Wheeeee! This is the longest chapter yet! Two more chapters, and this story
will be complete. Enjoy!
*Kangan's Quarters*
Kangan, Muraji and Vigoro were sitting on various chairs, chatting idly while waiting for the preparations of the Phoenix to be completed.
"This is taking forever! Normally they'd be finished by now!"
"Muraji, shut up and sit down. It's taking longer than usual this time because we need to restock the food on the ship."
The yafutoman followed his father's orders, but he wasn't too pleased about it. "Can't you make the guards load the ship faster? There's nothing to do here except-"
"Sirs, it's an emergency!"
Muraji looked rather put off at being interrupted, even if it was an emergency. Kangan spoke to the warrior that had just burst into the room. "What sort of emergency?"
"The Phoenix was destroyed by the Delphinus, and three of the prisoners have escaped from their cells; Vyse, Enrique and Fina. They also managed to free Cupil."
"And the alarms? Why didn't they go off?"
"...Disconnected, sir."
"Send the elite squad to guard the hallway that Aika and the Empress are being kept in. We don't want the fools who rescued them to get any farther." The warrior saluted smartly and exited the room to carry out his commander's orders.
"What about us?"
Kangan turned to his comrades, and said, "We wait. If they, by some miracle, manage to get here, they will go no further."
*Phoenix base*
Vyse sighed. "We've been searching for quite a while, but it doesn't seem like we're getting anywhere."
"And you're not going to." The searchers whirled, and their jaws dropped. Standing behind them was a group of about twenty assassins, dressed the same way as the ones in Horteka; gun in the right hand, spare in the belt, blade in the left. "We're here to make sure of that."
Abruptly, three of the assassins fell to the floor dead. "Really? It seems like you're the ones not going anywhere, having made the mistake if leaving our cell unguarded."
Gilder recognized the new trio instantly. "You've given me yet another reason to prove the fact that you're the best crew that I could ever have." Orlando, Elijah and Terrance smiled, then leaped into action.
The battle wasn't a pretty one. Two members of Gilder's crew had to back out because of arm injuries, and Fina sprained her ankle. Soon, there were no enemy fighters left.
That's what everyone thought until they heard a voice behind them.
"Move, and he gets it." The one remaining assassin was standing with his right arm around Hans' neck, and the blade across his ribcage. Everyone froze, and a cruel laugh came from behind the assailant's mask. "Good, now just march back to the prison block."
Clara caught Hans' eye in a silent apology, then whipped out one of her guns and fired a bullet at the assassin. Though he had no chance of being able to dodge, he registered the movement and drove his blade lengthwise into the engineer's chest. Both slumped to the ground in a pool of blood.
Ilchymis hurried over and inspected the two bodies. "The assassin is dead. Hans... He's barely alive."
"Will he..."
"If I don't stay here and heal him, then yes, he will die. But even if I stay, it's unlikely that he'll survive."
The three members of Gilder's crew looked at each other and nodded. "We'll stay here to guard you from any other warriors that would come."
Clara nodded. "Good idea. We don't want to lose him. The rest of us will continue searching for Aika and Moegi."
Ilchymis returned the gesture, and he and Gilder's crew watched the others continue down the dark hallway.
*Aika's cell*
--Ugh. Even though the creep left, and didn't tough me like last time, I still feel really dirty.--
The red-headed air pirate shivered at the thought of Vigoro.
--Disgusting and stupid. Those are the only accurate words for describing him.--
There were several people outside her door, but they were speaking too softly for her to make out what they were saying.
--Probably just the guards.--
Several thumps and a click sounded, piquing Aika's curiosity.
--Odd, they don't usually make that much noise when they're chatting unless... Oh no! That creep's here again!--
Aika walked over and stood by the door, ready to give whoever entered a good, solid kick in the balls. The door opened and her foot shot out, but she couldn't see who she kicked because it was too dark.
"Ow..."
"Vyse?!"
"What the hell was that for, Aika?"
She smiled apologetically at her friend. "Sorry about that. I thought that Vigoro had decided to drop by again."
"He's here? Yuck. Anyway, Moegi, Fina, Cupil, Enrique and I were freed by several old friends."
"Oh? Who?"
"Marco, Gilder, Clara, Hans, Urala and Ilchymis." By now, the two air pirates had returned to the hallway, and Aika saw the party that had rescued them.
"Where are Hans and Ilchymis?"
Gilder looked up and spoke. "Hans got hurt, so Ilchymis stayed back to help him. My crew met up with us on our way to find you and Moegi, but they stayed with the two of them as guards."
Aika nodded, then got a grin on her face. Several people looked at her quizzically, so she said, "One last thing to take care of. Get rid of the three who did this to us!"
*Kangan's Quarters*
Kangan, Muraji and Vigoro were sitting on various chairs, chatting idly while waiting for the preparations of the Phoenix to be completed.
"This is taking forever! Normally they'd be finished by now!"
"Muraji, shut up and sit down. It's taking longer than usual this time because we need to restock the food on the ship."
The yafutoman followed his father's orders, but he wasn't too pleased about it. "Can't you make the guards load the ship faster? There's nothing to do here except-"
"Sirs, it's an emergency!"
Muraji looked rather put off at being interrupted, even if it was an emergency. Kangan spoke to the warrior that had just burst into the room. "What sort of emergency?"
"The Phoenix was destroyed by the Delphinus, and three of the prisoners have escaped from their cells; Vyse, Enrique and Fina. They also managed to free Cupil."
"And the alarms? Why didn't they go off?"
"...Disconnected, sir."
"Send the elite squad to guard the hallway that Aika and the Empress are being kept in. We don't want the fools who rescued them to get any farther." The warrior saluted smartly and exited the room to carry out his commander's orders.
"What about us?"
Kangan turned to his comrades, and said, "We wait. If they, by some miracle, manage to get here, they will go no further."
*Phoenix base*
Vyse sighed. "We've been searching for quite a while, but it doesn't seem like we're getting anywhere."
"And you're not going to." The searchers whirled, and their jaws dropped. Standing behind them was a group of about twenty assassins, dressed the same way as the ones in Horteka; gun in the right hand, spare in the belt, blade in the left. "We're here to make sure of that."
Abruptly, three of the assassins fell to the floor dead. "Really? It seems like you're the ones not going anywhere, having made the mistake if leaving our cell unguarded."
Gilder recognized the new trio instantly. "You've given me yet another reason to prove the fact that you're the best crew that I could ever have." Orlando, Elijah and Terrance smiled, then leaped into action.
The battle wasn't a pretty one. Two members of Gilder's crew had to back out because of arm injuries, and Fina sprained her ankle. Soon, there were no enemy fighters left.
That's what everyone thought until they heard a voice behind them.
"Move, and he gets it." The one remaining assassin was standing with his right arm around Hans' neck, and the blade across his ribcage. Everyone froze, and a cruel laugh came from behind the assailant's mask. "Good, now just march back to the prison block."
Clara caught Hans' eye in a silent apology, then whipped out one of her guns and fired a bullet at the assassin. Though he had no chance of being able to dodge, he registered the movement and drove his blade lengthwise into the engineer's chest. Both slumped to the ground in a pool of blood.
Ilchymis hurried over and inspected the two bodies. "The assassin is dead. Hans... He's barely alive."
"Will he..."
"If I don't stay here and heal him, then yes, he will die. But even if I stay, it's unlikely that he'll survive."
The three members of Gilder's crew looked at each other and nodded. "We'll stay here to guard you from any other warriors that would come."
Clara nodded. "Good idea. We don't want to lose him. The rest of us will continue searching for Aika and Moegi."
Ilchymis returned the gesture, and he and Gilder's crew watched the others continue down the dark hallway.
*Aika's cell*
--Ugh. Even though the creep left, and didn't tough me like last time, I still feel really dirty.--
The red-headed air pirate shivered at the thought of Vigoro.
--Disgusting and stupid. Those are the only accurate words for describing him.--
There were several people outside her door, but they were speaking too softly for her to make out what they were saying.
--Probably just the guards.--
Several thumps and a click sounded, piquing Aika's curiosity.
--Odd, they don't usually make that much noise when they're chatting unless... Oh no! That creep's here again!--
Aika walked over and stood by the door, ready to give whoever entered a good, solid kick in the balls. The door opened and her foot shot out, but she couldn't see who she kicked because it was too dark.
"Ow..."
"Vyse?!"
"What the hell was that for, Aika?"
She smiled apologetically at her friend. "Sorry about that. I thought that Vigoro had decided to drop by again."
"He's here? Yuck. Anyway, Moegi, Fina, Cupil, Enrique and I were freed by several old friends."
"Oh? Who?"
"Marco, Gilder, Clara, Hans, Urala and Ilchymis." By now, the two air pirates had returned to the hallway, and Aika saw the party that had rescued them.
"Where are Hans and Ilchymis?"
Gilder looked up and spoke. "Hans got hurt, so Ilchymis stayed back to help him. My crew met up with us on our way to find you and Moegi, but they stayed with the two of them as guards."
Aika nodded, then got a grin on her face. Several people looked at her quizzically, so she said, "One last thing to take care of. Get rid of the three who did this to us!"