He worked the bolt, ejecting one cartridge, then put it to his shoulder, aimed upstream and fired.
Padishar ordered the first bolt fired when the creature was still fifty feet away.
The crew described how the shroud's explosive bolts had fired, but two neatly taped lanyards were holding the shroud together.
Explosive bolts will fire, and the balloon is jettisoned rather than risking structural damage to the mass-driver.
The explosive bolts had fired.
He hadn't seen the bolt fired from a crossbow.
The weapon is open bolt fired, lacks a safety and is full-automatic only.
Sure enough, twin yellow bolts fired.
Then there was a split-second tearing sound in the sky and a gigantic thunderclap crashed and a bolt of lightning fired absolutely simultaneously.
Explosive bolts fired around six of the dome panels.