Log:Trouble at Sea, Scene 2

Trouble at Sea 2015/11/25 Griffin Indira Rick

2

In our last issue of Colonial Bay Mercs, Griffin and Rick were providing security for Indira who had been invited to attend a pleasure cruise around the Chesapeake Bay aboard the S.S. Libertine, a scaled up replica of your average Wild West era Mississippi steam-paddle boat. Unfortunately, as the enormous gambling ship reached its furthest point from port, it came under attack from a number of what we may assume to be KRAKENS.

Breach is, at this very moment, in a pitched aquatic battle with one such enormous, squid-like beast whilst angrily demanding that Indira and Griffin secure the ship against the other krakens and, still more importantly, prevent the passengers from dying horribly under the lash of the dozen or so kalamari-esque whips entangling and beleaguering the Libertine from every available angle.

Whilst Griffin is taking control of the situation from Indira, both of them can see that the roiling column of brackish water is starting to slide past the rocking, shuddering Libertine. It gives the tentacles a wide berth as it seems to steer toward the bow of the paddlewheeler. Once again, Griffin notices those four tentacles erupt from the edges of the disturbed column of water before sinking below the waves and foam once more.

Rick abruptly bursts out of the surface of the unforgiving, increasingly dark sea below. He has his combat knife in hand and sucks in a great, heaving lungful of air. Staring up at Indira and Griffin, Breach shouts, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?! SECURE THE SHIP! SECURE THE CIVILIANS!"

More tentacles promptly erupt from the waves, slamming down into Breach and dragging him below the waves again. Before he goes down, however, there is a bright flash of his combat knife's blade and a few spurts of cephalopod blood from those tentacles. Perhaps Breach isn't completely dead down there?

Hoisting Indira away from the railing he says, "You want to die saving a man or saving a boatload of people?"

"Breach was here to protect you- make his sacrifice worth it! Dig deep and move forward! Take these people upstairs after I go up first. I need to make sure the path is clear." He looks her deep in her eyes... her deeply alien and beautiful eyes. He shakes his head. His focus always gets funky around this one. He steps back and releases her, hoping he can trust her not to jump.

Right on time Breach pops out of the water! "See! The man is fine- civilans to the top deck in 1 minute!!!" he says running up towards the stairway leading above.

Indira stares back into Griffin's eyes as he gives his speech. It seems to strike a chord with her. And when Breach breaches the surface, as per his namesake, his words help Griffin get through to her. The needs of the many and all that. "I...alright. Yes. The people." Usually it wouldn't be a question, but she's torn on this issue for some reason. After Griffin releases her, she lowers her foot from the rail and follows Griffin's orders.

Griffin heads upstairs, certain that Indira will follow along behind him with passengers in tow. That part of the plan seems equally problematic to the one waiting for him on the upper decks.

He draws his sidearm, and continues his charge- headlong into danger.

"There's gotta be a way to 'persuade' this overgrown squid to return to the depths from whence it came- hopefully without Rick in tow." He says allowed as he doubles his pace. His speed counts for little in these cramped quarters, but he uses it where he can to cover the most ground possible, hoping to clear out a path for the civies on board.

Indira begins to gather the people at the lower deck, preparing to heard them up top in a minute once Griffin clears the way. "Please, remain calm. There are people here to help. When I tell you, move upstairs," she calls to get people's attention.

There is a good chance that Indira is getting a good psychic workout tonight, between her attempts at reading KRAKEN MINDS and trying to make friends and influence (human) people. Between her being a calm port in a ferocious storm and her semi-secret alien mind powers, Indira gathers many of the other passengers of the Libertine's maiden voyage to her position. She may have to do some work to get to the position from which she cares to lead them toward their safe haven.

Griffin, meanwhile, mounts the stairs and bursts onto the leisure deck with his gun drawn. Fortunately there aren't very many people around to judge him for this. He finds only a couple of oily black tentacles lashing about up here, one rammed through a porthole that was formerly filled with ballistic-grade acrylic. It's also worth noting that, from here, Griffin suspects he could mount the exterior of the bridge to gain the high ground. As we all know, the man with the high ground in a firefight is generally the victor because tentacles can only stretch so far to molest a person.

Once again those periodic tentacles surrounding the chaotic, churning sector of water erupt from beneath the foamy, frothy waves to survey the artificial landscape as they continue to advance upon the prow of the "steam"-paddlewheeler.

The former Ranger is a fan of taking the highest ground available as often as strategically sound. Considering their adversary- now would eb the best time go make his way up. But he surveys the lone tentacle in this part of the ship to make sure it poses no threat to the passengers making their way top side. If it poses no threat, Griffin will climb the exterior of the ship to get topside as fast as possible.

Indira tries to get to the head of the crowd as she prepares to lead them to safer ground. She gazes up ahead to try and see if Griffin was able to find ground.