Or not, OV. Since Shade has given me the green light to post to resolution to this, here goes:
With the empowered party dealing with the guards handily, Payback concentrates on docking his ship. More and more space junk litters the airways as his ship corkscrews through the remaining fighters. Suddenly, it jolts away at a nearly impossible speed and blasts to a halt mere centimeters from the large, clear viewport of the hangar.
Abruptly, a square airlock shoots out from the side of the ship. It suctions on to the viewport, then a trio of lasers begin to cut a hole in it.
Payback yells, over the din, "We are now boarding the last flight out! Please enter the vehicle in an orderly fashion! Shut up! Messiahs don't use humor! Dude, this is my body! Shut up!"
Along with Payback's schizophrenic episode concluding and the piece of the viewport collapsing to the ground, the rumblings have finally reached the hangar. The party rushes over to the viewport, and clambers over the knee-high step required for entry. Payback is already in the ship and rushing to the bridge. First Shade, then OV and Jess, then grundy, then the remaining party members, including Uiseao, squeeze into the short tunnel into the ship.
Shade begins to follow Payback into the bridge, but the doors shut and seal before he can enter. Payback's voice comes over the intercom: "I'm sorry, but I cannot allow any of you in here. Follow the lit green lights on the floor to go to the lounge. You can watch our battle from there, but all the jobs available are filled right now. I would suggest strapping in; artificial gravity does not do well with the maneuvers we are about to pull."
Behind the party, there is a clank as the airlock closes and the corridor retracts, leaving the crumbling station open to vacuum. A slight rumble is heard as the ship blasts off, leaving the party stumbling for foothold as the craft slews all over the place. Immediately, the slight hum associated with gunfire begins. Shade replies, "It would probably be wise to find that lounge."
The ship, if anything, now battles more efficiently. Surely, it moves out of the gravity well, and just before it makes the jump to hyperspace, the entire complex they were just in crumbles in on itself, then begins to drift slowly apart.
Payback enters the lounge a short time later. The object, until now unnoticed, floats behind him. He looks at Uiseao, and his eyes glow brightly. The party shields their eyes, and when their vision returns, the last third of the object has turned orange. He looks at the party, and says, "I will provide you with an escape pod, where I will release you over a planet with sufficient technology to recover you. I, however, must stay behind to keep the creators at bay; their evil has to be contained, for others like you may not occur again in history. Do not worry; this body is unnecessary for that task, and I have plenty of help in running this ship. This ship will never been seen again. I will lead you to your exit now."
Payback takes the party over to a large escape pod, just big enough for all of them to be comfortable. In fact, the perfect number of seats exist, with no empty ones at all. The artifact halts outside of the pod. Payback gives Shade instructions on how to close the airlock and launch the pod. Minimal piloting is available, but it shouldn't be needed. The ship exits hyperspace.
Suddenly, Payback's eyes and mouth begin to spit white light. Essence seems to leave his body in wisps of energy, and begin to coalesce around the still-floating artifact. In a few moments, the ordeal is over, and Payback collapses. Around the object, the light attempts to cover the artifact, but is met with resistance. It quickly overcomes the barrier, and melds itself onto the artifact, which turns a white color, then drops to the floor. Shade is already busying himself with the launch, as OV straps the unconcious Payback into the remaining chair. The pod is launch with a small jolt, and very soon after, the mysterious ship disappears back into hyperspace. However, to all the party members, it seemed to leave on a route that, after further inspection of star charts, does not exist.
The party is soon hailed by a friendly merchant, offering assistance to them. They dock, and ride into the system. What does this hold for our intrepid adventurers now? To be explored in a future bar (pun intended :D)........
Thanks to everyone who contributed, and especially to Shade, for beginning this trend and allowing me to tailor an ending to it. Hope you enjoyed it!
------------------
(url="http://"http://www.clarkson.edu/~curtislg")Biggles Productions(/url)
"Hey Paul, do you like Huey Lewis and the News?"
