[JP] Marshall & Sienelis - Together, They Run (Part V)
Jo Marshall
((Lena's Shuttle))
::Goodbyes said, the hybrid ducked away from the door, still grinning to herself. Roomier than the Unicorn, it was still close quarters in the small cabin, and she snaked her way between her two passengers toward the cockpit. En route, she paused by a compartment to withdraw a small case, a red cross marked clearly on its exterior, and tossed it toward Bear with another smile, ducking into the pilot's compartment.
::He caught it deftly with a brief nod of thanks and popped it open. Punched before, on many occasions, he was starting to think his face was a magnet for a fist. One hypospray of decent analgesic later, relief instantaneous, Bear worked his jaw from side to side, but still couldn't resist poking at the delicate area on his cheekbone. He glanced at Valesha, still draped in his jacket.::
O. Marshall: Some night to reunite with your people.
Sienelis: I've never been so popular.
::She grabbed on to the edge of a bulkhead as the shuttle lurched, inertial dampeners lagging behind the motion of the ship. Bear took a breath and stowed the case back away, then dropped his gaze to the floor on his exhale.::
O. Marshall: I shouldn't have left you alone.
::Valesha looked at him, swaying with the shuttle as it banked and curved through an ascent, studying the curves and edges of his face, the cast of eyes, the muscles as they shifted under his skin. She was fairly good at spotting lies and insincerity, and that didn't seem like either — which didn't fit at all with her assessment of the man.::
Sienelis: Are you always sentimental when you're drunk?
O. Marshall: I told the Admiral I'd keep you safe.
::Frown deep and creasing in the corners of his eyes, he looked up at hers. A swallow took his Adam's apple down and back up again, before he exhaled a huff of amusement from his nose, slamming the case back into its recess forcefully. Easy to misjudge and misrepresent when offered details brokered into half-truths and omissions.::
Sienelis: It's alright. ::She shot him a sly grin.:: I won't tell.
::His eyebrow flicked up, a crack of a smile at the corner of his mouth.::
O. Marshall: Sharing a secret with you worries me.
Sienelis: ::She shrugged.:: It shouldn't.
::Dropping a hand onto her shoulder, he gave it a tight squeeze as the ship rocked beneath their feet. A gentle shift at first, until it jolted heavily to one side. Bear caught Valesha's other shoulder too, steadying them on the deck with the standard starship response. He glanced through to where the cockpit was and shouted.::
O. Marshall: Everything alright in there?
Josett: We have some company! ::She called over her shoulder.:: Either one of you any good with disruptors?
::Valesha looked up him, heaving a sigh. He was the Ranger, and she hadn't been near a tactical console since the academy.::
Sienelis: I hope you are.
O. Marshall: You could say I made a career out of it.
::The ship was small enough that Bear was in the cockpit within a few strides, perhaps relishing the chance to shoot something a little too much. Lena at the flight controls, the other stations a mess of Klingon nightmare, all flashing with targeting information and subsystem issues.
::Bear glanced at the readout then did a double take at the outlined ship and gun banks warming up.::
O. Marshall: Tell me that's not Romulan.
Josett: If you want me to lie to you, I've got much more entertaining ones than that. ::She grinned, not taking her eyes off the controls in front of her.:: What are they targeting?
O. Marshall: Specifically engines and shield generators.
::Those old tactical responses kicked into high gear and he slid into the chair, trying to remember what was Klingon for “shoot the weapons”. Thankfully, it seemed to be the largest of the controls on the station, because of course it was. Disruptors spun up under his fingers and he fired a targeted volley at the pursuing shuttle's forward shields.::
O. Marshall: Keep them away from the engines, they're trying to get us dead in the water.
Josett: Sounds about right. They're flying defensive for Romulans. ::At the touch of her fingers, the ship banked hard, the rear swinging out, leaving the occupant's stomachs several metres behind.:: How determined are we talking? Bloody-minded enough to follow us into the plasma fields?
Sienelis: I don't know. ::She frowned, bracing herself in the doorway. The aim was to capture her alive, not scoop up her component particles from a plasma storm.:: I don't think so. If they think we're heading in there, they'll probably try and cut us off.
::Another spread of disruptor fire shot out from the hardy Klingon craft, impacting with the Romulan shields marginally. Lena's shuttle could pick a good fight, and keep standing, but the Romulans were relentless. Bear glanced at the subsystem control as their engines took another direct hit, sending shockwaves through the hull.::
O. Marshall: If we head for it, it might work. ::He angled an eyebrow to the scientist.:: Think you can jam their sensors? We need seconds at the most.
::Valesha squeezed into the small space of the cockpit, angling herself in front of what looked like an operations console. Flexing her fingers, she frowned at the alien script glowing blood red against black, dredging up old, unused lessons from her youth. She'd been told it would come in useful one day, but she was quite sure that this wasn't the circumstance in mind.::
Sienelis: My Klingon's rusty, but I should be able to.
O. Marshall: If you can do it in a Unicorn…
::The end of the sentence hit the brakes as the Romulans fired widely this time instead of a concentrated effort, jerking the ship starboard. A warning shot, designed to show their power and reach. The pod was holding its own in the heat of it, shields compensating automatically.::
O. Marshall: How good are your slingshot turns in this thing?
Josett: Brace yourselves and we'll find out. ::Lena jammed herself into her chair as she said it, and Valesha spat out a sotto voce curse as she did the same.:: On your mark, little spoon.
::Forcing himself back in the seat, Bear hammered a spread of disruptor fire back at the pursuing Romulan shuttlecraft, slamming into their forward shields and rippling along it. Stomach jolting nervously, he watched as their weapons began to charge again.::
O. Marshall: Mark!
TBC...
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Orson Marshall
Fugitive
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&
Fugitive
T238401QR0
&
Scallywag
Orion Syndicate