Fight! Fight! Fight!

Who: Zack, Cubie, Katy, Jo, Zodar, other patrons and Eniram scum.
Where: Parrots Bar
When: Too busy to read my watch
Phil stumbled into Parrots wielding his extraordinarily intoxicating flask of alcohol and was promptly commandeered by Katy and dragged over to the table she had been sitting at with her companions. Zodar, who had been in the middle of a morose discourse about the lack of alcohol in the bar, caught sight of the illegal liquor in Phil’s hands and immediately started dancing the funky chicken with a slightly glazed look in his eyes. Phil burbled happily about his triumphant venture while Katy was doing her best to drink him under the table.
Jo, meanwhile, was at the bar attempting with great difficulty to order them all some food. Unfortunately she couldn’t order anything grilled, deep fried or barbequed due to the fact that all cooking appliances were currently out of order since being waterlogged.
“Not even a microwavable burrito?” she asked desperately.
“Um…I’m not sure, but I think that’s on the blink as well. Not a big fan of electrocution, so I haven’t actually checked to see if it’s still working. Sorry. Spam sandwich?” Zack offered.
Jo shuddered. “Um…thankyou but no. I’ll pass,” she said looking slightly sick.
“Um, I may be able to whip up a salad,” Zack said uncertainly, “And there’s a variety of pastries in the storeroom.” Jo nodded. It had been the best offer so far. Zack disappeared into the kitchen.
She leant an elbow on the bar, tapping her fingers on the polished wood, gazing around at the collection of 20th century paraphernalia hanging on the walls of Parrots. After a period of time filled with muffled yelps from the kitchen, Zack emerged with a bowl of shredded vegetables and two very stale looking Danishes. Jo raised an eyebrow before taking the proffered tray, noting that Zack’s hands were now a mass of overlapping bandaids.
“Thanks,” she said, leaving a number of dollar-pound notes on the bar before weaving through the crowd back to the drunks at her table. Suddenly the cry "BAR FIGHT! IT’S THEIR FAULT MOST OF THE ALCOHOL'S GONE!" rang out through the air, and as one the previously placid bar patrons rose in an angry mob intent on seriously damaging a recently arrived group of armed fish like visitors.
Jo caught sight of Katy executing a flying leap onto one fish-man’s back, hanging on briefly before being hurled into a table. Jo dropped the tray and hurdled a bar stool to wallop the assailant with the cement hard Danish as attempted to skewer Katy with his harpoon gun. He collapsed, knocked out cold. The engineering chief grabbed the weapon, cackling gleefully as she jogged (wobbled) towards the main body of the fight that had now spilled out onto the promenade. Fending off blows from drunken friend and foe alike, Jo followed but soon lost her in the scene of flying fists and furniture.
“Any flight crew currently not on duty, please report to the main hangar for air action against the invaders,” the PA system blared over Holly’s Red Alert announcements (“Red Alert! Red Alert! Invasion Imminent! Invasion Imminent! Those drunken hallucinations of angry alien Fishmen with harpoons, really are angry alien fishmen with harpoons! Red Alert! Red Alert!”)
Jo stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing it. “Well everything seems to be taken care of here,” she said quietly, glancing around at the brawl raging around her and side stepping to avoid being hit by a flying Eniram. Grinning excitedly, she darted off in pursuit of the drunken pilots, now making their way to an open lift. Once inside, she activated her wrist comlink to contact her XO, currently still down in Bay 26.
“Brett, you encountered any nasties yet?”
“Yeah, a bunch of fish burned their way through the outer wall and started firing on us five minutes ago. We’re outnumbered but holding ground and the Quasar’s still in one piece,” came the reply over sounds of gunfire.
“Good. I need any pilots you can spare sent to the Dwarf’s Main Hangar. The miners are planning an airborne offensive.”
“I’m on my way.” He broke the connection. From the tone of voice, Jo knew he was wearing the same manic grin as her. She chuckled.
With a chime, the lift doors opened to reveal a gigantic bay containing only a few remaining shuttlecraft, many already having responded to the call. The pilots immediately sprinted to starbugs and blue midgets, taking off and hurtling out of the hangar doors until there were only two ships left.
Jo initially jogged towards the heavily armed fighter parked closest to her, but came to a halt when she spotted the ship beyond it.
“Oh my, what do we have here.” Her eyes lit up as she surveyed the custom midget. Tinted windows, new engine, and oh what a gorgeous paint job! She eyeballed the black ship with flames streaking its sides.
“Nice ship,” said Brett from behind her, arriving with three of the Quasar 4 flight crew.
“Unfortunately it’s unarmed,” she sighed in reply, “We’ll use the fighter. Start the warm up sequence.” The other pilots ran off towards the Valkyrie leaving Jo still standing there, torn between the larger ship’s impressive arsenal and the midget’s exterior.
“I think some modifications are in order,” she murmured. Raising her voice she called out, “Wait! That ship has weapons enough. We’ll swap the laser cannon over.” In response to some of the grumbling emanating from the remaining Blue Dwarf crew she said, “It can be returned after the mission. Right now, your buddies need all the help they can get out there.”
After a stony silence, they relented and with much help from the mechanics, the weapon was removed and bolted to the Pheonix’s undercarriage in under two minutes. The group of pilots dispersed to their separate craft. Jo started up the engines and revved them with glee. With a whoop of exhilaration she rocketed out of the bay with the Valkyrie in tow.
Activating the comm., Jo sent out a signal to hail all friendlies. “Captain Peiades and Commander Hertzche inbound, friendly to Blue Dwarf. Need any help out there?”
OOC - I apologise for this posts length, I tend to get longwinded when I’m tired. =) Continue anyone.
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