Kale came up from behind the crate and didn't even watch as the man he shot fell.  He wasn't a killer and he took know joy in knowing that men had to die here today but when it came down to them or his crew ... well, Kale would chose his crew every time.

It took him only a second to realize that the men that had taken off down the cargo bay ramp had still not been taken down and were looking like they were about to get away.  He cursed under his breath, they weren't going to fair well if back up showed up.  Problem was they were shooting back now so it was too risky to go straight after them.

"Take cover!" he shouted at those of his crew that hadn't already dropped to the floor or found a place out of the line of fire.  Kale had been counting the mans shots, he was firing wildly.  It was a sloppy move, they had obviously driven them to desperate measures.  Kale liked desperate men - they made mistakes.

Seeing that Connor was already right by the bay doors he shouted to him, "Stay behind the bulkhead, shoot at the man by the hatch, don't let him get it open.  Geoff, catch!" he tossed his own pistol at the larger man, "He's got four shots left, let him use them, then go right down that ramp and take him out.  Dake -"  Kale cut off suddenly as he saw Lei run out from behind one of the larger crates and take Wei-Li's gun.

"Lei!  Girl, tian xiao de*, what are you doing, put the gun down!" he shouted at her as she took aim and fired out into the night.

* _{In the name of all that's sacred}

Dake hauled Kyoko, since he already had her at hand and all, back behind some crates.  Hopefully, she'd start to behave like a rational human being again once she wasn't so close to her assailant.  Dake wasn't thinking too hard about it; the gesture, chivalry gone wrong, was completely automatic for the kid.  The point right now was to stay unshot and then do what he could to -- well, he heard Kale shout his name, and he'd have paid attention if he hadn't also just noticed that Lei had streaked over to (and his heart leapt around like a fish covered in jello thrown into a vat of vaseline -- a markedly queer feeling) Wei-Li.  And had just taken a shot at the men outside.

Wei-Li looked up when she heard Kale yell, and when it seemed that Lei had finished whatever she was doing, Wei-li did her best to pull the girl behind what little cover they had.

She curled herself around the younger woman a littany of prayers on her lips.

They had to get out of this-- they just had to.

Rhaef and Charlie were depending on them.

Geoff caught the gun in his left hand, tossed it to his right and kept moving.  As soon as he got a clear shot, he took it.  Double-tap.  Pause.  Double-tap.  Toss the gun.  Keep moving.

Everything began happening in a blur of sound and motions.  The crew responded almost instantaneously to Kale's shouted commands.  Connor took cover and although few of his shots actually hit the target he was laying down enough firepower for the man who had been trying to get the hatch open to have to back off.  Between shots he'd try to lunge forward only to leap back again as a blast hit the ground nearby.  He was obviously desperate for some reason to get inside, but not willing to risk being hit by a shotgun blast.

The man beside him continued firing into the ship but true to Kale's words four shots later he was out of bullets. Geoff wasted no time in rushing to take the man out.  With no one firing at him he had a clear shot.  He moved down the ramp, his first double tap hit home, the second hit the man who was trying to open the hatch earlier, that much was clear from the shout, but it didn't stop him.  He kept running off into the night.

There was hardly anytime for the crew to realize what little Lei had just done.  Although everyone saw her grabbing hold of the pistol and firing out into the night, she was the only one who watched the body of the man hidden back among the tall grasses crumble to the ground.  Her shot painting a neat hole in his forehead before she could no long see his face.

The fight was over, a few men still groaned on the ground of the cargo bay, not all dead - they'd have to be gotten rid of - but the path to the hatch was clear now.  It was time to get what they had come for.

Kale had waited anxiously as his plan was executed and soon the sound of gunfire was only a dull echo in his ears.  He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and looked around the bay at his crew.  Everyone was still in one piece although he could tell a few of them were a little worse for wear.

"Well, that was all exhilaratin'-like.  You done good.  Anyone injured?" he asked, "If yer hurt, I want you stayin' here.  There's sure to be more fighting to get to Rhaef and I don't intend to take wounded into the fray."

He looked over at Wei-Li and Lei, "You take that gun from the girl, I don't want to see her carryin' again.  What were you thinking shootin' like that?"

Wei-Li gently rested a hand on Lei's shoulder.  "You better give me that hon," she said soflty.

As she held her hand out for the gun she gave Lei a kindly wink.  She hadn't hurt herself or anyone else on the crew-- which meant it was at least as good as she'd managed to do.

She looked over at Kale.  "He's playing games with guns and words and people's souls," she stated.  "When I was there they had Rhaef and Charlie in an office..."

With only half an ear for Kale's orders, Geoff was moving off the loading ramp in pursuit of the escapee.  He didn't want any survivors.  As soon as he had a clear shot, he took it, only then waiting for additional orders from Kale.

Lei ignored the exclamations from Kale and the confused look on Wei-Li's face, waiting until she was certain her shot had made contact to let the woman beside her pull her into safety. She still clutched the gun tightly in her fingers, even when it became apparent that the fight was over. It took both the second  address from Kale and Wei-Li's gentle words for Lei to loosen her grip, finally putting the gun in Wei-Li's extended hand.

"I... there was a man. He was going to blow up the ship. I did not think I should let him," she murmured to her feet, worried now that she had acted wrongly. Kale did seem quite angry with her. And she didn't feel very good about what she had done, either, despite the fact that it may have just saved all of their lives.

Kale had almost dismissed his comment to Lei out of hand when he saw that Wei-Li was gently taking the gun from her and became more involved in making sure the rest of the crew was alright.  When Lei spoke however he did a double take, looking back to her with a surprised frown, "Blow up the ship ..." he looked at Wei-Li as though she might be able to make sense of what the girl had just said.  He hadn't seen no one with explosives or nothing, but Lei was funny that way.  Sometimes she seemed to have heard things or seen stuff that no one else had.

He nodded his head and gave the girl a tight smile, "You done right, anyone ever go tryin' ta blow up the ship, you got my special permission to stop 'em." he let that sink in a moment before looking to the others.

"Connor, pull out anything else from the locker that may come in handy.  Dake, you look injured, you're stayin' with Kyoko an' I don't want to hear nothin' about it.  You're stayin' end of story.  Last thing I need is to lose someone while tryin' to get someone back." Kale didn't mention the other reasons he didn't want Dake along.  He remembered how impulsive the other man could be from when they were still kids.  He'd landed Nate and him in trouble his fair share of times by rushin' head long into situations that called for a certain amount of finesse.

"Wei, I'll need you to lead us back to where they got Rhaef and Charlie.  Geoff, Connor - your with me." he glanced at Kyoko, "Keep the lil' one safe."

Wei-Li gently patted Lei's shoulder.  "Ya done good Lei.  Thanks"

Then she turned towards Kale and gave a single nod.  "It's going to be a bit tricky... but if you can deal with me walking backwards, I should be able to lead you back."

She gave him a relieved smile.  She had been half expecting a fight on her hands, but Kale had surprised her.

Once the bad guys were done away with, Geoff looked at Kale and nodded.  He was as ready as he was going to get.  Well, almost.

With what seemed a dash of desperation, Geoff scrounged a few more weapons.  He was going in heavy and there were only two folks underground that he wouldn't shoot on sight: Rhaef and Charlie; and Rhaef only because the bastard was overdue to re-take his position as Kale's number two.

Just give me somethin' to shoot or some fine filly to bed.  Don' want all this responsibility.

Geoff banished the thoughts, turning his full focus on Kale.

Dake opened his mouth to protest as Kale told him that he would have to stay behind, "That's a load of crap Kale and you know it.  So I took a bullet, big deal." it took every last fiber of his being to try and play that off like it was nothing.  His arm was on fire with pain.  He'd never been shot before and it was not an experience he wanted to repeat - ever.  And really more then anything he would love to go lay down and have someone deal with the injury and forget about people shooting at him but gorramit, Kale was taking Wei-Li with him.  If he could take her then he could take him - plus he wouldn't feel too good about anything happening to her.  He could go and just make sure she stayed safe - ya that would be a good idea.  Maybe save her life, that should make her think of him.  Girls liked that sorta hero thing, right?

"You need all the hands you can get, they almost took us out here and there are probably a hell of a lot more of them inside." he stared at Kale, knowing what this was really about, "You just don't want me to go cause I'm Nate's little brother, but news flash Kale, Nate's dead."

Kale wasn't surprised to hear Dake begin to protest.  He'd expected as much from the kid, he'd always been as stubborn as a mule growing up, at the mention of Nate however Kale's face almost twisted into a scowl and he stopped what he was doing and stared the younger man down, "That ain't at all what this is about, boy, an' the fact that you can't see that makes a mighty fine case fer you stayin' behind.  I'm the Captain and yer on my ship so you do as yer told an' get that arm looked at.  Kyoko, I'm expectin' you to make sure he stays put." he cast one last dark look in Dake's direction before heading to where Connor stood by the weapons locker to stock up.

Connor watched the whole exchange and shook his head. Somethings never seemed to change. He'd been checking the shotgun he'd grabbed, making damn sure it was fully loaded. He'd also grabbed two pistols and a revolver. He figured the more fire power he had on him, them more he could cover up the fact that his aim at longer distances wasn't the greatest.

He turned to look at Kale.

"What do you think, captain? Grenades or no grenades?"

Lei easily let the gun slip from her fingers as Wei-Li removed it.  At the time taking it had seemed like the right thing, the only thing to do.  But now that the moment was over the heavy metal object felt strange and unsettling in her small hands.  She stared at the Captain for a moment longer, her head cocked slightly to the side.  He went from angry at her, to grateful, to angry at Dake in a matter of seconds.  People were confusing, no matter how long you were around them.

Lei quickly slipped over to where Dake was standing after the Captain had shouted at him and grabbed his hand - the good one - she winced slightly at the other arm, "You'll stay here and make sure we're safe?" she questioned Dake as she peered up at him.  She didn't much like the idea of everyone leaving her and Kyoko alone on the ship after all that fighting - what if they came back?

Kale looked at Connor, "We got any of 'em left?" he asked, stepping inside the weapons locker himself.  He tried to make himself think only of the supplies and not how they had come to be short on grenades - that led to a whole mess of hurt.  The night on Torrance Station was not one any of them were likely to forget and was probably at least half the reason he was so adamant to get Rhaef back.  He wasn't gonna lose another one of his crew, he'd already lost too many.

"I think guns will be fine, but we'll take the big ones, we may have to lay some serious cover dependin' on how many they got in down there." he hefted a shot gun off the rack for himself then stepped aside for Connor and Geoff to finish arming.

"Wei, you keep that pistol you took from Lei.  I'm hopin' they'll be no need fer you to use it but best be prepared in case things go south."

He waited then for the other two men, trusting Kyoko to make sure Dake stayed in line - the woman was at least good at that.  Once Geoff and Connor joined Wei-Li and him he turned to her, "Lead the way."

[To Beaumonde: The Underground]

Connor looked at the captain as he queried on how many were left. The answer happened to be two, but then the captain grabbed a big gun, and some ammko and walked right back out, heading towards the ramp. Connor made sure he had his couple of handguns and loaded shotgun and made his way out of the weapons area. Not before pausing and grabbing a grenade though...one never knew.

Connor tossed a nod to Kyoko and Dake before following Kale down the ramp.

(to Beaumond Underground)

Kyoko nodded as the captain gave her the orders to make sure Dake stayed put. Part of her was disappointed, one because she wished she could help more, and two, well...it was Dake.

Still, in an effort to improve her relationship with the captain and crew in general, she'd do as she was told. She began searching around for a first aid kit, looking at Dake occasionally, making sure he didn't do anything stupid...like try to leave.

She sighed, what a day.

Upon Kale's order, Geoff loaded up.  He wasn't going for stealth, he was going for firepower.  Once locked and loaded, he descended the ramp and followed the others, taking up rear-guard position.

-- To Underground

Wei-Li drew a deep breath and gave Kale a nod.  She paused long enough to give Lei a wink then she straightened her shoulders and headed for the ramp.

"See you all in a little bit," she said with a determined nod then joined the others.  There was work to be done.

---->To Beaumonde: The Underground

Dake glowered at Kale's back as he told him to stay and then stoutly ignored him as he, Geoff, Connor and Wei-Li took off into the night.  His anger was enough to make him forget about his arm for a moment even.  It was just like Kale, going off and leaving him behind.  Just like he had done after Nate died.  He'd probably go and get Wei-Li killed too.

As soon as the group was out of sight Dake gently untangled his hand from Lei's after a quick squeeze and headed towards the weapons locker without a word to either female.

Lei nibbled on her lip as she watched everyone file out into the night, managing only a tiny smile for Wei-Li as she winked. She hoped that a little while was really how long that they were all going to take. And that they'd all come back... in one piece.

As Dake disentangled himself from her, Lei sunk to the ground where she was, hugging her knees into her chest. Her eyes flickered cautiously between Kyoko and Dake, back and forth, back and forth. Kyoko was getting medical supplies for Dake's wound. That made enough sense. But Dake was in the weapons locker...

"Dake? What are you doing?", she asked with a bit of hesitation, her voice a bit nervous. He wasn't going to leave them, was he?

"I'm goin' after them, is what I'm doing." Dake said, "Kale needs me, he just don't know it yet." he said as he reached the weapons locker and found a pair of pistols that would do nicely.  He held them both, grunted slightly as even the weight of a pistol in his hand was too much for his arm and decided on only bringing one.

He looked back at Kyoko and Lei.  Kyoko he gave a look just daring her to try and stop him, but when he glanced at Lei his look softened, "Hey, I'll be right back, no worries.  You'll be fine here, fightin' is already over on the ship." he said, trying to sound reassuring, trying to not sound in pain.

Kyoko saw the look on Dake's face and smiled right back at him. She then sprinted as hard as she could over to the Bay door controls and hit the button she thought made the doors go up. She was praying nobody had locked it up, or that Dake couldn't get out before the bay doors closed...or that she'd hit the right button.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:21, Wed 15 Oct 2008.