Welcome back to Cosmic Dash for volume 4, episode 3, page 22 of “Ladies’ Fight,” where this temporary partnership isn’t going well. It seems Mara and Illyana each have something to prove. They seem to be under fire through a hail of bullets, though. Why bullets in sci-fi? Find out in the lore later on in the post.
If you haven’t seen the current mini-comic at serreven.com, you can check it out here. The comic will spend some time with Drakar Vadis, but this first page features the first canon appearance of Emperor Empharimus Zartul.
I was working on some lore material over the week, but I couldn’t complete it due to some scheduling issues. Wish me luck as I work on them this week – with that said, it is a summer session, so my teaching job occupies my attention.
As far as other updates, here’s some stuff I can share.
- Enjoy a new episode of Supernatural Selection, all about the Cash-Landrum Incident.
- I am still running the daily hashtag game over at retro.pizza. I have an archive if you want to see some of the previous games.
- I’m still writing periodic panel analysis posts over at The Duck Webcomics.
Bullets in Sci-fi?
While a lot of the comic’s weaponry looks energy-based, that’s not the only type of weaponry in the setting. Typically, guns in the Silver Spiral Galaxy tend to be based on plasma bolts, ionic energy, or good old-fashioned slugs – how I refer to bullets in sci-fi – based on some other settings.
Typically, I tread projectiles and shielding with a rock-paper-scissors-type system regarding defenses. Body armor is great for holding off slugs. Energy shields hold off plasma bolts. Energy dampeners hold off ionic blasts.
Slugs are always an option on the battlefield and are usually fired off using railgun mechanics. Though weaker, combustion-based guns exist, often favored by space pirates and colonists for their ease of use and availability.
This automated turret is of the latter, combustion-based variety.
Vol. 4, Ep. 3, “Ladies’ Fight,” page 22 Transcript
The following is a transcript of Cosmic Dash. This is Vol. 4, Ep. 3, “Ladies’ Fight,” page 22.
Panel One
Mara Senten and Illyana Mordon have traversed into the gully down a sloping path with occasional paving stones. Illyana has her rifle drawn, while Mara is dual wielding her blasters. They glance at one another.
Panel Two
Illyana side-eyes Mara with a strained smile. She is sweating a bit.
Panel Three
We have an overhead view of the women. Illyana picks up her pace, stepping ahead of Mara. Mara notices.
Panel Four
Mara now returns a strained smile toward Illyana, her weapons raised. Mara is sweating as well.
Panel Five
We return to the overhead view and see that Mara has accelerated past Illyana.
Panel Six
Mara and Illyana are now neck and neck- walking toward the homestead. They are glancing annoyedly at one another.
Panel Seven
Mara and Illyana simultaneously step on a paving stone, and there is an audible click from a trap.
SFX: CLICK
Panel Eight
A buried turret erupts from the ground and unleashes a hail of bullets.
SFX: RAT-AT TAT-AT
SFX: WHRRR
Panel Nine
Mara and Illyana dive out of the way as several bullets hit the ground at their feet. They dive in opposite directions. An alarm blares in the air.
SFX: BRAAAAM! BRAAAM!
SFX: Ping! Ping! Ping!
Thanks for reading! If you enjoy the story, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or ordering a commission. You can also vote for Cosmic Dash on Top WebComics to attract more potential readers!
See you next week at Serreven.com for another page of the Drakar Vadis mini-comic.