Spiritu Santi, Lay your head and rest

[Israel Pasalewe]

Israel kept quite as the scenes unfolded. Finally he had enough of the game pieces being spread across the board, "HIGHTOWER!" Israel shouted. "Front and center, If you please."

[Tiberius Khan]

”Is he…he isn’t…holy shit, Tibby, I think Mancoon just proposed to the Widow Kent.”


Tiberius looked in the direction that Hightower gestured and raised an eyebrow. In keeping with the drunk ruse, Tiberius smiled and said, "Wellsh dogs my catsh and calls me Shally! I's thought thats mountain ofsh ah mans woulds bes singles for the resht of his lifes."


"HIGHTOWER!" "Front and center, If you please."


Tiberius swiveled his head towards Ray and blinked, stumbling a little for effect before standing still. He pointed at Ray, swayed a bit, then said, "Yous just jealous, Rays, cause 'Coonsie didn't ashk yous to marrysh him."

[Christine "Cory" Bell]

“Tomorrow at dawn in this very square, we shall meet, and God will decide which of us is favored! Bring your pistol, Cur, and make your peace with your betrothed!”, he spit the last word, “Tomorrow I shall take your life in God’s name and leave Kent a widow again!

"Uh, point of order here . . ." said Christine. "The Almighty's will is all well and good, but until he shows up with a fleet, the relevant authority is the Alliance. Mancoon Krylin is an Alliance police officer, assigned to an Alliance vessel, one Ares Shield, of which I happen to be the executive officer. Unless you give me a compelling reason to permit it, I'm not going to authorize officer Mancoon to take part in a duel on a world not under Alliance regulation. If you draw your weapon on him tomorrow, and I haven't agreed to your terms, even if he has, I will view it as a deadly assault on an Alliance officer, and I will shoot you in the back. You can think of me as having no honor, but I don't need your honor, you don't honor women anyway. If you survive and kill us, how long do you think Spiritu Santi's little "arrangement" will last past your murder of Alliance personnel? Kill him, or even fire at him without my approval for this duel, and not only will I shoot you, I will use every ounce of my Companion wiles to lobby Parliment against your continued autonomy. So, unless you can find Womack, and get him to overrule me as Commander of the Shield, you want a duel, you talk to me first. Then we'll see if he agrees to it."

She shook her head.

"And really, Cur? Who actually says that?"

[Corporal Edward Hightower]

"HIGHTOWER! Front and center, if you please."

Reluctant to pull his eyes from the escalating situation on the dance floor, Ed, ever the soldier, rushed over in front of Israel, his shoulders and frame naturally coming to attention,
”Yes, Officer Pasalewe.”

[Mancoon Krylin]

Patron Esteban's words floated unnoticed over his head -heard but not truly listened to- as soon as Sarah's startled, white-pinched face turned to his. There was fear there, but some other emotion there, too, and it made his heart ache with desperate hope. “I accept…I do…I will…forever.”

A slow, blindingly bright smile erupted on his face. She said yes. "Ah'll be yers, heart o' my heart, f-fer..." His eyes stung with tears and he had to stop twice, sobbing for air, before he could manage to press a butterfly kiss to her hands. "Fer t'rest o' time an'-" He meant to say more. He'd had a speech -each sentence precisely, carefully placed, the lines straight in his mind and given equal spacing— but now that she was smiling just for him he had no words. And he didn't have the time.

“I demand retribution! As is the law of our land, I call for the Almighty’s Judgment!"

The look of almost painful joy froze on his face. Slowly, so slowly, he looked at Tenor without moving his head.

“Tomorrow at dawn in this very square, we shall meet, and God will decide which of us is favored! Bring your pistol, Cur, and make your peace with your betrothed!”, he spit the last word, “Tomorrow I shall take your life in God’s name and leave Kent a widow again!”

"An tha's yer solution, is it?" His tone dripped with disgust and- pity? Yes. It should have been impossible -this man had forced his attentions on Sarah when her husband's blood had not yet dried on his hands- but he felt it just the same.

Tenor looked ridiculous.

Mancoon wondered why this man had loomed so large in his mind– he was pitiful, like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. There was a grim satisfaction in that, and he was burning with cold fire as he rose to his feet. "Ye want t'kill me too? Ah 'ope ye don' mind gettin' yer hands dirty, Donny, cause even if ye do me in, it won' be enough, will it? Ne'er will be. T'whole town knows what abominations ye're capable of. Ye'll ne'er be able t'satisfy yer twisted lust now-"

Cory's voice tore him away from his mounting rage with a gasp. He hadn't realized how loud his voice had become, almost a shout. "Uh, point of order here . . ." said Christine. "The Almighty's will is all well and good, but until he shows up with a fleet, the relevant authority is the Alliance. Mancoon Krylin is an Alliance police officer, assigned to an Alliance vessel, one Ares Shield, of which I happen to be the executive officer. Unless you give me a compelling reason to permit it, I'm not going to authorize officer Mancoon to take part in a duel on a world not under Alliance regulation. If you draw your weapon on him tomorrow, and I haven't agreed to your terms, even if he has, I will view it as a deadly assault on an Alliance officer, and I will shoot you in the back. You can think of me as having no honor, but I don't need your honor, you don't honor women anyway. If you survive and kill us, how long do you think Spiritu Santi's little "arrangement" will last past your murder of Alliance personnel? Kill him, or even fire at him without my approval for this duel, and not only will I shoot you, I will use every ounce of my Companion wiles to lobby Parliment against your continued autonomy. So, unless you can find Womack, and get him to overrule me as Commander of the Shield, you want a duel, you talk to me first. Then we'll see if he agrees to it." She shook her head. "And really, Cur? Who actually says that?"

'Coon nodded stiffly, breath heaving in his chest. His eyes never left Tenor's. He understood the wisdom of her words, but too many lines had been crossed- for both of them. There would be blood.

Whether Cory wanted it or not.

[Israel Pasalewe]

Israel ignored the drunk slurs of Tibby, and did his best to keep his demeanor.

”Yes, Officer Pasalewe.”

Clasping Hightower's shoulder, Israel drew him in slightly as he whispered. "Look if this does go violent I have a shoot gun." Israel used his eyes to gesture towards his cane. Then continued, "I also have a handheld in my bag, as well as, a bottle of special chloroform; which will knock a grown man out once sprayed into his face. I know we're far from the ship, but we have to get back, and get ourselves armed. I am happy for Mancoon, but I'll be damned if I'ms gonna let this grease monkey ruin a good thing." Israel looked towards Mancoon and Ms. Kent, tears welled within his eyes. "If The Don lays a single finger on Mancoon or his soon to be wife I will rip him a new hole. An' lemme tell ya kido, I know a thing or two about holes." Israel winked.

[Don Tenor]

"...So, unless you can find Womack, and get him to overrule me as Commander of the Shield, you want a duel, you talk to me first. Then we'll see if he agrees to it..."

Tenor’s eyes shifted from Mancoon to Cory,
”Don’t try to threaten me in my own city, but since you find the topic of Allied law and intervention so appealing, allow me to retort. Perhaps your vast and powerful government connections could enlighten you on the tenuous agreement afforded Alleluia. When you do reinforce your bravado with fact, you will find that more than an impassioned plea before Parliament would be needed to sever the contract between this world and the rest. Your childish boasts only further convey your lack of understanding!”

The Don returned his gaze to Mancoon,
”As for this man…yes, you could order him to stand down, but you can not force him to remain the coward. When he made a mockery of our laws and proposed to Kent, he made himself subject to the very rules he sought to circumvent. As a newly recognized citizen of Alleluia, he is subject to our laws…which include a duty to attend the Almighty’s Judgment.”

Tenor closed the gap between himself and the larger Krylin, and his next words were for him alone, though those closest could still hear,
”What will you do, coward? Will you show yourself to be an upright man of God, or will you creep away into the Black and show your fiancée the measure of the true Mancoon Krylin?”

Sarah pulled herself to Mancoon’s ear and breathed a barely audible whisper,
“Run. Leave this place, my love. He is a shootist, a pistolier without match…Gabriel told me he’d never seen anything like it…and he will cheat…he will find a way to kill you…please, run…please…”

Her words drifted quiet as the silent tears closed her throat.

[Corporal Edward Hightower]

"If The Don lays a single finger on Mancoon or his soon to be wife I will rip him a new hole. An' lemme tell ya kido, I know a thing or two about holes."

Hightower listened intently to Pasalewe’s plan, but when the medic finished…for the briefest of instants, Ed’s mind wandered.

He finally knew what it was that drew him to Israel. Sure he had enjoyed the man’s company from the moment he met him, but now he knew why his affection had grown beyond the norm of a few week old relationship.

Ray reminded Ed of Karl…before Scarlet died.

They were both gruff and abrasive to those that didn’t know them, but only Pasalewe retained the heart that Womack had lost. Israel still cared.

Returning to the moment, Ed nodded,
”Yes, sir. If a fight erupts, Tibby and I will engaged the crowd, while you grab your goodies. Let’s hope that we can keep the affair non-lethal.”

[Christine "Cory" Bell]

"Oh, I'm sorry, was I unclear?" said Christine. "I don't make impassioned pleas before Parliment. I said I'd use my Companion wiles to do my lobbying. I'm sure you've figuratively rutted enough people in back room deals to know how that works. Probably a lot like how the "arrangement" got made in the first place. But . . . whatever. It seems once again the Almighty can't pass judgement without other people's bullets, and once again, those bullets just happen to be in the guns of people with vested interest in the outcome of that judgement."

She stepped back, spreading her arms wide, looking up past the brightly illuminated roofs of the festive city.

"What's the matter up there? Bolts of lightning gone out of style? Used up all that pillar of salt mojo on one woman? Let's just make this easy. With Mr. Almighty as my witness, I accuse this man, Don Tenor, of murdering Patron Esteban's son, conspiring to use his own self serving interperetation of this community's laws to wed an unwilling woman, engaging in a variety of corrupt business practices, having an inflated ego, and, oh, let's say, fornication with the beasts of the field. May the almighty strike me down where I stand if I'm lying! Come on now, I don't have all night! If you're paying attention to this challenge to a duel, you ought to still be listening now!"

She looked back at Don Tenor.

"Still here. Doesn't look good for you. I know it must have been hard to wait for Sarah, but really, you should have left the sheep alone."

[Don Tenor]

Tenor’s fist met the flesh of Cory’s face in a vicious slap. His eyes bled hatred, his lips curled over his teeth in a savage snarl, and his hair, perfectly coifed a few short moments before, hung in his face, gifting the Don with the appearance of a madman. So terrifying was his visage, many of the townsfolk pulled back from the scene with gasps and signs of the cross.

Maddened beyond the ability to communicate, he advanced on the stricken Cory, meaning to kill her…just as he had killed Gabriel Esteban. Two of Tenor’s men engaged the hobbled Pilate and kept the Operative from lending aid. Keeping the crowd at bay had become the job of the other pair of Tenor’s guards…leaving Tenor alone with Cory. With the aid of his men and the chaotic retreat of the crowd, no one had a view of Amerigo.

Pulling a chrome pistol from under his jacket, the Don leveled the weapon at Bell and fired…into the belly of the diving Patron Esteban.

The old priest crashed to the cobblestones, gasping for breath and clutching his blasted abdomen. Sarah screamed and ran to the fallen man, cradling his head…soon they were both covered in blood.

Shock briefly crossed Tenor’s face, but he soon realized that the only way to spin his story would be to kill any witness. His gun rose, targeting Cory again, but before he could fire a dark shadow fell over him.

Don Amerigo Tenor’s eyes turned and met those of Officer Mancoon Krylin.


<<Permission to God-Mode Cory given by the incomparable Dave. Tao, if I GM’d Mancoon too much let me know.>>

[Tiberius Khan]

”Yes, sir. If a fight erupts, Tibby and I will engaged the crowd, while you grab your goodies. Let’s hope that we can keep the affair non-lethal.”


Tiberius raised an eyebrow and smirked at the mention of Ray grabbing his goodies. However the smirk was short lived when he heard the gunshot and spun his head towards the direction it came. He saw the Patron on the ground clutching at his wound, saw the lovely Miss Sarah scream and run to the fallen man, and then he saw Mr. Tenor draw his gun on Cory, who's body had now been blocked by the massive hulk that was Mr. Krylin. Tiberius could feel the anger, the rage, and the hate building up inside him, wanting to explode like a supernova.


Without looking at either Hightower or Ray, he growled, "Looks like it just turned lethal my freinds." Reaching out to Ray, he continued, "Ray, give me one of your guns." A grin appeared on Tiberius's face as he then said, "Looks like this is my kind of party after all."

[Mancoon Krylin]

Stepping so close his toes challenged the smaller man's for room, the marine's huge hand closed on Don's throat and hauled him up until his feet barely brushed the ground. Pressure was brought to bear on sensitive tendons, but Tenor still struggled in his grasp. "Ye miserable worm." The dangerous look on Mancoon’s face was the look of a man who had not only reached the end of his tether, but lost the tether entirely some time ago, and from the look in Israel's eyes, he would be happy to give him an alibi.

Mancoon saw Amerigo's eyes shift to focus beyond him, and he read his thoughts instantly. Don was going to break his hold, drop beneath his arm, and lunge behind to attack with whatever was at hand- if not shoot him outright.

'Coon increased the pressure a fraction more, and Don hissed -his neck had to be shrieking with pain- then looked up to meet the eyes of his captor. They were deliberate and determined. Another slight twist and his neck would snap under the pressure of Mancoon's long fingers. They both knew it, and those eyes informed Don clearly that Mancoon was willing to do so. Yield, the gaze demanded, giving him one more chance to choose for himself. "We're not doin' it tomorrow, we're doin' it now," he rumbled furiously, fingers twitching with the urge to close just there. "Have one of yer men give me his gun or ah swear that ah'll crush yer neck like a runt piglet, an' damn the consequences."

[Israel Pasalewe]

Without hesitation, Israel threw Tibby his can and now bullet filled bag. "Careful with that Tib, it makes an awful mess." Israel winked. He then moved between Mancoon and the Don. "Mancoon, Could you please fix my pants?" Israel had hid his hand held on his belt before approaching.

Then without so much as a flinch, Israel moved to the Patron and said, "Howdy." Looking over him carefully, Israel touched the wounded area softly. "Sir, we got to get that out before you bleed to death. If you don't mind.." Then without warning Israel sprayed the chloroform into the Patron's face just once. "Dont worry, Miss Sarah, its to dull the pain while I carry him back to our ship. I need to get him into the operating room. You should come with me. I don't think you need to see what’s gonna happen here."

Israel carefully picked up the Patron, "After you, Miss."

[Corporal Edward Hightower]

At the sound of the shot, Hightower began clearing a path to Mancoon, Cory, and the Don. None of Tenor’s men wanted a fight, either Tibby’s demonstration or their boss’s apparent insanity prompted them along the path of pacifism.

Officer Pasalewe went to Mancoon, who had the Don hoisted like a puppy.

Moving to Cory, the corporal checked with his superior,
”Lieutenant, are you alright?”

[Tiberius Khan]

OOC: Permission to beat Tenor's goons senseless, given by the GrimJack. :)


"Careful with that Tib, it makes an awful mess."


"I'll keep that in mind, Ray." replied Tiberius, giving the man a wicked smile.


As Tiberius stepped forward, two of Tenor's guards went to detour him from helping the others. Tiberius stopped, looked at them, then smiled and said, "Hey fellas! Want to see a magic trick?" They looked at him and said nothing. "No?" replied Tiberius frowning. The wicked smile returned just as the men were about to pull their weapons from their waistband and Tiberius said, "Well that's all right because I don't know any tricks."


He threw the bag at the one of the goons as he sprinted towards the other at breakneck speed. The goon who Tibby threw the bag to caught the bag with his face, going down to his knees and clutching at his nose. That occured at the same time that Tiberius tackled the goon closest to him, knocking the man to the sandy ground. The two rolled on the ground trading punches with each other as onlookers watched. Tibby rolled on top of the man just as he received a blow to the jaw.


Rubbing his jaw, Tiberius said to the man as he grabbed the guy's shirt collar, "You call that a punch? My grandmother hits harder than that and she's 92." Tiberius closed his right hand, brought it up to head level and said to the struggling man, "This is how you punch a man."


Tiberius slammed his fist into the man's right cheek, hearing the audible crack of the man's cheekbone. He landed another blow to the man's forehead before being pulled off by two more of Tenor's muscle.

As the two goons brought Tibby to his feet, Tiberius looked at them and said, "Aw come on guys! I was just playing nice with you friend! Honest I was!"


He manged to break free of their grasp, elbowing the one on the right in the nose with his elbow, while kicking the other in the left shin. As the two recovered from their blows, Tiberius smiled, grabbed them by the back of their heads and said, "Sweet dreams fellas."


There was an audible thud as two heads came into contact with another. Tiberius let the two fall to the ground and was in the midst of celebrating victory when he heard the cock of a gun and turned around. The man who had received Ray's bag to his nose pointed a gun at Tiberius, one hand covering his nose.


Tiberius smiled, put his hands in the air, and said out loud, "Whoa there no need for gunplay! Have I mentioned that I know a really great doctor?"