Lost & Found, II
Even through the blowing winds, the rhythmic marching sounds of heavy armor can be heard echoing from the pirate Flagship, the Arctic Raider. After a few moments what would appear to be three Royal Corsairs arrive at the top of the ramp. All three bear the grey and purple full body armor that signifies the pirate elite. All three have the custom sadistically grinning skull helmet. But the one in the center has something a little more. The skull-helmet's left eye appears to be covered by eyepatch, and the back of the helmet is left open to allow purple and black dreadlocks to flow free.. the last and primary identifying feature of this form in the middle is the long purple cape that immediately gets caught up in the wind. Despite the inability to see his face, anyone that knows him would be able to identify the heavily armored form in the center as the notorious pirate himself: Admiral Frost.
After a brief pause at the top of the ramp, the external speaker on Frost's helmet crackles to life. "Stay at basecamp." he commands of his personal guard and immediately heads down the ramp into the collection of the gathered forces, heading quite brazenly towards the center of the gathering. To state that this man stands out is an understatement.
Naiya quirks a brow as someone goes and gets all gung-ho on matters, and then turns her head towards Nagasaki, seeking her reaction without actually asking.
Corin nods to Jiao and nods. "Hello there.." He says and then turns to Wren. "Hang onto that mug.. me and that mug go way back." he says and then turns and steps onto the ship and emerges a few minutes later.. a long barrel rifle over his shoulder and his shotgun held in his hands. He walks up to Grey. "So.. let’s get a move on.. hate to keep our guest waiting." he says and then he turns and starts off across the snow, staying a fair distance but easily keeping up with Grey in the snow.
Nagasaki steps back, uncertain if she was heard by those she was speaking to but she's not about to go too far. "I may have been hired by..someone else," she says in a level voice, her eyes narrowing. "But you're not going to do this without me." She knows she's grossly under armed but that's alright. It doesn't bother her. She'll either get lucky and do well or her luck will take a massive shit on her and she'll wind up shot and possibly killed without killing anyone herself. "So, what do you say? Going to let a lady have some fun?"
The mug is drawn back to her chest and Wren cradles it in her hands a moment before lifting it to take a drink. She smiles briefly at Corin before turning to Jiao and shaking her head. "Too cold," she asserts before looking back to Grey as he rattles off instructions, her eyes glazing as he does. Swallowing, she simply nods, and then nods again to Corin as he asks her to hang onto the mug. Standing there she looks rather lost as she watches people making ready to effectively go to war.
"Shi, Captain Grey." Jiao inhales deeply, breathing out a vaporous mixture of smoke and breath that would have turned to steam in this environment anyhow, and reaches for the rifle currently slung across his back. "Nothing like jumping in head-first, eh, biao? Let's go save a little girl." He cradles the rifle securely against his waist, ignoring his long hair billowing out behind him in the chilly breeze. "Might be that Guatama will look favorably upon us."
It is no wonder where the attention of Nysacire turns to with the symphony exiting from the Arctic Raider. The features of her of face become like that as if carved out of stone as emerald orbs follow the movement of the Admiral. Limbs uncoil from within one another, right falling obediently to her side while the left snakes behind her. The gloved fingers undo the strap that holds the helmet in place to draw it in front of her. Within its bed of darkness, the tongue remains still, not emitting a single word. The helmet is drawn over her head, masking away the face that once was visible. A few moments pass as adjustments are made. Taking life across the ground, the boots fall within steady pace across the ground as she moves away from the ramp of the Devil's Corsair to head into the direction of Frost. The stride slow and careful, continuing to bypass the slippery patches in order to not make a fool of herself and fall.
After taking a swig from the flask, Sunan replaces the cap and deposits the container in his duster. Straightening the heavy duster against the wind, his face congeals into a scowling grimace - part determination, part trepidation at the impending task. "Ready, biao?" he asks, though he doesn't glance to his cousin, instead busying himself with pulling up the hood of his coat.
"No," Grey agrees coldly with Corin. "I think we've waited long enough to be fashionably late." He glances to Nagasaki, his face unreadable as half of it is covered by his NV/IRs and the other half of it doesn't so much as twitch until he speaks. "I don't know who you are..." he says quietly, "But iffen you kin take orders from me, I'll have you." He looks around to those present whom he's called upon. "Do you understand? This is my daughter we're dealin' with. I won't tolerate a single gorram mistake, an' you will obey every order given by me. I'm glad to have help, but I will just as quickly turn my rifle on anyone who does anything - /anything/ - to endanger the life of my girl. Knowingly or not."
Turning to the aforementioned directions, he begins the march out - and sees Frost emerge. "Frost," he says, stopping before the man and nodding to him. "So this is how we finally see each other again, is it?" His voice is bitter. "My thanks for the information you an' Lareina forwarded to me. It's time to put an end to this." He looks around once again to everyone there. "Set your iComms to frequency 545.01. That'll be the cross-ship task force communications frequency, in case we need it."
Nagasaki gives Grey a bit of a nods, understanding. Normally she'd bristle at being told she has to listen to someone else but this is not any gorram normal circumstances, therefore necessitating her to modify her behavior even if only temporarily. She looks at Naiya and whispers to her.
"Nay." Frost says as he approaches everyone, shaking his helmet protected head. "We didn' gather ah force of this size so ah few cowboys could go rushin' off into battle without any useful intel." he pauses as he comes to stop just inside the gathering, seemingly turning his gaze towards Captain Grey. "Cap'n." he greets the man with a simple nod, no longer looking towards an of the other gathered warriors. "Chargin' into n' open mine, with only one way visible in or out could potentially lead tah Gabriella's death." he says simply. "Are yah ready tah take credit fer tha careless demise of yer own stepdaughter, Cap'n?" he asks the man. After his query the helmet starts to swivel as Frost looks over everyone else gathered, only to shake his head and look back at Grey. "False, ah already set tha intership Frequency tah 666.00." he pauses at saying this, simply starring across at the Captain. "When these mates almost killed me Queen, this stopped bein' yer battle alone. Savvy?"
Naiya crosses her arms as things get to moving all sudden like. She mutters a single word to Nagasaki, turning her head to look at the woman, waiting.
Wren's eyes are wide as she watches the infamous pirate approach and stop beside Grey, shivering with more than just cold as everyone's words bury her under a wealth of violence.
Mera'din emerges from the snow, a white figure walking out of the white. He moves in from the opposite direction of the road to town, coming out of the snow and removing his mask when he gets to the tarmac and stuffs it in his pocket. He strides with confidence, making a beeline towards Nagasaki.
Corin smiles at Wren and then says softly. "I'll be back to collect that mug.." He grins. "I always come back." He adds with a bit of a haunted look in his eyes. He turns and then walks a little bit apart and pulls the bolt from his rifle, checking over the parts and then putting the huge rifle back together again. He snaps a round into an empty clip and put the clip into the rifle. He pulls back the action and chambers the round into the rifle. He then snaps 5 of the large, deadly 54 caliber rounds into the magazine and then slips the clip into the rifle. He looks around, slipping the sniper rifle over his shoulder and then he pulls up his shotgun and then checks it over as well. He stands and then looks over at Grey. "Times wastin.." He says, giving a nod to Frost. He then looks out towards the mine and his mind starts racing.. sure that the sniper that they are after is not going to be there alone.. he is going to have more company for them.. it's never that easy.. He checks and makes sure that his vest is on tight and that he has plenty of spare ammo.. then sighs and squares his shoulders.. ready to do violence on behalf of a friend..
Nagasaki looks at Mera'din as he comes out of nowhere and then back to Naiya, her eyes narrowed, her body tense, now. "You come with me. Both of you. If anything, you both will stay far enough behind to keep safe and be able to help if needed. Things might get ugly so stay where I can see you both unless directed otherwise by me." She looks at Frost, Grey and Corin then and snorts, her arms folding under her chest now as she waits. "Gonna come up with a gorram game plan or are we just going to rush in, get ourselves all killed and the girl as well, most likely?"
Adding another member to the Standing Around At the Spaceport club is Templeton, moving down the ramp of the Corsair as he emerges from the Cargo Bay. Observant eyes single out every being he knows, a little bit difficult at the moment as things feel a little bit more congested than usual. Breathing in a heavy dose of oxygen, he presses on forward towards his own crewmembers, lingering meters away from them. The sharp cold inhaled is shortly expelled in a short plume of steam, visible breath, listening carefully for facts about this seemingly special situation. The engineer's hands are buried within his pockets, right eye twitching as it persists to observe.
"Sometimes you come back without you," Wren murmurs, watching Corin as he checks and snaps and chambers all the little bits of violence attached to him. Her own eyes are haunted, and she shakes her head, taking a step back and away from everyone, her eyes on the beautifully blank white snow.
Slower does the stride of the Chief Corsair become until coming to a halt at the right side of the Admiral Frost, and a bit behind. However, enough girth is given to the man, a few feet. From beneath the protection of the helmet, emerald orbs dance across the faces as each once speak. Once more does Nysacire play the role of the living statue, merely standing in place, listening and observing for the time being.
Naiya's eyes widen a bit at Nagasaki's instructions and there's this miniscule little swallow. "Yes Sir, Ma'am." She says, that gaze flicking quickly over to Mera'din. She resettles her weight, boots going right back into the footprints she had before, and goes silent again to listen very, very intently.
Grey nods to Frost. "Then so it is. I wasn't apprised." He retunes his iComm quickly. "I won't give them time to change their plans, or reroute their defenses. An' know this - I will shoot Gabriella myself, if I have to." Standing square to Frost, his eyes are steady on his former Captain - now Admiral - as they speak. "Draw your battle plans," he says to Frost and Nagasaki. "I'm here to see what they want. I've got four. Myself, Corin, Jiao Long, and Sunan. Light, fast, an' flexible. The optimal number for recon an' quick action."
As Mera'din approaches, Nagasaki and gets her word his eyes narrow and he tilts his head to the side slightly. He continues his approach and brings himself up to a position to stand beside and slightly behind Nagasaki. He says nothing however.
Upon hearing Corin's voice, Frost pulls his gaze from the Captain of the Invictus to look towards the famed Bounty Hunter, nodding a single time. "Corin." he greets, before stating. "Time be tha one thing we DO control 'ere, mate" the pirate adds to the man before giving his attention back to Grey as he awaits the man's response. As Grey responds, Frost begins to nod. "Very Good, Cap'n...." and slowly he extends a finger off past the Ranges. "Now, accordin' tah intel, tha mine lays past tha Forestry Ranges. There be a small abandoned minin' settlement tha lies 'fore tha entrance of tha mines." with his layout begun, Frost begins to look over the crowd. "It would be me estimation tha we far outnumber these blokes.. buh potentially, considerin' who we be goin' against, they will have far better weaponry, n' they are better dug in." his head snaps back to Grey. "Ah will be willin' tah use tha main forces tah try n' pull some of tha opposition tah the mouth of this mine." the Admiral says simply. "While ye take yer forces n' get in a secondary shaft. There has tah be ah secondary hole, or tha mine would be long since collapsed... yet we were unable tah find plans to the mine, as it has been long since abandoned."
Jiao nods to what Grey says. He's never had any children of his own, but he can certainly see where the man's understandably harsh sentiments are coming from. "Shi, Captain Grey. My biao and I won't do anything to endanger your daughter.. or let anyone else, for that matter." He eyes Frost as the pirate approaches, and gives a nod to the man. "Admiral Frost.." For the most part, though, he just shuts up and lets the leaders discuss their plans of action without interfering.
David arrives from the small town with a large leg of what looks to have formerly been a live turkey in his left hand, it of course has been well cooked and basted, few bites taken from it as his modestly sized running shoes slowly make their squishing sounds through the snow covered ground which he treads. "Hot damn that's some gorram good bird." he mutters, taking another sizeable bite from the bird's leg.
Grey nods to Frost. "How many under you?" he asks, doing a few quick mental calculations. "I'll have one a mine look for plans of the mine. If it was ever documented anywhere on the Cortex... She should be able to find it." He looks down at his weapon briefly, then back up to Frost. "We'll set out first. We'll be in position by the time your fire base establishes, and ready to move by time of contact." He looks back to his team and gives a quick nod. "Quick inspection, mates." He stands in front of Jiao Long, and looks over the man quickly. Just his gear and weapon, since they're not camouflaged for snow. "Jump." To make sure that none of his kit makes a noise. Sunan gets much of the same scrutiny before Grey declares his team fit to move out.
Nagasaki looks at her crew and sighs. "Guess the hired help doesn't mean shit. Let's just find somewhere to stand, wait this all out somewhere out of the way.." She shakes her head and sighs, her expression hardening a bit as she shuffles, taking a few steps back. "Hopefully they won't forget we're here, huh?"
Daniel Wallace walks down the ramp for a moment and looks to David as he pulls his fathers browncoat around him, to keep out of the cold.
Templeton edges up closer to the Chief Corsair, his steps quiet and unobtrusive as he approaches. Folding his arms over his chest, he lingers only a few feet from her before making his presence known to her. "Let's be careful, eh Phoenix?" he says with only a hint of a crooked smile pulling at the side of his face, eye barely gracing her figure as he looks past. He then lowers his voice, speech that comes from Torres is inaudible to everyone but Nysacire. Eyes continue to scan as he speaks.
When there are this many 'Chiefs' on one battlefield, sometimes the hired 'indians' need to wait their turn. As it seems the commanders of the various ships have come to a common ground as to where they stand, the pirate Admiral nods, face still hidden behind the eerie skull shaped mask. "Ah be havin' ah full quarter of me Armada's ground forces here. However, tha would be over kill. Ah will simply take select pirates... as well.." and NOW the Pirate King goes looking for the warriors of the HeadHunter, spotting Nagasaki whom he motions to approach him. "..as the hired killers ah brought in. Our combined forces should be enough for ye tah get in tha mine unnoticed." he then motions to Corin and the approaching Captain Wallace. "..as well as the select group of tha Red Angel." this said he takes a simple step back and looks at Nagasaki once more. "Stealth ain' my strategical preference.. yah will be takin' tha front."
David's pace comes to a halt near the middle of the tarmac, "Heya Cap." shouts the young man, waving the turkey leg wielding hand towards Captain Wallace. He takes a glance towards company about then takes another large bite from the leg of turkey, speaking with a full mouth, "Invictus crew join'in the fight?" he asks "Where's that sum'itch Cap'in Grey?.. E' owes me a buck." he says idly with a small grin, which is covered by some form of steak sauce.
Nagasaki nods and then turns towards the ship the pirates are in command of, spotting Templeton as she gives that general area a quick once over. Smiling, she nods hello to him if he looks in her direction but then, with a start, she looks at Frost as he motions towards her and she hurriedly steps over the icy patches and snow to approach. "I apologize for my abruptness and all that crap. Patience has never been a gorram strong point of mine." Odd for a bounty hunter to claim that but there you have it, Nagasaki apparently not the kind who is unwilling to point to her own faults. That said, she's quiet again, letting them do their planning, speaking only until spoken to, now.
Naiya swallows again. Hard, and looks to Nagasaki as they play musical postings. She takes a deep breath and sticks to her XO's side like glue. Very wide-eyed and alert, this one. And very, very quiet. At the news her group's going up front she checks the jacket appropriated from Frost's crew, and sees if, by any luck, it's reversible to white.
The familiar voice of Templeton touches onto her ears, drawing her helmet covered head to pivot towards the side. Emerald orbs tilt over towards the man as a grin plays across her lips, though hidden are the features of her face. Her voice comes in a crackling noise as it emits out, "Yah know me by now, Torres.. Careful as careful can be." The only response made to the whisper is that of a tilt of her head, not being in the position to really whisper back unless the answer is wished to be heard from all those around her. Nysacire's gloved hands begin to trail across the weapons adorning her form, touching each one to make sure they are all 'fastened' within place.
Daniel Wallace looks around for a long moment and sighs a little, "Well....here we go again.... we're on the road again... we're on our way to paradise..."
Tegan makes her way through the crowd, eventually finding Nagasaki and Naiya. She slinks through the assembled group and comes to rest quietly with them.
Grey nods to Frost. "Good." He turns and nods to those with him. "Weapons loaded and readied, but on safe. Let's go." With another nod to Frost and the rest of the firebase team, he leads the way out.
[Invictus] Grey says, "Roger that, Gabriella. Do what you can."
Jiao long does as he's told. Yeah, he does the jumping bit, too. He was a soldier, so it comes as no surprise to him. When Grey gives the indication that it's time to move out, he follows, a shit-eating grin on his face. A hand moves up to his neck, and he taps the Buddha icon. Time to have some fun..
Frost nods once more, "Ah will send ah comm when we 'ave pulled enough of their forces tah the front." he says, turning his back to Grey and his troops. "Yah comm me when in position." and with this said, he looks over his gathered forces, raising his voice. "Pirates! Headhunters! Load up, file in behind me!" he commands simply and turns once again to prepare to head for the settlement. Several Royal Corsairs move to follow their Admiral and he simply waves them off with a simple order, "Protect basecamp.. ready tha medics." and then hollers, "Move out!"
Nagasaki nods to Tegan. "Have a medic, if that's what you're asking. No gorram supplies, though."
Naiya raises a hand, waving to Tegan. Yeah, that'd be her. Medic... of a sort.
"There's going to be shooting and violence?" Tegan asks again, her expression a little worrisome.
The crackling voice beneath the helmet emits out as Nysacire looks over to Tegan. "No, cupcakes and flowers."
Nagasaki takes a deep breath and nods to Tegan. "Yeah. Would you rather stay here? Keep safe?"
Mera'din looks at Tegan, a slightly pained expression on his face. "Sorry Tegan, only brought one of these." He indicates his white-out suit.
Tegan looks back to Nysa, holding her tongue, and then looks to Nagasaki. She nods, moving away from her crew.
David tosses the leg of bird which he had been munching on to the side, "Hope there's cupcakes, I'm in the mood for it."
Trailing the path of her crewmates for a few yards, Wren wanders in the direction of the Forestry Range. Humming an ancient tune, she looks across the snow with deep anxiety, watching as everyone moves away from her to continue on toward battle. Left behind.
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