Rook's Drift
THE PLACE: This area is standing in for Rook's Drift, a tiny homestead that marks a fordable point on a river. Set a few dozen yards from the river on a small rise, the homestead consists of a larger one-story building built of cinderblocks, with small gunport-sized windows and a corrugated tin roof. Diagonally opposite the house is a low semi-open shed that houses a new hoverMULE and an aging wheeled MULE and some welding gear. The walls of the house and shed are extended both ways by cinderblock walls to form a small rectangular compound perhaps eighty yards long and sixty yards across, the only entrance to which is a wide vehicular door of steel sheet welded to heavy steel beams - not even the house has an externally-facing door. There is a gap under the door about a foot high, enough for a smallish adult to squeeze under. The cinderblock compound walls are six feet high, pierced at intervals with gunports, topped with razor wire, with a low earth rampart inside such that one can comfortably fire over the wall or step back off the rampart to be below the height of the wall. Outside the compound the ground is scrubby grasses and bushes, no trees.
THE WEATHER: Torrential rain. It's been raining for days, and the ground is glutinous mud, puddles turning to streams turning to rivers. It's draining out of the compound through some 6" pipes laid through the wall, but it's not draining fast enough. The heavy grey cloud is low, just a few hundred feet above the ground.
THE HOMESTEADERS: Jonathan Small, 62, one of those spry old men that can outpace someone half his age. Mary Small, 59, a sour-tongued harpy that greets help begrudgingly and always finds something to criticize. Aaron Tillek, 29, farmhand, slow-witted but sturdy. Ellen Sawyer, 16, farmhand, and if you guessed she was a runaway and that wasn't her real name, you wouldn't be far wrong.
The distress signal from the Feds has bought you all here to Lilac, and a temporary headquarters has been set up in a tent beside the APC at Lilac spaceport. The APC commander is Lieutenant Heather Jacy, and she has a map spread out on a folding table before her. She looks strained, as she looks at whoever is here representing the assembled crews, be it a representative or the entire crew. "We have farmsteads and homesteads spread out over a three hundred mile swath of land between here and the ocean. We've been broadcasting warnings on all bands but only a handful have voluntarily evacuated here. We have a transport landing inside the hour to take them off, but the rest of our support is still a day out and the Reaver first wave is expected to hit atmo in," she glances at her watch "one hour and twelve minutes." She looks round at the assembled company. "We have a homestead called Rook's Drift here," she gestures on the map. "There's a family there who are refusing to leave. It's also a critical point because it's the only place to cross the river without a hoverMULE for miles up or downstream, and if we get evacuees coming in from the west they'll need to cross there. What I need you all to do is to go hold the ford. I'll be in the air, trying to disrupt the Reaver attack in atmo, but when they hit the ground there's little I can do until the carrier arrives." She takes a deep breath, "I'm not asking any questions of you regarding anything I'm not seeing. Hold the ford as long as you can. Do you have any questions?"
Kyoshiro is standing near the Jia's Large Hover Mule, Boomstick strapped across his chest in a Tac Sling. His red eyes glance around in a cold dead stare as he waits for the information. He nods, climbing up on the MULE, black e cig between his lips. "Alright... who needs a ride?" He asks about.
Julia, out of her element entirely but focused with a grim resolve, raises her hand. She hoists up onto a seat and straps in, looking out over the landscape with a worried expression.
Danee climbs aboard the mule. She takes a seat in the back and takes out her gun. "I wish I had a stick" she says to no one in particular. Setling down she looks up at the sky. "an hour? that is not a lot of time."
Doc doesn't wait to respond he simply hops up on the Mule Kyo is driving. He looks about at the drizzle, "Seems ah been here befer Kyo..youse drives an ah'll keeps an eye out. Doc holds on to the roll bar.
Doc doesn't wait to respond he simply hops up on the Mule Kyo is driving. He looks about at the drizzle, "Seems ah been here befer Kyo..youse drives an ah'll keeps an eye out." Doc holds on to the roll bar.
Sypher would be sitting outside rooks landing with an RPG leaned against his shoulder, waiting patiently, his eyes on the horizon and his breathing shallow. He's getting himself ready for the coming storm; this is the infamous calm before it.
Standing beside Sink, Max looks... slightly uncomfortable in his armor. yes it's much thicker and bulkier than he's used to, but after Haven he knows he needs something heavier for when he can't be sneaky. His fingers move his bronze coin over them as the details finish. As people load up on the MULE he waits for Sink, following wherever he goes.
The duster is as old as the war, and the stetson has almost that experience. They have seen rain, and survived. Sink's old eyes have seen more then his two trusty pieces of clothing have and yet are set to weather the storm. As Jacy tells the situation, the old eyes study the map and nod, asking no questions. A quick check if his rifle, and a nod to Maxim then to the Mule, and Sink boards without another word, as they aren't needed. He pulls up the collar, and settles in to the chill.
Lieutenant Jacy looks grimly at Zank. "We have an empty transport coming in inside the hour to take off the civilians from the spaceport. There's a handful of civilian ships like yourself that I'm deploying across the planet to try to evacuate as many as will come, or to try to bolster pockets of resistance, but it's not enough." She turns, and hurries off to brief another...the last...civilian crew who have answered the call, leaving the crews currently here to make their way to the miserable little homestead.
At Rook's Drift, the homesteaders are patrolling the walls all armed. Jonathan Small has a rifle as ancient as he is; his wife, Mary, is cradling a heavy Navy-style revolver, the one with the long barrel. The older farmhand, Aaron, prefers a pump-action shotgun (and also has a machete strapped to his back; he may be a little slow-witted but there's nothing wrong with his survival instincts). And the younger farmhand, Ellen, is huddled on the roof under a black poncho with a pair of binoculars; a side-by-side shotgun is beside her. The rain beats down in waves, lashed by the gusting wind into a near horizontal trajectory at times, and the going underfoot is heavy.
Zank nods and looks as his crew gathers on the Mule. He looks at each of them before they go. "Ill see ya there...Kyo..standard Close air requests across coms bearing and degrees an target description...im in the area ill do my best t' smoke em for yall...Ill be in low orbit till we spot the first ship...good luck guys...ill see ya on the other side.." with that he heads into the jia. A few minutes later Baby bird, the hummingbird starfighter newly loaded with a 30mm cannon on her noise and underslung rocket pods and missles raises from the Jia and heads into orbit to join the small contiungent of fighters.
"Everyone finish your prayers to you dear and fluffy lords..." Kyoshiro puts the MULE in drive and rockets off towards the Rift. "We're about to be big damn hero's." And off they go. It should be too long untill the small defense group compiled of civilians reaches their destination. Kyo tried his best to go as fast as possible without blowing the motor or putting anyone in danger.
Chloe had been on the planet doing good deeds, wearing an oiled canvas rain coat borrowed from someone three times her size she has the hood pulled up, her medical back lashed to the sash and she scurries hurriedly through the rain with a few 'civilians' who'd wandered away and been caught in the weather and the alert, seeking cover for them and herself.
Danee curls up next to the edge of the seat. She holds the big gun in her lap. Her eyes are closed, but she is not sleeping. She hates the rain and the wind. The ride out to the ford takes more effort than usual because of the weather. at least for her. As their destination draws closer Danee pulls the rosary from her pocket and after kissing it she hangs it around her neck and drops it beneath her blouse. Then she sits up and looks around.
Doc nods to Zank, "Beh safe mah friend...look out fer any fightah's tha Reavah's maght employ's..." Doc smirks at Kyo's comment. He looks around and sees Sink, "Ah...Sinclair...it's good ta sees ya again...hope ta sees ya again...when this shit's ovah....glad youse an yer man areah here.."
Long distance to Conoger: Jacy waves! points at the +scene set. Everyone is just arriving at Rook' Drift. I can page you the spammy secondary scene set, too if you want.
Sink looks out from his protective duster to Doc, "I'm glad to be here, and to have you and your crew here, ... well, it's good to be shoulder to shoulder with friends. And it's good to have a bird in the sky." With that Sink holds on, and bounces around on the mule as it makes it's way through the lashing rain to the Rook's Drift. As they arrive, Sink vaults out over the side of the mule, splashing into the mud. The first few feet his boots make a sucking sound as Sink struggles to move them towards the gate. He holds up his hands and yells over the sound of the rain, "Hello there! We are not from the government! But we are here to help. If you'll have us, we'll help defend you homestead. My name is Sinklar Fist."
Sypher thanks the gods for the thick leather between him and the mud beneath him, then bows his head slowly and whispers a moment in prayer before he stands up, hefting the RPG over his shoulder with one hand as he looks to Mary, giving her a momentary look before he gives a little sigh and says, "Miss.. you shouldn't be out here." It makes him sound sexist and he knows it, the apologetic look he gives her for it is in hopes that she doesn't take it the way it sounds but rather, for what it means. He gives a glance to Ellan as well, as if he wants to say the same thing to her but he refrains for the moment, just turns to the horizon and mutters, "Children should never have to see the sort of shit thats coming.."
The ride itself seems fine for Max, though he shifts occasionally, yes he should've taken more time to get used to his gear, hopefully that doesn't hinder him in a crucial moment. His eyes look out at the landscape, what can be seen anyway. He sniffs the air occasionally, almost as if he could smell when the Reavers would arrive. looking to Doc as he mentions him while speaking to Sink he bows his head slightly to him in greetings, then is back to watching, at least until they arrive to unload. When Sink drops out and calls out to the homestead Max hops out as well. He doesn't suck into the mud as bad as Sink, but still does, which causes a frown from him. Yes if he survives this definitely will have to do a lot of training to deal with all the added weight. He readies his gear, now mostly visible cause of the heavy armor even though his typist is too lazy to unconceal it all and continues to scan for the impending DOOM to arrive.
Conoger is within the Mule with the others, he is quiet and says not much but there is a look of determination to him. The rain does not help his look but he does not slow down as the mule stops and he jumps off to move with others. He is here to protect and he is not going to shy from it, not one bit. He is confident enough with the armor he has, it is good and does not hinder him much, though the ground may be another thing all together.
For anyone in the air, flying through the clouds is tricky, with strong updrafts and downdrafts and zero forward visibility, the rain streaming back horizontally over the canopy windows. On radar, there are just a few pinpricks visible - the Alliance APC and a couple of ships flashing transponder codes at the spaceport, a purple dot adorned with a code in atmo on the dayside of the planet, that must be the empty transport coming in, and a few scattered dots about that aren't displaying transponder codes. Precious few folk flash their transponders out here out on the Rim. But then, lighting up the radar horizon, comes one, two, ten, fifty, a hundred, hundreds of scintillating dots spread into an ugly smear, advancing in a relentless wave that begins to fragment into clusters that spread like cancers across the planet. One of the clusters is heading towards the little settlement of Rook's Drift. There must be fifteen or twenty ships in that cluster. ETA in thirty minutes, give or take.
As Kyoshiro's MULE heads up towards the homestead, young Ellen on the roof spots it through her binoculars and shouts something. Guns are visible at the gunports, but then the heavy steel door is swung open to receive the MULE and company before it is swung back closed, a steel beam wedging it shut again. The old man, Small, squelches through the mud to receive the visitors. "Right glad to see y'all," he mutters, chewing ferociously at the ragged stump of a foul black cigar. "Some lil' chit of a Navy girl wave'd to expect you and the fella over there," he gestures to Sypher. "Name's Jonathan. This is my wife, and those are my two farmhands." Introductions over (and he makes it sound like he's just spoken more words than he did all last week), he removes the cigar and spits into the mud. His wife hisses bitterly at Sypher, "Yeah, that Navy bitch just leavin' us to defend our own. This what we pay our taxes for. You think I'm goin' to cower and weep in the basement like the last maidservant we had, afore she lit out like a coward in the night? No sir. I mean to defend my home." She looks scathingly at the motley crew emerging from the MULE. "If I can," she adds ungratefully. The older farmhand, Aaron, just wipes rain from his eyes as he watches out, disinterested in the conversation.
Zank hummingbird quickly climbs through the clouds and into low orbit. The air clear above the storm and sun beaming down. It fades as he reachs orbit and his long range sensors already detecting the radiation signatures of the approching reaver battle group. He whistles low his heart beat increaseing at the readings. He flicks through his comms unit and broadcasts out "Any station this net, Any station this net. This is Zank Lines of Baby Bird calling any Fed..i mean Allaince craft around Lilac, im offering support. please ackowledge."
Kyoshiro made sure to have taken his shot before coming out here. Demon Eye's showing up in the middle of this battle might be a good thing, but more of a bad thing for afterwords. Either way, it ensured he would stay calm and collected in any event in the near future. He brings the MULE to a stop as soon as they Arrive and Rook's Drift, shutting the machine down for now. Watching Sink bail out, he looks back to his crew members. "Alright, move it... I don't want to see any of my crew's asses dragging or so help me Buddha It'll be you cleaning up the Jiangyin cow shit in the cargo bay... by your self..." Of course, lazy ass that he was, when he jumps out of the mule his hand going to rest against the pistol grip on his shotgun which rests against his chest barrel down, walks towards the fortified Area where Sink greets the homesteaders. His eyes glow through the darkened area a crimson devilish color, the brim of his soaked hat casting even more shadow over his features. He's soaked by now but doesnt seems to mind, the armor under his clothing keeping him mostly dry. Kyoshiro gives a glance to the Wife, "We commend your fortitude, Ma'am..." his thick core accent is evident but he has all the workings of a rough and tough type, his speach lack of much if any inflection.
Julia hops off the mule as it stops, and she is scanning the area slowly. As others move with a purpose, she trusts that they know more than she does about where to be and why. So she files into the line, still hoding the gun in hand, trying to get used to feeling of being armed, and armored.
Danee climbs down from the mule. She looks over at the woman and shrugs, Before her gaze begins to look over the compound. "tis a lovely little place you have here" she mutters and heads for the wall. Her fingertips graze over the rough cement blocks as she begins to move along it. As if caressing it. One hand on the wall the other holding that big damn gun down by her leg. "eneny meany miny moe. Which way should I go? Down to the river and onto a rock? Or maybe just here or there or behind this block" her voice all sing songy
Chloe has with her a couple of children and one old woman-likely their grandmother, and is ushering the trio to safety inspite of mud and driving rain. Her immaculate form is drenched and swallowed in a battered trenchcoat obviously a loaner, "Quickly, inside." She urges with her crisp Londinium accent which makes her stick out almost as much as her lack of obvious weaponry. She wipes plastered auburn hair from her face and looks about as the trio hurry to cover.
Doc hops off the mule and quickly scans the area...then he sees the gate, "Thaaat's mah spot..up an ovah said gates...." Doc heads that way and makes his way up so he's eventually looking down from over the main gate. He looks for Conoger..then comms....
Sypher just looks to Mary and quirks a brow, then shakes his head and smiles. "I'll try and help make sure that you and yours see the dawn then." then his eyes go back to the horizon and his hand comes up, revealing a rosary around his wrists made of black stones, teeth and an odd looking coin engraved with a skull on one side. It's his family's symbol, the Seven of Skulls, this coin however is different. On the reverse there is a crest, twin handguns with a ring of arcane script around it. He touches the coin and sighs, "Father.. I am the embodiment of your sin," it's a prayer, but it's not from any known religion. "The weapon you forged from hatred and fear. Remove the sheath, unwind the bindings of control and I am no longer yours.." his eyes seem to lose all their life, their shine fading into the violet flames which burn within and his gaze seems to move from the horizon onward into oblivion. "Find pride in knowing there will be no mercy here today.." the last line is nearly a whisper, all but drowned out by the rain.
Sink nods to Jonathan, "I wouldn't be too hard on the Navy, it's lot of ground to cover, and she has limited resources. But at least we are here to help out. Now, if you never faced what's coming, these Reavers, you better steady yourself. There'll be nothing civil about what's going to happen." Sink the moves into the compound, and looks the place over. "We have to hold them on the outside, if they breach the gate it's going to be hell.". He says this loudly so all can hear. He then moves to the wall beside the gate, and stacking a box near he places his rifle on the wall top and looks down the scope and waits. "Let hope or air support is good. Very good. I want to live."
Maxim scans out across the landscape, letting other take their positions and cover. He looks over the compound, and normally would move to find a nice hidden spot to unleash himself against the attackers. With the walls... and other non combatants there it gives him pause. Instead of hiding outside in the rocks he moves inside of the walls. No prayers from him, he quietly settles into a spot out of everyone's way, checking his blades and pistols, making sure they can be withdrawn quickly at a moments notice. He leaves the talking to Sink, he's far much better at such things anyway.
Conoger was looking at the lay of the place , it looks fortified enough but you never know. As Conoger starts to look around to see where he may be needed more he hears over the com Doc. A nod to no one in particular before he starts to head towards the main gate, though glancing around and manking sure that most are getting to one place or another. Then he starts to head towards the gate, his arm reaches to hsi back and releases his shield and he brings it up to bare. He carries it infront of him, covering most of his upper body and then standing close to Doc. "I'll cover yours if ya cover mine...deal!" Then he grins, licking his lips anticipating, waiting. "If I am to die today, it suits me well and good. It's a good way to wash my sins...well, most of them." He is in good spirits and he is smiling now.
The comms feeds are already starting to crackle with traffic. "...Reaver fleet sighted..." "...there's hundreds of them!" "...where are the gorram Feds?!..." And, grimmer words: "...we're hit, we're hit, going down..." "...the Wilson farmstead's burning..." The Alliance are, and have been, broadcasting a repeating message on the hailing frequency for all residents to rendezvous at the spaceport, but it's surely too late for that now. They do reply to Zank, a terse "Baby Bird, IAV Ark Royal, acknowledged. Good luck."
Mary Small sniffs audibly at the sight of Chloe's refugees, but unbends enough to say grudgingly, "There's spare blankets in the cupboard beside the cellar trapdoor. Don't let them track mud into the house." The house, incidentally, is puritanically devoid of decoration. There's the main room/kitchen, a master bedroom, a servant's bedroom, a bathroom with a vault toilet, and the cellar, full of stores. A gasoline generator under a corrugated iron sheet chugs steadily to power the electrics - there's a radio inside and harshly flickering fluorescent lighting, but that's it as far as amenities are concerned. Its saving grace is that all the windows are small, just single empty cinder-block spaces. Good for shooting out of, less good for climbing out..or in.
Jonathan Small is staring at Sypher. His mouth opens and closes a few times, the foul black cigar taken out. "Mary," he mutters in a harsh voice, "do you know who that IS?" And then Sink speaks, and he's grunting, turning his attention to the gate. Twelve feet wide, six feet high, topped with razor wire, faced with steel sheet on the outside, but there's that gap under the bottom.
And then the Reavers arrive. On the Hummingbird's radar, the cluster of fiery dots spreads, smearing itself out, a few dots darting ahead of the rest....and on the ground, there's a rumble and suddenly an ugly, squat ship that was once a pleasure shuttlecraft, now viciously adorned with jagged metal spikes and sprayed crudely with splashes of red and black, comes screaming overhead. On the roof Ellen flings herself down out of harm's way. The main force must be five minutes out. The scouts are here.
Chloe's smart com is on. She inhales grimly and slips her badge around her neck and rather than seeking shelter within the watch towel, she looks for cover outside, her first aid kit and doctor's bags lashed to her coat tightly. Anticipating casualties, expire of fear that causes her gray green eyes to go a little too wide she ducks down beside of pile of firewood or empty crates, anywhere there's cover where she's out of the way of the heros.
Zank curses as the radar lights up. "Gorram..." he says and Keys the comm "Ark Royal Baby bird, break contact and move to low orbit. Use your guns to take out there craft breaking high atmo...your just bait out there an we need t' hold as long as we can. Have your smaller craft run interferance in the 35,000 and below ceiel taking out any landing craft and mid bulk level transports...Your Lt has crews on the ground that need air cover from these gorram reavers...were not gonna hold em long up here." Zank slams the throttel and rockets the ship to max speed as the scout ships arrive. He heads twords the Ark Royal to hopefully escort her to low orbit as he suggested. "This looks worse than Struges..." he mutters
Kyoshiro was considering putting people on the walls but upon hearing Sink he thinks better of it. In fact a little more then relieved at the notion. It has been a long time since he had command of anything or anyone for that matter. He made a note to in effect, re up on his tactical studies if they made it out of here. He looks to Danee and Julia, "You heard Mr. Fist. Spread yourself out along the wall. If you need Ammo, Medical Help, anything, comm it and I'll do what I can. I think Doc is the only one here that can patch anyone up on the spot." He takes the e-cig from his lips and places it in his inner pocket. Though, his NV IR goggles do come on so he can acquire targeting Data for Zank. Sink with his scope could do much the same he is sure. He moves himself long the wall, making some cover for himself out of anything lying around. He had plenty of Ammo for his shotty, plenty for his pistol. Then there was his knife and his sword if it came down to it. Then there's the sounds of engines... Kyo knows those... From his position he looks up and watches the Reaver ship scream over head, not a twitch or blink from him.
Julia responds as the commands are given. She steps up onto the wall with the most resolve she can summon. It's not her world, but it is her life. Hers and everyone present. The option of losing is too horrific to truly ponder for long. Feeling ehr whole body shaking now, she cheks her guns one last time and licks lips that have long since gone dry. Her eyes seek out the inevitable, and her she tries to control her breathing as best she can.
Danee leans her forehead against the brick wall. She almost wishes she would fade into invisability but since that cannot happen she steps away form the walls. The thing with people is that normally they all hide what ever it is that they don't want people to know. each thought is covered in someway. But it was as if suddenly all filters were turned off. Most were focused on what was to come bu one or two were opened in other ways. Danee turned to look at Sypher. A shiver moved through her bones. She starts to look around. A fear moving through her that has nothing to do with the reavers. Spying the firewood Danee heads for the space near it.
Jisae sits not far from Zank in the Hummingbird up in the air. She handles whatever she can, looking at navigation and sensors. "They're coming hard and fast, but we have manuverability on our side. Don't hit the pointy parts." She holds on tight as the ship begins to move with his slam to the throttel and the increase in speed. She murmurs, "I hope we have enough fire power."
Doc looks around the foggy haze in 180 degrees from the front gate. Then his beedy eyes squint even more, if that's possible. He coms eveyone, "Holy shit folks here they comes!....They's on ouraha side of the rivah bh tha sounds of it..gears up..weapons checked..lock an Load!!"
As the reaver ship screams overhead, the true nature of the beast among these kind people shows itself. Sypher's eyes almost instantly lock on it, tracking it at a distance and when it zips above? That RPG levels on it. It takes only the blink of an eye for Sypher to pivot on his heels, the launcher moving almost like it's tracking the ship and once it hits the proper spot? FWOOMP! the rocket lets fly, aimed to ensure the ship will go down far beyond the homestead. By the look of it theres no guidance system, nothing for the ship to pick up, nothing for flares or strafe to throw off guard and when the rocket hits, the explosion is intense. With the launcher empty, the assassin drops the metal, letting it sizzle in the rain for the moment, then from his coat comes a pair of guns, loaded and ready but the safety hasn't been removed quite yet.
Chloe coms softly from where she's hiding, "This is Dr. Jameson, MD-I am monitoring this multiple channels-any who call for medical assistance should include their where abouts and if I am able-I shall come to you to see to you as promptly as possible until such time as it is suitable to establish a triage area." there's a page, "And if you are conscious please do advise your crew or fellow combatants not to shoot unarmed redhead even if she is woefully unkempt."
As the ship screams over head, Sink ducks an crouches a little on his little crate, and mutters to himself, then standing up again, he wipes some of the rain from his eyes, and once again scans the land ahead of him, looking for a contact. When Doc yells out, Sink leans in, and clicks the Kriss from Safety to Semi. He glances over his shoulder as the rocket takes off and the ship is hit and says with a little snort, "I need me one of those.", before returning to his gun site.
As the rocket leaves forth to hit the craft, Maxim's eyes track it until it moves beyond his vision from the walls blocking it. He moves to find a spot to hide and settle in, pistols ready that give him a good vantage point of the gate, also so he can cover everyone there. With that he waits for the rest of the murderous horde to arrive so he'll have targets to eliminate.
Conoger looks in the direction that Doc mentions and he pulls his weapon out and gets ready. He cracks his neck slowly and then licks his lips again. He gets ready and takes aim, waiting for the right moment. Once again he looks around and making sure all are ready for the incoming tide.
The Ark Royal's already in the air, blasting up at full afterburner towards the oncoming Reaver battle group. One Alliance Patrol Craft against a fleet of hundreds? Jacy must be crazy. She is crazy, she's going head to head. Has she left it too late? She's too low, still down in the soup. "Baby Bird, Ark Royal, we're going for a full burn in atmo. You might not want to be near us." Yes, she's certifiably crazy.
The explosion lights up the sky like lightning and thunder rolled into one. The Reaver craft banks violently, keeps rolling until it's inverted, and slams inevitably into a rocky outcrop some three hundred yards away. The thunder returns as small fragments and shards of metal rain down to lay sizzling in the mud. They're soon quenched, as the rain intensifies...it's actually painful on exposed flesh, and it's churning up the mud underfoot into a glutinous morass, and it drums violently on the tin roofs of the house and the shed at such a volume that it makes normal speech almost impossible to hear. And then...on the same side of the river as the homestead, they come pouring into sight over a low bluff, running down towards the rear of the house. One, two, ten, thirty, fifty, they pour silently down the muddy slope in a wave of hatred. Three hundred yards. Two hundred yards. From the rooftop there's a scream as Ellen sees them, and then she's shrieking, "...behind the house! Behind the house!"
Zank listens to the comm next at the Ark royal goes for full burn. He curses as the ship sends it warning. "Gorram glory hounds..." he mutters as the skyies outside the humming bird light up with tracers and missiles. Zank banks hard left as the Reaver ship desend on them. 2 follow as he heads twords the planets lower atmo just above the storm clouds "Shes gonna cause a burn back when she goes full burn...." he says as what looks like a massive spike flys over the hummingbird from one of the ships behind them. Zank rolls the craft and hits the breaks slowing the craft instantly. The reaver ships fail to match and shoot past the hummingbird. Zank quickly flicks up the switch on the stick. The holo traget locking on the what used to be hornet class transports. BEEEEEEP the computer responds and Zank releaes two missiles breaking away twords the homestead below to were his crew is steaming the hord. The missles impact and the explsions tear the other ships from the sky. Zank keys the comm "All stations this net!...break high orbit i repeat break high orbit gorramit we need to hit them as the break atmo when they cant shoot back as good!." he glances back at Jisae a worried look across his face as they break below the clouads and come screaming over the homestead at mach 3. Zank sees the hoard through the glass as it comes at the homestead "Holy..." he cant finish his scentene.
"Tell me about it..." Kyoshiro says as he looks over at Sypher after he has fired his RPG. He looks back towards his center area and waits for the hordes to come. A bit of wind in the rain flapping his long coat around a bit revealing the rest of the goodies he has hidden under there. "And grenades... lots of grenades... Danee we need to get grenades..." He says offhandedly. His ears perk as Chloe comes over the comm, "Good another Doctor..." He responds, "Are you with armed escort Ma'am?" He has a core accent but it seems to be a mix of every bit of planet in the core with a lean towards Ariel or Bernadette. Though it's more monotone, to match his equally emotionless and serious face. He truns to look up to the roof where Ellen is, his eye brows narrow. Gorram it. his crimson stare catching the mangled forms rushing towards the back wall. He slams up against the corner of his encampment there and kneels, putting the butt stock to his shoulder. He lines up a target and fires two 10guage slugs towards the onslaught of Reavers. One takes a well placed shot, his aim grand with the weapon, helped along with the reduced recoil. Though the second slug wizzes just by the shoulder of another. He takes a moment to get a read on his goggles... "Baby Birb, Baby Bir... Demon Eyes, Straff and 116.07, grid Alpha Six Foxtrot Seven 1. Fire for effect..." The rain is not playing nice with his equipment... he reminds himself to stop by Kal and get the integrated shit soon.
Julia...just goes into overload. She blinks, and her brain can't process what she is seeing. She watches explosions, and...THINGS run their way screaming and worse. The rain pelting down on her doesn't even seem real right now. She stands there, truly paralyzed by the horror of the moment as people near her open fire and the wall descends ever closer.
Hearing the call from Ellen about the reavers being from behind the house. Danee climbs up onto the wood pile and looks over the wall toward sthe back of the house. Sure enough she sees vague figures in the rain. She smiles as she can imagine that she looks like a drowned mouse. She takes aim and waits until she can see the whites of their eyes. or at least their chests. "When the rain comes. they run and hide their heads. they might as well be dead." she sings quietly to her self. When she can actually see a whole body she pulls the trigger twice. The armor pearcing bullets breach the reaver's chest blowing out the back. he might not e dead but his spine has been severed.
Jisae gives a sigh, "Some warning..." She watches the explosion that goes off in the air. "I'm glad he's on our side..." She watches Zank manuver through the air, managing to lose one of the reaver ships. "Yes!" she shouts excitedly when the two missiles hit their targets. When Zank looks at her, she smiles, "You're doing great. Keep ahead of them at every move..."
Doc also saw Danee over by the wall that's being approached by the enemy. "Danee's in trouble!..." Doc jumps down from the gate and runs for the back wall. He sees a crate against it and when he gets there he jumps on it and springs forwards to the top of the wall. Then he sees for himself the approached of the horde. He looks at then and says , "Here ah is ya basstards...Ahm yer huckleberry!!!!.." That said Doc quick draws both his Colts and fires off 4 rounds at the nearest ones. True to his word there's 4 head shots and 4 Asswipe Reavers bite the dust.
Hearing the shriek, Sypher makes a break, right towards the wall of the homestead! He jumps, takes two steps and grips the roof, pulling himself up quickly, approaching Ellen, looking at whatever she'd seen that made her panic. He's not scared, he's not happy, or sad or even angry, he just seems, empty. As he approaches he raises his guns, Samael and Belial and as he steps up beside her, he raps the triggers, left, right, left, right. Four shots, two armor piercing and two hollow point, two reavers go down in the distance with fine holes in their skulls, two more suffer a worse fate as a pinprick hole forms in the foreheads, but the backs of their heads literally explode into misty crimson clouds of gore and gray matter. "Get inside," he says to Ellen, his voice devoid but still somewhat commanding. "Children don't belong on battlefields.." It's a mercy he wasn't shown, perhaps it's a kind of mercy that he seems to compel him to force the young woman out of this fight.
Chloe coms back in response to Kyo's inquiry, still whispering and hunkering where she is, "I am afraid not-fear not I have cover. I am on a goodwill mission I did not realize it was necces-" And then there's that huge ass explosion and she lets go of the transmit button on her smartcom but her /embarrassingly/ girlish high-pitched waaaaailing shriek of terror carries inspite of the sounds of combat and the wind and driving rain. Well. Between her LOUSY job hiding and her sudden, startled shriek, she's easy to find. Which is LIKELY not the best thing with hundreds of reaver incoming. Hopefully she's a better doctor than adventurer.
As the Reavers come into range, Sink takes his time, and focuses, and he lets one bullet, sink into the forehead of on of the Reavers. He calmly then switches his gun to burst, and steadies himself until they close into the effective range of the weapon.
Conoger moves as he hears Doc mention Danee is in trouble. He had heard the yell that reavers where coming from the exploding or crashing ship. Moving rather quickly and as he comess to the back he place , spots the reavers and shoots twice. His shots hit true, as one fo the bullets hit one on the neck and the other shot hits one in the eye.
As the reavers approach the wall and people start to fire Maxim waits... he bides his time until any start to swarm the walls, or worse make it through the gate.
To the north there's a sudden flare high in the atmosphere and comms emits an almighty crackle of static as the IAV Ark Royal goes full burn. Reaver ships are caught in the explosion and tumble in the sky, spewing smoke, spinning down like falling leaves...but it's a handful of leaves in a forest. And now Zank and Jisae need to pay sharp attention to their own troubles, for three small craft, once Hummingbirds like themselves, are coming up fast behind in tight formation. As they approach they split, something glistening silver between them. It's a triangular net, some monomolecular fibre. They're trying to net Baby Bird.
The Reavers pour down the slope like a crimson and black wave, no sound but the clanking of their crude armor and weapons. Any Reaver casualties are washed over and left behind - despite the score or so that fall to the first volley of fire from the defenders, there are many more to go. As the main wave fetches up against the cinderblock walls, they burst into a horrendous howling battle-cry. And their tactic for breaching the compound soon becomes obvious - pairs of Reavers crouch against the base of the wall as a third runs up their backs, attempting to claw his (or her, or its) way over the razor wire as others rise up behind to force the passage should the first fall. The vicious slashes from the razor wire seem to be little more than honor-scars, to judge by the ghastly grins and the wide eyes, yellowed eyeballs visible. Reavers fall to be trampled underfoot; one tumbles forwards to dangle inside the compound by one leg still caught up in the razor wire, writhing hideously to get free. Ellen's face is pale as she looks towards Sypher. She opens her mouth as if to say something, and then thinks better of it. She turns, empties both barrels into the face of a Reaver attempting to scramble up onto the roof via the top of the wall, and then drops down into the compound.
Aaron is firing out of a gunport when his gun barrel is snatched by a bloody hand and dragged through the port. His hand is carried with it, dragging him up against the wall up to the shoulder, he's still got his finger wrapped around the trigger. For a moment he's just pinned....then a machete flashes across the gunport and he's reeling back, clutching at the severed stump of his right hand and staring at the spurting blood in disbelief. Jonathan and Mary are firing at the heads appearing atop the wall, Mary hissing vicious little obscenities under her breath and apparently unaware or uncaring of her farmhand's fate.
Zank tears the hummingbird across the stormy skys of the planet. Rain lashing against the hull as the ship breaks the sound barrier. Its boom nothing like the Thunder clap of the Ark Royal in the distance. "Roger Deamon eyes....baby bird inbound...Danger close keep ya heads down. Zank comes around and spins up the 30 mm gattling cannon. As hes about to fire his alarms trigger and indicate a lock behind him. He turns his head looking behind him seeing the new reaver craft behind them. "Well...WOW" he says as the ships fire there weapons. Zank drops the nose of the craft sending them twords the ground. He dosnt pull up as they approch the ground and the swarming mass of reavers heading twords the compound. He gets to 500 feet and pulls up sharply as they break the clouds and then theres a very large rock formation with a narrow gap. No time to manuver up Zank turns the craft on her side skimming between the rocks and hopein the Reavers arnt as quick. Zank comes back around setting up another run. He aims 200 meters outside the walls and fires the cannon for 2 seconds. over 800 rounds of 30mm armor periceing hell are let loose. They cut a blood explosive gash in the reavers killing who knows how many. The Hummingbird screams over head 200 feet above the homestead and up disspering into the thunder cloads its engines still a echo over the storm.
Kyoshiro pauses for a moment, looking towards the Reavers pouring over the walls. He looks to his shot gun and just let's it hang... Fuck this... It's time to get gory and up close and personal. Letting his face fall down, the brim of his hat hiding him, he shifts his legs, a foot sliding back in the mud, his knees bending and body leaning forward. Conveniently and for a gross cinematic effect the wind picks up his coat tails, fluttering in the wind, revealing all of his master crafted Katana. Left hand is placed on the Says, just below the Tsuba. The right on it's Tsuka ready to draw. The left thumb presses up on the Tsuba, unlatching the blade from the Says with a clink. Kyo tilts his head up to see a Reave making his way towards him... and with one swift motion slashes across his horizon. There is a moment as the Reaver stumbles past him before the upper half of his body falls the the ground, the lower half still standing, spraying blood. Another comes screaming into his math and he straitens, raising the blade tall, bloody rain drops slipping down it. His red eyes twinkle a bit, wide with adrenalin and rage, yet horrific. The slashes down, Bifurcating the Reaver from right shoulder to left hip... He starts moving a bit closer to Doc and Danee but pauses to watch Zank rip his 30 mill through the horde.
Julia snaps out of the daze almost too late to be of any use. Or before getting taken. Yet, she does spur into motion. She focuseson the next second, like someone told her long ago. The pistol raises, and she aims, and then she squeezes the trigger. The explosion of the thing's head startles her, but not enough to immediately line up another shot. As she does that she tries to get her back to the nearest friendly bodyas well.
Danee does not take her gaze from the reavers but she knows Doc and Conoger are close by. She pulls the trigger twice more. She chews on her lip as she starts to climb down from the wood pile.
Jisae holds on tight as the ship moves at a high speed. Her hands go in the air as they plummet towards the ground. She let's out a breath as he pulls up sharply to the clouds. "Nice! Very nice," Jisae gives words of encouragement as they move into the thunder clouds. "I prefer the storm over the Reavers." She then begins looking closer at the controls, "Hopefully it doesn't mess up our systems." She begins checking them over.
Doc looks as the Baby Bird makes its sweep over the area just beyond the wall dropping hundreds of the enemy. As the hummer raises into the sky after it's pass Doc looks to his left and sees 4 Mouth slobbering Reavers hop over the wall and start for Danee, "Gorram it..!" Doc fires off 4 quick rounds again taking the 4 would be assassins to thier bloody graves...evey Reaver to boot with holes in thier heads. Doc hops down now and moves to Danee's side..he grins as he relaods both his weapons.
Four more shots from Sypher, but only three reavers go down, the third barely managing to duck out of the way in time. He gives a tilt of his head and a little sigh, even yawns a little as he stands there on the roof in full view, firing at random targets. Theres no joy here, but neither is there anger. There is only the killer.
Chloe looks up and sees Reavers stampeding this way, which means two things 1) they are certain to find her and do unspeakable things to her if she stays and 2) there will no doubt be a LOT of firepower armed this way. Panicked and unarmed she looks for cover, sees none but across the way where ships and heros are braced for combat which means running into the open in the middle of a firefight. Terrified she looks between likely doom and almost certain doom and one reaver approaches and yanks up the tarp she's hidding other and another tries to hook a barwired dog-catcher's noose about her she issues a terrified yelp and RUNS for dear life even as the first reaver flings a spear from one hand while tossing aside the tarp with the other.
With the Reavers getting closer and closer, Sink lets the bullets come out in waves of five, controlled groupings. The spray cuts into a group, but it doesn't seem to hoard much. As they start to use team work to breach the walls Sink takes a step back, forgetting he's on his box, and he falls back into the mud landing as his rifle sprays another five bullets into the air, hitting none of the Reavers fighting the barbed wire.
The reavers start trying to get over the walls, and as they start trying to get to the dear Doctor he pops out of hiding, four quick shots two apiece from each pistol, and down they go. Maxim looks back to the gate and looks down for any of the others as they start over the walls. He starts to line up more shots, eyes sharp to see if any reavers get any closer.
Conoger shot two before but he knows that the reavers are moving fast towards them. He quickly puts his pistol away and at the same time gets his axe out in one smooth motion. As Danee goes down from the wall he gets up on the wall fully. His shield covering half his body but his other half has his axe as he swings out to catch a reaver at the knees. The hit so hard that both it's legs get cut off from the knees down. Then his axe comes up just in time to catch one on the side of the head, knocking it down and possibly cutting half it's face off. " COME ON!!!" he growls loudly, even in this pouring rain The viking stands tall, waiting for the hoard to come for him.
The three pursuing Hummingbirds dive and duck in almost perfect sychronization as they follow Zank - right until he dodges round the rock outcrop. Two of the Hummingbirds follow to the right, while the other breaks left around the rock, with inevitable results - the three ships are slammed together like bola balls, another fiery explosion lighting the sky.
The Reavers attacking the compound are decimated; less than two dozen remain, but still they're pouring against the walls, slithering and slipping in the rain and mud made crimson by the blood of their fallen companions, rage in their eyes...and, despite the withering hail of fire, three or four now drop down into the compound, and they are running for the gate.
With all...or most...eyes turned to the rear wall of the compound, it's once again Ellen that raises the alarm. "Coming over the river!" she screams. It's a new wave, and this must be the main body of the attackers, upwards of a couple of hundred, scrambling across the swollen river at the ford, uncaring of those that lose their footing and are swept downstream. Overhead there drifts a Reaver transport, drifting in and out of the clouds as the rain continues to sluice down. There are MULEs, too, some wheeled and a hoverMULE, accelerating up the river bank towards the compound. In one of the MULEs is a particularly striking Reaver, standing astride and holding onto a roll bar, once a woman, now bones and skulls woven into her long hair, nails piercing her cheeks, points outwards, eyelids sliced away...you get the idea. She lets out a hideous howl, and the mass of Reavers surges forwards. And then, for those with sharp eyes, a sickening observation. Strapped to the front of two of the Reaver MULEs are four people. Civilians. Hostages.
Zank breaths a sigh of relif as the reaver craft explode around the rock outcrop. He quickly looks at his sensors and does a patrol over the homestead low enough to see through the clouds "Jisae...im gettin a readin on port thruster controls says there over heatin...can ya trouble shoot...im alittle busy at the moument anything else out there comin to kill us?." He keys the comms as the transport comes twords the homestead. "where the hell they find these things..." he asks "Demon eyes..heads up Large transport touching down near your position...im gonna put three in her..." He brings the humming bird around locking on the transports engine houseing and fireing. The missiles screach across the sky impacting on the engine houseing with a large artifical thunder clap.
Kyoshiro looks up towards the roof and narrows his eyes, he takes off back towards the front to get eyes on the new horde, boots kicking up the mud and water as he runs. "Roger Baby Bird... more target info coming..." He gets an eye on the forces as he leans against the wall. "Baby Bird, Baby Bird, Thanks for the assist but MULES and a whole bunch of Reavers on the ford of the River attempting to Cross. Got anything theyll set the entire area on Fire and cut them off... if not, Strafe heading 206 mark 22. Grid 8886 1797. Danger Close, Danger Close..." He's mainly directing him to the mules, "Advise...Targets are mobile.... I repeat mobile and moving fast." Just as that happens some damn skinner is running towards him with some type of curves blade. Kyo twists and swipes up with his blade, severing the Reavers head. One of his buddies is able to come up behind him, but flipping the blade under his arm, the less then intelligent rage filled Neanderthal impales himself on the thing. "Someone Secure That Gate!" He yells over the comm as he pulls his blade from the Reaver's dead body with a loud almost slurping sound.
Jisae responds immediately to Zank, "I see it- I'm on it." She immediately moves to the console to begin working on repairing the issue. She takes in the scope of the system and figures out what needs to be altered to lower the heat to the system. She makes the appropriate adjustments and watches the temperature go down. "It should be working better now."
Julia could easily be overwhelkmed and just fall apart. So much noise, and blood, and death, and choas. It's nothing she is ready for but still, here she is. She gets almost mechanical about things, focusing to keep herself moving forward. To keep shooitng. She backs up more and squeezes off another bullet. POW! Another head bursts and the body falls limp. She checks behind to make sure it's not a monster and prepares to fire again.
The reavers that Doc killed dropped their weapons. Danee moves towards the bladed weapons and picks up two. She hefts the weight and balance and finds they are not at all bad. She begins to move in a way that would remind someone of that old sword dance. Turning and slicing and dicing at imaginary foes. That is until Chloe screams. Danee runs in that direction placing herself between chloe and the reavers. This time when she goes into the dance it is with deadly intent. She swings out of the way of one of the attacking reavers. Then attacks. The blade of one slices acrossed ones throat the other removes the head of the other before she dances away.
Doc sees another 4 reavers moving to attack Julia and now makes for her and as he does he fires off another 4 rounds at these. 2 he drops and two he manages to just miss as he's running towards Julia. As he nears he leaps into the air and drives a foot into one of the remaining two taking him downand at the same time pnching the other in the side of his head to distract the fiend. He looks around and sees Danee go into arythmic dance and just carve up anything that gets near her. Doc looks back and sees the one he punched heading for Julia after getting up from where he fell from Doc's punch.
Sypher takes note of the living hood ornaments and gives a little shake of his head. "Time to get messy.." his first words in a long little while and then? he takes a running LEAP! off the roof, over the wall and into the fray, starting at a run towards them. As he runs he does a little sort of acrobatic movements, lining his guns up with four reavers, one by one they fall, holes in head. He's making a break for the hover mule and when he gets close enough? he'll leap, planting his foot near (not on) the living hood ornament and step, trying to engage the reaver bitch.
Sink presses his left hand into the ground, but he gets no resistance in the mud, and he slips again back down. Another push, and he's up to his elbow, and this time he tries to get up in a quick ballistic action, trying to tightly swing his left leg under him while balancing on his right. There's a crunching sound as the move goes wrong, and Sink is down again, on his face this time. He doesn't try again, but instead stays down, and using three remaining working limbs he scuttles through the mud, heading towards the farm house door. As he gets to the steps he leans against them, letting the pouring rain wash away some of the mud. A shake of the Kriss sprays more mud, but he still presses the stock into is shoulder and tracks one final Reaver inside the compound, and unloads a cluster of hollow points into it. The rifle is let fall into his lap as he scuttles up the stairs backwards and into the farm house.
Chloe grunts hard and is knocked to her knees as the spear pierces the flesh of the back of one of her thighs. Theirs a bestial cry of pain as she weilds a scalpal and without any squeamishness at all CUTS deeply to free the barbed head of the spear from her flesh and driven by adrenaline pushes herself up braced on the very weapon that wounded her. She blinks and looks startled then briefly awed by Danee as the other woman comes to her rescue before hastily limping towards cover with the aid of the spear turned walking stick-she's no use in the fight and she retreats in the hopes Danee might do the same, blood leaving bloody footprint after a few steps.
The rain continues to beat down on the defenders of Rook's Drift, and while the first wave - of fifty or sixty Reavers attacking the back wall - has been driven off, the second and main wave is spilling across the swollen river. They've driven one of the hostage-shielded MULEs into the heavy steel gate, crumpling it like cardboard. They have air support, too, a heavily-armed transport (with a crippled engine) duking it out with Zank and Jisae. Two of the defenders are dead - the older farmhand cut down, the old woman decapitated. Young Ellen is defending the house, her employer is wielding his rifle on the walls, and there are still only but three or four Reavers in the compound itself. Of the other defenders, Kyoshiro is calling down hellfire from the skies, or from Baby Bird to be precise; Danee has gone native with Reaver weapons; Doc is keeping a close eye on the inexperienced Julia; Maxim is making each shot count; Conoger is the crazed viking axe-man; Sink has moved into the house, where there are refugees hiding out; and Sypher has gone rogue, charging out into the horde to reach the Reaver leader, a hideous once-woman riding a hoverMULE like a chariot.
The reavers heading to the gate to open it are sized up, one by one a bullet finding each one, though the last one takes some effort. As the main gate is crashed into by a transport, Maxim's eyes narrow and he says, "So it really begins." Pistols slip back into their holsters and he draws his blades, the water sliding off the Scimitars as he holds them ready for what will follow through the now open gate.
Conoger hears that there is a whole bunch coming from the other side. He turns and jumps down from the wooden wall and starts to run towards the Main Gate. He notices a few stragglers and with a swift throw towards one, hitting it on the side of the head bringing it down to the ground. Just before he reaches his axe, another comes in to attack him but he pulls out his katana, blocks with hsi shield and then swings the reavers head falls from it's shoulders then.
The rain has given Iniana a harsh journey over from the airport, lashing down with breathtaking fury, beating on exposed flesh, turning the earth to churning mud. Now, as she approaches the little homestead beside the ford, this is what she sees. There are crashed ships nearby, burning fiercely, while overhead a Reaver transport, engines burning, is exchanging fire with a Hummingbird, the 'Baby Bird'. Over a hundred Reavers are swarming up from the river which is in full spate (and swept a few away already, but what do Reavers care about losing their own?). The gate is crumpled, the wreckage of a MULE that rammed it choking the entryway, so still only a few Reavers can enter at any one time...but it's a breach.
Doc finally reaches Julia just as the main gtae crashes. He soots from the hips with both reloaded Colts taking another four down. He then grabs Julia and pulls her over to a cement building. He opens the steel dorr and pushes Julia insidem "Stays in here...locks it aftah ah closes it." Doc looks around and sees a barred window fcing the main gate, "Thar...ya can shoots from thar..ifin ya gits up tha nerve..." hat said Doc steps back outside and closes the door...then bangs on it and shouts..."Lock her up!!" He looks about to see what's going on at this moment.
Julia is spun around and throw through a door, but the hands on her arm aren't reaver hands, sos he doesn't shoot. She scans the interior of the room in a panic, but sees no more monsters here. Given a moment to breathe, she trembles and pats herself down to check for wounds. Feeling none, she slides down a wall to the floor and closes her eyes as her hands cover her ears."
Iniana drives up just as doc pounds on the door yelling to "lock her up". She's on a hovermule, and just looks incredulousat the wave of reaverites with Doc in the midst of it. "Oh No, Not Again" she quips, and dodges the mule into the first convenient ditch she can find. Not only does she want to be out of the firing range, Doc will get pissed if she dings the mule. She immediately moves to get her medsupplies ready, seeing the blood start to flow on the battlefield. She hits her com. "Doc, I told you NO MORE BATTLEFIELDS! I'm on Doubletime, as of NOW!"
Zank takes the hummingbird wide on another pass. The Hummingbird reaching easyly reaching a half mile from the homestead as it arcs around. The last missiles salvo deffinantly got the transports attention. The engines of the transport scream against gravity as the ship lurchs to turn twords the threat of Zank and his aircraft. As Zank brings the craft around he lines up his next run Keying the comms "This is Baby bird calling any remaining craft in support of Lilac. Repeat we need immeditate Close air support and renforcement to Rook's drift 1254 6785....If Ark royal is still out there please respond..." Zank then keys to Kyo "Deamon eyes, Baby bird...i dont mave much in the way of incidearyies but that transport might do nicley..." With that Zank squares off with the transport the howling wind doing little to either craft. The reavers are ready this time and fire 4 large spike looking projectiles at the hummingbird. Zank rolls Baby bird in a wide arc and responds with his own fire. A missile tears from the humming bird slamming into the other engine. Its quickly joined by another 2 second burst from the 30mm cannon. The BURRRRRP of the cannon is matched as the rounds slam into the bridge of the transport. It sparks into a firestorm as the rounds impact and tear into the ship.
Standing between Chloe and the last of the original reavers, Danee continues to dance and swing the very sharp reaver weapons. She is covered in blood and rain. She steps towards the rush of the last reaver and begins to slice and dice him. He holds his ground for only a moment before one of the blades topples his head. Danee turns and smiles at Chloe. "get to the house." and with that she turns and heads for the gate.
Chloe doesn't have to be told twice, inspite of taking a spear to the leg and leaving blood in every other footsteps as she runs, using the very spear that wounded her as a walking stick as she runs. She gasps as she goes, "Thank you!" and she slips and scrambles desperately towards the house as Danee dispatches the reavers chasing her.
Kyoshiro looks around as he waits for Baby Bird to come and take care of some of these vehicles the Reavers are using to cross the stream. He holds his sword at his hips, rain soaking his hat and cloths, drops of water sliding down his face, misting a bit as they hit his hot skin. His eye, crimson, yet cold and more like marbled stone than anything catch Sypher flips and contort his way towards the leader. He sighs, looking up to see Zank scream over head with Baby bird, ripping into one of the transports. "That'll have to do Baby Bird... keep it up." Then he looks forward towards Sypher again as a god damn hord of them come screaming and raging towards him. He narrows his brows, leaning forward once again and placing his Katana edge up. He speaks lowly to himself, "Hitotsume: Nadegiri." And then slashes, almost inconceivable to the naked eye. So powerful so swift that it seems to cut the rain in half. All the Reavers stop and then fall apart along a strait line, dead, blood spirting from them moments later as if there was a lag to it all. He cut them all in one swift stroke. He doesnt wait, with a quickness he starts running into the onslaught, cutting into a Reaver here and there along the way. Moving to back up Sypher who might be taking on more than he can chew.
Sypher drifts through the reaver hordes, their weapons swinging for him. The first to come within range swings an axe at him and he simply ducks it, spinning as he moves to jam Samael into the reavers mouth and pull the trigger, ripping a massive chunk out of the back of it's skull. The he's done it, he's not watching where he's going and a dagger slips into his shoulder and gets janked back out at an angle. He whips around and slams the attacking reaver in the jaw with the grip of the gun, then kicks him to the ground and unloads two armor piercing rounds into him, one into each eye. Two more charge in at him and his guns slam home into their windpipes, barrels sizzling against their skin for a split second before he pulls the trigger. One simply falls, the other's head goes flying into the horde. All this done with an air of calm emotionlessness, like the hand of a butcher carving meat from long-dead bones. Then he starts moving again, dashing strait for the oncoming hover mule and when it's close enough, he vaults an oncoming reaver, uses his shoulder as a spring board and LEAPS! There is nothing that could describe this man's actions short of insanity.
The Reaver horde, shrilling and screaming bloodthirsty battlecries, flow up and around Sypher and Kyoshiro as they fight their way towards the Reaver leader, slashing and stabbing at them while others just plough on towards the homestead, flowing like a black and red seething maelstrom of water up and into the breached door, squeezing through the gaps. Others just run up the back of the MULE, the first wave flinging themselves down on the razor wire atop the crumpled gate so that others behind can run over their backs and leap down into the compound. Jonathan Small, Ellen (who has disobeyed Sypher's orders and run back out to fight in the compound), Maxim, Conoger, Doc, Sink, Danee, and anyone I've missed who are out in the compound (as opposed to in the house itself with Julia and Chloe) are suddenly surrounded by Reavers, who are now fighting in deadly silence, jagged blades slashing through the air, spiked claws stabbing for eye sockets.
And the has arrived. As they pour over the gate Maxim grows tense and still for a moment, then, movement. In a flash Maxim's blades leap forth, one stroke after the next finding a neck, armpit, or limb to slash into or sever to let someone bleed out. The dance of death begins, he dodges a main attack toward him, two others nicking him through the armor as another skirts by the new shiny black gear. The wounds don't seem to phase him, other than a tenseness that grows on his face, as if there's a distraction he's pushing away as he otherwise focuses on the task at hand, making enemies hit the ground and not get up.
Conoger instantly puts his katana away and then as he moves ahead he grabs his axe from the reavers head. Then he runs to the line of hoards of reavers. As soon as he enters the fray his shield blocks as he steps to the side from one vicious attack but three hit hims, slashing him on along the back and legs, cutting slightly as one of their blades skid off his armor. As all this happens he turns and slashes shoulder width and one of the reavers heads flies off it's shoulders
Conoger instantly puts his katana away and then as he moves ahead he grabs his axe from the reavers head. Then he runs to the line of hoards of reavers. As soon as he enters the fray his shield blocks as he steps to the side from one vicious attack but three hit hims, slashing him on along the back and legs, cutting slightly as one of their blades skid off his armor. As all this happens he turns and slashes shoulder width and one of the reavers heads flies off it's shoulders. Then at the same turn his axe swings low and connects with one of the reavers legs, severing it from it's knee down. The blood flowing is not noticed and with the rain and mud it seems to be something he can love.
Doc looks at the horde coming over the main gate. "Oh hell no.....this ain't tha Alamo's an ahm not Davy Crickets...an ahm not gonna dies this days..." Doc hits his comm Baby Bird whee needs anothah pass at the main gates...." Then without naother word Doc starts shooting the closest Reavers to him...4 of them go down. The Doc sees a scimitar beong slashed at him, which by chance he manages to dodge easily, however his dodge puts him close enough for two Reavers to hit him at once slightly cutting his left arm and his left back. He turns and hits each with the butt of each Colt...giving him a slight bit of a breather....for now.
Julia feels the tears streamng down her cheeks and doesn't know how to stop them. Her friends are dying outside though, and she pushes herself up once more. She steps to the barred window and the horror of the scene hits her full force all over again. She shoves the barrel out the bars, just enough to aim and fire. Once more her pistol strikes true, and a Reaver goes down having never known where the shot would come from.
Iniana immediately sweeps the area, looking for a good way to make it into the house, or at least to it. She's seen at least two wounded folk headed there, and that's where her job is. She'll make it to as safe a position as she can, hopefully in the house, and start setting up her aid station.
Zank screams by the reaver transport just meters from its own hull cutting the engines down to shorten his turn around and respond to Doc's call. "I hear ya John....im coming around...if anyone freindly is out there get em clear now!" Zank comes in at a steep angle lineing up ,coming left to right across the front wall and the main gate, aiming 50 or so meters off the main wall knowing the impact zone will stop just before the wall. He waits for the all clear as his fighter pludges into attack range.
When the hoard breaks through the impass Danee is standing there looking drowned and frail. It would not be until one looked into her eyes that they would see the mild scary. When she moves she seems to flow from one position to another, much like tai che. Only she wields two sharp weapons. Slashing and shoving, wacking and slicing, danee moves in a fluid almost dancing motion. A hand seperates from an arm and then a head form it's perch. But danee does not come unscathe she flinches and misses a third who was inching forward.
Chloe notices the cavalry charging in and the RAPIDLY narrowing avenues of escape and turns her head to call to Danee, her rescuer, "We must hurry.." And spots Danee's predicament and with a look of abject terror Steps forward and desperately thrusts that spear towards one of the reavers trying to circle around on danee, "Watch out!" she cries in warning to Danee.
Kyoshiro is more so walking quickly now over running. Exerting ones self too much could exhaust him before even getting to the real nitty gritty that lays ahead. Into the breach, the swarm, the masses of raving raging red and black. He turns as one swings out a blade at him, the thing misses. Sharp red eyes dart to the right, catching another blade cutting towards him at an odd and untrained angle. He twists out of the way of that one as well, the blade just skimming his coat and the armor under it. The Reaver, having exerted so much force falls face first into the ground. One coming head on attempts to swing a weapon down on his head but Kyo parry's it with his own, twisting the blade so that the Reaver becomes unarmed... losing it's head in the process as his blade slashes with precision. However, what Kyo doesnt see, and whether it be rain or just getting lost in the mob of death that seems to be spawning around him, a make shift tribal like axe buries its self into his shoulder. Most of the armor absorbs the blade, but he can feel it just ever so slightly cutting into his flesh. He glances to the wielder, pulling out his knife with his free hand and swiftly jabbing it into the Reavers abdomen. He then with a grunt, slides the knife across creating a large gash there. When the Knife is removes and sheathed once more, blood sprays from the wound, his bowels starting to empty from the gash... Kyo's red eyes stare into the Reaver's as it slumps to the ground in pain and anger. He reaches up and heaves the Axe from his shoulder, tossing it away. He continues on more so stomping now then quickly moving. Taking each enemy as they come.
Sypher's leap is a successful one, even if a crossbow quarrel from one of the reavers in the hover mule slices open his right sleeve. He pays the 'gunner' back for it by landing with one foot on his face, giving a resounding wet popping sound as the reavers head practically FOLDS backwards over the top of his seat. Then the guns are brought around and the final two bullets reduce the head of another reaver in the vehicle to a fine red and gray slurry to splatter across the ground for several feet. All that's left in the mule with him now? A driver, and the reaver bitch who'd been howling at the beginning of this wave... and the slides of Samael and Belial have so tellingly just locked into place instead of sliding forward after that last pair of shots... Taking all bets.
You paged Maxim with 'Feel free to work up anything you like. It's all relevant to what's happening and what may happen, all your endless slaying is part of the big picture.'
Above, the transport, still blasting at the Baby Bird with its gunports, is trailing a thick cloud of black smoke. It drifts, passing over Iniana at an altitude of a few hundred feet, and disappears over the hill. The rain sheets in, obscuring the view. And then there is the distant sound as of thunder.
In the house it's almost deafening - the rain on the tin roof, the reports from Julia's gun, the ceaseless screaming of the younger of the two refugee children, the noise of the battle outside. It's enough to drive folk crazy, and indeed the old woman refugee is rocking, hugging her knees, muttering nonsense words, her eyes unseeing.
Zank's strafing attack cuts a broad swathe through the oncoming attackers, splitting their assault into two; one group swarming over the gate and into the compound, the other group centering on Kyoshiro and Sypher as their nuclei, hacking at the two men like demons possessed as they protect their queen. As Sypher flies towards her, she, balancing perfectly on the back of the hoverMULE, draws two great axes, one in each hand, ready to receive his attack and meet it with one of her own. She bares her teeth in a howl of rage. Each tooth has been carefully filed to a point, and her tongue has been split into a fork.
Movement. Maxim keeps moving, spinning, twisting and turning, blades flashing out parrying incomming Reavers as he does so. The movement is with purpose though, each step carefully avoiding getting him stuck down in the mud, each thrust parrying a blade meant for him and then taking the offending person's head. One Reaver seems to catch his blade, stopping his death, and that allows a few hits into his arm and shoulder, piercing the armor there. He hops free flipping his scimitar across to stop any other pokey bits from sticking him to regroup, eyes briefly scanning over to see how the others in the courtyard are fairing as he once again briefly seems to get distracted by something, and once again pushes whatever it is away and refocuses.
Conoger moves on further out towards the hoard of reavers and the slaughter is evident as body parts and heads go flying. As more attack him he gets hit many times, most doing nothing as it glances off his armor. Though hsi head could have come off if it were not for a slight bit of luck as he see's a glint of steel coming from the left. He raises his shield up just enough to reflect it and then he feels his helm get hit ( one of his horns got cut off). It is here that he swings back and his axe comes down hard on one of the reavers shoulders and down through its body. Then he swings back as he pulls the axe out andsticks the axe into the chest of another. He takes a glance back to see how the house is doing, making sure that they are safe or if he needs to come back.
The mud covered man who crawled backwards into the house on three limbs returns on two, the others holding a bright, but off the shelf katana. He bounds down the stairs and into the fray beside Chloe. The observant will notice the duct tape splint around his left leg, made from duct tape and a wodden spoon and a rolling pin. He dodges one of the Reavers, and slashes another beside the first cutting across it's internals. The man of mud does not come out scott free, one Reaver hitting with the shaft of his club, making the old man wince.
Doc looks at the two reavers who stabbed at him....then shoots bot of them...as two more close in to swipe at Doc's right arm and right side..both swipes hitting and cuttin him again, but both are again slight wounds. Doc quick aims and shoots both in the brainpan...dropping them both. Doc coms as he has a free few seconds, "Zank!..it's clear fr anothah pass brothah..hurries..not sure hwah much longah whee can holds out.." His camo clothing starting to show red from his 4 wounds.
Julia clutches at the OTHER pistol now, thorwing it through the bars and sending out a hail of bullets. While the results are mixed, she does manage to down two Reavers instead of just one. Her voice is yelling out now, and she doesn't even know it.
Iniana immediately takes off through the mass of ravaging reaverites, taking verious small and rather vicious wounds, and one downstrike to her shoulder. She twists and slips away, trailing her own blood as she gets to the front of the house, helping chloe and Danee, and trying to get them to cover. She, of course, is the Doctor here, and is going where she's needed.
Zank dosnt wait till the end of Doc's clearence to open up. The hummingbird rockets from the sky like a angel of fire and wraith. The 30mm cannon on the front ROARS long and louad. And small rockets leap from the under slung pods of the craft. The rounds from the cannon impact the ground before the sound of its gun is even heard from thouse before. The shells tear into the reaver lines as they turn flesh to dust and ignite into a bloodly firestorm of shrapnel and superhot plasma. The reavers there dont stand a chance in hell. A massive 50 meter swath is cut between the reavers and the wall there dead more mangled than anything they could ever do to themselves. The rockets are just for good measure finding purchase in a few of the MULES trying to ram there way in. The Main gate ignites into a razor storm of metal and wood eraseing any threat that is trying to get at the homestead. Zank pulls up at the last moument the humming bird only a dozen or so meters above the wall. The thrusters on the underside of the hummingbird rosting one or two reavers still squarming in the razor wire. The hummingbird rockets into the clouads again its engines a constant roar of thunder. Zank keys his com "Any craft i say again any craft on station...i repeat we need imediate evac on Rooks Drift...i say again any transport of craft capable of Evac we need immediate assiatnance...reavers are about to over run the homestead..."
Danee turns in time to see chloe skewer one of the reavers She had missed. She smiles at the doctor. "You will be more use in the house but I thank you." although she does not take her eyes from Chloe she is still aware of the battle around them. Slicing and slashing moving this way and then that. She tries to stay between Chloe and the main body of the hoard. She relaxes her vigilance when Sink comes to help and then turns to move into the fray as Iniana can be seen making her way in their direction. But her inattention to the reavers around her leaves her open to a stabbing wound. The blood dripd down her back. It hurts for an instant but then she turns and begins to fight again. slicing the head off the guy who stabbed her and taking a leg off the next one.
Chloe realizes there's being swarmed and issues a high-pitched shriek of terror. Panicked she swings her spear around menacing but it's an impotent gesture as Danee buys them every inch gained. Helpless she staggers back and there's a pained cry as a hook peirces her side. she escapes and staggers and stumbles but manages to run, this time she resists the urge to look behind her at the unfortunate Danee, "HELP!" she cries, though anyone hearing her in all the chaos-or someone who /doesn't/ need help themselves at this moment is laughable.
Kyoshiro stops in the center of an engulfing circle of Reavers. His face still emotionless and flat, eyes cold and harsh though filled with just a bit of primal fire, the kind that craves action and violence but nothing as menacing as that of the demon within him. He turns slowly taking in the circle of Reavers that slowly close in on him. Wet blood covers a lot of his body, most not his, but the wound on his shoulder is seeping into his clothing a bit. Though this is mainly a minor wound. He steadies himself, bringing his weapon to mid guard as he waits for the Horde to get closer, Zank's missile exploding behind him towards the compound, the loud BUURP of his gun a constant reminder of Baby Bird providing he deadly swathing back up. He looks to Mule where Sypher is engaging the Reaver Queen as it were. Then out of character to those who knows him, he lets out a throaty yell, running strait into the Horde and towards the MULE. "Senmaioroshi!" (Thousand Page Wholesale...) He moves blurred almost as his blades cuts through the Reavers at speeds incomprehensible to the naked eyes. He takes down five, ten, no twenty in a matter of seconds. Nothing like cutting them in half, but thousands of strike. On the other side of the horde, Blood spurts from his armor and he drops to one knee. Three wounds, on to his side, those other to a leg and his other shoulder. Though, the bodies, bloody and beaten he leaves in his path are more then an equal trade off. His cold red eyes look to the MULE and he stands taking off towards it once again.
Zank's ground attacks are decimating the Reaver attacks, but there's no cause to be celebrating yet. Now the Reavers are fragmented, pockets of attackers in the compound where Zank is (presumably :-) not firing, a whole swarm clustered around the focus of the Reaver 'queen', Sypher, and Kyoshiro. In the compound, too, Jonathan Small has gone down with a Reaver spear through his shoulderblades, his blood mixing with his wife's in the mud, and Ellen's scrambling for cover under the broken-down old wheeled MULE in the outhouse, a Reaver with a scimitar on her tail. But there's an end in sight - no more Reavers are crossing the river, either because they are fearful of the fiery death being rained down on them from the skies by the 'Baby Bird', or because the water level is rising by the minute, making the crossing increasingly deadly.
On the hoverMULE, the 'queen' brings both axes in a horizontal sweep, aiming to decapitate Sypher; as the attacks resolve and Sypher's head remains resolutely on his shoulders, she flings up her armored forearm to deflect his blow in return.
Sypher actually dodges the blow by a very slight backstep and turning his head. One blade misses him entirely, but the other slips across his cheek, leaving a wide cut under his right eye. "Is that all you've got?" he asks, not so much tauntingly but as a serious question in that same, emotionless manner. Then come his first strike, a double-cut with his gun hands, attempting to pistol whip the reaver queen. One goes long, missing entirely and the other slams into the metal with a cracking sound.
Seeing the doctors try to make it into the house, Danee taking hits to accomplish this Maxim pushes forward, steps moving doubletime though he's careful to use well stacked bodies to avoid slipping in the mud. He tosses his blade up ahead of him and slips a throwing knife free into his hand, the blade flying to hit one Reaver at the doctors and then the other following suit as he catches the first to bring the blade down on one Reaver approaching Danee, then another on another one headed toward her. A blade deflects off his armor shoulder, the other he brings a blade up just in time as he slides in behind Danee saying simply, "I am behind you now... " He sets himself at the remaining reavers in his field of vision and waits, counting on Danee to handle the others in front of her.
Conoger continues to attack reavers after reavers as they come at him, small wounds here and there. It was in the middle of the fray that he feels the harsh sting of something going right through armor and right through his flesh. The back of his knee is opened and he goes down to one knee then. As he grunts in pain he grunts in anger at he same time. The one that got him gets a slash across the throat by the axe, his other arm blocking and attack but at a few seconds after the axe cuts right through the reavers knee, seperating it's leg from it's body. Conoger is down to one knee, still he gets ready for more, his shield blocking what ever is coming in his direction.
Sink sees Danee take the hits and he yells at her, "You are not dying on me, you hear?". With that he slams a foot into the mud to get traction and leans into the hoard, swinging wildly, a stream of blood and rain arcing off of the blade. He drops low to avoid one blow, but his low stance allows a downward spiked club to bounce off his shoulder, barely missing his head. He stands up again, ready for another and sees Maxim arrive, "Where have you been hiding?", he asks with a little grin.
Doc moves sto his left a bit, both guns outstretched from his sides practically daring the two Reavers he's facing to attack..but for some reason the blood spattered Holliday isn't atacked. Time being what it is just now Doc has none to waste...bang! bang! the two Reavers slip to the ground in a rumple of maggot blood. Doc looks about now and sees Kyo and Sypher on or near a mule with a fucked up witch bitch standing up. Doc takes two shots at this...thing...the first hitting her hard and solid..the second strikes hard at the center of her armored chest.
Julia slows back down as her wave of fury ends. She sets her jaw and picks out another target. The gun bucks in her hand and the bullet explodes into mutilated skull. She looks around a moment now, trying to find the most immediate threat.
Zank looks at his weapon readouts as he comes around again. The rockets are gone and only a few missiles left. His cannon reads only enough for one more long burst. He curses and decideds to save ammo. He rockets the hummingbird around slowing her down to almost stalling as he brings the hummingbird over the homestead. He then does something the humming bird wasnt ment to do. He cuts the engines to almost nothing and throws all the power into thrusters underneath the craft. The hummingbird cries but gain stablitly as it now hovers against gravity 50 meters off the ground above the courtyard. Zank throws off his restraints and goses to the back of the craft grabbing his rifle secured against the wall. He opens the access hatch for the craft just behind the cockpit and the wind and rain meet him in kind. He squints threw the rain and wind and levels his rifle on the remain reavers still trying to get at the defenders below. He lets loose with the rifle. 2 shots fly true and impact on 2 reavers running at Danee. One shot goes wide drawing the attention of the reaver is respond with a yell and harmlessly throws a small bloody ax at the craft.
Danee hears Sink and replies keeping up her vigilance "Not just now Sink." as Max moves in to watch her back she takes a deep breath. She is exhausted and yet she is buzzed. She blocks an attack with one of the sharp reaver weapons but the reaver wielding it is alot stronger than she is and it is knocked from her hand. The blade catching her forearm. She swings the ax sort of looking weapon at the wielder slicing off his hand. Then she grunts as flame and agony hits her thigh. Looking down she finds herself giggling. She wonders if she should pull it out and lick her blood off it like they do in the movies. She wipes the rain off her eyes and then jerks it out and shoves it into the throat of the reaver who even though he lost his hand is still trying to kill her.
Kyoshiro presses a leg to the front of the Mule and heaves himself up in one quick motion, using the momentum to jump into the air as doc's bullet's impact the Queen. Mid air he brings his Katana above his head in both hands. A brilliant streak of lightning flashes in the cloudy and rainy sky behind him, shadowing his features, all except his wide crimson eyes. The loud clap from the stray electrical current is defining as Kyo says in his usual monotone, "Suikawari..." (Watermelon Splitting.) His blade comes down hard as he lands on his feet, natural crouching, beside Sypher. Though, he was aiming for the center top of her head, the blade ends up in the bitch's shoulder, nice and deep. The Mule shakes a bit with his landing and he has to pull back on the blade with a loud sucking sound before he attempts another swing with is far less dignified.
The battle seems to stand still in time. Reavers are still fighting and dying, defenders are still fighting and not dying, but the battle's epicenter is on the Reaver 'queen'. Her hair flies out, the skulls and bones braided into it bouncing about her, her filed teeth bared in a snarl as her axes attempt once again to double-decapitate Sypher, one biting home but the other whickering past his scalp. (The Reaver at the controls of the hoverMULE has fled, the vehicle bobbing near-stationary) And then Kyoshiro's blow sinks home, and Sypher's shots thud into her chest and stomach, and she stares in sudden disbelief at the two of them as she sinks to her knees.
Sypher backsteps the same strike, the same way and to the same result, though this one clips his arm, cutting a deep gash. Finally sypher just shakes his head and frowns ever so slightly, then jerks his hands, sending the clips of his guns flying and then he swings them back along his coat with a click and equally as fast? two bullets fly into the reaver's stomach. As she sinks to her knees, he walks up to her, presses the barrels down against her collarbone and stares into her eyes. "Tell me.. can you still feel it? That gnawing in the back of your head, the voices screaming for you to flee?" No emotion in his words, sypher's not home right now so leave a message. "The soul of whoever you were has already been judged by the gods.. They sent me to judge the husk which remained.." Then, for the first time since going into his little trance, he gives a grin, one of his Cheshire Cat grins, showing off his pearly whites in a way that couples sadistic with the inhuman emptyness in his eyes. Eighteen bullets.. the nine remaining from both of his guns clips, are rapidly emptied into her chest, barrels touching skin of hide. Eighteen bullets tear through her, half of them reducing fragments of her chest to swiss cheese, the other half shattering into shrapnel inside the body and taring gaping holes and when the slides once again lock in place? Sypher is left standing, half his face dripping with blood.
At the death of the Reaver queen, as her perforated body slumps down onto the bloodsoaked MULE, a strange and terrible thing occurs. The Reavers nearby, the ones poised to rip Sypher and Kyoshiro apart with their blades and spears and claws and teeth, stare for a shocked moment. And then they start to back away, setting up a hideous ululation, a shrieking howl of distress that carries even through the rain, a communal outpouring of grief and terror. Attackers in the compound falter, falling without resistance to Maxim's and Doc's and Danee's and Julia's and even Ellen's attacks. And then the hesitation turns to a retreat, and the retreat turns into a rout. The mass of Reavers flees back down into the river, trampling and clawing at each other...and the river is a lethal torrent of churning brown and red water, foam-topped, and it snatches the Reavers and drags them shrieking downstream, dashing them against boulders and dragging them under the foaming torrent. Those that make it across to the far side are easy prey for calculated shots from the defenders or from Zank.
And, perhaps poetically, the rain eases from a torrential downpour to merely steady, cleansing rain, splattering into the puddles of blood and mud. Far to the west the clouds break, and the last golden rays of the setting sun illuminate the scene of the desperate battle. Of the original defenders, only Ellen is alive, and she's missing three fingers of her left hand, her face gray with pain as she lets the rain wash the tears from her cheeks.
Sure, the blood splatter from the eighteen bullets gets on Kyo, but he had just cut his way through an entire army. So it would mix with their blood and the blood of those he had killed with his blade. He glances towards Sypher who seems far too preoccupied with saying meaningless words over a mindless monster before hopping of the MULE, mud and water splashing up as his boots make contact with the ground. He flicks his blade, ridding the blood of it in the traditional fashion. He's in no mood to go chasing after the Reavers who are escaping. Slideing the top edge of his blade along the edge of the Saya he sheaths the weapon. Reaching into his longcoat's inner pocket he sticks the black stick between his lips and puffs. A sigh a relief coming from him.
Zank contiunes to take shots at the retrating reavers as they seem to panic and do something hes never seen them do. Run away. He stops fireing as they move out of range and he looks down over the scene of the last stand the defenders put up. He keys his comm linked to the ships systems "Attention on the net....This is baby bird calling from Rooks Drift...reaver forces are in full retreat. All avaliable support and aid avaliable make course for Rook's drift...Any craft reciving lock on to my position and send aid..." Zank moves inside the cockpit again and moves to set the hummingbird down in the courtyard of the homestead. As it lands Zank disembarks rifle still ready. A reaver not quiet dead lurches in his direction and he pops it in the head quickly. He looks around looking for his friends amongest the hundreds of dead savages.
Maxim lets the Reavers run and route, merely making sure they don't attack any of his comrades. He shakes his head sharply, a twitch almost as if he's trying to clear something, and as they flee whatever it is seems to get better and his shoulders slump, the repreieve of the end of the rain a welcome, though at least it's washed most of the blood away. He answers Sink finally, saying simply, "Lirin has helped fortunately, you do not need the safe word."
Comms on Zank's ship, and on anyone monitoring the common hailing channels, suddenly lights up with a woman's voice, not Jacy's, older and sterner; "Ark Royal, Temperance Actual. We are in the system and the fighters are in the air. You're ordered to return to the Temperance immediately. Break, break. All units planetside, keep holding those positions. This is Captain K'mora commanding the Temperance carrier group, we will be landing the first Marine units within the hour, and you'll have air support before that. Hang in there." And, as the Captain quits blathering, what is probably a comms officer chimes in, "Baby Bird, Temperance control, we're sending a gunship and a medical shuttle your way. ETA seventeen minutes."
Danee reaches down and jerks the blade from the reavers neck and wiping the blood from it on her pants leg. She takes up a defensive position just as the reavers cry out their distress and run away. She stands ther for a long moment and then she turns and looks at Sink. "I have blood in my boot." she says quietly. Turning to look around at all the dead she shivers. Then heads to the wood pile to pick up the gun she'd left there. Sure enough it is still laying just where she left it. Then she stops and just stands there. Not sure what to do next.
Zank shakes his head as the comm's light up. He keys back "Temperance Control, Baby bird...recived..your a little late...recommend all air units still maintin extreme caution..still alot of reaver ships in the sky." with that he looks and spots Danee standing there looking over the scene. He quickly makes his way over to her. His weapon dropping catch by his sling. He quickly looks her over "you ok Mei mei?"
Doc looks around at all the carnage and blood..and the stink of blood. He sees a pile of dead Reavers and walks over and takes a seat on them after holstering his Colts. He reaches into a shirt pocket and takes out a cigarillo and lights up. Then of all things one of the Reavers twitches...fact the one he's sitting on. And like lightning a colts is drawn and pointed down between his legs and there's another loud Bang! The barel of hi Colt smokes. Doc looks around and says to anyone who might just happen to be looking at him and says, "He was still twichin...so's ah gaves him a last lickin." Doc puts the Colt away and goes back to enjoying his smoke. He's gonna be sore though..when the adrenalin wears off in a bit.
Sink as the Reavers fee from everyone else but Sink, the mud covered man sheaths his sword, and takes a seat on the ground against one of the compound walls and examines his leg. When Maxim addresses him, Sink gives the man a smile, "I'm glad her work is holding up. I was afraid it would fade over time." Sink gives the rolling pin and wooden spoon splint a shake, then nods, "Remember that I owe the Smalls some kitchen utensils.", he says with a little sigh. He then turns his head and looks over to Danee, "I hope it's not yours. You okay?", he asks her simply, before looking over the bodies, and the compound, "Worth it.", he says quietly. The he says with a little chuckle, "Next time I won't forget the claymores. Everything is easier with claymores."
Conoger still down on a knee and here he thought his number was coming then all of the sudden the change. The reavers start running, retreating and then simply getting killed as they run away. Conoger watches as as they go and he can only kneel on a knee, then he leans on his shield, putting his head covered in blood and rain to rest on it. He breaths heavily and then uses his axe to help him up and then looks around towards the building. A few moments later he starts to move slowly in that direction, he has no clue how bad it is but he moves along, sure there is doctors inside. if he remembers right.
The compound is piled high with Reaver dead. Sightless eyes, fingers curled in death-grips about their weapons. And the owners of the homestead, slumped a few feet apart, Jonathan face-down in the mud with the spear that killed him still impaling his shoulderblades. Chloe and Iniana are going to have their hands full with the survivors, though. As the sun sinks below the horizon, in the distance the whickering noise of the gunship's and medical shuttle's engines becomes slowly and steadily audible. Comms chatter indicates fierce battles still being fought in the air and on the ground across the planet...but the battle of Rook's Drift is over. Ellen just sits against a wall, soaked, mud and blood-spattered, trying to tie a filthy strip of cloth around her injured hand, until Sypher arrives.
Danee looks at Zank and nods. "I think I am all right." she smiles and shrugs. "Stabbed in the thigh" she wobbles a bit. "I think" she looks down and then back to Zank. "I think" her eyes roll up into the back of her head and she starts to fall to the ground.
With the hover craft stationary, Sypher calmly puts the guns into their holsters and turns around, passing Kyoshiro and gently patting him on the shoulder, muttering something in Russian as he steps off the hovercraft with a thunk. The grin is gone by the time he hits the ground, back to the emotionless distant gaze. He makes his way towards the homestead, not even focusing on the now fleeing reavers and if he needs to walk or even climb over corpses to get past the walls? he does. He'll survey the area, taking count of the dead aside from the dozens of reavers, then his eyes fall dead on Ellan and he just studies her. He gives a little sigh and starts for her, stopping a few feet from her before he suddenly snaps, "WHAT in the NINE HELLS did you think you were going to accomplish?!" Oh, his conscience is probably in the back of his head somewhere screaming the anthem of 'youradickyouradickyouradick-dick-dick!' but in some ways, this is deserved. He gives a momentary pause before he holds out a hand and mutters, "Give me your hand.." obviously meaning the wounded one.
Ellen stares numbly up at Sypher. She's in shock, full-up medical shock, and her skin is clammy and cold, her lips a little purple. "I...I was...I had to fight," she stammers, more than a little incoherently. The severed fingers aren't her only wound, but they are her most pressing - but she'll need a good medic and several pints of blood and saline before she can walk away from this one.
Soon, the two Alliance ships are touching down. And then there'll be Marines everywhere, welcome (maybe) but far too late. But at least they'll be guarding the compound overnight, allowing weary defenders to rest before they head back to their ships so many kilometers away at the main spaceport, should they so wish.
Zank reacts as Danee starts to fall. He catchs her quickly and leads her to the ground "Danee!" he yells and all the Solider part of him gone for thouse few seconds. He picks her up getting her off the ground "MEDIC" he yells hopeing one of the doctors is still around "Kyo! get the hell over here!" he says as he searchs Danee for her wounds. He looks to Sink "Get one of thouse Gorram Fed Doctors over here now!" he says.
Kyoshiro nods to Sypher silently as he pats him on the back. He dosn't understand the Russian though but he can probably take a guess. He keeps on his way, stepping carefully over Reavers, pulling his 1911 to double tap any still alive. He's greatful for the sunshine of course. His path takes him past Doc, who he dosn't notice at first but then, sniffing there air, back steps and looks at the man sitting on a dead reaver. "you got another one? this fake stuff just dosn't do it..."
Doc looks up now from under his camo floppy hat...rain and blood dripping off of it. He grinss and as he retrieves another cigarillo, "So youse was attendin this pahty alsah was ya?" Doc hands him the cig, "So howah many did ya puhts in thaier graves taday?"
Sink as Danee goes to fall Sink ignores his split examination and springs into a crouch, ready to catch her, but Zank gets to her first. If there's one thing Sink knows, is a good order, and he takes Zank's direction, and finds a near by spot on the wall where Reaver bodies have squished the razor wire. He pulls himself up on the wall and standing on the bodies he waves his arms frantically at the Alliance troops, "Medic!"
Kyoshiro shakes his head, "I don't count anymore..." He takes the cigarillo from Doc's hands and puts it between his lips, lighting it, throwing the e-cig to the ground. He smiles at the taste as the nicotine fills his lungs. "How about you?" His red eyes glance over as Danee collapses... "Zank... don't you dare let those Feds look at her..." And he sohuld know damn sure why. "Jia and Aces..." He yells, "In the MULE, let's go... Show's over."
Conoger reaches the walls of the home and then slinks down against the wall of the place and sits there, his leg stinging. So now he sits there, watching as some are calling for medics and some helping others. All he does now is simply just sit up until someone yells Jia and Aces to the MULE. So he slowly stands up with grunts and then looks around, trying to see the MULES they came in. So once he is near the one he came in, he starts to work on his leg.
Sypher crouches by Ellan and sighs, taking out Samael and fishing a standard .45 out of a pocket inside his coat, a single round, hand loaded into the gun so the slide will dislodge when it's pulled back a tad, then he fires a round into the mud and grabs her hand, using the now burning hot exposed internal barrel to seer the wounds of the severed hand shut.. it'll stop the blood flow for now and the chances of finding HER fingers again would be slim to none. With any luck, the new pain will bring new adrenaline to keep her conscious as he growls, "You had /one/ thing to accomplish here, to stay, /safe/!" It's not mean, it's stern like a father chewing out his daughter. "Remember this night, remember the people who /died/ here because from this moment forward, you live for /them/ now." He can see she'll need more than just the blood to stop, thankfully though, he's never one to travel without at least an archaic form of medical pack in his coat.
Doc looks at Kyo, "Man ahm bushed..buht ah gots meh at least thirty..." He grins, "Was a joke though Mibu....cuz whaat evah ya had said ah was gonna one-ups ya anywhays." Doc smirks and rises. "Let's git ourah peeps and git the hell outtah this place...whee done enough good deeds fer the day...an o course..NOW THE FRICKIN FEDS SHOWS UP...Aftah said show is ovah...yeah times ta beats feet befers some purplebelly pisses meh off.." That said Doc moves towards the mule for the trip back to the ships...if there ships are still there....who knows what they're gona find when they get back to them.
Kyoshiro, being the direct and stern man that some people know him to be simply walks over to Dane and picks her up. Turning on his heel to head back to the Mule. He nods to Sink and Conoger before giving a glare to Zank and taking off towards the Mule to take Danee back to the Jia. "Anyone need a lift... we're heading back to port."
