Celestia's Finest: The Wasteland Wailers

[Miltonian]

Powder Keg sits back down and rolls onto her back, looking 'up' at Rose. "First, we cauterize the wound. Somepony gets a lighter and heats up the end of their barrel. Then, they burn the wound. Stops the bleeding and reduces risk of infection. Drag 'em back to base and have whatever crackjob doctor wandered into town that week take a look. Some are better than others. They remove the bullets and we put 'em to bed for a while. Thing gets infected, herbs. Lots of herbs. Special herbs. And we hope they don't lose the limb."

"Then we grab the whole gang, load up, and beat the snot out of the ponies that shot 'em in the first place." She grins. "Not too many rival gangs came back for a second helping of the Red Skorpions' sting."

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"I did," Red Tape says.

"I'll be staying on the ship," Star says. An awkward silence follows.

"Who were you talking to?" Star asks.

[DigoDragon]

"Interesting way to cauterize a wound. A good step if you can't sew it together. I'll have to find some of those herbs and study them. Sounds like they have anti-bacterial properties. Thanks for the enlightenment." Rose tail swishes. "Are we meeting up with any of your Red Skorpion gang on this trip?"

[Miltonian]

Her cheerful personality dims. "The five of us that showed up at the castle are the only ones left. And the other four are staying behind."

[Elbeyon]

Love closes one eye in pain. "I guess, this is a three way conversation now? Let's pretend I meant both of you. Red, you are welcome to ride on my back."

"Everyone should take a chance to get to know this bit of nature. I can promise you that you'll never see a clearer more star filled sky." She chuckles. "I meant from the ground, not space. Space is a whole different, wonderful experience. You ever been to space, Red? I've never been up to the colonies myself, but I'd love to go. It's been a dream of mine for a long time to visit the stars, other planets. I didn't even know that was possible growing up. It'd take some type of powerful wish machine to make that true back then and there."

[DigoDragon]

Rose winces. "Oh. I'm sorry I brought that up. It's got to still hurt, doesn't it?" she says, trying to open up some empathy. "Well we're gonna find this Lord of Stars together and plant him into the ground, but good. Or maybe you'd prefer to strap him to a nice big explosive and send him off that way?"

[D.KnightSpider]

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Would Powder know anything about Lars or be cleared to know?

Hearing the chorus of 'No', Sniper nodded.

"I didn't think so. We get to share a new expertience, then."

He turned his attention to the nearby window. The wasteland was aptly named. A part of him wondered how different things would have been had he been born here instead of Cloudsdale.

A heavy shudder worked its way down his spine.

[Miltonian]

"You've been to space," Star says brightly, "Granted, it wasn't a joyride, but it still counts, right?"

A quiet falls over the ponies as they look out over the ruined and wrecked land. Sniper is not the only one who shudders.

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Powder Keg tilts her head quizzically. "Lord of Stars? Is that what he's called?" A grin spreads slowly across her face. "Heh. I'll just have to send him right back up there, as quickly and loudly as possible."

[Elbeyon]

Love reflexively smiles though no one she is talking to her can see her. "I have been up there! It was a shooting star of ride for me." She chuckles. "I've got a recording of it all happening. I've stepped into a crazy world, hm? Course, I want to go to more places than a failing space station. I want to visit the resorts, and I want to go beyond that too. When I looked up at the sky as a young filly, I didn't only see the moon. I 'saw' worlds full of adventure out there. Who knows what could be happening in another, different place?" Love blushes. "All in a foal's dreams. Hey! We should take a trip up to your home too sometime. I've always wanted to go. What do you think?"

[DigoDragon]

Powder Keg tilts her head quizzically. "Lord of Stars? Is that what he's called?"

Now it's Rose's turn to quizzically tilt her head. "Uh yeah. One of your gang members called him out by name, and I quote, 'The Lord of Stars has their minds enslaved!' You didn't forget that little scene you caused, bowing before Celestia, did you?" Her expression slowly molds from one of attention to one of curious interest for a completely different reason.

[Miltonian]

She winces. "Right. I...I'll never forget that," she says, "I just forgot that's what Shock Wave called him. I call him the Dark Lord." Her face twists. "He's no Lord of Stars. But the darkness behind them, yes. That's who he is."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper remained lost in thought for several moments. Then he shook himself out of his dark reverie.

Action. Movement. He needed to do something so that he didn't need to think. That wasn't possible given his immediate situation. He'd have to figure out something else to think about instead.

Now he just had to figure out what.

[DigoDragon]

She winces. "Right. I...I'll never forget that," she says, "I just forgot that's what Shock Wave called him. I call him the Dark Lord." Her face twists. "He's no Lord of Stars. But the darkness behind them, yes. That's who he is."

Spoiler: Check

Show

Detect Lies (defaults to Per-6:
(3d6)[13] vs. 7

"The Dark Lord? It does sound more suitable. So you and you crew have met him I take it? Seen what he looks like?" Rose asks.

[Miltonian]

Powder Keg laughs loud enough for those above to hear her. "If we had, I wouldn't be here. Nopony can fight him and live. And nopony can meet with him without turning to his side or fighting him. We know him by reputation."

Ace pulls out a few more decks. "Anypony care to play a different game?"

[Elbeyon]

Love shrugs. It's not a good idea to distract the pilot anyway.

She smiles to Ace. "I'm always game for a game. How about we give our guest a chance to play too?"

Love gives something to her bot. It flies down below deck and poke Rose with its tiny manipulator.

"Hey, Keg. Love here. Would you like to play some cards with us?"

It puts a holo projector next to Rose and the holo lights it up with herself. "I can give you a live feed of your hand and the ponies playing. It wouldn't be too bad, I think."

[DigoDragon]

"Hmm, reputation only. Mysterious. Well, I'll let you join the card game if you want. I'm going to see how much longer till we land. Thank you for the conversation, it's been quite pleasant!" Rose excuses herself and crawls back out to the main area. She'll nod to Sniper if he wants to go in next.

[D.KnightSpider]

Ace pulls out a few more decks. "Anypony care to play a different game?"

He wasn't feeling it, but it was the best option on the table. No pun intended.

"Sure. Deal me in and I'm give it a go." Sniper said.

"Hmm, reputation only. Mysterious. Well, I'll let you join the card game if you want. I'm going to see how much longer till we land. Thank you for the conversation, it's been quite pleasant!" Rose excuses herself and crawls back out to the main area. She'll nod to Sniper if he wants to go in next.

A review of the situation and plans prompted him to delay the interview.

"Let's see what happens with Love and the card game first. This could get interesting."

[Miltonian]

When the holoprojector lights up, Powder Keg's eyes go wide and she lets out a shriek. "GHOST! THERE'S A GHOST!" She backpedals, getting as far away from the door as she can, and begins desperately searching for a loose panel or something of the sort along the back. Love's ears get blasted at full volume.

Ace jumps and almost drops the cards he was shuffling. "This game," he says, trying to ignore the sounds from below, "Is called 'Spite and Malice'. Not much like poker, but my grandma loved to play it. Good family game, despite the name."

[D.KnightSpider]

That was irony for you.

"I'd say that's an appropriate name given our circumstances. Unfortunately, I'm going to ask for a delay of game while I check on Powder Keg. Abject terror isn't the sort of 'interesting' I had in mind for this game. Maybe I can talk her down while Love recovers her hearing."

Sniper stood up and stripped off his weapons. He kept his web gear, transponder ring, cell phone and data pad. The cell phone and data pad were set to record his interactions with Powder Keg. The transponder ring would keep his rifle from going off in his absence, and the web gear was to keep his hooves free. Everything else was stowed away in his seat.

He set off to visit the captive.

"Knock, knock." He said upon arrival.

[DigoDragon]

"No no, Powder! Hey! Not a ghost. This is a projector. It uses light to make realistic images. It's like a photograph, but instead of flat it floats in front of you as if it's a real object. It's harmless, really!" Rose tries to calm their passenger down.

[Miltonian]

Rose and Sniper barely have room to squeeze in together, peering into the small containment module at the panicking earth pony. Powder Keg quickly realizes escape is impossible and curls up at the other end, quivering and hiding her face. An eye peeks out from between her hooves. "It's not real?"

Slowly, she uncurls. "Oh, I bet this is real funny to you all," she says, voice turning aggressive, "Look at the Wastelander! Doesn't even know what a...whatsitsname is!' Well ha-ha. You're all hilarious."

[userpay]

Brazen looks quizzically at the floor as Powder Keg panics at whatever they were doing down there. "Is to to much to ask that we don't traumatize our guide?" He asks with a joking tone before turning to Ace. "Sure ah'd be down to join in this time. If our guide is still ah bit riled up later ah can try givin her a talkin to but ah'll let the others have their chance."

[DigoDragon]

Slowly, she uncurls. "Oh, I bet this is real funny to you all," she says, voice turning aggressive, "Look at the Wastelander! Doesn't even know what a...whatsitsname is!' Well ha-ha. You're all hilarious."

"Nah, it's not funny. Sometimes these things can still scare me when they show up as a corvid marauder or a cragadile," Rose says.

[Elbeyon]

To Ace, "I think I'll skip this round."

Love turns the holo off and humbly, honestly apologizes. "I'm sorry about that Keg. I didn't mean to do that. I only wanted to play a game with you."

[Miltonian]

Ace takes those willing to play and starts dealing out the cards for it.

Powder Keg sulks. "And now I look like a scared little foal. I'm not a foal." She glowers at Sniper Scope. "And you are?"

[DigoDragon]

Rose will join in the kard came.

"You're not a foal, Powder," she says into the drone comm. "It was just something foreign and you weren't prepared. Fight or flight instincts, that's all."

[Elbeyon]

Love will play comms officer by setting up a true comm to the bot, none of this half flank stuff. This feels so wrong though. Someone else is playing with her private toy. She's going to have to scrub this bot extra hard to make all of this up to it.

[D.KnightSpider]

Powder Keg sulks. "And now I look like a scared little foal. I'm not a foal." She glowers at Sniper Scope. "And you are?"

Shrodinger's Pegasus.

"Lt. Sniper Scope of the Equestrian Defense Force." He said.

"Overall, I'm here to help you on your mission and to help rescue some ponies. At the moment, I'm hoping to help you join in on the card game 'upstairs'. That would be a better way for you to pass the time.

"And, for the record, you don't look like a scared foal."

[DigoDragon]

This feels so wrong though. Someone else is playing with her private toy. She's going to have to scrub this bot extra hard to make all of this up to it.

Rose suddenly feels like she needs to hygiene herself.

[Miltonian]

Ace deals Rose in

Powder Keg looks at the drone. "Nope. Not touching it. No-sir-ee. You can keep that far, far, FAR away from me."

Star opens a channel to everypony in the ship. "Just a quick heads up. I've detected something on long range scanners. Could be nothing, but I suggest everyone strap themselves in and secure any and all loose items in case we need to make some evasive maneuvers."

[DigoDragon]

Rose takes her cards and straps in with her ponykinesis. "Alright, let's see how this game plays."

(3d6)[16] (card games)