Day 3 | Night | Safely Aboard

[Kannon]

Ambrose's thopter had arrived first at the carrier bay, Paul's soon after. It had taken some good piloting to bring up seven passengers up on a craft designed for four, and they accomplished it only because they had thinned the thopter of all removable defences. And still, Eileen and Efren with Thra Yoll had had to remain behind, on their insistence they would be fine. But then, explosion had happened so there was doubt they had made it.

When the thopter stopped, Kiran, Cuyler and Laila had no strength to get up, they may have even passed out from exhaustion, and the discomfort of their cramped positions was the only incentive to do so if the were conscious to feel it. Sinsei and Xard hadn't shown signs of getting better, but they both were still alive.

Medical team was awaiting them, but also Roger. Hawat was way too busy right now to come.

Lanville.jpg (17.86 KiB) Viewed 1922 times

Lanville greeted Paul with respect and Duncan with a bear hug, then he kept helping others disembark.

"Where's the Corporal?" was his first question though.

[Laila Bridger]

Ah. This guy. Fucking great. Think I'll just lie here until someone scrapes me up...

[Kiran Alsahar]

Kiran leaned on the nearest solid object as they disembark.

There was a corporal? Oh yeah... what happened to him? Wait... oh, Efren! Thats who they meant. I hope he's okay...

[Bernard Martikova]

Bern hops off the thopter while looking around the scene. They made it out alive, despite his brother's wish to charge into his death despite his orders. Made him both proud of him and his fearlessness and want to punch him silly for risking his life like that.

The joys of being a big brother.

He approached Lanville and gave him a proper salute. "Good to see you once more, sir." He looked over at the two there who...well...looked alive, at least. Maybe they were shellshocked from being captured and tortured. "I've not seen the Corporal yet, sir, but I'm sure he'll be along shortly." Bern glanced on as his brother was wheeled off into medical care and sighed. "Did we all make it out of this in one piece, then, sir?"

[Laila Bridger]

Bern.

Looks worried.

Nonononononononononononononono...

Laila closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

It would be typical fucking Laila Bridger luck to have made it out of seemingly certain death, only for Hadrian to have bought it.

[Kannon]

Roger frowned.

"Not all are accounted for yet, Sergeant. And not all I am seeing may live through the night. But let's be hopeful. And you all did damn good."

[Bernard Martikova]

Bern salutes him and sighs. "I'll remain optimistic about them, sir. One in particular for me, of course. Did me proud, the fool. Yours did well too, sir, for what it's worth. I'm sure they're around here somewhere." It was clear he was also worried for his own family too, so little He looked over at Laila and approached.

"Poor things must be shell-shocked. Has that thousand yard stare down pat." Bern said with a deep sigh. "Happened to me too in my first war-zone."

[Laila Bridger]

She managed to hiss it out through gritted teeth.

"Is Hadrian...?"

[Bernard Martikova]

Bern stared at her and smiled warmly. "Yes, my brother is still breathing; he's far too stupid to simply just die." He cracked up a little as he looked her over, staying silent for few moments moment before continuing. "Should've seen him out there. Charged in there, shouting your name the whole time and how he was going to come back to you a hero. I'd say he succeeded; man took out at least 10 of their men by himself bringing the fight to them without a shield, no less. Must say it was probably the inspiration he had that gave him that rush out there, I must say, it was quite the show."

Soldiers always embellished their tales when they got back, so he was told. Wouldn't hurt to throw his brother a small bone for the cute lady he was trying to court.

[Laila Bridger]

Blink.

Her bullshit detector was clanging away, but her relief that he wasn't dead left her room for a... well. I t wasn't a joke exactly. A confession?

"Didn't know the sex was that good."

[Bernard Martikova]

At that comment, Bern snorted and laughed, clapping his hands a little while bellowing, causing a small scene. "Clearly, he would beg to differ." There was the question as to when that happened, because Bern just seemed only interested in her before they left, so it would have to be when they were at the village.

Maybe it was the plants or something or the life and death situation. "Glad to see you're still in one piece; still owe you some wine, after all. Hate to not pay off my debt for you surviving out there." At least he knew now that she had someone who could enjoy it with her.

[Laila Bridger]

"Deal."

She was visibly relieved.

"Make sure they look after Kiran and Xard and the other redhead first. I'm mostly okay."

She was drugged, gassed, and sliced by shigawire, but...

I can take it.

[Bernard Martikova]

"Yeah, you'll be fine in the end. Most everyone gets shell-shocked once the bombs drop and the explosions happened until they're used to it. Not to mention whatever else those bastards put you thru out there" He placed his hand on her shoulder and nodded warmly. "So how about you allow yourself to worry about, well, you. Might find that could be helpful after everything you went thru."

[Laila Bridger]

"Not my first clusterfuck, Bern. Fought on Grumman."

She managed an approximation of a smile.

"I'll take bombs and guns over fucking Tleilaxu drugs any time."

[Kannon]

Roger, seeing the med team taking care of the most afflicted, put his helmet on, addressing the team.

"Your labours are done here, mine begin. Rest now, get your accounts ready for tomorrow. Your next stop is Cala City."

He then rushed to his thopter to command the ground operation. And find Efren.

/exit

[Bernard Martikova]

"Best of luck, sir!" He salutes him as he rushes off. "As for you two, well, if the Tleilaxu are responsible for your problems, it's probably best we go see a medic anyway. It'll be fine. That way you'll be of a better mind when that idiot brother of mine wakes up." He moves towards Laila and offers her a hand to help her walk, if needed. "Standing out here isn't going to do either one of you any good."

[Laila Bridger]

She took tbe hand, wobbled, and opted to lean on him instead.

"What can I say, you Martikova boys leave me weak in the knees... or maybe it's the blood loss. Goddamn shigawire..."

[Bernard Martikova]

He laughed as he braced himself to help lead over to the infirmary. "What can I say, it's the classic Martikova charm: there's good reason why I have so many brothers and sisters. Sad to say we don't bottle that at the vineyard. Have to order it directly"

He began to take direction. "I'd probably lift you up, but I think that would make him jealous. So take it slow and don't go moving more than you need to. I'm no Suk, but I know the basics of these things."

[Laila Bridger]

"Big family, huh? That's... nice."

She half-closed her eyes.

"Want that. Had two little sisters and a baby brother. Made for a happy home."

She sounded more or less lucid, but some it was plainly delirium.

"All gone now. Last of the Elacca Bridgers."

She took a sort of hitching breath.

"Glad I came here. Caladan. Glad I went t'that fest'val."

[Bernard Martikova]

He stopped for a moment and let that comment linger, thinking how close it was he lost his own sibling out there. That didn't do well to contain his own rage towards the situation, but he stifled it back down and continued on. He could very well empathize with her in her loss, and what it would do to him. "Well, nothing says you can't start to rebuild your family, even if it's not with Hadrian." Bern moved his arm a little to offer a bit more support. "That's the thing about humans; we're resilient and stubborn. Get kicked down, we'll come right back up just out of sheer stubbornness and spite." He looked down. "Hey, glad to have you here. Probably wouldn't have lived long without you coming to have a good time. You and everyone else, really. Plus, you helped keep that moron from biting it. Hopefully, when this is all settled, Hadrian and I can help show you a good time." He stopped speaking for a moment, letting that linger. "...In our own separate way, naturally. At the very least, bring you home, cook you a meal, see the family, and then sample the products straight from the casket."

He paused once more and shook his head, chuckling. "Okay, that last one sounded a lot more dirty than I intended."