1185/Piracy on the High Seas

Piracy on the High Seas
Date of Scene:	20 December 2014
Location:	Great Ocean - Western Loop
Synopsis:	Taro and Nine rob the Spanish treasure fleet! Deelel intervenes! ...And so does an assassin out to eliminate the Confederates for good!
Cast of Characters:	Deelel, 269, 399, 603

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Taro (399) has posed:
    It's a bright and sunny afternoon, and the air has the warm tang of the tropics on it. It's a good, strong wind that snaps at clothes and hair, a tailwind that's all but perfect for the ships that depend on sail and current to carry them across the open sea.
    Which is why the first thing that Taro did when boarding the Spanish carrack San Pedro was to slash its sails.
    The rest of the flotilla has pulled ahead some distance - in part from the wind, in part due to the great distraction that Nine's pet still-somewhat-but-not-entirely-dragon Emet has been. The creature is still having playtime, if the muffled report of cannons firing is any indication.
    Aboard the San Pedro itself, the crew did put up a fight as Nine and Taro boarded their ship. While the vessel itself would be at home in 16th century Earth, the sailors have taken advantage of multiversal trade and picked up a fair share of up-time technology - semi-automatic pistols and rifles. Still, many of them are in the water or otherwise out of action by the time help arrives, and one of the sails that Taro didn't cut away outright is currently on fire.
    Their much more Neo Aracadian tech cutter is drawn up alongside their quarry - smaller, sleeker, lower to the water, moored with cables along the carrack's rail. A handful of Taro's faceless humanoid drones are busy hoisting wooden chests out of the cargo hold and carrying them firebucket brigade style to the rail to be reloaded on their own ship.

No. 9 (269) has posed:
    It's a dragon. Or a jabberwocky. Or, something. It's definitely a something. It looks like a cross between the dragon from Panzer Dragoon, a digimon and the catbus from My Neighbor Totoro. It's an armored troop transport with wings and the personality of a slightly special golden retriever, apparently, judging by it's current obsession with playtime. The canons firing occasionally bounce off the dragon, very occasionally tearing scales or armor bits free, but often as not they splash into the ocean, sending the draconic flailing after them, swishing down into the depths, water rushing into the personnel chamber and washing over the seats. But moments later it comes rushing back up, splashing gallons of seawater around as it lurches and flails, mouth fill of cannonballs, bringing them back to throw again. But that seems to involve clambering all over the deck, which tears the deck to splinters, tilting the boat and throwing sailors off every now and again, which prompts the draconoid to go play with them next. Some, make it. Nine is, not, covered in blood. He mostly just punched people and threw them overboard when it was his time to be violent. His dragon is doing more damage then he did. It's... odd, out of the normally psychotic, savage fellow. Being nice for Santa? Not likely. Hm.

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
A motor boat is perhaps not the thing most people would expect to be way out here in the middle of the ocean. It certainly isn't as though it BELONGS out here, so far away from any place to dock. However, it was loaded onto an amphibious flying boat, a G-111 Albatross, which was then flown out here, landed a distance away to avoid getting caught up in what was happening, and then the motor boat deposited onto the water - and now has been steered close enough to observe the sailing ship under attack.

Standing in the boat is a man in a black trenchcoat and black suit, using high-quality distancing binoculars to watch what's going on. His partner and assistant remains back on the plane. Maiya will make sure that if Kiritsugu needs help, he gets it. He has a large black case on the boat with him, presently still latched up tight, and a smaller one, also closed.

Kiritsugu is just going to stay right where he is for now. See, Kiritsugu has certain associates, and they in turn have information sources. A giant dragon-thing, and a mess of robots of a type identifiable via Union records, being reported to him when he made the call was enough for Kiritsugu to get some gear together - mainly thanks to Maiya Hisau, who handles all his equipment acquisitions - get on the amphibious plane, and get out here.

But he isn't about to just jump into combat. He is out here on a boat in the middle of the ocean, after all. That is not a good position to be in when one has basic human limitations like drowning or being blown up by cannon fire to consider, let alone the potential problem of dragons and robots.

The Magus-Slayer, for the time being, remains right where he is, and simply watches... And waits.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is one who tends to keep alert even around the various organic holidays, her people don't really /have/ any as really? It's unheard of a Basic who does not love their function, maybe a hint that all their will isn't free but they steadlly grew. Such as now she's a media problem and yet? Well looka t her she was not riding a boat, no she was flying in the skies riding on a light jet from her world the craft move fast and was far quiter than say a conventional jet would be and she was homing in on the attack after all there clearly something no good going on.

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro had told Nine that he was free to be as violent or not as he wished, though he also reminded the Golem about his opinion of wanton slaughter. He's quietly pleased that his 'brother' is opting for the lower side of the violence scale. This is a raid after all, not an invasion.
    Knife still in hand, the android spreads his repulsorlift wings to slow his descent from the main mast to the deck. While he doesn't smile, the cant of his head and crinkling at the corners of his eyes suggest that he's quite pleased at how things have progressed so far. He remains in plain view as he walks toward the broken open hatch of the main hold, "I see you have things well in hand," he calls to Nine, "And Emet seems to be enjoying himself." He casts a glance back at said dragon-transport-creature, shielding his eyes from the bright sun with his free hand.
    The motorboat is too far and too low to be easily noticed from where he is, but a chance glance higher in the sky catches motion. Motion of something that is too straight and swift to be a bird. "Though I think we are about to have company."

No. 9 (269) has posed:
    Nine likes invasions. He likes blood and chaos. It must be the water throwing him off. Being surrounded by so much liquid death? Kinda throwing him off just a bit. Otherwise he'd be all for disembowelling folks. Though that does make a deck rather slippery. A glance up. "Oh great. Company." Though normally eager for the swift savagery of combat, he's ill at ease on the deck and it shows. Watching Emet cavort and play is fun and all, but he'd hoped to have this task over and done with as swiftly as possible, all things be told.

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
Kiritsugu notices when Taro and Nine look up, and follows their gaze to the incoming jet. He doesn't know who that is, but he is likely going to find out sooner rather than later. He directs the binoculars back down to the two on the deck to see what action they are taking, if any. He recognizes Taro from the Union files. It is who he expected to be here. The other one, he was not, but he recognizes him from records as well.

The assassin lets the binoculars hang around his neck, peering with his empty, lifeless-seeming eyes towards the ship, and then kneeling down to open the smaller of the black cases in the boat with him. This might work out regardless. But he won't commit until he is sure of the facts. It's time to ask some questions on the radio.

Deelel has posed:
the light jet is coming in and Deelel's going to go to make a run over the whole scene of chaos.

"This is Deelel of The Union Elite forces, cease your actions at once, this is your only warning." She's going to give them long enough that they can chose to stand down, she knows rarely they do but the few times it does? Make it worth it to the program.

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro has been spending a lot of time in Nine's company. Goodness knows why. What could the two of them possibly have in common? (You'd be surprised.)
    He's aware that Nine has been uneasy about this entire operation, not so much due to the plan itself but the fact that neither of them are the least bit buoyant. "The drones have been instructed what to look for, and we won't stay any longer than necessary," he says to him in what's meant as reassurance.
    Attention then turns to the sky as Deelel addresses them, his nearly always present frown deepening at the corners. "Your warning is acknowledged but unheeded," he calls up to her in reply. "I would, however, ask to be spared any speeches about how evil we are or the state of our souls." He waits a few seconds for his response to be parsed, then flips his knife over in his gloved hand to send it tumbling at the woman. It's aimed to miss her, serving as a distraction so that he can unfold his wings and take to the sky.
    Meanwhile, another iron-banded wooden chest is passed along from drone to drone on the way from the ship's hold to the cutter's deck.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel Says "Awe I had this awesome speech about your soul and gravity."

DEelel says nothing else as her light jet dips in from the sky and she takes several shots at Taro from the craft's light guns. Bolts of energy will try to pepper Taro and the knife well? Deelel catches it as she drops off her craft which vanishes into a burst of light, and she catches the rod which is all that remains of it, she drops to the deck it willbe time to dance it seems and she's got Taro's knife...

No. 9 (269) has posed:
    You'd be surprised. Nine certainly was. They were quite opposite of each other in a lot of different ways. Taro was a lot of very high level things, and Nine was kind of a lot of very low level things. You think the two would despise each other. It's meant to be reassurance and to a degree it is. He nods, albeit a bit tensely. "Right, right..." Watching the horion, his eyes snap to Deel, pausing, tilting his head. He coughs. "Summary. I'm evil, he's not, so much-" Thumb to himself, "Damned-" thumb to Taro, "Not, um, what else." He's left sort of watching it, eyeing the ship but then places his fingers in his mouth and whistles SHARPLY. "EMET. C'mere." And then there's a great roar and ruckus as hundreds of gallons of seawater go slorshing out of the open personnel bay of the great APC technowokky dragonthing, a great rasping metallic whooping cry coming from it as it heaves it's way out of the water. If he has to fly he'll fly, though he prefers about anything to that. Yeahh... The dragonoid swims nearby, if Nine needs him, and he just points upwards at the girl, his eyes narrowing and a feral grin spreading across his face.

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
Confirmation comes in, and Kiritsugu sets about opening the smaller of the two black cases, checking its contents, and then pulling them out. It's a high-powered sniper rifle, it appears, though with some modifications. Kiritsugu attaches and sights along the scope, watching as Taro throws a knife towards Deelel up in the air, and No. 9 appears to be summoning his dragonzord thing. The tan-skinned Japanese man switches between targets, before suddenly putting the rifle back down. Not yet. Deelel seems to be able to summon and dismiss that energy jet, but from what he just heard when he flipped open his cellphone and called her, she is not able to transport all the ship's crew out of here.

That somewhat limits options.

He turns around to face the larger of the two black cases after setting the rifle down somewhere it isn't going to come in contact with the water, due to its special nature. Then he calls up Maiya, back on the amphibious plane, and makes a request of her. "Have rescue vessels sent out here. If you radio them now, they should be able to reach us in time." Maiya responds briefly, "Yes. Right away." without asking for details. She and Kiritsugu work together seamlessly, like a well-oiled machine. They do not need to ask each other's thoughts most of the time, they anticipate and they do what is needed of them.

And given that Maiya knows what Kiritsugu's armament is, she probably already understands regardless.

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro weaves his way through the shots, catching a glancing blow along his left flank but otherwise escaping unscathed from Deelel's barrage. The wind disguises the sound of the plates in his right gauntlet retracting to reveal the muzzle of a weapon. Not a plasma bolter as usual, as he's taking pains to avoid setting fire to the ship. Instead, he's firing several volleys of flat, razor sharp flechettes at the woman in rapid succession. Unlike before, his aim is deliberate, and taking care to keep Nine out of his crosshairs.
    There's a flash of something else out there on the water. It's noted, but since it does not appear to be immediately threatening, it is for the moment disregarded.
    Meanwhile, the rest of the convoy, now that Emet is no longer playing fetch with its cannon balls, begins to regroup. It will take them some time to retack their remaining sails and swing around, especially since it will put them against the wind.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is now on the deck sadly she can only get a few people away. What she's better off doing is engaging the enemy that's the best way for her to fight the enemy that's on the dech as a vessel is calle dot aid in the rescu she knows she's got to dlay the emey and she looks to see TAro as she lands and smirks a little bit.

"So shall we dance?"

She drop and rolls out of the wya but is forced to not make a counter attack she's too busy dodging.

No. 9 (269) has posed:
    "HEY!" The tone is churlish and indignant. Not at being ignored, he doesn't much care about that, but about Taro getting attacked! His footsteps are heavy, clunking and stomping, charging up and winding up; there's little elegance to it, more about raw anger and indignation then elegance and grace. His face is tight and ugly, teeth bared and white, eyes blazing and breath hissing, aiming to smash Deel one good.

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
Deelel is facing off against two Confederates. There are still robots getting chests full of gold and who knows what else up on the deck. There is a dragon-thing incoming. And Kiritsugu, not being a front line combatant, is ill-suited to getting in there and fighting at the program's side. But now that Maiya is calling in rescue vessels, and combat has begun - hopefully taking the attention of the two Confederate Elites, Kiritsugu can do what he does best.

He unlatches the large black case, opens it, and begins to assemble what's inside. For the direness of the situation, he doesn't appear to be in much of a hurry.

What is he planning!?

Taro (399) has posed:
    Should any rescue craft arrive while they are still here, Taro for one will not bother them so long as they're carrying out only that role. The crew was simply an obstacle to be moved aside, and he holds no personal malice towards them.
    The android holds his fire as Nine closes in, as while no doubt the Golem could take some friendly fire, he would perfer not to hurt him. Something about being his personal cyberneticist as well. Instead, he arcs around to get a better line of sight and waits for the next opportunity that presents itself.
    Two of the galleons in the convoy are in the very slow process of getting themselves turned around, their remaining sails angling to catch what wind they can.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is dealing with the confed Elites and this could be a heck of a problem for her at this point. She's got Nine and Taro to deal with and she's going to have a bd day at the big bad bio golem is going to get in her face. She's froced to leap into the air andf she does not want to sit still at all here as Taro now makes his move and she's just stuck as a diversion but as Taro holds his fire Deelel's just able to pull the disc off her back, power it's edge and hurrly it at Nine, she doesn't expect to do much to an organic tank like him but it should keep his attention.

No. 9 (269) has posed:
    Hey he's got some blood to spray, some skin to score and some meat to cut into. The meat is reinforced with titanium mesh and plates of metal and ceramic under the skin and the blood hisses and turns a lurid orange, fizzling in the air but it did have an effect. He hisses and snaps at the disc, which is a damn stupid thing to do and leaves him looking just a touch derpy. Hss! His words are a tense thin thing, barked back at his fellow Confederate monster and friend. "Mind if I have this dance? Can ya keep an eye on th' job at hand while I tangle with this lil gal? She's gettin a mite sassy on me." His teeth clack, eyes glinting in the dark of his sockets.

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
Taro and Nine, two dangerous Elites, are keeping Deelel on her toes, and the drones are continuing their work - perhaps even nearing completion, but that is uncertain. Kiritsugu, standing in his boat, finishes assembling his weapon. A shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. Deja vu sweeps over him as he remembers a similar situation. The salty sea air, the crash of the waves... No seagulls this time, there are already sounds of battle echoing over the ocean, and he is not shooting down a passenger plane full of people, and one very special person.

But just like then, he is shooting at a more or less civilian target, trying to eliminate the few, to save the many.

He launches the rocket, and it streaks towards the ship. And unless exceptional circumstances prevent it, it hits low, blowing a hole in the side of the ship below the water line, with an air-splitting *BOOOOOM*!

He knows there are still people on board, and others in the water, including a Union Elite.

But this is the plan, the Confederates are distracted, and Kiritsugu Emiya is the type of man who will use any means to achieve his ends.

Even if he hates himself for it.

Taro (399) has posed:
    "By all means, cut in." Taro graciously cedes to Nine. The Golem's methods may be cruder and less elegant than his, but they're certainly effective. Besdide, Nine could use the stimulation...
    ...tht thought is rudely interrupted as he detects a rocket launch. He's quick enough to spot it as it leaves the small boat that he'd disregarded, but not to stop it from meeting its target.
    *BOOOOM!!*
    There's an explosion of water and splinters as the rocket meets the hull, and two of the drones tumbling across the deck to fall into the hold. The chest itself cracks open with the abuse, sending silver coins skittering along the deck before upending in the hold as well. Then the ship falls back again to relative flatness, though that won't be for very long.
    There was some slack in the cables mooring the cutter to the ship, but it too gets bobbed about from the explosion. The other drone that had been at the ship's rail falls, clipping the cutter's deck before splashing and sinking into the depths.
    The android mutters a curse at this sudden change of events, followed by, "NINE!" Wings snap in a bit as he descends, drawing his beam sabre on his way to the mooring cables.
    His brother is going to panic. The odds are in favor of that. He can only hope that it won't be a full panic and will still listen to him.

Deelel has posed:
So there Deelel is s she's dealing with No.9 who seem to be well talking about dancing and she's not wanting to hold still she get an idea that if he gets ahold of her she's going to have a very bad day the disc returns to her hand. She moves briefly trying to figure out how to deal with this huge wall of meat to deal with. She then gets a warning from her ally to brace for impact but it seems she's used to horrible things coming after her, after all she was forced into death games for quite some time. Deelel has no idea about what he's about to do. Then the shot is fired and she's not happy she loses her food and goes down this leaves her open.

No. 9 (269) has posed:
    Whoa whoa wait what? What what what just happened- his head still ringing from the blast, a touch temporarily deaf in one ear, left blinking and disoriented... and then there's a deep and ominous creaking... Emet the dragon gets eminently Do Not Want about the situation, splashing and flailing in the salty water before taking off with a great whuffling flumph of his wings. If he saw the man in the rowboat there'd be a swift flare of wings, and all the funny little circular ports on his belly would suddenly flare bright hot white, bathing Emiya in floodlights, a temporary flash to try to disorient the one with the scary rockets before tearing off across the waves.

    And Nine just, kind of goes gray as the wood starts to groan and tilt. No, list. It's called listing when it's the ocean, isn't it? He's gray, gray, his face sandy and his eyes pale.

    He's inches from the more energetic parts of the panic. This is more the... calm, shock-y bits, before the full on hyperventilation and manic bestial clawing at things. Half-crazed eyes turn to Taro, rimed with madness. His voice is remarkably neutral and dry. "Taro I think we're going to sink." Thankfully Emiya's distraction technique seems to have rather worked out well. He's certainly distracted.

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
A direct hit. That is step one completed. Taro is disengaging and moving away from the ship, and through the air, heading for the mooring cables. Kiritsugu isn't sure how well Deelel is doing from here, but he trusts she at least received the warning. Beyond that, he can not concern himself overly with her condition. Instead, he moves on to step two. However, the giant dragon-transport suddenly is blinding him with floodlights, and Kiritsugu lets out a grunt of surprise before bringing up one arm to shield his eyes with his sleeve. He lets the rocket launcher slip from his fingers and into the bottom of the boat - though making sure not to just drop it and risk damaging the speed boat.

Once the dazzling display is over, he picks up that sniper rifle again, and sights through the scope... Tracking Taro's movements. But he still has dots before his eyes, and even with all his experience, he can not make them go away just like that. And he isn't the type to risk a shot when he can't be certain of the target. He only has one shot at this. If he can't hit his target, he'll have to hit something else for this to be effective.

So for now, he waits for his vision to clear, and keeps an eye on what's going on. The transport-dragon leaving the area, even if it did what it did before doing so, is still a blessing in disguise. Kiritsugu didn't know if his special round would have any effect on it. To be honest, he doesn't know if it will have any effect on Taro or Nine or the drones either.

But evidence suggests it should.

And hopefully, it won't do anything to Deelel either, though that is also something to consider. Maybe he should warn her to get out of here. Hm.

Taro (399) has posed:
    This distraction has been rather effective, hasn't it? Dealing with the one who fired the rocket is of lower priority compared to other concerns, and so Taro does not follow up on Emet's flash of a warning. He'll thank the dragon later, though, for its actions.
    The mooring lines go taught as the larger ship begins listing in the opposite direction, and the side of the cutter begins to tilt as well. The load of silver that's already been carried down into its own cargo bag shifts, further exacerbating the smaller craft's woes.
    There's a crack-hiss of energy as Taro activates his beam sabre, follows by a swish-hum as he cuts the lines free. "Nine. We are going to get back on our own ship now." Calming. Or at least that is the intent. He makes a jabbing motion with his arm in the direction of their ship. "You go first."
    Unless Deelel calls attention to herself, the android gives her no regard. The prospect of a 600 plus pound golem in panic on a sinking ship is his foremost concern.

No. 9 (269) has posed:
    Calming, calming, yes. Calming. Yes. He's breathing heavy, but he's moving to follow what Taro is doing. Only the ship is getting a bit tilty, and he's getting a bit panicky, so right now he's more... clinging to the railing, locking up and shaking making whimpering noises then cutting the lines as was his intention. With the way his hands were shaking he'd probably drop his beam sabre into the ocean, which would be no bueno. He'll just go to the other ship- ah crap he can't let go of the railing. But he has to. The ship is going down. He reguarly makes multi-story leaps with no problem, cackling all the while, but this... this is different.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is on a ship that's going down she's hit the ground quite hard and trying to get up somehow she's not been crushed out of existnace as No.09's got a case of panic over the ship going down. Well maybe not paniced he's clearly more worired about what's going on with the ship given there are crew below decks. She's got a plan and something that might work to save the ship at least once the feds flee. She's going to be trying to scramble to get blow decks but she has no idea how big of a blast he's going to be using.

She gets a what the hell look on her face she has to flee this could very well just kill her or wipe her mind she has no idea as she's forced to get back on her light jet, no she's not happy at all but what can she do?

Emiya Kiritsugu (603) has posed:
The Confederates are leaving. That should be enough. They're getting out of here, right? Not for Kiritsugu. Enemies left alive are enemies who can strike back, and shooting an enemy in the back is a perfectly practical tactic. Especially for one who has no honor.

Kiritsugu's vision clears. He has warned Deelel. He takes aim on Taro, and then he takes in a breath at the exact moment he fires, timing it with the roll of the ocean, to steady his aim. When he pulls the trigger, an odd, long round is fired at super-sonic velocity. It sheds its casing, and then the point of the bullet splits open on the way to its target - almost like a metal flower unfolding into a miniature, five-point claw on the tip.

This particular ammunition works best if it hits a conductive metal surface, but the electronic mechanism inside of it should do its work at least somewhat even if all it hits is wood.

And if it hits anything short of the water, it is going to try to stick to it - the impact depressing a trigger, and two contacts connecting.

And then a wide-area electro-magnetic pulse is released in every direction for about a mile.

Taro (399) has posed:
    Steel armor was never popular with this android, and the armor he designed and now wears is made of polyceramics and laminates. His own frame is of myomer fiber muscles and high-tensile composites that can withstand many of the beatings he most richly derserves.
    None of which mean a thing when he's at the epicenter of an EMP spike.
    Taro deactivates his blade, and then stretches out his free hand in a coaxing motion toward Nine. "You're almost there. You've jumped twice this distance or more..."
    Anything he would have said after is interrupted by a sharp *ping* of the round striking his armor just below the his sternum. He has no chance to react as the trigger activates, and the only notable physical reaction is a sudden twitch, followed by his eyes rolling back.
    Well, this, followed by his repulsorlift wings suddenly giving out. He drops like a stone, clipping his head on the wooden rail on his way down to crash onto the solid steel rail on the edge of their own craft.

No. 9 (269) has posed:
    It's pretty pathetic, not being able to move. Especially when you're a big bad combat cyborg who fucking kills people. Or, killed, people anyway. He used to. He still does every now and again but he lost a lot of the taste for it. Washed from him like water. Like water. Like. Like water. Like-

    He's just trying to unlatch his hands, to leap across the rail and onto the other ship, feeling the slight nauseous tilt and fighting to ignore it, when the sharp retort of the supersonic round kraks out, head whipping around. He looks to Taro, eyes wide. He's afraid it's gonna be some high-tech bullet that tears through Taro. But it's not.

    It manages to be worse.

    There's an expanding wave of energy, and... everything fries. Whether a temporary fitful on the fritz or the more permanent one, the Golem sort of goes seizure-rigid, tense, his hand DETONATING the wooden rail he's holding on to... and then he sort of creaks, and falls over. Too tense to be boneless, too liquid to be rigid, sort of trembling and arcing the odd lines of his own electricity, shaking and pretty much immobilized, blood running out of his nose and ears, and not fizzling this time, streaking the deck a bit.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel waits for the EMP to pass she has no idea how it would effect her but she does not feel like finding out. She then drops back towards the ship as soon as it disspate her jet has already she lands on the deck in a crouch and vanishes heding below decks she know she's not got much time. On the grid there are certaint non lethal tools used by system monitors to disable program or say block an era she has a few such grenade and she'll employ them to seal the breach it self.

Taro (399) has posed:
    Tens of minutes later, the two most combat-worthy galleons have finally managed to tack and turn themselves around. While they arrive too late to assist Deelel in fighting off the Confederates, they are in time to rescue the sailors who were cast overboard earlier. Tenders are lowered and rowed around to pluck them from the sea.
    It's been a los for the fleet, but they could have suffered far worse, and between sharing sails and tow ropes, they should be able to limp into the closest port to make repairs.

    Meanwhile...Taro suppresses a groan as he comes back online. The last half a munite of memory has vanished, but he recalls that he had been in the air, not dangling awkwardly over the rail of his own ship. He finds something embedded in his armor, plucks it off, stares at it a moment, then curls his fingers around it. He rolls his head, spotts Nine, and once he's able to flop onto the deck, crawls over to check on him. A pulse. Good.
    The android creep-crawls on his belly across the deck, in part to avoid attention but mostly because he doesn't trust himself standing, and pulls himself into the wheelhouse.
    The cutter's engines rumble-purr to life, and almost immediately whine as the're punched up to breakneck speed to carry the ship away.