A slightly smaller Mess

"How many do you think?"

Hera: "Four or five?"

The Tau stepped forward, drawing the blade from its sheath and striking out in a wide arc, all in a unfaltering movement, merely trying to size up his opponents reaction.

*jack steps backwards out of the arc, and responds with a fast thrust towards the tau's chest*

"Should work"

Hera: "so, you and me, laurence... *she mulls it* Mac and hakken?"

"Works"

Hera: "Where is he...?"

"....good question"

"You're the telepath."

"Which is what makes my inability to locate him so perplexing"

"We could ask his creature."

*meanwhile laurence is in a place doing a thing*

"....Please don't call him that to his face"

"I do have a general understanding of the word 'tact' charles."

he smiles "Just Checking"

"Alright then, lets go find this xeno."

Charles nods and lets her lead the way

"Yeah i have no idea where he is."

"He has his own room..."

OOC: So what were Akira and Max upto before we stopped with them?

OOC: Goin home, to go to that heretic chapel.

"Which is where?"

"The crew quarters part of the ship..."

*she turns around, with her hands on her hips* "How many men are aboard this ship charles?"

*eyeroll* "come on"

"How was i supposed to know where he was..."

Charles: *shrugs* Didn't know if you'd gotten around to checking the map yet.

OOC: Want to continue with them?

OOC: sure

Hera: "Been a little busy."

"Fair enough" *walky walky look look*

*Dos thou find the boi?*

Max: "Doc says I should be able to leave once my blood pressure improves"
*He is noticeably less pale than before*

Akira: "Good to hear it sweetie. You might be some use to me then."

Max: "...Oh?"

Akira: "Blood pressure in a certain part..."

Max: "Ohh" *Grim* "You missed me that much?"

Akira: "A few nights alone is a lot."

Max: "Yeah...it is." *He taps on the mattress next to him* "How have the crew been?"

Akira: "Bit jumpy. Word about that daemon got around." *she sits down on the bed next to him*

Max: *He rests a hand on her shoulder*
"I guess we may have to hire a few more priests, use religion to keep their fears in check"

Akira: "They're tough bastards."

Max: "They are, but fear can bring any man down"

Akira: "I'll sort it, don't worry."

Max: "Thanks, has any thing else been happening?"

Akira: "I set us on a course home. Had an idea."

Max: "Oh? Go on"

Akira: "That deamon, i figured out how we might be able to kill it."

Max: "Summon?"

Akira: "yeah..."

Max: "You're sure about this?"

OOC: apologies. Business n such.

The Tau put up a decent couple of rounds, pulling his blunted blade before contact ensured no unnecessary harm was something he'd learned.

He felt the fire in his veins summer from its previous boil, no longer feeling that urge to assault the tech priests, nor incite their wrath as an excuse.

It wasn't to say all fire caste were ticking time bombs, if a fight was in sight, which it usually was, Shas would focus on the fight ahead, it gave them something to look forward to.

Even guard duty had its own distractions, perimeter checks, the promise of danger.
But locked within the confines of this ship, never knowing when the next fight would come, if it would come.
It lit a fire in his guts that only a Shas would understand and it burned unbearably hot.

The more experienced in war you became, the harder it was to scratch that itch.
Maybe it wasn't the blood, maybe it was the ethereals indoctrination of their people, the caste system keeping them locked in. Training a whole race to be killers.
The Imperium had its tithes, but at least you were free to volunteer.

In his moment of internal distractions he left himself open, suffering a light tap and a point lost.
He winced as he stepped back, bowing to opponent before setting back into stance.

Tau martial arts weren't very developed compared to Gue'la, but he had a pair of excellent teachers.
"When do you think people will be deployed, I'd enjoy letting boots hit the ground."

*the man sent against him is far removed from the common file of soldiery, even in his daydreams, the tau can tell that. The man fights hard, swift, and skillfully, yet restrained somehow. When the blow lands, it is the result of a complex manuver, binding their blades at the blade, then releasing the tau's sword, hooking it across his crossguard, and somehow ending with his sword held against the shas's collarbone.*

Jack: "I've not the foggiest. I don't make the calls."

Akira: "Yes.. Nothing crosses us. Deamon or not it dies." *she takes his hand and squeezes it a little. She has the same look in her eyes as when she threatened the bounty hunter captain. *