Taking a deep breath to steady herself Lite Star returns to engaging the rear to enable the retreat now that the bull dematerialized.  Both over the shoulder weapons pods flick around and focus on Snowblind.  Using these weapons actually on a person made her skin crawl and gut twist, but they needed to get out of here and the icy meta could create significant barriers and hinder their movement.  With linked barks the weapons speak three times aiming at Snowblind as her suit continues to let her hover into a convenient firing position.

"Sorry." She whispers in the confines of her helmet.

(OOC: 3 attacks with linked shorts from weapons pods.
12:19, Today: Lite Star rolled 10 using 1d20+5.  Duel gun shot 1.
12:20, Today: Lite Star rolled 15,10 using 5d6,5d6.  Duel gun shot damage 1.
12:20, Today: Lite Star rolled 23 using 1d20+5.  Duel gun shot 2.
12:21, Today: Lite Star rolled 22,17 using 5d6,5d6.  Duel gun shot damage 2.
12:20, Today: Lite Star rolled 24 using 1d20+5.  Duel gun shot 3.
12:21, Today: Lite Star rolled 20,23 using 5d6,5d6.  Duel gun shot damage 3.)

Justicar takes the blow to his armor from the light fist in stride but unrelenting he moves next to the TK held Phantasma and extends both hands. Again, he tries to disable the foe rather than kill him with far more lethal weaponry at his disposal; to deliver a Dual Electric Discharge... this time not forgoing laser targeting...

"Sorry, you forced this."

Actions -
Damage to Justicar: 10 {700 / 669}
Move: to within 8'ft of Phantasma out of melee reach but within Electric Discharge Range
Attacks: 1
09:03, Today: JUSTICAR rolled 27 using 8d6.  Justicar - Damage w/Dual Electric Dischargers {4d6 '8d6'}. – [roll=1650114225.93392.355584]

09:01, Today: JUSTICAR rolled 16 using 1d20+15.  Justicar - Strike with Dual Electric Dischargers {+12ST}, Laser Targeting {+3ST} [+15ST]. – [roll=1650114118.08293.355584]

This message was last edited by the player at 12:08, Sun 17 Apr 2022.

13:32, Today: Crusader rolled 17 using 1d20+5.  Sv v magic
Success?

This message was last edited by the GM at 23:12, Sat 16 Apr 2022.

OOC: Still mostly surface damage, mechanical parts should not be exposed from damage yet. Based on precedent in other Palladium products, that seems to happen around the 100+ damage mark, where I start going full Terminator in appearance. Sadly, I will not gain a Horror Factor in the round when this happens unless the GM feels like having some fun.

"Let me guess." Winter Herald was looking at the monkey with a submachine gun, but speaking to Phantasma. "You are the automaton factory for these odd constructs. You seem able to only command one at a time, and I can meet that one and stop it single-handedly each time you make it, allowing my allies to engage safely. You remain outnumbered and outclassed."

He waited until Justicar's blasts were finished before continuing. "If you can, you should surrender or flee without return. I will honor either action."

He was simply going to do what he was already doing: meet the strange foe as they appeared, intercept them, and counterattack them down until Phantasma lost the will or ability to continue fighting.

OOC: Honestly, I'm hoping to break their will to fight before Justicar and Bellissma break their ability. Phantasma's ego seems to be writing checks I don't think their body will be able to cash.
19:55, Today: Winter Herald rolled 19 using 1d20+10.  Parry with knife.
19:55, Today: Winter Herald rolled 14 using 1d20+10.  Parry with knife.
19:56, Today: Winter Herald rolled 14 using 1d20+8.  Simultaneous counterattacks.
19:56, Today: Winter Herald rolled 18 using 1d20+8.  Simultaneous counterattacks.
19:58, Today: Winter Herald rolled 27 using 3d6+15.  Potential damage from simultaneous strike.
19:58, Today: Winter Herald rolled 22 using 3d6+15.  Potential damage from simultaneous strike.

03:41, Today: Crusader rolled 9 using 2d6.  Rounds to escape


See you guys next fight...

Lite Star lets the weapon do the talking. The first shot glances off Snowblind's icy form, the second and third strike home. Snowblind flexes away from the rounds as they strike him, but is unable to avoid the weapon's fire.
Winter Herald makes some defensive cuts to uzi-chimp. The animal, at this point, appears to be horribly injured. However, the uzi-chimp doesn't slow down, at all.
In fact, the uzi-chimp ignores Winter Herald and reaches one long arm to Bellissima's shoulder. Gripping her shoulder, the chimp swings itself onto Bellissima's back and shrieks at Winter Herald.
Snowblind, predictably, responds to Lite Star's attack. Unpredictably, he does so by coating everything, and everyone, within twenty feet in a sheet of ice. Lite Star, The Maharaja, Crusader, and Cicada all have to deal with the ice coating.¹
As Justicar moves towards Phantasma, the remains of the broken wall vanish. The chimpanzee's uzi disappears from the chimp's hand. Then the chimpanzee itself fades away. Phantasma calmly holds his hands up, and says, I shall zurrender to you, but I vill not azist you."
Justicar, perhaps attempting to avoid attacking someone that has surrendered, or maybe mis-timing the execution of the attack, bleeds electricity off through his armor and darkens the floor beneath his feet. [Private to JUSTICAR: ones alway miss]


¹Three points of damage, a melee action required to clear visual sensors or targeting is minus four (except for those with radar).

Bellissima frowned at Phantasma as she focused her telepathy at him, listening to his surface thoughts incase she can get advanced warning of him breaking his word. "Does anyone have manacles for this guy?"

She turned to look down to the combat down the hall and sent out her TK again, grabbing at Snowblind to restrain the villain and keep him from being able to dodge or parry attacks coming at him.

In reply to SSOGM (msg # 212):

Justicar nods, thinking back... he's almost positive Phantasma has worked with Polaris in the past... he's a pro ~ VERY Dangerous!  A World Class A List Supervillain.  His mother would not work with anyone less 'professional' he sneers mentally.

"I'll accept that Phantasma.  We will not require any assistance from you."

Replying to Bellissima, "I can restrain him."

To which 'Karl' launches the damaged Drone-Delta but using its utility arms it detaches the slings used for the 3x still carried AK-47's to bind and blindfold Phantasma. While Drone-Ceti uses one of the two remaining carry harnesses in Justicar's suit compartments to ready Phantasma for carry to Navy Custody.

Then turning his loudspeakers down the hallway, "Exit cleared. Sentinels we are leaving!"

Actions -
'Karl' expends all HIS remaining 2 actions to set all this up.  I'm done for this melee pass.

[Private to GM: Yeah, I kind of figured a nat 1 was an auto miss... which is why I really didn't consider the damage rolled of any significance.  I'm sure Phantasma will slip away at some point but as long as he's not fighting us now.. I call that a victory!]
This message was last edited by the player at 00:59, Mon 18 Apr 2022.

"Thank you, Phantasma. Today has enough death and pain without your talents being lost to the world." Winter Herald looked up at Justicar. "Negotiate an extraction. If they refuse, we will have to split between extracting Phantasma along with us, and fighting to force a disengagement."

"Unless, of course..." Winter Herald looked to Phantasma with a strange smile. "You would like to do this. I do not know why you were seeking to delay us, but I do not believe suicide is your plan, and I do not believe the death of your fellows in arms favors you in any way. This base is in danger. If you can talk the other two down, we can all leave this base together, and alive."

OOC: 20:18, Today: Winter Herald rolled 61 using 1d100.  Charm/Impress TN 50.

I guess I'm not her type. Or maybe The Smoulder is having an off day, one of the two.

20:18, Today: Winter Herald rolled 64 using 1d100.  Trust/Intimidate TN 65.

Close, yikes. Passed, but close.

In reply to Winter Herald (msg # 198):

Finally not having his attention too split Justicar regards the... {as best his sensors could determine in passive scans} cyborg [Winter Herald] assisting them...

"Uhm..sorry yes... ", gesturing to the now visible Bellissima, "..this lovely miss is Belissima... and who are you again?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:52, Mon 18 Apr 2022.

Having already designated targets with radar, backed up with a motion overlay and audio ques attached to a wire frame visual representation on her full vision HUD, having optical sensors ice coated was barely an inconvenience to Lite Star.  Setting the voice synthesizer to add a bit of extra threat to the electronic voice she uses, she moves closer to Snowblind.  Small ports on the left hand open and electricity starts to crackle between the contacts, on the right hand three foot long blades whisper from their sheath ports clicking into place, the razor honed single edges catch light like mirrors.

"Stand down and surrender." Lite Star intones addressing the icy villain hoping that the rounds she'd put in to him would make him comply.

(OOC: 1 Action intimidate. 10:44, Today: Lite Star rolled 96 using 1d100.  Intimidate 50% base.)

Suddenly unable to continue walking or even standing Crusader said aloud. "Cicada seems out of it. I am stuck in something. Could someone aid me?"

Snowblind, who has said nothing up to this point, finally opens his mouth. "Okay, youse got me. I give up."
Although most of the ice, and the mound of snow, suddenly melts at an unnatural rate, that which is within the cold wall does not. The cold wall, itself, continues to affect those caught in it (23 more points damage). Cicada emits a drooling groan, and nods as he points at Snowblind. Snowblind says, "I think he gives up, too. He ain't much with words, havin' a bug mouth gives ya a speech impediment."

With a frown on his face Goliat turns to the others. "Is it wise?" Not finding answer he waves his hand and lets the cold and sticky effect dissipate. "We need to move." He had the idea they where doing it to slow them down.

"I am not going to lie. I expected continued resistance." They then nodded to Justicar. "You may call me Winter Herald. I'll explain the name another time. We should leave, with them."

Normally, he would have questioned the restraints, but they actually would serve a purpose in requiring a moment for Phantasma to destroy the restraints or attack someone before simply leaving. The restraints were, in essence, a soft alert system.

Winter Herald moved to the door and paused. "There are many things that happened just now I am still processing. They can wait until we are clear. Is this everyone?"

He was ready to go, and he didn't grasp the duration of Adhesion. Magic was outside of his programming, as far as he knew.

Crusader felt very sleepy as she knelt there shivering. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to massage her ribs but couldn't feel them. Then she remembered she wore armor. Fat lot of good it did. She stood, her legs shaking. She spoke through chattering teeth, "Monkey guy and Flaggman are missing."

After looking at the shivering form of Crusader, he took a breath and made a few gestures and floated inside the room(15). A fire circle came to life around him. He was far enough of Crusader not to hurt him.

From over the radio:
[Private to group LESPradio: This is ChimpMan Zee.  We have secured the yacht at the dock with a little help from our friendly merc.  Do you need assistance where you are?]

Bellissima frowned as the villains surrendered.  She was not expecting that, at most she was expecting them to just run for it, although Cricket made some sense, because he was stuck and looking bad.   She wished she could read more than one person mind at a time, but at the moment she was focusing her telepathy on Phantasma, keeping track of the man's surface thoughts.

Turning her head toward Lite Star, Bellissima informed the armored heroine, "I am ready to go."   She was leaving the securing of the prisoners to the stronger members of the group.  But she would occasionally scan the area for thoughts from hidden individuals as she was still augmenting her eyes so that she could see the invisible.

With the villains surrendering Lite Star powered down the electric field and the blades slip back into their sheaths in the armours arm.  Speaking to the two villains.

"Ok, lets move you out, and make quick work of this."

Hovering over to the somewhat stricken Crusader who was getting warmed by Goliat.

"How are you doing.  If you need I can give you a carry out of here till you're ready to make it under your own power."

Then transmitting to all teams on their channel over the encrypted channel

[Private to group LESPradio: "We're heading for the harbour at best speed, keep eyes on the three prisoners.  Lets get to that yacht as quickly as we can."]

If Crusader accepts the offer she will pick the other woman up, again activating the high altitude de-icing heaters to help chase the chill away from the body armoured heroine, continuing Goliat's good work.

Mae Ha Rga rests a gentle, massive hand on the shoulders of each of the villains.  As they look up at him he looks down at each of them in turn with a pleasant smile, but does not move his hands so they know he is watching.
"Shall we move along?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:36, Sat 23 Apr 2022.

Crusader nodded to Goliat, "Thank you." Her shivering had eased but she still accepted Light Star's offer. "It would be faster to get carried anyway."

Justicar regards all the villains finally coming to their senses that this fight was pointless.  He is a bit shocked at their sudden mass surrender, but he will not question it.. any sane person could see the fight was against them and continued attrition would have been far more painful for them... especially when they would NOT being paid for their suffering!

He nodded, "Fine we were NOT directed to attempt your apprehension, but WE are not soldiers. The Navy and US Marines which would soon be inbound... would not try to 'arrest' you either. We are by far the better option... the soldiers won't ask.. They'd just shoot."

"We will escort you to the Waterfall dock and the now secured Hydrofoil. Let's move out."

Justicar will hold position as his teammates direct and escort the villains, moving only enough to keep them ALL targeted in his HUD through the Tram station and to the Dock Justicar will fly not use the tram covering the prisoners as a Armed Escort.

Switching the Secure LESP Channel he replies to Chimpman Z ~
[Private to group LESPradio: +"Justicar here.  Crusader and I successfully met up with and joined forces with the Strike Team and we have achieved a surrender of villains Phantasma, Cicada, and Snowblind.  We are escorting them via tram to the Hydrofoil Dock.  No casualties. No injuries CMZ.  Expect us shortly. We also have with us an Ally ~ Winter Herald."+]

After an appraising look at Goliat, Cicada addresses him with a raspy, buzzing voice. Drooling as he speaks, Cicada says, "I was cursed by a voodoo queen, who did that to you?"

The appraising look had made him feel wary, but his next words made him rise a brow. After removing his helmet and vanishing the fire he took a long look at the creature with his magical senses. "I was born this beautiful, thank you... What kind of people here are so wicked to change someone so radical." He started with a little smirk and ended with a grimance. "The damn wicked unicorns surely instructed them... With your permission I could try to see if I can do something about it."


OOC:
What does "See the Aura", "Sense Magic" and "Sense Enchantment" say about him?