In reply to Denis Carlton (msg # 172):

Jane knew that what Denis and the others said made sense.  It didn't make her decision any better but then she wasn't in this to make easy decisions as nice as they might be when they did come around.

Jane gripped her weapon tighter and put a hand on Peter's arm.  She leaned in so that he could hear her but not everybody else could.  "What was that you told me a long time ago?  You have to know when to walk away.  This is one of those times love.  We can't save the Technical nor baby.  You know how much she means to me and you know I wouldn't be walking now if I thought there was any way we could take them.  They only have ultralights and we need a medium to take them.  We can go and finish our mission, for I know you're not a quitter, or we can stay here.  If you stay I stay.  You might have to change your name to Custard or something though if we do stay for sure as shootin it will be our last stand."

She paused for she knew that Peter heard her.  "Not to push but you need to decide like a minute ago.  This war we're in is bigger than the technical and baby.  We would be better served to go with the group and make them pay for taking what was  precious to us."

Rowan steps forward
"Shay come on and you Smoker."

Rowan walks up along side Peter, "Jane take his other arm he coming with us even if we carry him"

Trickster stay close we are leaving this noisy area

Smoker tags along. He's looking as nervous as Trickster right now!

The hatch down at the end of the passage leading to the maintenance bay slammed open. Walked dove through, then slammed it shut. He was bleeding and minus his rifle.

"OK! Time to go! The automatons have taken out the security crew, so we gotta move now!"

Growling, Trejo ducked into the VIP cabin, then emerged a moment later.

"Shit. Good news, people. I looked out the damn window. We're only 50 feet up right now. Not a thousand. Let's find a way down!"

Drawing his sword, be headed down the stairs to the flight deck.

Wearing his Templar tabard now, Denis drew his sword and charged aft down the hallway. This heroic gesture seemed to be part of who he was, something he was perhaps fated to do.

"Get Simon out of here! I'll hold 'em off."

With that, he passed Walker and disappeared through the aft hatch into the maintenance bay, where Walker had reported the marauding Combine Automatons were coming down.

In reply to Trejo (msg # 177):

"Yeah, time to amscray!"

Her own Tabard was now on, Katana in hand, she followed Trejo and the others down the stairs to the flight bay. From there, they could find a way off the Sky Raider 1.

Jason had his tabard on as well, now, with HK P90c in one hand and sword in the other.

"You got it, chief!"

In reply to Trejo (msg # 177):

"Peter, everyone, please, let's go." Looking more than a little rough around the edges, he followed Trejo and the others down the stairs.

In reply to Simon (msg # 181):

"Yes, my apologies Peter, you don't have to stay if you don't want to. Listen to your friends, it's time to leave." With that, he followed Simon to the stairs to the lower level.

The stricken airship lurched as more explosions occurred above them, in the lift chamber. Gunshots and sounds of fighting came from the rear compartment where Denis was buying them time to go down and get off the ship.

Peter shook off the well-meaning friends and headed towards the bay where the truck was stored. He intended to open the bay doors and get his truck out. 50 feet would damage it but it was a hell of a lot better than blowing up in the airship or anything like that.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 184):

The rear of the aircraft bay was open. Looking out, Peter could see the remains of the Raptor that Jane had shot down. It was on fire, casting light from dozens of fires fed by spilled jet fuel. They were above a grassy mountain meadow, relatively open ground.

It was clear that Trejo was correct. The airship was no longer 1000 feet above the terrain, more like 50 feet. Roughly speaking, the height of a 5 story building.

Marshall's Note: the Skycrane's controls are only reached through the upper deck Maintenance Bay, which is currently being contested by Automatons and Denis the Templar. To use the Skycrane you'd need to clear out the Automatons from the rear upper compartment.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 184):

Jane looked at Peter and then at her other friends.  "See you guys on the ground.  I said I'd go with Peter no matter what he chose so..."  She took a deep breath and nodded to each.  They knew that was her way of saying what she couldn't say.  If it was the end, it was.  If it wasn't then it didn't need to be said anyway.

She turned and went after her crazy man.  Somebody had to protect him didn't they?

"Right behind you Peter.  Let's go see what crazy thing you have in mind this time."

Smoker looks round wondering if a small fellow like him could sneak up to the sky crane controls unobserved...

"I was hoping with only 50 feet left we might be able to lower the truck with the crane. But it's risky since it could be shot at still. Otherwise we leave the truck and just go." He looked at Jane. "I will leave the decision in your hands since you are being stubborn and not leaving me."

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg # 188):

Jane laughs at Peter's decision.  "Now you ask me to make the decision?  Get your ass over in that vehicle.  IF we're going to go out with a last bang then we're going to go out.  I'll strap in and see if I can use baby somewhat to take out what I can.  Get on the com and make sure that Healers are handy.  "IF we make it down you and I survive you had better.....well I'll let you know how you can make it up to me later."

In reply to Smoker Nix (msg # 187):

It seemed a safe bet that Peter would never need to make it up to Jane on this side of the afterlife, if there was a serious attempt to recover his truck. For Smoker to get up to the Skycrane controls, he would probably need to fight his way back upstairs. Then, somehow manipulate the controls. All over the objections of the marauding Combine Automatons that were overrunning the ship. Driving off the end of the flight deck was a quicker form of suicide, as a 5-story drop onto solid ground would in all likelihood completely total any vehicle other than a Mars Rover.

In reply to The Marshall (msg # 190):

Looking up at the ceiling, where Denis was probably giving his life at this moment to buy time for their escape, Jason looked back at Simon, Trejo, Winnie and Fred.

"Uh, well, good luck on gettin' your truck down. Just in case that don't work, anyone got another idea to get us down in one piece? And then what we can do to avoid capture when we're on the ground?"

In reply to Jason Sinclair (msg # 191):

He brought out a cannister of some kind, about the size of a gas grenade but looking more like an aerosol dispenser.

"This is a "DNA Bomb". Developed by criminals to foil forensic investigators, it will completely cover an area in a chemical mist that leaves a residue designed to confuse or even disable DNA sniffers. They will have to get tissue samples back to Denver and perform more advanced analysis and sequencing. That will allow us several days to get clear and make it to Junkyard overland."

In reply to Fred Biletnikoff (msg # 192):

Narrowing his eyes, Walker thought through the implications.

"This won't fool anyone. Especially if there are no bodies. Best would be for a couple of volunteers to decoy any Combine search units away in the wrong direction. Then when they catch up set off the DNA bomb and hopefully not let themselves be taken alive. That way there won't be positive confirmation Simon is dead, they may be suspicious but not like if there were no bodies at all.

"I volunteer to do this. I didn't know why I was meant to run into you, or why I carry this sword that Templar gave me. This is the reason, Simon. Here, take this."

The admission that although he carried a sword he was not a Templar, Squire or even Companion. Walker began handing over his sword to Simon to accept.

In reply to Walker (msg # 193):

Holding up his hand, Simon answered, "no, you keep the sword, please. You are not of our order, yet by doing this you've earned a place with us and will be remembered, friend Walker. Go with God.

"But first, let's get the Hell off this thing!"

The Huckster nodded at the plan, "I'll take up that banner, too. I've got enough tricks up my sleeve to give them at least a little run-around. Buy you all some time."

"That's a right fine thing to offer. We don't have much time. Fred, give her your robes and your datapod. Maybe we can fool the Automatons into thinking she's a Librarian.

"Shay, you know of any way down? How about them lines your crew used to get to the ground when they were mooring this beast?"

In reply to Shay Mordred-Spades (msg # 195):

Without a word, Fred removed his brown monk-like Librarian's robes and gave them to Shay. He hesitated, clearly pained, then gave her his camera after ejecting the dataslug.