*bows* Thank you, thank you ...
Answering: NOW.
Acid: Don't worry, you'll get to be REALLY in it soon.

The Phantom Eclipse set down next to a river. Large, moss and fern-covered boulders half the size of the ship were sunk into the riverbank, while trees crowded against each other nearby. It was a tranquil scene, but Coppertop was not interested in scenery. She had recieved a distress call, and was very warily investigating.
They had dropped Radium off at a small community, at his insistance. Copper felt a bit of relief; Radium's presence was like having a thermal detonater in your hand, never certain if it would go off or not.
Beside her, Shinyso said, "I don't like the looks of this." Defalcon nodded in agreement. KRSplat hefted his silver blaster thoughtfully. Crystal, perched on top of a rock several meters away, was coolly screwing her scope onto her blaster pistol.
Acid blinked. "Nothing here. Let's go." He wheeled around and began heading towards the Eclipse.
The shockingly loud and harsh cry of a bird pierced the air, and Copper froze. Acid stopped and turned.
"Did you hear that?"
"Who didn't?" Electrik grumbled, sticking a finger in his ear.
"Not that. I mean now."
"I don't hear anything," Kaz said after a moment. Copper began backing towards the Eclipse. Claw nodded in realization, and his claws extended in anticipation.
"That's it," Defalcon explained quietly. "Something's wrong. No birds, no insects, nothing. They've all been scared away, and not by that bird, I can guarantee."
"Let's go," Acid said again. "We can make it -"
"No time. Evaluator, seal her up. We've got to fight for it, but they won't get Evaluator and the Eclipse."
"Someone's coming," Defalcon muttered. He drew a blaster and Nightwind, and put his back to a rock. Copper and Shinyso both drew their swords. Electrik said something uncomplimentary under his breath, which no one asked him to repeat, and his already blue fur began to glow brighter. Acid scowled and pulled out a blaster and his RF launcher.
"Well, you're armed and ready," Kaz said, and promptly pulled out his own gun, and began charging a shield.
Crystal aimed and fired, and a sharp cry rent the silence. Defalcon sprayed laser fire acorss the clearing in an arc, probably hitting a lot more people than it sounded like.
Copper moved away from the Eclipse nervously. She knew this was the perfect place for an ambush - boxed in by river, boulders, forest, nowhere to go. She'd fallen for it like an amateur (sp?).
Over a score of Kiyrenin moved from the trees. A few were injured, and one lay unmoving in the ferns. They ganged up on them, ignoring Crystal completely, although she fired on them with deadly accuracy.
Copper realized that Defalcon had three coming after him. they moved in concert, easily blocking his attacks and launching their own. The mercenary drew her seldom-used blaster, aimed hurridly and fired, taking down one of his opponents and evening the odds slightly. Shinyso and Claw also had three on them, but neither tired as easily as Defalcon.
Three for her, too - not as well trained, but a definite danger. She supposed she should be flattered - Acid, Electrik, Kaz and KRSplat dealt with two each. She returned her blaster to her belt and drew Shale, which flared brilliantly without her command. She damped the light irritably - no sense in making herself more of a target - and waited.
One was elite - a tiger-striped rabbit with short, silvery fur and a large broadsword. The other two were clearly less experienced. They hadn't even reached her when Crystal killed one. Then a stray laser caught her in the left shoulder, causing her to cry out and dropping her off the rock.
That left two. Copper knew she'd have had a better chance if she'd gotten her back to a rock, like Defalcon. But Defalcon had only one opponent left, and she wanted room to move.
The rabbit was very strong, stronger than her. He happered through her defense with brute strength alone. The other kept trying to get behind her. If he succeeded, she would be dead.
She barely blocked his blow, and spun to catch the amateur's blade. With a quick twist of her sword, she disarmed him and ran him through. Jerking Shale free, she turned to catch the remaining enemy's sword with hers, deflecting it away from her. The rabbit reversed his grip and brought his broadsword around in an arc. Copper frantically twisted out of the way, but the swordtip caught her leg and tore through cloth, slashing her. Gasping with pain, she danced awkwardly back, favoring her leg. She managed to block another crushing blow, took a step back and found herself ankle deep in the freezing, rapid river. She hadn't even been able to attack him yet.
Slowly the striped rabbit forced her back, until she was knee deep in fast water, the strong current threatening to sweep her off her feet if she lost her balance. Her wound stained the water that flowed around her legs crimson, and the cold was numbing her feet. One stumble, one mispaced step was all it would take.
The gravel beneath her feet shifted, and she slipped, barely bracing her foot against a rock in time. Shale twisted in her fingers and blade clashed on blade, and she blocked another blow.
Suddenly the rabbit staggered forwards, broadsword falling from nerveless fingers to lie glittering on the riverbed. He took a sharp breath and collapsed forward. Copper couldn't move quick enough to get out of the way, and dropped to her knees, water swirling around her waist. Fighting to get to her feet, dashing water and blood out of her eyes, she looked up at Radium, who leaned on a transparent green spear.
"I should have known you'd turn up," she gasped, sheathing her sword. He shrugged.
"I figured you'd get yourself in trouble," he replied obliquely. She finally found her feet and almost fell again as she put weight on her injured leg.
"Whoa, he got you good," Radium said, supporting her until they got to shore.
"Yeah. What's the matter, they kick you out?"
"No, the Kiyrenin did. Came looking for me. I got rid of them and figured that they'd go after you, too. Sorry I took so long."
"Don't worry about it. Thanks for showing up period."
"Hey, you helped me, I helped you. I would have dropped a boulder on them, but I might have gotten you too."
"Thanks for the consideration. They've got no sense of fair play. Three against one."
"Five for me. A gross underestimation of my abilities."
"I guess so." She glanced up as Claw came over, followed by Acid and Defalcon. "We won, huh?"
"Yeah," said Claw grimly. "At a price."
"They took him," Acid said, looking mad enough to spit bullets. "They took Electrik."
"They got Shinyso too," Claw informed her. She froze.
"Shinyso and Electrik? How? Not even that Katarvin captain got Shinyso, and how do you disarm Electrik?"
"Nets," Acid said. "Nets and numbers. Knocked Electrik out, disarmed Shinyso."
"They broke his saber. He went down fighting, but they got him with a net," Defalcon agreed. "I think they got Crystal, too."
"No," Kaz said, landing heavily beside them. "I mean, they got her, but they didn't take her. I've got her." He dipped a wing, and Crystal slid limply off his back.
Copper knelt gingerly beside her. "She's cold, but she's got a pulse," she said. "It was just a glancing blow, enough to knock her down. It was deflected by her shoulder guards. I think she hit her head and blacked out."
Just then, Crystal stirred and groaned. Suddenly she shook her head and sat up.
"We won?"
"Not really. They took Shinyso and Electrik."
Crystal struggled to her feet. Copper turned to Acid.
"I failed to keep your brother safe, Acid. I'm sorry."
"You tried your best," he said. "They would have gotten him eventually."
"They may have him now, but not for long. We'll get him back," she promised, accepting Kaz's assistance as she stood. The slash still bled sluggishly.
Acid nodded. "I know. Thank you."


Ouch. 8128 characters, this time