Junebug would hear Taya gasp in terror from the other side of the mic even as she felt the recoil of the shot that killed Wetumpkah. A hush fell over the crowd as they bowed, and though a few of them gazed upwards, many were too horror stricken from the explosions and the 'godly' power to dare move their heads. Wetumpkah hit the ground with a hard, wet slap. Dead. 

Time seemed to slow for Neil as he saw the jerk of Quetzalli's body and her scream as she fell, the axe stuck in her abdomen. He suddenly felt a pain he'd not felt for many years coursing through his body. His head burning, his chest following suit accompanied with a tightened feeling. His muscles felt too weak to move, and his triumphant face was stricken with a numb horror as he watched. It was only on instinct that he moved, leaping down to catch her before she hit any hard stone. 

The pilot with the ever grinning face who'd laugh before leaping into danger had disappeared. His mind went far back to Fortus during that faithful evening when the love of his life had been killed. Flashes of her pretty face and her workman's cap appeared before his very eyes. Her boyish attitude coupled with her girlish charm. A wrench in her hand and a strength to her character, before she would stick her tongue out his way in a teasing manner. He remembered their first kiss, and when he had fallen in love. He wanted to relive those. 

Not a death. Not again. 

He'd been too busy to entertain and understand how fond he was of Quetzalli, but even if that were not the case she had stuck by him and believed in him. What's more, if it wasn't for the color of her skin and hair, she almost looked like...her. 

"No," he breathed, letting her lie on his lip and brushing some of her hair out of her face. "No, no no, come on. Don't you fuckin..." His breathing was as shallow as his hopes, and a chill ran up his spine as he looked down at where the axe was. The haft and axe blade were heavy, and he wished he could have removed it but it wasn't safe to. 

"Hi-lo." She said softly, shuddering from the pain and reaching up to touch Neil's cheek, her eyes half closed. He wanted to talk to her and comfort her, but he was too busy checking the axe wound. A small glimmer of hope began to appear after he looked. The blade was embedded in her stomach, but not in a vital way. Thank God she had been wearing some of Sayeeda's armored clothes. If she didn't lose too much blood he could save her. "Sssshhh don't talk alright?" he said, cupping her cheek. "You insane woman." 

"You saved my life," she said slowly, finding the words. "I saved yours." 

He opened his comm to Junebug. "She's bleeding out. If we don't get her back to the ship soon..." Neil began, but he couldn't quite finish the rest in front of her. Instead he turned to the only Shaman still alive. "You! New Shaman!" He yelled, before he realized he was speaking Imperial and then repeated it in Zil, causing the Shaman to look up in awe and reverence. "You have blessing if you save her life!"  
[@Penny]