes are all open I’ll dive down a bit to land first.” He paused a beat before making his next point. “Be sure to count to ten then pull ya cord. I’d rather you pull soon than late. Ten gets you away from the bird and the guy behind you. You’ll float longer but this will allow me to spot anyone with troubles.” Counting to five would probably be enough but Kirby sensed they’d be nervous and would probably count fast.

“The goal is to land on the beach then hot-foot it to the boat.”

“Questions?”

In reply to Edmund Kirby Smith IV (msg # 24):

Max smiled ay Kirby, giving him an acquiescent nod.

"Sounds good to me, how far is it from the beach to Johns ship? And how will that play out?"

Kirby turned his hand over, thumb pointing toward the floor with his fingers bent into a slight, half-moon shape.

"The bay we're coming down into looks like des, but think of my thumb as half the size. Deh harbor is here," He then pointed to the fleshy part between his thumb and pointer finger at the top of the shape. "Look for the wave breaks - walls marking the outside of the marina - to get your bearings. Red and green lights will mark the channel leading into that marina so follow those red and green lights from the air as go come down. Within the marina, just north and west of the main pier, is our beach. It's grass and sand, about the size of a futball pitch, just below a road. We land there and it's about two hundred meters to the end of the pier and the boat."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:36, Fri 04 Jan 2013.

Nodding along with Kirby's brief, John added "I can have us out into open waters within ten minutes, with a bit of help." The last was directed at Kirby. He figured the simple instructions on deck would go over well with a soldier, even if it was a momentary change of command.

After one of the practice runs, John had gone over some of the easier assisting roles in readying a boat for departure with Kirby. Perhaps he wouldn't remember every detail, but the quick commands they worked out would be simple enough to remind him of what to do when the time came. They had considered whether or not Aeviternus had any knowledge of the craft, but it was too much to hope for or depend upon. The easiest solution was to go over some techniques with Kirby.

"Let's not forget about the backup plan of me swinging out the back of the plane to catch Aeviternus on a tethered line. I will still need help from Max and Orlando if this is to take place."

The sun hung low to the west, a small beam of light peeked over the horizon, just enough to see and soon it would be dark. Odds were they'd land with still a bit of light. Looking up they saw the pod or streak of light as it came bolting towards their direction.

Aeviternus, it is time, we will turn on the pod in 3 seconds and apply enough reverse thrust to allow your body to not be torn to shreds. Remember to move hastily, Earth's instruments will detect this power anomaly, good luck." Malcohm's voice cut out as about 3 seconds elapsed. The pod came quickly to life and the door opened with a ...shkt...it definitely sounded like the door said shit.

Aeviternus it is your inititative first. The door has opened and you are free to move about the cabin.  Please describe your moves in intricate detail as everything counts.  Roll a resistance and athletics skill check as well, Put these in the combat thread. Next up after is Kirby in 23.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:08, Sat 05 Jan 2013.

This message was last edited by the player at 18:28, Sun 13 Jan 2013.

Just like the practiced, Kirby motioned for Max to follow him as he carefully walked out toward the end of the descending aircraft hanger, keeping one hand on the rail of the fuselage for added stability in the wind. When he got toward the end he stopped and looked up into the rapidly darkening sky.

Motion was something Kirby had a gift for. As he developed and learned more about this talent he came to understand that he did not see anything as normal men did. He could see colors, shapes, and all that, but in his vision there was more. Almost everything moved and all of these things gave off energy that Kirby could see. Balls flying through the air would leave trails in their wake. Leaves on a tree, gracefully dancing in a gentle breeze, would shimmer as if reflecting the sun. So when Kirby looked on the world he would see all things in his view that moved, and, more importantly, things that did not move. The variances he saw in his field of vision allowed him to paint a picture, a deep and expansive picture, of the world around him. In this way Kirby’s gift allowed him to see further than most men. And, more recently, he learned to do this in the dark.

So standing out at the end of the ramp Kirby stretched his view into the sky, looking for the ripples of a rapidly falling man through the sky. Upon seeing the man-projectile Kirby would point and direct Max in the direction of their package.

Kirby saw the ancient musket ball hurling at speeds well over Mach 1, much faster than sound. His vision was uniquely apt for this task, the ability to see a fireball hurling through the night, yet realistically a kinetic flare barreling towards them.  He pointed Max in the direction of Aeviternus...seconds were precious.




Max it is your turn, then Xuan, then Orlando.  Please be aware that it is possible to delay actions and move strike ranks around if you wish.

Max followed Kirby to his waiting position on the aircraft hanger deck. He focused on the point Kirby pointed to, trying to get a bearing on Space Ghost.

Max wondered what Aeviternus was thinking at this moment. A being of centuries lived, did he know what fear was? If so, what did he fear?

Max scanned and scanned,but was unable to locate Aeviternus's flight path, nor locate his person...stress and torrential wind conditions in the plan seem to have Max shaken up a bit. Max all the while continued to try to locate Max, no one was doomed yet...


Xuan, then Orlando GO go go go!

ladies and well...ladies looksie here.  Each person should subtract 1 from their combat actions in the combat thread.  don't create a new post, but edit that one.  That way we can flip continually to that spot for everyone. Also if I have given you any modifiers either way negative or positive put them in as well with a discription. We will use these tables as quick flip chart character sheets to be able to adjust since our regular sheets are locked...and I heard them say in response...we're men, men in tights...

Max lowers himself to one knee and begins throwing up. Anyone within ear shot or eyes on Max realize something is drastically wrong.

Max realizes that if he can't pull himself together, Aeviternus is in trouble and John will soon have to go into action.

Looking over at Max, Xuan felt a pang of anxiety as he watched the other man wretch. His position remained unchanged however. It wasn't that he held no sympathy for him; if there were any way in which he could have aided, Xuan would have offered it. The pressure he was under combined with the movement of the plane couldn't be easy. But the mission had already begun, which meant that the clock was already ticking. If Max could not perform his duty, it was up to Tsunami to step in as backup.

There was small comfort in that this was not a dry run. The drills had Xuan playing the role of Aeviternus, leaving less rehearsal when it came to Plan B. If this backup plan were required, Tsunami needed to be focused, ready. As he stepped closer to the back of the plane, Xuan found himself checking his rig and harness for what must have been the 20th time since he'd secured it. Equipped with a parachute and a cable nearly 100 meters in length, he was more than a little uncomfortable, but the necessity of it was paramount for this particular exercise. Success was always aided by elimination of possible failures, according to his Masters. So far, Xuan was consistently unable to find fault in their wisdom. It had been years since he stopped looking. He wasn't about to start now. No, now he was looking for a human missile.

Next to Max, Xuan avoided stepping in the vomit and placed a hand on Max's shoulder wordlessly. Whether it was more for Max or himself, he wasn't entirely certain, but he hoped that Max could take the gesture for which it was intended and gain some strength from it anyway. Eyes peering into the night sky, Xuan began to manipulate his Chi. First, his Inner Eye opened to aid his search for Aeviternus, or at least his energy. Unable to see in the dark, it was possibly the only way he'd find the intended. Next, he ignited his Chakras to boost his speed and strength. Tsunami would need every bit of it in order to maneuver, capture and hold his target in the current conditions.  The last Chakra to lock into place gave him the ability to change his center of gravity, which he'd need if things became less than desireable. Well, even less.

With everything in place, Xuan stood resolute, watching and waiting.

Ok, Tibbs, push up your sleeves and get to work here, we have humanities conundrum falling from the sky, home  run hit from space, time to put on the mitt "say hey kid." The deep chiming bell rang in his own head, a silent breath in, and blocked out everything but his focus, Orlando started his inner chant, magic used incantations to help focus energies to come into being, when practiced enough one could focus without words...Walking over to Max he put his hand on his back as well, but for another entirely different reason.

Their  bond became electric, Orlando's touch steadied both men, sending a sense of reassurance, Orlando delved into Max, pulling with magical energy a force that he had seen his friend use; he would only be borrowing his friends ability, the bond made this easier. it only took a moment, Orlando knew what he was looking for, still holding on to Max he focused the Magic energy, unseen by human eyes, a force of power surged through Max steadying him, a force that made him feel strong and intoxicated. Once Max was imbued  he turned to  each man in turn. Orlando could see it, his eyes were stark white, a smokey snake-like cloud of colors that fused to each man. Orlando's power shot out entering each body filling them with power. "Stay as close as you can to each other. If we separate my spell will fail. Will be fine in the plane but will loose it when we jump. "


Ok, John and I will need to subtract 10, and Max 5
Everyone will get to add +40% to there character to skills. Seeker also said this will negate the resilience fail if you had one, still granting u +40%.

Through his "sight", Aeviternus could see the team behind him still a great distance off, wihtout the ability to see their plane yet, so that they appeared to be flying themselves from his perspective.  He knew this body, every fiber, and therefore he could tell easily that the suit Malcohm provided was assisting a great deal in his efforts to remain as he was.

Which is falling... no... jettisoning toward the earth.

He focused his attention on his core, controlling his limbs and therefore on his attempt to avoid a tailspin.

OOC- Delaying initiative.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:26, Sun 13 Jan 2013.

Kirby looked toward the sky aware that Max was struggling with something, but it looked like Xuan and Orlando were helping. He had to put that from his mind and focused on the task at hand.

Rehearsal was the first time Kirby had ever used his skill for effecting movement on something as big as a man. That had been taxing, and Xuan hadn’t been moving nearly as fast as Aeviternus was now. Kirby swallowed hard and reached toward the sky. With Orlando’s strength flowing into him Kirby was able to see the energy exploding off of Aveiternus with amazing clarity. Each of the thousand purple and green translucent energy strands was distinct. To Kirby’s eye Aveiternus was mummy-like, each strand wrapping around his body with its tail trailing in the wind behind has he hurled toward earth. Kirby had never seen more than a hundred strands of energy before. It was a frightening and beautiful site.

Kirby had to act before fear could creep in. With his mind he reached into a crack between two strands with a fist-like ball; a movement his hand mimicked. Once under the shroud of energy Kirby threw open the ball to cast off as many strands of energy as possible. If this worked it should slow the plummeting man significantly.

“I think I’ve slowed him a little. Cool Hands, is he slow enough to start turning him our way? If not, try and slow him some more. Please.”  He placed his right hand on his temple, left hand still on the handrail, eyes cast to the sky.

Cool hands had trouble following where Aeviternus was, he still needed to pick him up.

Aeviternus saw the plane jet by at an incredible speed, the team defenitely had their timing right, apparently math was a good thing to know how to use. Now he felt almost as if he was being left behind as the plane flew away from his downward tragectory. His decent had slowed considerably as he placed his arms and legs wide to help wind friction slow him even more.

This next set of actions would need to make it all happen or Xuan would need to jump with his parachute in the back up plan.

Looking skyward it was now dark and the sun to the west left beautiful hughes of orange and purple on the horizon, a moment in time of utter rapture to the eyes, life tasted the sweetest when danger and beuty mixed together...and yes the after taste was bile from fear...

Everyone make an evaluate and insight check.  Place this check in a Private message to me.
After that it will be Max's turn.

Back on the ship...

Earl comes in to Aeviternus's room to make sure things are tidied up and that certain items are secure...

He picks up the black jump suit Aeviternus was to wear, huh...I thought he was going to wear this...maybe he thought his leather was all he needed...

...somewhere else someone sat with an amused and interested smirk on their face...

Lacking direct experience did not cause Aeviternus to lack the knowledge, so though it was with effort it was still thankfully with success when he expanded his limbs once more to slow his fall and gain a touch of control.  It occurred to him of a possibility that he could help the guidance onto the jet, perhaps becoming a falling magnet thanks to one of Avery's gifts.  However the trepidation at deviating from the plan combined with any number of variables he might accidentally cause stayed his hand in getting involved other than what he could accomplish with his physicality.

More importantly, he thought, Kirby mentioned we may have company on the ground of the unwelcomed variety.  These men will have spent much energy on this endeavor; it may be beneficial to be as prepared as possible to defend them upon landing...

If that were the case, it certainly would be the best possible scenario to not require Xuan to go fish.  The disciplined warrior's efforts would certainly be better placed on the possible fight.

Grim with determination to make this work he cleared his mind, ancient patience managing the mechanism.  Then he remembered Max's abilities to see beyond the flesh, to find and control with his mind.  He recalled the evening he had met them that the man kept referring to what he saw as an "it", inferring that he could see beyond the thug he'd temporarily existed in.

I don't know if the rest can see me, but I think I can make sure you do... he spoke to Max in his imagination.

Aeviternus pushed forward with his soul, allowing Avery to handle the position he needed to hold in the air just now, reaching out much faster than the speed of sound.  The spirit, while maintaining contact with the body like an anchor, flashed forward to seek out Max and confirm each other's location...

As Aeviternus soared through the air, his thought of more control seemed to effect the suit, causing small membrains to appear between his arms and torso and from crotch to knee. He immediately began to change course in the direction of the plane.

Kirby continued to track their plummeting friend with his eyes. "Hesa at da right speed now now. Turn him toward now.

Max stood to his feet, feeling invigorated by Tibbs magic. "Tibbs you do have a magic touch, thank you my friend."Max turned to John, "Thank to you as well my friend."

For many years Max thought it best not to depend on people to assistance him due to his disability. He thought it better to do things for himself. He found that this was only true to a degree in which one allows. Max found it beneficial to accept one's help, forming a bond of trust and a positive frame of mind in one's relationships. This team of men Max took in with was learning this every moment of everyday. Max thought this being another moment, another day...trust building in a positive way.

Through string energy Max could see Aeviternus. His energy was as bright as the sun. Max drew his vision upon his shimmering energy.  He whispered, "Here he comes."

With one hand on the rail and one hand on his crystal he delved deep into his string river. Changing the current of matter at the source of its journey. The storm rose and withdrew. Max focused his rising string energy towards Aeviternus. Now lets bring you around and into this great peaceful bird.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:38, Wed 16 Jan 2013.

They both see him. Good.

There was a small sense of relief in Xuan, knowing the two main drivers of this mission were seemingly in control now. They had a long way to go yet, so the relief was only marginal. But it was definitely a successful start. Anxiety still threatened to take control of Xuan, but he was keeping it at bay as much as possible, the internal storm always hidden on the inside while the outside remained a sea of calm.

Marvelling at the men at work, he looked to all of them, each in deep concentration. All of them performing incredible acts, but to the average observer they were merely staring out into the darkening sky. To Xuan's Inner Eye, there was a beautiful flow of energy within them, an increasing maelstrom of power. Beyond the men however, he could see nothing else. No streams of energy or wisps of power. He wondered if he'd ever be able to expand his sight to recognise and track their individual signatures one day. It was only a fleeting thought.

More importantly at that moment, he needed to find their target. The task was far from over. It is not done until we have him safely in the plane. Instead of interrupting them to point the human missile out, Xuan tried to gauge Max's sight by lining up behind him and casting his eyes in the same direction.

He must be getting closer. I will see him eventually. Perhaps even before he reaches the plane, he added to himself with a withering sense of humor.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:26, Wed 16 Jan 2013.

Xuan saw him very quickly as a fast approaching man dressend in a uniquely prague-like dark suit soared into the back of the plane guided by Kirby and Max working together, landing on his feet and conscious the figure held still for a moment looking around. Xuan saw an energy about this man as well...everyone notice the wing-like membrains disappear into the suit as if water were reabsorbing.

The pilot was seemingly unaware of what had just happenned and spoke over the intercom a second or two later," Captain we are nearing the drop coordinates, ready your selves. "

The next phase went into motion...


We are still in initiative. Xuan and Orlando can go simultaneously.  Then it will be the top of the order again with CAs returned.

Well, I see him now, don't I.

Sarcasm wasn't usually part of Xuan's consciousness, but it crept in occasionally. The disappointment of not even seeing the man until he reached the plane had gotten the better of him, but the success of part one of the mission held his spirits high above it, and he couldn't help the small smile creep onto one corner of his mouth. Amazing, which is nothing to say for the odd suit he's wearing.

No time was wasted as Xuan grabbed the nearest parachute and brought it over to the new arrival.

"Xiàng hēi hè yōuyǎ de chénmò, tā de tǔdì." At the final word, he gave Aeviternus a Max-style raised eyebrow, then handed him the pack.  There were a multitude of layers to the comment, and Xuan wondered just how much the mysterious one would comprehend. Previously, he'd shown a great aptitude for the culture, so Xuan gave him the benefit of the doubt and left it there.

"Welcome back to Earth." Never thought I'd say that. "As time is of the essence, please allow me to aid you in securing your pack for a speedy departure. I am afraid your time freefalling is not quite at an end."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:55, Wed 16 Jan 2013.

Whoa, hot dang, that's fast Earl jumped back a bit as Aeviternus cascaded gracefully into the plane. He picked up the other portion of the pack that Aeviternus would wear and helped Xuan attach it.  Orlando stopped and asked," Is it ok if I charge you magically, it's a boon that we all currently share? it will help us navigate down to the beach, but we'll need to stay close."

He was taken aback by the mask and goggles, thinking I wish I was wearing that going down.

Having flown plenty before, just never with a physical body, Aeviternus was spared the shock of achieving the impossible.  His glances around the plane were ceased by John's words, and with them approached the man as Aevitnernus turned to him.  Chuckling a little at what came in John's native tongue he responded with a bit of a wistful air as he looked down at the pack being offered.

"Hé hēi'àn wǔshì jiè tā de ké, tā xīwàng de huólì."  Raising his head again to look at Xuan he continued in English; "Thank you."

Aeviternus turned his back towards the men offering help and extended his arms to help the process be as quick as possible.  Tilting his head toward Orlando he replied; "Any help you are offering is entirely welcome and much appreciated.  Please proceed with all you're willing to share."

His eyes had gone back to normal, invisible behind the reflective shield before them as they looked at each man and marveled at what they'd already accomplished.  Nodding at Kirby and then Max while Xuan and Orlando assisted with his pack, he somehow felt a touch of friendship amongst them despite that his collective experience together with them could be counted inside of an hour.

Aeviternus flew into the plane unaffected by the jet stream of the stealth plane as it traveled at sub-sonic speeds, Max however had almost lost him completely as he got closer to the plane, it was good to have friends to enhance abilities.  Orlando's power had infused the group with extra energy and focused their minds. Now Aeviternus shared this boon as well.  Everyone's focus and movement seemed crisp and uncanny, allowing for precision unlike they had ever known. Everyone began quickly donning their next set of gear, Kirby had quite a bit of gear for them to haul, if they didn't make it close to the dock they would be in for a grueling back pack exercise. Each man was clad in black fatigues for night operations, they would be hard to see at night.  The team also wore ear buds with frequencies that would transmit up to 3 miles, being hidden in the the lobe of the ear gave the team an organized look, Aeviternus still wore his mask and  had yet to be fitted with his own set.



Everyone, Aeviternus's mask is still on, and he hasn't been given any of the ear buds.  You do need to pres a button to activate the head sets if you want to talk.  So you will need a hand free to use them. The team will need to make two athletics checks, one to jump clear of the plane, and one to hold into the correct fall pattern.  I will need 1 evaluate check for everyone to pull the chord correctly according to plan. Everyone will get a +8% to your athletics skill as Kirby has aided and will help people leave the plane.  Remember to give me straight rolls.  It is now Kirby's turn.

Kirby stepped over to help Orlando get Aeviternus suited up, examining the strange suit he was wearing as he did. “Where’d you get this?” He asked, as he inspected the pack he was placing on Aeviternus for the fourth time. Although the group would be able to hear him in their ear buds, Kirby yelled loudly so that Aeviternus could hear him as well, “R’member our ordah everybody. Tsunami, Cool Hands, Sky-fall,”  it wasn’t a clever nickname, but it was easier on Kirby’s mouth, ”Pythian, then me. We’re aiming for a small grassy-beach inside the harbor, north and west of all the sail boats. Just below the road. Pull your cord on ten afta leaving the plane.”

He had finished with the pack, and then handed Aeviernus, Sky-Fall, his own set of communications equipment.

While nobody could see the bemused expression under the mask, Aeviternus considered the handle and it's possible origins with a modicum of mirth.  Was it based on his arrival or could it perhaps be a belief of what his role in the group might entail?  Either way, now wasn't the time to ask and aside from that he found himself pleased with the feeling of inclusion the name provided.  With Kirby's help he wore the audio equipment and after much gesticulation obtained the assistance needed to turn it on.

He spoke tentatively at first; "Hello?"  Then, hearing his own voice and gaining confidence that it was working, pulled on the material at one shoulder and said simply, "Malcohm."

Max watched mindfully as the team helped Aeviternus with the new gear and concentrated on the task before the illuminated men.

Max waited for John to make his departure out the plane door. He thought one last parting thought or word.

With a smile and positive intent Max spoke. "Gentleman the next door of opportunity is open before us. We make our own destiny... our time is now...our friends are counting on us. Lets stay the course and be righteous in our choices!."

Kirby and Orlando were helping Aeviternus when he asked the simplest of questions, but they were shocked at what they noticed...

Black rubber-like fluid flowed from the suit up to Aeviternus' ears on both sides, while the neck of the suit rose to his jaw line.  The suit moved eerily and pushed out the ear piece that Kirby had just placed there...a simple electronic voice clearly projected through what seemed to be a speaker fashioned by the suit. Would you like to activate signal trace and duplicate? Would you like to activate symbiosis mode for advanced features...signal to Malcohm is not possible in "flex mode."

Aeviternus was taken aback by the movement of the suit and it's communication, the feeling of the liquid material entering his ear canal was not pleasant to the archaic interloper now known as "Sky Fall." Both Kirby and Orlando took pause at seeing the motion.

Disconnecting the line that tethered him to the plane, Xuan dropped it to the side and walked to the opening. He pulled on the straps one more time before turning around to say, "See you all at the boat. Hǎo yùn," he added with a nod. Though he spoke his own language, Xuan figured the intent of 'good luck' would transcend language. They were all smart men.

And then he stepped off and let the wind take him.

As his stomach rose to meet his throat, Xuan spun until he caught the lights of the plane moving away. Once acquainted with his place in the sky, he rolled to reposition himself, facing the ground. Then he began to count. Searching the lights below to find the docks, he allowed himself a moment to feel the joy of the freefall and the beauty of the city lights below. He felt that it couldn't be too dissimilar to actual flight.

One day. I will master feng as well.

Orlando moved back from Aeviternus just a little.  "You didn't have this suit last time, was this a gift from up above?" The comment had multiple meanings. Orlando looked up and down the suit and felt the fabric as he made Aeviternus's final preparations.  Time was short now, Xuan had already left. "You're ready," Orlando shouted to be heard over the torrent of wind. "Do you have anymore of those suits?"

As the suit crawled into his ears, Aeviternus reacted by grabbing a strap on Kirby's gear to steady himself, a slight panic jolting through him at the unexpected intrusion.  As the electronic voice queried him, calm came back within a moment and he attempted to answer.

"Yes.... yes," he answered to both, then visibly shrugged at the statement it made.

Regaining his composure he released the strap at Kirby's shoulder and nodded to him to signal he had himself under control again.  Turning to Orlando as the new set of questions came, he smiled though it remained invisible underneath the mask.  Now being cautious with his words, not knowing if the suit would think him talking to it again, he answered concisely and in order.  "Yes... no."

It was his turn to fall again.  Capitalizing on his already coursing adrenaline, he turned, coiled and sprang again towards the much larger opening than the last he'd leapt through.

And again he plummeted toward the earth, this time much slower but it was all relative when the ground raced at you, threatening certain annihilation.  One second went by, arms pinned to his sides and legs outstretched and together.  The next second that went by saw him spread his wings again to control his fall and with the thought came the suit's assistance, webbing-like material spreading between torso and appendages.

Eyes aglow, he sought out Xuan and followed his path.

Kirby watched Sky Fall go, and waited for the others to go.

OOC: holding initiative to jump last.

Max watched as john leapt from the plane.

Following Johns lead, he step to his mark felt the rush of the wind in his face, turned and winked. "Last one down buys the first round!"

Max leapt through oblivion mouth. His eye's wide, mind relaxed waiting his time.

He thought of Lynne and what she was doing right now. How he loved, missed and wished she could be here right now with him sharing this exceptional moment. She would love this...He started the count 10, 9....


Max focused his bearings and looked for the docks...8...7

The suit reacted about the moment the Aeviternus left the plane..."Initiating Sym Mode...prepare for interface..."

Pain burned through Aeviternus's back as the suit shot small and inconspicuous fibers into his spinal column from the base of the neck all the way to his tail bone..."Inititating nano-block pain inhi-."Aeviternus realized that the psionic voice was female in thought, and strangely the fit of the suit caressed his form. Heightened and orgasmic pulses hit Aeviternus's body all at once as the suit made him feel naked and protected, the wind friction sent thousands of receptors into blissful overload.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:26, Tue 05 Feb 2013.

Orlando had seen...done crazy things in his day, but having a man fly in a plane from space with a suit that moved while all of his new friends were now bookin ass to jump back out of the plane seemed crazy...the worst part was he knew it was only going to get more bizzare from here...within the next few months he was going to be knee deep in a jungle fighting the boogie man or with frozen shingles on some Yak headed to Shangrila. The problem was that crazy could always be one-uped until you bought the farm.  He forced himself to focus on the here and now...picked up his gear and headed to the opening. He pushed the button to talk so that Kirby could hear him. "See you at the bottom...I'm gonna try and land in the boat on his recliner...hopefully he'll have something to drink down there...with a big white smile that tried to hide his fear he lept out of the plane.

Hey gang...just so everyone knows, my +40% boost will be off now.  We have moved to far apart from each other, including Aeviternus, although it would have eliminated any hindering effects had you failed a roll.  So everyone is back to normal from my standpoint.

With the rest of the crew having jumped Kirby moved to follow them. He keyed the plane's intercom on his way to the ramp, "Thank you Captain, cargo's deployed," and took 2 quick steps off the back of the plane.

Immediatly upon leavng the plane he scanned below him looking for any trouble from the team, waiting to see four parachutes opening up benieth him.

In the dying light the ocean took on a dark and foreboding feel.  The sun had completely dipped past the water line, taking with it the purples and oranges that had perfumed the haze of the horizon. It was now almost impossible to see the plane, minus it's lights as it turned east to head back to base. A dark silhouette of a bird, Kirby's focus now turned downward, all of his men had jumped on cue, pulled on cue, and the spacing was good. The plan was going as intended.

The fall was a rush for the team, each member had managed to avoid spinning out of control, the previous jumps had helped the group. Floating, the team had seconds to look around, find their path and edge of the water.  It would be imperative for the team to miss landing in the water, well minus Xuan. Kirby's team did not have the practice of exiting the parachutes that he did, and with the extra pack they would be drug under water. His next goal would be to soar past everyone and get below them, helping them guide to the beach on his lead.

It was at that moment as he put his arms at his side that the entire team saw a shooting comet of white fire heading toward their air space, actually heading towards the original flight path of the pod...then close behind another craft flew above. It was not a regular plane, and was potentially recognizable to a few...this was the craft that Kirby had hoped to avoid meeting tonight.







The team felt a moment of panic as if a large flaming eyes draped the area in light searching for them. The team was not safe hanging there in the wind.


Please make an Education roll, evaluate.

If you make your roll look in the spoiler:

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
The ship is that of Cosmic Breed, and it seems as if they had picked up the pod's presence.

---

If you made your evaluate:

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
The comet is recognizable of the character "Solar Flare" and the creature is a manifestation of the two leaders of Cosmic Breed's psionic power, they are each level/magnitude 10 psionicists by them selves, from images on TV, they are stronger when working together.

---

Next...Aeviternus, then Max...We are at the top of the order and all of your Combat Actions are full, but not the used energy though.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:04, Sun 10 Feb 2013.

Fighting off the excitement the boy was feeling at seeing what represented celebrity, the old soul once again shoved his way to the front forcibly, causing the body's head to twitch with a jolt of pain.  Aeviternus, already looking for alternatives, opened his mouth to speak and hoped mightily that the suit transmitted the message to his team.

"These new arrivals' motives are not clear but one thing is: they will stop us, and they will not take kindly to our mission or haste."  He took a quick scan of the sky about him and accounted for Max and Orlando above him, Xuan below him and Kirby rocketing by.

Well nobody's missed the grand entrance.

Focusing his attention on Kirby, he spoke one last suggestion.  "We should find another landing zone and take our chances with anything but what's below us."

Max was shocked. He reconozed the two beings making their presents known as part of cosmic breed. What are they doing here?

Max keyed his mic and spoke. "Arrowhead are you seeing this? Team cosmic breed is all over the place. Where are we targeting to land now?"

Max got ready to make the needed adjustments to his flight path. Max knew these two breeders had psionic abilities.Time to put some mental power to work.

Max extends himself deep into his string power pool. His psychic power broadens itself towards his team members, like a hand reaching out for a falling rain drop. As the power catches each team member they feel a close connection with Max, as if to protect them from any psychic assault. A smile widen on Maxs' face.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:20, Tue 12 Feb 2013.

Kirby keyed the intercom "Stick with the plan."

Talking on the intercom, "Got an idea what we should do when they start heading this way, anybody have some sneaky shit they can do right now?" Orlando continued to fall and head towards the drop spot.

I never had to deal with these types of a holes before, I hope now isn't the time either. Orlando thought of his past as a younger man, and not for the first time during this whole ordeal thought, maybe he was getting to old to do this kind of thing.

In reply to Orlando Tibbs (msg # 67):

"Pythian, I've laid my best tricky hand down on the table, lets see if it's a winning hand..."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:32, Thu 14 Feb 2013.

The group steadily dropped in altitude towards the beach, hanging at about 10,000 feet they were roughly a minute from hitting their spot on the beach. Kirby had quite a few parachute tricks that could get them down a little faster but they were all dangerous for this novice group and then there were various powers possessed by the group that might aid.

Xuan was in the middle of trying to figure if he could make the drop all the way down...it was a precarious proposition at best.



Hey everyone, make a stealth check.  i will be taking the checks and averaging them together. Please post your check in a private message to me. Once Xuan has gone, which he is working on, we will go to free play until the beach.  Just waitin on Wu tang Dang!!!!!
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:06, Fri 15 Feb 2013.

They are like Shen, Xuan thought as he gazed at the Godlike image in the sky. So, they are real, and their power is blinding.

Pulling his attention away from the Cosmic Breed, Xuan tried to gauge what level of danger they were in, and just how fast he could remove himself or the team from it. His first instinct was to drop straight into the water, which required the loss of the parachute and a speedy descent into the deep cool blue. A refreshing thought, and being honest with himself, he was more than anxious to take the opportunity to feel at home once again; Si Feng waited below in the Shui.

If he could make the drop, he would be able to ready the boat even quicker, a departure made more necessary by the inclusion of Shenlike beings. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, those beings frightened him. Even with the understanding that they served a good cause, there was uncertainty as to the means. Many an atrocity was performed with good intentions,  Xuan knew. Considering all the implications of getting apprehended, even the best case scenario suggested a delay to their mission - to finding his mother.

Hand on the release, Xuan studied the scene below him. Too far. He could end up expending all of his energy to fall safely down, only to still risk his life. Another uncertainty. Too many uncertainties always made Xuan uncomfortable. Certainty lay some 10,000 feet down, and the seconds remaining on the way would feel long and tenuous. He exhaled heavily and relinquished his grip on the latch, placing it instead to the device in his ear.

"We have a way to go yet. Those creatures in the sky are looking for us no doubt, as Skyfall has suggested, and we should consider the tools they have to manage this. If we can see energy, it's more than possible they can as well. Arrowhead, I'm aiming for the water. It will be quicker that way. I'll have the boat ready to leave as the last foot steps on deck."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:50, Tue 19 Feb 2013.

Kirby's response had a curiosity causing effect upon Aeviternus, now wondering if the Captain knew these beings or had planned this.  After all, while they cemented their plans to catch him and deploy to the beach, Aeviternus was still out in space and hardly privy to the details other than what to look for when he threw himself out of a perfectly good space pod.  Sticking to the plan seemed to land them practically at ground zero, and yet that's just what they were going to follow through with.  The ancient one's instincts were telling him that these beings were on the hunt, and that it was in the group's best interest to avoid being the prey, but so far he had no reason to doubt the soldier who'd made good in both promise and battle.

Aside from the new found trust, he was wearing an outfit that complimented his natural ability to disappear nicely, and some of the team already seemed to be adding layers of protection to their descent.  Perhaps the plan for the new intrusion was to take no action which, in fact, seemed the wisest of all.

This last thought inspired him to send Xuan off with encouragement.  Focusing his attention on the warrior below him, he said; "Water overcomes the stone; Without substance it requires no opening; This is the benefit of taking no action."  Turning his sights back to their intended landing zone he focused on sending his body through space in a controlled glide... thinking like a black crane.

"Max or Kirby, can you guys speed us up on our decent here, I'm thinking the longer we are the more chance we have of being seen.  Lets get down there as fast as possible." Said Orlando. He didn't like being a floating duck especially with skilled hunters in  the area. He had a magic trick up his sleeve but it would be useless in the air, he needed to get to the ground to help the group.

As a hunter himself he had many tools of the trade to help for such strange occasions, sometimes though the use of such devises were very situational.

In reply to Orlando Tibbs (msg # 72):

Max keyed his mic. "Pythian I can't really speed us up, but I've given us some razzle dazzle protection from the hunters. Hopefully it will be enough for our earthly decent."

Max felt confident in his new found power and how it would serve the team in their future endeavors in rescuing Susan, Jack and the team.

"Yet benefit without action, and experience without abstraction, are practiced by very few." The reply came so quickly that Xuan almost forgot to touch his earpiece. Overcoming, he thought. Perhaps that is appropriate. Thoughtful as he floated down, the teachings of Lao Tze were like his own descent, slowly floating through his mind. Watching the water and trying to avoid looking at the Shen-like creature, Xuan was pulled toward introspection.

"The legacy of my family dates further back than I know, and has a connection within the writings of Lao Tze. Shui. And I think you as well, Skyfall. Perhaps I will share this with you some day." When we aren't being hunted by self-proclaimed governors of the world.

"Hands, what is... razzle dazzle?"

In reply to Xuan Tien John Wu (msg # 74):

Max chuckles at Johns question and decided he would transpose the answer to chinese. Thinking John would find humor there. "Johnny, working with your mother all those years, allowed me to learn some chinese. Here's how I would translate the term 'razzle dazzle' into chinese. 疯狂的魔术!"

The team floated down, moving quite fast, but the abrupt change of speed made them feel slow and naked in the air. What seemed like minutes was really second...

The group with Kirby's help was able to navigate to the beach just out side of the Marina, minus Xuan.  He had taken a path over the water closer to the boat and cut loose allowing himself to fall like an olympic diver into the ocean, his goal was to prepare the boat quickly as everyone made their way by land.  His unique ability allowed him this advantage of a water approach.

The group is about 50 yards away from the dock entrance, there are cars and some buildings inland, some cars driving by as it is just about 8:40pm. Everyone has heavy packs with them that need to be transported to the ship over the sand.  There is a parking lot that has some cars in it next to the dock.  The Energiezed being can still be seen miles away, Cosmic Breed does not seem to have noticed your get-away. I will start you from here in any order you wish, free play.  Please add skill checks into your movements and actions to add to your success of said action.

It is hard to see due to the dark, there is a penalty to some from darkness.

Max came to an abrupt stop. His bend and roll with it technique worked out fine. So much so it might've even impressed John.

Max packed away the chute as instructed by Kirby, depositing it in the sand.

Max saw the cosmic bread crew far off in the distance. He thought someday I'd like to meet them under different circumstances.

He gathered his berrings and headed for the docks, looking for the team as he went, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible.

"Arrowhead you copy? I'm on the ground and ready to move towards the dock."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:29, Sat 02 Mar 2013.

Aeviternus hit the beach with a low grunt and quick steps to avoid and gather the cords of his parachute.  Immediately he felt the full weight of the pack upon him and was maligned by its intrusive heft.  It felt as though every move he made was with a large child clinging to his back, threatening to pull him to the sand uncomfortably.  Unaccustomed as he was to being burdened, for he normally traveled exceedingly light, he worked quickly to ditch the 'chute and find a shadow to duck into.

Slogging through the sand as quietly as he could, he swept his gaze around and tried to pinpoint the locations of the rest of his group.  "I am also ready."

Hitting harder than anticipated Orlando fell to the sand head first. Fuck, he said as he spit sand out of his mouth, fuck again came out of his mouth as he situated the pack on his back.  He trailed behind Aeviternus and hid as well. Out of the pack he had taken out his 44 magnum and placed in the holster on his chest and arranged a wicked looking assault style shot-gun on his back.

"I'm ready he said quietly, lets take 10 seconds here, now I can use a trick up my sleeve." Orlando had taken out a small vial, dark in nature and hewn out of rock maybe.  It had a small cork tied with a little piece of twine. Uncorking the vial was all that it took to weave this magic, no spells or incantations needed, it's power was stored in the vial.  A dark liquidy smoke rose from the vial and Orlando took a long pull into his nose.  Blowing the smoke out through his mouth, it danced and billowed around the party, attaching itself and disappearing upon each person. The group had been glammered, each of their movements now seemed smokey and translucent.

"It will be very hard to see us now at night, stay out of the light of the street lamps and docks."Orlando intoned, softly, he seemed out of breath while talking.

After disengaging the parachute, Xuan quickly squirmed out of the pack to let it drop separately into the water. From that point in the air, it seemed the distance was just right to get out of his pack and make a safe dive.

Shoving the pack aside in mid-air, he twisted his body into a sleek dive just in time to cut right through the choppy surface like a knife through soft butter. He would have been satisfied with the furtiveness of the action had it not been for the heavy pack that crashed hard next to him. The rush of the freezing water washed over him quickly, threatening to shock his body into paralysis. Instead he welcomed it in like an old friend, revelling in the freshness and purity that came with the familiar salty taste, truly alive in his element. He longed to stay there, floating underneath to feel at one with his Shui self. But duty would come first, as it always did. He allowed himself one large gulp of watery breath, and then forced his limbs to move again. Curling around like a fish, he maneuvered back toward the top to grab his pack. It wasn't hard to gain his bearings under water like other people. He couldn't remember a time when it had been.

He spotted the pack a short distance away. Things moved along quickly closer to the surface. Reaching  the bag, he snatched it and shot up, but didn't get very far at first. Even in the water the pack was cumbersome. With a heave, Xuan emerged to search for his boat, his home. Si Feng was fairly close. He hadn't drifted too far away on his way down, luckily. Some small relief came as he heard some of the others confirm their positions, noting that the Cosmic Breed had made no further movements toward them.

"Tsunami en route." With another plunge, Xuan kicked hard toward the back end of his boat.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:15, Mon 04 Mar 2013.

Watching Orlando adjust his pack and secure his weapons reminded Aeviternus it might not be a bad idea to have Lotus in hand.  He removed the short staff from his own pack while he observed the impressive yet simple display of magic from the larger man, twirling the weapon absently as he took in the show.  Once the rite was performed, he waited for Orlando to seem ready again and tapped him on the shoulder.  The wizard didn't really seem the type to engage in the more espionage-like elements of warfare, at least not with his physique, so Aeviternus wordlessly pointed a trail of shadows out that he intended to follow in order to get him to the yacht and remain unseen.  His gestures indicated the suggestion for Orlando to follow.

Next he looked for Max so as to make the path clear for the first to land as well.  Had he trusted the suit not to megaphone his intentions, he might have spoken these thoughts to the group.  But he was learning as he went, and Aeviternus wasn't keen on taking chances just at the moment.

Kirby landed and helped Max get his pack ready, stowing the excess parachutes for everyone he took out a sub-machine gun and pointed at Aeviternus to lead the way.  Kirby would hold the rear and make sure that he kept the group close," Keep it close close," came his quick talk. If they were lucky, Xuan would have the boat ready and they would be soon underway. He only hoped that Cosmic Breed weren't interrogating the pilot currently, that would be bad for the group.

Orlando was turning out to be a deep bag of tricks, and he hoped he had many more coming. Kirby followed right behind Max in arms reach scanning up ahead for movement. Kirby's sight at night was to say the least exemplary, he focused and stretched his sight, farther than any normal man could, looking for movement, unnatural movement for this late hour.

using my sight to scan for bad guys
 Today: Seeker of Truth, on behalf of Edmund Kirby Smith IV, rolled 15 using 1d100. perception
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:21, Wed 06 Mar 2013.

Having plotted a course and receiving the signal, Aeviternus did what came natural... he disappeared.  Had the group not already an eye on him, the figure completely encased in black may well have become a shadow himself and vanished from sight altogether.  One thing aiding in their tracking of his movements, however, was his continued strain under the obtrusive weight of the gear.  A stutter step here, a readjustment of a strap there, every few yards was a battle to maintain balance and stay within the comforting hollows of the dark.

No stranger to improvising, Aeviternus led the pack through the crawling vines of shadows in as direct a path as possible to the docks and Xuan's home.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:00, Thu 07 Mar 2013.

The sun was past the horizon with just the tiniest of light in the sky leaving the darkness that much lighter over the water.  It was a normal night at the harbor and people were out and about, walking their dog, getting into cars, and businesses across the street were open.  People were milling about.

Aeviternus had successfully gotten the group to the "bay break" wall that ran from the water all the way to the beach.  It was a concrete wall that kept breaking water from slapping the boats, and at this section was quite high, enough to hide the group from the on lookers as they huddled down by the waters edge.  It was tagged with graffiti and provided quite a bit of cover, it did seem however that it would be hard to avoid normal people on the street from seeing the group if they followed the "break" from the beach to the entrance to the harbor.  There were simply too many people out not to notice them.  It was as good a place to regroup...Kirby seemed to frown slightly as he scanned up ahead, the creases on his brow indicated that there was trouble up ahead, he had ordered the group to have normal civilian parachutes and not the sleek black small chutes.  At the moment the group had the cover of parachuters landing on the beach, not totally out ot the norm...


In the water Xuan swam easily into the bay and to the back of his boat.  Climbing on his boat he noted that things weren't as he had left them, not ran-sacked, but searched through. He quickly scanned...everything seemed to be there.  He checked the levels and prepared to start the boat, a brief heartbeat stayed his key...turn...the engine chugged to life and with a calming and normal sound...fuel levels were where he had left them as well...Xuan began the other preparations for leaving...cautiously...


All may go from here...I would like to know what weapons you have, and what you are looking for, I need some intel on you people.   As you are all good at certain things, I need to know what you are trying to do and what you are focusing on.

Keying his intercom,"Hey, we are going to have to pass by some potential video surveylance, I can nullify it, like I did in the conference room, but we are going to have to turn off all of our electronic devices. I'm trying not trying to be too paranoid, but well, I don't think we can take too many chances. We need to get closer to the sidewalk. "

Orlando realized that there were more people out than he had thought, he wondered if a non-chalante approach might suite the teams approach. The group still held his shadowy spell and they would be hidden for the moment.

The low purr of the motor was almost hidden by the whistling winds and shallow rocking of the boat. The waters were calm at dock, the walls around the harbor taking the brunt of the breaking water. The dock lights were already on, but they weren't for the boats. It wasn't that kind of place. It was enough to ensure safe footing to your boat, but once on, the only light was whatever you had on the boat itself. Xuan reached for the switch to his, but hesitated.

Hand hovering above the switch, Xuan cast his eyes across the dockyard to the entry, then scanned across. He didn't expect to see the others necessarily, but there was always a chance he'd spot them. That he didn't meant that they were doing well to remain hidden. How necessary that was at this point was still up for speculation, though Xuan agreed with erring on the side of caution, especially with everything they'd all already been through. It didn't really matter if Xuan could see them anyway, just as long as they could find Si Feng.

"Light is coming on.... now." The deck was illuminated in a warm glow, the spotlight on the mast becoming a beacon for the others. "There will very likely be little surveillance in this place Pythian, unless someone added their own, which of course is..." Xuan's eyes raked the deck of his boat, "...a possibility. Just how far will the effects of your trick go?" Losing a light would not be ideal if they were in open waters at night, but it would only be a small loss. He may have a spare.

Frowning at the state of his home, Xuan ran his hand along the boom, feeling for any anomalies with the reefing. His movements were slow and deliberate. He stopped at the gooseneck and took a deep breath. When he exhaled, he released his emotions with it, finding the calm of clarity and emptiness. Brief as it was, the swim in the ocean did wonders for his stress. It dripped off of him now like so much water. The danger was not gone - far from it - but stress never helped with that anyway. Reaching down, he checked the boom vang. There might not be a use for the sails, but just in case there was something wrong with the engine, Xuan would rather be sure that he could still set sail.

Opening his Inner Eye, Xuan raised again and set to scouring the yacht, unsure of what to look for. Something missing maybe. Something unwanted perhaps. It seemed he had a few moments before the others arrived to be sure. Only a few, if no further trouble sprung up.

At the moment the word "now" was said, Aeviternus scanned the area of the docks to see if he could pick up which boat belonged to Xuan from where the group was.

He offered a solution to the populace problem.  Speaking to no member in particular; What if we move along the break to where it opens the docks to the ocean?"  Then to Xuan; "Perhaps you can meet us at the gate to the sea."

Kirby had spotted the boat quickly....Click..."that's perfect solution, head that way Skyfall, we'll follow your lead," said Kirby.  He was liking the way this new member thought, he could tell he had been around the block a few times.

Orlando, cancel that, we won't need to take out the lights or camera feeds, I doubt they be of use heading out on the break especially if your trick conceals us. So far things were smooth, if only their presence hadn't already been spotted.  Heading out on the break water was a good way of makin it harder to be stopped.

This idea was agreeable with Max. Sounded more viable considering the other choice.

Max continued to follow the ageless soul the was Aeviternus' lead through the ever begrudging sand.

With pleasant sounds of breaking waves as the back ground in his sensory perception. Max delved deeply into the spring of sting vibrations that surrounded him.

"A good plan."

It was enough for Xuan. He leapt into action again, this time to free the boat from its docking points. He started at the bow and worked his way back to the stern. On a yacht, there were usually 4 cleats to secure from, but there were only 3 on the pontoon in this particular dockyard. It didn't stop Xuan from always using all for of his. Tonight, he wouldn't gather the rope, not wanting to take the extra time. Instead, each spring line was quickly released from his boat and tossed to the pontoon.

Once free, Xuan darted back to the controls and set the boat into motion. Being last on the rung of pontoons meant that he had a fast and easy departure on any given day. It just so happened that tonight it was needed. Now on its course - slowly at first; he didn't want to give the impression that he was careless and in a rush - he left the controls and headed back one more time to pull up the fenders, but hesitated as he reached the first. If these men weren intending to leap from the break-wall, Xuan would need to leave the fenders in place. A pontoon was nothing for hull damage compared to a rock wall with waves to coax them together. I'd better find out.

"Are you rock jumping tonight or are you planning on a swim?" It was just as easy to enter the back of the boat from the water, but only if one could swim. And then there were the packs. Xuan knew his preference, but needed to consider the others. He left the fenders there anyway and returned to the helm. He could always pull them up later.

"Well, how about slow up a bit and throw us your lines, we can get it close and jump.  I'm not sure I can make a running jump as you pass." Orlando was audibly breathing hard from carrying the weight of his pack.

Aeviternus moved upon hearing the call from Kirby and, staying low on the break and watching the breaches so that he might be prepared to avoid being toppled, moved along the water line out towards the open sea.  The thought of the waves directed his attention to the rocks they walked over and caused him to notice how slippery they were likely to be, glistening in the dim light, the group's chosen footpath being a constant victim of the break water.  He knew the Captain would manage, but wasn't yet certain of the physicality of the scholars.

"Watch your step; our path is slick from the ocean and will be unforgiving to the errant foot," he spoke earnestly to the team.

One more exasperated drop of his shoulder and hike up on the strap that dug through his suit and into his flesh sparked another thought.  As he continued forward he asked; "Max; are you able to carry our packs with your mind?"  The absurdity of the question struck him for a moment just before he remembered the giant flying door, flung across a chamber as though it were a discarded book.  Then there was his entry into a flying jet as he freefell over the speed of sound who's success likely had mostly to do with this same mind.

He added, "If possible, it could prove most useful as we negotiate the terrain before us and prove invaluable when we attempt to embark Si Feng."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:12, Fri 22 Mar 2013.

Max leapt from the deep, vibrational string pool he was submersed in at the mention of his name in the ear piece.

Max settled his minds energy, trying to fit the peaces of this futuristic puzzle together.


Max wasn't concerned with Aeviternus' question at this point. His concern was for their future and what his visions held. It didn't seem good at this point. He knew all to well that the key to his visions were their interpretation. Max hoped this team of extraordinary gentlemen could place the pieces in some meaningful order.

Max spoke with great urgency. "Team we have to stop for a moment." Max stopped in the sand and took a deep breath. "I've had a vision of the future we need to discuss quickly and present a plan for. Captain I look to you and Aeviternus on how to proceed from this moment to the next..."

Another vision? Xuan hoped it didn't involve a sinking ship. The metaphoric value of that could mean all manner of danger, let alone the literal implication.

"Do not take long. A boat that lingers too long in the dock will seem suspicious. Parked next to a break-wall even more so." Despite what he'd just said, Xuan pulled the speed back to almost an idle. Even that pace would place him at the wall in less than three minutes. But what Aeviternus said was true regarding the challenge to navigate that wall, which meant that Xuan would very likely need to creep along it to reduce the distance and danger.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:58, Sun 24 Mar 2013.

Orlando looked around to see if anyone were watching or noticing the group," Really, we can't stop now, let talk and walk, Max we need you to lift these packs, I'm not gonna make it out there carrying this fucking thing.  Lets keep moving, unless you saw me fall in the water," Orlando seeing the coast was clear undid his back pack and hoisted it up on the wall and looked to Aeviternus to go up first.  "Skyfall, would you do me a favor and hop up there first, I'm gonna need some help with my fat ass? Max, what did you see?" He wanted to keep the group moving, they were all close enough that they could hear each other with out their mics, but Xuan would still need to hear as well.

Quick quick people, lets keep movin, dhont wanna get caught here on dah beach, Cool Hands, did you see something attacking us, what?" Kirby cupped his hands  to give Aeviternus a foot hold to hop up.

Max moved along with the task at hand while listening to the groups conversation and deciding the proper way to share his vision. He didn't have a clue to what it meant and how to interpret the vision.

"Pythian I will help with the pack as much as I can."

Max cleared his throat, "The vision went like this..at first running sand...then car screeching down the street...shots fired...blood in the water...then breaking waves and the sun as the sand runs out...a warning must be heard..."

Max stopped glanced at his team mates and continued. "Please keep in mind these events may happen within minutes or within the next week. I've found vision events can change according to actions taken to avoid or embrace the possibilities. It's still a matter of choice and free will how they unfold."

He awaited the teams input as he continued moving forward behind Aeviternus.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:35, Sun 24 Mar 2013.

Relieved they weren't stopping as he had no interest in lingering with a glowing being about, Aeviternus moved quickly to Kirby and dropped his pack next to them.  Utilizing the Captain's hands as a launch point he made his way easily atop the break wall and swept his legs around so that he lay on his belly with his head and shoulders still above the group.

Wordlessly he extended his arms towards the men to pull up whatever was offered first; pack, fat ass or other.

After quick moments passed the group were all crouched upon the top of the wall still attempting to lower their silhouettes to avoid detection.

They were poised and ready to walk out into the bay.


Will you be lifting packs Max, how many? Make your throw roll.

Everyone except Xuan make an athletics check, acrobatics if you have the advanced skill. Place the roll in a private line on your next post.

"Hmm. Well the car screeching and shots fired, that could be something that happens up on the street at the front of the dock entrance, so I feel even better about going down the wall here. Open water, that sounds like us succeeding, so lets get on that boat." Orlando tried to sound optimistic.

Orlando got up to a crouch and waited for Max to attempt the pack.  He wouldn't just expect his friend to lift it for him. Orlando looked up to the dock and out to the ship.

"Let's go gang!"

Sounds a reasonable interpretation to me, lets talk more about this on the ship, lets move, Max can you lift the bags?" Kirby urged his group forward down the rock wall towards the boat. He didn't have any experience in interpreting dreams or visions or what ever it was Max could do.  He was still coming to grips with other people having powers, most of his life powers were something exclusive to his family.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:00, Sat 30 Mar 2013.

The group managed to get on Xuan' ship as it pulled up to the end of the runway. Max was able to use his power to telekinetically lift his and Orlando's packs down the slippery pathway. Once on board, the group hears screeches coming down the street as two cars pull up.  There is a fair amount of street light and everyone sees the cars pull up abruptly into a diagonal stop.  Men get out and start looking around the street area.


Hey everyone I would like to pick up the posting pace, this took a little too long for my liking. I had planned on an encounter here, which by taking the break way for the most part avoided it.  But i would like to pick up the pace.

Free of his burden once more and grateful for the smooth transition in the reunion for the group, Aeviternus felt compelled to combine a bit of mood lifting with exploration of the new vessel.  As the ship picked up speed he walked the length of it, placing his hands carefully upon the rigging here and gliding them across the boom there, making a show of stepping lightly and respectfully with each footfall upon the deck.  In a roundabout fashion he made his way next to Xuan at the controls and conducted one last spectacle of looking about his feet as though he were walking delicately upon the tips of faberge eggs.

Removing the reflective eye protection at last, Aeviternus looked at Xuan and mused; "I've never seen a turtle swim upon its shell before."  A smile formed, practically invisible beneath the mysterious black cloth that still cloaked his face, concealing all but his eyes.

"Ah. That doesn't surprise me. Black cranes are often too preoccupied with fish to notice what the turtle does or does not."

Said with a straight face, Xuan almost felt as though he was having a conversation with one of his fellow students at the Mountain. He nearly smiled, but the game required that he didn't break. Giving his attention over to the one now joining him, Xuan tried to judge what was happening on that hidden face. Too dark. "You know, when the shroud is removed from the mystery, we often find that it was only the shroud that made it mysterious in the first place. A mystery hidden by mystery."

When the team had made it onto Si Feng, Xuan had relaxed a little. They were close to completing their task, and it had been a good run so far. When the last foot touched down on deck, Xuan killed the spotlight and turned on the deck lights - a few lights lined along the deck from stern to bow - giving just enough visibility to maneuver the deck without tripping over anything. So it didn't surprise him that Aeviternus was tip-toeing around. He hadn't assumed that any of these men were accustomed to boats or the water, and their adjustments to the rocking would ultimately give truth to that thought. When they all made it below, he would kill those lights too. He purposefully disabled the running lights as well. They would need to be invisible to all as they made their way away from the coast. If the coast guard happened to run across them, he would find himself in significant trouble, but that seemed insignificant in the face of the danger they were trying to avoid.

Checking on the others, Xuan called out over the wind despite the mic. "It will get rougher from here the further out we proceed. I suggest, if you are not accustomed to nautical travel, to make yourselves as comfortable as you can below." He pointed toward the entrance of the cabin. "But if you feel nauseous..." instead of finishing the sentence, Xuan simply swung his arm outward, indicating the sea itself.

Finally he smiled, broadly. "Welcome aboard Si Feng."

Orlando looked about the vessel, it had been awhile for himself, he had traveled quite a bit with Xuan's father, but that was a life time ago. Orlando, looked in the direction of the dock. He was able to see people out of the cars and looking around the entrance to the docks, he wondered if this was the problem that Max had warned them about.

"Xuan I think they see us, but just in case can you punch it out of the cove here, I don't want to get shot at today?" Orlando said pleadingly, he needed a drink and his flask was out, that was a bad sign.

In reply to Seeker of Truth (msg # 103):

Max was more than relieved to be on John's ship. His mind was throbbing from the short journey here, needing to rest and recover.

Smiling at John after his ships introduction of it's accommodations with only one interested in mind, the seats below deck. "John, this is a beautiful ship. As much as I'd like to explore it's curves and halls. I need to rest below deck for a few hours to recover."

Max would enjoy John's wayward ship later. He found a leather captains seat below deck. Reclining the seat back, he closed his eyes, cleared his mind for the needed rest.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:10, Mon 01 Apr 2013.

Looking to the others as they spoke, Aeviternus waited until the break in conversation as Max went below deck.  He then pushed the cowl back up and over his face and let it rest at the back of his neck where it was fastened to the rest of the suit. A boy of very plain features of no more than 20 years was just visible from the dim lights of the deck lamps.  Nothing striking about his appearance for good or ill was cast upon his visage, a face utterly forgettable.  The youth upon his skin was belied by the wisdom in his eyes though, however one would only notice if one were truly looking.

"You may find the shroud to be just the icing of the mystery cake, in this case;" he offered Xuan, almost as a challenge but of friendly competition, punctuated with another smile.  Looking out at the sea and bracing himself with a nearby rail, the boy spoke out to the air whipping across his face and tousling his dark, unremarkable hair; "I'll stay on deck unless or until it becomes intrusive to do so, if it's all the same to you."

Kirby took out his pistol, and braced for a shot if needed,"Gentlemen we aren't outta of dah woods yet, we could still be seen by dah men on the dock and if they've got anything other than pistols we could be in trouble, we're only just just out of the break. Can we take some cover, John would you head out to sea and head north for about 5 clicks then head west. I'd like to be outta sight of dah shoreline until we hit Mexico."

"John, how much petrol do you have, can we make it to the next port or can you hoist sails in the dark?"

Out on the dock the men seemed to not have noticed the Si Feng, with lights out and on black water, the ship was able to escape out to sea.  The men started running around...shouts could be heard far off in the distance.

The crew was able to breathe...

The next step...Kirby had figured that it would take about 10-12 days to get to Panama Canal, it was only a few days past that to his home....but the crew hadn't truly figured out their next leg of the trip.

Orlando's brother was miles away awaiting transport back to Earth, while friends and John's mother lay somewhere deep in the jungles of Brazil, time was of the essence on both accounts...

1. Everyone you receive 3 improvement rolls (please add your bonus roll if you have one) Rolls are for successful skills used or trained.
2. Everyone receives 2 hero points.
3. Everyone receives 3 improvement rolls on power skills.

Those that wanted them were able to adorn a life preserver shortly after boarding the ship. Others would find their way down to the cabin for rest. The trip would be a long one, and they would all have to get comfortable if the next few days were to be tolerable.

Having gone far enough for the lights of the coast to disappear, Xuan did as ordered and turned South toward Mexico. Though the vessel had plenty of fuel to keep them going for a few days, he thought it best to conserve where he could, not knowing for sure when it would be safe again to dock and refuel.

Moments after getting them on course, the lights returned and Xuan set to work raising the sails. Only just long enough to raise the sails. Taking advantage of the extra hands, he called for the assistance of the other men still on deck and issued sharp commands to direct them where needed. It wouldn't speed the process up greatly, but they would learn, and perhaps next time it would go quicker. Besides, these didn't seem the type of men that liked to sit idly by while there was work to be done. Xuan imagined they'd be thankful to keep busy rather than just sit around and brood over what had been and what was to come, as he would be.

"I would like to put a few nautical miles between us and a possible chase. I think if I take us on a course of due South for a day, we may reduce the chance for us to be found if a search is set. And by the morning, we cut in Southeast. If the winds are good, we can be as far as the Channel Islands by tomorrow afternoon. If not, tomorrow night. And we can refuel at Catalina Island if we feel it is safe, which is another few hours South after Channel Islands. I will take us through the night, and tomorrow, when we find calm waters, I will rest and one of you can take the helm. If you have never sailed before, lesson one begins now. Agreed?"

"Now. Which of you knows how to make good tea?"

     Sweating and breathing hard, Orlando was in a gleeful state, he was now starting to enjoy himself,"Tea, Captain, I'm on it." He quickly went into the cabin to prepare some tea.

"Aye, Captain;" Aeviternus called out with an eerie authenticity.  After having spent weeks in the space ship and studying, he was more than satisfied with all this movement and always willing to learn a new skill.  He was an attentive student and moved quickly where directed.

...

On a nautical voyage during an era in which men fought for freedom, like so many before it-

Travelling along the Gulf Stream's current, a vote of thanks was silently given to Mr. Franklin when they had been whisked up to almost seven knots again and the salt of the ocean stung the boy's face as the strong wind picked up from beyond the aft.  The hastened movement of the ship would further camouflage the riot that was in its infant stages, the product of an array of psychological feints and counters the boy had been organizing over the course of the five week trek to the U.S. in order to get him in position to remove a threat to the cabal.

The man's name was Smythe, and he'd been discovered by one of the Custa Sub Rosa's attempting to hide yet another Anelectine murder.  The fact that Smythe was on the same voyage to America was largely due to luck, but likely had something to do with tracking the boy who'd eluded him the entirety of the trip with a disguise as one of the servants.  He watched Smythe now from the bottom stair to the quarterdeck as the man made attempts at stopping a fight between two sailors in a heated argument over supplies.  The argument was taking all three men closer to the foremast and the young servant followed quietly, dropping to the deck when eyes were cast his way to continue scrubbing furiously.  It was getting easier to disappear, however, as more fights broke out along the boom while the Captain of the ship and his first mate exerted attempts to quell some of the quarreling.  The servant slipped in and out of small crowds as Smythe's effort to break up the first had dragged him headlong into a fistfight of his own.

The original scrap had made it fully to the fo'c'sle while numerous battles began and raged on around them, all the while the servant boy following like a jackal, waiting for the wounded animal to be separated from the pack.  He could see his chance arriving as one of the sailors delivered a sound left hook that left Smythe collapsing to the ground, legs quivering and eyes bulging with exaggerated blinks.  The two fighting sailors passed under the boy as he scrambled quickly up the shrouds of the foremast and poised himself at the joint of the mast and jib.  When Smythe attempted to regain his feet, the boy descended upon him, leading with a deadly knee and making a clean contact with the older man's spine.  Smythe fell heavy against the grabrail while his attacker gathered up a length of the nearby bobstay, one end already tied into a large loop.  Checking that the other end of the rope was belayed by a pin, the boy took full advantage of Smythe's disorientation and swung the loop over the man's wigged head.

The feel of the thick rope about his neck caused Smythe to turn and face the culprit, and upon laying eyes on the boy, breathed; "You!"

So entrenched in the character he'd played for the last month, the boy replied in his adopted accent; "Aye.  Me.  The Arcanum is a peaceful people... but for you we'll make an exception."  The last word was grunted as he simultaneously landed a wicked shove upon Smythe's chest, sending him careening over the gunwale and towards the churning sea.  The neck could be heard snapping as his body was jerked in the direction of the bowsprit before swinging sickeningly along the hull.

...

As Aeviternus fulfilled the next request from Xuan he mused loud enough for the warrior to hear over the wind and ocean; "I don't normally take to education from one who I know so little about...but for you I'll make an exception."

"One does not need to know anything about their educator to learn. They merely need to accept that the educator knows something that they do not. I would wager that some of the most valuable lessons in your life came from someone you knew very little about."

Despite the rough waters, Xuan's anxiety had all but vanished. Rough waters also meant a decent wind, and that ultimately meant a faster trip. They had made it far enough away that he didn't expect to encounter any trouble now, but that didn't stop him from being vigilant. It was simply hard not to enjoy the water after being away from it for so long. The push and pull of the waves, the smell and taste of the salty air; on his boat in the open waters, he felt for the first time in a long time that his life was on his terms. And although he didn't think he would care, he found himself pleased that his teammates were seeming to enjoy traveling this way. To top it off, Xuan was finally taking steps to get closer to his mother.

"To say you know little about me would suggest that there is more to know. A broad assumption. Regardless of the fact that you probably know more about me than you let on, I understand that you have not had the chance to get to know all of us as we have each other these past few days. If - since you are part of this team, you have a right and obligation to know who you are working with. Sailing does not require as much of our tongues as our hands, so I give you leave to assuage your curiosity. Orlando will have tea for all of us soon. So long as you do not spill, we can drink, sail, and talk. However, in the order of fairness, I think we should be able to riposte. Question for a question. Quid...quid pro bono."

With a twitch at the corner of his mouth, Aeviternus bounced back; "Quo.  I believe you're going for 'quid pro quo'."  There was humility in his own voice as he made the small correction.  "It's not my first language either, I think I may just have more practice."

Nodding at the proposition, the young man addressed a few of the remarks before asking his first question.

"An assumption it may be, but accurate all the same, I deduce.  I assert there is much more to you despite knowing you are a voracious student and very likely a teacher yourself.   What I know of you is completely gathered by observation.  The replete perfection you demonstrate in your knowledge bases, such as sailing, speaks of your learning habits and your wistful, high level perspective demonstrates a professorial background."

He paused, seeming to come to another conclusion.  "And you are correct about needing to know little about one's mentor in order to learn.  However I opine that knowing the source of the information can be invaluable in determining it's validity."

Aeviternus decided upon his first question for Xuan.  "Who is your father?"  His interest was as philosophical as it was valid to knowing a man, in his opinion.

     Much more at ease in the air Kirby still found himself enjoying the feeling of the open sea and it's hard won escape into freedom. He moved as fast as he could on the deck, enjoying the excitement and releasing tension.  Noticing the conversation he moved closer to the men talking, taking advantage of the privacy for the moment, "That's a fair question, hearing Orlando talk about him has made me curious as well." He was intruding, but had learned along time ago, that there were no private conversations in tight quarters with men you fought along side. They were about to enter into his families world and the more he knew about his companions the better, and this line of conversation would allow him to divulge information as well.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:37, Fri 05 Apr 2013.

Max heard Tibbs puttering with what sounded like a tea pot...curious Max thought. Not like Tibbs to be a tea maker, unless there was Baileys included. He headed towards the galley.

"Why Tibbs you're making tea, wonderful!" Max couldn't help but smile at Tibbs messing with a tea pot, which seemed so out of his element. "How you doing, for that matter how's the team doing?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:08, Fri 05 Apr 2013.

     Orlando fumbled a little bit, just due to the sway and pitch of being at sea. He looked over at Max," I think that we are doing ok, we seem to be out of the clutches of impending doom, and they are getting their energy out working on deck. We'll all probably crash and sleep for 3 days if we let ourselves. It's a little cold up there, some hot tea would be good, want some?" Orlando looked around and found what seemed like the things he would need to make a pot of tea, though he didn't recognize the tea leaf it had a pleasant aroma, he place the nettles in the pot.  He would make the tea Chinese style and use the seeper inside the pot.

     Once he found everything he needed he actually looked like her knew what he was doing.

     Moments later he poured Max a cup and sniffed it, "It's lite, I didn't let is seep long enough, it should be ok without sugar,  or unless you want some, let me run this up to the guys."

     Orlando walked up and brought the hot pot with three cups and placed it on a small cut out table next to the men, he sensed that they were involved in a conversation and quickly asked,"Want me to make something to eat, there's a little bit down there?"

     Taking the cue from the guys he went back down below and spoke with Max," I think they are good, they are talking up there, geting to know Aeviternus probably, which could take them a long time.  I think its good for us to get the hell outta the military base. It feels like we've been jumping from one hot fire to another. I'm worried that our next stop is gonna have bad guys waiting for us too, you see anything futuristic now, we're at open sea, the cars that came down didn't even shoot at us, we're good you think?"

Xuan hesitated. The question had caught him a little off guard. While he was fully prepared to divulge information on himself, he hadn't considered his connections, his father.  Part of the foundation of his upbringing rooted in secrecy, and protocol had never allowed that kind of openness. It suddenly struck him how very little he knew about his inquisitor. But this is the process with which to change all that. Am I making a mistake? He would answer, though his first instinct was to question the question. That was not the way this worked however. How much would he say? How much did Orlando and Max already know?

Just answer the question honestly.

"Quid pro quo then," he began, committing the term to memory. Not his first language? "Grand Master Wu Yang Zhuo, master of Wudang-to and master of Shuǐ yuánsù, which is a water elementalist. He is Second General on the Mountain, High Council member of Shìzú Guǐshān - The Ghost of the Mountain Clan is the closest translation - and one of the Seven Protectors of Tiānkōng Chuānkǒng - Sky Piercer. He is the CEO of a corporation that deals in mainly shipping and holding. And he is father to one, never re-married after my mother." The titles were said with almost a militaristic respect, presenting the answers as simple fact while omitting his own feelings and other certain impertinent details. And the translations were mostly for the benefit of Kirby, knowing that Aeviternus had already shown a firm grasp of the language, perhaps better than Xuan with English.

Without waiting for any comments to return, Xuan took his turn. "Now me. Who are you, really?" Some games required that you maneuver carefully before going making such a bold move. What he understood of the rules of interrogation were like that, warming the interrogated up before the strike. But this particular dance could end at any moment depending on the hunger of his partner, so he struck for the heart while he was still guaranteed a result. Of course, he knew the problem with this was that it would end up sparking even more questions.

You had to start somewhere.

Interesting, Aeviternus thought.  There was more about himself than his father in that answer.  Proud... very proud... but not of himself- instead of his teacher.  The boy's eyes glazed over for a moment as he processed the recitation of titles, laid before him as if the man were royalty being announced to a court full of his loyal subjects.  Only without the grandeur; without the expectation it would mean as much to the listener as the speaker.

But it did.

"To better explain who I am it is best to provide some insight into yourself."  The young face took on a calm not typical to its youth, like an old man deciding it was finally time to part with a family secret.  "All of you are free spirits.  When your body ceases to function, your soul will travel on to its destiny, fulfilling its ultimate purpose which is not likely here on Earth."  He paused to look for incredulity and, satisfied the men were at least humoring him, he proceeded.

"I could better illustrate what I am about to tell you with a process you would undoubtedly be uncomfortable with, so I'll speak plainly.  I am a bound soul; chained to Earth on a quest to find another like me, maybe the first of this... lot;" he said the last word with a touch of disdain and a glance toward the open sea.  Still looking askance he continued, "I do not 'die', at least not as you know it when a body I inhabit ceases to pump blood and fire neurons.  Instead I have friends that aid me in joining with another so that I may continue my quest."

Malcohlm said this would be my last life.  They are trusting me...Reciprocate.

Looking back at the men he finished the thought; "I have been on this journey for over two thousand years."

The youth returned in a flash, threatening to inflict the observers with the bends as his eyes flicked between Xuan and Kirby with a spark of wonder before resting again on Xuan;"Water elementalist.  I'm starting to understand your name and increased verbosity while surrounded by ocean."  Addressing his next question to both men, he blurted; "What is the other mission?  We seek Saul... but there is something else."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:50, Sat 06 Apr 2013.

In reply to Orlando Tibbs (msg # 119):

'We're good ya think' , rang through Maxs' mind. He honestly didn't know what to think.

These visions he dealt with most of his life were the truest of mysteries. He wasn't sure where they came from or why. On the evening of his transformation, the skull had gifted him far beyond his understanding and the ability to see snipits of the future was only known to the skull.

Max knew the visions were nothing more than a puzzle, peaces placed to make an clear picture. He also knew that in most cases he found there to be a meter of time set with them and events were tempered by choices made.

"Tibbs I honestly don't know if we're safe or not. The vision could have nothing to do with this setting, yet be a setting in the near future. I just know that many of my visions are not set, but a possibility of what could happen. It varies by free will of those involved."

Of all the blessed powers the skull magnified, the visions were the most challenging. Max thought humnas put limits on everything they do, physical or anything else. It spreads like a virus into their life. But there is no limits. There are only plateaus, and I must not stay there, I must go beyond them. This was Max's plateaus to go beyond and he would, no matter what.

"And Tibbs I think you're right about 'we' needing our time. I hope this little sea jaunt is that time we need."

Max looked around the galley.

"Do the guys need a snack. I know I could use something. Maybe you and I could whip something up from John's pantry and join them?"

With tea in hand, Xuan couldn't help but allow an appreciative smile. It wasn't perfect, but it was his tea, and Orlando managed an adequate job despite the lack of instruction. Westerners often seemed to have a different appreciation for it. When he'd asked about food, Xuan had only nodded in reply, so involved in the conversation was he, but not wanting to appear ungrateful.

Though he hadn't even thought about food before, it now dawned on him that he should probably have something. With his luck, his belly would growl again while in front of Aeviternus. If that happened, the man was likely to think that Xuan wanted to eat him. A further appreciation for the tea crept in. Orlando would not find much in the way of fresh ingredients in the galley, but there would be plenty of non-perishables he could put together with only frozen fish for meat. Max was still down there too, possibly asleep. Could either of them cook?

Looking at Aeviternus and considering his answer, Xuan was caught between confirmation and incredulity. Assumptions were made as to what he could do, but the reason behind why he was able to was a hard concept to swallow. That Aeviternus was being truthful, he had no doubt. It was more along the lines of accepting myth as reality. Xuan was taught of the Celestials and the Jade Empire, the Shen of legend and lore. These were lessons, used as tools for guidance as a child grew into adulthood, for when they made the choice as to what to take on and believe. To accept Aeviternus for what he was meant accepting the Celestials as truth, and perhaps more. It made his head spin from the implications.

Joining with another... this could mean that the essence of Aeviternus would merge with the soul in the body, not destroy it like a Demon. How does that work? Can there really be two? Is one more prominent, or is it a host-parasite relationship? Too many questions. Which to ask first?

If he could take a moment to consider... well, he was not the only one there that could answer Aeviternus' question. The Captain was a better candidate for that anyway, going back to the mission at hand. Xuan looked over to Kirby expectantly and sipped his tea, swimming in his thoughts.

"I think we could use a snack, even if we don't need it, it's something to do that's sort of normal," Orlando said. He started rumagging in the pantry looking for soup he could throw together, canned SPAM, anything...he welcomed the help from Max and engaged in some small talk at first and then took the opportunity to make more of their time.

Orlando asked quickly, "Can you see into the future at will?"

In reply to Orlando Tibbs (msg # 124):

Canned spam, Max thought though it is something akin to some asian based cultures, mostly islanders. He seriously doubted John would have such an item in his pantry.

Though Max wouldn't consider himself a highly trained chef, he and Lynne took about four years of various classes at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. He could hold his own in the kitchen.

Max looked for some peanut oil and canned vegetables with some frozen fish, along with some common Chinese spices, which were packed probably to hold their freshness.

"Tibbs how about a quick stir fry dish with peanut oil, can vegetables and some Halibut, Chinese five ppice powder, ginger and some cracked pepper corn?"

As Max grabbed the wok and the oil for a quick pre-heat, he considered Tibbs question.

"Yes, I can at will see pieces of the future."

Lynne, his mom and this group of life and death experienced men were the only people who knew of this ability. He kept this secret close to his heart. He knew is potential for both good and evil.

Max kept cooking waiting for Tibbs response.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:03, Tue 09 Apr 2013.

Kirby helped himself to some tea while the other men conversed and prepared the meal. He took a few sips of the warm brew and let the aroma fill his nostrils. Darjeeling, with milk, would have been perfect but this asian-style tea would do. Few things could top Guyanese-grown Darjeeling served with a spot of milk. Thinking of home reminded him of his grandmother. Would she ever pour tea for him again? He frowned deeply and blinked hard to keep tears from wetting his eyes. Grandma Eh-eh was ill, perhaps deathly so, and the thought of not saying goodbye was unbearable.

Suddenly without a taste for the tea he set it down in round contraption he thought of as a “boat coaster”. One of various places around the boat one could safely place a mug of tea without fear of it crashing to the floor, deck.

Kirby cleared his throat to get the groups’ attention before speaking.

“Wes needing to discuss a few things. Ahvetrus,” he gave their newest member a apologetic look as he butchered his name, the name continued to be a struggle for the Guyanan-born soldier, “ah, wes need to get assessment of how much time Malcom and crew have. Des critical critical. But first, we needs ta tell yous about our uder mission. You see, there was this research group that headed into the jungle in Brazil ….”

Kirby continued to relay the details of the initial research mission, regarding the crystal skulls, and the group’s objective to rescue any scientists that may be living.

“Others please add anything you think I missed in a minute. But fors dat mission Aye have it in mind to get to Guyana, and muy family’s home in a place we local’s call the Kanhai Jandhi. Ders a lot of open land der and it’s not far far from the Brazilian border. Wes could easily set up der for the mission.”

“Wes can get into that more, but the important thing is time. If we go by sea it will take us days days to gets to Guyana. Aye don’t want to run outta time for Malcom while we float.”

“Ok, thoughts?”

"We could..." Xuan replied simply, to all of it. Of course. He misses his family, and wants to see them since we'll be so near. I understand. "But...I believe if we go to your family, we will find trouble waiting for us there. And worse, tragedy because of our arrival. These men that are chasing us seem to know more than they should about us. Will we not be placing them in danger if we go? While it will take us days, it could take our enemy only hours to investigate."

Xuan left it there, realizing that he possibly just made a stronger push for Kirby to go now. Would these people actually leave any of their family alone if they didn't try to get into contact with them? Certainly they made a play for the other Tibbs. Were none of their families safe?

It was a dark thought.

Orlando and Max soon found nothing parishable in the kitchen pantry, which was small, only dried and canned food was available, the fish was dubious and probably had freezer burn, it was going to take awhile to get it to defrost to cook.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:04, Tue 09 Apr 2013.

Torn between starting with what was important and that which was simply more convenient, Aeviternus opted to try to make things a little easier first- this discussion could be a valuable one and he didn't want to be a part of any of the challenges.

"Forgive my non-sequitor, but if it's easier for any of you I answer to the name Avery as well, or his nickname, 'Ace';" he forced out, clearly a little abashed about the awkward nature of the subject mixed in with the heavy context.  "The original owner of this body is still very much a part of it, so I will instinctively answer to his names or the one you have designated for me whether it is temporary or permanent."

Skipping straight back to the topic at hand, he visibly shed the discomfort and went all business.  "Malcohm will be able to sustain his people in their current state for four weeks before he must take action.  However I offer another possibility if there is a  choice to be made: perhaps helping Malcohm first would aid in our efforts elsewhere.  Between his people's technology and their gifts, there may be much they can offer to assist in our quests."  He held up one arm completely encased in a black-as-night material that none of them could place as an earthly construct as a case in point, nodding at it while he sipped his tea with the other.

Addressing Max," Sounds good to me, I'll need to start the generator to use the microwave." Orlando clicked the switch and started the generator and placed the fish in the microwave to defrost.

"You know, it might be useful to turn on your future vision now to see if you have any incling as to which way we should go?" Orlanod said.

In reply to Orlando Tibbs (msg # 130):

Max nodded in agreement with Tibbs regarding their possible point of destination.

Max checked the stir-fry jared vegetables. It was done and ready to serve. "Tibbs once that fish is thawed, heat up the wok and throw it in the peanut oil. It should be spiced enough to give the fish some flavor."

Max walked back to the captains seat to meditate on the future held path for the group. Lets see what I can see.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:12, Wed 10 Apr 2013.

Kirby watched Max go then turned to address John, nodding as he began to speak. “Yeah yeah, I have thought on this. Quite a bit.” He reclaimed his mug, thinking about his next words. “Back in Virginia dey knew I was coming der, before I knew I was going der. I’m sure of that. If dat’s the case in Guyana, then it’s already too late. Aye mean, if dey already know dat much ‘bout me den my family is already toubled.” He drowned that unpleasant thought down with a healthy swallow of green tea.

“But aye thinks, and aye don’t know this for sure, but I thinks the leak may be in the military somewhere. Dis is why muy plans at the base focused in Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela options. Dis is why I discarded Guyana as an option, during our planning, specifically for da risks to my family. Derfore if the leak be in the military they won’t expect us der. If the leak’s through one of us then my family’s already in troubled."

Kirby knew it wasn’t much, but his gut tell him the team going there wouldn’t change his family’s fate. He took is care with his next words. “You may be right, John, I know that. But we’re just guessing since we do not fully understand our enemy. Since I know that land like the back of my hand I feel that’s our best staging option, understanding the risks full well.” He emptied his mug, and turned to address Aeviternus.

“Avery, Ace, dats much easier for muy tongue.” He smiled appreciatively, “I’m afraid dat muy mix of Creole, Hindi, and English – both ‘merican and scotch – make some words tough tough in my mouth. I think in creole, most da time, and aye only sound right when I’m thinkin in da language I’m speakin.” He smiled at himself, realizing how absurd this must sound to all these well spoken men. He ended that line of thought with a shrug and got back to business.

“Yous may be right ‘bout our helping malcom first. If we did dat, how would we do it?”

Kirby's points held validity. Xuan could see that. What sold him was how well the man claimed to know his homeland.

"Always choose your battleground," he said quietly, almost to himself. It was a key element of strategy when one was entering a battle, or already in one. Choosing your battleground meant controlling the situation. Though you couldn't really control the outcome of a fight, not completely, you could certainly give yourself the advantage. It was why good military leaders would send small forces into combat and feign defeat, then retreat back to a location of their choice. The retreat would lure the enemy to pursue, thinking they had the advantage, only to find that when they arrived to claim victory they had an entirely different battle on their hands. Starting with your choice of grounds was even better.

That may have to wait. Looking again at the slick black suit Aeviternus was wearing, Xuan could agree that there were advantages to be had by working with Malcohm. But he did wonder just how free they would be with these gifts. That wasn't troubling him however. Patience was a hard thing to gather when your own mother lay captive in a foreign land. And every detour meant a further delay. I honestly hope we are not too late.

His eyes went from man to man as Aeviternus absorbed their words.  He seemed to go into a glazed look that somehow appeared directed at Kirby before he responded with a proverbesque thought of his own in light of the danger he and Xuan spoke of.  Still looking at the Guyana-born soldier he said; "Okhali mein sir diyaa to musal se kya Darana."

Taking another scan of the dark open sea surrounding them he added, "And we have definitely started."

Standing but managing to keep hold of a nearby rail he answered Kirby's question as he attempted to let loose some of the energy that was building up again.  "We would need to go to the Himalayan mountains to meet Saul.  Or at least I would.  There is a gate there that I cannot pass without physicality.  'The way is shut and will only afford the flesh of man,'" he quoted that last.  "Of course, this may saddle us with a distinct delay at getting to the rest of what we must do.  Unless there is some other means that occurs to me, this is the only way I know to aid Malcohm."

Orlando was no stranger to the kitchen and followed Max's direction, but sprinkled in some of the other seasonings in the pantry, which was now nearly empty, the team would need to stop in to a port for groceries by tomorrow or go hungry, or do some fishin, but he hadn't seen any tackle...."<tr>Where does he keep his liquor,</tr>" was the thought that ran through his mind, and he quickly said the Lord's Prayer....Lord please give me the strength...it was something that had been ingrained in him many a time over in the last 30 years.

Orlando found stressful situations to be some what easy to deal with, it was the lull after the storm that posed the problem, after the adrenaline had left, and time was on your hands, idle hands...left only room for vices.

Moments went by as Orlando finished up the meal and put it into bowls, he looked over at his friend in his meditation and wondered with their bond, if he could intrude into his visions, maybe for another time, they had to be hungry at this point, his own stomach had stopped growling. He brought Max over a bowl, and shook his friend, "Sorry, but you need to eat, I've seen friends get tired and keep going, and get famished isn't the word I would use, but, if you push yourself to hard, you won't be any good to us when we need you.  Work on your visions tonight. Lets bring this up to the guys."

Orlando brought up some properly seeped tea and offered everyone a bowl of fish stirfry and a refill. He looked around at the night, and felt the sway as they broke a long the ocean, "Damn, I miss this, I've been cooped up in my books and classes for a long time." It was a statement to nobody. Noticing that he had interupted, he said jokingly,"If you guys were voting on who to bunk with, you're right, I snore, and pretty loud too." Smiling big he hoped that would break the ice a little; playing poker with these guys might not be very fun or rewarding.

Max seemly a bit dazed, helped hand the bowls out to the forlornly crew.  The smell of the food was inviting and Maxs' appetite was stirring.

"Gentlemen" Presenting  his cup of tea in toasting manor.

"May the winds of good fortune bring us closer to Susan and Jack. Solute!" Maxs' eyes steading on Johns. as he smiled.

"Bon Appetite."

Loud snoring? Xuan didn't think he had earplugs. As he hadn't planned on sleeping that night, it wouldn't be a problem...yet. Well, that was the way it worked with close quarters, or so he tried to convince himself. Xuan would just have to get used to it. A sigh escaped him before he could catch it.

We're gonna need a bigger boat.

Catching Max's eyes, he nodded back to him before sipping his tea. "Xièxiè."

"You know," he said into his food thoughtfully, "the unwritten sea law states that any crew member on a water vessel that knowingly or unknowingly disturbs the sleep of the captain, or more than one member of the crew, must be placed in a raft and dragged behind the boat overnight. Apparently this is to help them... clear their senses. In the absence of a raft, they would tie the man to the bow instead as their figurehead in waters where if any noise was made, a sea creature was likely to hear and come to take him." Pausing just long enough to taste his food, he looked squarely at Orlando.

"We have no raft."

Laughing out loud, "I'd like to see someone lift my fat ass and attach me to the front of the boat."

Stirring his food around, it wasn't his forte of meals to cook,"We're almost out of food, tomorrow we'll be hungry if we don't stop for groceries, I'm wondering where the best place to stop for food would be?"

"Challenge accepted." Xuan's wide smile reflected the older man's mirth. Idly, he mused what the man would have been like younger, when he knew Xuan's father.

"I have a place in mind. But failing that, there are plenty of fish in the sea, so the saying goes. And I should have enough rice for a few days yet. Many men have lived on less. Worst case scenario, we ask Kirby to make a call to get some military food dropped in the ocean for us to pick up. Personally, I would stick with the fish." Looking at Kirby, "No offense."

After Orlando talked about the lack of food in store, it occurred to Xuan that he hadn't thoroughly examined the state of the boat. The thought ebbed at his jovial mood, but brought him back to the necessities.

"Now, if I can get one of you to take the helm for a moment, I have a ransacked boat that needs attention. A second pair of eyes would be handy as well."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:19, Fri 12 Apr 2013.

Max smiled at John's banter battle with Tibbs, over his ass no less, as he enjoyed his stir-fry.

A thought for his teams safety entered his mind.

"Tibbs can you cast your blocking spells on this ship? If so I would highly suggest you do so ASAP at John's and Kirby's OK?"

Max looked towards John and Kirby for their leadership in this matter.

"Okay with me. Actually, I was going to look for a tracker that is a little more mechanical in nature."

"I could, but we would need to kill the whole boat, nothing on including the engine," Orlando began looking around for a clear spot.

If there was a tracking device it would be fried by his spell and that would probably be a good thing, he would put every bit of energy he had into the spell to make it as functional as possible.

Aeviternus approached the helm to volunteer for whatever aid he would be preferred for.

"Eyes or hands; how can I help?"

Before switching everything off, Xuan pointed out a clear spot on the deck for Orlando to work his magic. He waited for Orlando to situate himself before hitting every switch, one by one.

"Lights out everyone."

In the darkness, Xuan allowed his body to fill with Chi, bringing it close to his flesh from within so that he began to glow where his skin was exposed. He looked at Aeviternus and shrugged. "He can't fry my circuits."

Not feeling like he needed to stay around for Orlando's light show, he prepared to start his search. Facing Aeviternus, he accepted his help.

"Hands if you can steer a boat. Eyes if you can't."

Orlando finished his bowl in two great big slurps, and then eyed everyone. He wan't used to performing for people in this fashion. "Ok, I appologize a head of time if a battery goes out, I am not sure of all of the aspects of this spell, but transmitting devices and power sources working will be fried."

Orlando steadied himself on the deck and took in a big breath, the spell hurt slightly as the energy charged out, it wasn't the best feeling. He bowed his head and mumbled arcane words as energy built from his stomach, swelling, the energy transformed and became a type of electrical current and shot out through his body, entering the deck of the boat, shooting in the air, cascading and dancing everywhere.

An unexpected occurance happened that caused fear run across Orlando's face, charges of energy, lept and entered Aeviternus' body. Smoke and the smell of ozone now eminated from him.

His face still exposed since the removal of the cowl, the pain was evident on his face as Aviternus' eyes and teeth clenched in response to the electrical currents coursing into his body.  The bolts should have sent him reeling, possibly even over the side of the boat, but the young man seemed to regain control quickly as soon as the darkness fell back over the group.

Ok, the suit's electrical.  And now it's broken.  Dammit.

His senses were dancing with delight. Max wished for time to study Tibbs magic spell at a string level, but he couldn't.

He smelled the burning ozone of Aces suit and witnessed the electrical charge as it coursed through John's ship. The moment reminded Max of the ending scene in Indiana Jone's 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.

How appropriate Max thought, knowing what he knew thus far of Tibbs magic origins. He smiled.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:02, Mon 22 Apr 2013.

Xuan, Kirby and Max noticed the large light created by the spell, it was a rather large show of energy, which made the ship glow momentarily like a light house. Max's eyes light like a kid in a candy store as his focus is drawn toward Aeviternus.

Walking closer to Aeviternus.

Max couldn't take his eye's off the suit thinking, a new technology.

"Ace may I." Indicating he wanted to touch it. With the suit displaying bio-energy could it be some type of life form, possibly symbiotic in nature. Would the suit now see the crew as hostile, due to the magical damage?

This was Max. Always looking for the answer to the unsolved mysteries and he had to know.

Max focused his mind on healing, loving thoughts. Ones of friendship and family. As he did so he examined the suits burnt receptacles.

Looking at Ace, "what do you know of the suit? Has it communicated with you in a intelligent, sentient way? Can you talk to the suit now?"  Max paused. "if you don't know the suit is emitting bio-energy that resembles human energy and is still holding a charge." "If you can communicate with the suit let 'it' know I'm trying to help."

How is this possible. Energy transference at this level. He'd never dreamed of such an epic accomplishment. "Ace I believe  the proper coarse of action at this point is for some quick healing to take place." "It stands to reason that if the suit operates on human bio-energy my string healing ability should help, 'it'."

Even in this some what dire situation, Max found the silver lining.

Smiling Max closed his eye's and began. Blue and green energy engulf Ace. The sounds of finely tuned wind chimes could be heard. The notes stuck slowly one at a time. As Max proceeded with the treatment he started hovering about a foot above the deck.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:11, Tue 23 Apr 2013.

Not resisting Max's efforts, Aeviternus held an arm out for the requested contact.  He tried to answer as much as he could.

"I know it assists in certain actions and it does communicate to me with thought, and by all means seems to be intelligent."  He raised both eyebrows, "Gauging by its word choices, anyway."  Even now as Max closed his eyes and the pleasant sounds outside ensued, he could hear the suit's voice in his mind once again: "initiating repair sequence".

He tried speaking to it.  These are friends, he offered.

     The suit reacted quickly to Max's presence and Aeviternus's information...

     A splat of dark matter shot from Aeviternus's arm where Max touched it, the matter consumed Max's whole hand up to his wrist.  It was warm at first, then sent a jolt of energy into Max, not inflicting pain, but more like pins and needles of a numb limb recovering feeling. Most of the black material retreated from Max'x arm leaving an area around Max's wrist, where it writhed and moved, drawing on Max's energy it seemed to replicate the energy given to it from Max's initial offering of power.

     A moment later it shot back to Aeviternus's arm and began the entire process over the entire suit, it was most disconcerting to Avery, feeling as if bugs where crawling all over him, pins and needles stretched over the entire body....30 seconds later it was over.

The suit was audible to everyone, "repair sequence complete."

"Systems at 20% and charging, symbiotic mode will speed up charge, do you wish to initiate?"the suit said a loud.

Caught completely off guard by the suit's actions, Aeviternus sat staring at Max's arm where the black tendrils had just been and back at his own arm with his mouth slightly open.  Raising his eyes to meet the healer's seemed to finally snap him out of his reverie.

With a start he replied aloud; "Um; yes."

     The painful sequence once again started as nano-fibers sprung from the suit into Aeviternus's nervous system along his spine and neck, lasting only seconds before the nano-block pain receptors engaged. When the suit communicated next it was not heard, but was felt in his mind, " Symbiotic systems charging, all systems functional in approximately 48 hours."

    Aeviternus was suddenly very tired, as his body was leached by the suit. He placed his hand on Max to steady himself, with the lurching of the boat he suddenly felt dizzy.

Max helped guild Ace to the captains bench behind the ships wheel.

"Ace sit take a load off and relax. Here drink some more tea." Max poured Ace a fresh cup.

His mind was reeling with the scientific discoveries he had just witnessed. He looked down at his once missing hand and wondered about the suits possibilities. And the suit did have a symbiotic mode, interesting.

Max knew he could spend years studying the suit and would enjoy every moment.

"What the hell was that? Did you guys see the suit move on it's own? You're enjoying this aren't you max? That was freaky, you ever read comic books Aeviternus, not sure if you've delved into pop culture, but Spider man received a suit just like from outer-space  and then went evil for awhile, does it talk to you in your mind?" said Orlando straight faced and took out a small flask from inside his pocket, different from his drinking flask, and flung it's contents, which seemed to be water on Aeviternus's chest...taking out a cross, from his shirt he said a quick prayer over him and moved to the farthest seat on the deck, shaking his head.


OOC-so I'm kind of laughing over here and kind of scared shitless, that we have Venom part duo in our midst.

"Sadly, most of the studying I do is not for leisure, though I have heard of Spiderman;" he breathed as he reclined into the seat heavily.  Am I actually out of breath?  "I may be quite taxed for a time while the suit..." What was the word it used? "... recharges."


"What was the result of the space suit story for Spiderman?"

Well, unfortunately its still going on, but the original wasn't good, long story short, the suit made him do bad things, tried to take over his person, then split and created an arch-nemesis that nearly kills him all the time, and took his powers and made them even better. But that is fiction and nothing like the real world," Orlando sad sarcastically.

The sarcasm was picked up and Aeviternus nodded at Orlando in acknowledgement of the tale in and of itself.  But he couldn't resist his mind wandering at the parallel; he'd seen too much over his many hundreds of years to discount some of the similarities to his particular situation.  He had his own abilities, the suit was picked up from space, it had a symbiotic nature, there was little to no information about it... should he read the comic?  That seemed absurd.  Not to mention the suit came from what he felt was a trusted source.  Malcohm would surely not intentionally put him and the group in harm's way especially when the alien was so dependent upon their help for his cause.

But still... the suit felt good when it wasn't draining his own energy to replenish itself.  Aeviternus couldn't bring himself to verbalize any of these thoughts, instead opting to play out how drained he actually felt with the suit sapping his life force for its own purposes.

Orlando's earlier comment about needing to go shopping got Kirby thinking. He missed the Avery’s suit display because he had retreated to look through the packs the team had carefully hauled aboard after their dramatic exit from the plane earlier in the day. A few minutes later he returned with a handful brown packages under his arm.

“We won’t need to shop, we’ve got plenty of food. Three weeks worth.” He passed them out to an takers before sitting down to open one up for himself. “Dis be a bean burrito, with peaches and a pound cake on the side. We’ve got lots a flavas though.” He took a couple bites of the buritto before getting serious again. “Des might not be da Queen’s tea and pastries, but they’ll do. Truth told, aye don’t think we should make landfall for awhile.”

OOC:

Your guide to an Army MRE. For every time he says "not that bad" take a drink

http://www.todaysmilitary.com/...y-food-inside-an-mre

Max considered Kirby;s last statement, pondering a question.

It seems that Tibbs did have a flair for the dramatic. Max knew the Marvel Villain Tibbs was speaking of, Venom indeed.

Max's father while always encouraged the growth of Max's imagination, found it best to balance it with subjects more in touch with reality. Max had his share of comics, Secret Wars being one such run he had collected. Max laughed at the sense of irony the suit situation held.

"Cap what's your thought on our first port of call?"

Kirby shrugged and Max's question and looked to Xuan before replying. "Not my boat, Cool Hand, how far doya tink wes can make it, without petrol, Tsunami.?" He squeezed his peaches into a bowl he found. "If we don't make landfall, we can't be seen..."

Without halting his tour of the yacht, Xuan responded as he moved past, almost absently.

"As far as necessary. We are not using fuel now, nor have we been since we hoisted the sail. It is more a question of timing." He paused briefly as he studied something near the mast. "The trip can be made entirely without fuel, as our forefathers once had. However, this leaves us subject to the will of winds. No wind, no progress. Not to mention it limits our power supply."

Stepping back amongst the group, Xuan seemed thoughtful. "Of course, we could always trade with pirates should we run into any," he offered wryly. "Though I have never negotiated with them personally. I suggest we stick to small, less used ports. We won't need to stock up for a while anyway. You and I can go over the map tomorrow and plot a course if you like, when we have some daylight. Now, I need to go below and finish my inspection. Captain, you have the helm. Try not to run into anything. Just keep us pointed to one hundred and sixty-five degrees and you should be fine."

With his best imitation of an American salute, Xuan stifled his amusement and made his way to the cabin.

"I like that plan, stay in the water for as long as we can. Xuan, you should be able to turn on the lights and everything else...if it isn't fried. The batteries on the boat won't work, but they will be rechargable...anybody have electrical abilities?" Olrando said jokingly.  He quite a bit about everyone, but he was sure the military reports were incomplete on many levels.

"What are we going to do about time...rough calculations...we have lots of time to travel before we make it to South America, let alone Nepal. Would someone like to open that can of worms?" Orlando had been afraid to bring it up, but he wasn't sure how we would accomplish both tasks in time.

Aeviternus had already brought his thoughts on their destination to the table, so he opted instead to address Orlando's first question.

"Actually..." he started, and brought his right hand up in front of him, held out for all to see with his palm up and fingers spread as though he were about to catch a small ball.  Each finger tip glowed briefly before sending a tiny arc of electricity towards the center of his hand, each little bolt meeting in a ball of energy, dissipating upon contact with each other with a sizzle and snap of sparks.

Glancing over at Orlando he summarized; "I may be able to assist with the electrical needs."

With the help of Xuan Aviternus was able to charge the battery and get the lights and instruments working on Xuan's ship.

As the group talks and discusses various topics, they continue to talk and work on ideas.  Time goes by as the group travels and makes head way south.

The group passes the peninsula of Monterey the next day, Kirby notices off the distance a plane, which he has identified as coast guard. The plane doubles back a few times...

"John do you have a auto-pilot type devise for the navigation of this vessel? The reason I ask is I have some visionary insights I need to share with the group. I think it best shared below decks. If not I guess I can share it here."

Max pondered how to explain his latest vision and wondered if the group was tried of Max not knowing the answers to the puzzles in his mind. How would he react to such a conundrum?

Max thought back to Doctor Gosuami last lecture at IONS. He stated "The all is the mind and the universe is mental." Max wondered regarding the mind, what comes first the conscience or the brain?

Xuan turned a pair of dark circled eyes to Max. It had been a long night and it wasn't fair to ask anyone else to pilot the boat throughout the night. Much easier to navigate during daylight.

"No auto-pilot. Just the tired kind. Probably best to speak your mind out here, Max. The only trackers or bugs I found were fried by Orlando last night, so unless that plane up there has one hell of a microphone, I think we will be alright. Speaking of which, we will probably need to be prepared for boarding, just in case the Coast Guard want to see how we are or who we are. But we have a few minutes before that happens, so go ahead and speak your mind."

Max stood silent surveying the oceanic horizon. Why and where do these thoughts and vision come from? Max was always about the whys.

With the league of amazing gentleman gathered he began.

"Let me describe my latest vision. Again I'm not sure how to interrupt it. But there are some good clues. I think with some intelligent brain storming we can achieve positive results.

At first I saw the slick black haired man alive. The one that turned to goo." Max winked at Tibbs. "He was boarding a boat searching for someone, he is looking for us, but something more...

Next I saw myself in a plane, flying east, avoiding a narrow escape...

Then I was heading East to head south to bring me closer to God's mysteries, the apostle is the key, a man who was a torturer of men and saw god's light holds the secret...he awaits our journey.

Lastly I felt a power surge, more powerful, my power seemed to come from Aeviernus's body, which light filled my mind, my energy flashed as well surging out of my body, it was pure and holy, it holds mysteries."

Max looked down brow sightly furrowed.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:36, Mon 06 May 2013.

"Let me get my kit, he's possessed," Orlando said with a chuckle, then his grin turned to mirth, "that ass is going to be the death of me. I can't wait to put him in the ground for good." Orlando was referring to the slick haired man. His uncanny way of coming back from the dead was annoying.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:55, Wed 15 May 2013.

Aevitnernus wondered if the reference was to the man the group of thugs were calling "padre" when he had hijacked one and used it to end the menace.  If so, the threat was clearly not removed with a bullet through the occipital.

He turned to Orlando; "The man you speak of, is he the one you all saw the fat gangster shoot at the church?"  He was tiptoeing around the now common knowledge that he had pulled that trigger, or at least his will had.  No sense in rekindling anybody's earlier tension on his willingness to extreme action, their sense of life and death was comparatively youthful.

Yes, that is the one and the same guy, and he was at my house as well. He has a dieing problem," Orlando said.

Without really knowing what to think about Max's vision, Xuan decided it was best to consider as he prepared. To him it was like fortune telling, giving enough riddles and clues to allow some truth to slip in no matter what the outcome. Crafted as a puzzle, and a possibly ever-changing one at that, it didn't seem of much use. Not that he thought Max was making it up. He just didn't find the value in something like that unless it could literally tell him that his enemy lie in wait at the next port. Allowing that he could be wrong, he decided to keep his mouth shut about it. For now. Admittedly, he was no detective. He was a weapon. And weapons worked best with a clear purpose.

To ensure they were ready for boarding, should it come to that, Xuan was making himself busy with making the boat appear like a civilian vessel merely cruising along the coast. In a hatch almost hidden on the deck, he stowed 3 of the packs they brought with them and then stored the other two in the cabin in a small closet he could lock. Purposefully, he left the small messes around to allow it to appear normal, then made his way back up to the deck to make sure there were at least a couple of life jackets being worn.

When he made it back to the helm, he caught the last of what Orlando said as he switched on the radio, just in case there was any valuable information that happened to pass through. He kept it low, but loud enough to catch any communication.

"Excuse me. As a precaution, I think it best that we appear as civilian as possible if the Coast Guard decide to investigate us. Orlando and Max will not have a problem, but that black suit Aeviternus is wearing could be suspicious. So. Who is Dai Ying?"

Picking up on Xuan's linguistic understanding of Orlando's last sentence after a beat, a chuckle began to escape Ace's lips.  To disguise it he rose from his position, making a little noise about it and made his way below the main deck to address the ship captain's astute observation about his attire.  He hadn't really considered being boarded amidst all the excitement and was glad Xuan's wits were about him, because the suit had certainly been a topic of conversation and yet had somehow managed to evade his urgency to hide it.

Once below, he removed enough of the top half of the suit to allow access to his satchel which had formerly been covered by the suit stretched tight over it.  He pulled it over his head and fetched the street clothes he'd packed into it and replaced the suit, deciding to keep it on underneath the baggy urbanwear.  Fully dressed to look normal again he threw the strap over his shoulder and rested his bag lovingly at his back where it belonged, providing easy access to Lotus if necessary.  As always the final touch came with the hood of his coat being pulled low over his eyes.

A thought occurred to him and he was inspired to look at his feet where he'd pulled the suit on over his sandals.  They now stuck out from beneath his jeans as if covered in thick, black rubber socks, conspicuously contrasting the rest of his ensemble.

Thinking of how the suit had writhed and reached when Max had made contact, he found himself musing; I wonder if it needs to be removed in so conventional a manner...  Concentrating on the second skin around his feet and footwear, he shut his eyes and created an image that seemed to better suit the overall purpose.


When he again opened his eyes he watched in fascination as the suit acted as it was bid, revealing his sandaled feet, the tendrils unravelling and folding in upon itself until it was hidden beneath his pants.  Simultaneously he could feel the suit's hood reduce to nothingness beneath his coat's hood as it and the material covering his hands did the same retreat to expose his flesh as he saw it in his mind.  He mentally assigned this appearance a name and made his way back up to join the group.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:03, Sat 18 May 2013.

---The Next Day---

The wind was good and made for a fast pace, Kirby's note of the plane yeilded a boat on approach hours later.  With his hawklike vision he was able to announce its approach ever before the human eye, he noted that it was "Coast Guard."

The group had minutes before the coast guard would be able to see them with binoculars...

Aeviternus has already started to prepare for the boat that approaches.  What is everyone doing?

As Max sips his morning tea and his mind works on the puzzle of his last vision. He realizes that the slick man will continue his pursuit. The fact that slick is derived from some type of cloning platform will allow 'it' to do so, until the cloning platform is terminated.

Max knows slick is close and that the vision was a warning that if the group doesn't take precautions it could be the end. Could slick be on the coastguard ship?

Max turns his attention to the team. "Morning gents. After a good nights sleep and thinking through it more this morning. I've come to realize that 'slick' is some type of clone. According to the data gathered at Arsenal. This means that he won't stop until the cloning platform is terminated. My vision tells me he's close and if we don't stay on guard...well lets just say it won't end well for us."

"My thought is he might be part of the coastguard team heading this way. So lets be ready for anything!"

Max gave  Aeviternus a look of needing to speak with him.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:47, Sun 19 May 2013.

We really are in an episode of Star Trek. Clones... sure. Why not? There was a part of Xuan that yearned for the good old days; of simple fights with bad men and Demons.

"I agree with Max. We should be prepared for the worst. It makes sense to attack us in open water, where most of us are at a disadvantage. These people must have a lot of resources if they have access to the US Coast Guard. But if it is just the standard Coast Guard, we should be ready with a cover. Unless anyone has a better idea, we are all members of the San Francisco Yacht Club. My boat is registered there and can be traced back to dock in Half Moon Bay. It may just be standard protocol to see if we are smugglers, in which case we will show them through and allow them access to all parts of the boat except the hidden places I have stowed our packs. Do not be afraid to let them know you are new to yachting. This will explain why you know little about it. Primarily, they are search and rescue. Orlando's magic may have somehow triggered a distress signal, though I have seen no sign of this.

If it is the enemy, however, I would not mind taking the advantage from them by going underwater and sneaking on to their boat. I would very much prefer not to let Slick escape this time."

As he spoke, Xuan allowed his tea to go cold in one hand while the other filtered through the various channels on his radio to see if communication was coming from the Coast Guard. VHF Channel 16 and 22A were the most frequented. 16 was common for emergencies and maydays, 22A was the Coast Guard's channel. If they were the real Coast Guard, they would try to hail him first to announce their intentions. If no hailing came, they could likely expect an attack, real Coast Guard or not.

When John finished talking Max stepped towards Aeviternus. "Ace, at some point in time, fore-which I'm not sure, we'll need to head east. This will 'help' you. Again 'help' you with what I'm not sure. Maybe you could shed some light on the 'help' part? I know we'll be using a plane to make this travel."

Max then turned to Kirby. "Capt. do you have a strategy for a possible attack from the coastguard?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:48, Mon 20 May 2013.

Aeviternus felt fairly confident he knew exactly what type of help Max's vision implied as the only thing on his personal agenda, aside from helping this group in any way he could, was to go to the only place that could aid those he sought to assist.  That place was definitely east of here, depending on which direction you traveled along the globe to arrive.

However Max's abrupt turn to ask another of the group a very pertinent question stopped whatever conversation he had attempted to start with Aeviternus.  Deciding this must not be the time, and agreeing, Aeviternus took one last look over himself and the boat to see if there was anything that would seem strange to law enforcement aside from an unlikely looking group of friends.

Approaching Xuan he offered what assistance he could.  "If you decide to board the other ship in secret, I may be of assistance.  Though if your swimming-to-walking ratio is like the turtle, perhaps you wouldn't mind helping me keep up, if that's possible.  You wouldn't need to worry how long I can stay underwater."

....Mean while at Coast Guard Station Golden Gate Park a poor Petty Officer was accosted on his way to work, a non leathal injection into the neck would render the victim incoherant for quite some time. He was left in the trunk. Stretching skin like molten latex slip and slide over the man's features, within seconds he was a complete duplicate of the Petty Officer, armed with the security badges the intuder walked in early for a days work a Golden Gate Park Station just a few short miles of where Xuan's ship had left port....

Xuan almost laughed. Almost.

"Sure. We can get some skis and a rope." His face remained passive. "Do you not need to breathe?"

Lifting his hooded face so that his expression was fully visible to Xuan, Avery deadpanned; "Nope."

"I don't know much about boating so playing dumb will be easy. Do we have a signal if things go bad or we recognize slick, like a whistle or something...code word?"Orlando said.


Max, do you have an idea how to find the real "Slick Padre?" How will we know if we are dealing with the real guy and not some clone thing?" Orlando asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:39, Thu 23 May 2013.

In reply to Orlando Tibbs (msg # 182):

Max took Tibbs que like Clemens threw his fastball, hard and on time.

"I'll know 'slick' no matter what form he's in. He can't change his genetic makeup and that makeup gives off a distinct energy signature, which I know." Max thought of a good danger word. "How about if I see slick I say 'playball'."

Xuan gave Orlando his attention, but not before one last quick glance at Aeviternus. He did seem to have a lot of tricks up his sleeve. Then he acknowledged Max.

"Playball it is then. It would help if we could know in advance. The priority is now to make sure to give you full visibility for advance warning, Max. How well can you see anyway?"

     Orlando chuckled,"He can't see, he's old like me."

   ....Moments later after Kirby had seen the Coast Guard... Xuan checked the radio on the open frequency and the coast guard's frequency,and indeed  they were in hailing the ship," Attention, attention, Se Feng, vessel #58974A5, halt forward movement, this is the coast guard, repeat this is the coast guard, halt forward movement." The coast guards message continued over and over...

      John felt confident that this was the coast guard and relayed as much to the group...

     The Coast Guard boat raced toward the sail boat fast, armed men in life jackets wearing coast guard uniforms we visible from 150 feet away, they kept a slight distance.  Coast Guard agents could be seen on the deck, there were others milling about, they looked like they were prepared to board the ship.  It was hard to see everyone, the helm was covered and so the captain and pilot were not visible.

    The boat was a high sided Relience Class cutter, that had a helicopter on the launch pad and a heavy gun in the middle just past the antennae.



This message was last edited by the GM at 19:30, Sat 25 May 2013.

"Alright Jiābīn, hold on," Xuan said as he slacked the mainsheet. He pointed to the boom. "Captain, please grab the boom and push hard back into the wind when I say."

Xuan acknowledged the group with an expression of pure focus as the boat began it's deceleration. "This looks like the real thing my friends. However, this is still a little odd to be hailed here in these waters. It could be coincidence, or other trouble around this location, but I think we know better by now. So we keep our guard up in case we are being set up by our enemy somehow. In this case, it may best if I stay on board. But I would feel better if we had a precaution in place. Skyfall, perhaps you could play Hǎishé. Is an electrical charge not more dangerous in water? Captain - now. Objections?"

Aeviternus nodded and headed for the side of the boat as he said, "You are right that it is better to be prepared for those who come chá shuǐ biǎo."  As he spoke, his body began to be covered in webs of the suit's black tendrils, reaching out from underneath his street clothes this time and coating him in the black nothingness the group saw him in when first he fell from the sky.  Pausing at the gunwell and allowing the suit to complete the transformation, he stared down into the water on the side opposite the approaching intruder, putting masts and other objects between their possible view of him.  Looking back at Xuan he suggested, "You may want to keep ours out of the water, or use a communicator to let me know they're in if it happens."

When he was fully encased in black again, Aeviternus dove into the ocean and put an image in his mind of the Chinese sea snake Xuan had referred to.

Max laughed at Tibbs comment. "John I have 20/20 vision even at my age. I'm scanning for 'slicks unique string energy signature now."

Max scanned the ships crew as they drew closer. He scanned for 'slicks' unique string signature as well as sensing the intent of the coastguard crew towards his friends.

Max turns to the team with a sense of urgency. "The men on board ship think they're catching us for doing something wrong. They're suspicious, apprehensive, tentative and expecting a fight from us."

With a bit of disappointment Max adds. " I'm not picking up on 'slicks' energy signature at this time."

Max didn't have enough information to make the call...'playball' one way or the other. "Arrowhead I think you should make the call to 'playball', if you deem it necessary. I'll continue scanning for 'slick'.

       "What could we have done wrong? Unless someone reported Xuan's ship stolen? Could that be it?"Orlando said exasperated.

Through his many years Aeviternus had learned that some of the simplest idioms of life were the truest.  The one that sprang to mind was that of necessity being the mother of invention.  As he glanced about and flexed his muscles to get a feel for how they would now affect his movement in the dark of the sea, he felt compelled to seek other means of perception for a possible call to aid.

Now that I know those who are already dead shun me, perhaps the simple of the living will not.  Reaching out with his spirit, he solicited the attention of the wildlife in proximal distance.

"They're seem to be on high alert. More so den day should be." Kirby crossed over to the gunwale, nearest the approaching cutter and looked keenly toward the stern of the vessel.  "Let's try to keep our civilian cover up. he quickly looked over the group, and made a quick decision. "Orlando, Professor, be ready to get angry about our rights being violated. Piracy, habeous corpus, and all that. We need to know the legal basis for their boarding, and we get conformation on the radio if necessary.

Also, if they do board, limit their numbers if you can Xuan - you're the captain and should do the talking - and let's keep in mind that these seas could get rough... he then favored Xuan with a rare wink.

Xuan agreed with a smirk and a nod.

With the boat now at a full stop, the only thing left to do was wait for the Coast Guard to check things out. With any luck, they wouldn't have to eliminate this threat. After all, it wouldn't be their fault if they got caught up in this mess.

He placed his earpiece back in. "Skyfall. Receiving?" It was only then that he realized that his ear was sore from having it in for so long before. An odd thing to think about at that time.

"Receiving," Aeviternus replied absently, his focus on a widening space beneath the two vessels.

   "  Will do, Arro...Will do," Orlando said grabbing his chin and feeling stubble. He felt a little ragged and this was only the beginning of the trip.  He wondered a the eyes on the boat and how this information could be used for tracking the boat.

     Kirby stood on the boat focusing with all the strength at his command and caused the kinetic energy in the rudder to constantly sway back and forth, making it impossible for the helms man to control the ship. They kept their distance and spoke to the boat over the loud PA seemingly unable to board...

     Aeviternus, felt for life forms in the water, reaching out to about a 1000 yards revealed many life forms, most of which were small, comparatively man sized from seals to sharks, what he did notice though, was that there were strange alien creatures in the water. Their souls were not that of normal men, more primal, their essence quickly drew his attention, they were fish maybe shark-like, yet sentient in thought, more human-like.  It was apparent that they felt his touch and quickly moved out of range.

    "This is the United States Coast Guard, you are piloting a stolen vessel, have all members come to the deck and place your hands in the air!" boomed the loud voice over the water.  The boat was much to far for a pistol shot to be worth anything, but rifles and their .50 gun turret would reach the sailing vessel.

Insight checks good- This is the real coast guard, and their doesn't seem to be any trickery here, someone probably reported Johns boat as stolen from the harbor, since it was due to be docked and was gone upon inspection.

Raising one hand in the air, Xuan used the other to bring the radio receiver up to his mouth. It was still on the channel he was hailed on, so he only pressed the button to speak.

"This is Xuan Wu, owner and operator of Sì Fēng. There must be some mistake. I have all my correct ID and paperwork on board. The boat is mine, not stolen."

Figuring it would offer a touch more authenticity, Xuan had attempted to adjust his tone to one of slight trepidation and confusion. It might not do much, but he hoped it would at least give them pause to use their gun turret if it came to that.

    "Hold your position, we will  board your vessel," the coast guard returns into the radio.

     Moments later men can be seen scrambling on deck towards a drop boat, this seems like the vessel they would use to head over to the Si Feng, they are armed and prepared for piracy of the worst kind...you.

     The "Guard" seem cautious. "Slick or Padre" cannot be seen amongst them. The larger ship seems to moving quite a bit, it is not steady and creating some waves of its own, at one point the boat moves off and redoubles its effort to get closer. The larger guard boat seems as if it would be unable to aid their friend on the Si Feng as their movement would all but make their support in gun fire useless.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:40, Sat 08 June 2013.

.... It's worth a shot.

Aeviternus imagined his "voice" going outward like a radar ping, covering the thousand yards out and downwards with single request.  As he did so he thought about what the suit was starting to show it's capability for and wondered if it would help in his effort to communicate without speaking.

Your home is under attack.  The larger beast you may not be able to harm, but the smaller, the one getting heavier with men may be able to be be destroyed and send the larger away.

     Immediately Aeviternus feels all manner of animals turn towards his location, shark and whale bend their approach too. Something foul and sinister echo Aeviternus back, it is a feeling of dark oil, a predatory hatred.  It turns it's direction towards the boat as well.


Aeviternus-Mark off, your power, soul force, with manipulation upto 1000 yrds. The dark creatures that approach were the supernatural shark shaped creatures that were just at the end of your range.   They seemed to back away when you were communicating, now they almost felt insulted and outraged at your call for help.  This is an actual communication back by the way, but it is so alien in feel that you really get instinctual meanings, not literal meanings.

Kirby kept his hands on the gunwale of the sialing ship and continued to concentrate on the coast gaurd cutter. In noticing the men preparing to cross in the smaller boat Kirby added, queitly, "Dese currents are rough rough. Dat small boat mays not be der best idea."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:14, Wed 12 June 2013.

The boat loads up full of sailors, and heads over to the Si Feng full of armed me.  About of the third of the way, the Si Feng group sees the boat flip up and capsize knocking all the men into the water. The larger boat becomes alarmed and immediately start to load a second boat...


The men in the water start shouting for help...


....Meanwhile there are many large and small animals coming to the call of an unusual call for aid, some are curious, some animals are following suit, some animals are now hostile.  It would be bad to be in the water at this moment.

Holy Shit, he glanced at Kirby and looked in the water for Aeviternus, he wasn't sure who was to acknowledge for that one.  His friends had tricks and more tricks up their sleeves. Playing the part, he grabbed a floatation device and tossed it in to the sea yelling, trying to show that he was helpful. "Men in the water, hold on!" Orlando shouted.

Orlando's throw was pretty accurate, but the distance was pretty far. He was looking over the side and looking around for Max, maybe he could help with his Telekinesis, he paused, and saw the first dorsal fin appear. "Hey get outta the water, SHARKS!" Orlando looked to Kirby to see what he was doing and then back over to the bigger boat to see how close they were to a rescue. His mind was not at ease, these were innocent men and the scene playing in his mind was that of Jaws, only the guy on the boat kept pushing victims in...

Max wanted no harm to befall these men. They might be falling misguided orders, but they didn't deserve to die this way and not today.

 Max thought he could pull the men towards the boat and with Kirby's help make it quick and safe.

Max turned to his some what worried friend Tibbs. "Stay calm old man." Giving Tibbs a look of  encouragement and a big smile. "I have an idea."

"Capt. if I get the men headed this way with my mind, could you quicken their pace and get them to the boat?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:57, Fri 14 June 2013.

"Max, they are close to the flipped over raft, we really don't want them on the boat, what if you just gave them a lift up onto the raft that's overturned?" Orlando offered.

From behind Orlando, climbing up the boarding ladder on the side not visible to the Coast Guard, Aeviternus added; "We may not even want to be here anymore."  As he made the last few rungs up and over the side, the black tendrils were already thrashing and retreating.  By the time he made his first step back aboard, he was dry and in his street clothes once more.

"There are unnatural things in the water," he stated plainly as he closed the distance to Orlando's side.  "This could quickly turn into a fight outside the scope of papers and judicious proof of ownership.  They're not interested in diplomacy."

While he talked so that the group could hear, he'd been staring out at the turmoil in the ocean before them, not without some measure of gloom and possibly regret.  Turning to look at the man he stood next to, he started; "They look like..." then, turning his head to Xuan as if his expertise might better lend itself to the situation; "Shark men."

Listening to Ace, Max got the impression that he embraced the thought of   leaving the endangered men to vend for themselves and not lend a hand. Max couldn't except this as an option.

Max wasn't a leader, but he realized that sometimes leaders were born of adversity and necessity.

"Capt. you need to make a call if we don't act these men are going to die." Max was acting with a sense of urgency.

"Ace how many shark men are in an attacking position to the men in the water?"

Max was contemplating Tibbs idea of getting the men back on their own inflatable boat. These were shark men, razor sharp teeth and all. They would turn that boat into a memory with a thought and then the men would be in grave danger again.

"Old man I think the inflatable boat isn't the answer to these men's struggle for life, considering all the sharp teeth in the water. Our ship is closest and we need to get them here quickly." Max again turned to Kirby waiting for an answer to his earlier question.

Orlando now thoroughly persnickedied, wait, those sharks are sharkmen, hold on, what the fuck is a sharkman?" Orlando was now scared and perplexed.

Kirby's plan had really only been about getting the men, and their guns, drenched in salt water. He had not planned on this. And whad da fuck is a sharkman?

At this moment all the guns on the Cutter seemed like a welcome addition in terms of saving the men. At the top of his lungs, Kirby yelled to get the attention of coasties on the other vessel. "SHARKS in the water!"

 He scanned the ocean, looking for some side, and addressed his men on the ship. "We must help them. If possible, we need to not be obvious about our powers." Kirby had no idea how that would be possible for Max.

"I don't think using our powers will be obvious unless we make it so. Capt if I can get the men started in our direction can you increase their speed to the boat? I think that's the best plan for their rescue."

"Yes, do it Cool Hands."

Max takes a deep breath and concentrates on the men in the water, "Arrowhead I'm starting the movement process, stand by to do your thing. Tsunami, can you Ace and Pythian be ready for the shark-men if they make a move?"

His mood darkening with every passing moment, Xuan listened in turn to each man, wondering himself what the right course would be.

Shark-men. Shark-women. He really, really didn't like those abominations.

Men were in the water, about to die. How many were innocent? With any luck, Max and Kirby would have them out of danger soon. If they made it that far. And those that did...the shark-people wouldn't stay in the water. None of this would have even been an issue if he'd have chosen his father's path. The path of Shui.

"There is no "if"." Xuan's voice was cold, almost distant. "These are the creatures that attacked me on this same boat before we met. If they are here, they will kill. And they can look just like anyone if they want." It was matter-of-fact. Emotion had no place in this. Decision and action were called for here. He gazed out into the water. "And they can die just like anyone."

"Ace, I know you just got back, but I have an idea, and I could use someone to watch my back. It involves being in the water. Pythian, anything you have up your sleeve to repel these things would come in handy now."

"I counted two of them," Aeviternus answered Max's question to the group.  In answer to Xuan's question, the tendrils reappeared from underneath his clothes and began to wrap him once again, looking first as though mummifying the man then smoothing out to the dark head-to-toe covering they'd seen him in when he returned from space.

"I may be able to get the natural animals to leave without a fight;" he added as he nodded to the boat's captain that he was ready.

"Actually," Xuan replied with a smirk as he strode swiftly to the edge, "I thought maybe they could help."

" To repel them, I'd need to know what they are and I can't even see them, listen, if we need to do something big, I can distract the entire coast guard so they couldn't see a thing. What kind of creatures are you talking about, Mermaid shark things.  I've never heard of that?"Orlando said exhasperated.

Xuan paused long enough to hear Orlando out, using the time to remove his shirt and ignite his third Chakra. His heart pace picked up and his blood surged through his veins, the tingle spreading from his center to the tips of each limb. The glow in his torso lasted only a moment before subsiding.

"Think werewolf, only...were...shark. Best I can explain it. Be on guard. If they evade us and jump on the boat, they will be just as deadly as in the water. Nothing the three of you can't handle though. Don't worry, you'll figure it out. I have complete faith in you, Orlando."

Nodding to Aeviternus to indicate his readiness, Àn Xīng appeared in his hand just as he fell back gracefully into the water.

 +14 to dex = 33 Dex.

Aeviternus looked over at Kirby and pointed to his ear indicating his communication device would work, then followed Xuan into the water feet first, pressing his limbs close together to send his body a few feet beneath the surface.

Once again immersed he allowed the suit to accommodate his swimming needs and scanned around him to make sure he knew Xuan's location.

Max...trying to lift so many men had caused a strain, the raft rips Max was trying to help them and the men climbing on top were thrown back into the water.  There were a couple of men on top of the raft pulling others up, they sank into the water.


Xuan and Aeviternus...Entering the water they found each other about 10 feet away from each other, the water as far as the eye could see held animals.  This was a scuba-diver's dream dive, well, except for the circumstances. The animals seems to be curious, swimming in, then away, then in again.  Medium sized sharks circled the raft and the larger boat, the sharks didn't seem to be the worst of the danger in the water. Jelly-fish were twenty-yards away, on sight Xuan recognized these floating creatures. One jelly fish of this type would cause discomfort and a numbing of the afflicted limb, a  school would cause death to ALL in the water.

...It worked once...

Aeviternus sent out another "ping" to the open waters, hoping to redirect nature's beasts to protect their home from the real evil.  He thought about blocking out the shark men, imagining lines of communication that swerved around those two unnatural beings, avoiding them snakes around obstacles.

The true danger is now amongst you; it is not men and it is not beasts.  It is those who are an unearthly combination of the two.  Seek out the shark men and drive them from your home.

He didn't feel as good about this directive, perhaps it was too convoluted or complicated.  However Ace felt confident in his new partner's ability and assertive way of facing the danger.

What my father could do with all of this... It was beautiful. The multitude of marine life, the menagery of ocean dwellers, all together at once. What brought them to this?

Hidden among them were the tainted, the disease within the purity. These Shark-folk.

Allowing the water into his lungs, Xuan took a deep breath and released, his body sorting the oxygen from the water naturally. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind to the creatures all around him as his father had taught him so many years ago, prepared for the flood of empathic communication that would soon bombard his senses.

He stood statuesque within the salty deep, not attempting to swim, not moving but for the gentle pull of the water. Bringing both hands to hold his staff vertically before himself, he connected with the Chi stored within and led it to the curved blade, causing it to gently glow. This was where it had become tricky in his youth. To load one's Chi into a weapon and use it without releasing it required a great deal of discipline and practice. To create a Chi Song was an entirely more sophisticated level of that ability. As he loaded more Chi, the glow became brighter along the blade while the runes on the staff lit up one by one until the entirety of it was illuminated in a blazing beacon of white-gold. The water around the staff rippled as it vibrated at a pitch too high and fast to see. The low hum could barely be heard by human ears, or that of most natural creatures.

Concentrating to bring the glow down so that it wouldn't be seen above the surface, Xuan played the Song, a sound of immeasurable depth. It was a sound of purity, of spirit, of the soul. And it was one of the most hideous things a being of Evil would ever hear. Just how evil the Shark-folk were, Xuan was unsure. He only knew they were unnatural and wrong.

Looking over to Aeviternus, Xuan mouthed "Be ready." If the Shark-men didn't know where they were before, they would now.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:52, Tue 18 June 2013.

Orlando was curious by nature and had quietly placed two very informative spells on his person, two different sights that would help him see...almost everything. Orlando saw the energy in the water, it pinged to him. He didn't see it as Max would have but he sent him a thought that had direction in it. He could see the good energy shoot through the water and see the jelly fish and see the other sea life.

He could not see the supernatural creatures apparently, they had either fled or had a unique way of camouflaging themselves.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:40, Thu 27 June 2013.

     The men in the water screamed in panic as they saw the sharks coming up to the surface to view their prey.  The other ship had put a second boat in the water and it headed toward the men in the water who were now trying to get out of the wreckage of the blown yellow boat.  This is when the two men in the water began to work their magic...

     Aeviternus reached out to the aquatic life, trying to communicate in this strange new way, his message was complicated and recieved returning messages with confusion.  The sea creatures had not the same feeling as he. The sharks seemed to think the "unnatural creatures" were something close to dangerous kin and safe to be around, and the fish gave feelings of normalcy.  The whales lurking in the outstretch of his range seemed leery of the metal hulled boats, and seemed to feel everything was just too busy. The Shark-like creatures were not felt or seen...until...

      Max and Orlando-Both of these men shared a strange bond, one that allowed emotion to transfer between them.  They also shared more in common that they knew, some of their powers complimented each other quite well.  As Orlando thought of Max their powers melded, each seeing with a combined strength and detail of the other's powers. They both looked in the direction of Xuan and Aeviternus, seeing the spirit energy shooting out, like the sun, shooting from Aeviternus, both men knew this was something magical and raw.  Orlando's powers allowed them to see the spirit of Aeviternus reach out and grow, touching the souls of the sea life, while Max's powers allowed them to decipher that it was indeed a human's soul that they saw.  Max's power allowed them to discern it's fundamental properties, which in turn looking upon each other saw into their own soul and the possibilities...Xuan's power gave them both another start. Max had encountered many energies, and this was new to him as well, but very similar to Aeviternus's and to Orlando's, it was human energy, spirit energy, refined, like Magic but different. Magic seemed to take energy from the universe, mix it with human spirit and effect the world. Xuan's energy was derived from his own soul and then manipulated to effect the world and his song was beautiful and fierce. It was at that moment that Orlando and Max saw the shark-like creatures attempting to sneak towards Aeviternus, swimming as sharks. Their energy was primal and they boad ill towards the men in the water. The song caused them to pause and circle away. They sped to the outskirts of Orlando's power which happened to coincide with Xuan's range of song.  Max then saw the creatures stop and send out parts of their own energy, soul-like in nature, speeding out like a flash of sound waves.

      Xuan-His song was powerful and shot through the water with immense range, pinging through the water like sonar, its effects were amplified. The jelly fish all but seemed to go silent, stunned, as if the water short-circuited their electrode bodies. The floated lifeless, soothed, the fish all seemed to disperse and thin out. The sharks seemed to jettison away, but not from the song, something else drove fear into their hearts. Xuan reaching out to the animals felt their fear, something horrible had been awoken, its consciousness now suddenly heavy in the water.  It felt huge. He seemed to fear that being in the water even in a boat was not the best idea. Looking at Aeviternus he could tell that the timeless man felt the sense of urgency as well.

Kirby was about to reach for a life ring, one he planned to throw to the men in the water, when he saw the sharks - wear sharks? turn and flee. Suddenly his stomach was very empty.

He keyed his mic, speaking into the ears of the team, "whad da fuck is going on down there?"

Orlando relayed all of the info he had seen in the water to Kirby. He eyed Kirby knowing that what he said was far fetched but he needed to tell the captain what was transpiring.  Orlando gave him the most serious of looks when delivering the information. "Captain, how in the hell are we gonna get these guys outta here in one piece?"

At Orlando's words Kirby imediatly thought of the helicopter parked on the deck of the other vessel. His eyes scanned the coastgaurd bird as he once again key'd his mic. "Out of the water everyone, we need to get out of here."

Maxs' mind was now at full alert. He knew the teams next actions would be the difference between life and death for those in and out of the water.

'A man's actions makes him who he is.' His fathers words came to mind, through the crystal.

Max conveyed his next words with a dire sense of urgency. "Arrowhead is right. Ace you and Tsunami need to get top side now. Our supernatural Vertebrata friends in the water are doing something and it's doesn't bode well for us."

Max turned to Tibbs. "Are you picking up on what the shark dudes are doing? I get the feeling they might be summoning something, but that's just a feeling. Can you interrupt what they're doing?"

"Arrowhead what can I do to help with your plan." Max couldn't read Kirbys' mind but he knew he was a man of action and already formulating a plan.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:21, Thu 27 June 2013.

The thought of summoning something sent shivers down his spine, he thought they were communicating or calling something, of which he could do nothing from here. "No Go dammit, I can't. But we can get these guys out of the water fast without them knowing how it happened. On the count of three you pick up each man with your telekinetic, don't worry about your limits. I think with our bond and a few tricks up my sleeve it'll work. 1...2...3..."

Orlando used his bond and cast two spells, the first joined Max's strength to his own allowing Max to draw more energy than before, the second was a spell that harnessed the sun and shot bright light into all of the soldiers eyes, minus Kirby. The sun was not a flash, it bowed and bent and focused all around the water focusing inward on the men I the water and on the big ship.

Max felt the tension in Tibbs words, which in this stressful situation was to be expected. Max had learned one thing in his years of field and laboratory research. Stress is a factor that has to be accounted for. It is a form of energy, which Max found to be ninety nine precent negative in it's creation, manipulation and end result.

Max heard Tibbs words and reacted quickly. He felt his power swell as the breaking crest of a wave. He gathered the growing string energy, knitting it tighter and tighter, forming the creation to his will, 'These men will be saved,' was his one thought, one intent. This would be a great test of his power and potential.

Max relaxed and focused his will. He spoke to Tibbs in a whisper. "Orlando, focus on the men being safely on board their ship. In doing this we will be of one accord, one thought, one mind. Let your stress go. Together we can do this, together we are doing this." Max knew he and Tibbs had a connection, deep, eternal as two brothers helping each other in time of great need.

Already having Xuan's attention as the two exchanged a glance, Aeviternus looked down in search of the massive consciousness in vain and then back up to the surface where the rest of their team was.  Bringing his eyes back to meet Xuan's he clapped the underside on one of the warrior's arms as if to say "time to go."

Knowing the man could outswim him with ease, Ace made his way toward the boat.

Lingering just a little longer, Xuan peered down toward the huge entity. His curiosity tried to coax him to stay, but he would probably understand what it was soon enough.

Kicking off, he launched upward, on the heels of Aeviternus. He would hold his Song in place until he reached the surface, but he half wondered if that wasn't an attraction to what lay below.

Did I wake something? This really wouldn't have been a good time for a giant water demon to get hungry.

     Light like none have seen, bright as the sun but driven into crystalline chords of brilliant white shot out of mid air.  The lights didn't move fast at first flowing like water as they bent, each a beam aiming at the men  in the water and on the ship. The mailable rays of light, which were uncountable, hovered momentarily, waiting for the right moment. Just as Max funneled both mens' might, the light struck the faces of the crew.  This was the handy work of Orlando, as part of an ancient order of light and knowledge, his sect had spent many years honing the skill of bending light to their purpose.  At that moment, the men were ripped out of the water and set upon the ship carefully.  From the group, they could see wet sailors flying through the air, albeit with screaming and odd shapes of their body. It was a fantastic sight to behold.  A true genius of men with skill.

     As it was the entire crew in the water were now back on the boat and the men in the second boat, had come to a halt.  They stopped and rubbed their eyes; quick moments went by and then they realized what had transpired, not knowing fully how, but it was recognizable that one minute they were supposed to rescue men in the water and the next they were gone and back aboard the ship.  This all took place of course in a blinding assault on the eyes by strange light tendrils that exploded in their face. All were deathly silent even the crew aboard the Coast Guard Vessel.

OOC-Ok, now what are we doing folks?

Aeviternus re-embarked the Si Feng once more on the side opposite the Coast Guard, making next to no noise compared to the roiling ocean about them and appeared amongst the crew, staying close to objects and shadows while keeping obstacles in the line of sight to their potential adversaries to stay invisible.

The possibilities ran through the ancient mind.  It seemed like the ultimate distraction to him: get plenty of distance between their ship and the Guard while it tangled with whatever wildlife was awakened, allowing immediate progress of the team's much more important goals.  Goals that would possibly save the world.  And yet most, if not all, of his new companions would see the impending danger to the servicemen as a necessary issue to resolve before moving on with the greater good.  Suddenly it felt both a blessing and curse to have the perspective of lifetimes, to not be able to help but feel this was only an obstacle and not pertinent to their cause.  The thought caused him to look up in the sky, remembering the utterly frightening sight he had beheld as he and Malcohm stood on the moon and looked into the eye of a gaping black nothingness.

The word fell out of his mouth unconsciously; "Dhroga."  It caused him to snap back out of his reverie and level his gaze back to the sea, along with their current hurdle.  It would not be up to him to decide the fate of those who'd stood in the way, he would simply need to be as this boat and go where the tide and wind dictated.

Scanning the group, he offered; "Perhaps we can convince them to flee.  After all, it is for their benefit."

Max made a mental note to ask Ace who 'Dhroga' was at a later time.

Max jumped on Aces idea and then some."Can one of you get a message to the coastguard to get the hell out of here, NOW!"

Max wondered if the coastguard cutter was picking anything up on sonar?

With one last look at where the Coast Guard were, Xuan propelled himself to the aft of the yacht expelling the water from his lungs as he went and emerged from the water like a dolphin doing a trick in the air. He hit the deck running, going straight for the helm and pressing the ignition.

"Time to go. Hang on professors, and keep an eye out for me if you can, for something. Something big. Ace, the boom if you please, no time for sails. Arrowhead, if you are hiding any depth charges in your packs..." With the rumble indicating the engine coming to life, Xuan pressed the throttle to full. "...now might be a good time to drop one."

Excellent.

Without hesitation Aeviternus manned his station and was struck with one last idea on the situation regarding the Coast Guard.  They must be wearing off on me.

Turning quickly to the device he'd seen Xuan speak to the other craft with, he grabbed up the microphone and rested his forefinger on the trigger that allowed the other vessel to hear, though held off depressing it just yet.

"Orlando.  We don't need to get all of them to want to go, only the ones that are driving.  See if you can convince them to leave, I want to see if this works."  Holding it towards his companion he depressed the button, as he did so his hand became illuminated in a white swirling light, flowing around the mic in a gentle and welcoming essence.

Orlando ran over to the mic, he was now starting to feel queezy, that scared feeling when you knew something bad was going to happen. "Captain you're in grave danger, get your boat out of the water something is trying to crack our hull. We've experienced something strange over here. Be on guard, advise be on guard. There could be something in the water,"Orlando said elaborating and well lying.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:13, Sun 07 July 2013.

Xuan looked at Aeviternus, trying to piece together the actions of he and Orlando. They're trying to save the Coast Guard. But what was that light?

"What are you doing?" As he asked, he was already steering the vessel out, turning to go with the wind. Even without sails, going against the wind would only slow them down.

Everyone make an Athletics Check.  Acrobatics or othe advanced skill that pertains to balance if you have it.

The titanic shark created a huge wake that rocked both vessels as it crashed back down to the water.  The Coast Guard's small craft had been completely engulfed.  The men on the larger vessel seemed to hold, being seamen, large storm-like swells were common. Some of the Si Feng were not so lucky, Orlando found himself overboard and in the water with the behemoth, which was a serious danger; its size would split the Si Feng in two, if it were to breach again and land in the boat.  It's maw was large enough to sink either ship as well. Both crews were in grave danger.

OOC-Everyone roll strike rank.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:55, Wed 10 July 2013.

Celestials help us all.

Xuan had barely kept himself in the boat. And despite his warning to brace, he watched in horror as Orlando and Max were thrown overboard.

There was no time for a plan. Something needed to be done immediately. Finding his feet, Xuan lurched to the side, grabbing the end of a docking line and began to unravel it from the boathook. The first two twists were around his wrist.

"Whatever you do, keep moving!" He yelled it to no one in particular, hoping that either Aeviternus or Kirby would take the helm and push forward. Knowing that he didn't have enough rope in hand, and wouldn't have the time to get more, he gave one more yell. "I will need more slack."

Then he was over the side, trailing rope in his wake. If he could make it to the professors before the giant shark, he'd be in with a chance.

OOC--CG CA 1,  PP  NIL

The Coast Guard------

Screams and shouts could be heard, mixes of "Holy Shit to Where'd they go to We're fucking Dead to Shoot the Son of a Bitch." Someone smart enough got on the .50 cal Razor and lit the water up....RRHEEZZZZLLLZLZLZLZLLZLZLZLZLZL.  There was suddenly blood splattering everywhere in the water, the shark was a big bitch and not hard to miss.

Seeing the plan, Aeviternus snatched the boathook and made for the helm, unraveling the docking line as he went with circular motions.  "I'll keep us moving and Xuan attached to the boat," he called out, finding an anchor point for the hook end and continuing to let out line.

Maybe there's a way to use this stick to keep us moving in a straight line...
This message was last edited by the player at 23:57, Tue 16 July 2013.

In a state of disbelief and shock Kirby managed to keep his feet as the boat pitched upon the waves of the giant shark. At that moment Kirby needed a gun, a really big gun, but there was little time to head below to grab a weapon. He was franticly looking around for something to use when he heard the familiar cracks the coasties’ 50 cal firing across the water. The coasties were doing a good job, but would it be enough? Kirby decided to help.

With his right hand holding the rail, Kirby extended his left hand outward toward the bullets being fired at the shark. Kirby grasped on to the energy being expelled by each projectile and focused it, allowing each to travel faster and to better effect.

“Tsunami,” he yelled, “let me know if you need help. I’m trying to kill a fish.” And then more quietly, “This is why I didn't join the fuckin' navy.”

Round 1, CA 2 ppnil


The animal roared as bullets riveted into its hulking body, anguish and hatred permeated the air like a thick musk. It sent shivers down the backs of every man on the scene. The creature was now obviously intelligent, having a choice of targets, the gun ship was in its' sights.  The creatures teeth were like surgical steal cutting through flesh. Staying under the water it tore a huge hole in the hull of the metal ship and gnashed and ripped at the boat like a great white shark does to smaller prey. This time men were thrown from the boat, including the man on the gun.  The barrel of the gun whipped around wildly, throwing bullets everywhere.  The Si Feng was hit as well, wood sprayed and exploded. The bullets luckily missed the men on board. Instinctually as the bullets began to shoot towards his men, Kirby instantly veered them away.

Everyone roll a persistence skill Check
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:26, Wed 17 July 2013.

Max finding himself in a rather precarious position, didn't panic. He was an avid swimmer and had swam in the ocean many times. He admitted to himself and found some humor in the fact that the past ocean swims had never been under these hairy circumstances.

Fifty caliber bullet blazing above head, giant shark of mass destruction in very close proximity, newly aquatinted bbf in the water next to him, could it get any better...Max chuckled, then focused.

Max heard Johnny bark out orders as he entered the water for the rescue.  He knew they had to swim towards Johnny with God's Speed and get out of the water.

"Pythain, you OK? We need to swim to Tsunami and get the hell out of the water!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:39, Thu 18 July 2013.

     After Max, yelled to Pythian, the Shark roared in anger, and that when he lost his cool.  The Shark sent, what felt to Max like a psychic attack unnerving him and literally gave everyone alive a sense of dread and that this creature was their to devour them.


OOC-If you made your persistence check, standard roll, no problem.  If you failed your check, Max, Xuan, Kirby....waiting on ACE, you become very afraid, unconscionably so.  You now suffer a -20% to all actions and skills from the fear of this gargantuan creature and his attack.

Orlando was having a hard time swimming in the swells between the ships, he wasn't the most skilled swimmer to begin with. He tried to pull out a vial from his inside pocket and gather up some of the bloody shark water. He looked up to the boat, not seeing Xuan dive in he began shouting for help while he broke under the surface while trying to tread,"Help, throw,glglgppgp, me a vest,glgpglpgp!"

Sorcery was powerful but it took both hands and a mouth free of salt water, most of the time, to use. He was a sitting duck.

A shot of terror threatened to cave in Xuan's chest when the massive beast bellowed. That was unnatural. Sharks did not roar, even the big ones. Maybe he wasn't too far off with his earlier presumption; maybe it was a water demon. Every instinct urged him to run.

Xuan was no stranger to fear, but long training exercises helped to deal with it. The key was focus. If you tried to fight the fear, especially the unnatural kind, it was a gamble one would likely lose. But if you focused on the task, on one goal, one could usually push aside the fear temporarily in order to accomplish that task. Working in tandem with that fear often keened the senses, and keeping your mind off of an unwanted outcome was integral. Xuan's focus was on the professors, one of which was struggling with staying above the surface of the water. It needed to be the only thought for him right then. He couldn't think about whether the other two on the boat were doing what needed to be done.

Just get to them.

Diving under the surface, Xuan torpedoed himself at a slight downward angle. In order to get the desired speed, he needed to be away from the breaking above. Luckily, the men were not too far away, so he might have a chance to reach them quickly. All of his strength would be needed for this if he were to pull it off, he realised. As he shot through the water, he ignited his fourth Chakra and felt the power nourish his limbs, lending the strength to kick harder and propel himself further and faster to his destination.

     Coast Guard Round 1, CA 2 PP Nill

     The coast guard found themselves in a dire situation, half of the men now found themselves in the middle of the scariest movie of all times floating in the water, the other half found themselves also in the scariest movie of all time on a sinking ship about to be floating in the water. The Men sill left on the ship ran quickly and began unhinging the helicopter trying quickly to make it flight capable and they were moving on the double.

Alrighty, next everyone may go in front of the sharks initiatitve.

"Ace! Get us closer to deh other boat. Helicopter...." his voice tralled off as he quickly ran below decks to retrive an M4.

With a glance over his shoulder Ace cranked the helm hard in the direction that wasn't straight into the maw of the beast but would take them back towards the horror.  As the ship made it's turn, Aeviternus gripped the wheel with white knuckles and turned his focus once again to the spiritual plane.

He hadn't attempted this in quite a while and never on something this large, at least that he could remember, but there was a common ground he could meet the beast on that perhaps would cause it to see things a little more his way.  Once more the pearl waves of energy danced but this time just over the surface of his skin from head to toe as he gathered his strength and his focus in the split seconds before he exercised his will upon the other ancient being in the water.  His grip on the wheel gave him an anchor, Avery did the rest to keep him upright as he sent a single message to the massive shark.  It was the one and only thing he wanted from it, the only action that could be also perceived as a benefit for the recipient as well.

Aeviternus sent the obsecration with an ancient voice of reason.

LEAVE.

Shark Round 1, CA 2 PP?

The Shark was thrashing a hole in the hull, well, truth be told a rather large hole when Ace's bold move was attempted. Having the ability to push his will onto the spirit of a creature, Ace had attempted to coerce, maybe bargain with the creature into following a "direction". This narative is being described mildly and rather simplistically, there were unfathomable complexities involved in such things.  Things were going to get interesting.






06:38, Today: Seeker of Truth rolled 60 using 1d100. Shark Persistence.

Also, Everyone hears this communication, even Kirby below deck.  And Xuan reaches Orlando in the water and at the very minimum helps him stay afloat, so your minuses are currently negated Orlando, just for the moment. Orlando, Max and Xuan may all go.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:04, Thu 25 July 2013.

Orlando looked up at Shark junk and then to his savior Xuan," Get me the fuck out of the water John. Getting eaten by a giant shark was not the way I want to go. If you can get me on he ship I can blast him off the ship and we can escape. "


I'm  to reposition my initiative till after John goes. I know I loose this ca.

Max feels his energy changing, mutating, growing into something wondrous. This being, creature of myth was partial catalyst that triggered this metamorphosis. Max felt and knew the great danger facing them, but his great curiosity again got the better of him.

His mind raced of how best to engage the shark in conversation, while thinking of a way to get out of this situation. If he could distract the shark with conversation, it would give all more time to act.


"Carcharodon carcharias, master of the sea, what possible threat are we to you and your kind? You speak of this time and our reign. Do you truly believe that we reign over the earth? Why did you and your kind choose to sleep for so long and what colossus event summoned you? You speak of Gods, care to elaborate?" Max held his best poker face, not giving any tells away to the shark.

Shark Round 1, CA 2 PP?





The Giant looked down at his hand holding Max and spoke with thought, "Carcharodon Carcharias is an old world name, but it is  given to me by humans and not my name. Our creator will come again, he has awoken all of the Titans. The usurpers legacy will finally be ridden of my home."

This message was deleted by the player at 16:00, Sun 28 July 2013.

Just because Xuan had Orlando, it didn't mean he felt much better. They were still in the water with the giant shark-man for one thing, and he failed to retrieve Max before the thing grabbed him. Max seemed to be holding his own for the moment, and there wasn't much Xuan could do for him anyway while he had Orlando in tow.

He decided to heed Orlando and get him to the boat.

"Hang on. Tight."

Quickly transferring the docking line to Orlando's wrist, he gave it a couple of wraps around and then placed it in his friend's hand, making sure he still had some tied to himself. "Take a deep breath," he warned. As soon as Orlando did, Xuan dove and plowed his way through the water toward the boat, towing the professor all the way. They would both be safer under the surface and out of sight of the creature until they were back on the boat. Not that it seemed the best option anymore.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:42, Wed 31 July 2013.

Round 1 Ca 3 (last CA by the way for these guys) PP Nil

The Boat began to lurch and pitch, dropping steadily on the boat, screams could be heard from the men on the boat, shouting trying to get the helicopter ready without pitching over the side of the boat.

Men in the water were also shouting, they were dealing with another situation, some unseen force seemed to be taking advantage of their precarious situation.

Next group go!

Kirby floated quickly back up the stairs to the deck with one of M4A1 carbines the group had brought with them all the way from Chicago. The M4 was the new weapon of choice in the Army, with the A1 found in particular abundance within most special forces type units in the military. The A1 had several firing modes: single, semi auto, and in a pinch full auto. Each of those could be helpful in this situation, but not nearly as helpful as the grenade launcher tube that was affixed to the bottom of the barrel.

Kirby knew this weapon well, and he had it up and ready when he emerged from below.  When he observed the shark-beast through the scope Kirby paused, uncertain, since the terrifying animal held max in his grasp. A grenade would no-doubt do more harm to Max than to the shark. That just wouldn't do. Kirby growled in frustration and took careful aim.


OCC: CA used to aim

Aeviternus, unaffected by the intimidation but not dispassionate to the creature's cause or anger, spoke to it evenly both out loud and on the spiritual connection he'd already made.

"Your home will be destroyed just as ours will be; Dhroga will see to it if you insist on punishing us.  I am of the old blood, as you say, and therefore we can agree that something so consuming as that which we are on a journey to cease should be paid the fearful respect it is due."  Pointing to Max he pressed on, "We need our friend, we need our ship, and we all need to cooperate or Dhroga will destroy us all."

Kirby kept the weapon trained on the shark and spoke just loud enough for Aeviternus to hear him. "It's your show Ace, if you can talk it down, do it. I'm ready if he moves to strike."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:30, Mon 29 July 2013.

     Reading shark facial expressions was near impossible to do, the creature looked at Ace trying to gauge his meaning.  Ace had the benefit of communicating with more than words, so the creature took pause before he answered," Setekh is not our end, he is our beginning. We have no common cause! Setekh helped us to fight the gods, your creature Dhroga is a worthless name that symbolizes your fear." The creature seemed to glow at the mention of fear almost as if he could feel Aeviternus's core when thinking of the word.

      He looked back down at Max, "you have the touch of Shakti, you must have touched her prison for her to feebly reach out to you.  Foolish mortal I will devour her strength now for mine own!"

     The creature's head grew larger as its mouth shifted to take on even more of its shark-like nature, large enough to swallow Max whole. Max seemed to be fish food.


Ooc- I have given different clues in this passage of story and background. Send me a private message if you can figure out any of the info. All correct answers will be rewarded with Free Improvement Rolls.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:55, Tue 30 July 2013.

Maxs' mind was having some kind of psychic epiphany and paramount revelation, an answer to a mystery he'd been seeking most of his life. Where did his power come from? He had spent his entire adult life seeking the answer. Traveled around the world doing field research and years in the lab seeking his answer, but to no avail. Though he understood how his power worked he didn't know where it came from, until now.

Under the most dire of circumstances came the greatest of revelations, those were the facts of Maxs life. If the shark only knew what inner strength and fortitude he had just given to Max. Knowing who the creator, bestower of his power and purpose in this life for eternity was Shakti, 'the great divine mother'.  This was true enlightenment for Max. The answer to a hard fought life time question. Max wished that Lynne was here to share this amazing revelation, but would never put her in such danger.

Max smiled at the beauty and perfection of this moment in time. A giant shark was about to devour him, yet by mere chance revealing to Max the creator of his power and answered his greatest mystery.

Maxs next course of action would be his greatest creation to honor Shakti, to save his team mates and to get to two very close friends.

Max formed in his mind a mesh woven maw jacket to cover and keep close the sharks maw. His mind focused to strong earthen materials, both man made and natural. He began weaving this mess on a string level from diamond, titanium and carbon tungsten steal. The weaving was intricate and precise. leaving out no detail. The mess was beautiful in Maxs minds eye.

Max thought of the magic he once witnessed as a kid when his dad gave him what was called Chinese finger cuffs. Max put his fingers in but couldn't get them out, no matter how had he tried. This would be the strengthening concept to the shark maw blanket. It would give, but never break.

The blanket was created, trap set now for the bait. Again the shark revealed his great hunger for Shakti's power and gaining this by devouring Max. He created the means to it's own end.

Max created within the sharks mind an image of himself in his other hand while speaking the following words. "You can not devour me, Shakti will not allow this to happen. Your God Setkh has been judged and found wanting. The first of which is his chosen sea creature, you! You're a pathetic, weak excuse for a fish and have no right to exist!"

Max focued every ounce of his being into this moment. As he did so he asked for Shakti's blessing upon his creations and thanked her for her amazing revelation.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:05, Wed 31 July 2013.

A thought occurred to Kirby just then, and he gave it voice at the top of his lungs, still leaning over his M4. "You fuckers seen da clash of da Titans? Call be a moo moo if I'm wrong, but dis fish looks lika a Titan!"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:36, Wed 31 July 2013.

Shark Round 1, CA 3 PP?





Max had just found a fundamental answer to one of his questions in life, the what!, but now he needed the why. As a young child, thirty plus decades ago a strange force caused an energized awakening of the soul. His current onslaught of power was now fused with that culmination of years of understanding and study. Yet in his fear and determination, his instictual gift ripped out of him like an avalanche of power. A power made mesh appeared out of thin air, so intricately woven and so bright a million diamonds  illuminated by the sun would not match its intensity. This force of raw power captured the creature's maw, rendering his action ultimately futile as it now struggled to free itself from the mystical construct.  This took him by complete surprise, dropping Max,he fell in what seemed like slow motion as he was aware of the blinding speed of Ace. Seconds were drawn to hours as the creatures grasp slowly opened and it began to wrestle with Max's full power.


Back to the Top, Xuan then Orlando
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:22, Sat 03 Aug 2013.

As soon as he reached Si Feng again, Xuan moved directly to the stern and threw the lid to a small hatch open. Inside was a small chrome ladder that slid easily from it's housing. Xuan didn't wait for it to finish it's drop before hoisting himself onto deck and turning to guide Orlando up behind him.

He couldn't help but notice the Shark-man drop Max and struggle against a strange net of energy. It didn't matter where it had come from. That it was a fortuitous distraction was all that really mattered. Maybe it would be just what they needed. Knowing Max could swim, Xuan decided that the best option was not to go back in the water after him. Instead, he would take this opportunity to give that creature second thoughts about chomping down on these minnows.

As Orlando made his way up the ladder, Xuan had already begun to glow, his Chi coming to the surface like a rising inferno as he addressed his friend. His voice was urgent.

"Orlando, whatever you can throw at this thing, now is the time to do it. I will hit it at the same time, so it has less chance to avoid our assault." The Chi sizzled and steamed off of Xuan's body. His eyes turned to the creature. "On your count."

A ball of Chi was already blazing in Xuan's hands. And it kept growing. In truth, it wouldn't stop growing until Orlando gave the word. And then...the creature could have it.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:08, Fri 02 Aug 2013.

This creature had happened upon the group so quick and even worse he had found himself in the drink before He could do anything about it. Well now thanks to John he could and he would. This was like old times with John's father, well sort of.

Taking out a sharp breath he focused on John's visible Chi, he needed that focus so he borrowed it and the fear moved out of the way for his inner strength to lock into place. Another sharp breath,"1-2-3-go."

Orlando moved out into the open and shouted the words needed for this incantation, he would not be trying to hide this bit of magic. The sun light gathered into a large beam that shot out behind Orlando and bent down low to the water and raced from behind Him, and shot right over the top of the boat.  A mega beam of light raced over head, singing John and Orlando's hair. He didn't just want to blast this creature, he wanted to blow it off the boat AND blast the big muthah fucker. He used his power to fuse two powers into one, the first was harnessing the might of the sun to create a beam of pure energy enough to turn any sushi into a barbecue and the second was to control and bend light giving the beam focus and to add to the directional blast of John as well. Orlando was a master manipulator of magic.

His words were all I unrecognizable except for the end sound which rang out R A!
This message was last edited by the player at 04:45, Sat 03 Aug 2013.

By the time Orlando reached 3, Xuan was full to brimming with his Chi and barely hanging on to the Chi ball that now spanned about a meter in circumference. Focused on the shark, he took careful aim. This much energy was too much to hold, and Xuan's teeth were clenched tight with the effort. It felt amazing and overwhelming. Almost painful.

It was the most Chi Xuan had ever held at once.

"..go."

The blast was released along with a massive scream. Mouth wide open and hair standing almost straight up, he watched in absolute amazement as an incredible beam of bright energy chased the Chi blast, heading right for the creature.

Trailing the blast of golden energy Xuan sent was a separate glint of silvered steel following the runic old-world metal of the Lotus head, but the direction of chain was only similar to the blast, not exact.

Having been staring intently at the face of the beast before him, Aeviternus became immediately aware of the distraction created out of thin air to entrap the rows of teeth that had just moments ago threatened to devour Max.  With the set of skills he knew and didn't know his companions contained, he didn't question the genesis of the net but instead had the faith it would do as was intended.  As Max was released, his faith seemed well placed.

Lotus had been produced from its place in his pack that instant while tendrils of the midnight suit reached for stability upon the boat, anchoring the wearer to the surface.  A snap of the hips and shoulders sent the head of the weapon straight for Max's midsection taking into account falling speed and air direction to miss him by inches, only to be whipped around him like a bolo and attached to itself for a harness effect.

Once the lifeline was attached Aeviternus used leverage, strength and ancient technology to get Max quickly and safely back to Si Feng.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:47, Tue 13 Aug 2013.

Looking down the cold, steel barrel of his M4 Kirby had a front row seat to the nightmare at sea seen through the window of his scope. Max looked done-for, fish-food, until this nightmare decided to have a dream.

Light and energy coalesced and screamed toward the titan as max fell from view, only to be pulled away by a quick thinking Ace. In a heart beat Kirby shifted his grip as changed plans in favor of a more explosive solution. Exhaling, he squeezed the trigger to release a grenade on a path toward the beast. As the canister left barrel Kirby immediately felt the energy flowing off it and embraced it, narrowed it, and willed the small missile to add more haste to its path. In the beat of an eye blink the grenade arced between it's shooter and into the hole made by Orlando and Xuan's devastating blast.

"Fish bake time." Kirby, smiling, said to know one in particular.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:05, Tue 06 Aug 2013.

round 1 Coast Guard/ Interloper, CA 4/1, PP ?





He summoned the power of the sea to take him swiftly to their aid. A wave moving faster than sound pushed him towards the people who needed him...The sea was his weapon and it answered to his commands....

This message was last edited by the GM at 06:25, Sun 11 Aug 2013.

Round 1 Combat Action:Reaction to attack



The team did not see what had begun to happen in the water or who had just arrived, they only felt the roar of the rogue wave lift the boat 30 feet upon its swell and then subside. Xuan was startled by this wave, a true Tsunami and rogue, he didn't know how it could have happened.

You guys see the creature explode.  All of the debris went away from you. You see that the sailors are still trying to free the helicopter and they are back on the ship. That does strike you as weird, but hey some crazy shit just happened.
There might be a couple of you who have a Combat Action left in this round. You may act now. Please be descriptive with your next actions and use of skills. We are going into round 2.  Everyone roll strike ranks again.  We are going big or going home.  Very heroic, everyone give yourself a hero point. That was bad ass.

A pearl white glow emanated from behind the lenses of the suit's eye protection as Aeviternus caught Max, his intent to survey the scene already taking place even as he lowered his partner to the deck and retracted the chain of his weapon.  Leaving the tendrils grabbing the ship to create stability for his body, he scanned the gore about them and sought signs of progress for their journey.

The most valuable lesson Kirby learned in the Army was to never let your guard down after eliminating a primary threat. Purple Hearts were the currency paid to soldiers who made this mistake. Primary targets usually have friends just waiting to exact revenge.

Kirby moved toward the front of the boat with his rifle up and ready while he scanned the immediate area for threats. He yelled out commands as he moved, “Tsunami, need your assessment on the boat ASAP! Are we sea-worthy? Ace, Pythian, Cool Hands, look for anything unusual. Ace take the left side, Pythian go right, Cool - you've got the rear. I'm up here. Yell out what you see. And how the hell did those coasties get out of the water so fast!? ”
This message was last edited by the player at 19:06, Tue 13 Aug 2013.

His gaze still locked on something near the other ship, Aeviternus called back an answer to the last question first; "We have help... somebody possibly more powerful than Carcharodon."  He paused briefly to collect his thoughts in order to say as much with as little for the sake of immediacy then followed with, "This newcomer righted their ship and replaced its crew upon it, he now fights the many pieces of the larger shark you just separated.  The titan shark has become many small piranhas."

He went suddenly quiet, his concentration still fixed upon the water.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:14, Wed 14 Aug 2013.

 Orlando moved with speed and looked over the side, he sensed a power in the water and upon hearing Ace's words he studied the water
Holy shit, there are thousands of sharks in the water, they are eating the boat!" Orlando said as he stared into the water. This gonna get bad fast, the creatures were mauling through the boat's fiberglass hull.

As Max headed towards the rear of the ship he heard what Tibbs said. The thought of a thousand small sharks eating the boat in Maxs mind was no better than one huge shark eating the boat. Same means to a bad  ending.

Max knew he didn't have enough energy left to make a thousand tiny shark maul sleeves for these sharks either.

Ace said someone in the water was helping their current cause.

Maxs' thoughts turned to Shakti and how she could help in this situation, saying a quick prayer under his breath.

He scanned into the water at the rear of the ship as Kirby had requested, trying to locate the someone helping. Maybe Max could help him help the team.

He thought he might be able to boost the persons powers somehow if he could locate him.


.

The small sense of satisfaction Xuan held after he and the team seemingly obliterated the giant Demon-Shark withered with Ace's words and died with Orlando's.

Kirby's thoughts echoed his own, and finding himself for once feeling a little out of his depths at sea, Xuan left all of his questions afloat and went right to the most pressing matter - how to save his boat and keep his teammates from drowning or getting eaten. Jumping in the water would only give the mini-titans something else to chew on. Attacking from deck would not do enough to help either.

Think.

It was time to answer Kirby. "We still float. Therefore we can move."

Taking the helm once again, Xuan checked the equipment and set to move full forward. This newcomer would need to fend for itself for now.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:10, Thu 22 Aug 2013.

     The boat's engine revved as the throttle was engaged, but the boat did not move at first, not until water spouts like stalagmites rose out of the water at blinding speed that speared most of the sharks in the front of the boat.  Their sheer mass in number had caused the boat to become stuck. The water seemed to stab up from the ocean like ice cycles and then retreat leaving the sharks immobile. This gave the boat some nudge room to start moving forward.

     The coast guard by this time had the helicopter's engine on, the blades had started to rotate...




     The water was a bloody churning soup of death and destruction...


Alright, Everyone else can go again, the ship is moving, forward, slowly but moving, it feels bad to the touch, John can tell that the ship is severely damaged at this point.

Orlando looked at the creature in the water as the water daggers shot up,"Can anybody do that...HEY THAT GUY JUST HELPED US!" Orlando shouted. "I think I can hit the whole area up front and give us more room," Orlandos hands rose to the sky and he belted the incantation. The light formed and shot down from the sky hiting the entire area in front of the boat. The sunlight came down in a sheeted wall. This attack wasn' as focused or as strong as the one that hit the shark, this one was wider and encompased more area. Orlando held on to his amulet, it held all of the last bits of energy that he used.

Max was looking at the churning water. The thousands of tiny sharks like a malstrum unending, what could he do.

His fathers words came to him. 'Son in your life time you'll have many opportunities to make a difference. When those doors are being knocked on, open them and walk through.' This was another time to make a difference.

Max focused on the ship and her hull, which was being damaged by the tiny sharks. He didn't have much left, but he would give her everything he had. "I'll add my strength to you."

Max gripped the railing and gave the ship his energy of protection. The ship began to glow with a blueish green hue.

"Max! What are you doing? Will the boat hold up now if we suddenly went faster?"

In reply to Edmund Kirby Smith IV (msg # 285):

Max turned to Kirby. "I've put a telekinetic armor energy around the hull of the ship to protect her from the mini-sharks. It should add some integrity to the hull as she moves as well."

“Oh kay, let me try something.” Kirby swung the gun to his back on its strap and dropped to the deck of the boat. He got down low to the deck. The dampness of the deck mingled with his perspiration while he got down close and closed his eyes, feeling the motion of the boat. Kirby exhaled to release tension and improve his feel. He was suddenly cold, this was going to be tough.

Kirby reached out with his senses. As the boat cut through the waves, kinetic energy exploded off prow, keel, and stern working in concert to move the boat forward toward open water and, hopefully, escape from the ravenous clutches of the titan. Through his mind Kirby placed himself along the keel to more fully feel the energy. He felt kinetic waves wash over and through him as if he were part of vessel herself. Seeing each strand Kirby began to weave.

He first pulled a small thread toward him to set his plan into motion. He then grabbed another thread; they came more quickly then. “Everyone may want to hold on!” His voiced echoed against the deck to alert the others while he continued his work. By then he had a small braid of energy in hand which he quickly combined into still more braids. This pulling and consolidating took the disparate energy strands from each corner of the boat and tied them together them into a single focus of forward propulsion. Kirby felt the weight of the boat upon him a he pulled on the kinetic rope to send the boat surging forward. Sweating and groaning he hoped it would be enough.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:15, Fri 23 Aug 2013.

Watching the incredible talent unfold before him, Aeviternus took stock of what was in play and what may be missing.

We have a hole to move through, a protected vessel and we have movement.  Cutting a glance back to Max an idea struck him.  Let's bite back.

Already near the mind-wizard he placed a hand upon the shoulder nearest and spoke quickly.  "I know you're open to ideas.  I have one."  Aeviternus then reached for Max's soul.

The move was for more movement, however.  Like a sea creature hurtling itself into a massive current to make travel smooth and fast, the old spirit sought to ride that of the positive energy constantly flowing from Max with the intent to add to the effort being exerted about the ship.  Once his spirit force was a part of the shield now encasing the hull, he would insure their path was cleared and resistance was eliminated.

The boat raced on, picking up more speed and more speed, 15, 20, 35, 55 knots and the boat kept moving faster and faster...

The four foot sharks, were held at bay by the power of Max, yet they tried and tried to break through the barrier, each bite taking a nick out of the energy. It was a good deterrent but made even better by the vulcanizing energy now joined and hurting the creatures.  They each took a bite or two and either lay in the water or changed the focus of their attack, leaving the boat completely. Max and Aeviternus had combined their energies to create an electric fence that ripped energy through the current of the water and upon each bite delivering a horrible jolt.

The ship was now out of the churning soup and easily out paced the sharks.


The helicopter began to take off with the surviving men and the water creature that aided them was no where to be seen.

           Shouting,"Max, how long can you keep this shield up, the hull is through!" Orlando had looked over the side after his shot to free up the bow of the boat. Orlando held on to a rail for safety as he yelled back at the group.  He was amazed at how fast the ship was moving and that the beating of the waves weren't cracking the hull. He looked to Kirby who had played a very impressive card, how long could he keep the boat moving that fast?

Again in this moment of weakness and being drained of all strength Max had a twinkling of insight. This revealing point of truth came from his fathers crystal. Shakti's power not only lie within Max but within his fathers crystal itself. Max pondered if within this crystal shard lie the answers he and his group was seeking. The pieces were coming together and Max smiled.

Max turned and shouted to the group aboard John's  lovely mistress. "That's all I have Captain. My power is waning. Someone will have to pickup where I fall off, sorry Gents." Max lowered his head in exhaustion.

The ship was going down. The only other mode of transportation available was flying away. And everyone was exhausted, or quickly becoming so. Were it just Xuan, it would have been easy to continue on in the water without a boat, but the others did not have the same luxury.

There was a feeling of mourning creeping in with the acceptance of the loss of Si Feng, though that was less important than the mourning he may have to deal with if he could not reach a resolution to this dilemma. Carpentry skills would be handy right now, though even if he had those skills, the material was not at hand. The only thing he had was an inflatable raft. He imagined a scenario where four men sat in a raft as it was pulled by a turtle with a rope. It was almost laughable. Perhaps you are just a turtle, Xuan.

Xuan took in Kirby, Max and Aeviternus, all working to keep this boat moving. Turning to watch the churning mass behind them, he wondered if maybe he hadn't exhausted all of his options just yet. Maybe they are there, but just have not been able to hear me yet.

"Hang in there friends. We may not be far from port. Orlando, can you take the helm? The Captain is doing most of the driving right now anyway, so it should be easy." Xuan's expression changed from broody to determination. "I think I need to go for another swim, check the damage."

Grabbing the line he'd used to bring Orlando back on board, Xuan called his staff to his other hand and leapt into the water. At this speed, he could ski on just his feet, but he pushed downward to remain below the surface. Once again he opened up with his mind to the spirits of the sea, this time using his Chi song to amplify it, to reach out as far as possible. Who knew if it would work? But right now, anything was worth a try. This time, he did not dim the glow. This time, he let it shine bright.

If you are out there, please hear me. I need your help.