Aether Shanties RP (PM if interested/Started)

[NinjaDeathSlap]

'Well thanks a fucking bunch Issac! Knew I could count on you...'

Zach watched Sheska being led away by some of Madam Remmington's guards, after the rest of the crew had set off back to the Mermaid. There weren't that many escorting Sheska personally, and Zach briefly considered taking them, before thinking better of it. Too much had already gone awry tonight. He needed to start acting like a hunter again. Take a step back, study the terrain and consider his options, before making his next move, and risking a massive diplomatic incident while The Mermaid was still in port was not going to help anyone concerned. As much as he may hate to admit it, Zach wasn't sure he even had it in him to take those guards even if he wanted too. Zach had taken enough wounds before to know that if the bullet had hit anything serious when it passed though him, he'd be in much worse shape than he was in right now. Still, the adrenaline from the fight with the Ggun operative had well and truly work off now. Zach was in pain, the entire left side of his torso was stiffening up, and he knew he had lost quite a bit of blood. He was in no fit shape for a fight right now, and if he didn't seek help soon he'd be fit for far less than that.

When the coast was clear, Zach retrieved the note Sheska had dropped. He didn't recognise the handwriting, but from the style he'd hazard a guess at Samuel. Funny, the doctor hadn't struck him as a man of action. Nevertheless, it was foolhardy. Zach once again cursed Drustan for his interruption. If Zach could know by now if there were other operatives in the city waiting to make a move of Sheska, plotting his next move would have been a lot easier. For now, Zach had to assume the dead agent hadn't been working alone, and that meant any member of the Mermaid's crew attempting a half-cocked rescue could be walking into a whole lot of trouble. Zach had a role on The Mermaid just like everyone else, and his role was to spot trouble before everyone else walked right into it. As much as he might prefer the thought of going in quickly, and not giving the Ggun any time to regroup, he'd be failing in his duty to not inform the Captain of what he knew. That failure could put the entire crew at risk, not just Sheska and the handful she had been arrested with. In any case, there was much about the Captain Zach was still unsure of, and her reaction to news of this sort could tell him a lot. Sheska, in part because of her abrasiveness, was one of the few crew members Zach had so far decided he liked, and the only one to gain even an iota of his trust, and he would rather not leave her in the lurch, just when it was starting to feel like he'd gained a friend in this crew. Be that as it may, all things considered going to Captain Beth first was the most sensible option. It was always possible that, if there were other agents looking for Sheska, that they would know what ship she arrived here on, but not her current location. If that was the case, then it may well be that in custody was the safest place for Sheska to be right now.

Too many unknowns. Too many variables. Zach needed to make sure all angles were covered. A careless hunter can be worse than a blind one.

A few minutes later, utilizing a few shortcuts he'd become familiar with during his time among the criminal classes of Helium, Zach had caught up with the rest of the crew heading back to The Mermaid.

"Captain." Zach's voice was strained in his greeting, but even so he still managed his token half-smile and sardonic bow. "I have news, and you're going to want to hear it... before I pass out that is."

 

[hiei82]

"...lot less room to maneuver." Garrett said in a laugh. It was good to hear him in a somewhat calmer mood.

"Please; I've had tougher scrapes against you." she replied, laughing slightly. Honestly, it was true. Though she hated to admit it, she'd had more of her wounds from his blade than the rest of the pirates she'd faced in her career. Only one wound had been worse, and it had the distinction of being from a cannon. That said, the same was probably true of Garrett (save the fact he hadn't been hit by a cannon yet.)

That's not to say she somehow held this against him; if anything it made her glad to have him at her side. It had certainly reduced her reliance of the skills of Dr. Roque and his trade; a positive in nearly everyone's books.

"Edward or whoever he is hardly compares." she said with a grin, finishing her response. "Now, I'd still like you to get a once over when we get to the Invincible; just for precautions sake. You were after all just in an exploding carriage; it seems an appropriate measure." she said on a more serious note; even if he didn't feel it, of any metal had embedded itself, the chance for Tenuous grew a thousand fold.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"Please; I've had tougher scrapes against you." Adrianna said with a small laugh. Garrett chuckled.

"Too true my dear, too true. Was that when we were enemies, in our romantic endeavor, or both?" Garrett then asked with a slight smirk as he calmed down, counting out the options with one hand. He could feel a light breeze gently tussling his hair about a little, but not enough to be a distraction.

"Edward or whoever he is hardly compares." Adrianna said with a mischievous little grin, making Garrett smile.

"Now, I'd still like you to get a once over when we get to the Invincible; just for precautions sake. You were after all just in an exploding carriage; it seems an appropriate measure." Adrianna said in a more serious tone, something more expecting of her position as an Admiral, though Garrett could detect a small measure of concern, which he expected.

"Indeed you are correct, making sure that your bodyguard is in fighting condition seems most appropriate, and I will do so because you have asked me to. On the condition that you get yourself looked over by Doctor Roque as well; I mean you were in the exploding carriage as well, and I wouldn't want you to be hurt either, and not just because its my job to see you safe."

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Wilhelmena

She saw, and heard, Eddie blasting a hole in the cart that Adrianna, and her bodyguard was in. Wilhelmena wasn't in the same cart. She figured it was better to ride in a cart with people that weren't important enough to shoot at. She was alone in a carriage with her new companion, DT. The automaton had been given to her.

"I fail to see the humour in the situation." DT said.

Wilhelmena had grinned, but concealed it with her hand. She thought he hadn't noticed. "Well, you are an automaton."

"Even so, they may have been hurt."

It may have made her task easier if they had been, but she doubted it. If anything, it would hopefully stop them from underestimating the mermaids again, and avoid the situation that had happened a couple of times after they had left the city. Wilhelmena just wanted to break the pattern, and anything unexpected that happened could be a great thing.

Beth

She made a dismissive gesture towards Zach, as he caught up to them. "It can wait. Doc, take care of him." One of the crew members helped Zach, by letting him steady himself on them. Beth lead them up the tower, and across the gangplank to the mermaid.

There were still some hours left of the night. The crew dispersed when they got onboard the ship. Beth would have gone to sleep as well, but someone had sabotaged the Mermaid when they had been at the party, and she couldn't sleep when her baby was hurt. She stayed up for a few hours, mostly spending the time shouting obscenities in her cabin, before drinking herself into a stupor and passing out in her chair.

The next day she was too upset about the ship, to remember those who had gotten arrested at the party until it was evening. Beth couldn't break them out of prison, as they would have to make a quick escape and the Mermaid wasn't able to do it in her current condition. Remmington had been pleasant enough at the party, and she figured that it couldn't hurt to send her a messenger asking the president to let her crew out. She didn't get any reply.

However, the crew was released the next morning, with their possessions, including weapons, returned to them. Beth was glad that she didn't have to break them out of prison, and risk harming her relationship with the president more than she already might have.

There was an uneasy atmosphere aboard the ship after their return, and Beth left for the remaining of the day, giving the excuse that she needed to take care of some business.

On the third day after the party, the ship was finally repaired. The captain had returned early in the morning, and was now standing at the helm of the ship with a smile across her face. She gave the order for castoff, and steered the ship away from Helium City. It was a glorious sight to leave the city behind them, as they headed northeast.

 

[hiei82]

[HEADING=2]Three Days Post-Party[/HEADING]

"... and that is WHY, Mr. Cynwrig, I EXPECT my crew to follow orders when I give them." Adrianna finished, chewing out the mercenary three days later then she wished she had. Were it not for the need for all crew on deck to achieve the vessel's greatest speed, she'd have tossed the disobedient sailor off the vessel at 30,000 ft. As it stood, he's spent the last few days in the worst jobs the Invincible had to offer; cleaning decks, moving cargo, and generally difficult labor. Though he would likely not see it this way, it was lucky he was under her command. A more stern commander would have had him flogged as an example to the crew.

Putting down her admiral's hat on the table, she turned from him and stared out the glass window and into the blue sky. "You are dismissed Mr. Cywring. I should hope further conversations will prove unnecessary." She waited until the crew mate left then stretched her wrist. The blast in the carriage had caused her to sprain the joint, and it was only now just healing. The result was a dull pain that never seemed to settle, but at least one she could manage.

Turning around, she made her way to the map on her table, ready to make plot of their course before the light fell from the sky. With any luck, the Mermaid wouldn't catch up.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Zach nursed mixed feelings in his solitude up in the Crows Nest, as Helium city disappeared out of sight behind The Mermaid. On the one hand, it felt refreshing to have a solid purpose again, rather than languishing in that cesspit praying on common thugs for the measly few coins they could provide. He was also averse to staying in any one place for too long, on the off chance that any one of the trail of bodies that he had left in his wake might catch up too him, and after four months, the city had begun to chafe. Any longer and he might have started to develop a reputation. On the other hand, in its own way Helium had offered an element of security. When such a melting pot of different factions came together in one place, there was always someone willing to pay for Zach's services; always something to guard, or steal, or kill. The jobs may have ended as quickly as they came, but Zach could always be assured that there would be a new one before he could spend all his wage. That was over now, and now he was heading off into the barely known, on a mission no-one could be sure yet how to accomplish, with a crew who had a handful of members at most who weren't completely out of their depth.

Despite all of his numerous skills, the one thing Zach could solidly attribute to him having survived for this long was that he was careful. It was second nature to all those who had grown up as outriders, where one hasty move or missed clue could mean the difference between life and death, to not take any action until all risk had been quantified and accounted for. On this mission, almost nothing could be quantified and accounted for, and what little Zach had been able to deduce from talking to (and eavesdropping on) crew-members who had been on The Mermaid since their last stop at High Tortuga had given Zach no insight on how their current destiny might be averted. It would seem that he, the one responsible for warding against threats to The Mermaid and her crew, was as in over his head as the rest of them, and that thought was not comforting.

Zach was angry too, about the sabotage on The Mermaid, although his anger was a more private one than Beth's. No matter what others might make of his attitude, he took his job very seriously, and for the ship to be desecrated while he was out at a party felt like a personal slight on his competence. Of course, if he had stayed behind, Sheska and Lord knows who else would likely be dead. However, as distasteful as Zach may have found thinking it, perhaps that would have been a better outcome pragmatically, considering the time they had wasted making repairs.

'No use! What's done is done, and I won't let it happen again.'

The moment he had been released from Samuel's care, he had gone straight to the Captain and told her of his findings and the risks they posed. If the Chuno Ggun had been able to track Sheska down to Helium, then they must know about The Mermaid, and the Ggun are not known for being forgiving. As soon as word reached them that their assassination attempt had failed, they would surely try again, and thus he had advised changing their planned route as soon as they left the city, to shake any pursuers off their tail. He had got the impression that Beth had at least listened; but whether or not she thought continuing on their direct path was still worth the new risk to make up for lost time remained to be seen. Regardless, telling her was the only action he could take in good faith... and Zach also figured it was time for him to throw the Captain a bone, taking the first step towards proving both his ability and his loyalty. He still didn't entirely trust her judgement, and he was certain it would take more than one minor success to make her trust his, but it still served no useful purpose to provoke her into second guessing everything he said or did.

Turning his gaze away from the now vanished silhouette of Helium's great tower, Zach occupied the time by polishing his bow. It had been his since he was thirteen, and still the beauty of its elegantly and intricately carved design entranced him. A compound bow of yew, bone-jointed and painted black, its complex design gave it range, power and maneuverability over even the very best re-curve designs, combined with its taut string of worm silk, painstakingly entwined layer over layer, made it the most accurate weapon (in the right hands) that Zach had ever encountered. The arrows would still dip before the bullet from a long rifle, inevitably; but what it lacked in power by comparison it made up for in poise and finesse. In the time it would take another sniper to load, aim, and fire once at their maximum range, regardless of whether or not they hit anything, Zach could loose 5 shafts, and kill five men, at his.

Getting to his feet, Zach winced a little as the area around his wound unwound its developing cramp. His treatment in Samuel's sick bay had involved little more than some injections, stitches and a bandage round his waist (nothing else was needed with the bullet having passed right though him) and three days later Zach was almost fully recovered, but it would still be stiff and sore on occasion. Straightening up, Zach tossed an apple high and far into the air. As soon as the fruit had left the tips of his fingers, Zach picked up his bow and notched a broad-head. He took a second as his eyes focused on the arcing trajectory of the apple, feeling the direction of the wind on his face as his mind automatically started working out a thousand subtle details. In one fluid motion, he drew and loosed the shaft.

The broad-head struck one inch off the center of his target, slicing a significant chunk of the side of the apple before it disappeared out of sight, but leaving the core intact. Perched above him, Oswin gave a squawk of derision, before flying down onto Zach's shoulder.

"Don't give me that look!" he told the parrot reproachfully. "I admit it wasn't by best, but I'm three days out of practice and still wounded. I'd like to see you do better."

 

[Texas Joker 52]

-Sheska-

Three Days Post-Party​

Sheska wasn't happy. She had felt abandoned during her stay in prison, along with a few of the other crewmates who were unlucky enough to have been caught alongside her. Though she wondered whether or not Beth was going to leave without them, she had kept it to herself, and reassured the men that they would be released or broken out thanks to the Captain soon enough.

But by the time they were released, a full two days later, she asked whether they were let go on request, and had gotten no reply. So once she got to the Mermaid, she was quietly seething, and had only gotten more infuriated when she realized that both Beth had left the ship 'on business', and that the Mermaid had been sabotaged while she was imprisoned.

After she interrogated Jason as to what had happened with the ship, she berated Samuel to help her out of the party dress she was still wearing. Thankfully, her shipment from Simmyns Outfitters had arrived as well, making that one of the few consolations that she had.

It was by the next day that she finally heard the rumors about the ship of Zach having killed a Ggun assassin, specifically one meant for her. It didn't take long to find him near the bow of the ship.

She strode up, wearing a blood red longcoat bearing her new emblem: That of a black wolfs skull in the center of a winding floral pattern, much like that of her party dress. When she reached him, she spotted his parrot, Oswin, flying down to perch on his shoulder.

"Don't give me that look! I admit it wasn't by best, but I'm three days out of practice and still wounded. I'd like to see you do better.".

At least someone else was in a similar mood to her own. "Being wounded should be more of a factor than being three days out of practice. If three days is long enough to dull your skills, they weren't very sharp to begin with.", she pointed out with a quirked brow.

She stopped next to him and tilted her head to one side. "So, I heard you took out an assassin at the party. One meant for me. Took me awhile to hear, since the goddamned guards locked me up. Is what I'm hearing true?", she asked easily, her eyes locked firmly onto his.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"You'd be surprised." Zach said, still staring at the spot in the sky where the apple had been moments before. "The weapon is part of you, an extension of your own body. Imagine if you walked around for three days with your eyes shut. The first time you opened them again, it would take you a while before you could see anything clearly. Besides, if that apple had been a man's heart he's still be dead, even if it didn't conform to Oswin's high standards of marksmanship"

As to her inquiry about the Ggun operative, Zach withdrew the blood-stained photograph from the waistband of his loose fitting black trousers. "His one and only parting gift. I would have extracted more out of him, but there was some interference."

Zach was finding Sheska's features unusually difficult to read. There was a lot going on under there and it made Zach feel none too easy.

"So... is this the part where you thank me, or would you have rather that I'd left him for you as well like that Imperial **** at the bar?" he asked, not impolitely.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

-Sheska-​

She had to snort softly at his reply concerning being out of practice.

"You'd be surprised. The weapon is part of you, an extension of your own body. Imagine if you walked around for three days with your eyes shut. The first time you opened them again, it would take you a while before you could see anything clearly. Besides, if that apple had been a man's heart he's still be dead, even if it didn't conform to Oswin's high standards of marksmanship.".

"Well, I've always preferred to be up-close-and-personal, though I could still hit something or someone a decent distance away with my revolver. Or at least, I could before I lost my damn arm. That should be changing soon, though.", she told him.

It was then that she reached down and pulled out a bloodstained photo and handed it to her. She took it, as as she looked it over, her expression changed to one of both mild sorrow, and slight disgust.

It was of her, back when she had still been in the Chuno Ggun. She wore the uniform, and it was filthy, as was her bruised and bloodied face and her short cropped, straight hair. Her right eye had been swollen shut with a full shiner, but the eye that was still open showed a little fire, so it couldn't have been very long after it was taken that she had escaped.

"So... is this the part where you thank me, or would you have rather that I'd left him for you as well like that Imperial **** at the bar?".

She looked up and blinked, then she had to smirk. Slipping the photo into her coat, she sighed. "Well, since you saved my ass without asking, I guess that means this is where I thank you.", she said.

Then she reached over and grabbed his shoulder and pulled him towards her for a quick, hard kiss.

When she pulled back about half a minute later, she stepped away from him a bit. "So, thanks. I know you didn't have to do that, and I'm pretty damn sure you didn't know the bastard was meant for me till after. But I figure you deserve something after getting wounded like that on what essentially was my account.", she told him.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

It was not something that happened often, but Zach was honestly dumbstruck for a few seconds. This was the same Sheska right? The same one that had only a few days previously wanted to introduce Zach's groin to the warm end of a blowtorch? He'd won people over before, but this was quite the turn around.

What should he do? Move in for a second kiss? No, too much. Tell a joke? Yes! That was better. Jokes were good...

"What, this?" He inquired, glancing down at his bandage. "That's nothing. Barely spent more than ten minutes in the sick bay. The real sacrifice here was the last night of drunken debauchery in Helium that I missed out on. Honestly, it brings a tear to my eye to think of all the girls that must have gone home disappointed that night. I was thinking we should mount a small plaque just here, in honour of my noble deeds. The rest of the crew could leave flowers and the Captain could say a few words... just, y'know, a small service."

The mock sorrow dispensed with, Zach took a step closer, his fingers gently brushing the edge of her arm-less shoulder.

"Anyway," he said, his voice low. "You get well soon..."

He tossed another apple as hard as he could out into the skies, and took another shot. This time, the arrow punctured the fruit dead center. Lodging halfway though, the arrow and still intact apple fell out of the sky together.

"I know I will." he said, before taking his leave and making his way down towards engineering. He wanted to see a man about some high-explosives.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

-Sheska-​

She blinked at his reaction, then simply stared flatly at him as he joked around in faux sadness.

"What, this? That's nothing. Barely spent more than ten minutes in the sick bay. The real sacrifice here was the last night of drunken debauchery in Helium that I missed out on. Honestly, it brings a tear to my eye to think of all the girls that must have gone home disappointed that night. I was thinking we should mount a small plaque just here, in honour of my noble deeds. The rest of the crew could leave flowers and the Captain could say a few words... just, y'know, a small service.".

She just huffed once. "Ok, I may have just kissed you, but don't forget, I am armed. Don't make me shoot you, Zach.", she told him.

However, she was taken aback when he came closer, then gently brushed against her wounded shoulder, causing her to quirk a brow.

"Anyway, you get well soon...".

It was immediately after that that he tossed another apple into the air, this time piercing its center with the loosed arrow. As it descended, Sheska caught it handily by the shaft, and watched as he strode off in the direction of the lower decks.

With a small frown, she shook her head slowly, then shrugged and took a bite of the still-impaled apple. She was going to have to teach him that there were better ways of practicing than using perfectly good food, she thought as she made her way to the railing nearby. She had to admit though, she was starting to like him, despite his sense of humor. He may just have a place on the ship after all.

 

[blaze96]

Samuel had helped Sheska remove her dress before getting the surgery to attach the new arm ready. Once all preperations were complete he walked up onto the deck to find her near a railing.

"The surgery is ready whenever you are Sheska. For what it is worth I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything to get you out sooner, but I wouldn't have abandoned a patient under any circumstances." With that little bit said he walked back down to the makeshift sickbay and washed his hands as well as cleaned his tools in antiseptic. Glad to have gone out and purchased more supplies so that he could take the precautions necessary for the surgery.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

-Sheska-​

Sheska was taken aback just slightly as Sam came up from behind her. She turned in the middle of taking another bite of the impaled apple, chewing on it surprisingly quietly as he spoke.

"The surgery is ready whenever you are Sheska. For what it is worth I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything to get you out sooner, but I wouldn't have abandoned a patient under any circumstances.".

When she swallowed, she smiled just slightly and shrugged. "I know that, Sam. Otherwise you wouldn't have handed me that message. I was just hoping I would've been out sooner. I hate being in a goddamn cage.", she said.

There was a quiet pause as she stretched, then she sighed. "Well, I'm ready to have two arms again, so I'll be down there in a little bit. I just hope this isn't going to be as painful as losing the arm was.", she half-joked, smirking as she took a final bite, this time chewing on it like she normally would, which was loudly and messily.

As he headed down below-deck, she swallowed, then bit down on the remaining apple core and tugged the arrow free. Setting the intact arrow on a nearby barrel, she spat the apple off of the side. Then she strode towards Sam's cabin herself, wondering what exactly the installation of her new arm would entail.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

- Garrett - ​

The last three days were quiet and peaceful, which was an appreciated change for all on-board the Invincible after the chaos that had been the party at the Presidential Palace. After they had set sail, Garrett had been to visit the Infirmary to have himself checked over as per Adrianna's orders. To his surprise and with a sigh of relief; the worst he had sustained were small cut across his back along with a few bumps and bruises. All of which could be healed with bed rest and some light medication to help ease the pain of the stitches.

Thinking back to what had happened, Garrett realised that he would need to go back to practicing his technique, so he would be ready if the Mermaid ever showed up again. So he spent the free time he had whilst not on duty up on deck, honed his swordsmanship with some of the crew using practice weapons, realising that they'll need to brush up on their skills as well.

- Three Days After The Party - ​

"PULL!" Garrett said in a loud voice, and watched as a empty glass bottle was thrown out over the side of the ship. He followed the flying bottle with his revolver, lined up the shot, and pulled back on the trigger. Seconds later the bottle could be seen shattering into a cloud of shards, falling like rain drops on the ground below.

"Sir, do you honestly think that this is a good idea? I mean it is a waste of ammunition." Asked the crewman that was helping Garrett.

"It may be a waste, but I've got to keep my skills up somehow, you never know when the Mermaid might rear its head again, and I want to be ready. Hurl another one."

"Of course Sir." The crewman threw another bottle out, and like the ten previous, it shattered into a myriad of shards.

"Pardon me for asking Sir, but how come your shots are so precise?"

"It pays to have something or someone to act as a focus."

"What would yours be?" The crewman asked nervously.

"My anger and frustration at the man who shot a miniature cannonball at the carriage that myself and the Admiral were occupying. With the right mindset crewman, rage is a hell of an anesthetic, helps fight through the pain; but don't overdo it."

 

[hiei82]

[HEADING=2]Exeter[/HEADING]

Exeter stood on top deck, staring out into the sky, cringing in annoyance every time he heard the Admiral's pet scream out "PULL!" followed by a shot. While he could understand the need to train with an armament to keep one's skill well polished, the mere fact it was the skyfolk dog doing it ruined any kind of respect he would otherwise have had.

That, and he'd awoken to the sound of the shots.

He'd been staring at the clouds ahead since coming to top deck - mostly thinking of the letter he'd acquired. Why had the Admiral hidden the details, and what did it mean for his own mission. Perhaps it was some kind of trap, but then it wasn't something he could risk. Exeter shook his head clear of the thought as he heard another glass bottle being thrown.

Exeter drew his gun, planning to shoot the bottle before the mercenary could get the chance. His shot was lined up perfectly, he squeezed the trigger slightly, but never pulled it back in force. The bottle exploded thanks to Garrett's shot, but Exeter had lost all concern for the bottle or the mercenary before it happened. Exeter ran to the nearest communication tube, opened it up, and screamed "Pirates! 5:30 at -45!"

At once, the ship was alive with activity - every sailor arming themselves and bringing the ship to bear.

[HEADING=2]Ciel[/HEADING]

"Pirates! 5:30 at -45!"

Hearing the report, Ciel sprang into action, bringing the engineering team under control. "Alright! Team 1: I want you shoveling coal into those boilers like your lives depend on it!' she said, leaving out the unneeded "because they do". "Team 2 and 3: get up through the decks. If something breaks, I want it fixed! Team 4: I want you here and keeping these engines running no matter the cost! Everyone got that?" she said, earning a "Yes, Sir" for her actions.

Ciel smiled - she liked being in charge. She quickly tossed each of the teams a pair of spider drones to be her eyes, ears, arms, and legs around the ship and turned to the newest engineer; James. "James; I don't know what you can do, but either do it or stay out of the way." she said quickly, not having time for anything else.

Then, she jumped into the fray with Team 4 - ready to keep the Invincible invincible.

[HEADING=2]Adrianna[/HEADING]

"Pirates! 5:30 at -45!"

Hearing the commotion, she quickly dressed for battle. Though her wrist still hurt, she grabbed her sword and pistol and put on her armored coat. She wasn't about to let some pirates get the best of her.

Stepping outside, she calmly walked up to the wheel and drew her spyglass - drawing a eye on the enemy ship. "Hard to port and load those cannons!" she called out, fully expecting her orders to be followed.

Spoiler: OOC

the -45 part is the angle from the ship's deck. Right now, the vessel is below the Invincible and toward the stern. I'll introduce the villains as they become important.

 

[Ruedyn]

"James; I don't know what you can do, but either do it or stay out of the way."

James had been lounging around for the most part, playing with one of Ciel's spider-drones in an attempt to build an immunity. He made sure to keep an eye on some of the engineer's, maybe pick up a trade secret or two.

But in the end, he was bored. He was honestly glad that they had been attacked. It saved him from the usual monotony of air life. Who would've thought the Imperials were this boring. Certainly not he...

James got up, and walked over to a nearby mop. He spread his grip, and placed his foot in the center. A healthy snap could be heard, and James tore off a sleeve. Within a minute, he had a brand new wooden shanking device for his non-dominant hand!

"I'm gonna go see how I can help topside, try to stay safe... And maybe keep the ship afloat." He gave a small salute as he rushed towards the deck, intent on getting a piece of the action.

 

[Arcanist]

The days after the party hadn't been Jason's best, even by his standards. After shouting at Beth, he managed to calm himself enough to let Sam talk him down from storming Helium City Jail. It was a hard pill to swallow, but Sheska was a tough one - she'd have to endure some time in the slammer, if only to allow them time to organize an escape. He trundled back with the rest of the crew, drunk but still cognizant enough to throw a glare at anyone stupid enough to try and give him any crap.

Any plans he had to help Sheska out of prison, however, went right out the window when he saw the state of the ship upon his return. Some bastard - Imps, if he had his guess - had made a mess of the place. By the residue left behind, explosives. Luckily for the crew, the engine itself seemed intact, at the very least, meaning they weren't very good at their jobs. Even airborne it wouldn't take long to get the engine back at full capacity. He gave his usual spiel to Jake and Fry - 'If this happens again on your watch, I'm going to throw you off the ship myself, yada yada' - then went to work.

He was interrupted by Sheska's arrival on-board just before they cast off. Understandably angry, she demanded details concerning the sabotage, but he reassured her that he had it under control. 'You think I'm letting some prick with a pail of black powder keep MY ship down? Relax.'

After seeing her storm off - something about talking to Sam - he remembered the little test he gave Roy. Perhaps he'd managed to get something done in the last few days? He turned to his second-in-command. "Fry - get me Roy." He nodded and walked off, taking his time as usual. Lazy bastard...

 

[Terratina.]

After the party, things had returned to some sort of normality. Vasco was back in his usual get-up, and very glad to be back in that mask. Dressing up for that party had turned out to be an utter waste anyway. Three days blurred into each other as stitches were sewn and bones were set. Bits of blueprints, tubing and something resembling a mask lay in tidy piles on his desk. Once again, the doctor had lost himself in his work. One could say that he was running on autopilot. Regardless, he would continue to fix people, for long as he was needed, for as long those raiders continued to be a thorn in the side of the Empire. Dr. Roque would not shirk from that duty. The call came, announcing that a pirate had been spotted. Time for the Invincible to live up to its name. Vasco was ready. Ready to tend to the injured. Ready to practice medicine.

 

[Cybele]

Roy didn't remember much of anything about the end of the party, only that he had somehow managed to get back to the ship by the end of it. He spent most of the next day sleeping off the hangover and it wasn't until evening when he felt well enough to continue working again, staying up the whole night to make up for lost time.

He heard the next day that Sheska had been imprisoned but she'd already returned to the ship by then so there was no point in worrying but all the more reason to get the plans for her new arm finished and as many of the new parts done as possible.

Roy had just finished one of the more crucial parts and was checking its measurements when one of Jason's lackeys came over to fetch him.

"Already?" Roy cursed. He still had more parts to finish and his report needed some ordering but it couldn't be helped. He grabbed his papers and hurried over to Jason.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

Spoiler: Oley Etenka

Name: Oley Etenka
Age: 6
Gender: Male
Culture: Automaton
Background: Ganger. Living a simple life as a loader, he was content with the work he was given and the mundane routine of everyday living. However, he never considered himself to be "happy" and assumed this may have been due to what he was, that maybe his existence was as fulfilling as it could be. He was built for the task, after all. Orion may have even continued his life as a loader if it wasn't for what forced him to retire, so to speak.
Ship: The Mermaid
Appearance: Standing at eight feet, five inches, Oley is an intimidating figure, an observation reinforced by his wide and bulky build. The widest part of him is, by far, his shoulders at three-and-a-half feet. At each end is a rounded casing that houses his arm sockets. From there it narrows considerably, only to widen again at the elbow joints. At his wrists are block hands from which three flat, wide, and jointed appendages extend. The smaller of the four act as a thumb, while the others clearly were designed to act as a collective base for massive containers to set into. Atop the rounded center of his shoulders rests a human-like head, though with a rounded face lacking any fine features, with two lenses inset for eyes and thick shutters that can keep them protected. He was given a square jaw that, when given effort, can display some emotion when used in conjunction with his eye-shutters. Though it might strike some as odd, he adorns the top of his head with a tweed flat cap that matches his exterior in color.
The majority of his mechanical components are shielded, to an extent, by iron plates that allow him full range of motion. Seeing as he wasn't originally commissioned for combat, his plating can protect himself from light munitions and ones not designated for piercing armor. However, he doesn't let that stop him from charging headlong into a fray, armed with a club he fashioned from a five-foot drive shaft and an engine block. It's a crude weapon for a crude job, and he's proven himself more than capable of dealing out damage with it. He's also crafted a gauntlet of sorts that he uses as a battering weapon as well as a shield, having been made of thick steel plates. The gauntlet not only wraps around his hand and forearm, but wide plates also can extend a foot and a half on each side for defense. As for his hand's protection, the plates around it are particularly sturdy to allow him to use it as a heavy steel fist. His legs are more like thick support columns with pistons than actual legs, designed to serve as an anchor for the loads he was carrying in every sense of the word. They were large, heavy, and had literally tons of power behind them. Oley wasn't built with feet, instead at the end of his lower limbs were four evenly-spaced extensions that, when necessary, clamp down onto surfaces and were mainly designed to prevent teetering. Although his legs don't allow much in the way of maneuverability, covering great distances is hardly an issue.
Personality: Generally lighthearted and easygoing, he's simply glad to just be away from the doldrums of his former life. Ever since he became a part of the crew, even though he still has to follow orders from someone, he's never felt more free. Has never been mistaken for being the smartest guy around, there are times when he outdoes himself in the intelligence department. Most notable of occurrences being the gauntlet that locks onto his arm to prevent it from falling off. It doesn't take much to please him, he considers himself to be a simple man with simple pleasures. He's perfectly happy with the way he is, but at times he becomes fixated with humanity, curious as to how his life would've differed had he actually been born and raised as a human. He struggles to understand some human customs, though one concept he grasps well, and has even adopted partially, is that of clothing. He knows he'd certainly feel vulnerable with his components were out in the open. Another thing he's come to terms with is the unfortunate reality of death. He realizes how differently it effects humans, how much they value their lives. Oley believes this to be a factor in the Neovictorian's opinions towards automatons. Regardless of whether or not that is the case, he's just glad he doesn't have to deal with that regularly anymore. And if anyone tells him he is any less than the person he is, then as the humans like to say, God have mercy on them. 'Cause he sure as hell won't.
Biography: Manufactured and assembled in Everglade, Oley's comprised of only the purest iron, mainly to prevent oxidation - something that definitely wouldn't do him any good. He was commissioned by a high-class freight company to load bulk materials on the docks, and that's exactly what Oley did. It was hardly a satisfying career, but he went with it, at least for a while. Day in and day out, he was ordered around like a dog and looked down upon like one with mange, as if he was nothing. He endured these feelings toward him because it was all he knew. It was all he thought he'd ever know, and so he did what he could to make the best of it.
What sparked his desire to completely do away with his former existence was what would boil down to the incompetence of one crate packer. Having run out of proper fastenings, the packer believed that what he'd already used would be enough, and it didn't help that he was being rushed by his supervisor. Oley, only known as Orion-7 at the time, noticed how poorly constructed the wooden casing was and tried to tell his handler, only the man was hearing none of it. Oley was ordered to load the crate without another word. The automaton was damned if he did, and damned if he didn't. But he wasn't going to let the incompetence of another man be his undoing, so to show his handler wrong, he did as he was told and hoisted up the crate. Soon, following the groaning of the few nails being wrenched from their sinks, the side of the crate collapsed from the weight of its contents, and out spilled bottles of valuable wine. They shattered onto the cobble of the dock, their expensive contents splashing onto the stone. Although it hadn't seemed like much, a large chunk of profit had quite literally been washed away. The automaton handler, obviously not wanting to look foolish, reported it as a mistake on Oley's part, that he had malfunctioned, disobeying direct orders and spilling the crate's contents. It was hopeless for the automaton, there was no way he could fight the accusations. He would be decommissioned and either be broken down for scrap, or sold to the first merchant willing to take him. Fortunately, as fate would have it, it would turn out to be the latter.
A privateer had docked, its captain looking to purchase a "workhorse", which could only mean cheap labor. The kind where you pay it all up front with the actual worker getting none of the profit. Although it was either be sold off as a tool, or become scrap, so Oley felt he actually lucked out on this one. At least he would leave the port and see the world, or so he had thought. When he was brought aboard, he was told to load up the wares they had purchased and to stay with them until they made port again. And so he stayed, waiting to reach their destination. Even though he wasn't being barked at all the time and treated like dirt, he felt worse off in storage than he did at the docks. At least there, he was doing something. At least there, he could see all the life of the docks, what little there was to offer. He'd hoped that maybe he could become just like one of those privateers he'd see, really be part of a crew and traverse lands unknown to him. But now more than ever, he felt that was just a fool's dream. That he'd amount to nothing more than a simple tool. However, while Oley had time to think, he cooked up what he would consider to be the most ingenious plan ever hatched...
When the ship made port again and his services were required, he began following them out as instructed, acting as content as a cow grazing in pasture. But before he could complete his work, in the middle of the return trip from the storehouse to the ship, he just stopped. Completely. His joints were stiffened, the gears inside of him stopped turning, and he became nothing more than a statue. It was as if he had just broken down, as if there was nothing left in him, much to the disbelief of his new handlers. After much waiting and some quarreling between the captain, his crew and someone happy to receive some scrap for cheap, the privateers returned to their vessel, having no time for further delay, while Oley's stiff body was being carted away to a local junk heap. It was there he waited until night fell, and there were fewer eyes keeping watch on the scrapyard. When he believed the coast to be clear, he crawled out of the rusted pile of spare parts and headed off into the city.
Finally, Oley was free. He was his own man, now. Free to set off wherever he pleased, to find more purpose in his existence. The only wrench in his works, though, was that he simply didn't know where to go. From what he could recall of conversations of nearly every privateer at the docks that used to be his home, many of them made their way to taverns to seek food, drink, and even new sources of employment. Figuring that would be his best shot at learning to properly navigate this new world he'd entered, he set off to carve a new path for himself. It was that night, he managed to find a crew willing to take him aboard. There were few like Oley around, and perhaps that was what convinced them. Of course it could have been the simple fact that they were looking for someone to do the heavy lifting, but it didn't matter to the automaton. He would actually be working alongside a real crew, have a chance to be considered equal among humans, to see more of what the world had to offer. That night, he became a sailor aboard The Mermaid...
Though Oley was mostly given duties that were best suited for the kind of automaton he was, he didn't mind it for the simple fact that it seemed he was considered company. Another person, of all things! Not a lowly worker, unworthy to look into the eyes of his superiors, not something to be tread upon, figuratively speaking, by every living being. The automaton was actually happy. However, as happy as he was, he wasn't content with just the work that was handed to him. No, he felt like he could do so much more. That he could fulfill the duties of every other crew member aboard. Even including defending the captain and the ship. He made a promise, the very first promise he had made in fact, that he would no longer rest contentedly with his current work, as happy as he was to do it. He promised that he would become a true pirate among his shipmates. And so, whenever he found time and the scrap to do it, borrowing tools when necessary, he fashioned himself proper arms to bear if they were ever in need. After much work, he felt he was ready...

Oley stowed his pieces of craftsmanship away, feeling that he wouldn't be needing them anytime soon. He decided to make his way up to the main deck, seeing as there was nothing left on his list of duties and he may as well watch as The Mermaid made its departure from Helium City. Clambering topside, he saw crew members watching as the city became smaller and smaller in their vision. Others bustled around, performing what jobs they were tasked with or perhaps just trying to keep active. Either way, he had no intention of disturbing what business they had and approached the stern of the vessel, keeping his eyes on the waning view of the city. The automaton sighed in relief, or at least in a tone he felt suited the feeling. Hardly ever having been in enough social situations to really get a good grasp on many of human vocalizations, he actually felt he was getting them down fairly well. At any rate, he felt things were really looking up for him. It would only be a matter of time, he assured himself, until he would get the opportunity to really prove his worth to the captain and crew.