Aether Shanties RP (PM if interested/Started)

[Texas Joker 52]

-Sheska-

"Sheska, fire at will and let's fry some imp swine.".

"You got it, Cap'n! BURN IN HELL YOU IMPERIAL BASTARDS!!", she shouted as she fired the charged Lightning Gun, aiming towards the cannons.

She didn't bother checking to see if she hit, because she was too busy getting it charged again. Regardless, at this range, she hit them somewhere, that was no question. After all, the few times she had been on the Lightning Gun, Jason had drilled it into her head that the armor of most ships would attract the electricity, making a hit at close range a guarantee. It was where she hit them that was question, but that wasn't something she was worried about.

In the time it took to charge it, the frigate had managed to get within range of their cannons, and once the Lightning Gun was ready again, she heard their cannons ring out.

"Shit!", she cried, staggering back before rushing forward and aiming the main weapon up at the frigate, firing it as soon as she was able, before looking back and motioning to a crewman.

"You, if you can fire the Lightning Gun, do it. I need to repel boarders and keep the Captain safe. MOVE IT!", she ordered harshly, drawing her cutlass with her right hand, and her revolver with her left.

Then she stormed her way to the uppermost deck, ready and willing for the fight.

 

[Redryhno]

The roar of the Imperial cannons sent Eddie into his element, his face contorted into a smile almost splitting his face in half and he began cackling, his eyes wild. The dedicated cannoneers knew that look and made their partners keep alive, and one of the new recruits they'd picked up somewhere looked around to see the madman on deck, a cord in one hand, his pistol in the other.

"Aheeheheehehaa!,"He began,"The Imps wanna be above us? Clear their decks! GRAPESHOT CANNONS, EVERYONE ELSE, CENTER MASS! FIRE!!"

Four of the thirteen cannons on the port side fired on the Imperials clustered above them, unleashing their cargo of death, the rest all fired at roughly the same area, hoping to get through that damned Imperial armor, nine cannons unleashing hell should get at least one through, right?

"Kill 'em boys! Reload, normal cannonballs!"

 

[3quency]

Isaac frowned at the imperial ship. It looked familiar... He'd not served aboard any in quite some time but you get to know the more infamous ships after a while. But that wasn't what was important. He looked to Beth and cupped his hands to his mouth.

"Captain! She's moving! We'll only be hitting her broadside!"

Of course, he wasn't sure how to deal with this. This was going to be one hell of a stand-off. People were going to die.

He shuddered and awaited Beth's response.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

"Oi, Beth! You know those incendiary grenades I was tellin' you about? I think now's a perfect time for a field test!"

She nodded at Jason.

"Aye, if we do end up being boarded, they'll come in handy."

"Captain! She's moving! We'll only be hitting her broadside!"

Beth kept the ship steady, to try to minimize the area they could hit of her own ship. They would only hit the imperial ship's broadside as they were now, but the imperials should only be able to hit them in the rear with a few cannons. A white flash of lightning escaped from her own ship, as Sheska fired, then she heard the roar of cannons, and another white flash. Cannonballs came flying around the ship, and some hit the ship in the rear, but it was impossible for her to know the damage they had done. They may have gone through the armor. She didn't notice any smoke or decrease in the ship's capabilities though.

A couple of cannonballs hit the deck, and killed at least one person on the aboard. They may have done more damage below, as they went through the deck. Beth turned the mermaid to face the imperial ship with the port side, and was about to order Eddie to fire, when the cannons went off with a roar.

Nicely done.

She made the mermaid turn back to facing the imperial ship with its rear. It should allow them to make a break for it. Helium city was in that direction, and maybe it was a good idea to lure the imperial ship to follow them, to a place where there would be more pirates. The city itself was a neutral area, but the sky between here and there should be filled with somewhat friendly ships. In a worst case scenario they'd run into another frigate, but she hoped not.

 

[blaze96]

Samuel heard more than saw a cannonball slam into the deck. He immediately ran in the direction of the sound until he saw the hole where the cannonball had landed. He could see a few crewmen running on the top deck and he waved at one of them who turned to him.

"How many wounded up there?!" He shouted up. He watched the crewman look around before responding.

"One dead, doctor! Other than that nothing bad!" was the response shouted back at him. He waved the soldier off and as soon as he had made the motion the crewman ran off to attend to his other duties.

'At least I don't need to go up top yet.' Samuel thought as he surveyed the wounded below deck. The wooden shrapnel from the deck had caused a few injuries but luckily the ball had gone into a passageway instead of an important room. He immediately set to work moving the few injured men off to the side and dressing their wounds. He made sure that they weren't too woozy or blinded before setting about tending to their wounds. All three of the men had taken some splinters so he knew he would have to dig them out. Luckily he was sure he would be done before the imperial ship fired again.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"FIRE!" Someone called out, and Garrett could feel the recoil from the cannons as they spewed they contents towards the Mermaid. Through the scope of his rifle, he could see that several of the shots shots had made their mark, splinters of wood were cast over the side. But then it was the pirates made their move.

First came a blast from their Lightning Gun, which had made impact, but seemed to just arc off into another direction. Next came the cannons, but looking at it, he could see what they were loading it with. A blast later, and the grape shot came hurtling towards them.

"Grapeshot, everyone get down!" He shouted, before leaping towards Adrianna, forcing her to the ground as a means to protect her from the attack. The miniature cannon balls flew across him as he made the jump, missing him by barely an inch.

"Apologies for that sudden leap at you admiral." Garrett remarked as he helped Adrianna up from off the floor.

"But it was the only way I could see to protect you from the grapeshot. Hope you are not damaged in anyway."

 

[Arcanist]

The ship shuddered as the cannons found their mark. Jason whirled around, seeing them impact the deck with a sickening crack. One poor sod was blown clean in half, his gore flying clean off the ship. More importantly, however, he heard several impacts near the stern - where the engine room lies.

'The ship isn't listing, which means both propellers still have power - at least for now. Good news where we can get it, I suppose.' He turned to Fry, who had just lifted himself off the deck after a nearby cannonball impact had knocked him on his feet. "Head down to the engine room and assess any damage. I need to make sure these idiots don't set this ship on fire with their latest toys." Fry, in an uncharacteristic display of respect, saluted. "Aye aye, sir." He bolted down into the hold, his tools in tow.

Jason took this lull in the battle to address the survivors of the salvo. "Alright, you morons! Listen up! Those Imperial pigs can't maneuver like that forever, so they're gonna move to board if they're smart. Now, it's a Skyfolk custom to give a welcoming gift to first-time guests." With a wicked grin, he raised the box of grenades, showing its contents to the gathering crowd. "These grenades contain a half-liter of engine oil each, with a full welding stick. To use them, simply ignite the wic at the top, count to three, then throw. Do NOT count to two, four, five, or any other number! I've carefully metered out the length of the rags used in the wics to burn at a consistent rate, so if you throw them too early or too late, you're gonna set yourselves, and far more importantly, this ship, on fire!"

He gestured to the bags of ballast lining the sides of the deck, several of which had been split open by the cannon barrage. "If one of you fails to follow this simple set of instructions and manages to set this vessel on fire, DO NOT DOUSE IT WITH WATER. These bombs start chemical fires, so water will only spread it around. Take a knife or cutlass, slice open some ballast, and smother it with sand. Get it? Good. Now, let's show these Imperial shitheads some of Captain Beth's famous hospitality, huh?"

 

[Terratina.]

No doubt there were injuries. The ones with minor ones had already been discharged and Vaso waited for the unlucky ones to stroll through, or rather, be carried through the door. The battle between Imperial and Sky Pirate had hardly begun, but the influx of wounded had and so had the shaking, both from their cannonfire and from the pirates. It didn't matter, Vasco carried on with his work regardless. Even in the middle of a battlefield - especially in the middle of a battlefield. The dance of assessing, cleaning and treating was accompanied by the cacophony of moans from the wounded, punctuated by the blasts of battle. Out there it was chaos, but there would be order in his sick bay - medicines and tools still held their ground in the cold storage cupboards and in the trays. Vasco easily settled into a state of utmost concentration, now was not the time for other concerns. No-one had died, not just yet and Vasco intended for it to stay that way.

 

[Tips_of_Fingers]

-Capricorn-

"I don't like it down here...."

"Quiet! Exeter will have our hides if we upset the poor thing."

"Poor thing!? Poor- you're kidding right? This thing's a vicious monster!"

Capricorn listened with his head cocked as the voices drew nearer. Since the doctor had treated his wounds, the misbegotten had spent time just sat staring into the darkness and slowly swaying with teh movements of the ship. He had noticed for the past few minutes that the ship's movements were becoming more erratic. He had no idea what that meant other than it was becoming increasingly difficult to sway in time with ship; this made Capricorn anxious.

"You go get him."

Capricorn looked up dumbly as two men huddled outside his cage. With the grace of a cat, Capricorn unfurled orm his sitting position and stood erect, head held high. Although Capricorn was unwaveringly loyal to Exeter, others had little power over him unless explicitly stated by his master.

"He doesn't look happy."

"You wouldn't be happy if you had all those wounds. Shit, look at 'em all."

The two men nervously opened the cage, causing Capricorn to bleat sharply and shake his manacles in warning. The two men shuddered at the noise but one of them pulled something from his belt and with the flick of his wrist, snapped open Exeter's baton.

At the baton's snap, Capricorn's eyes widened and he shied back, lowering his head in deference. He knew the weapon well.

The man holding the baton looked down at his weapon worriedly. He took a deep breath and then looked straight at the scarred misbegotten before him. "You will come with us." Despite his best efforts, the man's voice quivered violently. Capricorn merely glanced up, his vulgar eyes staring blankly. After a moment of silence, he offered his hands to the men.

Capricorn allowed himseld to be led through the ship, seeing nothing along the way. His instinct told him that violence was needed, that his master required a job to be done. As they made their way onto the deck, Capricorn squinted into the setting sun and opened his mouth to the rushing wind. He felt happy.

-Exeter St John-

"Well Mr. St John, since we are leading the boarding parties, what tactics would your recommend?" Exeter suppressed a smile at the question. From all his years fighting pirates - from both sides of the law - he knew that tactics counted for nothing when standing toe-to-toe with a group of unpredictable, lawless cutthroats.

"Tactics? How do you plan against a rabid dog?" Exeter shrugged dramatically. "The same principe applies to pirates. They don't do things we expect, they don't have a plan themselves. They just... do." He grimaced at Annis' look and sighed. She was a good officer despite her injury; often exceptionally well disciplined and - from what he'd heard - a talented fighter. She liked doing things properly too, by the book. Exeter had never always agreed with the proverbial book. "You talk of tactics. Here are my tactics: we focus on cutting down the leaders. A ship that loses its leadership, loses the battle. To be sure of a swift victory, we can't use standard military practices - from what I know of The Mermaid's past, Winged Beth will be privy to a lot of what we could throw at her. However," he paused, a sly smile on his lips. "She won't be expecting us to fight dirty, to just go straight in without a concrete plan. She'll think there's an angle to our attack, think there's a broader scheme she needs to figure out. There won't be." Exeter patted his sabre and flintlock afffectionately. "There will just be our blades and our pistols." He raised his head reverently, face becoming serious once more. "And of course, the Emperor's will behind us. Never has the old adage 'take no prisoners' applied so readily to a siutation. Those are the tactics I plan on administering. I have no doubt that you will have my back, as I will have your's." Exeter nodded his head to Annis and turned to see Capricorn being lead across deck by two sailors. "Excuse me a moment," he intoned, walking in the direction of his misbegotten pet.

As he walked along deck, Exeter felt the rumble of the cannons firing on Lanester's command and heard the screams of Imperial crew members as The Mermaid return fired. Despite the lurching of the ship and men tumbling under the cannon-fire, Exeter remained his footing easily. He thrived in the heat of battle, but cannon-fire didn't interest him much; it was the aftermath, the boarding, that excited him.

He reached the two sailors and took his baton back, thanking the men before issuing them orders. "Gather a boarding party. The time is almost upon us." They saluted and disappeared into the cannon-smoke. Exeter pulled a small key out from inside his jacket and dangling it in front of Capricorn. The misbegotten gave a hideous grin and began bobbing its head and grunting excitedly. "That's right," Exeter crooned, "it's almost time." His mood was begining to lift considerably.

 

[hiei82]

"Hope you are not damaged in anyway." Garrett said, helping her to her feet. To be completely honest, the action had caught her completely unaware. She had been too busy trying to determine the damage to the enemy vessel to notice the incoming attacks and Garret's save until the events occurred. "Thank you Gar-" she started to say before catching herself, instead saying "-Mr. Corvus." Still shell shocked from the event, she turned and called out her order.

"Mr. Riley, a damage report." the order rang, meeting only the chaos of the deck. Turning to the wheel, she found no sign of the man save half a body; the rest scattered across the deck from an impact. She wanted to avert her eyes, but could not; to do so would devalue his death. Turning to the panicking crew; save thankfully her officers and the automatons, and gave her next orders. "ORDER! All CREW, BACK TO YOUR POSITIONS - THIS IS AN IMPERIAL VESSEL AND YOU WILL ACT AS IMPERIAL SAILORS: WITH COURAGE AND STRENGTH!" The crew quickly quieted, and returned to their positions; Lanester rarely raised her voice, so when she did the crew knew how serious the situation was. It wouldn't be long before the feelings of wasted lives set in.

"Mr. Williams; congratulations, you are now Third Mate." she called out at one of the nearby crew. He wasn't the best person for the position, but Mr. Riley was no longer around to fill that slot. "I want a damage report; both our vessel and theirs."

Mr. Willaims, a somewhat shocked look on his face, answered none-the-less like a proper Imperial. "The Invincible has taken minor damage to the starboard hull; but remains in fighting condition. The enemy lighting gun melted some of the outer armor; but the damage is mostly superficial. I know of three top side crew dead, Mr. Riley included." he answered, before turning to the crows nest for a report. From there, they received the only good news so far.

"Admiral-" the crew mate in the nest called; his name a mystery. "-the Mermaid looks mostly undamaged. Only a few of the balls impact-Wait!" he called, returning to the scope. "They took damage to their Rear propeller-Ma'am! We can still catch them!" he screamed. At the sound, the faces on the crew turned from despair, to shock, to that mix of anger and excitement that could only come from the promise of a vengeful fight. Riley had been a well liked officer; his death would cost the pirates a hundred fold if they had their way.

A fire in her eyes, Adrianna bolted to the wheel and turned it hard to Port, setting about matching their heading. "I want every ounce of speed the Invincible can muster!" she called to the runner closest to the tube to engineering; which set him off down below deck. To the next runner she called out "I want those starboard cannons loaded and ready to fire within the minute, and every cannon we have pointed forward!" The runner quickly shot below deck. "All boarding parties; prepare for battle!" she called out, keeping an eye on the Mermaid, still not far in the distance.

As Williams took the wheel, Lanester made one final addendum "For Riley!"; eliciting a loud yell of concurrence. There would be blood; and much of it pirate.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

"Jason, what the fuck is going on!?" Beth shouted, as she noticed their sudden decrease in speed. "If that's not fixed as soon as possible, we'll be overrun."

She tried not to panic, but her voice was still cracking up. They needed their superior speed. The crew on deck didn't pay her much attention, some of them had been listening to Jason explain his grenades and were now picking them up.

"Don't worry, Cap'n. Jason'll get her up and running in no time. Meanwhile, we get to try out his grenades and kill some more imperials." Farthing said, studying the grenade in his hand.

Beth took a deep breath, to calm herself down.

"Aye. Keep your positions. This doesn't change anything."

The pirates on deck listened and remained calmer than her. They weren't afraid of being boarded, and had confidence in both their captain and their engineer's abilities. She kept her hands on the wheel and reached for the intercom again.

"Attention, Eddie and Sheska, fire at will." The lightning gun went off as she spoke, hitting the imperial ship again. "No need to stop. The rest of you, protect the ship and the deck. We'll hope to lure as many as possible of them over to our ship, before pulling away."

When they did get their engine working again, she would pull away and observe the slaughter ensue in front of herself. No need to worry. She grinned again.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

-Sheska-

The moment she got to the top deck, she noticed the damage to the deck itself, thanks to Imperial cannonballs. Damn them. Damn those Imps!, she thought, growling a little louder in her throat. This was almost as much her ship as Beth's, and she hated to see it torn into like this. What was worse, that volley managed to kill a member of the crew. Damage to the ship could be repaired: Lives couldn't be.

After a short pause, she stormed up to the helm and took her place at Beth's side as she called off orders.

"Attention, Eddie and Sheska, fire at will. No need to stop. The rest of you, protect the ship and the deck. We'll hope to lure as many as possible of them over to our ship, before pulling away."

"Cap'n, Cavanaugh is working the Lightning Gun. Thought I'd come up here and watch your back, make sure no Imp's get close. We can't afford to lose you.", she said, holding up her pistol and cutlass as she nodded firmly.

Then she looked at the pirates on the deck and thrust her cutlass in the air. "Men! Hold your heads up, and hold your swords high! LETS SLAUGHTER US SOME IMPS AND SEND THEM TO MEET THEIR OLD EMPERORS IN HELL!!", she roared, grinning widely as she looked over the crew.

 

[Redryhno]

After hearing the uproar coming from the Imperial ship, Eddie's cackling raised in pitch and intensity. The crew knew that they'd killed a few Imperials, but it still wasn't enough for the mad Skyfolk commanding them.

"We got a few of 'em, now the Imps are getting closer, another volley'll break through that armor. Ain't nothin' that can stand two shots from our lightning and cannonballs, eh?" Another cackle followed.

Eddie then pulled the cord again as the Imperial ship came close again, aiming for the weakened area hit by the lightning gun, and the port side cannons responded as soon as they were finished being loaded. He then drew his pistol and awaited the chance to shoot some more Imps, cackle continuing.

"All right boys, there ain't enough time left to reload, port-side cannons make way for the starboard side!"

The cannons were moved in an intricate dance, grunts accompanying the cacophony of squeaks and a newbie having a cannonball fall on his foot. While it happened, Eddie stood on the stairs and waited for his men to finish their reorganization. They were close to the slaughter-fest it was about to become, and Eddie was [s/]almost[/s] giddy with anticipation.

 

[3quency]

-Annis-
"All boarding parties; prepare for battle!"
Annis turned slightly to look at the men gathered behind her, their faces still. She'd picked her boarding party personally over the months spent on the ship, weeding out any weakness as she went along until all that was left were the coldest and hardest killers aboard the vessel.

She'd used to live for this.

And yet... she was tired. The excitement had turned cold in her stomach, and now she just wanted to get this damned battle over already. Just another Pirate ship to strike, break and capture. The sooner they could finish this and be away on their suicide mission the better.

"You heard the Rear-Admiral. With me." she said, her voice low and calm. The men nodded, readying their weapons. Annis stared at the approaching ship, readying to jump aboard.

She almost pitied the pirates. But only almost.


-Isaac-
Isaac looked on at the damage around him. Another ship, another battle.
How did he always end up right in the middle? Up on deck there wasn't a whole lot he could do, fighting wouldn't be a good idea. And if he died, they'd be down a navigator.

He was frozen on the spot, unsure of what to do. Did he run? Should he pick up a gun and try to fight?

What was he supposed to do?

 

[Tips_of_Fingers]

-Exeter St John-

With a boarding party gathered, Exeter joined Annis' group. He scowled at her selection of some of the best fighters the Invincible had to offer. Exeter's were a group of ruffians; not as well-trained but they had heart. And the fear of death kept them alert. It mattered little. With Capricorn by his side, Exeter needn't worry about a thing.

The misbegotten was crouched low at Exeter's side, shackles finally off. He gazed up at his master anxiously, the prospect of battle sending excited shudders through his body. Exeter patted his shoulder. "Be calm Capricorn. The time is almost upon us." The words did little to placate the misbegotten's rising bloodlust.

"All boarding parties; prepare for battle!" At Lanester's words, Exeter's men drew weapons, the swish of steel and the click of firearms being cocked sending a shiver down the First Mate's spine. Watching The Mermaid stoically, wind whipping around him, Exeter drew his flintlock and slowly unsheathed his sword. "For Riley!" Lanester's cry of vengeance sent a tumultuous roar back from the crew in response.

Exeter remained silent, face passive as he recalled - like he did before every battle - his purpose in life. "For my father," he murmured before raising his voice, sabre pointing to the sky, "FOR THE EMPORER!"

 

[Arcanist]

"Jason, what the fuck is going on!? If that's not fixed as soon as possible, we'll be overrun."

There was panic evident in Beth's voice, and Jason couldn't blame her. They where screwed if they couldn't outmaneuver this frigate. 'The ship still isn't listing, so it's not a total power loss... should be an easy fix.'

"Don't worry Beth. I'm very good at my job." With that confident statement, he dashed to the engine room, seeing his team worked up into a near frenzy. Jake, on the edge of panic, was the first to approach him. "S..sir, I..I don't know what's goin' on! There's no response to shims from the starboard propeller, but we're still reading steam pressure out that way, and..." The poor boy seemed on the edge of a full panic attack. "Jake, stop. Deep breath. No shim, still reading pressure, recent attack. What could that mean? You know this. For fuck's sake, even Fry would know this."

"Uh... um...i..it's jammed?"

"Right. So all we need to do is go onto the maintenance deck and fix it. If we're still reading a pressure, it can't be that bad. Come with me and we'll get it done. Fry, keep order around here." With Jake in tow, they headed onto the maintenance deck and shimmied up to the starboard rotor, and upon examination, they saw a cannonball lodged in the crease separating the propeller from its shaft. "Well, there's our problem. Jake, help me out here." He pulled a crowbar out of his satchel, and they both took a position to lever the cannonball out of place. With a heave, they forced the munition loose, which landed at their feet with a dull thud. As soon as it was pried loose, the propeller groaned and resumed spinning. "Jake, head back to the engine room and help however you can. I'm likely needed on the deck." They returned to the engine room, but Jason stopped his underling before he left. "One last thing, kid - if I don't make it out of this battle alive, you and Fry are in charge."

"I... uh...aye aye, sir. Good luck." With that, he returned to the deck, his hand on a loaded pistol.

 

[3quency]

Annis didn't shout. She didn't raise her pistol in solidarity or revel in the rush with the rest of the crew.

She just jumped. Her men rushed to follow. Battle cries were wasted breath, breath that was sorely needed. And Annis always carefully spent her resources.

Her boots hit the deck and she swiped her cutlass across a man's neck within seconds of landing. Her pistol raised swiftly and with a crack another man was down. She marched forwards, a woman possessed, casually dispatching pirates who approached her. When she was provided with an actual challenge, she stood her ground and wove around in a lethal, punchy fighting style that swept her opponents off their feet.

She was lost to the world. She was lost to the marines desperately trying to keep up with her and keep flankers off her.

Only the mission mattered now.

 

[blaze96]

Samuel heard the battle begin to rage on the deck above him. He already knew they had been boarded. Samuel had just finished up the last man when light thunks started sounding over him.

"Alright boys, go back to your workstations and stay off the top deck." He said as he put his things back in his satchel.

"Not a chance, come on men." One of them said before the three of them grabbed their weapons and went to the top deck to fight.

"Then at least try and get some of the wounded out of the fight!" He shouted after them before he went to the ladder to the top deck in the bow of the ship. He got the hatch open and stuck his head out with his pistol out. He was just in time to see one man get his throat cut open by an imperial. He stayed in the hatch and took aim, hitting a rather burly imperial man who was grappling with one of the crew.

 

[Texas Joker 52]

-Sheska-

She saw the moment the boarders got on board, and within a few seconds knew that they were in for a fiercer fight than they were used to with Imps. She could see a woman wearing some kind of mask who was cutting down pirate after pirate with a chillingly familiar efficiency. Sheska was about to wade into battle to confront her when a pair of larger Imps charged up at her, each with a determined grimace on their face.

She promptly raised her pistol towards one, firing a bullet into his right eye as she parried the downward slash of the other. Then she stepped forward, jammed her knee up into the mans crotch, heel-kicked him back, and with a final sideways stroke, lopped off his head.

As Sheska felt the euphoria of killing wash over her, she looked over her shoulder once. "Farthing! You and I will defend the Captain with our lives! So long as either of us live, no Imp reaches the Captain!", she called over, just before locking blades with another boarder.

Cocking her revolver, she simply shot him in the foot, then ran him through as he staggered back. "Stupid Imperial sons of bitches. Do any of you think you can take the Skulk-Hound on?!", she called out, a sadistic grin on her face.

 

[Terratina.]

The sound of battle had reached a crescendo, but Vasco had always found music distracting and was engrossed in the medical measures that these military men needed. Word came that the Third Mate had died, cut to pieces by cannonballs. The masked doctor sighed, such an injury was beyond his abilities, Mr. Riley would have died in seconds from the trauma and blood, and Vasco had yet to find a way to bring back the dead. Still he did what he could to prevent more deaths; the sick bay was a conveyor belt of wounded going on one side and the healed coming out the other, injuries permitting of course. The room was thick of the smell of blood, one thing Vasco wasn't particularly fond of, the ferric scent cutting the air like an iron blade.He mentally pushed his thoughts to one side, best not to have distractions.

If Vasco had but one weakness, it could be said that he cared a little too much for his patients, especially Annis, whose face was trapped beneath a brass and copper mask for the rest of his life. The treatment, for her affiliation had been particularly hard to swallow for both patient and doctor. In a way, she was his greatest success and greatest failure, her survival proved his rather intrusive treatment to be a success and yet he had failed to cure the root of the problem - the toxin from the Misbegotten quill still there in her body. But enough of that, now he had other lives to save. He adjusted the lenses in his mask seeing the foreign bodies that plagued his current patient. In the efficient but delicate manner of his, he quickly liberated the patient's body from such nuisances, all the while in a little insular bubble of concentration that kept out from the world from interrupting him from his duties.