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Laslo nodded in response, concentrating on getting the Dusk Bringer into just the right position, hovering about 10 feet above the grass.
Tutting with approval, he locked the steering wheel in place and grabbed the intercom for the engine room.
"Barnes, we're ready for the legs!"
He waited for the crackled response and smiled, stretching his long arms behind his back and breathing the forest air in deeply. Done for the day.
The ship groaned slightly as hatches opened along the lower hull and six hefty metal legs folded outward, lowering onto the ground. They were clearly built for purpose, but still had some decorative elements- the trunks of the legs had armor like plate and the feet were four pronged, with ridges and claws like giant crows feet. The ship shuddered as the feet connected with the ground, the engines powering down as the metal talons tore into the earth and the legs took on the majority of the ship's weight.
With one last check of the control panels, Laslo leapt down onto the lower deck and followed Louis inside.
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Barnes' face flushed and his eyebrows drew together, half-angry, half-embarassed. "it's Barnes." He muttered - only Aldrin got away with calling Barnes by his full name. And the one bloody time Felix had accompanied him for a parts pick-up, he'd looked like a kid in a sweet shop when he heard Aldrin use the name.
He pursed his lips and briskly grabbed the form from Felix, "Alright, but you can get me a some more hemtuft and rolling papers for the trouble too." He threw a glance over to Minny and added quietly out of the side of his mouth, "And you can add some fire whisky onto the order."
He had just finished scribbling a barely legible signature when the intercom crackled to life,
"Barnes, we're ready for the legs!"
Shoving the form into Flelix's chest, Barnes bared his teeth into a wide grin, "Now stand back, some of us have real work to get done." A small jibe in return for the quartermaster's earlier remarks.
The stocky engineer thumbed the intercom transmitter, giving the captain a quick "Aye aye" before getting to work releasing various valves and grabbing onto a large crank. His face reddened as he strained, muscles bulging under his blue shirt and the cords of his neck standing in relief, at first it seemed like the great mechanism wasn't going to budge, but something shifted and the crank started to move round, slowly gaining momentum.
Barnes let go as steam hissed out of the exhaust pipes, the crank and connecting gears now moving of their own volition. He wiped the sweat off of his brow and carefully watch the surrounding dials and gauges, making sure the legs were now lowering correctly.
"Woooo! Done for the day!"
Minny swung round from her crouched position, narrowly missing bumping her head for the second time. "I'm starving!"
She bounded up to Felix, beaming up at him, "Wanna get some grub?"
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