Ability: Gravity Sledge
Deals additional damage, launches the target on a successful hit.
Energy surged into her hammer, then exploded as she swung it into Titus’ chest. He was launched backward to slam into a wall, leaving Zelda on her own.
“Take her down!” Kaiden shouted, gesturing for the remaining turen marksmen to target Esme while he rolled away from a poorly aimed attack from Clarissa. There were only about four turen left though and Esme was still at thirty-one percent health. There was no way they could deal enough damage.
“Eye for an eye,” Esme said and raised her hammer for a killing blow on Zelda.
I need more charge! Kaiden cursed his empty charge bar as he slipped away from Clarissa – she was far from the most pressing threat – and sprinted forward at a normal and painfully slow speed.
Esme’s hammer crackled with energy as it swung downward. Zelda raised a hand as if to block it but there was no way she’d survive the attack.
The hammer came down and connected with a shockwave of force – except, it didn’t hit Zelda. Thorne threw herself in the way at the last moment. Her health bar flashed, then drained to empty. She collapsed to the floor, dead.
Party member killed!
She’d saved Zelda from Esme’s lethal blow, but sacrificed herself in the process. And she hadn’t even hesitated. Kaiden stared for a moment, shocked at what he’d witnessed. Thorne hadn’t had time to calculate the move, to play it as part of her plan. It’d all happened too quickly. She’d just… done it. Just thrown herself in the way and taken the hit.
Just like a proper teammate would have done…
But all for nothing. Kaiden cursed, still trying to close the distance. He couldn’t get there in time.
Ability: Last Rites (Passive)
When the warden reaches 0 health, Last Rites is triggered, allowing the warden 10 seconds to kill all opponents in a 50-foot radius of the point of death. Should they succeed, they will be given 1HP back. If not, they will die. Kills made during this time earn no EXP. No abilities can be used during Last Rites.
Cooldown: 6 hours.
Thorne’s power warden passive activated and she jumped up from the floor alive, but with not even a single percent of health coloring her HP bar.
“Not dead yet,” she growled.
“But about to be,” Esme retorted.
“On the contrary.” Zelda leveled the barrel of her hammer-gun and fired.
Ability: Paralyzing Shot
Fires an electric blast that confuses the electrical impulses in the target’s muscles, deals base damage and slows targets movement by 50% for 10 seconds.
Cost: 30 charge.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Esme’s body spasmed as electricity surged through it and Zelda backed out of range. Thorne lunged in with a renewed ferocity. She had no health, but for the next ten seconds, she also couldn’t die.
“Titus, keep Clarissa off us!” Kaiden shouted, then finally reached the fight and started swinging.
The big man had advanced on the opposing shield warden. She was back where the battle had started, the cargo bay door on one side and the airlock to the void on the other. Titus squared off with her.
With no charge to speak of, Kaiden aimed several hammer strikes at the back of Esme’s head.
That got the power warden’s attention – and reduced her health to twenty-three percent.
She spun around with a hammer strike that Kaiden caught on his shield. His charge bar swelled, filling to thirty-five. He aimed another strike, and her reply came in the form of a sweeping blow that connected for critical damage. His health fell to thirty percent.
Thorne attacked Esme from behind with strike after strike. It was the best she could do considering she could use no abilities when Last Rites was active.
Zelda used Lock On, then fired an Improved Burst Arrow at Esme. The attack exploded against her, dealing damage and blinding her for three seconds.
Kaiden dumped what charge he had into one more ability.
Ability: Enfeebling Strike
Loads charge into your hammer. On a successful hit, this charge floods into the target’s nervous system, making them more susceptible to pain. Increases damage taken by target by 50% for 10 seconds.
Cost: 50 charge.
Cooldown: 2 minutes.
Esme cried out as the attack landed, then again as the barrage from Thorne, Zelda, and Kaiden continued. Every one of their attacks was bolstered by Enfeebling Strike and Esme’s health stood no chance against the onslaught. It fell to zero in just a few blows.
Power Warden Esme assisted kill - 3,100 EXP gained!
For a moment, Kaiden thought they were too late. Thorne’s time was up – but no, Esme fell and Thorne stayed standing. She’d completed Last Rites – having killed the only enemy who’d been in range when it’d activated – and was rewarded with a measly one percent of health. Not much, maybe, but enough to keep her alive.
A moment later, though, Kaiden found himself staring down Esme once again as her own Last Rites activated. Luckily, the game’s AI still seemed to count this as a kill for Thorne’s own Last Rites. The ability must be considered an after-death resurrection ability, so the initial kill still applied.
“Get back!” Thorne shouted. “She’s bound to the radius of the ability. Stay out of her range and we’re fine.”
“I got the other one covered,” Titus called from across the hall, exchanging blows with the opposing shield warden. She was trying to make it to Esme, but Titus was the perfect person to keep her occupied.
Ten seconds passed in what felt like ten minutes, but with no abilities Esme’s timer expired and she died again, collapsing to the floor and, this time, staying there.
“One left,” Kaiden said, feeling the battle firmly in hand now as he faced the remaining warden. There was no way they could lose. But if any of them died, they’d still be out
