"Well, this mine was considered played out before the war, that was the old shaft I was telling you about. But JW won the mine in a hand of cards and decided to check it out once the war had ended. There had been some skirmishes here, and the area had seen some bombing by the looks of things, so we sunk another shaft, this one here and tried going under the old mine - and hit pay-dirt. But that's why we avoid the first level because it is very unstable. Bombing shook it loose like someone drove a cruiser right through it.

"As to reading, I can't help you much. If that sheriff is down there, well I'd be much obliged if you left him there if you catch my meaning. As to Brigit, she is crafty but I think JW would like to see her brought to justice and bound by law for all she's done wrong to these here people. Besides, JW would like to get some answers out of her for all that was made up and what was real."

Wyatt nodded and considered what the man had to say for a few seconds. It seemed to him that the ship would most likely be on the first level. He didn't know much about mining but he did know that someone driving a shaft would stabilize the tunnel making sure that they could safely traverse it while hauling out their dirt. If they avoided the first level due to it being so unstable that ship could've rested there in hiding for years undisturbed.

"All right, friend," Sung motioned towards the elevator. "If we go down t' the first level an' then want t' move on t' the second an' third. Would we have control of the elevator, or have t' ring you topside?"

(OOC: Receiving the answer)

"Well then," Wyatt gave the man a nod and stepped towards the lift. "Let's be about it."

Once they were underway, Wyatt let the others know of his thoughts. "My guess is that they rigged up some sort of trap t' seal the mine off once they git their cargo from that ship. I feel that the ship is on the first level--any argument?

"So I also feel that we need t' find out if'n our boys in the mule can watch that back door. If not t' help get us out, t' stop anyone from retreatin' that way should Bridgette plan on usin' it for an escape route.

"And Sam? Let's try an' kill as few as possible t'night while turnin' Miss Bridgette over t' the Law. Ku?"

(OOC: Barring any objections that need to be worked through...)

Relieving the radio from his belt, Wyatt keyed it. "Bowman, Wolf, Kid? Anyone read?"

Once Wyatt reaches them, he relays the location of the back entrance to the mine and asks them to cover it while receiving an update on what's going on with them.

"Bowman, Wolf, Kid? Anyone read?"
Andrew heard Wyatt come over the radio as he moved to head up the street towards the Jail… he grabbed the radio and responded…
“Wyatt… Bowman here,” he said in a low voice as he kept to the shadows as much as he could… “.. encountered some … problems… nothing that I couldn’t handle … enroute to the jail house… what’s your situation?”

He didn’t mention that Ash might be in trouble… nothing Wyatt could do about it… he had enough to worry about without hearing their problems… He would assist Ash if he still needed it by the time he got there…
“Ok soon as we finish up here we will head over to the back entrance… don’t worry we will be there.” He said signing off… not adding that if he wasn’t then he was most likely dead… but best not to dwell on that… he didn’t intend to end up that way on some backwater planet like this one… when he went … he wanted it to be in the Black somewhere.. but not for a long while yet.

Frisco, Day Nine 11:10 pm Planet Time
Asher looked at the blood on the stairwell and knew that he had struck her someplace hard. There was a lot of blood on the stairway up. He pulled out a flash bang grenade and counted to five before tossing it up stairs. The cigar shaped explosive flew upward and bounced inwards towards where Ash knew the bed was on the second floor loft.

*FLASH* *BANG*

The kid took cover and waited to see what would happen. There was no cry out of any type but then something banged hard against the floor, something that sounded long and metal - like a rifle hitting the floor. There was a brief whimper and then a woman's voice calls out feebly, "Lord I don't want to die. Please! I surrender! I don't want to die."

Just then Ash's radio sounds off, "Bowman, Wolf, Kid? Anyone read?"


Down the street, Andrew Bowman checks the man before him for a pulse and finds none. He takes the man's gun away as a precaution but doubts he will rise again to cause trouble.

"Bowman, Wolf, Kid? Anyone read?" Wyatt calls out on the radio.

“Wyatt… Bowman here,” he said in a low voice as he kept to the shadows as much as he could… “.. encountered some … problems… nothing that I couldn’t handle … enroute to the jail house… what’s your situation?”

(assume Wyatt fills in Bowman on the situation)

“Ok soon as we finish up here we will head over to the back entrance… don’t worry we will be there.” he replied and turned his head with gun pointed as something moved behind him. It was Wolf coming towards him with assault rifle ready.

(I will let you fill each other in and head over to the jail. Please be specific how you will approach.)

Hornsilver Mine, Regina, Frisco, Day Nine 11.:05 pm Planet Time
"All right, friend," Sung motioned towards the elevator. "If we go down t' the first level an' then want t' move on t' the second an' third. Would we have control of the elevator, or have t' ring you topside?"

"I can rig it either way." Cullen answers, "I can always override from up here, but I'll set it for manual but put the code as 9876. That way no one can snatch it from you easily."

"Well then," Wyatt gave the man a nod and stepped towards the lift. "Let's be about it."

Once Wyatt had had a brief communication with Andrew, he advises them of the second shaft and then heads for the elevator lift. Matt gives the battery lanterns to Wyatt and Sam and explains the controls to the three of you.

The platform drops suddenly as it is engaged and you move down into the deep darkness. As you move down you can hear water dripping and running in rivulets down the sides of the shaft walls. The emergency lights have failed and it is darker than a cow's insides in here. The air is oppressive with humidity and you can hear the constant groaning of the timbers straining against the weight. Suddenly you stop at the a tunnel, illuminated by a few still working emergency light. A sign hangs beside a timber reinforced entrance - "Warning - Unstable caverns ahead". There is only one way to go at this point and the way is shrouded in darkness.

After Andrew finished with talking to Wyatt and getting an update and orders from him… he started to move up the street again but heard a sound and spinning he brought his gun to bear on the movement but then relaxed when he recognized Wolf coming towards him.

He moved to intercept him and gave him an update on the situation … about what he heard on the radio about the Jail… what Wyatt told him and that they were to collect Ash and get to the mine…

“Lets go find Ash…” he said gesturing to the side of the street the Jail is on… “lets stick to that side so we wont be exposed to the roof of the Jail incase we still have a sniper up there.”

He motioned for Wolf to follow and then moved across quickly in front of one of the building (#18 ) then staying to that side in the shadows he moved up… checking each place between the building before moving on… he moved up till the Jail was next and stopped in front of the last building before it.. (#16)

Hugging the front of the building he peeked out looking towards any windows and the roof of the Jail… for any signs of a shooter… whether he seen one or not… he looked for a doorway and then with a gesture to Wolf to cover him… he took a couple of slow calming breaths and then darted across as fast as he could towards the side of the jail… if he made it he would hug the building and move towards the rear where he hoped to find a door… he gestured for Wolf to follow him.

The sound and flash of the grenade had settle as Ash waited. Then something banged hard against the floor, something that sounded long and metal - like a rifle hitting the floor. There was a brief whimper and then a woman's voice calls out feebly, "Lord I don't want to die. Please! I surrender! I don't want to die."
The kid stared up the stairs, he did not like this at all, Winnie was a killer, but hurting a woman didn’t set well.

“I don’t want to see you hurt any more Winnie, toss out your pistol and put your hands up where I can see um. “

Ash started up the stair but kept his head down so as not expose himself before he could hear the pistol or see Winnie's hands. Ash paused near the top as he waited to hear the pistol slide across the floor.

Wyatt's call came across Ash's communicator and then Andrew's reply. Ash keyed the mike of his unit as call up to Winnie; better Andrew knew what was going on than walk into the middle of it cold.

“Toss your pistol now and I’ll see if I can get someone to fetch Doc, you’re gonna stay in a cell til Doc can gets here.……..Please Winnie, this ain’t right, let’s end it now.”

Ash never stopped doing what needed done, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Wyatt felt the tension rising inside of him the deeper into the shaft they descended. Cool as a cucumber on the outside he felt as chaotic as a meteor shower on the inside. With darkness engulfing them the captain could but hold the lantern high and to one side so as not to interfere with his vision. Slipping his shotgun from his back he caught Willow's gaze and shrugged.

"Better t' be ready..." he said in a soft tone.

As the lift came to a shuddering halt Wyatt squinted into the foreboding darkness and took a slow breath in. The cool of the night was lost here. Warmer and dry. Gripping the shotgun firmly in hand he began the walk that would undoubtedly lead to a conclusion of their association with Bridgette.

"Willow," his was a quiet voice like the whisper of death dancing the tenuous thread of fate. "You handle the diplomacy. Ku?"

Wolf left Nora Blake’s home in an easy yet steady trot headed towards the bank and the sounds of gunfire coming from there. He’d hidden Nora’s shotgun and hoped it was the only weapon she had access to.

"Bowman, Wolf, Kid? Anyone read?"

“Wyatt… Bowman here, encountered some problems nothing that I couldn’t handle en-route to the jail house what’s your situation?”

As he continued to move towards the bank Wolf listened as the Captain filled in Bowmen as to what was going on at the mine and as Bowmen replied, the ship’s mechanic caught sight of him up ahead.

“Ok soon as we finish up here we will head over to the back entrance… don’t worry we will be there.”

As he joined up with the captain’s father in law, seeing that he had ended his conversion for the moment with Wyatt, he grabbed his own radio.

“Wolf here, all clear, with Bowmen at this time.”

Clipping the radio back at his side he turned to Andrew and gave a sign of greeting.

“Lets go find Ash…” Bowmen said acknowledge Wolf’s greeting. After giving him a quick heads up Bowmen gestured to the side of the street the Jail was on… “Let’s stick to that side so we won’t be exposed to the roof of the Jail incase we still have a sniper up there.”

As the two moved towards the jail staying in the shadows they did so… checking each place between the buildings before moving on, they moved up till the Jail was next and stopped in front of the last building before it.

“Look Andrew I’ll cover you with the assault rifle as you cross the street. Once across the street you cover me as I join you”

Hugging the front of the building Wolf watched as Bowmen peeked out looking towards the windows and the roof of the Jail. Clearly looking for any signs of a shooter, whether he saw one or not, with a gesture to Wolf to cover him the older man took a couple of slow calming breaths and then darted across as fast as he could towards the side of the jail.

Once Bowmen safe Wolf would wait for his signal and follow him across..............

As they descended into the mine, Willow looked up at the elevator cable winding through the mechanism and snaking up into the darkness. Such a slender thread to hang all their lives in the balance. Much like the chesspiece in her gloved hand, it seemed too fragile for hope.

"Willow," Wyatt's voice drifted out of the dark, and Willow shivered at its coldness, "You handle the diplomacy. Ku?"

"As long as there is a chance at diplomacy," Willow replied as calmly as she could, reaching for a doctor's detachment and a Companion's serenity," They need the code in my head as much as they need the key. Let me play that card as I see fit, and please trust me, no matter what I may say. Bridgitte thinks of men as tools to be used and discarded, and she'll respect me more if I appear to be the same. "

Hornsilver Mine, Regina, Frisco, Day Nine 11:15 pm Planet Time
Sam steps out first followed by Wyatt and Willow. The area in front of the shaft continues south onward for about 20 feet and the ends with a smaller passageway branching off to the west. Wyatt and Sam take the corner cautiously, each moving to cover the other as the peer around the corner. The drift continues to the west but slopes down and to the north before straightening due east. There are no lights in the shaft after this point, it is pure black.

As the three ponder whether it is worth stumbling in the dark or using the torches, the sound of timbers creaking and groaning comes from down the drift. Dust falls from above you and you are reminded of Cullen's warning that this level is unstable. but the only way to find the cause of this mess you are in is at the end of that drift.

Frisco, Day Nine 11:10 pm Planet Time
"Toss your pistol now and I’ll see if I can get someone to fetch Doc, you’re gonna stay in a cell til Doc can gets here.……..Please Winnie, this ain’t right, let’s end it now.” Asher called out and was answered by a thud of a pistol hitting the ground. The kid quickly popped his head up and looked into the upper floor, fully expecting to see a gun pointed his way or worse. but he saw the pistol on the ground by the bed, as was the rifle. Winnie was on the bed and both her and the sheets were covered in blood. He'd managed to wound her in the stomach which was a slow, painful way to die. She was clutched her stomach with both hands and whimpered softly. "Oh Buddha. It hurts so bad."


Andrew and Fenris moved down the street when the radio sounded off the goings on in the jail. After Ash had called out to Winnie they didn't hear any more shots but they still moved in fast.

However, as they drew next to Will Bill's Saloon (#16), headlights from a vehicle shone brightly coming from the main roadway. Whatever it was made a god-awful racket as it did too, like piecemeal junker made by someone who didn't know engines well enough. Andrew moves back out of reflex and you think that you saw the hover-thing long before the driver could spot you. But whoever is driving it, is heading directly towards you and the jailhouse at a break neck speed. As it passes Bailey's barn (#7) it swings wildly to the side and swerves towards the front doors of the jail.

The hover-thing has dual mounted chain fed machine guns welded and duct taped to its hood! The front looks like parts of a MK-7 and the back like a heavy hauling industrial lifter. Whoever is driving, is not going for subtle.

ooc: As the piecemeal junker swerves, those guns are pointed at the jail, not Andrew or Wolf.

Frisco, Day Nine 11:10 pm Planet Time
Hugging the front of the buildings Wolf and Bowmen moved towards the jail looking into the windows and the roof of the Jail. As they reached Will Bill's Saloon both heard the sound of some type of hover vehicle headed towards them and watched as a piecemeal junker made from scrape with the front looking like parts of a MK-7, the back like a heavy hauling industrial lifter. However the appearance of dual mounted chain fed machine guns welded and duct taped to its hood gave it a whole new meaning as it stopped before the jail, the machine guns pointed towards it.

“Andrew move quickly, whoever that is he/she ain’t no friend. I’ll cover you with the assault rifle. Now if I get a clear shot at them before you get close I’ll take it, if not you try to catch them by surprise, capture or kill e’m and cover me as I join you.”
With that Wolf quickly moved to position himself for the best angle to the driver, went to one knee, braced the assault rifle at his shoulder, sighted it, and waited for a clear shot.

(OOC: The minute I have a shot at the occupant/occupants I’m taking it.)

Andrew withdrew when he saw the Hover vehicle coming… it certainly wasn’t intended to sneak up on anyone… looked like they could use a good mechanic around here… but he was glad for the noise… otherwise they might have been caught out in the open and he didn’t like the looks of those guns… chain-fed machine guns… he was glad when the thing swerved and faced the jail as it appeared to be slowing… from the looks of it he hoped it would stop before plowing into the jail… but he thought it might … even if it didn’t completely stop… he was sure the jail was strengthened to stop just that type of jailbreak.

“Andrew move quickly, whoever that is he/she ain’t no friend. I’ll cover you with the assault rifle. Now if I get a clear shot at them before you get close I’ll take it, if not you try to catch them by surprise, capture or kill e’m and cover me as I join you.” Wolf whispered to him and then moved to position himself for a better angle
Andrew nodded and with his silenced gun in hand… his eyes on the vehicle as it came up to the front of the Jail he stayed low and darted towards the side of the vehicle… he would move at an angle that would NOT put him in between Wolf and the vehicle…he raised the gun aiming towards any opening on his side that looked like it might lead to the area where a gunner might be placed to fire those two guns

If he saw any sign that he had been noticed… or if he saw a clear shot at anyone he would fire three quick shots as he moved up to the side of the vehicle… if not he would move right up to it and finding an opening he would aim inside and shoot anyone he found… he was sure they had not come in such a manner… armed as they were… just to ask them to surrender… and frankly Andrew didn’t have the time to waste attempting to take prisoners.

Asher heard the pistol hit the floor, but still moving cautiously Asher enters the second floor;there lay Winnie on the bed, blood and tears staining the sheets. The kid picks up her rifle and the pistol and then makes his away over the bed for a closer look. Holding a ugly stomach wound she whimpered, "Oh Buddha. It hurts so bad."

“Winnie this shouldn’t have happen, that gorham Jien Huo bitch Bridgett been lying and getting folks to do what they shouldn’t, this ain’t the first time she’s used folks to do her dirty work and then left them to die. I’ll bet she staged that bank robbery just to get the council folks to hurry up and hire her partner as sheriff. Your brother would probably still be alive if it werent for her. You should have shot her instead of me.We didn’t come here to cause you no trouble but she did. Oh Winnie hold on I’ll go down and call Doc.

Having spent some time in the jail house as acting sheriff Ash knew right where the vidphone was. Taking the stairs two at a time the kid rushed to first office and punch up the call to Doc’s home. As the screen lit a rhythmic beep seemed to go on forever. Then the screen click on the Doc's sleepy face appeared, “Yes, yes what’s needed?”

“Doc, you need to get to the jail right quick, Winnies up on the second floor, she tried to get the drop on me but this time my back wasn’t turned. She’s got a belly wound and she’s bleeding pretty bad. You be real careful getting here the street ain’t exactly safe.” Just then Ash hear loud noise of something coming around the front of the jail. “Gorham, Doc something else is going down now, hope you don’t find more bleeders when you get here. You may want to come in the back. Doc, try to save Winnie, I think she just did it for what she thought was family.” With that he the flipped off the unit and let the room go dark.

Ash run back out the office and saw what looks like headlight beaming in on the front doors. He rushes back up the stairs and as he passes the bed, Asher pauses and picks up Winnie’s communicator. Looking down he says, “Winnie, Doc’s on his way, you hold on, just lay still”.

Leaving Winnie Ash headed to the third floor; he wanted to get to the roof lookout post. Remembering what rushing did for him last time Ash cautiously looked for traps as he went. Reaching the ladder Ash uses Winnie’s rifle to pushup and test the lookout door for traps (O.O.C. assuming there wasn’t a trap.) and made his way to the lookout post.

Ash figured he could get a good bead on whoever was driving that rambling wreck. He also had Winnie’s communicator so if it’s one them he might be able to hear their plan.

Keying his own communicator Ash said softly, “Doc’s on his way; there’s a hurt lady on the second floor and there’s somethun noisy out front. Be careful. I’ll try to cover ya, topside.”

Sam wasn't feeling very good. The butterflies in his stomach were extra flighty as he stared past the flickering border of the lantern at the darkness that waited for them. Squinting didn't help. The but of his weapon digging into the heel of his hand didn't even settle his nerves. He wanted to voice his complaint, but knew Wyatt would likely disapprove. So, instead he waited on his captain and friend to make the decision as to their next course of action.

Wyatt stood with the little illumination they had brought barely covering twenty feet ahead and silently cursed. If they proceeded down the tunnel with the light behind them they were silhouettes and easy marks. If they continued by carrying the light they were just as easy a target. But they had no choice. Willow was right that they needed what was in her brainpan so it wasn't likely they'd risk shooting her, but Wyatt and Sam were great targets, especially if Bridgette wanted to coerce the doctor into a particular action. The war had seen plenty of interrogators with that particular knack and Wyatt Sung wasn't sure that Companions weren't that far removed...they just used a different technique.

But they had no choice.

"Let's go."

That said, Wyatt and Sam moved cautiously down the hall. Both men kept a careful eye on their surroundings looking for ambush spots, wicks, or anything else that would indicate the trouble they were about to face.

Willow couldn't understand how the others could be Big Damn Heroes, as Sam once called it ; nerves would do her in as surely as any bullet. To walk into a trap, knowing it was a trap? Willow didn't think she could do this, but she had to.

The dark cavern posed a problem. The light made them a target, but they needed it. Willow decided it was better to know what they were walking into, but how to do it as safely as possible?

Her mother was a consummate performer, and had trained her children to follow her footsteps before realizing that growing children aged her to her fans. Willow had been trained for the cameras and the stage, and Companion training had only honed those skills. She needed them now.

She looked around the cavern walls around her, and down the tunnel's darkness, considering the angles. She gestured for Sam and Wyatt to crouch, make themselves as small as possible, then approached the wall opposite them. Standing at an angle before the wall, she called out, using an actor's ability to project sound against the wall, hoping it would bounce and echo down the tunnel, making it difficult to know where the speaker stood. (OOC: Plot point used, pls)

"Well now Bridget, where's the welcome wagon? Having me come down here into the dark don't feel much like we're sharing, now does it? Maybe I should just take my boys elsewhere and sell this key and code to the highest bidder. I've got hooks into some pretty deep pockets, I do not need to be treated like this."

Frisco, Day Nine 11:10 pm Planet Time
Winnie didn't mind dying, as long as she took the man who killed her baby Brother with her. She knew the wound was bad, real bad and that she wouldn't last long. But this kid had been on every woman in town since he got here (save her of course) so she was sure that he'd fall for this. Rescue the damn princess and she'll go all Meh Lien Duh Jyah Jee for you.
She held the grenade clutched behind the two hands on her stomach as if clutching her wound. The pin was already pulled, but she had to make sure he was close enough. The kid came into the room and made sure her weapons were out of reach. She moaned and sighed, "Oh Buddha. It hurts so bad." Come here you gorram Yi Dwei da Buen Chuo Roh he looked at her as he moved closer but then he moved away as fast as he looked.

“Winnie this shouldn’t have happen, that gorram Jien Huo bitch Bridgett been lying and getting folks to do what they shouldn’t, this ain’t the first time she’s used folks to do her dirty work and then left them to die. I’ll bet she staged that bank robbery just to get the council folks to hurry up and hire her partner as sheriff. Your brother would probably still be alive if it weren't for her. You should have shot her instead of me. We didn’t come here to cause you no trouble but she did. Oh Winnie hold on I’ll go down and call Doc."

Winnie couldn't believe it! Surely he couldn't see the grenade! He wasn't acting it like it. Why wasn't he coming close. She wanted to grab him,. to see his eyes when she dumped the package in his lap.

Ash ran back out the office and rushed back up the stairs. As he passes the bed, he paused and picks up her communicator. Looking down he says, “Winnie, Doc’s on his way, you hold on, just lay still”. She tried to move, to raise her hand to grab him or say something about holding her but he ran upstairs. Outside she could hear Darryl's speeder outside and automatic gun fire. She felt so weak suddenly. She wished that she could be ion the swing outside the farm one last time and listen to the wind through the trees.

As consciousness left Winnie, so did her hold, and her hand released the grenade, which rolled off her belly, and onto the sheets - the spoon separating as it did.


As Fenris and Andrew start to move in order to make their plan work, Ash said softly over the communicator, “Doc’s on his way; there’s a hurt lady on the second floor and there’s somethun noisy out front. Be careful. I’ll try to cover ya, topside.”

Andrew ran out towards the slowing hover vehicle and opened fired at the driver. The shots go into the mule and not the man, but now the man behind the wheel swings the wheel wildly to get Andrew in the sights of the chain gun.

Fenris moves to the other side of the street and his prone on one knee as the driver makes the fatal mistake. He opens up with the assault rifle in a controlled burst. The man's head jerks to the side and his body shakes with the impact of the bullets. Losing control, the junker tilts sideways and then the side drops, causing it to roll. Fenris dives out of the way as it bounces side over side and the end over end until crashing upside down in the centre of the main street.

Fenris and Andrew look to each other in triumph. If the brother survived the gun wound, the crash would have ended him. Just then your communicators light up to Ash's voice “Doc’s on his way; there’s a hurt lady on the second floor and there’s somethun noisy out front. Be careful. I’ll try to cover ya, topside.”

BBOOOMM!
Suddenly the top floor and the lookout tower of the jail explode in a powerful ball of flames. The roadway is littered with debris and wood chips. Electronic feedback squelches across your communicator and then goes silent as a grave.

Hornsilver Mine, Regina, Frisco, Day Nine 11:17 pm Planet Time
"Let's go." Wyatt said looking down the corridor and turning on a flashlight.

Willow puts her hand out to signal a "hold on" and the crouch down as if she is planning something. Once Sam and Wyatt are down she goes to the opposite wall to call out "Well now Bridget, where's the welcome wagon? Having me come down here into the dark don't feel much like we're sharing, now does it? Maybe I should just take my boys elsewhere and sell this key and code to the highest bidder. I've got hooks into some pretty deep pockets, I do not need to be treated like this."

For a moment there is no answer except the occasion drip of water on stone. Then Bridget's voice comes clearly from down the corridor, crisp but with an edge of ...fear? frustration? Hard to tell with the echo, "Well that's a good thing to hear Sister, your voice that is. I didn't think you were coming. Follow the drift to the end of the old shaft. I'm waiting on you sugar and I think we will have enough fortune to shave without you selling the key."

As you are about to move, Wyatt's and Sam communicators erupt in Electronic feedback that is loud and piercing. It dies out quickly but the noise cause the shaft to rumble and dirt to fall from the rafters and shorn up walls.

"Rung Tse Fwo Tzoo Bao Yo Wuo Muhn! What was gorram that? This shaft ain't too sturdy so you best shut off whatever you got making those noises!" Bridgit calls out harshly.