The Joriel finally rolled to a stop, facing the line of soldiers prepared to defend the League of Defender’s stronghold. Jovnik saw Vorcan abominations, people flitting between the shapes of animals and humans, and even a few Drotarian weapons. Jordan’s Drotarian streak crew faced enemies from almost every guild. But Jovnik could not see their most dangerous enemy: Ariel.

“Fire!” Jovnik screamed. Before him, his mechanics fired the first volley. Jovnik himself fired a glider designed by one of his more prolific lieutenants, who had made too many weapons to fire himself. As the glider soared, Jovnik took mental notes, watching the slight lean to the left, and marking the exact time the wings broke off and the sharpened payload slammed into the soldiers below. Not bad, more than one in a shot and those could do some damage, Jovnik evaluated.

One of his soldiers screamed. Jovnik turned somewhat lazily to see who had forgot to put on armor to ward off Vorcan insects. Instead his annoyance turned to fear as he came face to face with one of Ariel’s creatures. Before him the weasel-like mammal had somehow slipped past the ship’s defenses and taken down one of the men. Another soldier fired his pistol into the creature’s body. The weasel simply turned and leaped for the man, blood pouring out of its body. It took a chunk out of his arm before three more shots finally drained the creature of enough blood to stop it.

“Incoming!” a scream mingled with the rising mayhem. Jovnik looked up and saw gliding shapes descending on the ship.

“Fire nets!” he commanded. Several gunmen whirled towards the flying Vorcan creatures and launched large nets towards them. Two or three connected, bringing their struggling cargo to the ground with a sickening crunch. The rest dove for the waiting soldiers, apparently dodging their bullets.

“By Toyoi’s wrath, pull back, get them within range of the arms!” Jovnik yelled. he spared a glance for the battle at large, and saw Jordan’s troops engaged with the main force of the league. The weasels seemed to focus on the ship, leaving the League’s soldiers to defend the main fort. Curses on Ariel! Jovnik swore, Curses on that Weasel Queen. As Jovnik’s force pulled away from the prow of the ship, the Weasels chased them, seemingly ignoring bullet wounds. Ariel had most likely removed the poor creature’s pain nerves.

A massive claw erupted from the deck crushing one of the vicious creatures. The weasels scampered about, attempting to dodge the mechanical arms now dotting the previously clear space.

“Fire turrets!” Jovnik ordered as the last of his men pulled free of the weasel force. Bullets darting across the deck sliced through those weasels bringing the vile creatures to the ground. Finally, Jovnik thought, relieved.

“No one hurts my pets!” roared a voice from behind him. Jovnik spun to see the mother of all weasels, bigger than a horse and significantly more vicious. Red eyes devoid of pupils locked onto to Jovnik’s men. Atop the vile creature rode a sole woman: Ariel the Weasel Queen. She wore a Vorcan vest, in reality a living creature, with a gelatinous interior. Bullets simply stopped in the liquid. In her hand she held two rigid “swords,” more Vorcan creations which spat and twisted, slicing through anything Ariel brought them near to. We weren’t supposed to be defending the ship! This was a raid! Jovnik thought, beginning to panic.

“Fire at will!” he ordered. Nearby turrents began spitting bullets at the wave of weasels now climbing over the side of the Joriel. Jovnik fired his last bullet into the head of a weasel, and then tossed his pistol at another. As he ran towards a hatch, he saw one of the fighting arms collapse as several weasels chewed through its connections. Reaching the hatch, Jovnik dived in and grabbed what first came to his hand. Jumping out of the hatch and back into the light, he dashed for his line of men. Only when he reached them did he stop to look at what he held in his hand: his brand new canon. Earlier that morning he had left it in the hatch, just in case he needed it.

Hefting the weapon to his shoulder, Jovnik took aim at the Ariel, watching her decapitate one of the crew members. I have one shot, he thought. He paused his breath and fired. The large projectile arched for the air, flying towards the berserk woman. Then, it dropped, and Jovnik could only watch as his weapon land right in front of Ariel: on her weasel’s neck. No doubt she had made sure no bullet could take out her prize creation, but beneath Jovnik’s new mechanism, the weasel slowed and then collapsed onto the ground. All around the fighting stopped.

“Nooooooooooooo,” Ariel screamed. “Kill them!” Jovnik sprinted towards her, wielding his gun like a club. At that moment, something dropped from the sky, knocking her to the ground. Jordan dropped next to her, two metal shafts breaking his fall. Ariel struggled beneath him, but remained trapped by the net now covering her.

Just as Jovnik came into earshot, Jordan said harshly, “Ariel, call off the weasels, or I’ll have to kill them all.” Jovnik doubted it later, but at the time he could have sworn Ariel simply rolled her eyes. Ariel issued a sharp whistle, and the weasels suddenly stopped, and retreated back towards the side of the ship.

“You’re just sore about the time I drenched you in tomato juice,” Ariel muttered. Jordan ignored her and glanced up at Jovnik. A sad smile pulled at Jordan’s lips.

“She is a little mad,” Jordan explained. “But we have a long history. A shame to have to lock her up. Maybe the guild leaders won’t execute her.” With that he grabbed some pieces of net, and began dragging Ariel towards the ship’s hold.

Jovnik looked towards the League’s stronghold. Jordan’s troops had defeated the League’s, and currently busied themselves gathering weapons and prisoners. Messengers began appearing, passing news of what had happened in the battle. Apparently, the League had planned to take the Joriel itself and had merely left a token force at the stronghold. No less than three separate attacks had plagued the massive ship, though only Jovnik’s group had faced Ariel. In the end, Drotar had won, leaving no insurgents in its wake.

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