Note: Contains depictions of graphic violence. You've been warned.
Sounsyy held her pistol high above her head as the Roehmerl sailed headlong towards the Garlean vessel. Her eyes were narrowed against the wind and spray of the cut waves, locked on her prey. This was the great burden of her life, one she had chosen to carry every day for twenty years. That hatred for Garlemard that she could never let go, never find it in what pitiful excuse of a heart to forgive. Her life had ended that day twenty years ago. What was left then? A lifeless mammet made of flesh and blood and fueled upon hatred. The blood of every Garlean would not be enough to sate the wrong that had been done to her nation- every nation under the heel of the Empire.
She almost sighed with relief when she saw a flash from the nearing vessel. That unmistakable flash of a rifle. A gust of wind whipped her hair around her and in her final moment she thought, Thank the gods. But a strong shoulder caught her lower ribs and sent her toppling off the gunwale and to the deck floor. The heavy caliber round crackled overhead. The wind was fully knocked from her, and her eyes which were once at peace, opened wide into the reality of Thal's deceit once more. But she had no air to curse, and the sight of Ryanti laying wounded over top of her brought her hatred for the Garleans back into focus.
She pulled herself to her knees and gripped Ryanti's arm, but he appeared well. Then he was moving, aligning himself alongside the starboard gunwale to meet the Garleans. Then she noticed the small figure of Forty-three hidden behind the mast muttering to himself. She looked back at the three, resolute against the tide. The countdown came closer, and Forty-threes chanting intensified. It was happening now.
"Shield yer eyes!" Sounsyy screamed out just before the ship went ablaze. Twenty figures hit the deck and threw their arms over their faces just in time. Just before the onslaught. They could hear the screams and cries and squelching over the never-ceasing fire of the Sharlayan weaponry.
When the world seemed dark again, Sounsyy and the rest of the Roehmerl's crew looked up from their crouched positions and witnessed the bloody massacre that the three had inflicted upon the Garleans. This violence... this was something Sounsyy had only seen Garleans capable of. For a moment, she wondered just what sort of people they were helping. Were they truly any better than the Garleans? Was her mistrust founded? But the moment passed. Were she able, she would've done the same to these Garleans or worse.
These thoughts were short-lived, for the next line of Garlean soldiers ascended onto the warship's deck and formed against them. There would be no ex machina intervention to save them again. It was down to the Lominsans.
Sounsyy moved to join Ryanti's side, her pistol drawn in case she had to cover their retreat. But the Tribunus and his first officer appeared, the Garleans holding their position, while this first officer spat her bile. Sounsyy watched the figure from her past, an annoying, wretched figure. Sounsyy replied to none of her taunts, as the very thought of such a betrayal made her stomach twist in on itself. Then a turn for the worst, conquered Ala Mhigans turned into Garlean fodder. She passed a glance to Jonathan, who simply confirmed that they all must die. Sounsyy said nothing, looking back at the slowly approaching Ala Mhigan phalanx.
She moved forwards, pistol still held aloft, and stood before the three Sharlayans, obscuring Eighty-five from view. P'welro, Simin, Cwaenlona, and Berasaem joined her in the line in front of the Sharlayans. P'welro cocked her head over her shoulder, speaking quietly to the three, "Recover, quickly, and 'member yer drills." Sounsyy cast her eyes towards Pamido Wolmido at the bow. The Lalafell was knelt down by the 3rd cannon. He nodded to her, and Sounsyy returned her gaze to Cynthia.
"My people are proud," Sounsyy shouted back, "Traitors are Ala Mhigan no more and by the laws of my people yer once-noble blood will be drained from yer worthless skins! I will make sure yeh die worse than a dog's death! ...NOW!!"
Pamido Wolmido screamed and the three starboard cannons fired into the Garlean warship. The 7th cannon struck into the Garlean warship's foremast, sending splinters and shrapnel in all directions, weakening the mast. The 5th cannon shot straight down the Ala Mhigan line, dismembering those in the center of the phalanx and scattering those to the outside. The 3rd cannon shot across the warship's aft hull, wreaking heavy damage along the warship's topside.
Immediately, Sounsyy and the other four Lominsans pushed back against the three Sharlayans, retreating to the Roehmerl's port side in a line. The three starboard cannoneers and Pamido Wolmido joining the defensive line. Sounsyy, P'welro, and Simin fired their pistols into the chaos their cannons had created, covering their retreat. Marjanie stood from her position of cover below the gunwale near the helm and eyed down the barrel of her long rifle. She squeezed the trigger and a Garlean's jaw was separated from his face in a brilliant spray. She pulled the bolt and shoved another round into the barrel, lining up another shot.
Then the charge came. The Garleans had risen from the chaos and charged across the deck to board the Roehmerl! Sounsyy shouted and six cannoneers broke the line and charged to meet the Garleans, swinging widely with their axes and cutting, ramming, or just plain running past the assault to get to the starboard three cannons. Two came hurtling to each, grabbing the back of the cannon and shoving it forwards on its track with all of their might. The five lancers followed, Jada out in center. They ran to mid ship and took a knee, raising their pikes forwards. Those who had charged past the marauders crashed upon the lancer line, many being run through before they got close. But the shifting weight caused by the cannons being rammed forwards on their recoil tracks shifted the weight of the vessel, shifting the balance so that the Garleans assault turned into an uphill battle. Many of the Garleans were thrown off balance, some losing footing or falling backwards. The lancer line pushed off from their knelt positions and with their spears sent the first wave stumbling back into the cannoneers who were waiting at their flanks.
But then the rest of the assault fell upon them, the Garleans fully recovered from the chaotic sequence. Their numbers were many, and lines, formations, and tactics fell into an uneven, shloshing battleground. The unmistakable crackle of gunblades sounded out in the melee and one of the Roehmerl's cannoneers fell below the surge.
To the forecastle, Jada ripped through any assailants that dared pass her to get to two of the Roehmerl's musketeers, Simin and Glazmhus, who were picking off Garleans from their vantage point. P'welro stood at mid-deck, quickdrawing and reloading her pistol with surprising dexterity. She fired a round into a nearby Garlean's skull, pivoted and placed two rounds in the back of one further. A fourth shot into the knee of a charging Garlean Eques, who fell to his knees with a scream and slid across the deck. She brought her knee up into his face with a crack while she reloaded and aimed again.
Sounsyy was in the midst of the fighting, her revolver now empty and holstered to her thigh once more. She now fought with her traditional shield and shortsword with tactics mirroring those she had used against Ryanti. Ram a Garlean with the shield to off balance, bring her shortsword up and around the shield, strike to cripple, maim, or to kill only. When one fell, she turned and bashed another. The closer an enemy tried to rush her, the better for her.
The captain turned to see P'welro only a few yalms from her side, using a dead Garlean as a shield while she gunned down others with her free arm. But she was quickly surrounded. Sounsyy rushed the nearest vulture and drove her sword through his spleen, spilling his lifeblood from his body. P'welro turned and shot the adjacent soldier through his throat, the splatter nearly missing Sounsyy, who brought her shield up, only to drive its butt edge into the chest of another Garlean and send him over the side of the gunwale with a powerful crack. P'welro nodded her thanks and made to reload her pistol. Sounsyy drew her own, and tossed it to P'welro so that the famed musketeer could have two. A wide grin split across P'welro's face as she reloaded the second and moved forwards to gun down two more Garleans in a single hellfire.
To the misfortune of many, Pamido Wolmido was often overlooked in the haze of battle due to his shorter stature. But he made himself known to these Garleans. From the side of the charge he emerged, swinging with the blunted hammer of the gigas' mammon pick. It cracked into the side of one Garlean's leg, caving his knee inwards and deforming the soldier's entire leg. His agony was short-lived, for before he had even fell, Pamido Wolmido had brought the pick in a wide arch overhead and brought the pick down into the falling soldier's chest. Man and mammon thudded onto the deck with a sickening crunch. But the Southern King was already onto the next, his target chosen for him by Susuroon.
The sweet Qiqirn whom Eighty-five adored was not the one and same as this Qiqirn in battle. Susuroon Shortsnout was a savage archer. He drew his shortbow from close range, ducking and weaving in between legs and over bodies, firing a barb only at point blank range, sending the arrow almost clean through limbs, or buried deeply into the recipients' torso or throat. The Qiqirn worked in tandem with Pamido Wolmido, the pair crippling an enemy and moving on to the next, while the other dealt the final blow.
Susuroon dove under the swinging blade of one such attack, drew an arrow, and fired it at close range into the back of the soldier's knee, dislodging the patella from its anatomical position and driving the man screaming in agony to his knees, when Pamido Wolmido emerged from the fray in time to drive the blunted hammer of his mammon into the Garlean's whimpering face. The Lalafell in turn drove his mammon into the hip of a passing Garlean, only for Susuroon to pounce upon the fallen soldier and descend upon his throat.
Efficiency and teamwork was how this crew operated on the battlefield, and the smallfolk were only one such example. Marjanie and Fhruhsunn were defending the helm from those who dared the climb. Marjanie stood upon the helm, in a rather gallant pose. Her legs shoulder-width apart, her back straight, her eye level with the barrel of her rifle. Her rifle echoed loudly, and a Garlean soldier was painted in his own red mist. She reloaded, aimed, fired again, bringing down a foe that had sought to attack a cannoneer from behind. She pivoted at her hips, taking aim at another target seeking to bridge the gap between the Roehmerl and the Garlean vessel. He fell with a spurt of blood from the hole through his heart.
Fhruhsunn, though armed only with a pistol, was no less deadly. With one hand on the helm to keep the Roehmerl steady, he used the other to gun down whoever drew near to his partner. More than one head snapping backwards with a look of shock after ascending the staircase leading to the helm. But a group of Garleans rushed the stairs and one managed to escape the firing squad and came at Fhruhsunn, knocking him away from the helm. The two Roegadyns tangled with each other before Fhruhsunn cracked the side of the man's head with his fist and full body tossed the howling Roegadyn into the icy brine off the back of the Roehmerl. He looked over the railing to admire the mighty splash from below.
He turned back towards Marjanie, only to catch a bullet from a Garlean marksman positioned on the other ship. He gasped in pain, letting out a gargled yell as he fell to the deck. Marjanie dove from the helm to his side, screaming in panic. She pressed both of her hands against the wound to the right side of his chest, trying to staunch the bleeding. The mute Roegadyn opened his mouth like a fish out of water, but no sound could be made out. He was trying to warn her, but he couldn't, so he pushed her away with his left hand, throwing her back away from him. She looked at him in shock, but only then did she see the soldier who had come to finish the task. She reached for her rifle, but before she could raise it in defense, Sounsyy had charged the length of the poop deck and drove her shield into the man's flank, sending him to the ground. Sounsyy was on top of him instantly, hacking madly with her shortsword.
Marjanie was at her side, pulling the Captain off the long dead soldier. "Buy me time!" Marjanie screamed at her, and Sounsyy found Marjanie's rifle being thrust into her arms. Sounsyy nodded, sheathed her shortsword and replaced her shield over her back. She hefted the rifle, and moved to the stairs. Garleans rushed her, recognizing the captain in the bloody fray. She steadied her rifle and fired at the first assailant, blasting the man's shoulder at close range. He yelled in agony, but Sounsyy had meant for the bullet to strike center mass. Guns were not her forte. She cursed and reloaded, while taking the next step down. She fired again at the next attacker, hitting him square in the chest at point blank. But the next was on top of her, swinging his blade. She parried the attack with the rifle and swung the butt of the rifle around to crack the attacker's face. She adjusted her footing and drove the bayonet forwards. She descended another step, and another, fending off the attackers in this way. Until she heard Marjanie's voice behind her yelling to make a path. Sounsyy charged with her rifle, ramming the barrel into the nearest soldier's chest with a resounding crack suggesting broken ribs.
Marjanie stumbled past, Fhruhsunn draped heavily across her shoulders. They made for Sounsyy's cabin, threw open the door, and once Fhruhsunn had collapsed inside Marjanie returned to the door. Sounsyy yelled something unintelligible and threw Marjanie's rifle back at the Elezen, who took it, reloaded, and fired another expert shot into a would-be attacker.
Sounsyy made to draw her shield and sword and rejoin the fight, but before she could, a deafening crackle sounded behind her and what felt like a buffalo ram into her side. She was thrown on her face to the ground, blood seeping from her right side from the wound. Sounsyy turned and saw Cynthia boarding the Roehmerl, rifle held loosely in both hands, with that annoying smirk plastered across her face.
"Well, that wasn't very sporting of me, was it?" The bitch cackled, bending down to lean the rifle against the gunwale for the time being. She knelt down over a fallen Eques, taking a hold of his spear. "Here," she said rising, "This should bring back fond memories."
Sounsyy picked herself up off the deck, taking in the scene around her. The Garleans were thinning on the Roehmerl, though enough still remained in reserve on the Garlean warship. With the Sharlayan's help, her crew were still mostly fit. This was their chance. And Cynthia had seen hers. The woman rushed Sounsyy with her spear and sent a flurry of stabs at the Captain, who dove to one side. Her side was in agony, a deep flesh wound lay exposed through her torn armor. She grabbed a discarded spear of her own and brought it up in a wide flailing swing at the former Ala Mhigan, putting space between the two and staving off Cynthia's next attack.
"Jada! Lead the charge!" Sounsyy shouted as she lunged at Cynthia, trying to force the woman to reconsider her positioning and place Sounsyy between Cynthia and her own warship, leaving her back to the Roehmerl. "Take the Garlean ship!" But Cynthia realized what she was doing and rushed Sounsyy. Sounsyy parried the spear and the two spearheads danced around each other point for point, neither gaining ground. This gave her crew enough time to rally themselves.
Jada gave a yell and rushed to board the Garlean vessel, her bloody halberd in front of her. There was no fear in her eyes as she rushed that line. Cwaenlona's spear joined Jada's and P'welro joined the charge not far behind. The other musketeers ran to whatever vantage point they could manage and rained death from afar on the far line. Soon all able bodied lancers had joined the charge and boarded the enemy vessel, entering the next battle. The musketeers lined the gunwale and peppered what shots they could into the line. Pamido Wolmido and the remaining cannoneers dealt with those Garleans still left aboard the Roehmerl. The battle on both ships still raged, though Jada had succeeded in bringing the focus of that fight to the enemy.
Cynthia came from the side and cracked Sounsyy's face with the butt of her spear. The Captain's lip was now bloody as she stood, spear still tightly gripped in hand. Cynthia looked as if she was about to say some other smug remark, her mouth half forming the words already. Sounsyy couldn't stomach any more filth. With a scream she threw her left leg out in front and made as if to charge, but her torso curled back and with great force she hurled her spear like a javelin at the woman. The woman screeched as it pierced her left arm, breaking the bone and weighing her left side down. She writhed and tried to separate the spear from her arm, but it was too painful an effort and Sounsyy was already on top of the woman.
Sounsyy tore at the woman's face with her good hand, swiping violently and repeatedly at it as she clung to Cynthia's throat with her injured hand. The Garlean suffered several heavy blows to the face before tripping backwards onto her back where Sounsyy took the woman's head in both hands and began slamming into the decking. But the other woman was strong and she shoved back, throwing the small Miqo'te off of her. Cynthia grabbed at her spear with her right hand and thrust it at Sounsyy as she returned, catching Sounsyy's breastplate. It pushed Sounsyy back, but only for a moment. Sounsyy drew her shortsword and swiped the spear out of Cynthia's hands. Then she was back on top, holding the woman's chest down with her injured hand. Sounsyy raised her shortsword up and brought it down across the woman's face, shattering her glasses, and leaving a wide gash down the woman's face.
But the sword did not break bone and the woman's pained screeches were now muddled in blood. Cynthia flailed in pain and rage, and the spear still lodged in Cynthia's arm caught Sounsyy in the throat, sending her reeling off of Cynthia. The injured woman started to drag herself away, back towards the starboard gunwale, back towards her Imperial vessel, back towards her magitek rifle. She could barely see through all of the blood and without her glasses. But she was smart enough to remember where she had left it. She had intended to use it once she had disabled that disgusting runt of a Miqo'te, but the circumstances had turned dire. This wasn't how she intended this to go at all, but she would still kill Sounsyy Mirke in any case.
Cynthia felt the rifle in her fingers when she reached out for it. Then she felt someone grab her ankle with a strong grip. She looked down to see the blurry form of Sounsyy at her feet. She tried to kick her away but couldn't. Cynthia stretched out and grabbed hold of the rifle, turned, saw Sounsyy raise her blade, and fired...
Sounsyy held her pistol high above her head as the Roehmerl sailed headlong towards the Garlean vessel. Her eyes were narrowed against the wind and spray of the cut waves, locked on her prey. This was the great burden of her life, one she had chosen to carry every day for twenty years. That hatred for Garlemard that she could never let go, never find it in what pitiful excuse of a heart to forgive. Her life had ended that day twenty years ago. What was left then? A lifeless mammet made of flesh and blood and fueled upon hatred. The blood of every Garlean would not be enough to sate the wrong that had been done to her nation- every nation under the heel of the Empire.
She almost sighed with relief when she saw a flash from the nearing vessel. That unmistakable flash of a rifle. A gust of wind whipped her hair around her and in her final moment she thought, Thank the gods. But a strong shoulder caught her lower ribs and sent her toppling off the gunwale and to the deck floor. The heavy caliber round crackled overhead. The wind was fully knocked from her, and her eyes which were once at peace, opened wide into the reality of Thal's deceit once more. But she had no air to curse, and the sight of Ryanti laying wounded over top of her brought her hatred for the Garleans back into focus.
She pulled herself to her knees and gripped Ryanti's arm, but he appeared well. Then he was moving, aligning himself alongside the starboard gunwale to meet the Garleans. Then she noticed the small figure of Forty-three hidden behind the mast muttering to himself. She looked back at the three, resolute against the tide. The countdown came closer, and Forty-threes chanting intensified. It was happening now.
"Shield yer eyes!" Sounsyy screamed out just before the ship went ablaze. Twenty figures hit the deck and threw their arms over their faces just in time. Just before the onslaught. They could hear the screams and cries and squelching over the never-ceasing fire of the Sharlayan weaponry.
When the world seemed dark again, Sounsyy and the rest of the Roehmerl's crew looked up from their crouched positions and witnessed the bloody massacre that the three had inflicted upon the Garleans. This violence... this was something Sounsyy had only seen Garleans capable of. For a moment, she wondered just what sort of people they were helping. Were they truly any better than the Garleans? Was her mistrust founded? But the moment passed. Were she able, she would've done the same to these Garleans or worse.
These thoughts were short-lived, for the next line of Garlean soldiers ascended onto the warship's deck and formed against them. There would be no ex machina intervention to save them again. It was down to the Lominsans.
Sounsyy moved to join Ryanti's side, her pistol drawn in case she had to cover their retreat. But the Tribunus and his first officer appeared, the Garleans holding their position, while this first officer spat her bile. Sounsyy watched the figure from her past, an annoying, wretched figure. Sounsyy replied to none of her taunts, as the very thought of such a betrayal made her stomach twist in on itself. Then a turn for the worst, conquered Ala Mhigans turned into Garlean fodder. She passed a glance to Jonathan, who simply confirmed that they all must die. Sounsyy said nothing, looking back at the slowly approaching Ala Mhigan phalanx.
She moved forwards, pistol still held aloft, and stood before the three Sharlayans, obscuring Eighty-five from view. P'welro, Simin, Cwaenlona, and Berasaem joined her in the line in front of the Sharlayans. P'welro cocked her head over her shoulder, speaking quietly to the three, "Recover, quickly, and 'member yer drills." Sounsyy cast her eyes towards Pamido Wolmido at the bow. The Lalafell was knelt down by the 3rd cannon. He nodded to her, and Sounsyy returned her gaze to Cynthia.
"My people are proud," Sounsyy shouted back, "Traitors are Ala Mhigan no more and by the laws of my people yer once-noble blood will be drained from yer worthless skins! I will make sure yeh die worse than a dog's death! ...NOW!!"
Pamido Wolmido screamed and the three starboard cannons fired into the Garlean warship. The 7th cannon struck into the Garlean warship's foremast, sending splinters and shrapnel in all directions, weakening the mast. The 5th cannon shot straight down the Ala Mhigan line, dismembering those in the center of the phalanx and scattering those to the outside. The 3rd cannon shot across the warship's aft hull, wreaking heavy damage along the warship's topside.
Immediately, Sounsyy and the other four Lominsans pushed back against the three Sharlayans, retreating to the Roehmerl's port side in a line. The three starboard cannoneers and Pamido Wolmido joining the defensive line. Sounsyy, P'welro, and Simin fired their pistols into the chaos their cannons had created, covering their retreat. Marjanie stood from her position of cover below the gunwale near the helm and eyed down the barrel of her long rifle. She squeezed the trigger and a Garlean's jaw was separated from his face in a brilliant spray. She pulled the bolt and shoved another round into the barrel, lining up another shot.
Then the charge came. The Garleans had risen from the chaos and charged across the deck to board the Roehmerl! Sounsyy shouted and six cannoneers broke the line and charged to meet the Garleans, swinging widely with their axes and cutting, ramming, or just plain running past the assault to get to the starboard three cannons. Two came hurtling to each, grabbing the back of the cannon and shoving it forwards on its track with all of their might. The five lancers followed, Jada out in center. They ran to mid ship and took a knee, raising their pikes forwards. Those who had charged past the marauders crashed upon the lancer line, many being run through before they got close. But the shifting weight caused by the cannons being rammed forwards on their recoil tracks shifted the weight of the vessel, shifting the balance so that the Garleans assault turned into an uphill battle. Many of the Garleans were thrown off balance, some losing footing or falling backwards. The lancer line pushed off from their knelt positions and with their spears sent the first wave stumbling back into the cannoneers who were waiting at their flanks.
But then the rest of the assault fell upon them, the Garleans fully recovered from the chaotic sequence. Their numbers were many, and lines, formations, and tactics fell into an uneven, shloshing battleground. The unmistakable crackle of gunblades sounded out in the melee and one of the Roehmerl's cannoneers fell below the surge.
To the forecastle, Jada ripped through any assailants that dared pass her to get to two of the Roehmerl's musketeers, Simin and Glazmhus, who were picking off Garleans from their vantage point. P'welro stood at mid-deck, quickdrawing and reloading her pistol with surprising dexterity. She fired a round into a nearby Garlean's skull, pivoted and placed two rounds in the back of one further. A fourth shot into the knee of a charging Garlean Eques, who fell to his knees with a scream and slid across the deck. She brought her knee up into his face with a crack while she reloaded and aimed again.
Sounsyy was in the midst of the fighting, her revolver now empty and holstered to her thigh once more. She now fought with her traditional shield and shortsword with tactics mirroring those she had used against Ryanti. Ram a Garlean with the shield to off balance, bring her shortsword up and around the shield, strike to cripple, maim, or to kill only. When one fell, she turned and bashed another. The closer an enemy tried to rush her, the better for her.
The captain turned to see P'welro only a few yalms from her side, using a dead Garlean as a shield while she gunned down others with her free arm. But she was quickly surrounded. Sounsyy rushed the nearest vulture and drove her sword through his spleen, spilling his lifeblood from his body. P'welro turned and shot the adjacent soldier through his throat, the splatter nearly missing Sounsyy, who brought her shield up, only to drive its butt edge into the chest of another Garlean and send him over the side of the gunwale with a powerful crack. P'welro nodded her thanks and made to reload her pistol. Sounsyy drew her own, and tossed it to P'welro so that the famed musketeer could have two. A wide grin split across P'welro's face as she reloaded the second and moved forwards to gun down two more Garleans in a single hellfire.
To the misfortune of many, Pamido Wolmido was often overlooked in the haze of battle due to his shorter stature. But he made himself known to these Garleans. From the side of the charge he emerged, swinging with the blunted hammer of the gigas' mammon pick. It cracked into the side of one Garlean's leg, caving his knee inwards and deforming the soldier's entire leg. His agony was short-lived, for before he had even fell, Pamido Wolmido had brought the pick in a wide arch overhead and brought the pick down into the falling soldier's chest. Man and mammon thudded onto the deck with a sickening crunch. But the Southern King was already onto the next, his target chosen for him by Susuroon.
The sweet Qiqirn whom Eighty-five adored was not the one and same as this Qiqirn in battle. Susuroon Shortsnout was a savage archer. He drew his shortbow from close range, ducking and weaving in between legs and over bodies, firing a barb only at point blank range, sending the arrow almost clean through limbs, or buried deeply into the recipients' torso or throat. The Qiqirn worked in tandem with Pamido Wolmido, the pair crippling an enemy and moving on to the next, while the other dealt the final blow.
Susuroon dove under the swinging blade of one such attack, drew an arrow, and fired it at close range into the back of the soldier's knee, dislodging the patella from its anatomical position and driving the man screaming in agony to his knees, when Pamido Wolmido emerged from the fray in time to drive the blunted hammer of his mammon into the Garlean's whimpering face. The Lalafell in turn drove his mammon into the hip of a passing Garlean, only for Susuroon to pounce upon the fallen soldier and descend upon his throat.
Efficiency and teamwork was how this crew operated on the battlefield, and the smallfolk were only one such example. Marjanie and Fhruhsunn were defending the helm from those who dared the climb. Marjanie stood upon the helm, in a rather gallant pose. Her legs shoulder-width apart, her back straight, her eye level with the barrel of her rifle. Her rifle echoed loudly, and a Garlean soldier was painted in his own red mist. She reloaded, aimed, fired again, bringing down a foe that had sought to attack a cannoneer from behind. She pivoted at her hips, taking aim at another target seeking to bridge the gap between the Roehmerl and the Garlean vessel. He fell with a spurt of blood from the hole through his heart.
Fhruhsunn, though armed only with a pistol, was no less deadly. With one hand on the helm to keep the Roehmerl steady, he used the other to gun down whoever drew near to his partner. More than one head snapping backwards with a look of shock after ascending the staircase leading to the helm. But a group of Garleans rushed the stairs and one managed to escape the firing squad and came at Fhruhsunn, knocking him away from the helm. The two Roegadyns tangled with each other before Fhruhsunn cracked the side of the man's head with his fist and full body tossed the howling Roegadyn into the icy brine off the back of the Roehmerl. He looked over the railing to admire the mighty splash from below.
He turned back towards Marjanie, only to catch a bullet from a Garlean marksman positioned on the other ship. He gasped in pain, letting out a gargled yell as he fell to the deck. Marjanie dove from the helm to his side, screaming in panic. She pressed both of her hands against the wound to the right side of his chest, trying to staunch the bleeding. The mute Roegadyn opened his mouth like a fish out of water, but no sound could be made out. He was trying to warn her, but he couldn't, so he pushed her away with his left hand, throwing her back away from him. She looked at him in shock, but only then did she see the soldier who had come to finish the task. She reached for her rifle, but before she could raise it in defense, Sounsyy had charged the length of the poop deck and drove her shield into the man's flank, sending him to the ground. Sounsyy was on top of him instantly, hacking madly with her shortsword.
Marjanie was at her side, pulling the Captain off the long dead soldier. "Buy me time!" Marjanie screamed at her, and Sounsyy found Marjanie's rifle being thrust into her arms. Sounsyy nodded, sheathed her shortsword and replaced her shield over her back. She hefted the rifle, and moved to the stairs. Garleans rushed her, recognizing the captain in the bloody fray. She steadied her rifle and fired at the first assailant, blasting the man's shoulder at close range. He yelled in agony, but Sounsyy had meant for the bullet to strike center mass. Guns were not her forte. She cursed and reloaded, while taking the next step down. She fired again at the next attacker, hitting him square in the chest at point blank. But the next was on top of her, swinging his blade. She parried the attack with the rifle and swung the butt of the rifle around to crack the attacker's face. She adjusted her footing and drove the bayonet forwards. She descended another step, and another, fending off the attackers in this way. Until she heard Marjanie's voice behind her yelling to make a path. Sounsyy charged with her rifle, ramming the barrel into the nearest soldier's chest with a resounding crack suggesting broken ribs.
Marjanie stumbled past, Fhruhsunn draped heavily across her shoulders. They made for Sounsyy's cabin, threw open the door, and once Fhruhsunn had collapsed inside Marjanie returned to the door. Sounsyy yelled something unintelligible and threw Marjanie's rifle back at the Elezen, who took it, reloaded, and fired another expert shot into a would-be attacker.
Sounsyy made to draw her shield and sword and rejoin the fight, but before she could, a deafening crackle sounded behind her and what felt like a buffalo ram into her side. She was thrown on her face to the ground, blood seeping from her right side from the wound. Sounsyy turned and saw Cynthia boarding the Roehmerl, rifle held loosely in both hands, with that annoying smirk plastered across her face.
"Well, that wasn't very sporting of me, was it?" The bitch cackled, bending down to lean the rifle against the gunwale for the time being. She knelt down over a fallen Eques, taking a hold of his spear. "Here," she said rising, "This should bring back fond memories."
Sounsyy picked herself up off the deck, taking in the scene around her. The Garleans were thinning on the Roehmerl, though enough still remained in reserve on the Garlean warship. With the Sharlayan's help, her crew were still mostly fit. This was their chance. And Cynthia had seen hers. The woman rushed Sounsyy with her spear and sent a flurry of stabs at the Captain, who dove to one side. Her side was in agony, a deep flesh wound lay exposed through her torn armor. She grabbed a discarded spear of her own and brought it up in a wide flailing swing at the former Ala Mhigan, putting space between the two and staving off Cynthia's next attack.
"Jada! Lead the charge!" Sounsyy shouted as she lunged at Cynthia, trying to force the woman to reconsider her positioning and place Sounsyy between Cynthia and her own warship, leaving her back to the Roehmerl. "Take the Garlean ship!" But Cynthia realized what she was doing and rushed Sounsyy. Sounsyy parried the spear and the two spearheads danced around each other point for point, neither gaining ground. This gave her crew enough time to rally themselves.
Jada gave a yell and rushed to board the Garlean vessel, her bloody halberd in front of her. There was no fear in her eyes as she rushed that line. Cwaenlona's spear joined Jada's and P'welro joined the charge not far behind. The other musketeers ran to whatever vantage point they could manage and rained death from afar on the far line. Soon all able bodied lancers had joined the charge and boarded the enemy vessel, entering the next battle. The musketeers lined the gunwale and peppered what shots they could into the line. Pamido Wolmido and the remaining cannoneers dealt with those Garleans still left aboard the Roehmerl. The battle on both ships still raged, though Jada had succeeded in bringing the focus of that fight to the enemy.
Cynthia came from the side and cracked Sounsyy's face with the butt of her spear. The Captain's lip was now bloody as she stood, spear still tightly gripped in hand. Cynthia looked as if she was about to say some other smug remark, her mouth half forming the words already. Sounsyy couldn't stomach any more filth. With a scream she threw her left leg out in front and made as if to charge, but her torso curled back and with great force she hurled her spear like a javelin at the woman. The woman screeched as it pierced her left arm, breaking the bone and weighing her left side down. She writhed and tried to separate the spear from her arm, but it was too painful an effort and Sounsyy was already on top of the woman.
Sounsyy tore at the woman's face with her good hand, swiping violently and repeatedly at it as she clung to Cynthia's throat with her injured hand. The Garlean suffered several heavy blows to the face before tripping backwards onto her back where Sounsyy took the woman's head in both hands and began slamming into the decking. But the other woman was strong and she shoved back, throwing the small Miqo'te off of her. Cynthia grabbed at her spear with her right hand and thrust it at Sounsyy as she returned, catching Sounsyy's breastplate. It pushed Sounsyy back, but only for a moment. Sounsyy drew her shortsword and swiped the spear out of Cynthia's hands. Then she was back on top, holding the woman's chest down with her injured hand. Sounsyy raised her shortsword up and brought it down across the woman's face, shattering her glasses, and leaving a wide gash down the woman's face.
But the sword did not break bone and the woman's pained screeches were now muddled in blood. Cynthia flailed in pain and rage, and the spear still lodged in Cynthia's arm caught Sounsyy in the throat, sending her reeling off of Cynthia. The injured woman started to drag herself away, back towards the starboard gunwale, back towards her Imperial vessel, back towards her magitek rifle. She could barely see through all of the blood and without her glasses. But she was smart enough to remember where she had left it. She had intended to use it once she had disabled that disgusting runt of a Miqo'te, but the circumstances had turned dire. This wasn't how she intended this to go at all, but she would still kill Sounsyy Mirke in any case.
Cynthia felt the rifle in her fingers when she reached out for it. Then she felt someone grab her ankle with a strong grip. She looked down to see the blurry form of Sounsyy at her feet. She tried to kick her away but couldn't. Cynthia stretched out and grabbed hold of the rifle, turned, saw Sounsyy raise her blade, and fired...