(D4 EE) Damsel in Distress - Axel

[Nekoinu]

Whatever it was that he was doing, Axel was in his room by himself. Nursing his hangover, brooding. Regardless, his solitude was soon interrupted by a familiar face.

"I don't know why I had hoped different from you," Daerah said. Her arms were crossed and she remained standing in the doorway.

[Axel Ward]

Heavy sleep and a fairly disgusting hangover cure regimen had set Axel mostly right. Still, he was taking a quiet day, laying back with his datapad, still trying to learn what it meant to be a Mandalorian.

His expression softened for a moment at Dae's appearance, but then twisted into a scowl. "What d'you mean?" He asked, his voice low and rough.

[Nekoinu]

Daerah shut her eyes, clearly annoyed. "Defensive," she said, "Why am I not surprised about that either?" She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

[Axel Ward]

Axel's frown deepened, his brow creasing. There was some irritation in his dark eyes, but more confusion.

He sat up, booted feet on the floor, elbows coming up to rest on his knees. "No, seriously. What do you mean?" Axel asked. Grunting, he reached up to rub his temples with his hands. "Look, just come in, tell me what's up."

[Nekoinu]

"I'm fine here," Daerah said, leaning against the doorway. She looked at Axel with a pensive expression and then sighed. "There's a difference between killing someone in combat and an execution."

[Axel Ward]

Axel waved a hand. "Fine, whatever." There was more irritation in his voice, more anticipatory than anything else. Losing a friend didn't hurt as much if you were angry at each other.

"Oh." Axel sighed, even as understanding flashed in his eyes. He was silent a few moments. "I don't know. I sorta think that dead is dead. And I'm not gonna draw a line between trying to kill someone one minute because of what they did, and not ten minutes later because we took a break."

His gaze went down and to the side. "Either way, I'm a killer."

[Nekoinu]

"Yeah. I just wanted to believe you and the rest of your friends weren't just killers." Daerah started to turn around when there was a sudden jolt in the ship. She tripped, smacking her face against the other end of the doorway.

"Ow!" she shouted. Her finger wobbled up to touch the blood streaming from the blow. A few more jolts and she grazed it a bit too much to be comfortable. "Kriff, ow, ow, ow."

[Axel Ward]

Axel sighed, deep but quiet. Well, that was that.

The sudden jolt made him shift heavily, but with feet planted on the ground, he was stable at least. His brown eyes flashed with concern at Dae's injury. "Kriff, you okay?" He rose to his feet, crossing quickly, one hand coming up to catch her arm, securely but gently, releasing if she pulled.

"Have a seat, let me find sometime for that." Axel glanced towards the bridge with a scowl. "What are they doing up there, anyway?"

[Nekoinu]

Daerah may have been angry but she wasn't foolish to the point to refuse help. She got up with the man's help and stumbled over to the bed.

"Do you have a spare towel?" she asked, "I think that might help with it."

[Axel Ward]

"Uh..." He didn't. After casting around awkwardly for a few moments, Axel snatched up one of his t-shirts. He handed it to her gently. It was clean, but it still had a hint of his scent.

"You okay?" He asked, his voice soft.

Frowning, he turned on his commlink, ready to receive messages.

[Nekoinu]

Another one of the former slaves ran into the room. "They're coming!" she shouted. She ran over to hide beneath the bunk.

"Go take care of whatever it is. I'll be fine," Daerah said, pressing the shirt against her wound. It clearly hurt a lot, because she was squirming under maintaining the pressure.

---

Go ahead and roll Cool for Initiative.

[Axel Ward]

After one last concerned glance, Axel nodded. "I'll be back. Lock the door behind me."

With that, he was on the move. Axel moved at a jog towards the armory. Whatever it was, he would need his gear. Especially his weapons.

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D4EE Cool init: 1eP+1eA 0 successes, 2 advantage

[Nekoinu]

Axel made it to the entrance of the cabins by the time he ran into four invaders. They were gangers from Tatooine, wearing sand-colored skull masks. They raised their blaster pistols and fired upon him without asking any questions.

---

Axel and the Deskulls are Short Range from each other.


D4 EE Cool for Initiative: 2eA 1 success, 2 advantage


Maneuver: Aim
Action: Shoot at Axel

D4 EE Round 1 Shoot Axel at Short Range: 3eP+1eD 2 successes, 1 advantage

Base Damage 6 for 8 Damage before Soak. Spend 1 Advantage to give Boost to next ally roll.

Initiative Order
NPC
PC

[Axel Ward]

Axel grunted as blaster fire sizzled around him, some of it grazing him. But it didn't stop him. It didn't even slow him down.

He drew the dagger as he rushed forward. It was meant to be a badge of honor, but it was sharp and strong. And it would do his work.

He rushed to close with them, but a flurry of blaster fire kept him dodging and weaving enough that his blade couldn't quite find them.

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Maneuver: draw knife
Maneuver(2strain): Close to engaged

D4EE Stab them, frenzied attack: 3eP+1eA+2eD 0 successes, 3 advantage


1 adv boost next
2 adv regain strain

4 soak
4/18 wounds
1/13 strain

[Nekoinu]

The men dispersed from Axel and then shot at him more. "Come on, just die already!"

---

Maneuver: Move Away
Action: Shoot again

D4 EE Round 2 Shoot Axel at Short Range, Boost from Last Turn: 3eP+1eD+1eB 2 successes, 2 threat

Base Damage 6 for 8 Damage before Soak. Threat will be setback to their next roll.

Initiative Order
NPC
PC

[Axel Ward]

Pain was mounting, but Axel was not about to die.

With a howl of rage, Axel managed to close on them. And then he howled again as his knife plunged again and again into their bodies.

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D4EE Stab them again, frenzied attack, boost from last, aim: 3eP+1eA+2eD+2eB 3 successes


11 damage

4 soak
8/18 wounds
4/13 strain

[Nekoinu]

The knife cut down one of them and bled up another. They started to sprint faster, firing away at the man with the dagger.

"Let's get to the others!" they shouted, going for a regroup.

---

Maneuver: To Short
Action: Shoot

D4 EE Round 3 Shoot Axel at Short Range, Boost from Last Turn: 2eP+1eA+1eD+1eS 2 successes, 2 advantage

Wrong descriptor, Setback from Last Turn. Base Damage 6 for 8 Damage before Soak. 2 Advantage for free maneuver to run farther to Medium.

Initiative Order
NPC
PC

[Axel Ward]

The pain only made Axel's battle-cries louder. And blaster fire did not keep him from sprinting after them.

Blood spattered across Axel's face. He spat some of it, a feral grimace of rage twisting his features as he moved from one to the next.

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2xmove - 2 strain

D4EE oh my gawd Stab them again, frenzied attack: 3eP+1eA+2eD 4 successes


12 damage

4 soak
12/18 wounds
7/13 strain

[Nekoinu]

There was a crazy man with a knife chasing down the poor Deskulls. They were limping away, shooting at him still. They were doing quite well at shooting him, even if he wasn't going down.

---

D4 EE Round 4 Shoot at Short AGAIN: 1eP+2eA+1eD 1 success, 1 Triumph

Base Damage 6 for 7 Damage. Triumph to upgrade difficulty of next attack against them.

Initiative Order
NPC
PC

[Axel Ward]

Adrenaline and blood were both flowing, his vision was a red haze. But he was finally caught up to his opponents.

His knife cut through the throat of one, and stuck in the shoulder of the next. Axel let it go, his big hands coming up to clutch the man around his head. His lips peeled back, he gave a mighty twist.

There was a snap.

Axel sunk to the ground, panting, as the body fell next to him. After a few moments, he snatched up the knife and a blaster pistol. Drawing ragged breaths, he continued on towards the armory.

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D4EE HELP ME, frenzied attack, upgraded diff: 3eP+1eA+1eC+1eD 1 success, 3 advantage


Crit, regain 1 strain
9 damage

D4EE strain recovery, discipline: 1eP+2eA 1 success, 4 advantage


4 soak
15/18 wounds
6/13 strain