Fallout: New Mexico

[Skitzophrenik]

Justin continues to run, bent double and dragging his sister's power armored form by her harness. His laser rifle is in his other hand. He looks ahead trying to see the outposts past the other Knights.

Not knowing how far the Outpost is but knowing it is coming, he shouts out.

"Hot Springs! Wounded incoming!"

[gregnier]

Jason cranks his armor's speakers up as loud as they will go. "FOR THE BROTHERHOOD!"

[Ross_Varn]

Sook, now convinced, seeing the Power Armor clad warriors, sheaths his sword and runs out to meet them. "This way!" he calls. "We've got about a dozen guys left. Stay behind the buildings." He moves with the crew into the outpost, moving towards the holdout.

[FreakyBoy]

As Sook nears the group, he catches sight of another one behind this, looking similar in silhouette but with those in the back obviously carrying a heavy burden. He turns just in time to fall back and avoid a hammer to the face; what appeared to be Power Armour turns out to be the patchwork armour of a Legionnaire, who is currently trying to smash something delicate with a large Power Sledge.

The Keystone see the Legion charge towards the Hot Springs Outpost, their leader already engaged with someone from there. If they hurry, they'll be in a perfect position to flank, provided the Outpost survives long enough.

[Skitzophrenik]

Justin spares a glance down at the expressionless armored form of his sister. With the armor this damaged, he has no way short of opening the suit, of knowing how she is doing inside. She could be dead, she could be awake inside there, but unable to communicate. The only way to find out is to get through the legion to the outpost and regroup long enough for one of the scribes to take a "can opener" wrench to the armor.

Adjusting his grip on Julia's harnesses, Justin slows, forcing Small Judah to slow as well. He gathers the rest of the Keystone by eye.

"We're going to hit them from behind as they attack the outpost. You scribes, stay here with Paladin Julia and your wounded man and protect them until we call for you."

Justin sets his sister's massive armored form down in the vertibird's approach trench and pats the huge shoulder plate. Then he brings the butt of his laser rifle to his shoulder and turns towards Hot Springs, and the Legion.

"Keystone? Take them all."

Justin charges.

[Stan Cold]

"Aye aye, captain!" Joe lowers Jacob next to Julia. He examines both of them, seeing if there's anything he can do with what supplies he has.
"Jeremiah, try to remove Julia's suit and check her condition. I'll see if there's anything I can do for Jacob right now."

[Grillick]

Jeremiah frowns at Joe. "This is no place to be dismantling a suit of power armor. When we get someplace where we aren't liable to be pounced on by the Legion, then I'll try to remove Julia's suit. Until then, we just have to pray that she's okay." He does, however, check to see if there's anything he can do for Julia without removing the armor.

[gregnier]

Jason, jacked up on all sorts of chems, growls and then quickly charges past Justin and barrels forward smashing anything in his way.

[Ross_Varn]

Sook's eyes widen in shock as he recognizes what just happened. Snatching out his pistol, he swings to the side, avoiding the sledge, and, this close to the Legionnare, presses the barrel against the enemy's chest and pulls the trigger.

[FreakyBoy]

Sook is no expert in firearms, and is busy dodging a Super Sledge - as such, he does not manage to get his gun centred on the Legionnaire's chest, and thus the shot deflects off the curve of his foe's makeshift armour. Before Sook can line up another strike, the Keystone have arrived.

Jason slams into the Legionnaire trying to pulverize Sook, knocking him off balance and directing attention towards the Brother instead.

Justin takes aim with his rifle, sniping a Recruit in the head before he has to find cover from return fire.

The rest of the Keystone charge, engaging the Legion, setting up a perfect pincher opportunity from the outpost, should the outpost be paying attention.

Jeremiah notes that the suit's external readout is broken. If it's just a wiring issue, he could probably pry the case off and get it working again without breaching the suit.

[Ross_Varn]

Sook draws his saber as he steps back. He slashes out one-handed as the Legionnaire swings around.

[Grillick]

"The readout I should be able to handle." Jeremiah quickly opens the external readout to access the wiring. He does what he can in the time he has to repair any damage to the readout.

[Skitzophrenik]

Justin stops charging and drops to one knee. He wraps the sling of his laser rifle around his right arm as he assumes the Firing Position, Kneeling, and takes aim at another of the silhouetted Legionnaires. He fires.

[FreakyBoy]

Michael rallies the remaining Brothers at the outpost, borrowing a laser pistol from one, and gets the group to charge the Legion, completing the Keyestone's pincher. Several Legionnaires fall to the crossfire from both the outpost and the Keyestone, while Jason and Sook engage their heavies at close range.

Unfortunately, the Legion fights best at close range.

Jack's got the clearest view of the fight from his position back at the outpost (which he can survey better with a pair of binoculars he found), and can catch every detail of the chaos that ensues. While many of the Legion scouts and riflemen are picked off by gunfire from Justin, Michael and the Brothers, the heavily-armoured Legionnaires position themselves back-to-back, presenting no good openings for sabres or Super Sledges to find purchase.

As Jack watches, Sook's sabre is caught in a Legionnaire's iron fist, who then delivers a quick punch with his other hand right in the bodyguard's face. Sook might have survived, had the Legionnaire not been equipped with a Ballistic Fist; at that range, the blast from the weapon's shotgun leaves very little for identification after the battle.

Jason, meanwhile, is pounding away at the Legion with his Sledge, the Psycho running through his veins blinding him to anything but the business end of his weapon and dulling the pain from the many blows raining off his combat armour. He manages to beat one Legionnaire into pulp, but is soon slowed by the undivided attention of the remaining two Legionnaires. Without his drugs, he'd already be incapacitated.

Judah, seeing Jason pressed, swings his machine gun around and jockeys for a position to fire upon the Legionnaires without catching his cousin in the crossfire. He lifts the weapon to his shoulder to aim, and lets loose a burst that sends one of the Legionnaires reeling back, probably saving Jason's life.

Meanwhile, Jeremiah discovers that the only reason the readout isn't functioning is that one of the wires has come free from its plug. He plugs it back in and the readout blinks to life, showing that Julia is alive inside the armour, but her biosigns are fluctuating; she needs medical attention.

Joe is just sort of looking around and happens to be looking in the right place at the right time to catch the approaching group of Legionnaires from the south, moving towards the outpost and positioned to cut off the Brothers from any hope of cover.

[Kajin]

"Sook! Dammit..." Jack starts to panic as he watches the fight from afar. With his bodyguard dead and his only weapon in the hands of Micheal from the Brotherhood, Jack has no means of protecting himself.

Thinking desperately, Jack remembers that there are other traders hiding out in the building with him. Making his way through the building, Jack heads for where the other traders are hiding. "I need a weapon! Does anyone here have an energy weapon I can borrow?! I'll pay you for it if we survive!"