Pirates Return IC

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"Play those pipes, boy!" Three Swords said, trying to muster his usual gruff demeanour. He found it hard though, since Matty had just saved his life.

Three Swords reloaded his pistol whilst Matty played his pipes. The sound was trembling and Three Swords saw Matty's fingers shaking on the holes. "I like you, Matty. I like the way you play your pipes. There aren't many folk I'd say that to, but there it is." He paused "But don't tell anyone you bilge rat, or I'll stick that pipe so far up your arse it'll pick your nose!" Three Swords turned and fired his pistols at the Red Hands.

His vision was almost gone now but he had no doubt he'd hit a Red Hand, as his own crew was down to a few pockets of resistance. These pockets though, were the best of his men - the bravest and the hardiest of the crew.

"Damn me." he said, reloading the pistols, "Matty, I can barely see as far as my hands right now, so you're going to have to help me. As soon as Zheng has planted Alexa's explosives on the Wave Hunter, you'll have to shoot them to set them off. Can you do that for me?" Three Swords held the pistol up for Matty to take.

 

Matty's every instinct told him to run and hide, but Da's words were still ringing in his head, Do whatever you can to leave yourself what chance you have... He drew himself up, accepted the pistol and dropped it in his lap.

"I'll do me best, Cap'n." One eye on their safety and one on the far mast he went back to playing. Somehow, the tune that drifted over the knots of battle had found a new power.

 

Jacques hummed along to the haunting melody, which cut clear through the drone of the battle. Carving his way through the nameless ranks of Red Hands, he moved in a graceful quickstep in time to the music, dancing towards the source of the sound without thinking. His left arm had been slashed deeply below the shoulder, and didn't move right any more, but didn't put him badly off balance.

Jacques gripped the hilt of his cutlass with a hand slick with blood, both his own and his foes', having lost his stiletto earlier in the ribs of some poor sod who had chosen the wrong team.

Hearing the notes falter, Jacques looked around; finally seeing the sorry state the captain was in, and how few of the crew on deck were standing, he let his gaze linger, mouth slightly open. Unwanted memories flickered behind his eyes, remembering the first and last time he had seen a ship and crew this decimated. But they had not been able to fight back.

Jacques was swiftly brought out of his reverie by a flash of steel in the corner of his eye - his reflexes kicked in late, and he got a glancing strike to the left side of his face, the cutlass blade of a heavy-set Red Hand with gnarled features narrowly missing his eye. The blood flowed rapidly down his face, the salt in the breeze stinging near as sharp as the sword had. Shaking his matted hair out of his eyes, Jacques stepped back and to the side, trying not to give his opponent time for a second strike.

Recovering his balance but breathing deeply, Jacques faced down the invading pirate, who was eyeing him warily.

"Nice day for it, isn't it?" Jacques said with a lop-sided grin, as the heavily-scarred man closed on him. Half a second before he swung, Jacques dived down and the left, thrusting his sword out and raking it back hard across the back of his thigh. Letting out a strangled yelp, the Red Hand dropped to one knee, flailing out wildly with his cutlass. Feinting to one side to draw away the wide but dangerous sword-swipes, Jacques slipped to his right, cutting his throat as he passed.

Seeing Matty, looking whiter and more strangely determined by the minute, standing over Three Swords, who was growing worryingly pale himself, Jacques made his way there at a half-run.

"Captain? Need a hand reloading those pistols?"

 

"I just need help killing these sons of bitches." Three Swords said, firing into the crowd. "I've had enough of sitting on my arse whilst everyone gets killed. Keep fighting them." He said as he swiftly tore a hole in his trousers where the bullet had entered. He cursed as he saw the burning hole it had made. Drawing his knife, he pushed it down the hole, gritting his teeth with the pain. He felt it touch the bullet and he moved the knife a little, pushing it along side the bullet. With an agonising amount of effort, he levered the bullet free, letting it clunk on the deck as a gush of blood rushed out of the wound.

As quickly as his numb hands would allow it, he tied a makeshift bandage made from his shirt sleeve around the wound.

He winced as he did so, but with the bullet out, the pain had reduced to a dull throb that caused him pain every time his heart beat. The rest had done him some good though and Matty's pipe playing had lifted his heart.

"Pick me up." He ordered Jacques, "and hand me a blade." The navigator did so. "Matty, reload that blunderbuss and cover our backs. Jacques, you protect my side. I can't leap away from an attack with this leg, but I can still gut a few of the bastards. Let's go." He ordered, limping forward with his good leg leading.

 

Zheng swung on the rope towards the Wave Hunter at tremendous speed. So much so the pistol tucked in his sash flew out. Cursing softly he prepared himself. Dropping at the precise time he hurtled towards the deck and landed in a forward roll. Arriving on his feet again, sword in hand. He smashed a cutlass from a Red Hand's hand before twisting his blade after it had sliced the man's jugular open. Zheng attepted a roll underneath a second warrior but mistimed and felt the sword open a cut in his back. The chinese broadsword sliced the man's belly open in a vicious fashion.

Quickly, looking around he moved swiftly towards the mast and placed the explosives in the precise place Abbot had told him too. He turned and felt a sword open a deep cut in his side. He groaned in agony and fury before grabbing the man's swordarm and disembollowing him. The red hand fell to his knees before Zheng decapatated him.

Zheng sheathed his broadsword and move towards the gangplans that lead back to the Pale Horse. He crossed it, unsheathing his sword again. HE spotted several crewmemebers being forced back by a group of Red Hands. He cursed and moved towards them, ducking a cut and slicing the mans arm of for his foolish attempt.

"Shoot now," he screamed, so loudly everyone could hear him. Even above the clash of steel on steel and the crackling of gun fire. "Shoot, shoot, Captain. It is placed." He had done his part but it was not over yet. He drew his bloodsoaked broadsword once, eyes focused on the Red Hand's in front of him. He smiled, more to kill. Shouting a chinese battlecry he hurled himself at them in a controlled bloody fury ignoring the wounds he had received.

 

Hearing Zheng's shout, Matty dropped the blunderbuss he was fumbling at loading. It joined his pipes, forgotten on the deck, as he aimed the pistol at the distant target. His hands were shaking so badly as to make the exercise useless.

Da, I can't get this part. I just can't reach the notes.

Don't reach for them, Matty. Just let the music flow through you and the notes will be there at the right time.

Matty stopped trying to aim and simply focussed on the Wave Hunter's mast. Suddenly the explosive sprang into high relief, bright and sharp and huge. All he had to do was squeeze the trigger...

The flash Matty saw could have been the burst of the explosive, or it could have been caused by the large piece of wood that a Hander swung at his head in a desperate effort to save his ship.

 

Gritting his teeth, Ricardo lunged forward as his cutlass snapped the first rope. His shoulder was still hurting like Satan Himself had deeded to take note, but it only fuelled his fury; he would never let these God-forsaken curs defeat him!

Next to him, the redhead made her way to the next rope, a determined look on her face. Ricardo fell a step behind, skewering an attacking Red Hand with a triumphant hiss.

As Alexa hacked at the rope, the Spaniard’s blades kept the attackers away from her long enough for the rope to snap. He spun around, his eyes meeting her s long enough to hopefully convey what he planned, before he dashed towards the next rope.,

This time, Alexa kept the attackers at bay while Ricardo hacked at the rope; he made quick work of it, sending the ship rocking as only single grapple remained.

With a growl he spun around, facing yet another attacker;. He knew Alexa was heading for the last rope as he battled the two Red Hands, letting his furyy take over; he fed on the pain on his shoulder, let it spur him forward as he slashed and stabbed, not noticing how a third attacker had gotten behind him; it was only pure luck that when Alexa cut the last rope, the two ships flew apart.

It was not a great distance, but the suddenness of the motion sent everyone aboard either ship stumbling and falling.

 

Three Swords fell back as the ropes were cut and the mast exploded in quick succession. He went down badly, turning himself to avoid landing on his wounded leg but it had little effect and he cried out in his agony.

He tried to stand but there was little he could do. He rolled onto his back and looked to the other ship. The mast had fallen and the ship had virtually halted in the water - any reinforcements the Red Hand could have sent were unable to get aboard and now, the Red Hands on board the Pale Horse were suddenly trapped.

"Charge them!" Three Swords bellowed "Throw these bastards off of my ship!" The small pockets of resistance let off a volley into the demorallised Handers and charged into their midst with renewed fury.

Three Swords pulled the Volley gun from his belt and fired it into the Handers crowd, the noise and the damage it caused throwing the Handers back. "Help me up, Jacques - we're going to finish this fight."

 

Zheng tasted steel once more across his chest but the red hand was cut down by anothr crew member. He stumbled and fell side as the ship rocked. Landing hard on his wounded side, his makeshift bandage ripped and blood flowed once more. He struggled to rise and found himself staring into a pistols barrel. He looked up at the warrior and waited for his impending death. Th man's hand was cut by an unknown creember to Zheng and he smiled. Luck was sweet. The pistol landed on the deck and was set of by the man's fingers still attached to the hand which remained on the gun. He felt a burning hotness in his thigh and he pitched foward. He crawled as best as he could from the battle, every inch of him urging him forward. His strength seeped away and he layed his head on the deck.

"Too much pain. I can't go on. This is comfy though," he thought. "I might have a wee rest here." He heard the battle as though at a distance his eyes closed. He didn't care about anything anymore. Just the pain. He felt someone stand on his back and he groaned and allowed the fatigue to sweep over him.

 

Daniel suddenly became aware again of what was going on around him. He had reloaded his gun, mom was by him, no, she was gone. The ship lurched. He saw his mom fall to the ground and a Red Hand jumped on her back.

Daniel jumped up and ran over to the two. He kicked the man in the face with his boot. The man reered up, blood flowing from his nose, and yelled, "You little bastard!"

"You got that right!" Daniel said. He pointed a pistol in the man's face and blew a hole through his eyes. Pushing the man off his mom he said, "Mom, I've got three so far! Wow, your arm is spurting blood, looks like an artery was cut, let me bind it for you."

He tore off the sleeve of Bart's old shirt and made a bandage out of it and bound her arm.

[ August 05, 2005, 04:54: Message edited by: Scot ]

 

Bison had just disarmed a hander who had attacked him with his own spear, and knocked him overboard. He looked over at the other man who was helping him to protect the young one with the guns. Since his arrival, Bison had had the chance to bandage up his wounds.

Now that his blood had stopped flowing freely, and the young crewman with the guns was protected, Bison set about to carry out the captains orders and force the enemy off the ship. Seeing a small asian man who was wounded getting stood on by a Red Hand, Bision charged him, gutting him with single motion.

After spearing the man, and checking to see that the asian man was still alive, Bison focused his attention on the other Handers who didn't seem to want to leave the ship.

 

Helping the Captain upright, Jacques kept an eye out for anyone getting too close. It was a mark of how badly Three Swords was wounded that he was now trying little to hide how much he relied on Jacques' support.

They made their way cautiously, Jacques trying to look in every direction for any threat to himself, the Captain or the boy musician. His left arm had begun to stiffen now, and the adrenalin of the battle was wearing off, but he willed himself to stay alert.

Few more than a dozen pirates of the Red Hand now remained on the Pale Horse; enough yet to cause harm if they weren't taken care of quickly. Catching Three Swords' eye as they approached the remnant of the boarding party, Jacques steeled himself once more and picked out a target. As the unlucky Hander flicked his eyes towards the three of them, Jacques gave him a grin that didn't reach his eyes.

 

Duece didn't find Daniel, but he did find himself in a loseing battle against another of the Red Hand pirates. At a serious disadvantage with only one arm working, Duece found himself getting hit more often then hitting the other man. Until the ships went of kilter. The man lost his balance and Duece to advantage, he slammed his forehead into the mans nose, cause both of them serious pain, and at the same time whipped the pistol up and fired a shot into the mans chest.

With that Duece fell over, the battle had taken to much and he had lost alot of blood. Landing on his side, Duece rolled over onto his back layed staring at the sky.

 

His eyes flashing darkly, Ricardo struck down last of the Rd Hands in their immediate vicinity. He knew that in his weakened condition, he was lucky to manage even that – the fool had gotten in a lucky blow, on his already weakened rough shoulder.

His eyes scanned the deck, noting no other immediate danger, and in a few heartbeats he was next to the redhead, kneeling next to her with a hiss. He could see she was bleeding, and not only from her arm. There was an ugly wound on her side. he ignored the boy who was trying to bind her arm.

“Señora?”

 

Alexa hissed in pain as Daniel tried to bind up her arm. She scanned the deck of the ship hazily, seeing the last of the intruders being taken care of.

"I wasn't fast enough to avoid the cutlass." She winced as she felt the cut on her side gingerly. "It didn't hit anything serious though." She looked up at Ricardo. "I can't bind this by myself."

 

Ricardo nodded grimly, suppressing the smirk that threatened to rise to his lips. “Very well, Señora.”

He began yanking off his necktie, knowing that the long strip of fabric was the best choice of bandage he had at hand. Carefully, he settled his left arm around her slim body and began to wrap the cloth around her body, careful to not to let his eyes – or hands – wander.

He wrapped the wound quickly and efficiently, concentrating on his task and not her intoxicating closeness. The blood, the pain, having her so near... it stretched Ricardo’s already-tenuous control to its limits, but gritting his teeth, he managed to bandage her without incident.

“Can you stand,Señora?” He asked her after he finished, his arm still around her shoulders.

 

Alexa nodded, and got to her feet slowly. "Thank you for binding this, but now I need to get my equipment, my medicines. Stay here, help the Captain."

She shrugged off Ricardo's arm, and slowly made her way back to the surgery, taking note of which members of the crew needed more help than others.

 

Ricardo watched her make her way to the surgery, a small smile rising to his lips. She was magnificent – and she would be his. He knew that now.

He turned on his heel, and noticed the boy.

”Stop staring, boy,” the snapped at the youth, “Follow me, and stay close.”

Confident that the boy would follow, he headed off in search of the Captain.

 

Three Swords srtepped into attack a Red Hand, his one good leg barely having the energy to keep him upright. He blocked an incoming slash, twisted his blade to lance it into the man's chest.

Three Swords tore the blade loose, stumbling as he did so. He managed to keep his footing steady as he looked around the ship. There were bodies everywhere, most carried the mark of the Red Hand, but nearly as many carried no such mark.

Abbot leaned on the cutlass as a crew man shouted to him. "What of the enemy ship, sir?"

"What of it, crewman? We've got enough men to man those cannon but not one gunner amongst them! We'll have to let them go - because I warrant you, before we manage to lay a shot on them, they'll have turned that ship and blown us out of the water. And they don't even have a mainsail. No - we're getting out of here."

Three Swords cursed - how he would have loved to have destroyed the Wave Hunter. Abbot grunted his teeth and turned away to find a battered steel breastplate lying on the deck. LeBihan had gottten away, cut away his armour and swam for the Wave Hunter.

Damn it! He thought, "Find us a quiet area nearby, Jacques. We need to lie low and repair." and bury our dead, he added to himself. "I need to find the surgeon."


Francois LeBihan climbed the rope thrown down for him from the deck of the Wave Hunter. He pulled his soaken, bloodied body over the side, muttering curses under his breath. He'd take the Pale Horse, he'd gut every damnable person aboard. There would be another fight.

 

Alistair had noticed that the numbers were decreasing - on both sides. By the end of the battle he was on the main deck, sitting at a corner and slowly picking off enemies one by one. It took them a while to notice him.

As a last Red Hand charged at him screaming, he reached out a leg and kicked him in the chest, stomping him to the floor, and ended his life with a quick stab.

His leg was bleeding quite badly, a wound from a pirate who snuck up on him, and he was walking with a slight limp. Slowly, he started his journey downstairs back into the cabin.