The Clearing - Haven (Odyssey)

OOC: Thanks Mischa! And Misty, I actually didn't expect that, but it works.

IC:
The sound of the second guard screaming and the snarling of Freya told August that he didn't have to worry about that guard anymore. Just as he felt his strength giving out, Olaf caught him in his big strong arms.

"Easy, Captain." Olaf wanted to take his revenge on Jane for what they had put them through, but right now he was more concerned with getting August to safety. He noted that Ronon had just as quickly slipped back into the cover he had come from, and the guards who watched him put down their muscle had shaken off their shock and were headed his way.

"Come on, we have to keep moving. FREYA, RETURN!" he yelled back at his dog.

He helped the Captain along, but they were both exposed and out in the open. The best they could do was to move towards the mule that was pulling farther away from them, chasing Ayla and Buddy.

-----

Buddy saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and then Ayla had launched herself out of the mule. "Wha...?" was all he managed before the girl was out and tumbling along the ground.

"God DAMN it!" he swore again. He cursed himself for not strapping her in. Now the carelessness he displayed in his hurry to flee would cost him even more time. He pulled the mule around, circling back so he could pick up the girl. He had paid a large sum to get her back, he wasn't about to let her go that easily.

-----

Naraea and X saw Ayla jump from the mule, and now was lying motionless on the ground. Buddy had turned around and was headed back for her. Ayla lay about half way between them - they'd both arrive about the same time.

-----

None of the guards were particularly looking forward to rushing into the underbrush after Ronon, but they fired their guns after him, not hitting much more than sticks and brambles. But their problem was answered when one of their captains stepped up with a very large looking weapon. A moment later, the explosion of grenades in the underbrush could be heard as the man operated the grenade launcher. Ronon would need to move fast if he didn't want to get peppered with shrapnel - or worse.

-----

Jane was furious. Someone had obviously fell asleep on guard duty, and if they still lived, she'd see to it it wouldn't be for long. She ran out of the tent after August to be greeted by the sight of one of her guards being mauled by a dog, who suddenly ran away.

She put a hand to her ear as she strode angrily to the ramp of her ship. "Status report. NOW."

She listened a moment. "Then get on the guns and blow them apart. All of them. Yes, Phelps too. We have his money already. The Alliance will have to take Solataire dead." Her face seemed a bit sad at that though.

She paused a moment longer, then looked back across the ramp to where Olaf and August were making their way away from the tent.

"Goodbye, Captain," she said, and blew a kiss his way.

The ship guns extended and began locking on targets.

~GM~

Ronon caught a glimpse of the rather large weapon pointing his way, he dives into a dry creek bed ( Which he thought was dry) as shrapnel begin flying around him, he realizes he had one grenade left and loads it into the launcher, Once things settle a bit Ronon pops up and launches his last grenade and takes out the man with the grenade launcher
This is when he notices the larger ship's weapons extending, heck he had to move quick, Oh crap the ground under him had given way and he was now knee deep in thick sticky mud and sinking fast , He spots poor Ayla laying there where she had fallen and the mule which she had fallen from had skidded to a hault, flipped around and was moving in on her, then there was Naraea and X moving in on her as well, Ronon tries to free himself from the muddy trap but only works himself deeper, up to his small muscular waist, gorram he was stuck good, at least he was sheltered from any fire coming from that ship and he had taken out the grenade man, he had a fairly clear view of the captor mule approaching Ayla, he wanted to help so all he could do was fire his weapon at the enemy mule and hope to hit the driver
First it was try to lean forward and slowly pull one leg out of the quicksand at a time, but this was halted by his previous injury
Ronon grunts in disbelief as he sinks to his big chest, He was now fully stuck in the mire and would need help getting out , for now it was lay low, fire at that mule and hope for the best ( blub blub )

Ronon Dex

OOC: I get the distinct feeling that our group is in a bit of a mess. ;-)

IC: August was unaware of the ship's guns locking target on Olaf, Freya and himself, although he had not for a moment doubted that Jane would try and take control of the matter soon. With Olaf's support, he managed to get into a sprint again, although he was still tired from before. "We need to find cover quickly", he said, catching his breath. And then there was the other matter that they could not afford to forget: "Any sign of the Alliance yet?" August knew that Olaf had read the file in the Odyssey's computer that the captain had pointed him to. The XO would therefore be aware that the Alliance would come to this planet and why they were looking for August. As strange as it sounded, at the moment the Alliance seemed a pretty welcome guest to August.



-August Solitaire

OOC: Yes, just a bit. I won't get overly detailed here, as I want Misty, Krystal, and Bill to be able to do something with their characters...

IC:
The guards that had been cheering on their captain suddenly found themselves showered by shrapnel and bits of flesh and bone as the man was shredded by Ronon's final grenade. Those that were lucky enough to be outside the blast radius were suddenly heading for the ramp of the large ship - obviously the call had been made to pull back. The remaining smaller scout ship began igniting its engines.

Jane's fury was gone. She was in a state of euphoria from the carnage around her as she walked up the ramp, followed by the few remaining guards she had. Once they were clear, the ramp began to close. It was only a matter of time before the huge ship's guns began glassing the surrounding area.

-----

Buddy ducked as the bullets riddled his mule. He pulled his own pistol and began firing towards X and Naraea as the mules neared one another. Ayla was HIS. He wouldn't let her go.

-----

Olaf knew they had very little chance out in the open the way they were. But the closest cover was at least a few hundred meters away. He looked towards it, but was unable to see Ronon stuck in the mire there. If he had, maybe the choice he was about to make would have been different.

He decided their best chance was to catch up to the mule. It was only a hundred meters out, where Ayla lay motionless.

"Keep running that way, Captain. Towards the mule." He wasn't sure if August could see it or not. He had to hope that August could make it there on his own. He looked at his dog. She was a good dog. He was going to miss her.

"Freya, protect," he commanded, pointing at August. She dutifully obeyed, trotting alongside August as the captain stumbled away.

With a deep breath, Olaf turned and ran straight for the smaller scout ship. It was up to him to provide the distraction his crew would need to get out of this alive.

~GM~

Ayla laid on the ground, right where she had landed from her jump from Buddy's mule. Slowly, the smell and sounds penetrated her foggy mind and she realized her entire body was in some sort of pain. She groaned, opened her eyes and turned her head to get a look around. Maybe he'd realize...nope, she thought as she watched he mule get closer and closer.... Ayla closed her eyes again and tried to think of a way out. Or at least to get up and try to get away. Her hands her still cuffed behind her back, currently situated under her, her head was throbbing from either the punch or her tumble. Her shoulder had pains shooting through it and it felt funny, and if she wasn'g mistaken something else felt like it might be broken. Ayla rolled onto her uninjuried shoulder and side, pausing to catch her breath. She wiggled and got up onto her knees, then she looked for somewhere to run.

Ayla

All August could do at the moment was obey Olaf. He saw his XO running in the direction of the smaller ship and questioned the sensibility of that decision. But he was in no shape to do something about it. This is what it means to have a second in command a voice in his head said. You cannot escape having to trust others. If the situation hadn't been so life threatening and hectic, August would have laughed about it. Here he was, the man who had never trusted anybody but himself, who had always been the only one who had looked out for himself, trusting that his pilot's dog would have his back.

The captain focussed all his energy on running towards the mule. He felt the sting of the wound in his shoulder and the warm blood dripping down his arms which were still cuffed to his back, but he chose to ignore that. Slowly he came closer to the mule, protected by the large Akita.



-August Solitaire

Ronon was frustrated, Now up to his broad shoulders in quicksand, his weapon was now depleted, the grenade launcher was useless, Ronon growls in displeasure, he flicks mud about with his dreads, this is when he spots August moving toward Ayla and by his gait he was hurting
Now he felt even more useless trapped in the mire and trying not to move much more, this would create more suction and cause him to sink deeper, the he begins to shiver, hypothermia would get him first
Then a guard that was going after August got too close, Ronon reaches out with his long arm and grabs him by the ankle and pulls him into the quicksand, the guard tries to swing at Ronon, but all Ronon had to do was lock his elbows to keep the fists away, soon the guard was in his own struggle in the quicksand and tries to push Ronon under, Ronon retaliates by using the guard as a lever and work himself out a bit, this pushes the guard under, soon Ronon has his torso up and was leaning forward working one leg out at a time, the poor guard is under him, Ronon was hoping this would work

Ronon Dex

OOC: Delaying just a bit to allow Naraea and X to act...

Naraea glared with Fire in her her eyes as buddy shot at her and knicked her arm. With a scream in pain she fired back with fury at him driving the mule one handed. "Nee Tzao Se Mah?! YA gorram....Yi Dwei Da Buen Chuo Roh!" She raged like a valkerie on the hunt enough to terrify any mere mortal.

OOC: Uh oh, Buddy's in trouble now...

Gonna give Bill another 24 hours, I've emailed him but if I don't hear from him I'm going to move things along... want to keep the action going!

X had been awful quiet for a few minutes. Suddenly he stood up behind Naraea. "Drive straight baby! I rigged a grenade to this O2 tank. It's gonna make a nice big boom. I need ya to slow down a bit like we ran outta gas then punch it when I give the word." He placed a hand on her shoulder to let her know he was right there with her.

X Davies

Naraea smiled and nodded going with her gorgeous man's plan and slowed down the mule her gun still raised just incase. She glanced back at X giving him a ' I'm gonna knock your sox off later you gorgeous man.'

~Naraea~

X bent close and said, "Head for Ayla. We'll scoop her and drop my little gift." He turned and unclasped the O2 tank and kept a foot on the bracket so it couldn't pop free. As they approached their fallen crewmate X prepared to grab her while letting off the bracket so the tank would fall off when they pulled away.

X Davies

She slowly manuvered close to Alya thew girl they came ta get. Slidin up along her Naraea grabbed her yanking her over to the mule giving her lover time to drop the tank before she gunned it fast outta there.

Ronon was still stuck, and now had a corpse to deal with, he was not a happy man as he slowly went down to his big chest again, this stuff was determined to drown him , Now all he could do was remain still and hope that the now dead guard under him would slow the sinking process
Ronon watched as X and Naraea moved in on Ayla, they were up to something as they slowed and grabbed her, OH shoot the other mule was closing in on them , Ronon begins to yell as he sank a little more

" GO GO GO NOW FASTER FASTER FASTER WOULD BE BETTER!! "

Then Ronon realizes he was back up to his shoulders, crap and breathing in this crap was hard, with all the movement he had created a lot of suction and liquefaction , this meant that he would not stop at his chest but could get sucked under, Ronon could not move even with all that lean muscle, he was stuck really good , Now he was getting cold and began to shiver a bit , his dreads were full of mud now, he only hoped that some one would notice once the explosions stopped

Ronon Dex

Things weren't going that great for the captain either. August felt his energy drain from his body with every step. He hadn't been losing blood that fast, but all in all it now came to quite an amount. Down his back he could still feel the warm blood pooring down his arm, while on the front his shirt was getting soaked by blood escaping through the other side of the wound. He had trouble focusing. Where was he going again? The mule. But where was the mule? And what was that whining sound? Freya. August decided to focus all his energy on walking; thinking about other things was just too much at the moment. Sweat dripped down his face as he saw the ground passing under him, one step after another. He no longer knew if he was headed in the right direction; he no longer remembered where he was going anyway. But it was important to keep going, that was all he knew. And so August stumbled onwards.



-August Solitaire

Ayla didn't see who had grabbed her and tossed her into a mule, and she screamed as the movement shot pain throughout her entire body. Her sight dimmed and became blurry as she tried to make her body fight and get back on the ground, there she could try to make it somewhere safe. Somewhere far away from Buddy.

Ayla

Buddy fired until his gun was out of rounds. The bullets either flew wide or embedded themselves into the side of the mule. He never had been a very good shot. He cursed again - the woman driving that mule was a much better driver than he was, and they had an extra person. With one elegant motion, the other man had scooped Ayla up, despite the girl's weak flailing. Buddy turned the mule so he could pursue them, but there was something else on the ground now.

Buddy's eyes widened when he saw what it was. He hit the gas and tried to veer away, but it was too late. The O2 tank exploded in a huge ball of fire, engulfing half of the mule. Buddy's mule continued straight on, through the tent that went up like dry paper, and disappeared into a copse of trees beyond where it proceeded to burn. A few seconds later, it too exploded as the flames reached the fuel tank, setting the surrounding trees ablaze.

-----

Freya was trained well. She wouldn't leave August's side unless she was told to by Olaf or August himself. But the explosion caught her off guard, causing her to startle and jump back into August and tangling his feet. The Captain was down again, maybe this time for good. Freya began to bark at the escaping mule - she couldn't chase it, she had to stay next to the Captain, but she could warn it not to come back.

Those in the mule could hear the barking... including Ayla.

Then a huge explosion happened in front of the mule, causing Freya to flatten and bare her teeth. She moved protectively over the Captain and growled... the mule was coming back.

-----

The guns had locked onto three targets - two mules and August. Jane considered for a moment, watching the events play out. She smiled when Buddy's mule was engulfed in fire. One less loose end for her to deal with.

"Fire only at the remaining vehicle," she ordered. Maybe the situation was still yet salvageable.

One of the large cannons fired, but the gunner had lead the mule a bit too far. The shell exploded in a mushroom cloud of dirt and fire, creating a sizable crater just in front of the mule. The barking ceased in the ears of those on the mule and was replaced by a silence only interrupted by a steady ringing.

"Keep firing!" she instructed. She wanted those who had interrupted her fun eliminated.

-----

Ronon could feel the dead man sinking farther beneath him. This was a bloody damn big sinkhole. The captain was walking away, and had made no notice of Ronon's cries. The O2 tank explosion caused Freya to flinch and trip the Captain, who landed sprawling on the ground. A few seconds later an even greater explosion erupted in front of the mule Naraea was driving, forcing her to turn... back towards him and the captain.

-----

Olaf had run close enough to the large ship so as not to be targeted by its guns, but he heard the first explosion behind him. He grimaced, hoping it hadn't hit its mark. The second explosion was even louder, and he felt the concussion of the blast. He muttered a profanity in Mandarin, and resisted the urge to look back - Freya had stopped barking, and a lump formed in his throat. I'll avenge you, girl.

He bound towards the rising ramp of the remaining scout ship. With a leap, he caught his upper body on the edge, and pulled his legs over and in just as the ramp sealed - narrowly avoiding being cut in half. As he did so, he saw the burning mule and his heart sank. I'll avenge you all.

He tumbled down the ramp on the other side and into the scout ships small hold. Now he was in his element, and he went to work. He was a torrent of white fury - nothing would stop him now.

He dispatched the one guard next to the ramp with his knife, and quietly made his way to the cockpit so as not to alert any other guards who may be on board. Had any of them seen his face, they would have thought twice about engaging him anyway.

~GM~

X's ears rang at the explosion that nearly sent him flying from the back of the mule. He assumed Naraea's hearing was effected too and leaned forward. He pointed to Naraea then to August, indicating she should help him. Then he kissed her neck and jumped from the mule. As he tucked and rolled, he tried to focus on the voice he heard. Or, at least the direction it came from. He would swear on a stack of Bibles it was Ronon. He got up and tried to collect himself as he ran in the general direction of the cry.

X Davies

Even though it hurt like crazy she opened her eyes, especially once she heard the barking. Was that Freya?? If it was then that meant Olaf was there and the others. "Freya.." she mumbled and saw X. So they had gotten her. Not Buddy. Ayla breathed a sigh of relief that didn't help ease her pain. Before she could ask anything, ask where Olaf was, an explosion rocked the mule and she went deaf. For a moment she wondered is she was dead.

Bill Greene wrote:X's ears rang at the explosion that nearly sent him flying from the back of the mule. He assumed Naraea's hearing was effected too and leaned forward. He pointed to Naraea then to August, indicating she should help him. Then he kissed her neck and jumped from the mule. As he tucked and rolled, he tried to focus on the voice he heard. Or, at least the direction it came from. He would swear on a stack of Bibles it was Ronon. He got up and tried to collect himself as he ran in the general direction of the cry.

X Davies

Naraea did her best to keep control of the gorram mule. She saw her love point out August and moaned slightly at the kiss on her neck. She watched him go brieif then gunned it for August to save his hide then come back for X.

Ronon was not a happy camper, er or sinker, He watched as his friends dodged explosions, fell down, and almost get hit, He yelled
" Right turn Right girl, yeah!!! Ahh crap!! "

A little deeper he sank , he heaved to breathe now due to the pressure on his torso , Then he notices a silhouette of a well built man approaching , Heck he would have welcomed an Alliance officer right now, sinking into cold quicksand does things, Ronon was feeling chilly now, but he recognized the build of X approaching, All Ronon could do was raise his long arms to make himself visible to the approaching figure , he sank a little more

" X...X OVER HERE, CAREFUL, GRAB THAT BRANCH CARFEFULL !!!"

Ronon heaved even deeper to breathe and this even caused a bit more sinking, he was done for unless he got help
All X would see was Ronon's head and a bit of his broad shoulders, and some muddy dreads flaring out from his head , The big man was stuck

Ronon Dex

X sprinted and screamed, "RONON!" He couldn't see the big man which, despite his large size, was adept at being unseen. "Where are you?!" X continued to run. He was getting nervous. The cry he heard just before the explosion sounded urgent. His hearing was almost back to normal though he was starting to feel the sting of dirt and sweat getting into the cuts he'd sustained from his tumble from the mule.


X Davies

Bill Greene wrote:X sprinted and screamed, "RONON!" He couldn't see the big man which, despite his large size, was adept at being unseen. "Where are you?!" X continued to run. He was getting nervous. The cry he heard just before the explosion sounded urgent. His hearing was almost back to normal though he was starting to feel the sting of dirt and sweat getting into the cuts he'd sustained from his tumble from the mule.


X Davies

Ronon spotted X running right toward him and the sticky gooey trap he was in, X was going to run right into the stuff unless Ronon did something , He grabs gobs of the mud and begins hurling them at X. he hits him on the forehead with a soft one

" X...OVER HERE. SLOW DOWN DUDE,,,QUICKSAND,.. NEED A ROPE!!! "

Ronon hoped it would work

Ronon Dex

Of all the events going on, August caught only mere fragments. The last thing he remembered as actually happening was him falling down on the ground, pain shooting through his shoulder. Then there was mostly noise. Barking, explosions? Was it really happening? Where was he anyway? He felt like closing his eyes and falling to sleep. He was so tired. But he knew he should try and stay awake. He could not remember why it was important, but he knew he had to try. Barely conscious, August fought with everything he had left in him to stay awake as his vision started to blur.



-August Solitaire