Sweet Defiance

Katarin seemed to be much better at hiding the pain than he was. Only the tensing of her body betrayed her. Once it was tightly wrapped, she wiggled her toes and turned her foot to test it out. The support would be just fine. There was no way she would ask him to carry her.

"Well, thank you, Doctor Hero." Now that she was sitting, she hadn't realized just how tired she was. She had been on the bad end of a chase the entire day. Arguments, gun fights, and fleeing. Katarin brushed her hand over her forehead and sighed before she was sliding to move off the ledge.

"How much farther before we get out of here?"
 
Noticing the tired look on her face he quietly pulled out an energy bar and offered it to her. It might not wake her up but it would at least give her body the gas it needed to get from point now to point end.

"About six klicks." Quinn helped her down from the ledge but didn't exactly let go over. He kept an arm around her waist to help her test a few steps. Frankly he was inclined to just hold onto her to make sure she was ok for the rest of the way. It was still some distance before they were going to get where they were going. It made him start to wonder if he had the proper medical supplies on the ship should he need to do more to her ankle to make sure it was ok.
 
Katarin took the energy bar and slid it in to her pocket. It was going to come in handy, but now wasn't the time to take a break! Once on her feet, she was shrugging his arm away. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his help, it's just that she didn't need it. Or shouldn't need it. He needed to be more concerned with himself and they people they were leaving!

"I'm fine, I can walk." Walking hurt, but like hell she was going to let such a damsel thing like a twisted ankle stop her. Holding out her arms to balance, she was already taking those tentative steps to get them on their way. "There is someone waiting when we are free from here, isn't there? I am going to need a better gun so we can get back in to the palace and rescue the others."
 
Quinn let her go, if she was going to be stubborn about it, that was fine. But if she started to slow them down too much or trip he was going to sling her over his shoulder.

"There is someone waiting when we are free from here, isn't there? I am going to need a better gun so we can get back in to the palace and rescue the others."

That was going to be a problem, he could tell all ready. Wonderful. He stopped and let her get a few steps ahead of him. He was not going to risk being pistol whipped a second time. "We're not going back. That ship will have you and me on it and we'll be making a beeline out of here. By the time we get to the ship the chances of anyone being here to come back to are slim to none anyway."
 
Katarin stopped. She didn't turn around, however. Not going back? They were just going to hop in a ship and run away? Finally she spun around to glare at him. Pointing an accusing finger in his direction. If he HAD been close enough, she may very well of clonk him on the head again.

"No one to come back to? There are plenty to come back to...! What is a rescue if we're not rescuing everyone?! I'm not so stupid to believe that many are dead, but there are still people in the palace! I am not going to run away and abandon any of them." That was the end of that discussion. The imperious look she gave him should have made that clear. Katarin turned around again to continue wading down the aqueduct. With or without him!
 
The imperious look did absolutely nothing to quell him.

"I all ready told you I had people out here evacuating as many as they could since last night! If my people can't get to them how the ever living hell do you expect to be able to get to them without getting your damn self killed!? And what the fuck good are you going to be to anyone if you're dead, Katarin!? Lorgunan may want you for a pawn but trust you me if the choice is between a cooperative puppet or a dead one, he's going to choose dead every time. This isn't the first time he's done this and you know it. This isn't the first place I've tried to save."

Like hell he was going to let her get herself killed. The whole purpose in getting her out of here would be defeated. She was a beacon of hope to these people and she couldn't be that beacon if her head was on a stake outside the palace gates as a reminder of what Lorgunan did to people who didn't pledge loyalty to him.
 
Katarin was already walking away, despite the difficulty in doing so. At first she covered her ears so she wouldn't have to listen. The discussion was over.

...but then she couldn't help but drop her hands and turn around again!

"I have a duty and responsibility to protect the people of Liyao. And I do appreciate that you are doing all that you can to help. But I am not going to stand back and run away when I could do so much more!" He didn't understand. The weight of guilt she had. How hard it was to do right by a planet and yet still fail every time! At this rate she was going to begin crying. Another weakness she couldn't afford to have.

Huffing, she turned again to walk. She had to stop wasting her time with arguing!
 
"Your duty and responsibility to those people involves not getting yourself killed. What part of that are you not understanding, Katarin!? There are battles that you need to run away from so you can be there to fight the next one! I've got men from the Black Jacket Rebellion in my ranks. People who know what it's like to fail at defeating Lorgunan. People who want to help you succeed! I'll help you set up a government in exile, we'll form a rallying point for your people. But for all that is holy, Katarin, you can't do any of this if you're dead. I know. I know what it's like to have to leave people behind. But sometimes there really is nothing we can do."

Mother Mary this woman was so bloody stubborn!! If he couldn't get her to see reason and she still wanted to go back once they got to the ship he was going to sling the woman over his shoulder and dump her in the confinement room until they got back to base. Like hell he was going to let this woman go on a suicide run.
 
Katarin covered her ears with her hands again. There was no point in arguing. She would do what she needed to do and he could do what he needed to do. In the end whatever happened would happen. If she died in the process, it was nothing less than she deserved! Someone else could take her throne. Someone that could handle it better than she ever had!

Hell, HE could take it if he so damn well pleased!

Sloshing through the water (and her hands still covering her ears) she was trying to pay attention to where she was walking before she ended up face first under water again.
 
"Mother Mary what are you two!?" Quinn could not believe she had her hands over her ears again like a toddler throwing a tantrum. This was ridiculous. Finally fed up with the whole mess Quinn caught up with her, grabbed her about the waist and tossed her over his shoulder. Fight all she may she wasn't getting down until he had her tossed in the confinement cell on his ship or she stopped being an idiot. It wasn't much farther and if she put up a real struggle, well he had some rope to bind and gag her with so he didn't have to hear it.

"Stupid stupid girl. What is your problem? Do you think your worthless? Do you think you haven't helped these people. You damn idiot. You've done more for your people than half the rulers in this galaxy have ever bothered and you want to throw it all away. I can't believe how dense you are."

He continued trudging through the watery muck toward the exit of this labyrinth of tunnels and his nice warm dry ship! There was fresh air starting to waft by and his comm kept crackling every now and then with nonsense that seemed to be getting clearer sounding the more they moved toward the exit. Eventually the crackling turned into status updates of what was going on.

"Sector 3 clear. All Yankees accounted for. 20 Xrays incoming, over."
"Have that, you're clear to evacuate off world. Relocate at niner-ten-two. Over."

There was momentary pause.

"Sector 7 requesting back up, 10 xrays left with heavy arms."
"Have that. Re-routing teams 2 and 5 to your location."
 
Katarin kicked and complained at him for a few minutes, but after awhile she finally went limp with forced acceptance. What could she say that made a difference? Whether he was right or wrong, she was going to have to do what was expected of her. Be it from a warlord, a hero, her people, or the galaxy itself. How Katarin felt didn't matter.

Taking a deep breath with a sigh, she could almost taste the fresh air nearby. Though her mood was fairly morose, knowing they were so close to freedom did at least give her some solace.

"Can you set me down now? This is ridiculous."
 
"I'll set you down on the condition that you won't pull a stupid stunt and that if your ankle does start to bother you you'll ask for help." As half tempted as he was to just throw her down into the water he set he down carefully and continued on their way. Finally light was starting to shine through the tunnel and he started moving toward the wall so he wouldn't walk straight out into the open. Quinn also took a moment to turn off the constant stream on intel coming from his comm. There was no sense getting caught because he was getting an update over his radio when it was on the loudest setting.

"When we exit the tunnels, we're going to have to run to the tree line. I don't know if there's going to be soldiers or not."
 
Light. Katarin almost thought they'd never see it again. If only it would give her a sense of peace, instead of that growing fear that they would only step out to be seen by Lorgunan's soldiers.

Staying behind him and leaning against the wall, Katarin cast a thoughtful frown. She wasn't going to be able to run, if she were honest about it. But if he carried her and they were ambushed, he wasn't going to be able to defend himself all that well either. Though, she had her gun ready and watched his back...

She bit her lip before she made her decision. "...I can't run. But I can shoot people if you promise not to panic and drop me along the way."
 
"Fine." Quinn was starting to get a little annoyed but hefted her up as they made the break and ran headlong for the ship. There was a few stray fire heard but he couldn't be sure if it was aimed at them or skirmish going on nearby. When he hit the tree line he slowed long enough to key the comm to open the ship's berth. Ahead was a SZX-3400. Quick little small transport vessel that would get you from A to B in a flash. Usually they weren't outfitted with much more than an amazing engine. But thanks to his crew back at base they'd add a few... extras.

A shot zinged pass which made whether or not the enemy was close was now clear. So not a skirmish. All the more reason to get going.
 
There was a small disgruntled oomph from Katarin when he hefted her over his shoulder and took off running. It was by far, most uncomfortable, and she was sorely regretting having asked for the favor. The nearby gunshots was a huge worry. Katarin braced her arms on his back trying to get a good look around them. Once they were in to the trees, having a decent visual was almost impossible.

At least until a shot went flying past them! True to her word, Katarin pulled her gun from her belt and took aim. Trying to aim while over someone's shoulder couldn't have been more awkward. But the moment she knew the soldiers in the woods had spotted them, she returned fire! At least despite everything, Katarin knew how to use a gun.

"They've spotted us!"
 
"No shit. You think?"

Quinn bounded up the ramp and dropped her the moment they were up it. Frankly he had too much to do to get them off the ground still to worry about putting her down gently. Once he was free of her he pounded a fist against the button that would bring the hatch up. The woman clearly knew how to use a gun she could defend herself long enough for the hatch to seal off. Keying his comm as he ran for the cockpit he barked off orders to begin officially pulling out of the area. Gets your survivors, finish up defending your positions, but start getting off the planet.

Switches were flicked as he made his way to the pilot's seat, the engines could be heard as they whined their protest at a hard start. They'd be fine this once but he could hear Tisma's voice in his head scolding him for hard starting and not having remote accessed the engines so they could warm up before take off. If they made it home he'd get an earful.

"Once that hatch seals get your ass in a harness." Quinn's voice boomed over the ship-wide comm as the ship itself shook a bit from fire impact.
 
Katarin's unceremonious dropping on to the platform, left her growling out some very unladylike things! She didn't miss a beat, shooting back with her pistol as she stumbled backwards in to the ship, and got the hatch closed as quickly as she could. Hearing his voice over the intercom did little to sate her anger. ... this was just the last straw!

"You... confusing... bastard!" she shouted, as she made her way up to the front cockpit. Katarin very nearly swung her pistol down on his again, but she did need him to fly. Instead she dropped in to a chair nearby and was fastening her belt as quick as her fingers could managed.

"What in the God's name do you want out of me?! I have been pushed, bossed, manipulated! Screamed at, shot at, rescued, screamed at again, and then shot at some more!" she took a deep breath before she growled at him again. "And you told me to tell you if I couldn't walk and needed the help! So I told you!" At this point, she was about to throw her gun at him, but a rather LARGE shot hit the hull of the ship outside!
 
"And I HELPED you! I carried you, thank you for telling me. What is your problem!?" Quinn's hands were flying over the controls trying to get them keyed up for launch. A sudden dull whine said there was a problem in the startup sequence.

"Mother Mary! NOW WHAT!?" Quinn was up out of the seat, stumbling for a moment from the large shot before making his way to a panel at the back of the cockpit and ripping if off the wall. "I tell you to fix it, Tisma. Not jerry-rig it so that I can't figure out what the ever living hell you did to it." Quinn was staring into a panel that was a jumble of wires that seemed to make no sense. It took a few moment before Quinn found the one that was out of place and rerouted it to where it needed to be.

"May be the best frakking mechanic in the whole system, but I swear the girl needs to learn how to be neat about things." Quinn flew back to the controls and hit a button to resume the sequence. This time where was no dull whine, just a sudden roar and jolt. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"
 
"My problem is you screaming at me even when I do what you ask! You... jackass!" Katarin could have thought of some mean sounding things to say, but the ship went to not working at all to ZOOOM and she was left clutching the armrests of her chair. Now she remembered why she hated flying in small vessels. It was nauseating!

"...could you please not TWIST this thing so much..!" Katarin squeezed her eyes shut. That's it. She should have just gotten shot. At least then she'd be unconscious!
 
"When was I screaming at you until now!? Sarcastic yes, disgruntled, perhaps. Screaming!?" Quinn pulled a hard turn.

"...could you please not TWIST this thing so much..!"

"Do you want to die? I can arrange that!! It's called evasive maneuvers and unless you want your ass to be where your head is right now, I suggest dealing with it." Things evened out a little once they got out of range of fire. The vessel seemed to settle for a moment. A few seconds with nothing but the engine humming and the light tapping of controls and Quinn brought up the nav screen to begin plotting a course. It didn't last long though. Soon the claxons were blaring reporting more danger incoming.