Fantasy Starborne - Open

[SilverFlight]

It all happened in the span of seconds. The assassin moved to parry Alaric's energy blade, his own blade sending up sparks when they collided. With a twist of his arm he grabbed Zark by one large ear and wrenched the creature down to the deck, claws raking great slashes in his cloak. The arrow however, he couldn't dodge the arrow. He took it in the shoulder and grunted, fury burning in the eyes behind thick, glass-lensed goggles. The his primary opponent was away. The assassin grabbed the rope of the grappling arrow and pulled hard, aiming to stamp on it and throw Larassa off balance..

Anna had been right next to the passage down to the lower decks and squeaked in alarm as the massive shedling burst through it.
"Killerie!" Anna shouted with delight, and then "Duck!" Anna grabbed a leg and pulled (to questionable effect), trying to get the centipede to keep her head down. With arrows and beam sabers flying, she couldn't bear it if Killerie was hurt again.

Shen made a face at Calliope, "well of course, but that's besides the point."
Rico came up beside them as they ran. "Not dead, just not here." Shen replied to the flightless bird Rico. "We still have to find her, but staying alive takes priority!"
They dashed onto the docks. Shen looked up and could see the commotion on the deck of his new ship and...oh no. It seemed the cloaked figure from the sphere had made his way there too. What on earth was he doing there? Didn't he have a princess to find?

The urgency was so great Shen didn't even offer a retort to "compass boy".
"Erm...get on the ship. Get those goons off the ship!"

There were soldiers too, slowly jumping on board from their place on the gangplank. Not all of them however as a familiar face appeared, lifting two of them like unruly kittens and casting them back down to the crates below. Shen made his way up the plank first, finally jumping aboard.
"Get this blasted tub in the air!" He bellowed, drawing his saber.
"I've always wanted to yell that." He told the nearest gleefully.

Shen didn't waste time with the guards, he made his way to stand by Larassa, who had the best advantage against their masked "friend".
"Seems like you're having as much luck as we are. No princess. But we need to go. The guards are nothing compared to this one here. We take him down now."

Zark recovered his senses, and some of the blind rage seemed to have left him. He rolled clear of the assassin, and his eyes fell on Anna. He made a beeline for her.
"Zark!" Anna threw her arms about the creature and hugged him tightly. "You're hurt!" A trickle of dark blood snaked down past his eye, from a wound on his brow where his head had connected with the deck.
"Zark zark." Zark croaked dismissively.

Shen lunged for the assassin, who raised the rope in order to force Shen to feint his attack. Shen couldn't remove that advantage yet. In the time after is arrival, some of the guards gained enough sense to draw their blasters, pointing them at Larassa, Shen, the assassin and Rhea.
"Don't you move!" One of them called. "Nobody move! Or we fire!"

Lioness075 Naberius gaY jail Saturn_moon andujarprime Zazz Spoiled Bread TheSpeck Hazmat44

 

[Hazmat44]

Killerie froze as she saw the blasters, feeling her breath hitch. She'd never even noticed them before, but now that she was a leg down, the weapons seemed gigantic in her view.

A wriggle rolled down her back as she distantly heard the guards shouting, and she felt an inexplicable urge to launch herself right back down the hatch. She didn't want to be up here, not with those guns, not with the people firing them, not out where she could lose another-

She shook the train of thought away. It wasn't going to help anybody.

Longingly staring at the hatch, she tore her eyes away to look at Anna. Her friend - what an incredible thing to think! She had a friend! - was hugging Zark, who was bleeding from a scratch on his head. They were so much smaller than her, and for a moment the part of her that desperately wanted to leave screamed, That's great! They won't get hit!

Despite that... there was a small and yet very loud voice told her, They aren't as tough as you.

But I don't want to get shot! Killerie screamed back at it.

The young shedling had never felt fear so acutely powerful as this one. It was terrifying, knowing you were afraid of something, and it was far worse when there was no easy way to escape it. And yet... she knew exactly what the right thing was. It definitely wasn't a comfortable option, and it wasn't something she wanted to do, but it was what she knew she had to do.

The entire argument took less than a second to run through Killerie's head, but was no less heavy for it. Hesitantly, slowly, she pulled the majority of her body in front of Anna and Zark, facing the carapace outward. It wasn't much in the way of cover, but it was better than nothing. Luckily, she didn't see Elnaril or Charlie above-board yet. She didn't think she could provide a wall for all of them.

Blaster fire wasn't the only thing about it that worried her. She was always careful to keep her forward section raised, to give the impression of a bipedal. It made people slightly more comfortable, seeing a centipede in a stance so clearly deliberate. In this position, she was impossible to mistake for anything less than the giant insect that she was. She only hoped it didn't make Anna think differently of her.

Pulling her head inward, she anxiously asked Anna and Zark, "Are you okay?"

SilverFlight

 

[Naberius]

He wasn't entirely sure how to respond. Hearing Anna recount her tale, Elnaril frowned in sympathy but twisted it into a half-smile. In these situations, he wasn't any good but gave her a short nod.

"I'm sure everything is going to be okay. She seems like a tough sort, and I'm sure at least one of the people here has some kind of medical training that can help her out."

He gave her arm a reassuring pat as they turned to head back up to the top deck, forgetting about the rather sharp kitchen knife in his hand as they started up. As they neared the door to the deck, it sounded like a full on war. Watching from a perch next to Anna he gasped and took on an expression of dread. Things were devolving rapidly even as their centipedal friend rushed to join them. Seeing her alright brought back his smile, as well as the relief he could see in Anna's own expression. Then, the situation darkened. It looked like things might end up in a stand off between the strange mystery person he didn't recognize and several of the people from the other group that hadn't been with their ship team in the beginning, and the grumpy one who kept being very condescending.

For the time being, the elven chef thought it best if he made himself seem as small and inconspicuous as possible next to his friends watching from a safe distance and hoping against hope things took a rather sudden turn for the better. He himself couldn't do anything right now, and it hurt. A strange feeling in his gut nagged at hi, pointing out just how useless he was at the moment. But rather than admonish himself too much, it galvanized the young scholar. Gods willing if they made it out of here, he would do better next time. If there was, in fact, a next time in which to do better in the first place.

SilverFlight Hazmat44

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Ricotta

"Nice, we can still accomplish it." Dodobo Rico nodded at Shen's answer, she was simply relieved that they practically hadn't failed yet. A failed mission means no reward for her, at least that was the self-imposed rule she applied on herself all this time. Hence why she refused to take half the money before. Still, right now she should put her mind into the chaotic situation in front of her. The boggleman followed Shen into the ship.

Running through the airship she witnessed the sight of Rhea throwing people off board and quite a number of guards sleeping in odd places and position. She was sure they're not supposed to sleep in this kind of situation so they were probably sedated?? Also, it seemed there's a battle between Shen and Co., A mysterious cloaked person and the guards. Rico wanted to run towards Shen to help him fight the cloaked figure but when the guards pulled their blasters she obeyed and stopped abruptly while still had her avian body leaning forward and one leg no touching the floor. Even if she could practically kick the guards onto each other she would have no way to guarantee the weapon wouldn't be fired. Blasters hurt, she learned it the hard way.

 

[andujarprime]

Chaos, the following moments were pure chaos around him. While Alaric lived for this, he didn't exactly enjoy plunging his crew into it unnecessarily. Okay, that was a lie...mostly. Alaric was very aware of the danger facing them. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. From his periphery, he saw more people coming above deck. For a second he was worried, then realized it was his crew, not the imperials. He took a step past Anna, watching her turn towards Killerie. On his other side, he could hear footsteps running up the gangplank. Two more steps, he could hear "Excuse me" followed grunting and two yelps. Two more steps brought him to a large crate. He jumped onto it, and from there, up to the wheelhouse. He was able to propel himself over the railing with one hand for balance. As his feet landed, he heard more footsteps. He turned to face the wheel just as his companions joined them.

"Get this blasted tub in the air!" He looked down to see Shen and the rest of the crew joining them. The scene before him was indeed one of chaos. Internally, he smiled a big smile. He was certainly concerned for Larassa's wellbeing. Having had a close encounter with the assassin, he understood just how deadly he was. Larassa wasn't the best up close. They both knew this, thankfully his worries were slightly allayed realizing Shen was with her. 'Oh look, what is that funny bird doing here? Boat snack?!' He mused to himself as the guards drew their blasters. His eyes continued to scan the deck. He spotted Killerie, curling around where Anna was. The others of the crew were on board, he couldn't remember names. Had he gotten names for them all? Not sure 'FOCUS!!!' He chided himself as the guards took aim. "Don't you move!" One of them called. "Nobody move! Or we fire!"

Chaos, the scene before him was pure chaos. His inner smile slowly began to leak to his face. The controls hummed before him, his eyes shifted up. The sails were full of light, the engine was primed, and his fingers were itching. Hell, his entire being was itching for release. "SHE'S NOT A TUB!!" Was all he would say before pushing forward on the throttle. Not gradually, slowly, allowing the ship and crew to adjust. One hand punched the throttle forward, the other turning the wheel hard away from port. The ship lurched and tilted portside, at a dangerous angle. The traditional gangplank fell away as the ship lurched forward now. Alaric's small creeping smile turned into a mad grin. He kept his eyes ahead, but with his periphery, he could see the guards unexpectedly lurch and begin to fall. "HOLD!!!" He called out to everyone as he brought the ship's wheel around in the other direction. The ship swayed from port to starboard and continued moving up. The maneuver was dangerous, and wild. And anyone not paying attention, would be flung from the ship. He hadn't activated the artificial atmosphere yet. He didn't want gravity keeping anyone on board that wasn't meant to be there. The ship began to speed its way over the dock, tilting dangerously sideways. 'No casualties, dump them onto the dock and get back on course' He said to himself with a silent nod. Sometimes he had to be his own voice of reason. Not a fun job, but someone's gotta do it.

Lioness075 Lioness075 Naberius Naberius gaY jail gaY jail Saturn_moon Saturn_moon andujarprime andujarprime Zazz Zazz Spoiled Bread Spoiled Bread TheSpeck TheSpeck Hazmat44 Hazmat44

 

[Zazz]

And suddenly, everything was sideways.

Calliope had followed Shen and the others on board, taking note of Rhea's apparent strength. But Four-Arms had started the ship and literally tilted yhe whole thing, false gravity forgotten- or, Cal realized, purposefully left off. She stumbled for a brief moment before getting her footing, and made the awkward trek towards the guard with the blaster to knock his teeth out with her fist.

 

[TheSpeck]

The situation was stressful. Blasters were pointed everywhere, Killerie was once again in danger, and he couldn't do anything but watch everything unfold. Why had he even come up onto the deck? He was completely useless at the moment! All he had was a knife, and a single knife couldn't kill more than one guard before they shot everyone. So, he stayed where he was, feeling useless and worried. There was shouting... A voice he recognized? Yes the four armed man! Alaric! Why was he shouting? All he heard was a voice but no words.

Without warning the ship started forward and tilted to the side, causing Charlie to slip sideways and land painfully on the deck. Before he knew it he was sliding downward.... No, to the side? He realized it wasn't important, whatever way was off the ship was the way he was going. He scrambled to find a grip as he zoomed toward the edge, most things he tried to hold onto were too slippery. He focused a lot of energy into getting his hands dense enough to withstand his own weight and slammed his fingers through the next gap in the floor he could find. He lurched to a stop, and stayed where he was for a brief moment before regaining his footing and standing. Now that he had the chance to help, he wasn't going to skip out!

Charlie sprinted at the first guard he saw, ramming full force into them and causing them to lose their already hasty footing. The guard went sliding and flew off the edge of the ship. He did something! Oh that poor guy, the fall probably hurt..... Wait no, who cares! Charlie helped the group! He needed to help more!
_____
Mentions:
(Everyone is in this situation)

 

[SilverFlight]

Anna looked up at the giant centipede as she coiled her body protectively around them.
"Killerie..." Anna said.
"Zark..." Zark parroted her tone.
They were not in a good situation. The guards had their blasters drawn, there was not enough cover for everyone, and not enough time.

The dark-clad assassin stopped too, if only to calculate the most likely solution, but he wasn't given the chance; Alaric had made it to the helm before the guards had gathered their wits, and, with Killerie, Charlie and Anna priming the engine, they were ready for their escape.
The ship rocketed skyward, throwing everyone off balance. Shen wasted no time and kicked his opponent hard just as the ship's axis began to tilt. The man went flying into the air, hurtling for the side of the ship, the rope still attached to his shoulder. The rope snapped taught, tearing out of his flesh and with a cry of pain he flew over the side.

Now for those guards. The ship was close enough to the ground, they'd be fine...probably. The screams of passersby rang in his ears as he darted for them. Grabbing a handful of rope as he went.
"If someone wouldn't mind?" Shen asked, tossing the rope to the first person who responded, he ran at an angle as the deck shifted, around one side of the guards, his companion should then run about the other and together they would draw the rope taught, sending the hapless guards spinning back earthward.
The guards, still trying to keep their feet, were no longer thinking of blasting anyone, all save one who aimed at the helm, right at Alaric, and fired.

Anna watched all of this, looking about them frantically for some way to help. Then she noticed the crates, tied to the deck by the front mast, conveniently positioned to fall directly on the guards, right between Shen and the other.
She tapped Killerie's carapace and pointed. "We need to loose those crates!"

andujarprime Lioness075 Naberius Spoiled Bread Hazmat44 TheSpeck Zazz Saturn_moon gaY jail

 

[Saturn_moon]

Rhea froze in place as ordered, hands raised because that was what people always did in books. Well, book. Just one. She had found it in a box of unwanted objects in an alleyway on one of her late night wanderings and figured that there would be no harm done if she took it back with her. It really was quite a good book about a fictional police state occupied by a fascist government, and a vigilante on a quest to free his home from its oppressors. Along the way, he finds an unlikely ally in a young woman who-

Her thoughts were abruptly cut short as the ship suddenly lurched forward and tilted to it's side, sending her teetering backwards. Her left leg stepped back with surprising speed in an attempt to regain her balance, and dug into the deck with such force the wooden plank beneath her feet cracked and splintered. She would need to apologize and try to fix that later on. Several feet ahead, she noticed the strange man in black falling backwards and nonchalantly moved to the side, eyes following as he continued his fall past her and over the edge of the ship. Hitting the deck from this height was likely to hurt.

"If someone wouldn't mind?" Shen called from where he stood, tossing a rope out which Rhea swiftly caught in her hand. She stared at it for a moment, unsure of what she was supposed to do until she saw the man circling around the guards behind them. Right then. Mirroring Shen's path, Rhea circled the other way. Holding on firmly to her end of the rope, she planted her feet and waited for his signal.

andujarprime gaY jail Hazmat44 Lioness075 Naberius SilverFlight Spoiled Bread TheSpeck Zazz

 

[Hazmat44]

Killerie swung her head about to look at the crates. If not for everyone tilting and keeling around all over the place, she never would have noticed the ship was swaying from side to side so badly. It didn't particularly matter whether she walked on the floor or the ceiling or the walls - it was all one surface as far as she was concerned.

Feeling exponentially more anxious than she had been fifteen seconds ago, she glanced from Anna and Zark to the crates, and then back again.

Keep them safe. Do what you're told.

It would be a nightmare if she lost Anna's friendship, which would be easy to do if she disobeyed. But if she left them when the ship was careening as wildly as it was (what was Alaric doing?!), they might fall off!

Keep them safe. Do what you're told.

Obedience was a trait in shedlings that was ironed into their very blood by Zilian at birth, and it was a feeling that Killerie hadn't had to exercise in quite a while. Defensiveness, often in the stead of others, was another prominent trait, and one that was even harder to suppress.

KEEP THEM SAFE.

DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD.

With an almost agonized groan, Killerie launched herself away from Anna and Zark, speeding as quickly as she could across the deck while avoiding falling crew members and debris. She saw Shen and Rhea grab a rope and start wrapping it around the rest of the guards. She saw Alaric screaming something totally incoherent as he spun the wheel with no visible attention towards which direction it was going.

Coming to the crates, Killerie reared her head back, bared her teeth, and started gnawing at the ropes. They were heavily tarred and tasted awful, but she'd committed to action and she was going to carry it through if it killed her.

Her mouth was designed to be able to chew rocks. Ropes were hardly an issue, and her razor mandibles were up to the task as she sawed through the tough fibers. The ropes tensed, strands snapping away, and then the whole thing gave under the weight of the crates. The cargo hung there for a moment, nearly floating before Killerie's eyes, and then fell towards the guards in question.

The heavy crates crashed into the assorted guards like a wrecking ball, but Killerie wasn't watching.

She was sprinting back for Anna and Zark, praying to Zilian and whoever else might be listening that nothing bad would happen to them before she could be a shield again.

SilverFlight Saturn_moon andujarprime Zazz Naberius Lioness075 gaY jail Spoiled Bread

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Larassa Sovna	Nickname: The Raven
Race: Khoelian	Home Planet: Khoeli
Occupation: Bounty Huntress	Equipment: Knapsack, Bow, Quiver of Arrows (20/20 Normal, 1/1 Grappling), Twin Daggers

As Alaric rushed away to take the helm of the ship, Larassa gritted her teeth and maintained her focus on the would-be assassin. She had no idea what to expect next, but knew that Alaric was surely about to do something chaotic and switch the whole scenario up for them.

Just as Larassa chanced a glance in Alaric's direction to see if he needed any help, the assassin made his move. Suddenly, Larassa was landing on her back with an audible, "Oomph!" Her wings briefly splayed out on either side of her and she gasped for air. Larassa was not having fun.
She scrambled back to her feet and snarled at the man. Her bow had slipped her her hands and was a meter ahead of her, between herself and the assassin.

Next thing she knew, Shen was at her side and Larassa nodded in response to his remarks.
Unfortunately, Shen tried to make a move and made little leeway. Larassa was regretting her decision to use the grappling arrow more and more.
The guards were having none of this and promptly aimed blasters at all of the intruders. Larassa quietly growled at the nearest, almost daring him to take the shot. Her muscles were tense and she ruffled her feathers in anticipation of what may come next.

Hearing Alaric shout, Larassa immediately rolled her eyes. Here we go, she thought.
Sure enough, the ship lurched forward and Larassa leaned in, using the newfound momentum to rush forward and snatch up her bow. She tucked her wings in against either side and began to dive midair.
Then she saw the assassin still entangled in the rope and she grinned when she heard his cry of pain and saw it snap out of his shoulder. She could clean that up and make use of it once more.

As the ship pitched upwards this time, Larassa snapped out her wings and then landed on the deck in a practiced crouch, using her wings to maintain her balance. While crates went flying and guards questioned their life decisions, Larassa calmly retrieved her bloody grappling arrow and made a face when she realized she would have to clean this on something.
Turning around, Larassa sighted the nearest guard that had miraculously not fallen off yet. She used her wings to do this weird bird hopping motion and was soon at the guard's side, grinning at his terrified expression.
"Don't worry, mate, yer pe'fectly safe."
And with that, she yanked him by the collar closer to her and promptly smeared the bloody arrow all over the front of his uniform, happily making him dirty and not having to find anything on the ship to make due with.
Alaric pitched the ship sideways and Larassa shrugged at the now gagging guard before letting go of him and watching him cry out before hitting the railing on the side and pitching back over to the docks down below. He would survive. Probably.

Content with her mostly cleaned grappling arrow, Larassa waited until the ship had righted itself once more before she leaned over and untied the obnoxious rope from her own ankle. She then stashed away her grappling arrow and began calmly making her way across the deck to join Alaric at the helm.
"Calm as ever, I see, Al."

andujarprime SilverFlight

 

[Naberius]

Everything was already in absolute chaos. It seemed entropy had taken hold though anything but gradual in its pace. The young scholar barely had time to take in parts of what was happening, but not the whole picture. Fighting, scrambling, weapons, yelling and then the world was spinning. Or rather, the vessel was. Eyes wide, Elnaril didn't really have much in the way of sea legs. Or sky legs, as it were. He couldn't even see where everyone ended up because within scant seconds he was tumbling almost ass over teakettle, screaming like a frightened child. Though for all intents and purposes he might as well be just that in this particular circumstance for all the good being technically an adult did him.

Skittering along the wooden deck, arms flailing, the blade of the sturdy kitchen knife he'd forgotten he held jammed itself between two planks, all the lucky in the galaxy manifesting itself in one subtle act that halted his downward spiral rather suddenly. The shock nearly caused him to let go, but he managed to hold on and cling to it, wailing in despair. He had come so far, already managed to contribute to the theft of the ship in his own way and all to fall horribly to wherever fate would have him. If he landed on the dock, he'd be apprehended and his life would be over just as immutably as it would if he missed and fell to his death to the ground far below. The elf boy's fingers were dexterous, not strong however. And even with the blade holding for now, he didn't know if he himself could do so. By his own panicked reckoning, he had only moments to go before his fingers and hands gave way and let go. Debris and other less fortunate individuals fell past him and he prayed none tried to hold onto him, or drag the poor scholar with them to whatever would come next if he was dislodged.

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Ricotta

Dodobo Rico let out a brief yelp as the ship tilted sideway. Fortunately, she was already used to this kind of manouver from her days back when she worked as interplanetary courier. Unfortunately, not everyone was like that. A guard who had been caught off balance was thrown into the air and crashed into Rico on his way into the deck below. Rico was pushed towards the edge and almost slipped of, only managed to hold in by jamming her claws into the wood below.

Slightly above her was another member of their little mission whose Rico recognized as the sad boy in front of the tavern. Who was his name again? She couldn't remember, or maybe they hadn't introduce to each other? Whichever the case, Rico wouldn't let him fell off and get captured by the guards below. Flapping her wings quickly, Rico launched herself forward and transformed herself into a giant spider the size of a hog. White short hairs covered her body while eight gem-like red eyes adorned her head. If someone was to look at her spider body from the top then they would realize a menacing pattern that almost looks like a human skull on her abdomen, which if combined with the black horns on her head might give the impression of a demonic face. Not the most comforting appearance but this was the most suitable spider she could think right now.

"Rico got you. Rico got you. Rico got you." Rico started to shoot Elnaril with thick sticky silk from her rear part in attempt to rescue him. Her hairy legs were firmly attached to the ship, unmoving even when a crate hit her directly.

Naberius

 

[SilverFlight]

Shen grinned as Rhea took up the other half of his plan, and the rope, which was now laid precisely behind the feet of the soldiers. A nearby crash made him whirl around, to see a number of crates, sliding and bouncing their way down the deck, straight at their unfortunate prey.
The captain gave a short laugh, and pulled the string taught, sweeping the guards off their feet so they were sent careening over the side of the ship in a rain of tumbling boxes. They were low enough to the ground that the fall wouldn't be fatal, not unless they were very unlucky, as it so happened, the parade was going by at just the right moment, and the guards were dumped right on top of the lead float, landing in a giant basin of confetti. The ensuing burst of red paper flew up and around, helped by the wind from their passing double keel and the crowed cooed in awe.
"You certainly have a flare for the dramatic!" Shen called up to the helm, giving a happy wave at their pilot.

*~*~*

Anna cheered Killerie as she cut the ropes. The plan worked perfectly.
"Zark zark!" Her companions growled and pointed to a spot on the deck. Elnaril was hanging on, but just barely, to a knife pulled from the galley, now embedded in the deck. Anna dashed forward, vaulting over Killerie's coils as she came rushing back to them. Zark was hot on her heels.
Rico got to the boy first, as a giant spider, and Anna leaned back, boots sliding against the deck. She made it to them and put a secure arm about Elnaril's shouler too.
"Got you!" She said with a laugh. Zark had her other arm by the sleeve of her leather jacket, his sticky feet anchored fast to the deck. He grinned through a mouthful of fleece cuff.
"Zarf!"

The ship finally careened back to it's upright position and those who didn't have a solid stance were dumped deckward in the motion. Anna couldn't help but laugh, sprawled out on her back and safe.
"Good job Rico." She patted a hair spider leg gratefully, clearly unfazed. Zark looked the creature up and down before licking Rico right between her eight eyes.

The click of a blaster made her freeze. The assassin was standing on the ship's rail, the red glow from his jetpack dissipating behind him. There was no way any of them could react in time.
"The princess." He said. "Or you die."
Anna's heart practically leapt out of her chest, she looked at Elnaril, Rico and Zark and behind them, the others on the crew. Then, something in her expression changed. She set her jaw and rose.
"Stop!" She commanded, spreading her arms out to shield the others from fire.

"Don't hurt them. Leave them be, and I'll go with you...I...I am the princess!"
She grabbed the collar of her jacket and pulled it open. Something glinted at her throat, against the soft cotton of her shirt: a giant ruby set into a frame of the most intricately-shaped gold, it was unmistakable.

Shen's jaw dropped. All this time. That stupid dowsing magic had been right. She'd been here all along! He could have kicked himself, but at the same time as that knowledge came so did the prospect of losing what they had done this for. That wouldn't stand.

"The Imperial pendant." The assassin muttered from beneath his mask.
As he admired the jewel Anna looked back at the others, and the knife in Elnaril's hand. She seemed to be pointing to something on the man's jetpack: a pressurized leather pouch on its side, braced in a metal cage. Whatever it was, it was pumping some sort of gas into the machine and...it looked very important.

Lioness075 Naberius Spoiled Bread Hazmat44 andujarprime Saturn_moon gaY jail TheSpeck Zazz

 

[Naberius]

Today was much too much for the young elf. Getting lost on a strange planet, in a huge city in the throes of a festival. The panic that followed. The relief of finding a way that could get him back home. The intensity of boarding a ship littered with guards and dangers with a crew of people he had known for less than a day. The unexpected mirth of actually finding a few of them to be genuinely kind, if a tad stranger than he was used to from his sheltered living. The lancing worry of seeing the deck embroiled in battle with guards and an odd man that even he could tell was extremely dangerous. And nearly plummeting to his certain demise, barely hanging on by the sheer luck of a simple shard of metal lodging into just the right place at the right moment. When the ship righted, and Anna, Rico and Zark finally came into proper focus, Elnaril looked around between them. Too drained to even care that he was saved by a giant spider out of the worst nightmares of horror authors, he gave them each a small smile in thanks and lay there in a heap, trying to catch his breath.

He wouldn't have the time, it would seem, as fate was not yet done toying with them. Not yet ready to stop throwing obstacles in their path. When the ship turned, he expected all their foes to go with it, and for the most part they did. One just didn't get the memo that this was the part where they made their daring escape unscathed. The man from before, the one that seemed like danger permeated the very air around his being though that could just be the scholar's overactive imagination at play. He was sure that the revelation involving one of his new friends being genuine royalty would rock his mind in time, but for the moment he lacked the emotional and mental energy to process that properly. Everything he had left was focused entirely on one very specific goal: to help the people who'd just saved his life, and the ones he could actually call friends. He had absolutely no idea what he could realistically do, but that didn't stop him from rising on shaky legs more jello than muscle or bone, holding out the knife he still clutched in trembling hands. He looked like he might collapse at any moment. In the back of his mind, he knew it was the most futile of gestures to even stand up, but damn it he'd had enough of this crazy day and life trying to take away everything good that happened to kind people.

"Y-you're not taking anyone..I-I won't let you...! I'll fight you...!"

SilverFlight Lioness075 Saturn_moon TheSpeck Zazz andujarprime Hazmat44 Spoiled Bread gaY jail

 

[Hazmat44]

Events were passing faster than Killerie was able to follow them, and she was growing increasingly uncertain of how she fit into them.

The crates had worked like a charm, but before she'd been able to make it back to Anna and Zark they were off helping Rico save Elnaril, and then the ship had righted and now the black-clothed man was aiming one of the heinous blasters at them.

Also Anna was apparently a 'princess', but Killerie didn't know what that meant. It had something to do with the very shiny jewelry at her neck, though.

Elnaril then did something which, no matter how Killerie looked at it, was a bad idea. Slowly rising to his shaky legs, he held up a very small knife, stammering badly. "Y-you're not taking anyone. I-I won't let you...! I'll fight you...!"

Killerie looked from Elnaril, small and trembling, and then to the black-clothed man. The odds of getting shot if she did anything felt high to say the least - he'd already shot the bird-fox-woman, although the injury didn't look as bad as it had earlier.

A sudden thought occurred to her, and she opened the tiny sack around her neck, pulling the drawstrings open. The unfinished bomb inside glittered, the meteorite power source inside showing through the gaps. As it was right now, it'd vaporize the ship and everything on it at minimum, and possibly blow a crater into Imperialis if the capacitors failed to restrict the flow of energy. But...

She glanced at Charlie. The acidman had seemed to be pretty good with technology when they were down in the engine room. Maybe he could figure out a workaround.

Lowering her body to a more manageable height, she slid over to Charlie and showed him the bomb, hoping the black-clothed man wouldn't notice. "Do you think we can do something with this?" She whispered, keeping an eye on Elnaril and the man.

TheSpeck Naberius SilverFlight Saturn_moon andujarprime Lioness075 gaY jail Zazz Spoiled Bread

 

[Zazz]

Calliope managed to maintain her footing as Alaric flew like a madman, finally righting the ship. The kid with the knife apparently had enough courage in him to be an absolute idiot, which was great. Cal had seen the princess's - we'll process that later - subtle motions and took note of the little caged sack. The man was too far for her to reach it, and frankly she had nothing to really use to get at it from where she stood.

A pair of crates from Killerie's pile had been caught by the railing. The fighter plucked one from the deck and promptly hucked it at the stranger in black, picking up the second for another throw.

 

[TheSpeck]

Everything happened fast- a bit too fast for Charlie to comprehend. Elnaril almost flew off the ship, the assassin came back, and now Anna was suddenly a princess. If she were a princess, then why wasn't she commanding her army?! Where were her soldiers?! He couldn't think about that right now, and he focused back on the situation unfolding before him. As Killerie made her way over to him he was about to say his usual hello, but instead she pulled out a bomb. "Do you think we can do something with this?" She whispered to him.

He opened his mouth to speak, paused, tried again, then gave up. That bomb would destroy the whole ship, and he didn't have a lot of experience with bombs. "Is there a spark plug? Or something that creates a spark? We don't want that bomb to explode, it'll damage the ship. Jetpacks usually use some sort of flammable gas, so I'm assuming if there's something in that bomb that can ignite it, the assassin will explode.... If not, is there any way you can remove something to make the explosive less damaging? Also if that thing is radioactive we shouldn't explode it.... I'm pretty sure uranium and plutonium are radioactive.... Hmmm.... How did you even get that anyway? Y'know what don't answer the last question yet, we will have time for that later." He whispered quickly.


Hazmat44

 

[Saturn_moon]

Between the tumbling crates and the rope pulled taut at their ankles, the remaining guards hardly stood a chance against gravity and it quickly claimed them and pulled their bodies down towards the ground. In a stroke of luck, their hard landing was conveniently cushioned by a passing parade float that showered the surrounding crowd in red confetti, distracting them from the chaos happening up above. Enthralled, Rhea reached out a hand and snatched one of the tiny red papers, delicately cut to resemble a flower, caught in an updraft out of the air and admired as it gently fluttered between her fingers.

Slipping the confetti into her pocket, she carefully smoothed a crease out on her coat just as the ship began to right itself, her internal balance mechanism automatically adjusting itself to adapt to the shifting angles. However, while fate had been on the guards' side, it didn't seem to be on theirs and the group was once more greeted by the stranger clad in black whom she was pretty sure had toppled off the ship earlier. To the side, a new commotion had erupted when, in a surprising turn of events, Anna revealed herself to be the princess they had been running through town in search of and the timid boy who was unconscious outside the Refinery earlier had suddenly found a sense of bravado and was attempting to intimidate the stranger with a kitchen knife. Rhea cocked her head curiously. Perhaps he had hit his head harder than they all realized.

Noticing Anna's pointing, Rhea's eyes drifted to the caged pouch on the side of the stranger's jetpack. While she knew very little about machines (ironic considering she was one herself), she had spent enough time serving people who owned numerous objects of worth - and thus worth protecting - to know when something was important and that pouch, while inconspicuous, was definitely of importance. As if on cue, Calliope began chucking whatever crates she could get her hands on at the stranger. Taking her chance with the distraction, Rhea pried the cracked plank at her feet out of the deck with her bare hands and dashed forward without hesitation, the splintered end aimed for a gap between the bars of the cage.

andujarprime gaY jail Hazmat44 Lioness075 Naberius SilverFlight Spoiled Bread TheSpeck Zazz

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Ricotta

"Ooo. Congratulations Anna. Turns out you're the princess." Giant spider Rico let out a small claps with her padipalps as she celebrated the fact that the princess was still safe. Though her claps immediately trailed off as she realized the current situation wasn't suitable for it. The assassin was still there but thankfully the crews were quite fast at taking actions. Elnaril stood bravely as he tried to subdue the adversary with words alone, Cal started flinging things at him and Rhea was charging at the caged device. Killerie and Charlie also seemed to be discussing something, Rico didn't realize that the caged device was important but she knew she should try to help.

Using the distraction provided by the others, she weaved some silk from her rear into one big white ball. Waiting for the good moment when the assassin seemed most vulnerable, Rico would then lob the ball towards the assassin. The ball would be opened midair, revealing itself to be a crude sticky net made out of spider silk. There's a much thinner and barely visible string that connect the net directly to Rico so she would be able to pull him in if he got caught.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

There was a split second of silence as the crew faced off with the man in the mask. Anna was shocked to see Elnaril, who, up until this point had been meek and timid, stand up to defend her. She barely had time to register the crate that came flying past her head. The assassin put up his free arm and blocked it, though faltered in pain as the shoulder Larassa had struck with her arrow flared in pain. Anna ran at him, grabbing his blaster arm, trying to wrench the weapon from his fingers.

Rhea came flying past her, the splintered wood aimed not at their enemy, but behind him. She plunged it straight into the vulnerable part of his jetpack. There was an explosive hiss of air and the assassin cried out, tipping back from the force, straight into open air. Anna tried to pull away but he had her arm and she felt herself pulled overboard with him. Panic lanced through her as she fell, vanishing over the side.

There was a second of stunned silence, then two. Shen's mouth hung open, not sure how to process what just happened. The princess had bee there. Right there, and now she was gone...

It would have been Rico who noticed first, because it was her spider silk line that went taught, snapping up from the deck with a twang. An arm threw itself over the side, followed by the red and breathless face of Anna, the silk wrapped tightly around one arm.
"Can...I have...some help?" She looked at them, gathered on the deck and smiled.

Shen dropped his saber and caught the mast for support. She was safe. That was good.
The ship, solar sails flared, shot skyward, leaving the planet and all of their chaos far behind.

The ship's new captain allowed his crew a little time to recover, and instead of barking more orders, chose to saunter up to the wheel where Alaric was.
"Not a bad bit of piracy that eh? I could use a man like you, if you wanted...say, to be first mate?"

Saturn_moon Lioness075 andujarprime Spoiled Bread Naberius TheSpeck Hazmat44 Zazz

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Ricotta

Rico's spider heart almost sank when she saw the assassin pulled Anna along with him, though thankfully the net that she made to catch the culprit ended up saving Anna and she let out a long sigh of relief upon realizing this.

"Rico got you." She said as she pulled the princess towards them and then expressed her happiness by doing some awkward spider dance that looks like criss-crossing her limbs in a chaotic manner. It should looks better if done in her default form but she's too tired to change right now.

 

[Hazmat44]

Killerie skittered forward, antennae lashing about in indecision as Rico helped Anna back on board. She badly wanted to check on her friend, but at the same time had no idea how comfortable she was around Killerie. Rico was in spider form, which was nice, but maybe people liked spiders more than centipedes.

Carefully sliding in - she'd heard it was best not to startle people - she tentatively asked, "Are you okay?"

Even as the question left her mouth, she was stunned at the sudden spike in stress at the thought of an answer. People weren't designed to fall that far, right? Anna might have died! Was there some sort of mental thing that happened to people of they came close to dying? What if Anna still wasn't safe?!

Not for the first time (or even the fifth), Killerie wished she could scoop up all the people she liked and take them to Zilian. Everyone was always safe on Zilian. Nobody shot anyone else. There weren't any blasters. There weren't any assassins or guards or feelings of uselessness there. On Zilian, there were only a few trillion centipedes, just as the world should be.

But they weren't on Zilian. They were on an unfamiliar ship flying away from a battle they'd nearly lost.

It was a worrying and disconcerting feeling, and Killerie didn't like it at all.

SilverFlight Spoiled Bread

 

[andujarprime]

Alaric kept his eyes on the scene as it unfolded. His eyes went wide as the princess was revealed. Then he scowled ready to turn the ship as she went overboard. His heart nearly leaping up to his mouth then settling as she came back aboard. He chuckled to himself. The chaos before him was brilliant. It gave him life, and he loved everything about it. As he once more opened the sails, the ship shot forward. The energy trail behind them like a streaking comet in the evening sky. It wasn't too long before they were well away and out of view of the parade grounds. He engaged the artificial atmosphere and felt the gravity pulling at his body. He sighed in content as he looked around. Not too much damage, and the bit of cargo that fell overboard could be easily replaced. The crew seemed to all be intact, present, and accounted for. He was relieved, happy even that his new crew made it.

He was getting ready to turn and find the man when Shen sauntered up to him. He gave him an incredulous look. His eyes narrowing at first. 'First mate? was he for real? Who exactly did he think he was speaking to? The gall!' "Uh..." 'Calm yourself Ric. It was his plan after all, he's paying, and has more jobs. Make sense of the chaos man, don't just add things willy nilly. You can't be involved in too much of it if you're too busy orchestrating everything else on the ship can you? He seems capable enough. Let it be, see how he plays out.' Alaric's mind raced as he spoke to himself. His suspicious look soon turned into a smile. "First mate? Alright then, I see no issues with that. You are paying after all. Do I still get to steer? and can I wear my hat?!" He asked excitedly reaching into his jacket and pulling out a dark piece of fabric. With a small flourish he pops it open to reveal a black felt tricorn hat. A crimson feather sticking out of it, a line of deep red fabric embroidered along the rim. And on the right flap a bright red insignia emblazoned on it. Two swords crossed aiming upwards, with a scythe placed in the middle dividing both halves vertically. "It's my only real condition, I get to wear my hat." He says with a tone of finality, but a silent look of pleading.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Shen grinned at the man, he was just the sort of mad that Shen could get to like.
"You can steer the ship AND wear the hat." He clapped Alaric on the back. "And as soon as I secure our cargo, you'll get a decent percentage of the payout too."
Shen looked over to where Anna was recovering among his crew. Now here was a bit of unpleasantness he didn't relish doing. It looked like a fair number of them had actually taken some sort of liking to her. Problematic, Shen told himself, suppressing his own feelings on the matter.

~*~*~

"Thank you Rico." Anna smiled at the spider. Then she turned to the shedling and patted one of her legs reassuringly.
"I'm ok...I'm sorry, to all of you, for keeping the truth from you."
Zark jumped at her, throwing his paws about her shoulders. She hugged him back. "I'm all right Zark, truly I am."

"Ahem." Shen cleared his throat. Anna put Zark at an arms length as the creature growled at the elegant man looming over them both.
"So...your goal was to kidnap me, now you've succeeded."

"You could have escaped, left us to fend for ourselves, you could have sabotaged the ship, you knew we were trying to kidnap you. Why did you help us?"
Anna looked him square in the eyes. "You said before, that the queen hired an assassin to kill me. Why did you say that?"
Shen gave her an appraising look. "Because it was true. That pleasant fellow in the cowl and goggles, was an assassin of the highest order."
"So, if your patron also wanted me dead, I think I would be."

The girl was clever. Shen was starting to like her, much against his better judgement.
"True. The contract was "alive", though princess, I can't guarantee your safety, though I certainly have no intention of letting you go."
It was Anna's turn to scrutinize him, staring into his face as intently he was afraid he'd catch fire. She seemed to come to a conclusion and walked past him.
"Well, I suppose I don't have much choice. I can't fight, my jetpack is broken, and I can't leave without Zark. So, I'll go with you to meet this patron of yours."

"That's very cooperative of you, however, I'd still see you to the brig, princess. Precaution, you understand."
Zark snarled and Anna put a hand on his head to quiet him.
"Very well."

Shen looked at the others, a little unsure how they'd react as Anna made her way towards the stairs.

Hazmat44 andujarprime Lioness075 TheSpeck Spoiled Bread Saturn_moon Naberius Zazz