Scene #5180: Cause and Effect

Owner	Pose
Lin	One person among the crew - a hire from Multiversal mercenary agencies - stands out pretty weirdly. With pirates all over here, redcoats elsewhere... the redheaded warrior standing on deck looks like a young woman of the far east, judging by her facial features and attire. Except for that blazing red hair... Her open palm's resting squarely against the butt of her sheathed curved sword, a weapon that's ALMOST a dead ringer for the occasional weapon that leaves the Tokugawa Shogunate. Yes, Lin would fit right in over in Edo right now. But she's here instead, in a setting of cannons, cutlasses, and floofy coats. "Numbers like that are all but meaningless to me." States the young lady. She seems almost BORED with the numbers in fact. "Shall we go over the battle plan one last time?"
Captain Flint	"I want those guns for Nassau," says the captain with a stony glare levelled at Boston Harbor in the distance. "They won't let us simply take them--so we will need a distraction. And with a little effort, all the work will come from Boston's own citizens. All it takes is a little... encouragement." He frowns. He levels his intense gaze at Karal Rei Lin, the mercenary hired to join the vanguard. "Harbor security has tightened to almost unbearable levels," explains Flint. "We'll send out a vanguard in the launches--" He pauses, for less nautically inclined individuals, then gestures to small rowboats hanging on either side of the Walrus. "You'll make landfall a mile south-southeast of the harbor and approach the town under cover of night. When you reach the town, use anything at your disposal to cause a commotion. I don't care what talents or skills you employ, be they God-given, bargained for, or stolen--but we need every British Regular off those ships and on the ground trying to keep control. When you have them off the ships in any acceptable number, begin unloading them. We'll approach the harbor, take on as many guns as we can, and cover your escape." Meanwhile, on land, a slightly stocky British officer with neatly groomed blonde hair makes a speech in the town square, to an audience of colonists. The colonists view him with all the respect one views dictators with--it's likely the only thing keeping their resentment from boiling over is the fear of being overwhelmed by Redcoats. "We will have law and order in Boston," says the officer. Whispers among the crowd name him as Commander Berringer. "The agitators among you seek nothing less than the collapse of civilization--but we are ready for them, and we will not be stopped. We will not rest until the last criminal in the Americas swings on a noose!" Hard glares all around the town are leveled at the Commander--but no one dares to do anything. Eventually, people begin to file away, for the moment beaten into inaction with the bludgeon of fear.
Lin	"Understood! ... Well, if all the soldiers in town end up beaten into submission, an escape might not be necessary... but I'll keep that in mind." Lin's only real odd action on landfall is to... well, on the way, she ends up somehow yoinking a wooden sword out of seemingly thin air and replacing her steel weapon with it. It's finely polished, it's certainly made of the best hardwood... but... A bokuto? Against redcoats armed with muskets? ... Really? She's on her way towards the town...
Nicky	In one of the taverns the people file to, Nicky has settled in. In the day she had passed in Boston, she has acquired herself the cloth and garb of a typical ship boy (who just happened to be drunk enough to rob him naked), and in the corner with all the other guns of the colonists rests the musket she had 'liberated' from a trapper who hadn't paid attention to it in the wrong moment when selling his wares. Settling between some tea trader called Jimmy Lemon and a small goods trader called John Hendrix, she had introduced herself as Nick Oliver. "Now, they call it all civilisation what they brought us, but be honest. What was here before our ships landed over in Virginia? Nuthin! Nuthin! Isn't Boston the work of our fathers? Our work? What has the bridish Crown done for us? And now they wanna enact Taxes they never bothered to collect earlier? For what? A king's war somewhere over the ocean, a king who never even set foot to this place he calls a colony. But this isn't a colony, this is friging HOME."
Evangeline	The Neuroi Girl known as Evangeline has come here after hearing that 1) there was government oppression going on, and 2) that the colonial citizens were just about tired of it. Evangeline is trying to reason with the commander, but with her naturally soft, meek, and barely inflected voice, she might not meet much success. "...I do not think the people here are criminals...it is just that they feel they are being treated unfairly..." she says, then pauses a moment and floats upward so that she is eye level with Berringer. She holds out a hand in an offering of a handshake. "...forgive me...I did not introduce myself...I am Evangeline, and when I heard what was happening I hoped I might be able to mediate a peaceful resolution that both sides can find acceptable..."
Captain Flint	On the streets, as the colonists begin to depart for the daily grind, Berringer hops off of the platform he'd been using to indulge Evangeline. He takes her hand, and although he's fairly certain he's never seen her like, gently kisses it per the custom of the day. Releasing her hand, he smiles. "Young madam," he says in greeting. "I admire your diplomatic spirit, and I'd welcome any insight you have--but I'm at a loss as to how I can arrive at a mutually agreeable arrangement for all parties. As far as King George is concerned, these people are English. That means that if they want to benefit from our protection, they must share some of the cost. Without the support these colonists give us, we would have to work much harder to keep the Jacobites at bay." So, therein lies the problem--the British need money to fund their military, and the colonists feel they're being asked to give too much. "Frankly, I feel as if the colonies are being unreasonable--no one felt this way until people began to read about the fate of Americas from different worlds. For as long as these ideas of independence continue to propagate, they are threats to the sovereignty of the British Empire, and to the safety of her people." In the tavern, debate begins to form with some help from Nicky. "The Crown's done right by us," argues Jimmy. "Sure, the tariffs are a little high, but we wouldn't've even got to build all this if they hadn't financed it." At this, John Hendrix scoffs. "Financed it? You sound like one of them, Jim. All they did was throw money at it and say 'make it so' and let us do all the hard work. Now they come in, start threatening to hang us, just for asking to be treated fair? Nick's right," says John. "We've been letting them push us around for too long." Meanwhile, on the Walrus, everyone begins to pile into launches. Flint turns to his Quartermaster. "Mr. Gates, you have the helm," he advises, taking along a small lantern to use as a signal. Climbing into a launch to assist the vanguard, Flint eyes Karal's choice of weapon with a displeased frown. "For your sake, I hope you're /very/ talented with that," offers the captain. "Anyone who doesn't bend knee to the crown gets painted as a monster. Those soldiers aren't going to give you the same kindness I'm sure you intend to show them." The coast grows closer and closer, the small boat eventually brushing up against land. Flint and his men depart, as do crews from two other launches. The way into town is going to be a bit of a hike, and the men begin splitting up so as not to cause alarm by entering as one unified force.
Nicky	"Hear what I say, no Taxation without representation! Either they shall go where the pepper grows and leave us alone with their unfair taxes, or the king should show up here and invite us to his parliament to hear what we want!" Nicky slams her mug of ale onto the bartop. "John, you want to send taxes to some nebulous king in a country far away, just because our fathers and grandfathers got a piece of paper allowing us to settle and build at our leisure? I say, if they treat us fair and invite us to send our representatives, sure, we can live with taxes then. But they don't want to hear our opinions, their governer and Captain Berringer don't care! They just want to silence us. I say, we make a statement now! The Ciel under French flag has suggar aboard - they can't tax suggar that can't be sold anymore for it swims in the harbor!"
Lin	"If the worst I have to deal with is some cannons and those clumsy rifles that can't even be fired as quickly as a bow... this is more than enough!" Lin affirms, finally cracking a grin. "Don't worry about me!" She hops onto dry land once the boat arrives... and breaks into a spirited dash. She'll slow down after getting into the town, but... ONLY in order to vault up carefully on top of buildings and spring from one roof to the next on her way to the town square... And finally, this leaves her standing from a rather high perch overlooking the square. Somehow or another the winds have conspired to set her eastern attire and long ponytail fluttering gently towards the west... "Soldiers clad in red!" She announces in a booming voice that carries far and stabs right into the heart for attention. "I hear you hail from an empire without peer. One that no force upon this world can stand against and live. What say you, soldiers? Do you deserve this reputation?!" There she stands, perched oddly on a roof, bokuto still stuck through her sash but ready to be drawn. "And what say these people?!" As ridiculously out of context as this development is, the sheer AUDACITY of her spirit is pretty hard to deny. It reaches right down into the gut and stokes the fires people have in their gut.
Evangeline	Evangeline is caught off guard by the gentlemanly greeting from the British officer. The poor Neuroi freezes up for a few moments, then once her hand is released she pulls it back gingerly, though still raised in much the position the officer left it. She looks down at her hand (though only the movement of her head gives any indication), then back at the officer as she lowers her hand. "...I admit I am not well versed in the situation...but the impression I have is that they feel they are being charged unfairly high tax rates without the representation in parliament that the provinces on the British Isle have..." Evangeline tilts her head lightly there. "...do they have any sort of representatives..?" she asks before she looks around at the town. "...often people just want to be heard...telling them to merely accept the will of their leaders rarely goes well...the crown would be wise to hear them out in a formal setting..." And then Karal suddenly appears! Evangeline spins in the air to face Karal, then tilts her head in curiousity. "...who is that...?"
Captain Flint	Nicky's impassioned speech isn't falling on deaf ears. A hearty chorus of drunken agreement can be heard rising behind her in asynchronous fashion. A few of them even stand up, setting their mugs down to stand with Nicky in solidarity. "I'm with you, Mr. Oliver," says Jimmy. John looks less convinced, but seems hesitant to speak up amidst the sudden and uproarious support for anti-British sentiment. "We ask for fairer rates, and we're ignored. We ask for representation and they send two ships full of redcoats! Well, I think the time has come for us to show the crown we will not be silenced!" Well--Nicky's got a budding disturbance on her hands. What'll she do with it? Outside Boston, Flint, Karal and the vanguard approach from numerous angles, like pack animals cornering prey. Some of the younger pirates follow Karal's lead, while Flint calmly but quickly strides forward. When the Exalt makes her appeal, Flint instinctively stops. Singleton moves to voice an objection, but the captain places a hand on the burly pirate. "We needed an opening," says Flint. "Our friend is giving us that opening." Berringer shakes his head in response to Evangeline's question. "They do not," he replies. "It's a recommendation I'd be more than glad to pass along--but it will take time to do that. Those able to make such a change in England would have to be convinced of the merit of such an idea." When Karal makes her sudden and dramatic appearance, Berringer frowns almost knowingly. "And I doubt at this point the colonists would be willing to wait the amount of time necessary." He steps in front of Evangeline almost protectively. "I am called Berringer," says the commander to the Exalt. "I speak for my men, and we protect this town. If you would put the people of Boston in danger, I would see you answer for it--and you would have your answer." The people of Boston, those milling about in the streets, pause in their goings-on. All eyes are on Berringer and Karal, silently waiting for something to happen. They don't have the fortitude to speak up... but they clearly don't care for the British, they way they're hanging around. Hopefully.
Lin	No response from the townsfolk milling about other than just staring and then moseying on? Lin's new to all of the social cue analysis thing, but she can see it. They're irritated. Scared, maybe. Either way... "Not one voice proclaiming this Empire's glory or might, Berringer. Not a one even coming to your side in support... except..." Lin cants her head a bit down at Neuroi Girl, whom she doesn't recognize too well... But the answer comes quickly enough. "I am Lin of the Rei family, descendant of Gens Karal! And I shall see if you and your men have any right to be here!" With that said, POWER bursts forth from her skin in voluminous waves. Golden-white light like the piercing rays of dawn blazes about her, illuminating the entire town for blocks. A golden circle with 8 rays - one pointed in each direction - burns hotly upon her forehead... And she draws that wooden weapon smoothly and decisively. "Prepare yourself!"
Nicky	"No taxation without representation!" Nicky repeats like a chorusline, grabbing the musket as she walks towards the door. "We stand for our freedom now, but we also stand up for the freedom of those that follow us! We want seats in the house of commons! We want fair tax! No Taxation without representation!" Marching out of the tavern with the chant on her lips, she points vaguely towards the harbor, even if the way will bring them over the place cordonned by redcoats. "If you want our money, Captain, you got to listen to us now! If you want silence, take your tax and go home!"
Evangeline	Evangeline is again surprised when Berringer moves in front of her protectively. She looks up at him as he speaks to Karal, then floats up to just above and behind the commander. As the commander speaks up in defense of the people, Evangeline floats back down and around to float beside him. "...and if they will allow it, I will assist in the town's defense...innocent people should not be injured simply to satisfy curiousity..." she says, then raises her arms, now devoid of hands. The flat ends of the sleeve-like arms start to glow with a sinister red light. But, when Nicky emerges from the tavern, Evangeline lowers her arms and looks toward her. The red glow dies down, and Evangeline looks betwen Nicky and Karal. "...there is no need for fighting...it may take a while, but I am sure the government will have to listen if you make your grievances clear...attacking on officer who is willing to relay your grievances and the men under him will only make things worse..." Evangeline floats forward and in front of the commander, then holds her arms out at her sides as if barring the way. "...war is not the best answer...communication and understanding is much better..."
Captain Flint	Berringer scowls slightly at Lin's implication. It's a good point--and he knows it. When Karal challenges him, when her solar anima flares its challenge across the city, he draws his sword and raises it. "Muskets at the ready!" Every redcoat in the square aims their muskets at Lin. Before he can give another order, Evangeline stops him. "I cannot," he says with a stone-faced gaze. "The Empire cannot appear weak before these people. We will lose them--they'll have no want of any British authority." Evidently, Berringer is possessed of exactly the sort of mindset that led to most of these events happening in other worlds in the first place. "Already they parade in the street and make demands of us! If I don't silence this now, it will grow beyond our ability to control." These things he says just as Flint's men begin to pour stealthily into town, leaning against the odd wall. "Once you have control, then what?" A man with red hair and eyes the color of the sea steps out from behind a building. Captain Flint. "Then will you give us a voice in exchange for everything you take? Or are you going to keep fucking us and expect us to thank you for it?" That can't be good for Berringer's temperament.
Lin	No murderous fury comes from Lin, but the grin she sprouts at the weapons coming out certainly carries a fierce fervor. Evangeline preaches piece and diplomacy, but... "Hah. What... you think I'd turn bandit?! I challenge these soldiers and no one else! With a wooden sword, no less. So use whatever strange weapons you have sensibly." Indeed, with a wooden sword, she cannot really accidentally slice a house in two or anything. Or people. But a wooden sword can still be very threatening... Still, Lin makes no move to actually ENGAGE just yet. Instead... she brings the weapon up into a guarded position. This looks pretty ludicrous, faced with a bunch of muskets... "Soulless, artless weapons..." She can only grouchface contemptuously at the musket line and ready her blade. ... Is she seriously aiming to parry MUSKETS?!
Nicky	"Men of Boston, do you hear that? The captain claims we make demands! Of course we do, because it is a fair demand! Watch me and make your choice, men!" 'Nick' claims, the unloaded rifle held in the left and the stock on the floor while her right points to the redcoats. Instead of waiting it out, she lifts the rifle and swings it over the shoulder at the barrel, the stock over her back, and in a leisure stroll closes in to the part of the cordon that aimes at the Karal and is closest to the King Street she is walking out of. "Ey, let me pass here, I want to adress the Captain." she rudely tells to one of the redcoats, her left arm keeping the gun just stable enough to stay where it is. Unloaded and uncocked.
Evangeline	Evangeline slowly turns in place, her entire body rotating as she floats there a few feet off the ground. She doesn't know what to say. She doesn't want anyone to get hurt, but everyone here seems both stubborn and full of conviction. Both sides have a lot of right on their side, but also a bit of wrong. "...please...no one needs to get hurt..." she finally says, arms still held out as if she might be able to stop them through will alone. "...I do not know what you two have to gain from this, but...people are going to get hurt if you keep this up..." she says to Karal and Nicky. "...instead of inciting unrest...maybe try helping them to reach a peaceful agreement..." She looks up at Karal after that. "...this is not a good time to test your strength..." There is a slight shimmer around Evangeline, and a spherical shield of translucent hexagonal energy plates forms around her. "...I will not stand by and watch another war start..." Looks like she might try to keep the two sides from even getting at each other.
Captain Flint	Things look pretty grim for Evangeline's promised outcome at the moment, with a group of soldiers trying their hardest to avoid just shooting Nicky, a second still trying to keep their guns on Lin, and a group of colonists expectantly waiting for a reaction. Between provocation from Flint, Lin, and Nicky, Berringer looks as if he's about to shoot /someone./ His eyes dart back and forth between the woman challenging him, the colonist right in front of his men, and then... He sighs. "Everyone, calm down. This... young lady has a point. Perhaps we should all sit down and discuss this." It's at this moment that a Redcoat, in trying to keep Nicky from passing by standing rigidly in place, loses his footing. His musket clatters to the ground and goes off harmlessly--but that's not the way the colonists with Nicky see it. One of them charges the redcoat as he bends over to pick his gun up, and after repeated cries to stop, is gunned down by a musket volley. The crowd surges forward, some of them taking fire with muskets. "Fire!" shouts Berringer. A hail of musket fire blazes into the night sky, flashes accompanied by drifting white smoke. The musketmen have opened fire on Karal Rei Lin, and are already hurriedly reloading. Fighting between the colonists and the redcoats has begun in earnest now, with Flint and his vanguard making haste for Berringer and his men.
Lin	"Haaaaahhh..." Varying emotions war on Lin's face as she beholds the stand Evangeline's taking. Frustration mixes with some respect, both clashing with her OBVIOUS eagerness. It all leads to her clenching her teeth, pondering briefly. As Berringer ALSO calls for peace - rather unexpectedly - her spirit falters a bit further. It would be one thing if he answered the challenge, but backing down... that's INFURIATING, but there's nothing to be gained from forcing a confrontation. "I--" BANG! Of course, the distinct sound of musket fire draws her attention. Her senses, already sharpened to the max from tension... deduce exactly what's going on with hyper clarity. Her eyes flicker over the chain of events. Every twitching finger and click of triggers. And she realizes a bit more of just HOW MUCH of a powerderkeg Boston is against this 'British Empire. Amazement starts to dawn across her face, mouth opening wide in steadily growing shock... BUT... THEN muskets are turned her way again... and her eyes decisively narrow. "HYAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIII!!!!" The wooden blade's brought whipping around with lightning quickness. A few splinters fly from the polished wooden surface as musketballs slam into it. The naked eye can only see the Bokuto seeming to be in seven different places at the same time, its motions flickering and producing a myriad of afterimages. But Lin's expression is now one of incredible focus... All until the last musketball falls to the roof with an almost inaudible thump. Exhaling hard, she lowers the weapon just a tad.... and beholds the chaos unfolding below. "THAAAAAAAT wasn't what I had in mind..." A showy little play duel with her and some soldiers, that's all she was aiming for. But now a REAL fight's begun. Blood being really shed. "... Heh. The townsfolk got guts, but Berringer's got nerve too... should I try and stop this...?" Or leave the townsfolk to it? After all, they wouldn't be bunching up in a riot if they were HAPPY witht hese guys... she's not being paid to fight a war... But the sight of Captain Flint moving in steels her resolve. She once again readies her weapon. If anyone threatens Flint's brigade, she'll whip in with godspeed to defend. Otherwise... she wait to see what they do. And follow their lead.
Evangeline	There is a horrible metallic screech of dismay from Evangeline as weapons start firing among the soldiers and the crowd. She darts over to try and get between the two sides, her energy shield repelling bullets and people alike. She doesn't actually attack anyone. Instead, the ends of her arms glow red like before and she starts swiping at the muskets. With just the low level emissions from her energy weapons all that would happen is that any guns she happens to hit explode with about the force of a firecracker. Painful, but not really dangerous beyond some minor cuts from shards and splinters. Even if it won't be very effective in stopping the fighting, it's all Evangeline can think of to do that won't cause more damage than is already being done. But then...she thinks maybe that is exactly what she should be doing. Evangeline rises into the sky and takes aim at the harbor nearby. The glow on her arms grows brighter and brighter, and then... A beam of rather evil looking red energy as thick as Evangeline is tall fires at the water. It causes an explosion of water that rains down on the boats and the people in the town while assaulting their ears with a strong shockwave. "STOOOOOOOP!!" Evangeline cries out in her synthesized voice, the ear splitting screech flecked with the glitches and static of a signal that is stronger than the speaker relaying it. Evangeline has yet to even take notice of Flint beyond 'more townspeople that are attacking', so any ulterior motives he has are lost on her as of yet.
Captain Flint	The soldiers are too busy reloading their muskets to give any initial reaction. When they come up again, however, to see that Lin is fine? That all evidence points to her deflecting musket fire with a /wooden sword?/ They're stunned. The musket balls roll harmlessly off the roof. By the time those men take aim again, Flint and his men are upon them. A few hurried, panicked shots take out one of Flint's men, the others incensed by the lost comrade. Cutlasses slide free of their sheaths as the pirates begin to engage the Redcoats. Drawing his officer's sword, Berringer brings it into an overhead swing aimed at Flint. Seeing his men suddenly facing not colonists but experienced fighters, he makes the call. "Reinforcements!" A runner is dispatched, and one of Flint's men, Singleton, levels his pistol towards the courier just as one of Evangeline's energy weapons blasts it out of his hand. The bald, scarred pirate scowls at Evangeline, readying his axe. Her anguished, synthesized cry pierces over the top of the din, musket fire, screaming, and weapons clanging together all silenced after the massive ray of energy is discharged into the water. Flint and Berringer eye each other warily, swords raised. The silence lasts for an extremely tense number of seconds, before a volley of distant booms rings off. A few shots from the swivel guns of ships in the harbor zip through the air, passing roughly two ship lengths from Evangeline. It seems the men-o'-war didn't appreciate the warning shot. When one of them crashes into a house, Flint takes advantage of the quiet and headbutts Berringer, knocking the commander unconscious. The soldiers in his immediate vicinity begin attacking his men, which incites the colonists to fight again, picking up anything they can find. Flint himself gives an order. "Lin! Get to the harbor and unload those guns!" He tosses the closed lantern up in the air, trying to get it up to her. Hopefully, if she can block bullets she can catch the signal lantern. No sooner does the lantern fly than does the British runner return with all available spare personnel from the ships in the harbor. Musket shots and clanging cutlasses drown out all but the loudest screams. Some of those are demoralized soldiers trying to keep control, others of colonists trying to coordinate. Some aren't articulate, cries and howls of pain as the fray continues.
Lin	"Seems my choice--" Lin catches the lantern right out of the air, leaping down to snag it as she hears her orders. "-- is made for me! I bear none of these men a real grudge... but they'll learn a taste of what being in an army really means today." Lin leaps from the roof and towards the harbor at great speeds. ... Straight towards the gathering men, in fact. Or rather... Straight THROUGH them?! "Single Point Shining Into the Void Style greater technique..." With half a skip she switches stances to a blade-drawing one, her whole body moving like flowing light. Before her momentum's even half-gone she vanishes in a blitz of motion, whipping straight THROUGH the formation Her passage is heralded with the sound of thunderous WHUMPS - over a dozen hard impacts from the bokuto to as many men's guts as possible. "--Thousand Strikes Sheathed!" If she was using an actual bladed sword, people would be falling over in pieces. For this though... the situation is far less lethal.
Evangeline	Evangeline isn't used to this kind of fighting. Humans hurting humans en mass. She is used to humans fighting neuroi, where one way or the other nothing is left of the dead. Humans fighting humans...there are all those pained cries and people falling to the ground and that terrible red liquid that is supposed to stay inside humans. The thundering of those guns from the pirate ship draws the attention of the now very upset Neuroi. She slowly turns toward the source, then in a flash she is no longer near the fighting colonists and redcoats. Instead she is floating high in front of the closes man-o-war. There...she just floats in front of it. She doesn't want to hurt either soldier or citizen. But, she also doesn't want to just sit there. So, she starts firing on the cannons. Controls bursts of red energy beams meant to destroy the guns without causing much damage to the ship. She starts systematically eliminating guns, slowly but steadily working her way around the ship that fired its warning shots. She still is apparently unaware of what Karal and Flint are doing, but she might be accidentally ruining their plan. She's firing on a different gun every few seconds. There might not be any guns left to steal soon!
Captain Flint	Flint and his men seize the opportunity created by Lin on her exit, charging past the stunned and knocked-out soldiers, bowling over the ones still arriving from the ships. He, and along with him the remainder of his vanguard, clear a path through savagery and brutality, with some of the pirates reveling in the disorder. When at last they break through, Flint scowls as Evangeline begins destroying the guns on the men-o'-war. The angry mob of colonists comes through, battering and beating those Redcoats still left standing, with any left conscious rapidly bludgeoned out of it with farm implements, furniture, tools and other makeshift weapons. When Evangeline begins destroying the cannons, the crewmen panic and begin to unfurl their sails, while some of them fire in vain at the girl. "Lin, send the signal!" He then calls out to Evangeline with an appeal to her diplomatic nature. "Listen to me, girl! If those ships make it out of this harbor, if they make it to England, there will be war with the colonies! If you want to stop that, aim for the sails and let me talk them down. I know how they think."
Evangeline	Evangeline stops her destruction when the sails unfurl and Flint calls out to her. She moves toward him as the shots from the imperial muskets ricochet off her shield. She floats there, her featureless face gazing silently at Captain Flint. "...you do not belong on this ship...what are you doing here...?" she asks, then looks to Karal. "...and why do you care if I destroy the guns of this ship..?" She doesn't fire on the sails, or on the ship itself. But, the ends of her arms are still glowing with that red energy. It doesn't look like she is convinced by any means.
Lin	Lin's leaping is quite spectacular. She covers quite an amount of ground with each dash-leap, going straight down the docks, RUNNING ACROSS ANY WATER, and then running right up hulls and onto decks... it's quite a display of impossible acrobatics and manuevering and it leaves the glowing warrior swiftly placing herself in the way of Neuroi Girl's nest attack on the cannons. "It's you who have no business here. If you care so much about stopping war, just destroying things accomplishes nothing. You're throwing a tantrum. You can't create peace by just destroying things... I don't know... what you are or how old you're supposed to be, but even a moron like me knows this much. Ideals and raw feelings don't win battles or end wars... or anything of the sort. Strategy and planning does. You're not doing that and we are." And on that note she raises the lantern. her anima's dimmed to a more personal-level, and it definitely competes with the lantern, but she manipulates the light to flash the signal on and off...
Captain Flint	Flint sighs, then takes cover as a stray musket shot zips into the ground inches from his foot. "I don't," he says. His next words are called out as the last musketmen aboard either ship hurriedly begin reloading, the anchors being pulled up. "And I didn't want this fighting. But I've seen the plight of these people, and I've seen what England does to those who refuse to bend knee to them... and I could not more innocents to die. If those ships make it to England they'll return with ten times that many ships," he says. "They are the most powerful nation in the world, with near infinite money at their disposal--and right now, the only thing between them and the knowledge that one of their colonies has openly rebelled while they were at war with Spain is a frigate just off the horizon running a skeleton crew. My associate here has already signaled them to make their approach," says Flint. "You could destroy the cannons on those ships, one by one, hoping to get them all before they leave the harbor, or, you could disable the sails, save yourself the time and trouble, and reopen the doors to diplomacy." "Hurry," says Flint, as the ships begin to leave the harbor. "I can do this!" He shouts up at Evangeline, his eyes searching her featureless face with visible desperation as he huddles behind a wall for cover. "Help me end this peacefully." Meanwhile, aboard the Walrus, Mr. Gates peers through his looking glass. "If that ain't the signal, I dunno what is," he says, observing Lin's lantern. "Anchor's away! Unfurl the sails and head for the harbor--handsomely!"
Evangeline	Evangeline weighs the options in her head, though outwardly she is floating perfectly still. Not even her cat-like tail moves. Then...she raises those still glowing arms. "...you...you and she caused this to erupt...along with whoever that was in town..." she says, and the glow of her arms intensifies. And she turns to fire on the sails of this ship, then flies after the second and destroys the canvas of those sails as well. The sinister red glow finally dies down as she flies back toward Flint. "...you had better fix it...I have seen war...the destruction it causes on both sides...the death...whatever it is you wanted here...it cannot have been worth the lives lost today..." she says, then floats toward Lin. "...you are not fighting to end anything..." is all she says as she passes by, then she circles the ships waiting to see what Flint has in mind.
Lin	"Eh. I only wanted to see if this Empire was worth its salt. The Captain here's the one looking to end all this oppression." Lin cants her head Flint's way. "But... It's the townspeople of... Boston... that want a war. I told you and you saw it. Wooden sword. No bloodshed from me. Then I saw someone trip and their weapon go off. The people here started fighting because they wanted to. Just like that. It means this would've happened whether we're here or not." Lin answers plainly and honestly. "But if I run all the way out into that battlefield to 'fix it' like you said... I'm a warrior. I'll stop it by beating one side up until they surrender. So pick a side and get ready to take responsibility for it."
Nicky	And somewhere amidst the chaos, the first shots took Nicky totally by surprise, throwing her off the rails - and making her vanish in a cloud of smoke the moment the colonist behind her was gunned down. Dropping to the floor, a red fox plushie was trampled down in the resulting chaos, kicked forward and aside, until she ended at the side of the road, trying to calm down as the ships started to leave the harbor. As she finally manages, 'Nick Oliver' returns at the sides of the commotion, looking somewhat battered. With a heavy sigh, she eyes over to the few dead, those injured at the sidelines, and points to the harbor. "The Ships! We should sieze them if we can!"
Captain Flint	Flint puts a hand on Lin's shoulder. "Trust me," he says. "You've done your part. Let me do mine." He looks her in the eyes, as an equal, some unknown passion burning in his gaze. "It's time to stop fighting," Flint calls out. "What's been started here today can still end well for everyone." There are no musket shots being fired from the ship--which in turn has the colonists uneasy, hesitant to storm the ship now that the soldiers have had time to reload. "It starts with all of you," says the captain. "You on the ship, and you, on the streets with me. The girl has had the right of it this whole time--only we were too angry to see it. We are all English, regardless of who sits upon the throne, regardless of what becomes of the war with Spain. This happened because someone read history and refused to learn from it. I cannot say that it was ours to learn, but this knowledge has changed the course of the world irrevocably." "We have an opportunity to direct that change in a positive way, but I will not be unrealistic. You, on the ship--you are outnumbered. And you are crippled. But we will take you back to England, unharmed, unmolested. When you return, you can tell whatever version of the events you like--the power will be yours to decide if England goes to war with its own subjects, or treats them with the same dignity and respect other subjects get. This I can assure you, if you give up now and discuss the terms of your surrender with me." There is a tense silence among both ships, and the colonists, too, who raise their weapons angrily, suspiciously. Flint stands in the open, putting himself in harm's way, having delegated himself to be a spokesperson for the colonists. Eyes shift all around him, but his eyes remain locked on the warships in the harbor. As the Walrus becomes a speck on the horizon, two white flags are raised. "You've made a painful decision," says Flint. "But a wise one. Prepare to be boarded and surrender your weapons peacefully." He then turns and faces Nicky. It's a complication he didn't expect, but one he handles quickly. "Come with me," he says. "You can ask them for the ships in person, as a representative of the colonies." Flint then sheathes his sword and turns to Evangeline. "Thank you." He nods politely to her, then, tucking his pistol into his belt, he motions for members of his crew to follow him and secure the ships. To his credit, his men don't indulge in the spoils of victory, taking the muskets from the soldiers peacefully.
Evangeline	Evangeline comes to a stop by Flint as he starts speaking. She watches as the soldiers and sailors surrender, then looks out at the ship making its way toward them. Something feels a bit off, but...the battle is over and the war is at least delayed. When Flint thanks her, Evangeline just stares at him with that featureless face. "...you are welcome..." she says, though with her natural lack of tone it is hard to tell how genuinely she means it. She is quiet and still a moment more, then she speaks again. "...please...ensure that the soldiers are returned home...and that the fallen are given proper respect..." The little Neuroi doesn't know what else she can do, unless she wants to become the occupying force. She looks around, then slowly floats away from Flint. She casts a gaze toward Karal and Nicky, and then heads toward the nearest warp gate at a brisk speed.