Thursday, June 19, 2014

Koreshi Chronicles - Chapter VII: First Blood

It was bound to happen. Someone was going to find out about this deal.

It could have been the Comptroller squeezing in on the deal or a leak from inside his organisation or, worse yet; maybe it was retaliation for what had been done to his transporter? It was more likely that it was Matoux making good on his threat. It could also been an agency of some kind, maybe even HIRA! Who knew?

That was a mystery to solve later, right now they had hostiles to deal with. Jax had radioed in that they were about to engage a mixed group of vehicles and Radsley had to get control of the train to give them tactical options.

He was in a passenger car divided into two compartments, attached behind the front engine. The two old compartments were empty save for him, he pushed the release on the forward hatch and a blast of hot air and sand from the Tobian plains hit him. The rear of the engine had a modest cabin for the conductor. He has last spoken to him an hour earlier at the border when they had added the rear engine for the return trip. Radsley pulled on the heavy door and it opened with a clunk to reveal an empty bunk, Radsley moved on to the control room.

He pulled on the latch to the heavy pocket door and tensed up as he heard a shriek. This allowed him to deflect the knife blow aimed at his heart. Instead it grazed his rib cage. He pivoted through the door and deflected another blow with his forearm. Once inside the control room he could clearly make out his masked attacker. He had a partner near the bashed up master panel who was holding a pistol to a girl's head while covering her mouth with his other hand. She was struggling. In the corner lay the ashen corpse of the conductor in a large pool of his own blood.

Radsley was now engaged in close combat with his attacker. This took up almost all of his attention so he had to push the question about the now recognized Miranda to the back of his head. He landed a blow to the chest which should have floored the guy but his armour took most of it. His peripheral vision caught the second guy leveling his gun on him so he displaced to put his current attacker between them.

There was a stifled cry followed by the sound of the suppressed pistol firing. The shot went wide and hit the knife wielding assailant. Apparently Miranda had bitten his hand and broken free. Radsley took her cue to act and to pry loose the knife, there was a half second as it was weighed and repositioned in his hand before it was thrown at the gunman.

The missile penetrated the armour strap at the right clavicle, his gun fell free of his hand with a clunk on the deck plating. The throat or the eye would have been far better but Radsley was satisfied it had done any real damage at all and afforded him another action. Moving from one target to another, he launched himself across the control room slamming his victim and the knife deeper.

Miranda felt the rush of air as Radsley swept passed her and into her kidnapper. She wiped his blood from her mouth. She could see the other guy had recovered from the shot he had taken by accident and was drawing his pistol. Radsley was back to him, struggling with his current target. Miranda's small hand landed on the gun on the deck plating and, before she knew it was happening, started unloading at the second masked guy. He ducked and swerved and threw himself through the hatch to avoid the hail of lead. She followed, pressing her attack, never letting up on the trigger until she could slam the latch and shut the hatch.

"Hey" Radsley called out and she turned in time to see a magazine flying her way, she caught and fumbled to reload. She heard the click and pulled back on the charger. She inched toward the small porthole and saw the hallway was empty -- he had retreated. She ran to Radsley and flung her arms around him.

The guy who had been holding her was leaning sideways, his head twisted unnaturally on his purple neck.

She held Radsley tightly and felt something rising in her throat, it was getting hard to breath and she started to tremble. There was a first chocked sob, she was trying to stop herself from crying, but she felt like she was about to fall apart.

"There, there pet." He said softly. Radsley was panting and Miranda became aware that there was quite a lot of blood soaking into his jacket at the side and on the arm. She forgot her own shattered state and tore the first aid fit from the wall and went to work trying to remember all thef survival first aid Elroy Krog had taught her.

She found his radio as she searched for the wound and paused to turn up the volume. She heard familiar voices.

"Uhm, Ryss. It's me. Radsley needs help"


Heavy Gear Roleplaying Game

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Hermes 72 - Heavy Gear RPG - Most artwork Copyright 2002 Dream Pod 9, Inc.