The battlefield hadn't changed much for his team, but it was a very different story for the enemy pirates. Several of their refuges had been completely destroyed. It looked like a massive sword had sliced right through both the crates and the pirates they hid. As he looked about, his eye was quickly drawn to the center of the action.
Captain Ashton ran around the room, yelling and screaming loudly. Kinson strained his ears, but failed to make out any of his remarks due to the constant gunfire and explosion. More than twenty pirates were currently firing at him, but their projectiles seemed stopped by an invisible bubble around Ashton. Kinson looked around for the turret, which was just preparing to fire once more. Ashton seemed completely unaware of it, running with his back to it.
"Look out!" Kinson yelled out in warning.
"Get down, lad! Don't draw their attention," the bearded man tried to pull him down, but Kinson resisted. Due to the interaction, a fresh wave of pain assaulted him and tears filled his eyes. Fortunately, it seemed the captain had heard him, as he looked over.
The men behind the turret took cover, and another massive energy blast was released. Perhaps it was because of the warning, or maybe his own ability, but Ashton managed to dodge, rolling out of the way just in time. He flashed Kinson a quick thumbs up and charged towards the next batch of pirates.
The pirates were taunting and yelling, unloading everything they had. When Ashton got within ten feet, a large man leaped over the barricade, standing before him with an arrogant look. Kinson quickly recognized him as one of the captains from the meeting room.
"It seems someone among the Sons of Crimson actually possesses some ability! Allow me to test your true skill!" the man said.
He roared and was surrounded by an aegis of green energy, which burned like fire. The pirate drew a large steel sword off his back and allowed the flames to rise up and surround it. WIth another cry, the two men collided, the clash of their blades sent out a shockwave that whipped Kinson's hair and nearly knocked him off the crate.
"Whose that?" Kinson asked, his voice shaky.
"That's Arthur, one of the Broken Skulls. They're notorious for their underhand deeds. Although his challenge looks honorable, keep watching and I'm sure we'll see a bit of dirt soon," The bearded man said.
"Oh," Kinson said.
He ignored the pain and sat back up, keeping a close eye out for anything suspicious. So far, none of the other pirate captains, who, theoretically, should be the strongest, had appeared. He was especially wary of Boros, from whose hands he suffered so much. Kinson unconsciously fingered the trigger of his gun, fidgeting with the safety.
The fight continued, with both sides clashing a dozen times per second. Kinson found it hard to keep up, and he felt even more in awe with Captain Ashton. The man was so powerful!
Ashton feinted with a stab, and Arthur fell for it, attempting to block. Finding his guard down, Arthur rushed his flaming sword back into position, barely blocking the true attack aimed at his throat. The pirate captain was caught off balance, and stumbled.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ashton lunged forward, sword pointed at Arthur's heart. Kinson held his breath and determined it was the end of the duel. However, Ashton suddenly abandoned the attack and opted to jump to the side.
Kinson was caught in a moment of confusion. "What happened? Why didn't he attack?" he asked the man beside him.
The man sighed heavily. "It seems the rest of the station's power has decided to take action. If he would have engaged, he would have been vulnerable to a counter attack. I'm afraid this might be it for us"
"Huh?" Kinson looked around, then caught sight of Boros, who stood in the open doorway. The big man was surrounded by several well geared pirates. They had leveled their guns at Ashton, waiting for the right moment so they penetrate his shields.
Arthur recovered, then struck out again, raining down a flurry of fiery blows. Kinson tried, but couldn't follow even one of them. Ashton tried blocking, but his arms weren't moving as quickly. Some of the blows slipped through, sending up clouds of Sparks whenever they struck the invisible barrier around the captain.
"Prepare to escape. I'll open the escape hatch," Kinson jumped as a voice suddenly spoke in his mind. He looked around in confusion.
"It's Heart, the telepath on our team. He's been sharing the captain's words ever since the battle started," the bearded man explained, "Let's get ready. As soon as it becomes clear, board the ship."
"Okay. I'll try, but I don't know if I can make it with my leg," Kinson's leg had only gotten worse, and had begun to swell painfully.
"I'll throw you, if need be," came the reply.
Kinson instantly committed to climbing up himself, even if it killed him. Being thrown would be more painful then he cared to imagine, not to mention the blow to his dignity.
"What dignity?" he muttered. He was literally in a dream of the past. Who cared about dignity?
The fight continued, with Ashton slowly taking a greater disadvantage. Sweat gathered on his body, and his muscles bulged and shook with effort.
"Did you like our little trick? I'd been preparing for that for a while now. Pity you saw through it, but it was enough for me to show my superior skill!" Arthur boasted with a loud guffaw.
"That's not true! He's way better than you!" someone among the sons of crimson couldn't take it and yelled out. He was immediately shushed by his companion.
Kinson slowly unclenched his fists. That was right. As much as he hated the injustice, they needed to disappear in the minds of their enemies, otherwise their escape might fail. They would only have a moment before their plan was discovered, and the cargo ship gunned down or disabled.
Unfortunately, the duel soon came to a close. "Open fire," Tarken commanded, having appeared by Boros' side at some point.
Immediately, bullets were sent spitting towards Ashton and Arthur. Caught in the onslaught, Arthur cried out in anger. He waved his hand, sending a wave of fire that shielded him from the incoming wave of death. Ashton wasn't so lucky.
Tarken had made his move at the perfect moment, right when Ashton was distracted blocking an attack. He only managed to avoid a handful of attacks, with the majority landing on his shield.
Although invisible, it was clear the psionic shield had reached its limit. Several bullets snuck through, striking Ashton's clothes and body. Blood spurted from many wounds, and Ashton cried out in rage and pain. He stomped on the ground, flying through the air towards the console that controlled the bay.
"Now! He shouted, slicing through the two pirates guarding the terminal.
Kinson hesitated for a moment, then gingerly pushed off the crate. He tried walking, but his leg collapsed beneath him. Dark spots flashed over his vision, and he started to fall. Two large hands gripped him, and he was lifted into the air.
"Should have started with this," a familiar voice mumbled in his ear. Then, Kinson was sent flying through the air.
"Ahhhh!" he screamed in panic. The cargo ship's entrance was almost ten feet away!
He flew through the air and landed on the floor with a thump. His injuries were severe, and the impact was far from soft. Black washed over Kinson's consciousness for a split second. After a moment, he became aware of someone screaming in total agony. A moment later, he realized it was his own voice. The next moment, he found himself being carried deeper within the shuttle, away from the door. Bullets flew into the ship, gunning down another one of the Sons of Crimson before they could take cover. A thunderous roar drowned out all other noises as hundreds of bullets struck the ship..
By the time Kinson fully recovered his senses, the whole team was either lying on the loading bay, or on board the ship. As he was dragged away, he caught one last look out of the ship. Ashton fought valiantly with Arthur once more. This time, however, it was not a duel. More than ten pirates, wielding various weapons, joined in, beating down his last resistance. In the background, he could hear a grinding drone as the bay doors began to open.
Upon hearing the noise, everyone in the bay froze, then fled to the exits. The ship's hatch began to close, blocking out Kinson's vision. Ashton was panting heavily and couldn't even properly maintain his sword, much less offer any more resistance. Kinson watched in horror as Arthur approached him, and said a few words, although he was unable to make them out. His final look was that of Ashton falling to the ground, Arthur's sword in his chest.
The ship rocked as the doors opened and the atmosphere fled the loading bay. The cries of those who failed to escape in time were cut off abruptly, but Kinson barely noticed. He blinked back tears and closed his eyes. It was the first time since Mars he had felt such a feeling.
Kinson tried to stem his tears, but grief and the ever stinging pain of his wounds continued to wet his eyes. He failed to notice as the reality around him fragmented into cloudy like substance and began to break apart. Soon, everything faded away, and he was left drifting, alone, through darkness. The pain vanished, as did his senses.