Showdown [Caged Bird, 7 Deg.]

[Dexter Shield]

The shepherd but his lip, in response to the statement about Saint Lucy's. The bullets that forced Kelly back into the ship did his talking for him. "Funny how far away things are in a firefight." He mused, as he glanced at the other man. "Now, if you are all done dragging the wounded through crossfire." He bent next to Casey, and shook his head. "Shall we consider the possibility of avoiding..." He fell silent at the new voice.

"More attention." He sighed, as the newcomer called out to them. "Strange, a deadwood sheriff, responding to a fight on the Ariel docks." He raised an eyebrow. "A bit far from his jurisdiction... to say the least." He returned his attention to the girl. Patching her as best he could, he continued. "The feds are going to be here soon. I know for a fact that Davis was on the other side of things during the war. What about you? Her?" He nodded at Casey. "Don't worry about the criminal type, they probably already payed their monthly dues. Besides, we attacked them remember? They were just minding their own business." Dexter let the weight of his words sink in.
"This is getting out of control, and you know it." He sighed. "But what do I know. I'm just an old man."

He fell silent and returned to the girl. At the very least, he wasn't going to let her die because no one was taking action.

[Roger Davis]

"Yeah right." Roger replied to Tristram as he picked the girl up. Even if those goons didn't make it back any second, this was Ariel. You don't have a running gun battle in the streets without attracting attention from the Feds. Maybe they were the "innocent" party but a Fed Squad was not welcomed attention. Those girls were in trouble somehow and the rest of them weren't exactly upstanding citizens. For all Roger knew, Viv could be a wanted serial killer. The very best case scenario ended with them all getting tied down in legal red tape long enough for their criminal friends to have planned a perfect trap to finish them off. Yes, that was the absolute best scenario if the Feds showed up.

Of course Tristram was acting like the only issue was him escaping to the hospital. He also needed to make it back to Trinity in time. The rest of them needed to get off-world as well. If he took her to the hospital then she was staying on Ariel alone, and she would be found by the guys who had shot her in the first place. The young man's brilliant idea wasn't helped at all by his ordering Roger to "guard the ship."

Before Tris could get everyone in a world of , their friends indeed showed up, sooner than Roger had expected and of course much sooner than Tristram had expected. "I'll ask again." Roger said loudly over the now roaring gun battle. "Can anyone fly this damn thing because none of us are gonna make it if we stay here?"

Roger's second predicted company, law enforcement, soon showed up on cue. That increased their chances of surviving this one particular battle but did little to help in the long run. The shepherd's assessment was right on about the danger of them getting caught in all this but also about the man's jurisdiction. What the hell was he doing all the way out here? it. At least he was friendly, or claimed to be. The enemy of my enemy...

"No we ain't." Roger called out to the lawman in between bursts of rifle fire. "Deputy Roger Davis, Beaumonde, retired." He added. It would hopefully further encourage the other man and maybe even result in him cutting them lose once it's all said and done.

[Vivian Thrace]

Vivian smirked at Tristram as he brought the girl back inside as the gunfire began. She responded by putting a few bullets in the shooter’s chest. “Great, that’s all we need,” she murmured as the Sherriff made his presence known. Luckily he appeared to be on their side, for the moment at least. Vivian looked to the Shepard and nodded, “I was never in the war but yes, my parents fought with the Independents,” she had a sudden feeling of camaraderie with Roger, the fellow browncoat. At Roger’s question over the roar of gunfire she responded, “I can probably fly her, but I think for the moment you need me here,” she said shooting another three guys. She gave the Shepard a half smile as if to say thanks for helping the girl. She was much better suited for shooting bad guys really.

Vivian spied the sheriff’s Winchester rifle as he came closer, “I ought to get me one of those,” she muttered taking out another few men the second they popped up. She saw another in her peripheral vision. He was trying to sneak up along the side and began to aim a shotgun at them. Vivian pulled out her walther ppk tucked into the back of her trousers and reached across Tristram, as if shielding him, and shot the man between the eyes before he could pull a shot off, then sheathed her weapon and continued firing her rifle as if nothing had happened.

[Alex Ramirez]

Alex heard several voices from inside. The first was an older voice. Talked too much, and talked real smart-like. Lots of three platinum words. A Shepard, Alex reckoned. The second voice was a Deputy named Davis. He said he was from Beaumonde; The truth of his claim was in the accent. The third voice was a woman's. Young voice, scared. He figured there was a fourth, and maybe a fifth. He saw blood on the drop ramp, and none of the folk talking sounded hurt.

Alex was laying prone behind the containers, and he was really uncomfortable. plus he had to reload Julie, his rifle. He spun on his back, and began reloading the weapon.

'Nice to meet you there, Deputy Beaumonde,' he replied to Davis, using the man's planet as his name. 'How many wounded ya'll got?'

Another volley of gunfire perforated the containers, making Alex duck down. He finished reloading, then instead of popping up on the top of the containers, he fell to his side, using the side of the containers as cover, then popped one of the shooters in the stomach.

'AAGHH!' the shooter screamed in agony. 'Dammit boys, he got me in th' gut! Aw, boys, he got me in th' gut!'

Alex had already rolled back to to the security of the corner that was made by the containers and the ship. 'Unless you boys want what your buddy just got, Throw down your pieces and grab some gorram sky!' He was answered by a fresh volley. 'Guess they dont wanna do this peaceful, huh?' he said to the people inside the ship, laughing a little.

[Tristram Kelly]

Tristram grew flush with embarrassment as he realized the foolishness of his words and actions. Now, it seemed someone else had joined the firefight, God only knows why. A sherrif from Deadwood, where ever that was. His brow furrowed. He agreed with the Shepherd's quietly voiced observation. Looking over at Viv, he called out. "Don't you think it's a little close for a scoped rifle?" He stared down his own rifle's iron sights, firing off the last few rounds. His first whit hit the lead in a group of men attempting to advance. The rest slammed into the attackers' cover as all but one got down. He took a bullet to the midsection that didn't seem to come from within the ship. The "sherrif" took time to gloat, and was instantly fired upon. He shouted something into the ship. Tristram couldn't make out the words, but the laughter that followed told him that the man was making more jokes. The young gunhand growled. His cousin's life was on the line, and this clown was making jokes. He tossed hid empty rifle aside and drew his pistols, firing as he jumped over the crates to the next makeshift barrier.

[Alex Ramirez]

[OOC: Since no one else is gonna continue this, I'll do it. Any objections? ]


As soon as Tristram broke cover and began firing, Alex was up and firing as well. He was maneuvering around the boxes while still aiming down his sights, only barely glancing at where he was going. It was a technique that only a man who'd been to war would recognize, the practiced and deliberate movements of a grunt who had done this dance more times than he wanted to remember.

he put two rounds into the chest of one of the shooters in rapid succession while moving backwards up the ramp of the ship, still firing. After the first empty dry click, he dropped the rifle, fluidly pulled his sidearm and fired off three shots before getting below cover where the wounded girl was. Pushing the Shepard out of the way briskly but gently, He knelt next to her and looked at her wound. it was on her hip.

'You gonna keep waxin' poetic, Shepard, or you gonna help this girl?' He said to the old man. He already thought the old man talked too much, and he knew the question was going to bring on a flurry of what should have been internal monologue.

Turning back to the wounded girl, he said: 'Now ma'am, dont take this the wrong way...' he pulled down her trousers a little so he could see the wound. Inspecting it, Alex made sure nothing was broken, then placed both of his hands on the wound to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, she was passed out, so she wasn't squirming and screaming.
Alex looked at the other girl, and said quickly and calmly: 'Ma'am, I'm gonna need a surgical kit with forceps and a stitchin' kit, and if you could please, um... a, feminine... product.' He mumbled the last part, slightly embarrassed. When he felt their eyes on him, he sighed. 'I need somethin to stop the gorram blood and plug the wound till I can get the bullet out. We used them in Serenity Valley.'

[Dexter Shield]

Dexter fought back the primal instinct to attack the man who had so rudely thrust him out of the way. A young Casanova it seemed. Dexter felt the desire to show how two could play at such a violent game, but then his self control caught him. He took a breath, and stepped away. As he turned away, a movement caught his eye.

Dexter instinctively crouched back into the shadows, as a rogue bandit crept up on the now distracted lawman. Dexter reached out slowly, taking hold of his staff as the boy pointed his gun. Before he could fire, the preacher was on him. He swung the staff swiftly down, and brought the ne'er do well crashing to the deck. He glanced down at the new arrival.

"What? You mean our little boyscout didn't bring any tampons?" He knelt, and checked to make sure he hadn't killed the poor chap he had col cocked. Feeling a strong pulse, and hearing the battle outside dying down, he looked Ramirez in the eyes. "Next time, focus on your own waxed poetic. Or you may lose more lives than just your own." He grabbed his bag, and shaking the damaged bible, sent the bullet inside clattering to the floor. Then he headed off to the passenger quarters. Firefly... good ship.

[Roger Davis]

"Just the one." Roger replied to the lawman outside the ship. He kept up the fire from his position behind cover. The enemies were dropping fairly quickly as things were, so he stayed to cover and mostly just suppressed to allow the other friendlies more freedom of movement. It wasn't long before Ramirez made it inside and took over the care of their wounded girl.

It seemed like suddenly their underworld friends threw everything they had in a last ditch attempt to get past the defense line established at the Trinity's ramp, but it was for naught. Roger swiveled his side-by-side on it's holster and bifurcated one of the last attackers as he reached the side of the ramp. Tristram, Vivian, and even Shield hit right back at them as well and soon things were starting to quiet down... far from safe, but quiet for the moment.

"Y'all forget that you're tryin' ta save a life?" Roger said in a mildly scolding tone to the shepherd and lawman who had been bickering. The 'captain' reloaded his weapons during the lull in combat before turning back to the sheriff. "'preciate the help, but this ship is sailin' the second someone gets behind the controls... even if that has to be me. If ya have any intention of stayin' on Ariel you best be movin' along before that door closes."

[OOC: The rest of your feel free to RP out killing your last baddies. Maybe there will be another wave as we actually leave but I'd like a tiny moment of peace for us to get things sorted and get the engines running.]

[Casey Carter]

Casey was drifting in an out of sleep. She heard a multitude of voices, almost none that she recognized. In the brief moments of consciousness she fought hard to think but the gunshots and chaos around her only made things more confusing.

"Tris?..." she mumbled once or twice. She thought she bumped into her cousin, but wasn't sure.

It took the dedication and treatment from both the Shepard and lawman to get her awake. As she opened her eyes now, much more strongly, she noticed that she was lying down and two strangers huddled over her. She watched them bicker a bit before the preacher walked away.

"What's going on?" Casey asked, wildly confused. She attempted to sit up, but was met with a sharp pain from her hip. She groggily looked down and noticed her wound was bandaged. "Oh thats right...I got shot..." she muttered.

She shook her head, attempting to focus. She could hear much more clearly the sound of screaming and gunshots. Wherever she ended up, it sure wasn't safe laying around.

The second thing she noticed was the ship. They weren't moving, they were all still docked and still fighting to get off the planet. After moments of having to put the pieces together, she remembered everything; the stowaway, the thugs chasing after them, getting shot, and now this.

Casey pulled on the strange man that was helping her. He looked like a lawman. "Get me...to the engine room..." she said, wincing. If they were gonna get off this rock in a hurry, they needed someone who could deliver a boost to the engines.

[Alex Ramirez]

Alex smiled after the Shepard. 'So I guess that means I should let you bleed out when you get winged? I can surely do that. Be a waste to use em on an old man any damn way.' He turned back to the girl and continued his aid. Checking the wound with his little finger, he could feel the bullet with his finger. That meant it hadn't hit anything vital or cracked through the bone. This would make the wound easier to deal with.

When Davis chastised him for arguing with the Shepard, He glanced up at him, then back down to his patient. 'Look, Deputy Beaumonde, I have a thing about a man who jack-jaws when he should be shootin, then gets ornery with a man for tryin' to help him not kill a little girl, which is what he was doin'. '

The young girl stirred, and asked what was going on. 'Ma'am, I'm a Lawman, you've been shot, but it ain't deep, you just lost a little blood. I want you to relax, I'm gonna take real good care of you.' She then demanded he get her to the engine room. Alex figured this would be a good idea. Those men would likely have people that knew where they were going. If they werent back soon they would come looking. They needed to get off-planet, sharp-ish as his abuelita would say.

He looked at Davis, then back at the girl. Nodding his head, he said: 'Ok. This may pain you a bit...'

He slipped his arms under her and lifted her up. He turned back to Davis and asked: 'Where's the engine room?'

[Vivian Thrace]

Still gazing down her scope and shooting off a few more rounds as she replied to Tristram’s question, “Nope,” she said then pulled out her Walther ppk and shot the man approaching from the side shielding Tris she added, “Now it is,” before she once again holstered her Walther behind her back.

Once her rifle ammo was finished Vivian went about grabbing her shotgun, her favorite shotgun. It was mustard yellow wood with green shells. She fired off a few rounds allowing a distraction as Tristram moved forward. The loud noise and the powerful blasts of the shells was enough to draw their attention away from the man moving closer. She also shot two men while she was at it, one in the shoulder another in the chest. The man with the shoulder injury would probably live.

Making sure Tris was clear she decided to do the same. She holstered her two pistols. The Colt pistol with a black handle and brassy sheen on her left hip and the other a Remington revolver with a red-brown handle and blue-black barrel in her shoulder holster. She sheathed her ebony knife with the red leather handle in her right boot and the other trench knife at her right hip.

Vivian made her way forward in the same fashion as Tristram but in the opposite direction. They worked well together really. It was sort of like a dance. What one lacked the other made up for with their own set of skills. She had learned Tris’ style of fighting the first day she met him and found it rather amusing, and quite effective. However in their time together she also noted that he had never killed anyone. Granted she hadn’t known him very long, and she wasn’t the type to pry into someone’s past, but she reckoned he had never killed a man in his life. She on the other hand… it was a long list. That didn’t make doing it any easier. If she were honest every time she killed someone Vivian felt like she lost a piece of herself. She had been losing little pieces of herself along the way. This time she had to shoot to kill in an effort to save her friends lives.

Going around the rest of their company she stealthily moved behind a few large crates, holding her Colt in her left hand she unsheathed her trench knife with her right. The Sheriff she noticed had left his post behind one of the crates and had taken this opportunity to help the girl. A bad guy decided to take his place. She shot him down as she ambushed him silently. From there she lunged out from behind the crate shooting with both pistols before she ducked behind another obstacle. She could hear the voices of a few men on the other side. It would be risky, out in the open like that but they were right there she couldn’t avoid that kind of luck.

Holstering her Remington she removed her trench knife again and rounded the corner. She seized the closet man to her and used him as a shield before putting a few bullets into the shooter. Bullets were flying this way and that as she fought the other two men with her. She managed to use the knuckles of her knight to punch the taller one in the side of the head. This kept him on the ground for a moment, collecting his senses. Taking advantage she swiftly slit the other’s throat. The broad shouldered man had collected himself in minutes and went at her from behind. He wrestled her pistol from her hand, immediately she twisted around and dug her knife into his gut. ’Thank you, I’ll take that back now,’ she thought snatching her Colt back as the man crumpled to the ground. She then ducked behind her crate again and for a second surveyed the damage. A few scrapes and bruises nothing major. Then there was her arm. Vivian cursed. One of the stray bullets from the larger group of men had grazed her upper arm. She shrugged, it was merely a flesh wound. She tore off the bottom half of her sleeve and tied it around her arm.

The brutes seemed to be thinning, Vivian was quite a help in that regard. She and Tristram seemed to move with ease and almost in unison. As they neared the end of their showdown she made her way back to the bridge shooting, punching and kicking the entire way. Running up the ramp she took out one last man, “We should get out of here, Captain, before more come, I’m going to the cockpit,” she paused only momentarily and then as fast as she could rushed to the cockpit and slid into the chair.

[Tristram Kelly]

Tristram snorted at Vivian's reply.

'Smart ass.'

A commotion behind him caught Tristram's attention. He turned to see the Shepherd fell a man who had inexplicably gotten on board the ship. His left arm swung around as he put two shots into the fallen assailant's back. There was no way the gunhand was going to risk that one getting back up. He turned his attention back to the advancing men. As another man went down, he noticed that Viv seemed to be mirroring his actions on the other side of the cargo bay.

"Tris?..."

The sound of Casey's voice made him instantly turn around.

"I'm right here, Case. Jus-..."

Automatic fire cut him off as it slammed off his cover and he hit the deck. He crawled to the end of the row of crates and stuck out the side, putting three rounds into the man's torso. To any outside observers, he looked like he had been doing this his whole life. He worked his way out of the ship and into the street, firing off rounds at the few remaining attackers. One man bolted from behind a small wall and charged Trinity's ramp. Tris spun around and fired once into the villain's back. As the man fell, he saw Viv standing there, gun pointed at the same target, and the barrel smoking.

'Weird.'

The gunfire seemed to have stopped. Satisfied that they were safe for the moment, the young man took the time to reload his pistols and retrieve his rifle. He walked back out of the ship, eyes scanning for any reinforcements as he reloaded the rifle.

[Casey Carter]

Finally standing up, Casey was able to examine the ship and her surroundings a bit better. She was well aware of the shooting outside, and knew she had to act quickly. Muffled gunfire continued in the distance, by the two ignored it and inched their way to where they needed to be.

It also wasn't painfully hard to understand the layout of the ship. It wasn't an infamous Tohoku-class Alliance cruiser that they had to wander through, it was much, much smaller. Logic dictated that the pilot sits at one end of the ship, and the engine room...

"This way.... I think. Pretty sure. Yea." Casey mumbled to the lawman. With his help, she wobbled across the ship and towards the engine room.

Once they reached the engine room, Casey assumed a spot in the corner, and leaned on a counter; she started to scan the intricacies of the engine, as well as the parts and tools that were available to her.

"Lio Coh Jwei Ji Neong Hur Ho Deh Yung Duh Buhn Jah J'wohn. This should be in a museum..." Casey mumbled, and she hobbled over to the engine. She motioned for Ramirez to get her tools and to turn on the radio that would connect her to the cockpit.

"Ni Hao? Is anyone there? This is Casey... I'm ready in the engine room if you need me. Time to get off this Ta ma de rock when you are."

[Roger Davis]

This was Roger's boat now so as much as he would have liked to, he couldn't just leave Sheriff Ramirez's comments go. "Look, Sheriff Deadwood." he responded. "I said for you both to drop it. You're runnin' your mouth just as much as the preacher. Don't know why you expect a shepherd to fight more than talk anyhow. It's against their nature."

"Now, I told you I appreciate your help, but this is my ship and while here you will listen to what I say, Sheriff. I said I want the bickerin' to end." He paused and then pointed to the catwalk above. "Engine room is up top... aft o' course." It was good to see the girl was coming around and ready to help out already. Ramirez had done right treating her and helping in the fight before then.

Then Vivian finally volunteered her services to fly the ship. Roger shook his head slightly. "Ya didn't have to wait until they were all dead 'fore doin' so." He turned his gaze back toward the open ramp and any possible incoming threats. "Get us in the Black 'fore we have anymore gorram comp'ny."

[Alex Ramirez]

Alex nodded to Davis. He was right, this was his boat, and no matter what Ramirez thought about the Shepard, he would keep it to himself from now on. 'You got it, skipper. Trap is shut from now on, you have my word. Let me get this youngin' to the engine.' In the engine room, he propped her up on a counter, then retrieved her tools when she asked for them.

After Alex had done what she'd asked, he ran back out to the cargo bay and grabbed the medical kit, then ran back to the engine room. 'Hope you can do this doped young lady, 'cause if I don't get that slug out'cha, you're gonna get real sick from infection.'

He pulled a painkiller out of the kit, and jabbed her a few inches above the wound. 'Let that sink in for a couple seconds, then I'll get that bad boy out.' He laid out the kit, pulling out forceps, a quick-clot solution, and bandages. He pulled out his flask, and poured some of its contents on the forceps to make sure it was disinfected. 'You let me know when that good stuff kicks in. In the meantime, do you need me to do anything in here?' he asked.