Log:Overlord - Colonial Bay, Scene 3

Overlord's Arrival 2018/04/27        Chen Executor Donle Defender Griffin Copycat Pleiades Spirit Natasha

6

There is open country beyond the suburbs of Colonial Bay before one comes to the suburbs of Richmond, but the main highway is busy, both with traditional vehicles and the hovervehicles in their own lanes. Beyond Richmond it's another story: many of the inland towns have depopulated or even withered to ghost towns, and the roads feel lonely. Even this more empty land gives way to hundreds of miles of forest, and then at last to the Appalachian Mountains.

Long, largely straight roads, often in poor condition, stretch across the low-lying farmland, interrupted by lines of tree delimiting fields and acting as windbreakers. Traffic is thin, most long-distance traffic preferring the major highways to the south and east. Small villages and isolated farmhouses hold the human population, while fields and hedgerows have the animals.

The kyber-drill of the Overlord pylon has been shut down. There is some geothermal energy stored in the pylon, but not anywhere near as much as there would have been otherwise. The control room of the pylon is currently occupied by the alien operator, Pleiades, Copycat, Griffin, and Chen. The heroes also know how to launch the pylon back into space. What the consequences of that will be, is unclear.

Natasha and Defender are outside the pylon proper, and can see an armored individual flying toward the area. Is it this 'Executor' that was mentioned? It does look a bit like the Harbinger that was seen a few months ago. Just a little smaller.

Spirit is inside the pylon, just outside of hte control room, hovering in place.

Natasha eyes the incoming, likely hostile figure, and makes sure she's ready for a fight.

Chen looks around, "Anyone got a radio or something. We need to get what we've discovered here out to all the other groups fighting against these pylons." she says.

The alien controller just seems to zone. It stares at the controls while the heroes discuss what they're going to do.

A soft sigh crackles through Defender's external speakers as he stands alertly beside the entrance to the Pylon, spear upright at his side and crackling with energy. Visored face tilted up toward the sky, he watches the oncoming figure without visible expression, gauging its speed.

"Possible enemy inbound, moving quickly. Can fly, so if there's a door up top he'll bypass me." Defender broadcasts calmly over a broad range of radio frequencies, tossing it out and hoping that someone inside has the means to hear him.

Spirit gets the message and passes it along to the others in the control room, "Looks like we have someone inbound from outside. Unknown if it's a hero or one of the aliens. Did I hear right that we can launch this thing?"

Chen grins, "I'm voting for alien. Now this is more like it. Hostiles aliens I know how to deal with." She starts heading out,

Natasha launches herself into the air again and flies out to meet the incoming likely-alien.

Executor Donle

This being stands about nine feet tall, and is wearing what looks like shimmering armor. At different angles it looks blue or orange or chrome. Its helmet has flared sides and two glowing eyes emanate from within. The armor itself is mostly full of clean lines and doesn't have much ornamentation, though it looks vaguely reminiscent of medieval platemail. In its hands is what looks like a flail formed of energy, sized appropriately for a nine-foot-tall being.

Griffin enters from West of Colonial Bay.

Executor Donle continues flying toward the pylon, considerably faster than Natasha is moving toward him. Though he's still a ways out.

Motion from the corner of one eye draws Defender's attention down from the approaching threat as Natasha lifts off and begins to flap. Planting the butt of his lance between his feet, the Knight extends one gauntleted palm toward the tiny dragon, calling out after her with typical electronic distortion, "It might be best to wait here and meet the threat together. If you fly up to it, I will not be able to join you. Most of the others likely can, though."

Chen lands near Defender and morphs into a small, but not as small as Natasha, dragon. "Hey, mister armor and lance, hop on my back, dragonriders to the rescue."

Spirit doesn't get a response from inside the control room, other than Chen's comment on the way by. He flies in and lands, looking at Griffin and Copycat, "Hey! Did I hear right? We can launch this thing?"

Natasha turns her head so she's grinning in Chen's direction. She concentrates on gaining altitude rather than flying on ahead of the others.

Defender only stares at first as he is joined by a second, dragon, this one able to both shapeshift and talk. After a moment, however, he seems to accept his new place in life and steps over to join the Chendragon, bracing one silver-gauntleted hand between her shoulders and swinging himself up onto her back. He is quite a bit heavier than the average man, even accounting for the bulky suit of power armor, but nobody can say he isn't willing to try new things.

"Dragon riding is not a skill I've developed," He informs the dragon below him as he levels his lance, "Let's hope this works."

"I have a radio. I can alert the others." Copycat pushes a button on her smartwatch and brings it close to her mouth, radioing details to Starguard outside so they can pass the news along. She looks to Griffin afterward. "So. Guessing we're catching this ride into space?" she says, just before hearing the news of the Executor's approach.

Copycat nods to Spirit. "At least, we think we can."

Griffin nods his head. "That seems to be the case, Commander." The SuperSoldier says to Spirit backing Kat's answer up with more information. "We've powered the structure down- which is likely why we've got incoming now, but we need to make a decision here about who's going with me-- err with us back to the Enemy HQ?" He seems like he's made up his mind about this as well.

Chen does a minor shift to provide Defender with stirrups and a hand hold. Then with a mighty flapping of wings she takes to the air flying after Natasha.

Spirit nods to Copycat, "Alright, then. I can stay in here and launch it. Assuming it works. I suggest you three head outside, and help make sure that launch happens. It could be all for naught, right?" Pleiades nods to Spirit, "Yes sir!" She grabs the alien controller and skates her way out, heading outside.

Outside...the Executor is now getting to within range of those flying up at him. (100m or so) He shouts something in an unknown language, and an aura of yellow energy forms around his body.

Spirit chuckles. "Or you can stay. But I suggest you do so only if you can survive in space. And...survive re-entry."

"Oh no- I don't think that sits, Commander. You don't think there's worse than what we've encountered so far up there?" Griffin asks incredulously. "You're going to need backup up there. We're riding." He nods as Spirit chuckles. "She's got a suit, and I'm real good at holding my breath."

Copycat gives Griffin a look when he makes it sound like just he was going. A quick warming in case he thinks he's leaving her behind. It's a good thing he decided not to make that statement. She looks to Spirit. "My suit is space-worthy. But...do you think this pylon would take us up to the main vessel that's attacking?" She fears the size of such a thing that carries these massive pylons as weapons.

Defender Tightens his grip on Chen's back, holding on with his knees and one hand, and leans forward slightly to get a better look at the now glowing threat. With wings flapping to either side, and wind rushing passed him, he levels his lance at the oncoming creature, but makes no other aggressive moves for the moment.

"Can you understand him?" he asks down to Chen, surprisingly calm and in control for his circumstances.

Spirit shakes his head, "I suspect there is no 'main vessel' as we think about it. We saw basically a ring of these things. And little else. I just want it off the planet, honestly. And I'm going to work to see if I can get it to feed back and explode."

The range continues closing...50m now.

Chen gives a little shake of her snouted dragon's head, "Not a chance. I don't speak alienish," she calls back to Defender.

Copycat nods at that. "Guess we'll track down the attacks later. Right now, we have an intruder to slow so you can launch this away."

Natasha splits into a dozen copies, all keeping within 8m of her. The illusions may not be brilliant, but who knows, it might confuse the hostile entity.

"You're driving," Defender responds back down to Chen, glowing visor fixed on the approaching alien. "It looks aggressive to me. if it tries to get passed us, stop it. If it attacks, well." He leaves the rest unsaid.

"Well let's launch this thing then- I'm sure we can hold of any incoming mid-flight." Griffin says as he flies towards the hole leading out of the control room. He's going to stand guard just inc ase.

Spirit pulls the lever for the launch...and the pylon shudders. It makes metal grinding sounds as it starts to power up again.

Chen mutters to herself, although it's probably loud enough that Defender will be able to hear, "I wish my father was here. Or my aunts."

Copycat makes for the exist as fast as possible, flying out with a glowing green comet tail behind her as she escapes the pylon before it has a chance to take off. She looks over her shoulder to check Griffin is following instead of leaving her behind.

Executor Donle closes the distance further...getting to about 25m from the oncoming heroes. He then halts in mid-air before swinging his energy flail, releasing a wave of cosmic energy in the heroes' direction.

Chen morphs to raise a shield of her own flesh up to protect Defender.

Natasha, and her flock of duplicates, are blown backwards, but soon right themselves and resume forward flight.

The energy wave washes over the heroes, sending them backward. The Executor shouts somethign else in its unknown language.

Chen takes the blast shielding Defender. She's tossed back in the air, flipping out several times before righting herself with controlled wing movements. "Hope you have some ranged capability. Getting close might be an issue," is what she tells Defender.

Spirit eyes the various controls and conduits inside the alien control room. "Let's see...power feeds into here...can I get that to..."

Natasha flies closer, and drops the evidently useless illusion. Since her quarry is still out of claw range, she attacks with a simple burst of fire.

The magical fire hits the Executor and the energy field around him starts to glow more brightly. He shouts something again at Natasha...which no one understands.

Griffin follows along behind Kat despite initially wanting to stay and catch the free lift into orbit. The Executor is small beans to him- he knows the real mission is above their heads hanging like Damocle's sword.

Still- where Copycat goes, Griffin will follow if only to protect his world before protecting the World but will naturally say something inspiring and motivating about being a team, getting the mission completed together & having faith in the Commander's plan if pressed.

He begins to glow before vanishing- reappearing next to Kat and then going with her outside.

Copycat keeps trying to fly out as fast as she can, while still being able to maneuver out of the ship. She reaches the bottom and tries to arc towards the exit, having to correct a few feet before she ends up blazing out of the pylon to help the others. She flashes Griffin a nervous smile, surely thinking she's pulling off appearing encouraging despite failing. It's the thought that counts.

Defender shifts his lance into a cross guard position, readying himself in his makeshift saddle as the unknown attacker rockets ever closer. He has a split moment to react as the figure comes to an abrupt halt, flail swinging up...

And a wall of armored flesh shifts up between the Knight and his attacker, catching the bulk of the spreading blast that is launched in his direction.

A crackling grunt escapes Defender's lips as Chen is knocked backward through the air, her armored back meeting his chest with an audible 'clang!' Sent tumbling and rolling through space, the pair is pulled out of their death spiral by a few skillful flaps of her wings, and he drags himself upright in his seat, lance still clutched firmly in one hand.

"I have some range, but I can hit him harder if you get us close. Do what you have to, I'll adapt." Defender informs Chen, leveling the crackling tip of his lance at the villain and bracing his free gauntlet around the makeshift pommel of his seat. A brief glance is cast toward Natasha to insure she survived the blast, but all seems well there. Though, there is something about that glow...

Executor Donle doesn't go after Natasha, even though that's who hit him. Instead he flies closer to Chen and unleashes a larger blast of focused energy at her. And by 'focused', the lance of energy is two feet in diameter.

Spirit continues tracing power sources as the pylong continues to power up. The cylinder actually tears free from the ground and starst to move upward slowly, though it will likely pick up speed in short order.

Natasha swerves around behind the alien and attacks up close, with a flurry of teeth and claws!.

Defender can feel Chen bracing for another hit, muscles shifting beneath her armored hide. Still, something about this situation doesn't feel right, so, as the enormous blast of energy rips out toward them, the silver knight whips his lance forward and down into the beam's path. Crackling lightning meets cosmic energy with a resounding 'BOOM!' and a great flash of light, the air shivering around the impact as, for the moment, Defender forces the blast to part around them.

"Get closer, there is something I don't like about his energy shield." the knight instructs.

Natasha's tiny claws fall short of the mark.

Chen breathes a heartfelt "Thanks. There was something about that blast I didn't like. Get closer. Got it."

Griffin clenches his fists and then puts them out in front of him as he flies straight for the Executor- his eyes a blaze intensely full of determination and his own brand of cosmic energy. The golden light leaves a trail along his path as he gets closer.

He is otherwise silent as he moves, not wanting to gain any unwanted attention. He knows how durable Chen is. He'll take the opportunity to get closer and then hopefully get an alpha strike in.

Chen closes the range to point blank contact and braces against knockback with her flight. Her muscles flex and shift to a more offensive capable mode as she strikes at the alien with a barbed elongated tail.

The Executor is hit, making a clanging noise off of his armor. He's knocked a few meters forward, but he's apparently skilled in dealing with such things, as he gets his orientation back quickly.

Copycat sees the others getting attacks and tries to hurry as best she can. Her fists charge up with glowing green bio-energy before she throws her fists forward and sends a blast at the Executor.

...and then he's tossed backward again. He drops the flail, only to have hte energy dissipate. As he rights himself again, the weapon reappears in his hand. He says something in a language that no one quite understands...but the tone is obvious. Derision.

Executor Donle takes a hold of his energy flail with both hands, holding it out in front of him length-wise. He shouts something in his alien language, and a wave of energy issues forth in all directions. The wave's way out doesn't hurt...but then it collapses, back toward the alien enforcer, and the force of that waves rushing backward hits hard.

Natasha is stunned by the wave and starts falling to the ground.

Copycat gets buffeted by the wave, a wave of pain and surprise hitting her. Stunned, she begins to plummet, her powers cutting out.

Griffin follows the other's heroes assault by flying an arc upwards to get a clear line of fire at the Executor as his eyes begin to glow more and more intensely.

Soon the veins at his temples are visible as it appears that Griffin's whole skull fill with energy and then he too is struck with the force of the Executor's attack.

He blacks out and begins to fall like his fellow heroes.

Spirit has more or less figured out the power systems inside the alien craft. It starts to accelerate...heading upward into the air.

Defender is hit full force by the dragging wave of energy and the body inside his suit goes suddenly limp, slipping sideways off of Chen's back as he begins to fall as well.

Natasha steadies herself on her wings after a drop of 10m.

Griffin feels the sensation of falling as he continues to plummet for a few meters more before he jolts upright and kicks on the brakes. He shakes it off immediately and then looks for Kat with his energy sense to make sure he hasn't lost her. He is intimately aware with how much force it takes to stun him so he fears the worst.

He senses the slight flicker of her bio-energy as she plummets and he vanishes as he redirects his flightpath to keep her from hitting the ground.

He barely makes it- impacting the ground with full force as he cushions the fall for his handwarmer.

The ground buckles from the force for Griffin's impact- but he cacoon's Kat from the worst of it.

Wind rushes passed Defender's limp body as it tumbles down, down through the air, picking up speed with every passing second. Losing his grip on his Arc Lance, the hero falls beside it for a moment before impacting the ground with a resounding THUD, dust and clods of earth tossed into the air by the force of his landing. The limp impact leaves him crumpled on his side, one shoulder buried deep in the ground, his lance thudding next to him to lie abandoned in the dust. For the moment he isn't moving.