The Cruelwater Chronicles (Part VI) - The Tide Turns

Moisture glistened on the scorpion's black carapace as it struggled to break free from the sump spider's web. Sully watched as the scorpion used its pincers to snip at the sticky strands holding it fast, its movement sending tremors along the gossamer threads to its owner. With each brief struggle the sump spider moved closer to its prey, stopping every time the Scorpion's frantic movements ceased. Closer and closer the sump spider moved, the scorpion's exertions masking its approach. The scorpion's movements ceased, its energy apparently spent. The spider crouched, its albino eyes scrutinising its prey, legs like coiled springs, waiting for the kill. In a sudden burst of activity the spider leapt upon its prey, its fangs struggling to puncture the scorpion's hard chitin plate. The scorpion's tail immediately lashed out sinking its venom tipped barb into its assailant. The gossamer threads gave way and both plummeted towards the sump below, locked together in their violent embrace. As they plunged into the sump, jaws snapped closed and dragged them both into the murky depths below.
Sully looked across at Brigitte, "An ill-omen." she whispered to her leader.
Brigitte shook her head, "Move out" she signalled....

With the Puppet Master in the hands of the Clean-Up Crew the Voodoo Dolls were attempting to snatch (Rescue mission) him from under their noses. The Goliaths had 5 sentries guarding their prisoner with the rest of their crew in reserve.

As the Voodoo Dolls crept towards their objective, the Clean-Up Crew's sentries spread out....

The Goliath's champion Sinister obviously felt something was wrong as he activated three times in a row and made straight for Voodoo Dolls. Kimaris couldn't resist making use of her recently acquired Suspensor and moved up with her Heavy Stubber blasting away at Sinister.....

....Five shots slammed into him but all of them either failed to wound or were turned aside by his armour and worse still the shots raised the alarm (A Heavy Stubber on full auto will do that!). Sinister calmly took aim and blasted the Dolls' champion off of the walkway with his shotgun. Kimaris was taken out before she even hit the ground.

Determined to avenge her champion, Jinx charged Sinister.....

.....the Goliath champion grinned as the young Juve closed, his grin was replaced by shock as Jinx slipped her Stiletto between his ribs and the toxin coursed through his lumbering frame taking him out of action.

The Goliaths were quick to answer the alarm call, all of them turned up. Their Leader, Specialist and a ganger came in on the West-side.....

.....Realising the danger she was in, Jinx lobbed a smoke grenade to cover the Dolls' from their fire power. The Goliath's Brute charged through the smog but couldn't quite reach the Juve.

Sumpsnake Sully pinned him with her Hotshot Lasgun.

On the East-side, the Voodoo Dolls' other Juve, Cinders lobbed a smoke Grenade to cover her and Kat's advance....But they hadn't seen the arrival of the Goliaths' other champion. Dexter levelled his Grenade launcher at his counterpart and blasted her with a Krak grenade taking her out of action.

As Cinders rushed into the smoke cloud to close with a Goliath ganger, the Puppet Master broke free of his bonds. The Renegade Dominus activated his Rad Cannon and targeted them, pinning them both and flesh wounding the Goliath.

On the West-side, the Goliath's Juve, Grimey charged into Jinx....

.....Taking the Voodoo Dolls' Juve out of action with his Stub Gun.

Sumpsnake Sully moved across to target the Janitor but she failed her cool check....

....and shot at Grimey instead, pinning the young Juve. Maman Brigitte charged into the Goliath's Brute.....

....The Dolls' leader lashed out at him, four times she found her mark. 'Dozer staggered under the onslaught, then finally collapsed as the toxin overwhelmed him.

The Janitor grinned as he powered up his Plasma pistol to maximal. 'Dozer collapsing to Brigitte's attacks had left the Dolls' Leader out in the open. Janitor steadied his aim and squeezed the trigger....

.....the entire West-side was bathed in bright light as the Voodoo Dolls' leader was blasted from her feet, the plasma taking her out of action in an instant.....But Plasma weapons are notoriously unstable and the pistol exploded taking the Goliath leader out at the same time!!
A Goliath ganger fell to the Puppet Master's Rad Cannon.
The Goliaths had lost their leader, a champion, a Brute and two gangers. The Voodoo Doll's weren't fairing any better with both Champions, their leader and a Juve Out of Action. Both gangs quickly declared an uneasy truce to concentrate on getting the Puppet Master back under control.

The Voodoo Dolls' remaining Juve, Cinders ran along the gantry to close with the Renegade Dominus....

....The Puppet Master saw her coming and pinned her with a couple of rounds from his Autopistol.

Longpoke Kari pinned the Dominus with her Long-Las as all of the gangs closed in.

The Puppet Master rose up and pinned the encroaching Goliath champion with more rounds from his Autopistol.

The Renegade's Empyraesphere pulsed once again as Longpoke Kari pinned him yet again.

One again he climbed to his feet and once again he pinned Dexter with his Autopistol.

The Empyreasphere pulsed again as it turned aside Longpoke Kari's shot. The Puppet Master grinned behind his mask as the shot pinned him once more.

Cinders leapt from the gantry through the window and barrel-rolled straight into combat with the Dominus but neither could land a telling blow.

Sabine charged in to help out the Juve.....

.....but the Puppet Master smashed her aside, seriously injuring her. Only Cinders prevented him from administering a Coup de Grace.

The young Juve lashed out once more and again the Puppet Master's Empyraeshphere pulsed as it turned aside the blows. The Renegade plunged his Shock Stave into Cinders taking her out and administering the Coup de Grace to the injured Sabine!

After witnessing such slaughter the Goliath champion bottled out and fled the battle. Sumpsnake sully tried to get a bead on the Dominus but her shot flew wide.

The few remaining gangers tried to close with their adversary....

Tia climbed the girder and blasted away with her Hotshot Las-Gun but the shot went wide....

The Puppet Master turned and put her down with his Autopistol.

Their nerve finally failed them and both gangs fled the scene, leaving behind 5 Goliaths and 6 Voodoo Dolls in the hands of the Puppet Master.

Phew! Well that didn't quite go according to plan....what a bloodbath!
We thought we had the next scenario all sorted out and it would be just a case of who would walk away with the spoils. Alas, it wasn't to be and the Hive Spirits thought they would intervene once again to take us in a completely different direction.
As if eleven gang members down wasn't bad enough, the few remaining gangers decided to leg it and leave them all behind.
Our next scenario will now have to be some sort of rescue mission on scale that we've never even thought of....hmm...maybe a distraction might be in order to draw some of the Puppet Master's minions away and give them a chance to escape....hang in there peeps.....I think I have a cunning plan! 😉


Until next time....may Our Lady grant you her number 😉