Westward: Incident at Fort Southridge

[Shadow Chorus]

Pulling to a halt after the first gunshots, Seth immediately turned the bike around and pushed it around the corner of the bend in the path, away from the trap. Spinning around after gaining some distance, he pulls down his goggles and proceeds to mentally inspect the situation. In his mind's eye, he could see red lines marking the pathway itself, potential routes up the wall, the positions of his allies, and likely positions of the enemy. They had cover, but were camped in a position on top of a canyon ridge that was not likely to be easy to scale down. Running directly through the canyon was dangerous and likely to lead to injury, unless...

Seth proceeded to rifle into his saddle bags for some components, pulling a vial of powdered chemicals used in oxidizing metals, some powdered coal for fuel, and some simple black dye. He didn't have a moderate to keep the reaction from getting hot, but he only needed it to work for a little while. Pulling a glass bottle from the bag, placing it between the handlebars securely and pouring the materials he had pulled into the bottle along with a lit match, he waited a few moments, and soon the reaction had begun. Black smoke began to pour out of the bottle, thick and opaque. Pulling the collar of his outfit over his mouth and leaning down so he could see under the smoke, Seth pulled the bike around the corner and gunned it for the exit, trailing a smoke screen around his bike that should at the very least make him hard to spot. If he made it out, he could start looking for easier access to the top of the hill, but he wouldn't be abandoning his bike to be potentially stolen by more bandits lying in wait.

[Radobe]

The ride to Yewanrey the group takes, turns out to be more interesting then what Sebastian had expected. Their group gets ambushed as they are about to turn and reach the exit of a canyon their were moving through. After quickly retreating back behind the canyon, the group begins to take action. Vil's cover fire gives a few opportunities to close in and utilizing those, the jagger shrinks the distance between herself and the attackers. Ascertaining the situation and noting Enoka's position, she puts 2 slugs in her shotgun and waits for the next cover fire. When that happens the bounty hunter bursts into the enemies. With that destraction in place, Sebastian attempts to flank and take out the enemies closest to her.

[Veldanya Venalla]

The Marshal's plan seems to be working out well.  As he fires off rounds towards the bandits, he sees Enoka ducking and diving across the field and then the figure of Sebastian moving in as well.  As the two begin to close on the enemy, the roar of Seth's bike bellows out loud across the area as he roars out of the ravine entrance, a thick black smoke billowing around him.  Both Enoka and Sebastian reach the enemy gunmen about the same time, the assassin diving over the rock one of the shooters was using, the sunlight glinting off her blade as it slashed through the air.  The sharpened edge slashes through the mans neck, crimson blood spurting out as the eviscerated blood vessel gushes outward.  Clamping a hand on his neck in a vain attempt to staunch the flow, the doomed gunslinger leans against the rock and with a gurgle collapses to the ground dead.  The knives that Enoka had unleashed have mixed results however.  The first two were more beneficial, the blades singing through the air and imbedding themselves into different areas of two of the enemy combatants, one man taking a knife into his gut and the other was struck in his shootin' arm (right arm).  The second two blades though were not quite as accurate.  The third pierced into the calf of a bandit and the fourth succeeded only in slicing into the hat of another bandit as the criminal ducked down to avoid a shot from Vildayvin. 

At the same time, Sebastian reaches the men from the opposite side of Enoka, her shotgun issuing two loud blasts as the shells within explode outward, their deadly cargo scattering forward.  Both shots hit their marks, the first spray tearing the upper half of the now hatless bandit apart, the second shot peppering the wounded bandit (with the calve injury) with hot lead into his left side. The remaining two bandits were positioned farther back and managed to avoid the onslaught, one of them standing up, intent on trying to take a shot at the shrouded bike rider....but he took too long attempting to aim and a bullet whizzes through the air and pierces his skull, blasting out the back.  Vildayvin looks at the results of his shot, a slight smirk on his face as the corpse collapses to the ground.  The two injured bandits turn to face Enoka and Sebastian (one targets Enoka, the other Sebastian) and draw their pistols, the one grimacing as pain shoots through him from his injured arm, and open fire at their targets.  The final bandit however has a different idea.  Bolting from his cover he retreats backwards towards some horses tethered nearby.  Leaping atop one he quickly gallops off down the road and away from the battle.

[Radobe]

Smoke rises from the barrels of Sebastian's shotgun, as she glances at the remaining bandits. She quickly judges the running bandit is not an immediate threat and focuses on the two ahead of her. Clenching his gut one of the bandits does a clumsy motion to draw his gun and points it towards Sebastian. The other bandit mimics him and faces Enoka. If not for the mask the jagger's amused look would have been clearly seen all over her face. *bang* A quick dodge to her right side and a hole stood in the ground with a bullet buried in it, a few feet backwards from where Sebastian was standing. With a daft movement of her gun wielding had the shotgun snaps open and the empty shells hit the ground. *bang* This shot she ducked. "You missed," the bounty hunter's voice was loud and rasp. Sweat was pouring down the bandit's face, his eyelids closing and opening, trying to push the sweat and the stinging feeling away. *bang* The jagger was on the move before the shot even rang. Circling the bandit to the right. Visibly strained, bandit’s face portrayed a desperate look, the muzzle of his gun was beginning to shake. *bang* *bang* Diving through the two shots she pulled two shells from one of the pouches on her waist and placed them into their chambers with a smooth motion. She was a few steps away from the bandit now, pulling the shotgun up to her shoulder made it snap closed. *bam* A few of the bandits fingers and half of his face hit the rock behind him before the rest of him had the chance to fall to the ground.

[Shadow Chorus]

One bandit is on the run. But he's leaving using a horse. Unfortunately, no horse is a match for Seth's bike. Tossing the hot bottle of chemical reaction to the ground and pulling a revolver into his left hand, Seth guns the bike once more, swiftly catching up to the horse, Seth turns his head to face the man on horseback, and shouts over the din of the engine.

"Hello friend, time to lie down."

Bringing his left hand up, Seth opens fire, aiming a little ways ahead of the man's shoulder to compensate for both of their motion. He fires a pair of shots to ensure that he makes his target, and then revs the engine even faster and bolts ahead of the horse before whirling in front of it to try to spook the animal into rearing. Pistol still trained on the rider, Seth waits for any sign of resistance. Any motion for a weapon would make Seth fire a shot at the hand in question.

[Daccio]

Sebastian and Herself both seem to have garnered the attention of the last two bandits, the third running away whom seth seems to be taking care of.

Casually, she dragged the bandit with the slit throat in front of her, even as the bandit with his wavering gun pulled the trigger twice.

Blam blam!

The first shot struck home, into the already dead man and in his pain, the second shot went wide. He grimaces in pain, barely keeping a hold of his gun, seeing as his shooting arm was already injured by one of her knives.  She unceremoniously dropped the bandit who had taken a round for her, and took off at a sprinter’s pace, her offhand now devoid of her throwing daggers and left still contained the combat dagger.

She quickly closed the distance and he tried to bring up his gun. Even to her right, the bangs of sebastian’s shotgun rings out, taking out the other bandit. She snaps a quick jab with her right hand, landing a shot on one of the weakened tendons in his shooting arm, causing him to drop his weapon. She brought her knee up into his groin, and as he doubled over she brought her fist with the knife up into his soft vitals. She yanked hard, tearing the soft squishy bits and jumped back as they spilled out.

She smirked to Sebastian, obviously pleased with how that entire scenario had played out, before she goes about retrieving her knives, as things seem to be wrapping up.

[Veldanya Venalla]

The shots from Seth's gun ring out as the bullets whizz through the air, one of them striking the fleeing bandit in the shoulder, almost knocking him from his mount.  The next thing the injured criminal knows is the bike has surged past him and loudly rev's in front of him, his steed lurching backwards and throwing him to the ground before it tears off across the wastes.  The wounded bandit struggles on the ground, his face pale...a clear sign that his injuries have placed him upon Deaths Door.  He shifts across the dirt as Seth rolls his back up near him, the dying man attempting to grasp his fallen weapon but realizing he apparently broke his arm in the fall off his horse, making it almost impossible to properly grasp the gun and use it, he finally forces himself up to his knees as he glares at the technic.  A mixture of anger and perhaps resolute determination and pain is clear on the mans face as beads of sweat slip down his ashen skin, his left hand dangles near his other holster, a pistol still residing within, though he doesnt seem to be making any sort of motion or movement towards the firearm.

-----back with the rest of the group-----
The battlefield grows silent as Sebastian and Enoka slaughter the remaining bandits.  A moment later Vildayvin arrives on his horse, guiding the other steeds behind him.  He surveys the area from atop his steed, his eyes unseen behind his goggles as usual.

"They seem....too clean to be regular bandits.  Something isn't right here.  See if you can find anything, I will ride ahead and check on the technic."

Not waiting for a response the Marshal slowly saunters his horse ahead, seeing the sight of the dying bandit kneeling in front of the mounted technic.  It is obvious to the gunslinger that Seth seems to have matters in hand and he continues the slow trot down the path, interested to see what the technic might do with the situation that lies before him.

[Daccio]

As vil rode up and told them to look through the bodies and left, she glared at his back. She HATED when employers came on the job. It really made things such a pain in the neck. With a sigh though, she retrieved her daggers, cleaning them off and went to work without much of a word.

She would begin systematically checking all of the bandits for things of important. Correspondence, things of apparent value, the like. She would also retrieve some of the guns/powder/shot to stash away later for selling. No use letting it go to waste. She would make a thorough check of everything, the whole time not really speaking unless Sebastian spoke first.

[Shadow Chorus]

"So." Seth said, spinning the pistol in his hand. "You've got a couple of options, my friend. I want to know who hired you and what they wanted from our group. You can tell me now, and I can put you out of your misery. Or, you can refuse to tell me, and I won't kill you. I'll patch you up. Then I'll let my friends break you again. Then I'll fix you up again. And I'll repeat the process until, in your agony, you either lose your mind or tell me what I want to know. I'll be honest, the information you have probably isn't vital to me, I'll probably find out later anyway if I look hard enough. I don't care which option you choose. It's entirely for your own sake that you should probably tell me what I want to know."

Seeing Vildayvin approaching, seth spins his pistol and returns it to his holster. "Marshal! You're just in time to see whether this man wants to die now or later!" Seth reached into the saddlebag and pulled what appeared to be a vice and some bandages. "So, friend, will you tell me what I want, or shall we get to setting that arm of yours? I'll make sure you know when it pops back in."

[Radobe]

Sebastian is not quick to follow the marshal's orders. She takes her time reloading her gun and only looks through the belongings of one of the bandits. The entire time she tosses something like a nervous glance, when she thinks Enoka is too preoccupied to take notice. With something obviously on her mind she takes sits on one of the rock and watches as the other bounty hunter strips the bodies of their belongings. Her leg begins to twitch nervously and she changes position to make it stop and now her whole body seems tense. Frustrated more with herself then anything else, the Jagger stands up and kicks the rock. The pain goes through her like a shock of electricity, she tightens her fists and swallows a curse. Suddenly aware that Enoka is probably staring at her she turns to face her and tries to regain her composure.

"So... how did you end up in this kind of business, I mean didn't you have something else to do?".

[Daccio]

She keeps an eye out, even giving Sebastian a quick side glance as she sits on a rock. Her dress swishes around her as she moves from man to man, regardless of what kind of gruesome wounds each has. Her head snaps to the other but tilts slightly in curiosity as Sebastian stands and kicks the rock.

"So... how did you end up in this kind of business, I mean didn't you have something else to do?"

Enoka's face was blank and she stood, appraising Sebastian after she asked her question. It didn't seem like Enoka was going speak, but finally she did speak quietly.

"I've been on my own for a long time" She said, and seemed to be thinking "Longer than most people, I suspect. Not many people seemed interested in a little street rat, so it was either become good at what I do or die" She shrugged a bit and waved her hand slightly at sebastian.

"You seem awfully proficient in what you do as well. It is not often I see that level competency without the Marshal's hardass attitude."

[Radobe]

"Well...  my initiative was real good... learn or else..." Sebastian stays silent for a moment, remembering a time not so long ago. "I am awfully sorry, I didn't mean to pry, I simply..." the jagger seems to suddenly be at a loss for words. "Well we ought to be going now, the marshal and Seth might need us." She starts towards the other with a quick step.

[Daccio]

She couldn't very well tell Sebastian her true story, but what she did tell was good enough for now. She wasn't sure how she felt about the other woman. Regardless, their job was soon to be done anyway.

"Well we ought to be going now, the marshal and Seth might need us."

She watched as Sebastian started towards the others, her head slightly tilted. After a moment, she moved around to the remainder of the dead men, getting what she could.

She gathered her horse and started off after Sebastian to meet up with the others.

[Veldanya Venalla]

The bandit looks up at the technic, a strange mixture of anger and possibly nervousness on his face.

"You have already demonstrated....that you have no idea what we were after.  Your "group" is of no concern to us.  You're a damn fool and will die.  He will get what he wants in the end....he always does."

A coughing fit overtakes the man as he grimaces in pain.  Meanwhile Vildayvin stops his horse and draws out his rifle once more, chambering a round and glancing at the terrain surrounding them.

"Whatever you intend....make it fast.  No telling if there might be more of them in the area or further ahead.  We should not delay too long."

He turns his gaze down towards the bandit.

"Besides....if I have MY way....this can only end one way....so perhaps its best you do as the technic commands."

He then turns slightly as both Enoka and Sebastian draw closer, signalling to them to stay behind him....he is still interested to see how the mechanic handles things, the Marshal knowing full well how the other two would act.

[Shadow Chorus]

Seth made a sucking noise on his teeth, sounding almost disappointed in the bandit. Retrieving a long, thin metal rod from his bag, he turned and approached the bandit with the bandages and vice as well.

"Well, let's get to work then. Marshal, if you could hold him down." Not waiting to see if the Marshal responds, the techanic spins the metal rod in his hands and approaches the bandit's shoulder, flicking on a light on the corner of his goggles to look into the wound and inspect if the bullet remained. If it did, he would take the rod and force the bullet out the other side with a sharp thrust rather than pulling it out the traditional way. Following that he would bandage the wound too tightly, making sure the man could feel the pressure on the open wound. Moving down to the man's broken arm, taking the two halves of the fracture in each hand and gripping a bit tightly, he would swiftly snap them back into place, not bothering to brace the man or warn him ahead of time, making the sharp pain even more surprising. Then he would again bandage the wound too tightly, ensuring the bones couldn't shift again, but also ensuring he felt it if they even nudged. Taking the time to tap the broken arm right on the fracture, he looked up to the bandit. "Any other wounds I should know about, my friend?" Not bothering to get a response, he looked over the bandit himself, trying to find if there were any other wounds that needed his 'attention'.

[Daccio]

She shoots an annoyed look at the Marshal as he signals for her and Sebastian to stay behind him. She walked up behind the Marshal, and slinks up beside him with disregard for his command, crossing her arms in front of her, watching with an unreadable face. She doesn't say anything, however, just observes.

She tilted her head as Seth brutally treated the bandit, but otherwise said nothing.

[Radobe]

Sebastian goes and stands next to Enoka as they observer Seth's handiwork. Not sure if she would have handled the situation much differently, she continues to observe quietly. The jagger is curious to see the results of the mechanic's methods.

[Veldanya Venalla]

Vildayvin slips the rifle back into it's holster and slips off, grabbing the briefcase before he moves away.  As he draws near the bandit struggles slightly under the Marshal's hidden gaze.  Placing the case down on the ground, Vil kneels down and assists the technic by holding the bandit down.  As Seth proceeds with his "treatments" the bandit struggles and hollers out in pain as each injury is seen to. As the technic inquires about further injuries the man groans and glares at Seth.

"Y....you think yourself so smart.  I wonder...if they know the trouble...you are causing them. He failed before....he will get what he wants and no one is going to stop him."

The criminal glares at the man responsible for furthering his pain even further, beads of sweat forming on his face as his body shivers from the shock of his injuries.  Vildayvin stands up and places a hand on his pistol

"This is ridiculous...he keeps spouting the same garbage...I say we end this and move on.  Time is..."

Suddenly a shot rings out and the bandit seems to spasm and then goes silent, the life gone from his eyes.  The Marshal has enough time to gaze up at the hills from where the shot came from when another shot rings out, sending the lawman into a spin as a bullet slams into his right shoulder.  In the blink of an eye a large number of gunmen appear behind the rocks and outcroppings up on a hill a distance from the party.  Sunlight glints off the barrels of numerous rifles as they open fire.  Bullets slice past the three standing still, a nearby gathering of rock and brush seeming to be the only suitable cover in the general area.  Stumbling to his feet the Marshal makes a mad dash to his nearby steed, grabbing the rifle once more and dashes over to the nearby rocks, snagging the briefcase once more.  Sliding down behind the cover he examines his injury, a sizable bullet hole in his right shoulder.  Grunting in pain he raises his weapon and begins providing cover fire for the others to join him behind the cover.  A moment later a bullet embeds itself in the skull of the Marshals steed, sending the creature crashing to the ground.

[Radobe]

The first shot catches Sebastian unprepared, she only manages to peak in the direction of the shots before a second one rings out and catches the marshal in the shoulder. With a few quick steps and dive, the  jagger moves into the nearby cover next to the marshal. Nothing underlines the seriousness of the situation more then the glaring hole in the marshal's shoulder. Adding the dead steed to that and things get pretty ugly.

"Things went south quickly," Sebastian takes another look at the gapping wound "I can make a smoke screen and we can make a run for the horses," The jagger unholsters the gun on his side and counts the little ammo he has left for it. "I don't think we out to fight this one out with bullets."
 

[Shadow Chorus]

As a bullet strikes the man he was tending to, Seth's brain immediately receives a dose of adrenaline. Everything slows down for him for a moment as he takes in new information. There are guns on the hill. Too many to take care of. The marshal is hit, and Seth is in the open. The bike is still running, but he wouldn't make it back to it in time without injury. The situation seemed bad. No time to make a smoke screen. Only one choice.

Red trajectory lines traced themselves in the air in Seth's mind's eye. The height of the hill, the angle of the enemy's guns, the distance to his bike. As he turned and began kicking up dirt as he sprinted for his bike, he was envisioning the best path to get away from the gunfire. As he made his third stride a bullet grazed his Left forearm. On his fourth one bounced off his gauntlets. His Seventh stride saw him leaping onto his bike. As he turned the handlebars and kicked the engine, the wheels kicked up a screen of debris as he turned and gunned the bike toward cover. A third bullet grazed his Right leg. Moments later he was skidding the bike behind cover. A bullet ricocheted off the bike's chassis and cut across Seth's cheek. An extra bullet struck near his hand, missing flesh and scraping across metal. The Techanic tumbled from his bike, dragging it low to the ground behind cover with him as he hit the dirt. The sting of the ground getting into his wounds was compounding issues. The bike had landed on his leg, trapping it for a moment before he pulled himself free. Leaning against his cover, the adrenaline still coursing through his body, Seth took stock. he had several scrapes, many of which now stung with the debris running over them. He had not taken a direct hit, but he could feel the knot forming in his left calf from the bike landing on him. Running was out of the question for him. He took one of his pistols and fired blind over his cover at the enemy.

"Escape route?" He asked, his brain running at a mile a minute as he calculated odds and trajectories, red lines and numbers running through his mind's eye.