Project Black IC

Adrian wandered the halls of the Gallion so that he could better acquaint himself with where everything was and get some exercise while he travelled. As he wandered the halls he thought he heard some movement around him, but shrugged it off. Dismissing the noise as his ears ringing from his time in the army. Adrian walked with his hands behind his back muttering softly to himself as he went over the conference call he had just had with the holy father and his fellow Cardinals. It was one he had been pushing for quite some time, but never actually got into the discussion until today. He hoped and prayed that the Holy Father would decide in his favor, but this was the same pope that had the first false angel executed for blasphemy.


Then the lights flickered drawing Adrian from his thoughts back into the present. He didn't think the ship was in such a state that it would begin presenting electrical issues. Then again he didn't know much about ship of any kind so his observations weren't worth much. "Perhaps I should return to my room..." Adrian said trying to orient himself as to where he was in the ship. It seemed to him that he was near the cargo area where he had his pistol and knife confiscated. "Alright then from here...." the cardinal muttered to himself as he tried to plot a route back to his room.
 
Ross noticed the flicker in the lights as well. She questioned them doing so, but Dax brought the question to conversation. She thought for a minute. "He said he would be checking the rails, double checking the cargo... The coils and then the navigation system before getting some rest." When she mentioned the coils and the navigation system, she figured the flicker could have come from one of those things. But the more she thought about it... The more she realized that something could be wrong. The only time the lights had ever done that was when they first started up the ship.... The ship crapped out on them because it hadn't been started up in a long time. But the second time.... The ship never had a hiccup like this.


Yeah a part would break here or there, but nothing Shin couldn't fix on hand or repair to keep them flying.


Ross stopped and looked to Dax with a serious look in her eyes. A flicker like so was out of the ordinary... With out any words she knew Dax could tell what she was thinking. She reached for her gun at her side and pulled it from it holster. "Find Shin." She uttered before charging her weapon. Since it was a big ship... They would have to split up to cover more ground.


(Right before the lights flickered..)


Abigail placed her dart gun back away as she began to fiddle around with the tablet for the ship. A soft cocky smile stuck to her face like glue while Francis made his way over to Shin. Opening his messenger bag Francis pulled out what looked like a more advanced gun. But the nozzle was a needle. And the chamber was a small glass tube.


Placing the needle into Shin's arm he drew a good amount of blood. After so he would then take the glass tube from the gun and connect it to a box that attached to his tablet. He waited a little for the blood to be analyzed only to look at the screen curiously. "Well that's weird..." Francis ran his fingers over his tablet before looking to Abigail.


Abigail stopped what she was doing and looked back over to Francis. "What's weird?" She asked.


Francis turned the tablet to Abigail. "I can't access his information through a blood scan."


Abigail took the second tablet and looked over the same thing Francis did. "Why would a navigator have a serial lock on a blood scan?" She looked over to the passed out Shin as Francis shrugged.


Francis paused and jumped for his bag. "I bet he's got a chip..." He told her. He pulled out a small rectangular device (Kind of looks like a cell phone) and turned it on.


Abigail placed down the second tablet as she went back to the Gallion's tablet.


Francis rolled Shin over and checked the back part of his neck before checking Shin's back shoulder and then wrists. He found what he was looking for hidden under a wrist band on the inside of Shin's left wrist. "Bar code and chip." Francis smirked a little. He placed the device over the bar code and it scanned it in seconds.


Francis blinked and his smirk went away. He slowly got to his feet keeping his eyes locked on the screen. "Remember when you said we probably didn't need the king pod?" He asked her as he slowly turned around.


Abigail shifted her eyes towards the other. Francis held out the scanner to her and watched her reaction. A surprised look shot across her face. "You're shitting me..." She took the scanner from him to get a better look.


"Get the pod ready." She said as he moved to the create with the small red crown symbol on it. She looked up from the scanner and over to Shin. Placing down the items she let her cocky smirk cross her face once more. "Lets get him in the pod and then I'll signal the others." She told Francis as the two opened the create.


Inside the create was a much larger pod. Most of it was already placed together and it looked like there was more technology within this one pod than the others combined.


It didn't take them long to get the pod ready. It was still in the create laying down and all they had to do was place on a few extra computer equipment. They moved Shin into the pod and shut the curved glass door over him. At this point Abigail went back to the ship's tablet while Francis turned on the pod. "How long will it take?" She asked.


"About ten minutes for it to fill." He told her. just as he finished his words water started to pour into the pod.


By the time Abigail looked back at Francis and the pod, the water inside the pod where Shin was, was already halfway full. "I still never understood that thing." She frowned a little.


Francis chuckled a little. "Well the water isn't just any water... It keeps the person inside alive... And preservers them."


Abigail rolled her eyes a bit.


"But lets say someone tries to break him out.. The water becomes like a double edged sword. Without the proper sequence the one inside will drown..." Francis knew Abigail wouldn't understand the technical explanation so he made it simple for her.


"What ever." She responded with an uninterested tone. "I'm going to signal the others. Once the pod is set we will go meet up with them." Abigail already knew that with one down and set into a pod, they could use him as a leverage. Pods were dangerous. All thought the king pod was the only one that used water, all pods were sensitive. Opening them wrong or just trying to break the glass just might kill the person inside. A king pod was a definite kill it tampered with.


Abigail found the controls she was looking for and turned all the lights in the ship off and then on again. The little flicker that most people would ignore, their team mates would know and understand the signal.


Val noticed the lights but paid no mind to them. Instead her direction of thought and attention fell to the Gallion's lead rider. She blinked a little at the question. She was able to touch him for a brief moment earlier... But she was able to pick up on his condition within those seconds. She frowned a little. She was sure he had a flu of some sort. Between him over working himself, not eating right like he should... A small head cold just grew into a monster. If it were up to her, she would have him in quarters in seconds.


But Charlie's question stumbled her thoughts. She wanted to share the information, but knew Shin would get mad. And after his little outburst during diner, she wasn't sure if she should really say anything.


"He has a fever." She told the other. She didn't know where to go from there. "But I'm sure he will be getting some rest soon." She forced a smile as she helped put away the dishes.
 
"If you all will excuse me." said the Avalon politely as he stood from the table and turned to head into the complicated labyrinth that was the Gallion. Aeva made his way through the halls, the med bay being the destination of his mental gps. Under normal circumstances, Aeva wouldn't really care but he did want to know if any results were in from his blood exam. The ex-spec ops soldier had been through far more grueling tasks and physical pain in the past. The fact his wing was hurting to such a point that he felt he needed help led him to believe that the problem was that grave that his training couldn't cope with it.....or that he was somehow getting weaker. Maybe there was some sort of disease or pathogen that was causing his body to weaken? Maybe his body was breaking down due to stress. Maybe he was simply dying. Or maybe it was nothing. Having an individual that could literally see into your body like how he sees into cyberspace was certainly helpful and her diagnostic would be more helpful than any other doctor. That and the Avalon wanted to speak to her again. For reasons he couldn't even begin to understand, he had taken an interest in the Gallion's doctor. He found himself wanting to get to know her a little better. Seeing different expressions she made. Expressions were a big thing for an Avalon, as almost everything is recorded in perfect detail because of their eyesight.


As he approached the med bay, the faint sound of two voices made their way to his ears. At first, he thought it was just idle chat between two people inside but the words, "Half of the crew has human blood." stood out to him. Suspicion and training took over and Aeva swiftly posted up outside the entrance. The two inside exchanged a few more words before leaving through the alternative exit. Whatever it was that they were talking about had more than roused Aeva's curiosity. It roused his suspicion. The Avalon tucked in his wings tightly against his frame and trailed after them with such deftness, it almost seemed impossible for someone of his size. The training was practically embedded into every individual fiber of his body along with the fact that Avalons were natural espionage agents.


As swift and quiet as a shadow, the pseudo-angel tracked the two individuals that had just eaten with them until he came across the scene. Shin had discovered....something it seemed. His eyes were wide with panic and he could visually see the blood pumping faster through his veins. This was all ended abruptly as one of the pair pulled a weapon and tranqed the second-in-command of the Gallion. He had to admit, he was curious as to how these agents snuck their weapons on board without being searched. The angelic soldier figured that they may have had someone on the inside to help them with their plans but it was uncertain. The two went on to draw blood from the prickly human and then it was their turn to look surprised. Apparently, there was something in Shin's blood that made him valuable.


Aeva took the opportunity to move up closer behind the villainous pair while they conversed about the specific pod they needed to store Shin inside of. They got to work in assembling it and Aeva slunk even closer to the point that the male, Francis, his breathing was audible. The one called Abigail split from her for a moment to fidget with the lights and that was when the Avalon chose to burst out of hiding in an attempt at an ambush. The Avalon struck out without a sound, he aimed a powerful kick at the back of Francis's knees, which would cause him to buckle and his own body weight would bring him down. The only thing that would be waiting for him, should he succeed, was powerful Orthlinian arms that would quickly bind him and steal him away from his home, the comfortable ground. Aeva would take off with a mighty beat of his wings and hold the man in the air as a hostage and keep him suspended, where the only way he could harm Aeva was if he managed to overpower him and without the ground to base his strength upon, the Avalon found it highly unlikely. "I think this is as far as you two go." Aeva would say confidently, though not pridefully. The angel's eyes would be locked on the other human on the ground. Watching her every movement like the avian he was.
 
Isaac had drifted back to flipping through the news once he was sure the conversation with Rem was more than likely over for now. He turned from the page detailing the advanced ship engines. His fingers, one his left hand at least, itched to be doing some mechanical work; more recently he had tried his hand in any other job he thought might support him and Sarah. Though seeing how that hadn't played out well quite as planned, maybe it was time to jump back into the field. With any luck, at the next shipyard, Sarah and him might be able to jump right onto another ship needing a mechanic. This ship, The Gallion definitely seemed to need a mechanic- hell, it needed a lot of people if everyone he saw at dinner was the full crew- but they didn't necessarily seem interested in hiring. Isaac sure didn't see any postings at the shipyard. And he checked.


He skimmed through a page describing the complexities of the entertainment industry on one of the Verse's Core worlds. The whole damn planet was practically one city! Isaac went back to read the article in full when the lights flickered.


Not the most comforting thing for a ship to do out in the middle of space. He had forgiven more than a couple of ships for lights dimming and flickering during take-offs and entering into the atmosphere, but out in the middle of what many called the black? That always gave him a sinking feeling in his gut.


His brows furrowed and lower jaw jutted out slightly -his standard expression of mild to general concern or worry- as he glanced around the mess hall. Isaac was somewhat relieved to see that Rem seemed at least a little concerned as well.


"Hm." He grunted, before muttering across the table "Probably nothing but.. that's never exactly the most reassuring thing..."


In the room, Sarah's eyes lifted up from the book she was reading when the flights went off for a moment. She waited. She didn't hear anything weird and her dad hadn't come down the hall to get her, so she wasn't too concerned. It made her curious though. She cracked the door open and glanced down either direction of the corridor. She didn't see anyone so she decided to wait there for a while.


@NovaNovass
 
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Still unaware of the incoming threat Adrian began making his way back to his room. Richard got as he started to make his back to his room he saw the lights flicker once again ever so slightly. Adrian was suspicious about why the lights had been flickering so much in the middle of space but in the end shrugged it off and started walking. He didn't have any knowledge on ships so there was no need to worry ever something like flickering lights. If there was a problem the crew would fix it and insure the safety of their passengers. If anything did go horribly wrong as a Cardinal he had the authority to contact the nearest Crusader outpost for assistance. However since he was on his pilgrimage he would abstain from calling on the crusaders as it was the easy thing to do and during the pilgrimage one is meant to travel to all the churches in the sectors without assistance from the church and in poverty. To lean on his power as a Cardinal would defeat the purpose entirely.


As Adrian walked he began to recognize where he was and smiled, he was close to his room now.


@NovaNovass
 
Abigail snapped back around grabbing her tranq gun and aiming it. But to her surprise Francis had already been grabbed and high above in the air. Pushing aside the shock factor, Abigail continued to aim at Aeva. She already knew she wouldn't be able to make the shot... Francis was more than just in the way.


Abigail smirked a little at the angel's words, ".." Just as she was about to say something she heard a light crackling sound coming from the pod. She glanced over her shoulder to see that the pod had finished. Little bits of ice would form on the inside walls of the pod where Shin was. This was technology at it's best. With the cold shock settled in... Even if they could open it... It would take four hours to successfully get the navigator out.


She turned back to Francis and Aeva. "And how far is that Angel?" she asked.


Meanwhile......


The signal they had gotten earlier made them give up on getting onto the bridge. Instead they would now focus on getting the crew and passengers.


Melody casually walked into the mess hall and looked around. Her eyes fell onto Raven who was walking in from another entrance.


Raven had made it half way to the bike bay, but found herself wanting to ask Charlie a question about her bike. Upon entering into the mess hall, a loud shot was heard. She hit the ground quickly with a dart in her neck.


Rem jumped to his feet at the sound and the sight of Raven hitting the floor. Turning around he found Melody standing at the other end of the room with a dart gun in each hand. One aimed at him and the other at Issac.


"Don't move." Nick's voice came from the entrance where Raven had come through. He too had two dart guns. The two kept their eyes on Rem and Issac, they were unaware that Charlie and Val were in the kitchen doing dishes.
 
As Adrian walked into his room he turned his head at a distant sound. It sounded like someone dropped something or fell down, either way it really wasn't his business. However he figured since the tense situation at the dinner table he may be able to figure out why the navigator acted the way he did and he figured he could lend a helping and to clean whatever mess may have spawned from the noise. Using his memory of the sound Adrian began on his way to where he heard the sound. He was fairly certain that it was in the mess hall however he still hadn't perfectly acquainted himself with the ship yet. When Adrian rounded the corner to the place where he heard the noise he asked, " Do you need any help?"


Imagine the cardinal's surprise when he saw the situation unfolding, two people armed with weapons trying to take control of the ship. He had lost the element of surprise when he asked if they needed help and quickly turned on the record feature on his Papel communication device which would record what was going on and send it to the nearest Crusader outpost. Unfortunately for the Cardinal the Crusaders had been called away from their outpost leaving only a skeleton crew to man it. Who knows when they would receive his message. After he activated the device Adrian put his hands up in a passive posture, " Come now, is all this violence really necessary?" Adrian asked in a soft tone. " I'm sure whatever it is you need we can provide with the need to use those weapons." It was at that point that Adrian saw Raven on the ground. His heart jumped in his throat fearing she was dead. He couldn't see the dart from where he was standing.


@NovaNovass.
 
DJ continued to talk to the cyborg for a few minutes longer before he ended the conversation and slipped into his cozy new home in bunk number seven. Braxtes seemed nice, especially for being a half-man half-robot. He had only encountered a few cyborg in his time and those encounters hadn't been very long but the brief amount of time he had spent with them had left several lasting impressions on DJ, including a scar under his ribcage. It was safe to say that he had not won that fight and had learned his lesson about trying to fist fight a cyborg. However, Braxtes didn't share any of the qualities his counterparts did, instead he seemed open and genuinely friendly.


He entered his room and threw himself down of the bed, it had been a long day of meeting and angering new people, and the meal he had wasn't helping. He could feel his eyelids growing heavier and heavier as the pause between blinks grew longer and longer. Just then the lights flickered, or did he just blink? Or was he so tired that he was simply imagining things? Whatever it was he attempted to drag himself out of his half comatose state just to be safe.


He sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The lights seemed to be working fine now, they were burning as bright as ever, but DJ wasn't satisfied. He walked over to to doorway and stuck his head out into the hall. Silence and functioning lights were the only things that greeted him. Normally he would be worried about the silence but given that there was such a small number of passengers on such a large ship it didn't alarm him. Whatever the flicker of the lights was they seemed to be working now. With a shrug Danny attributed the disturbance to a simple fluctuation in the voltage of the lights.


Pulling his hands away from the doorway, DJ felt a sharp pain glide across the palm of him hand. He looked down and realized that in his own clumsy way had *somehow* managed to cut his hand on the door frame. Of course. Running his hand under cold water in the sink he realized that he was bleeding far too much for a DIY treatment of his hand and he set on the trail to the Med Bay after putting a cloth on the wound.


DJ had accidentally stumbled upon his destination earlier in the day and tried to remember what path he took. Eventually the hallways started to look familiar and he reached the med bay. He peered into the room and saw only a single man.


"It's Jack right?" He asked the man lightly trying not to startle him, "I was wondering if you could manage me up?" DJ outstretched his and revealed his hand that had now turned the white cloth scarlet from blood.
 
Isaac lurched to his feet when the shot went off and the rider woman, Raven fell to the floor. He instinctively turned to make a break for the exit to get to Sarah when a man walked through that entrance dual wielding guns.


"Lo-daro sabad as lebes..." He groaned- a phrase not to be translated around children- as he raised his hands up by his head.


He glanced back and forth between the two armed individuals, consternation and worry written across his face.


"Ahhhh, shit."
 
Nick watched Adrian closely as the man walked back into the mess hall. He motioned to the Cardinal to join the two others, Rem and Issac, when he noticed something. Nick spotted a little red light starting to flash on his wrist. Nick looked from his wrist and slowly back over to Adrian. "While your at it you can turn off what ever transmitter you just turned on there Cardinal." Nick looked the man up and down with a snickering look. "As for violence.... That depends on you... Do as we say and no one gets hurt." Nick stated.


While Nick spoke with Adrian, Melody kept her eyes on Rem and Issac. She couldn't shake the feeling as if they might be missing something.


But her new attention now was placed onto Issac. The man's outburst to run and the worry on his face reminded her of the little girl that was at the table earlier. Melody tilted her head with a smile as she aimed one of her guns directly at Issac.
 
"Of course whatever you ask." Adrian said as he turned off the SOS function of his communicator and joined with Rem and Issac. " All I wish to happen is for everything to go on without any violence." Adrian said as he stood with the two of them. He watched the two armed assailants. From this new location he could see the tranquilizer dart and he was able to calm down. At the very least she wasn't dead.


If only they could overpower them.


As Adrian waited for further instructions from his captors his SOS signal reached the Crusade Outpost. Needless to say the acolyte on post at the communication room was surprised to receive the signal. Flustered and panicked the newly recruited acolyte rushed to the commander to inform him of the situation. The commander was doubtful of the signal but was equally surprised to find that the signal was real. Activating the microphone in the communicator the commanders gruff voice came through the microphone, " Cardinal Peterson are you all right? "


@NovaNovass
 
As the Cardinal took his place by Rem, Isaac's eyes darted between Melody and Nick. His breathing picked up into a near frantic rhythm as she aimed the gun at him and he felt a cold, sinking feeling in his gut at her knowing, malign smile.


Sarah.


His mind raced as a million useless plans whirled around. He didn't even register the voice coming from Adians wrist. Then from down the hall behind Nick, a familiar patch of red caught Isaac's eye. Sarah, drawn by the sound of the shot, was peaking around the corner.


He darted his eyes back to Melody, everything seemed to freeze as one goal rose above everything. He bared his teeth, bottom canines jutting out.


He curled his right arm up over his face and chest and charged Melody.


"Alha, Sarah! Alha!" He roared as he barreled towards the woman. It didn't matter if he made it to her, as long as the attention was on him for even just a moment.


It was a big ship... there had to be plenty of places to hide...
 
(Sorry for the confusion. Nick has the watch with the little red blinking light. It signals him if another signal is released from the ship, or from someone's personal device. That way he knows if a passenger or crew member is trying to send a distress signal.)


Nick narrowed his eyes at Adrian as the little red light on his watch didn't go off. Instead it continued to blink. "Don't mess with me priest." Nick stated as his watch told him that the signal was still transmitting. While Nick was more focused on Adrian he failed to notice Issac making his move on Melody. But even then it was too late for him to make his own move or to counter Issac's attack. On top of that things were just going to get even more crazy within the mess hall.


Melody began to fire at Issac when she noticed his first two steps he made towards her. She would only fire two or three times, but after that she would need to rely on her combat skills. She didn't seem like much, but this girl made her hand to hand combat look like a dance.


Tucking her arms in close to her chest Melody spun around letting Issac slip past her. She would then use her ballet like motion to throw her foot out and connect with the back of Issac's knee. If she did this right, the man would fall to his knees and she would extend one arm and place her weapon to the back of his neck.


When Issac made his move Rem took it upon himself to move as well. The more distractions they had the better. Both Val and Charlie were still in the kitchen meaning they had the element of surprise. But what he would focus on now it to not let Adrian's signal be stopped. His motions were just as quick as the rest of the room. He pushed a hand off the table and slid his body across to make an advance on Nick.


Nick's attention slipped into the on coming combat and the two were shoved into a struggle. Rem's hands gripped at the two tranq guns trying to get them out of Nick's hands or to even get a hold of one of them. Luckily for him, he was already accepted as part of the crew so he had a few weapons on his person. Not many, or big weapons... Just a few hidden ones.


A hunting knife was secured within his right boot and a pistol sat at the left side of his hip, hidden under his shirt. If he could not get the two tranq guns from Nick he would have to reveal and maybe even use his other weapons.


Their struggle seemed almost even. Rem had the upper body strength but Nick had a sly way of fighting. Kind of like Melody... But his movement could be seen clearly.... Rem's eyes watched as the other went to throw a kick into their small fight, but instead Nick's sly moves surprised him.


Without warning Rem felt Nick's right arm let go of the gun making Rem's left shoulder push forward further towards the other. And the so called kick Nick was in the middle of preforming slammed to the ground and he fully turned his body to take hold of Rem's arm. Using the man's weight to throw him over his shoulder and onto the ground.


All this happened so quickly that the next thing Rem knew was that Nick once more had both tranq guns and one was pointed at his head.


With his back on the floor, Rem's mind blinked like his eyes. This was no ordinary combat. He had been in fights before, and only came across a few people who had methods like so.


Nick sneered down at Rem and pointed his second tranq gun back at Adrian, "Kill the signal...." Nick stated in a demanding tone. "Kill the signal, or we will start killing people. All of you are still worth a good penny dead..." He added.


Val paused in her step when she heard the commotion coming from the mess hall. She looked to Charlie with a bit of worry showing through her eyes. She could now clearly hear the voices and placed her hands over her mouth to stop the sharp gasp of air wanting to be sucked into her lungs. She reached up to her ear where she still had her com placed. The silent signal was simple. She pressed the com button letting the feed be played on the coms of those with the captain and crew.


She didn't know if anyone was listening or if anyone could come and help. From what it sounded like, was that these two were not working alone. If they had been, those in the mess hall would not be their first targets. "..............Captain?.................." The lead medic whispered into the com as best as she could. She did not want those in the mess hall to know that her and Charlie were close by.... Well at least not until helped arrived.
 
The first two shots struck Isaac's arm, harmlessly striking metal but staying caught in his coat's fabric.


The third connected solidly in his side with a sharp sting that dulled over almost instantly as the knockout poison took effect. Isaac's vision blurred over and a wave of dizziness almost took him to the floor before Melody's kick did knocked him to his knee.


His half Dorojji blood still burned though. Half-blind and very disoriented he whirled around on his knee, to find the gun nearly pressed against his nose. His eyes nearly crossed trying to focus his sight but even he could see he was all but caught.


Sarah almost ran to her father as she saw all this happen. But his order in their other language rang out, stopping her in her tracks.


After a moment of indecision she turned and ran, a tear welling up in an eye. Sarah took off down the hallway, thinking of some of the hiding spots she had noticed on her previous adventure in the ship. She almost ran straight past the med bay, but she heard voices inside. She jumped though the door.


"Help please! There'sbadpeople, inthemesshall, andtheyarehurting dad!" She managed to get out between gasps for air and small sobs.
 
(Oh I see. I got confused.)


When the voice f the commander asked if he was okay Adrian didn't say a word. He just let the commotion play out. In SOS mode the microphone in the communicator is set to the lowest possible setting to avoid detection. The convenient thing for Adrian was he had a an ear wig linked with the device so that only he could here what was being said through his device and it would look like he didn't have a way to communicate. When the commander heard that last part from the captor he said, " We are heading to your position now your eminence. Please comply with their wishes until we arrive."


Adrian had a look of such sadness at Nick said he would start killing people. Adrian carefully worded his response so that it would answer both the commander and his captor, " I understand. I'm happy to comply." With that Adrian turned off the SOS signal on his communicator. Just before the signal cut off the commander said they would be redirecting the closest Crusader force to his position. The estimated arrival time was 30 minutes.While the blade in his prosthetic arm was still working Adrian would rather comply than harm these two. The fact of the matter was that he pitied them. They must have had a hard life to be willing to resort to actions such as these. " There is no need to start killing my child. I'm sure the others have realized that doing anything against your wishes would be pointless. There is still time to safe yourselves. Please turn your back on these wicked ways, repent and be saved through God." Adrian was doing this in an attempt to defuse the situation, offer them a second chance at life, and stall for time.


@NovaNovass
 
Nick was no fool and had done this kind of job plenty of times. The signal may have cut out or stopped... But only after Adrian spoke a few simple words. He felt as if they really weren't directed to him or Melody. Nick watched the man and let a smirk cross his lips when Adrian spoke again. This time there was no confusion. Adrian was talking to him and Melody.


"I have a better idea..." Nick stated as he motioned for Adrian to move over to Raven. "Pick up the girl." He told the priest. He then looked down at Rem still on the floor. "Pick up the other guy." His orders were clear and to the point.


He pointed to Melody, "She will lead the way..."


This would be very simple. Adrian would carry Raven, while Rem carried Issac. Melody would lead the way to the others and the pods. Once there, they would take out Adrian and Rem... This made their work a lot easier when they got their soon to be captives do all the heavy lifting.


Rem slowly got to his feet. He would do what was told of him for now... And then wait for the right moment to make a move.


What they didn't know was that Abigail and Francis were having problems of their own with a certain angel on the Gallion.
 
Adrian silently complied with the demands of his captors and picked up raven bridal style. Following behind Melody Adrian wasn't sure what part of the ship they were being lead to but one thing was for certain he had to stall until his Crusaders arrived. As Adrian walked he was thinking of how to stall for time. Thanks to his daily exercise routine instilled on him back in the army he was quite the fit old cardinal but they didn't know that. His captors probably saw him as an old man that couldn't possibly be a physical threat to them. So he decided to act the part and began breathing heavily, slowing his pace down and eventually stopped all together kneeling on the ground gently putting raven down, " I'm sorry, but I need a minute or two. " Adrian said between strained breaths.


@NovaNovass
 
Jack had returned to his work, slowly cleaning the slender edges of his instruments as a smirk worked his thin features. Life always had a funny way of working out, even if there were unexpected hiccups along the way. This was just one of those times. Jack thought as his eyes briefly flickered over the cooler now back in its original position. He had to give the hunters credit. They knew what they were doing, although it must have been pure luck to stumble across the hidden, oil stained jewel. A diamond in the rough.


“it’s Jack right?”


The question came quietly, Jack pausing briefly in his work to tilt the scalpel he had been polishing to survey DJ’s wrapped reflection in the mental of the blade. It was the chatty man from dinner. How disappointing.


“I was wondering if you could bandage me up?"


Smoothing his expression, Jack turned to his new company with a warm grin as he waved his company in, pale eyes briefly scanning the crimson stained cloth around DJ’s hand, before gesturing to one of the medical beds.


“Of course!” He beamed, as he turned to the medical supplies, grabbing some alcohol for cleaning the wound and some fresh bandages. “I would a sorry excuse for a medic if I turned away a person in need!” The smile remained on his features, creasing his eyes in a pleasant fashion. The way his real smile use to do.


“You are DJ, right?” Jack asked, as he approached the man and took his hand into his own, gently unwrapping the injured hand and inspecting the wound with a thoughtful expression. A small laceration, but nothing which couldn’t be easily dealt with. “I am Jack, pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to introduce myself during dinner. But you left before I could get a word in.” Jack chuckled lightly, shrugging his shoulders as he recalled Shin’s outburst and the pilot’s speedy retreat.


“So what exactly happened?” He questioned, although this was more for DJ’s benefit than his own. Conversation kept people’s minds away from the pain, especially as Jack began to wash out the wound with the alcohol he had grabbed before.


****


He worked quickly though, and almost near completion when the small red headed child from dinner appeared, sobbing at his door way.


Pausing Jack glanced at DJ. He would have to act surprised and a little confused. Turning back to the girl, brow furrowed, he stepped forward to kneel in front of the girl.


“Woah, there. Calm down, sweetpea. What do you mean there’s bad people?” Jack asked, keeping his voice soft and gentle. “Has there been an alarm sounded?” Jack asked, turning to DJ.


*****


On the sound of the shot, Charlie had placed herself between the doctor and the door, her mind blanking out and allowing pure instinct to kick in. It was only when no one calm bursting in through the doors that Charlie relaxed a little, returning the doctor’s worried looks as they listened to the mess halls commotion play out beyond the partition. As the attackers made their move, Charlie tried to count their shots and watched, almost in awe, through the small circular window as the hand to hand combat played out.


These guys were way better at hand to hand combat than Charlie would have liked. Sure she could pack a punch, but she was clumsy with her moves and her injuries would only lessen her odds against them. No, Nick and Melody made hand to hand combat look like a ballet. An art form and all Charlie had was a spoon which she had grabbed, once again by reflex, as a self-defence weapon. But then again…she also had ‘lil’ John.


“Captain”


Val’s voice whispered into Charlie’s ears, causing the lead rider to look over to the doctor, giving her a grave nod. From how Nick had reacted to the father and his com device, Charlie was unsure if Nick would also be able to pick up on their comm’s being activated. But the doctor was right to try and signal Ross.


Pacing over to the hob, Charlie put a pot to boil on, before pointing at it and then to the doctor. “You are going to stay here, Val. If they come for you, throw the water on them. Should disarm them, or at least surprise them and give you an attack of opportunity. But these guys are pro, be careful okay?” Charlie whispered as she approached Val. “I’m a grunt, the main thing for me to do right now, is try and protect them and you. So you are going to stay here.” Charlie pointed firmly to the ground before her hand reached for her thigh, where her old pistol pressed against her leg.


“I’m gonna go try mess things up for them.” Charlie grunted. “Now go hide by the stove. ” Charlie whispered, as with a free hand she grabbed chilli powder and poured it into her palm. When she was ready, the girl cocked her gun and stood, rolling back her shoulders to relax her muscles before she parted the doors, right on cue with Nick pointing to Melody and Raven. In her ear, Dax's voice replied to Val.


"where are you?"


This gave Charlie an idea.


“Leaving the women to the heavy lifting? Such a gentleman.” Charlie chirped, training lil’ john’s sight onto Nick’s torso. Admittedly, Charlie was glad Raven was out for that line. As it wasn’t like Raven was fat or heavy or anything but she was certain she would get a lot of crap from her friend regardless. "How about you leave her and we sort this out gun to gun." The lead rider grinned, as she locked sights with the man. He could shoot her. It was true, but she could shoot him and her gun would do a lot more damage in comparison to their little dart guns. Brushing back her hair with her free hand, Charlie used this motion to trigger her comms.


If Nick did pick up on Val's comms, he would now think it was her.


"So what can I do for you two, in the mess hall."


*********


Dax had frozen as Val’s voice came over the comm’s. He had been about to separate from Ross, about to suggest that he would take the coils and the rails if Ross took the cargo, but now things were confirmed. Something was indeed going down.


Pressing down his own comm, Dax careful breathed his reply, his eyes never moving from Ross. “Val…where are you?”


Although Dax appeared to most as an armoured giant with little warmth, those who cared to get to know him knew that right now, Dax’s protective instincts were in over-drive. His mind was playing over all the facts. Shin, Charlie, Val and Raven were all in danger and under his watch. Not to mention the other passengers who included…Sarah. The girl who shared his love’s namesake. An innocent.


Dax’s features remained still as he waited with baited breath for Val to reply. It had only been a matter of time before this would have happened, Dax had known this for a while. It was why he had wanted to avoid port this far out. But sometimes these things were an unavoidable necessity. Ross had needed to find work, but now, at what price? Damn it! He should have insisted. Should have pushed to go further in before port. Hindsight was 20/20 however.


That was when Charlie's voice came in. However, the comm's seemed to be tapping into another conversation which Dax had to smile about.


"What can I do for you two, in the mess hall."


Charlie could be childish at times, but when peoples' lives were in danger, Dax knew he could always count on her. So whoever it was, there were two of them, and they were in the mess hall. Dax made a move to grab his twin blades from their sheaths, nodding to his captain.


"I don't know how Charlie's gonna handle this, but we should act fast," Dax said, nodding to his commander. "Your orders? the two in the mess hall cannot be the only ones."


@hootie0813 , @NovaNovass, @SleepyBuddha, @Khaz
 
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Val could only nod to Charlie. She was actually a good fighter when it came to hand to hand combat. But her nerves always got the best of her. She hid away in the kitchen like Charlie had told her and kept an eye on the door as she watched the lead rider take a stand against the two people attacking the ship. She felt a bit at ease when she heard the others in the com. She wouldn't speak as she would let the others take care of what they could. She sunk to the floor and stayed low to the ground. She didn't like this... Not one bit.


Ross was taking a step away from Dax when the call came in from Val. She narrowed her eyes and double checked her gun. She turned to Dax when she heard Charlie state two and the mess hall. She nodded to Dax and motioned for him to go one way while she would take another in hopes to catch the two intruders at different angles.


Nick was about to yell at Adrian when he heard a voice come from behind him. He looked over his shoulder to find Charlie. only Francis and Abigail knew that Charlie was of some importance.... But to Nick and Melody.... they had yet to understand.


But still this did not amuse Nick to any point. The watch on his wrist blinked red. He let a sharp hiss burn through his teeth as she noticed the red blinking dot. He put away one of the tranq guns only to remove an actual gun. He aimed quickly at Charlie and narrowed his eyes even more. "This is the last time I will say this.... Cut the signal..... If you don't I will start killing people." Nick stated.


He pointed the real gun at Adrian. "How about we start with the old man? Or should I go and find that sweet little girl?" he asked Charlie. "And that goes for anyone listening." Nick spoke up a bit louder as Melody switched out both of her tranq guns with real ones she had tucked away. She how ever pointed her guns at those that were already knocked out. Both Raven and Issac were considered more than helpless.... They could be dead in seconds if she wanted.


Nick once more gritted his teeth together. "I've had it up to hear with this ship." He added.


Nick was not the kind of guy to be very patient. He more so had a very short temper when trying to complete a job. All this jumping out of no where and people trying to transmit through coms or to contact help was really bugging him at this moment.


(I will post again after shadowz posts. lol)
 
NovaNovass said:
Val could only nod to Charlie. She was actually a good fighter when it came to hand to hand combat. But her nerves always got the best of her. She hid away in the kitchen like Charlie had told her and kept an eye on the door as she watched the lead rider take a stand against the two people attacking the ship. She felt a bit at ease when she heard the others in the com. She wouldn't speak as she would let the others take care of what they could. She sunk to the floor and stayed low to the ground. She didn't like this... Not one bit.
Ross was taking a step away from Dax when the call came in from Val. She narrowed her eyes and double checked her gun. She turned to Dax when she heard Charlie state two and the mess hall. She nodded to Dax and motioned for him to go one way while she would take another in hopes to catch the two intruders at different angles.


Nick was about to yell at Adrian when he heard a voice come from behind him. He looked over his shoulder to find Charlie. only Francis and Abigail knew that Charlie was of some importance.... But to Nick and Melody.... they had yet to understand.


But still this did not amuse Nick to any point. The watch on his wrist blinked red. He let a sharp hiss burn through his teeth as she noticed the red blinking dot. He put away one of the tranq guns only to remove an actual gun. He aimed quickly at Charlie and narrowed his eyes even more. "This is the last time I will say this.... Cut the signal..... If you don't I will start killing people." Nick stated.


He pointed the real gun at Adrian. "How about we start with the old man? Or should I go and find that sweet little girl?" he asked Charlie. "And that goes for anyone listening." Nick spoke up a bit louder as Melody switched out both of her tranq guns with real ones she had tucked away. She how ever pointed her guns at those that were already knocked out. Both Raven and Issac were considered more than helpless.... They could be dead in seconds if she wanted.


Nick once more gritted his teeth together. "I've had it up to hear with this ship." He added.


Nick was not the kind of guy to be very patient. He more so had a very short temper when trying to complete a job. All this jumping out of no where and people trying to transmit through coms or to contact help was really bugging him at this moment.


(I will post again after shadowz posts. lol)
Click to expand...
"You want to know? How about this then. I'm going to break your friend's spine and then use him as a meat shield, close the distance between us and beat you within an inch of your pathetic vagabond life. I've laid the cards out for you human. You can take the bet or you can be wise and fold." As the words were spoken, Aeva pushed his wings harder and steadily climbed in altitude, making himself a harder target to hit and to discourage the man within his arms to try and escape. A fall from this height would now doubt cripple him, if not kill him outright. Needless to say, Aeva could see every detail of the female pirate as if he was right in front of her with a magnifying glass. No detail went unnoticed and that meant no action she did would catch him off guard with him piercing her with his gaze as he was.


The avalon held no hesitation in his features and he was perfectly capable and willing to kill the person within his arms and the one further below. Blood on his hands would be nothing new. It served to further solidify that he would carry out the threat he just issued with ease. "I wouldn't move around to much if were you. A fall from this height will definitely break your legs. It would out right kill you if you don't land on your feet as well and I just might be inclined to give you a little twist before you fall. But...then again your life is in your friend's hands now. I hope she cares about you somewhat." Aeva whispered these words into the male he held aloft. He used a very deep and soft tone that would have felt more like he was whispering secrets than a death threat.
 
Sarah took a few breathes as Jack spoke to DJ. Her mind was racing, mostly with worry about what was happening with her dad. She focused on the two in the hall who started this. "They were part of the group that sat away from everyone..." She managed, between deep breathes to avoid sobbing more. "Two of them are in the mess hall with Daddy and some others.. I heard shots.."


At the last bit she buried her face in her hands.


Slumped over Rem's shoulder, Isaac listened to the arguments happening around him, though it came to him in a muffled garble. He thought he heard another woman. One of the riders? Maybe? He felt something like relief; she seemed like she could handle herself. But... there were two of these people, and she was just one. Fog filled Isaac's head as he struggled to think coherently. Two to one was bad odds.


He tried to focus his eyes, managing a blurry view of Rem's boots. It occurred to him that he had been moved. He couldn't seem to get his feet right on the floor to stand himself up. Whatever was in that dart was strong. Dart. He glanced down at the offending projectile sticking from his side. With great effort he pulled his head up and found himself once again looking down the barrel of Melody's gun. He felt like he was going to be sick.
 
shadowz1995 said:
"You want to know? How about this then. I'm going to break your friend's spine and then use him as a meat shield, close the distance between us and beat you within an inch of your pathetic vagabond life. I've laid the cards out for you human. You can take the bet or you can be wise and fold." As the words were spoken, Aeva pushed his wings harder and steadily climbed in altitude, making himself a harder target to hit and to discourage the man within his arms to try and escape. A fall from this height would now doubt cripple him, if not kill him outright. Needless to say, Aeva could see every detail of the female pirate as if he was right in front of her with a magnifying glass. No detail went unnoticed and that meant no action she did would catch him off guard with him piercing her with his gaze as he was.
The avalon held no hesitation in his features and he was perfectly capable and willing to kill the person within his arms and the one further below. Blood on his hands would be nothing new. It served to further solidify that he would carry out the threat he just issued with ease. "I wouldn't move around to much if were you. A fall from this height will definitely break your legs. It would out right kill you if you don't land on your feet as well and I just might be inclined to give you a little twist before you fall. But...then again your life is in your friend's hands now. I hope she cares about you somewhat." Aeva whispered these words into the male he held aloft. He used a very deep and soft tone that would have felt more like he was whispering secrets than a death threat.
Click to expand...
Abigail watched the Avalon and narrowed her eyes at his words and actions. She could tell the angel would hold his words true. She watched as Francis gripped onto Aeva as best as he could to make sure he would not slip through his grip.


Abigail let out a rough breath through her lips as quietly as she could. This was not how she wanted things to go. Abigail noticed something on the tablet still in her other hand. She looked down at it and smirked before turning back to Aeva. "Right now I control this ship." She said calmly. "What if I locked a few doors and let some air in?" She was referring to space.


"I could make it so that a few people have a chance to.... 'step outside'.... If I wanted.... Dead or alive... Everyone here is worth a penny." Abigail told the Angel. She was in hopes that Aeva would fly back down with Francis. The more she thought about it, the more she thought about how much someone would pay for such a clever angel like him. He was much different than other Avalons she had seen or, well only seen. She couldn't say she had truly meet any of them, but she could tell something was different about this one.


Francis gritted his teeth at Abigail's words. She should have just given up... They only managed to get one crew member into a pod... And if the crew and passengers let them live... Just the information they now had alone would sell. With or without cargo... They could make a penny if they were able to get out of this alive.


"I quit this fight." Francis stated to Aeva.


Abigail's eyes shot wide at this. "I have the whole ship at my finger tips!" She called out to Francis.


Francis looked down at Abigail and narrowed his eyes at her. "I said I quit this fight! I'd rather live than die." he added.
 
Charlie stood stock still like a doe in the headlights, her tiny form not amounting to much when you compared it to Nick. But none the less, she had angered him, which allowed her to feel some triumph, even if he had pulled out an actual gun and made the situation a million times worse than it already had been. Sagging a little, the lead rider surveyed the man with narrowed eyes. What was his game? Surely him and miss ballet girl weren't the only ones on the Gallion?


With the sight of Nick's gun pointed to Adrian, however, Charlie was left with little choice. Sure she could shoot him, but that didn't mean that the rest of them in the room would get off scot free. No. Melody also clutched a weapon, which meant that Charlie had very little wiggle room.


Allowing a small smile to work her lips, she lifted her gun away from Nick, as she nodded her compliance.


"What do you exactly plan to do here?" Charlie asked, leaving her comm on just a few more seconds. "What do the two of you hope to accomplish? Are there just two of you? I mean, it's not exactly like we carry any valuable cargo. So what you looking for?" Charlie asked, shrugging before her eye brows arched in realisation. They did have cargo. It just wasn't the usual kind pirates came looking for. Humans.


In her past, working in the chopshops, Charlie had of course received some unwanted attention due to her species' blood value. However, until now, she had never really come face to face with the ugly trade. Her bosses had usually sheltered her, not to mention the fact that Charlie had been one of the better riders and had won a lot of money for the people who mattered. But here, after years away from the circuit, her protection was gone. Or at least her old protection was. She had her crew now.


"Do you really want to damage your cargo?" Charlie asked her voice taking on an intensity, despite it's hushed tone, before the girl flicked off her comms, making it clear that she had at last clicked onto why Nick and Melody had appeared.


"Let's not do anything rash okay? The way I see it. If you shoot one of these guys, I will have no option but to shoot one you. Sure, I will go down, but ultimately, so would you. If not from one of my bullets, then by someone else's."


Charlie spoke slowly, as her fingers remained curled around Lil' John. He had not asked her to drop the weapon, he had only made a threat and told her to cut comms. Which she had done.


Dax had peeled away from Ross, tracing the hallways back to the mess hall with an intense focus, as he listened to Charlie's open broadcast. She would have pulled her gun away form her target by now, the threat of injuring the passengers would have pressed heavily on their lead rider's heart, which was moral but stupid choice. She should have fired. Taken one of the beasts down.


Then Charlie commented on the cargo, relying her idea about the blood trade in a small, simple statement, which made Dax's own blood run cold. Of course this was black market dealings. The void was filled with it. However, despite the horrid situation, Dax allowed himself to relax. If they were here for human blood, then at least the human passengers would be alright... Fresh blood straight from the vein while the heart was still pumping, sold for a lot more than it's alternative.


Although this fact made very little different to the fact that the raiders might not have so many issues shooting him and some of the others, who had no use on the black market, except slavary or for collectors.


Growling, low, Dax continued his circuit towards the mess hall, hands gripping the hilt of his swords. Regardless of the circumstances, these raiders had chosen the wrong ship. This, was of course, when Charlie's comms went silent.
 
Nick stayed quiet as Charlie kept talking. Her words and so called cleverness only showed that she lacked battle experience. He could see her as the rider she was, but when it came to situations like this.... She lacked the back bone needed for such a thing. Nick rolled his lips a bit with his eyes still locked on her. "All weapons." He said quietly. "Drop them." He charged his gun and pressed forward towards Adrian.


He shot his eyes around the room quickly. "All of you! Weapons now!" Nick shouted. He turned back to Charlie just as fast. He was not getting annoyed... In fact... He was really just itching to shoot a few people at this point. He knew the value drop on the blood if the person was dead. It was a steep fall, but they could still get something.


From his experience, they always did have to kill one or two people if they wanted the full cargo. So to him... He was willing to fire... Unlike the rest of the crew.


Melody noticed a small stir in Issac. "This one is waking up." She smirked. She turned to Rem and motioned for him to put down Issac. Rem did so as he watched her carefully. Rem could see how this thing would play out... And it didn't look good in their favor. With a guy like Nick on the enemies side.... He looked like the kind that would kill everyone before backing down.


His attention dropped to behind Melody. He noticed Ross hiding in the hallway waiting for her time to strike. Rem looked back to Charlie... The girl would take risks. He could tell just by how she handled herself. And those risks could get her or others hurt. Rem wouldn't let Charlie take that risk... He would take it himself.


Rem glanced back to Ross and gave her a slight signal while Melody was distracted by Issac. Ross nodded as she agreed.


Rem pulled the gun he had hidden on him and moved fast. He could not take on Nick with his fighting skills, but had to believe the captain had his back. He stood up charged his weapon and placed the tip to the back of Nick's head. "Drop it." Rem stated.


Just as Melody was about to move she heard a gun charge close to her. "You too." Ross stated as she narrowed her eyes.


"How many more of you are there? Who else is attacking my ship?" Ross demanded. Melody smiled as she dropped her guns and shrugged. "You will just have to find out." Melody laughed a little.


Ross watched as Melody's body sank to the floor. Ross was never one to play games, especially when it came to her crew.


Rem was a bit shocked at the scene. Ross flat out shot the girl and was now aiming her gun at Nick. "You will tell me." Ross narrowed her eyes as her aim was on point.
 
Charlie didn't flinch as the girl sank to the floor, but instead, met the eyes of her captain in silence. Through the opposite door, Dax then appeared, his colossal form brought up to his full height. He to, ignored the body now at Ross' feet, instead focusing on the one remaining man, his lips curling to reveal the sharp canines of his people, over the faint hiss of his caprice beginning slide together. Like a rattlesnake's tail, the sound was a warning of impending death. Ross had done the right thing. Both Charlie and Dax knew this. The thing Charlie couldn't have done. Not with so many people at stake and outnumbered.


The Hissing which now rose from Dax however, was a sound which always made Charlie shiver in her skin, but she resisted the urge to inch away from her crew mate, knowing the threat was not to her and instead, she focused on Nick, and the Rem Brother who had acted brashly.


Lil' John was still in her grasp, and as she raised him and took aim, she gave the brother a small nod of gratitude. She couldn't afford to give Nick an inch before, even if she did want to rush over to Raven to make sure she was alright, all that would do would give Nick an opportunity to act. So checking on Raven, that would come later.


Besides, thanks to the Rem brother and Ross, the numbers game had finally shifted back to her. She was no longer gambling with other's lives.


Dax on the other hand, moved forward silently, closing the gap between him and Nick in almost a blink of an eye. Glaring down at the small, pathetically fragile human form belonging to Nick, Dax breathed his warning.


"Answer the Captain." He snarled as his grip tightening slightly on hilt of the black blade. This man had no honour. Holding others as a hostage, protecting and clothing his own back with money made from blood. He did not deserve a clean death. Poison was his calling. Melody had been lucky.
 
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