[b][u]The Docks[/b][/u] Holmes, Watson, and Ringleader rise to their feet after the first pulse and look to the hole in the sky. "Interesting..." Holmes says, a hand raised to his chin. Ring turns to their Brotherhood of Steel escort, "Evacuate the docks and escort civilians to the bunkers." Then to his party, "We should head to the River Gate. Its closest to the mountains so they'll most likely focus their assault there." Watson nods in agreement as an arrow bounces off his armor. The trio turns to the sea and readies themselves as dozens of Sea Elf pirates climb onto land and rush them. Watson raises shield and protects them from another barrage of arrows while Ring unsheathes a sword with one hand and draws a revolver with the other, firing two rounds into the closest pirate. Holmes spares a glance at the scene behind him, "I'm confident in your abilities to handle this," then he produces a spyglass from his satchel to better examine the beam. Ring and Watsons blades clash with the Elves, but Watson sees the desperation and fear in their eyes and refrains from killing any. Ring, however, has no such qualms. He shoots and cuts down a good third of them before Watson spots a familiar face and shouts, "Hey! I remember you!" The fighting suddenly stops and all falls quiet save the sounds of war from behind them. The Sea Elf woman meets his gaze and runs to him, armed with a cutlass and a dagger. Ring raises his gun, but Watson steps between them. "Mister Watson, she killed our shamans and told us we was next if we fled, but that?" She points to the hole with a scaley webbed hand, "I figure we're dead anyway..." Many of the other Sea Elves mumble in agreement. Watson speaks, "So fight with us instead, fight for the living. We've a better chance of surviving if we all work together!" A second pulse washes over them and they all fall. Recovering, the elves look to eachother and nod, then the woman speaks again, "Aye, and if we die then least it's for a better cause!" "Might I know your name?" Watson asks. The Sea Elf bows with a sarcastic flourish, "Captain Scylla, at your service, milord!" Rings brow furrows, "Like the-" "Yes, like the greek monster. It's scary! I'm a pirate, member?" Scylla continues, "Our ships are not far out. Plan was to come in and take the docks then hit you from behind with our guns, now I'm thinking we turn them on that lot outside the walls." "You trust them?" Ring asks, "They're pirates, and not long ago they took many of our people to be sacrificed by Nil..." "Ugh," Scylla tosses a small sack of coin to Watson. "I'll come with you to help coordinate shit." She turns to the others, "You lot go back and wait for my call!" Watson smiles, "I do, we'll need the numbers, right Holmes?" Watson turns to him, but he is staring blankly ahead, deep in thought. "I know that look, it's your 'Sending Look,' care to share?" Holmes looks to him, "Hmm? Oh! No, its nothing, but I have a plan!" He begins running west, "Come Watson! And Ring! And Sea Elves! The game is afoot!" Ring frowns, unconvinced by Holmes words, but follows with the others. [b][u]The River Gate[/b][/u] After the first pulse, the River Gate has closed and the walls are crowded with Mandalorian and Brotherhood soldiers preparing weapons, turrets, and mortars for a siege. The forest is closest here, along with the bulk of the invading army. Tigersfan is fiddling with a radio when he notices Giant approaching, "Hey, don't suppose you can get a signal out to the Golden Keep?" Giant attempts to, but receives only static, "No, sorry." Tigers shrugs, "Didn't think so, I'm guessing that beam is interfering with long range communications." A Rebel soldier shouts something about a monster before he is engulfed in flame from above, then a roar and pounding from the gate draws their attention. The two ready themselves as a large blade cleaves through the metal doors like butter. The doors fall and a colossal flesh golem fills the frame, hunched forward, supporting its bulk with one muscular arm as long as its body. In two smaller arms it holds a great sword as wide as a man, a second arm on its left ends with a spiked maul and a third on it's right is wrapped in dozens of barbed chains that dangle to the ground. Its three armored heads glare at the heroes, then they roar in unison and it charges. "Dibs!" Giant shouts as he channels electricity through his axe and throws it at the golem. Tigers notices more beasts slithering in behind the golem and activates his cloak. Water flows around his armor, then ripples and he vanishes from sight. He reappears among the beasts in a whirlwind of steel and whips of water, slicing many to pieces. Before they can react, he pulls a wave from the river and washes them away, then turns to the gate where a shield wall of Wights have pushed through. He holds his position until they march over the remaining puddles of water, then uses it to impale several Wights. Fighters on the wall begin firing down upon them and their formation breaks. The golem slaps Giants axe away with one hand as it barrels towards him. Giant rushes to meet the monster and leaps up, his axe returning to his hands, and cleaves into its shoulder. The golems heads roar then grab Giant with their massive hand and slam him into the street. A single Wight in more ceremonial armor locks eyes with Tigers and steps forward, a sword of enchanted ice in hand. They dodge and parry eachothers blows before Tigers lands a strike upon its sword arm, but the Wight uses the opening to grab Tigers by the neck and the water upon his armor begins to freeze. Tigers grunts as he attempts in vain to move. The wights neck twitches and its eyes become solid black. It slowly pushes its blade into Tigers side with a smile, eyes now weeping dark ichor. Tigers hears a voice whisper in his head, [i]"Come to me, my darling..."[/i] Giant pushes the hand up with all his might and twists it with a sickening crack, then pulls and tosses the golem to its side. He quickly lifts his axe ignited with flame and disarms the monster. It rolls on top of Giant and begins pummeling him with its four remaining arms but Giant has created a barrier to protect him. The heads roar in rage and Giant roars back, then pushes his barrier out, tossing the golem onto it's back. Wasting no time, Giant leaps up and slams his axe into its chest releasing a wave of flame around it. The golems body spasms and its heads squeal as it burns, then it falls still, a smoldering pile of meat and metal. Giant turns to the gate and sees the Wight pull its blade from Tigers and toss him aside. Giants eyes glow brighter and his axes sparks with electricity as he spins and throws it into the gate entry, then follows it while shouting for a medic. His axe slices the Wight in half and collides with the forces marching into the city with a thunderous crack. Giant reaches the gate and pulls his axe out of the chest of a wight, then slams the pummel into the ground creating a barrier. He digs his boots into the concrete as more serpentine beasts throw themselves at him, shrieking and clawing inches from his face. Then a series of explosions hit the monsters from behind. Several Imperial LAATs descend from above, sweeping the undead with their lasers. Emperor Liam analyzes the field from an opened side door. "Deploy behind the walls, then perform a strafing run." He reaches out with the Force to pull a ball of fire into a siege tower, then backhands a ballistia bolt away from his gunship. Another was not so lucky, he watches it plummet into the undead below and explode. "Prioritize those artillery beasts." Liam steps off the gunship and lands behind Giant. He begins to raise the two massive doors with the Force, but a pulse from the beam drops his concentration and he falls to one knee. Giants barrier falls as his robotic form stands motionless for a moment, his lights dim. Through the gate, beyond the horde, Liam watches his ships fall from the sky and explode among the enemy. He grits his teeth, reaches out again, and lifts the massive doors into a position to secure the breach. ~~~ Gorlok sees all from his command center, including the hole in the sky and a great red serpentine eye briefly peering through it. His own eyes narrow as they return to the monitors. [spoiler][i]And that's where we'll end today's session! Next part comes out when it's done![/i][/spoiler]