Aim, shoot, reload. There was a smooth flow to the motions Garret went through as he fired into the ranks of the rogue pirates. The battle seemed to have begun in earnest as a fresh tide of enemies emerged from the lower holds. Through the din he could've sworn he'd heard an enemy yell something about rats, but he couldn't be sure. What he could be sure he heard was the captain's orders, to defend the man that jumped towards the boat alone. Really, though, what was she expecting a guy like Garret with a crossbow to do? Then again, it wasn't that he couldn't do anything to help.

Garret finished reloading and took in what he could see from his vantage point. He hadn't moved much as his instincts had picked a good spot. He was somewhat close to the wheel, just a short flight of stairs below the captain's position. And thanks to the height difference of the Aquarius, it still provided a good view of the enemy ship. With the elevation the man he'd been asked to cover wouldn't have too much trouble before a certain point, but what happened afterwards would be anyone's guess. So Garret focused on the other ship; more specifically on the people running all over it. What captured his attention most was one of the brigands, armed with a crossbow and a clear line of sight to his charge. But from the corner of his eye, Garret saw a better target. He took aim and pulled the trigger. Moments later the brigand did too, but Garret's shot was perfect. The enemy bolt flew fast but a weighty form fell from above and intercepted the bolt. Another brigand from the enemy crew, with a straight shaft of wood sticking out of the bandit's chest. The man wasn't dead, or at least not yet. But he was out of the fight, and more importantly, he'd blocked at least one shot from the enemy crew. One shot in the right place could tear a well-crafted plan to shreds, so Garret counted it as a win in his book. It took careful observation and a wide field of view to make a difference in a battlefield, skills that Garret was proud of having. But these were skills that bothered him more and more as the battle wore on.

He reloaded his crossbow quickly and watched the battlefield once more. Garret was never good at long-term planning, so he relied on his experience and his gut for most things. And right now, his gut was telling him that something was missing. Things were going about average, all things considered, but there were definitely missing elements. The enemy captain, for one, although he couldn't fault them for not showing their face. Whatever the case, the word 'rats' he'd heard over the wind played over and over again in his mind. It was like a sea shanty he couldn't put out of his head, driving him so mad that he was almost glad when the screaming started.

It was quiet at first, but Garret knew that small things tended to be the most significant. He frowned and fired another bolt as the sounds rose in quantity and volume. A large chunk of the Aquarius's fighting specialists had gone over to the enemy ship, so they weren't in the most ideal position to fight off invaders at the moment. He could vaguely hear breaking glass down below - they'd likely come in from the sea and were wreaking havoc from the whatever holes they could enter from, whoever they were.

With all that being said, it wasn't really his problem right now. He still had to cover the boarding crew; if they divided their attention too much then their best combatants would be isolated and destroyed. He couldn't imagine that happening to someone of Izal's fame but the possibility was always there. Though the intrusion would definitely become his problem if left unchecked, he'd sooner jump into the ocean wearing full steel plate than jump in the deck alone, with no information on the threat at and. Well, maybe going in would be better than swimming in full plate, but that was besides the point.

Garret turned away from the chaotic battlefield to yell towards the captain, informing her of the situation.
[color=7bcdc8]"Seems we've got some rats down below, cap'n!"[/color] He yelled to the woman. [color=7bcdc8]"What are your orders?"[/color]
[@Zelosse]