The City of Flesh and Bone || CIS Dominion of Kinyen

[Credius]

​

LOCATION: Making his way through, obstacles be damned
OBJECTIVE: Objective Three || Crush the Heart | BYOO
EQUIPMENT: Personal Armor see Signature, KRONOS AI

TAG: Pom Stych Tivé | Nim'Harra | Tess Valnora | Vytal Noctura

He had started to move, follow the map KRONOS had provided him. Credius truly wanted to face this singularity, desiring to understand it, dissect it and if anything use and absorb whatever knowledge this singularity could provide him. Yet as soon as he had managed to pass through the first of the long corridors, certain that from here on out it would only be about a single corridor left to reach the throne room in which he expected the singularity to reside, something odd happened, as KRONOS bleeped and the map was showing a change. "The singularity is moving closer, closer... four...no three, she's nearly upon us," Credius turned towards the other side of the tunnel, noticing something coming for them at high speed. "Move!!"

Using the force, the man threw himself, KRONOS and the young woman who had been accompanying him aside, trying to avoid colliding with the singularity. "What is...this thing up to?"

This time, he did not leave anything up to chance, he would follow this singularity, now that she had gotten close enough for him to imprint her lifeforce into his mind, the armored monster willed the Force to flow throughout his entire body to strengthen all his muscles, tendons and bone, to make him faster, stronger, more agile all for the sake of following this singularity. While tapping KRONOS to stay at [member="Tess Valnora"] 's side, the Sith Lord launched himself after the singularity, he wasn't going to have this opportunity slip by and through his chances away in this encounter.

Alas, as soon as he slowed down his approach, noticing the singularity kneeling down to comfort someone as it seemed to look from his vantage point, the Sith Lord had to grit his teeth when one of the two witches from earlier revealed herself through the use of magicks, arriving in cloud of smoke and polluted force. With a silent pace, the man nearly floated the last several feet towards the scene, halting himself right next to the witch, [member="Vytal Noctura"] . "How...touching," With the helmet covering his head tilting slightly to the side, the Sith lord took one step forward, he raised his right hand upwards, the kyber crystal embedded within the gauntlet starting to tremble as large amounts of force were channeled through it into the man's own form. "Time to get what I came here for."

"Stay out of this...witch," He was certain this witch kept some sort of mental tap on him. He knew their kind, always eager to feel in control, always willing to show how their magick was superior to the Sith's use of the force. However, he did not mind if she did have a mental tap on him. She had proven herself to be useful in her own right and she had proven to be a well respected player within the game the Conf"ederation of Independent Systems seemed to play. With his hand now reaching for [member="Nim'Harra"] as he came closer, the Sith lord started to subtly manipulate the force, trying to open her mind to him, trying to use this moment of seeming vulnerability. "You seem disturbed, so full of despair and sorrow...your children, your brood are dying and yet you are here...wailing for a single soul, a human soul...doyou not hear the cries of your offspring, the agony of your kin? Poor child...so lost, so alone...so...vulnerable."

It was at this point that sparks of black electricity started to flicker around Credius' armored hand, the kyber crystal on his gauntlet starting to emanate a red glow as it started to bleed. Without a word or a warning, a torrent of black force lightning hurtled itself towards the Hive queen, not with the intent to kill, but to stun...nevertheless, still extremely painful if it would find its mark.

 

[Tess Valnora]

Weapons: Oathkeeper (B2) | SPG-12 | Phrik Knife | Shotosaber | SMG​

Gear: Shadow's Sting | Norris Trench Coat | PD-00 | Utility Belt​

(Contents: SOAR | Suppressor | Smoke Grenades (2) | Medi-kit)​

Tag: [member="Credius Nargath"] | [member="Vytal Noctura"] | [member="Nim'Harra"] | [member="Pom Stych Tivé"]​

Even without the warning of being moved by an invisible force as “The Singularity”, which her companion kept calling it, rushed by Tess was still able to keep her feet. But when she looked to where it had gone, she saw the man disappear after it, his little floating ball started orbiting her head. Tess wondered what information it contained, if anything would be useful to the Ministry, but she wasn’t sure what type of safeguards the object had to hacking so she decided against it.

“Can you show me which way to go?” Tess asked the bauble as she tapped its golden surface. In response it began to glow and lazily float down the tunnel. “We are going to need to move faster than that. That thing needs to die and I need to make sure it happens!” the Crow exclaimed as she started running. The bauble picked up speed and stayed in front of her the entire way, making sure she didn’t make any wrong turns until she reached a decently large room. She waited at the entrance attempting to quietly catch her breath. The golden orb stopped glowing but continued to orbit her head.

Tess looked at the floor as she bent over to take deep breaths and slow her breathing, that was when she saw the entire floor was covered in a fleshy membrane looking substance. “What is this stuff?” she asked herself out loud, she looked around the room for a second and saw it covered the walls and the ceiling, or was it the floor, walls, and ceiling? She wasn’t sure, but then she saw them, the witches, her scarlet companion, the target, and something cocooned and wrapped in the target’s arms, a man? Tess knelt and grabbed her B2 rifle off of her back and leveled it at the target, but the red cloaked man was in the way of her perfect shot. “Move!” she called to him, she had to finish this if they wouldn’t. The hive had to die with its queen.

With her target obscured and the only other feasible target being the cocooned being Tess was forced to take her reticle off of Credius’ back and placed it on the queen’s ward, an easy target, but it made her feel like the was going to kill a captive. Maybe it was the queen’s mate? If she took him out of the picture… no, maybe? She had never paused this long with doubt for a shot, but she had also never had this long to wait to eliminate a target due to ally interference. Getting frustrated with herself and the others she did what she never does before a shot:

She closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.

To those who herd and saw, there would be twin bolts of blue energy racing toward the queen’s ward, if the shots connected was entirely up to fate.

 

[Damsy Callat]

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Form: Humanoid Location: BOP hanger bay​

Equipment: Blue-detailed Dauntless armor (bottom) + blacks (top) / sidearm dartgun / sidearm​

blaster pistol / trident electrostaff / ID10 seeker droid and docking port​

Tags: [member="Subject 73 Red"], [member="Eli-Mae Forrest"], [member="Luna Terrik"]​

Post Count: 02​

The whole hanger shook. Even with the leg braces built into the lower half of her armor, she swayed and almost fell down. A groundquake? The combat engineers had picked this location of preference for a few reasons, one of which it was not along any sort of tectonic boundary...so this couldn't be right.

Well, it was.

When the Sithspawn stumbled over to a tech chair, wrapped her hand over the back, and righted herself, she met by way of the live situation screen what her comrades were facing in the field. "Holy wavelength..." Damsy muttered under her breath.

She may have been a squaloid shifter, but she was no codfish, so she shut her mouth as a familiar voice rang in her ear. Yeah, no chit, I see it, she though but dare not say. Instead, "On it, General," Luna's commlink chirped back. One of the BOP techs patched the corporal back through to the squadrons. "Gold and Warlord, Tadpole back atcha. Break." Damsy switch off her mic, waiting for the hologram before her to calculate this thing's coordinates. Once it did: "Be advised, a large target has contacted the surface at grid forward base bravo uniform niner-niner, one-one-niner. Double time your approach and have your offence locked, loaded and ready to go. Over." "Lima charlie read, Tadpole. Will come in hot." "What're we looking out for?" "Trust me, Gold, you'll know it when ya see it."

 

[Nim'Harra]

[member=Tessai] | [member=Vytal Noctura] | [member=Credius Nargath] | [member=Tess Valnora]​

The surprise in his tone was painful. Nim knew she looked different, but the fact that he recoiled only confirmed it. She retreated, both in her step and in herself.

Instead of speaking to Tessai alone, Nim’Harra turned her body slightly to address the witch that lingered in the doorway. Of course, she had been aware of her presence, there wasn’t a single inch of this cave that Nim’Harra couldn’t feel, she had simply chosen to ignore it. Though Nim had originally intended to keep her secrets to herself, the witch had been fortunate. Perhaps what Nim was about to reveal would answer the questions she had asked back in the throne room. ‘It’s been years, Tessai. Twenty of them.’ The Queen drew her shoulders up as she spoke, as though the arms wrapped tightly around her middle would defend her from the brutal truth. ‘In doing what I did, by bargaining for our lives by threatening to take my own, I was tainted. No longer pure enough to contain it properly. When the heir bound me to Atiria, the calamity, it was so painful. I can recall it so clearly, even above the pain Atiria feels now. But he believed it had worked, Atiria broke free of the bonds the Lyre put us in all those years ago.’

‘When I had finally gained control of my childr-... Atiria, the heir believed it true to him, but it was not so. By the time he had realised his mistake, it was too late. Atiria only wanted to escape the cage it was trapped in. It only wanted to escape Ipeka and return to the shadows to regain its strength, but I wanted more. I wanted revenge. I was sure you would be dead by the time I found you again… I lost my purity, and Atiria took strength in that.’ Nim turned her head to face Tessai, though she couldn’t seem to bring herself to look into his eyes.

‘I killed him, and his men… The whole... The whole castle. By the time I was finished the monks were already aware, there was something wrong. They had ordered the evacuation of the planet, the whole of Ipeka. All except one.’ Desperately attempting to ignore the longing to take a step forward, to reach out to comfort him, Nim pressed on. ‘When I finally made it back to the monastery you were but a heartbeat away from death, but Atiria knew what to do. We were able to taint the nexus with our power. Do you remember it? The shallow pool in the middle of the monastery gardens, the one we used to play in as children…’ Nim forced down a smile, though the brief lilt in her tone made it plain what the memory had elicited. ‘The force within it was enough to bring you back from the brink of death, but you were still so weak. We made the chrysalis for you.’ Nim motioned to the two halves of the shattered shall Tessai had emerged from. ‘And we’ve been healing you inside it ever since, but this is the first time I’ve seen your face in twenty years.’

All of a sudden, the hive Queen laughed. It was a long, harsh, loud laugh that pierced the atmosphere and broke the tension. ‘Cazardora must have assumed I’d gone mad. I would have if I’d seen the state of Ipeka once we’d finished with it. She came back, you know. Around the third or fourth year. Looking for you, trying to save me, simply returning home? I don’t know, but the moment she saw that Ipeka was overtaken by the calamity, she… Well, she rained hell on us. I should have guessed it, she was always the fiery one. Atiria had tasted blood and wanted more, but I would have been content to simply stay on Ipeka. I’d had my revenge, I just wanted to do what I was meant to do and keep the calamity contained, even if I had forced it to be a whole planet instead of its intended cage… I wanted to make it right. She brought the entire empire back with her to slaughter us all. The battle was long, we lost many of us, as did they, but we won. They retreated, and we grew…’

Suddenly, Nim cut off her sentence and seemed incredibly alert. ‘Who else have you brought with you, witch? Who else traipses through my tunnels?’ It wasn’t long before she received her answer, the shadow of [member=Credius Nargath] and [member=Tess Valnora] appeared in the makeshift doorway, and he spoke of foolish things. Nim could only laugh, a cruel twisted laugh. ‘You are very much the fool if you think my children will remain dead.' Nim turned briefly to face [member=Vytal Noctura]. 'So, you see now. Mortals only want one thing, death and destruction. What you don’t understand, you kill. I was more than willing to call off the attack… more than willing to discuss with you, just as I was back then, but if a battle is your wish...’ As if he was waiting for her to speak the words, a torrent of black lightning shot toward her, but Nim was wiser than that, stronger than that. She’d been attacked many times before by fools who deemed themselves stronger than Atiria, and they had all fallen. This one would be no different. With a lazy flick of her hand, she redirected the midnight bolts into the flesh-covered wall, as though it were a child attempting to shove her.

What she didn’t expect was the blue bolts cutting through the air, straight toward Tessai. In a mad panic to remove him from the clutches of harm, Nim sent a wave of force in his direction in an attempt to shove him out of the way. There was no time for her to check if her attempt at saving him had worked. The only thing she could do was defend herself and Tessai further. In response, she turned to face the attackers and opened her mouth wide. The scream that emitted from her throat was boosted by the force, both piercing and loud enough to burst eardrums were they not quick enough to defend themselves from it. This scream, whether or not it did any damage, had called her children to defend her. The walls and the shadows themselves shifted, making way for a colossal swarm of overly large grunts that filled the chrysalis room in the blink of an eye, and they were all heading for the attackers.

 

[Credius]

LOCATION: Making his way through, obstacles be damned
OBJECTIVE: Objective Three || Crush the Heart | BYOO
EQUIPMENT: Personal Armor see Signature, KRONOS AI

TAG: Pom Stych Tivé | Nim'Harra | Tess Valnora | Vytal Noctura

He had to admit that he was quite surprised by what had happened. the Singularity called him foolish, his actions foolish and pointless, but than again, it was not those words that hit him, but the fact that this 'thing' managed to casually swat aside his bolt of force lightning. Surely he restrained his lightning to avoid killing her, yet still it was impressive and most surprising to see it happen. Alas, though he was willing to further show this singularity where she made wrong assumptions and to further rebuke her narrow and quite foolish visions upon the mortals, from behind him, the single beep coming from KRONOS, followed by the twin bolts of blue energy soaring past his head towards the man the Singularity was holding distracted and both horrified him.

Credius couldn't even smile with this stupidity in front of him. The Singularity had managed to safeguard the man she was holding, but the viceroy knew immediately that this very action had turned the situation into a bloody mess. Instantly activating his armor's sound dampeners when noticing what the singularity was doing, Credius braced himself for the worst possibly imaginable, using the force to raise a barrier to protect himself from the sonic scream the singularity unleashed. She let out such a violent blast of sound and force that his barrier struggled to maintain itself and actually needed him to supply more and more power to it just to avoid himself from being overwhelmed.

"Alert, alert...multiple hostiles converging on location...activating safety protocol," Even if none of them could see it behind his helmet, Credius' face turned from shock into horror when hearing KRONOS activating the safety meassures. He knew the AI was programmed to use the most logical way to exterminate any hostile actions, but in a situation like this and with the output this...'queen' had just given, the viceroy knew that KRONOS was referring to the most severe of protocols possible. The CIS probably would not approve of such action, but would also not be able to refute the logic. "Accessing security mainframe of HNS Arcossian, HNS Marauder, HNS Ravager...pinpointing coordinations..."

"Well, this is...less than good news," The viceroy sighed, as the sound dampeners in his helmet finally powered down again, allowing him to hear everything clear again. "KRONOS is most likely sending through coordinates to the Testudo fleet for orbital bombardment. Seems we're in an impasse here, my dear Queen. All I wanted was you, not your corpse, just you...but this...madness and stupidity..." Ofcourse those words were directed at [member="Tess Valnora"] for her less than desireable actions. Letting out a sigh, he turned his attention to Vytal Noctura . "I may be able to shut down both KRONOS and this queen's brood, but I can't take her on in the meantime... are you going to fight or are we going to run?"

 

[Vytal Noctura]

​

Location: The Throne Room
Objective: 3 - Crush the Heart
Tag: [member="Nim'Harra"] | [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] | [member="Credius Nargath"] | [member="Tess Valnora"] | [member="Tessai"] | Open

"Fools."

The green flames beheld all creatures before it. It observed in complete silence the confession of the woman that led the beasts. Watched as the one she'd committed atrocities for listened to her plight. Heard the passions of outsiders, and the rage leveled in response. "You are all," Vytal's voice grew low in pitched and possessed of the multitude, "fools."

A snap reverberated throughout the chamber as beasts came to their Queen's aid. Daggers of onyx sprang from every surface jutting out into the open spaces at every angle. The tips were razor sharp and widened down to their base. Confessionals, passions, and wrath were things the spirits of this world and the next knew all too well. Facets of their being that echoed throughout time not honed and made present in this world to keep the beasts at bay -- all of the beasts be they corrupted flesh or 'sapient.' The sharpened tips would gladly stop just should of the throats of those present...

Except Tessai. Not a single blade was directed at the man that had collapsed out of the chrysalis. The pillars of obsidian did, however, absorb the shot met to bring his life to a tragically short end.

"Do not come between the Dead and their vengeance, or soon you will join our choir," Vytal announced for all to hear. Even the sniper loitering further back. "Creature that commands this Hive," the green flames that fanned forth from the Nightsister's optical sockets fixed on Nim'Harra. "You have damned many by your deeds. You speak for the Hive, and the Hive has committed these atrocities. We stand before you in judgment. We charge you with crimes in which there are no words adequate to describe the crime. Your plea is irrelevant. Your intentions irrelevant. However, we are not without reason. This one," Vytal touched her chest, "demands it so. We will hear your testimony before any passes sentencing."

They had been patient to this point, but the mortals had been hasty. Too hasty for their liking. Too eager to lay claim to justice they were not privy to for reasons far short of worth. If they would need to strike dead these creatures to see this tribunal concluded to their satisfaction, so be it. A small price to pay for the endless suffering and death they had suffered. To the horrors their flesh had visited upon others. Endless slaughter was now known to this world; a handful more dead were scarcely matter and the 'purity' of their judgment mattered not. Only the outcome.

Nim'Harra was given this chance to put before the spiritual court around her now why she should not be torn apart by the multitude in attendance.

 

[Tiria Reinhart]

​

Location: Hive Nest III
Equipment: Project Xiphos Armor, Modular Tri-Blaster, RV-5 Grapple Line Launcher, Micro Light Shield, Disruptor Grenades, Bayonet
Tags: [member="Kaden Farr"] | [member="Ardasz Verd"] | [member="Daisy Americus"]

Tiria acknowledged the others present. It seemed reckless for Unjoined bipedal creatures to assail a Hive on foot. Swarms were quite effective against fleshy creatures; that was, after all, how they fed. That said, the Commando recognized most present and knew they were more than mere flesh. How much more might be put to the test this day.

Two of her own number set to work combining two halves of a mobile platform, which they had carried on their back. A third then dropped a rather large repeating blaster on the quickly assembled mount.

With Unjoined present, Tiria had little choice but to dial in the appropriate frequency for those nearby and announce, "Fire in the hole."

A short build up of energy preceded a barrage of bolts that tore across the intervening distance and seared, scorched, and burned away the hostile flesh in their flesh. The rest of the squadron took up positions around the gunner that moved the heavy blaster forward on the mobile mount.

"More die every second. Let's make short work of destroying these Hives," Tiria said by way of inviting the rest along. Had they been here first? 'First' didn't much matter. Either they tore a hole through the enemy long enough to destroy the nest, or they moved just slow enough to become surrounded and a juicy meal.

 

[Tess Valnora]

Weapons: Oathkeeper (B2) | SPG-12 | Phrik Knife | Shotosaber | SMG​

Gear: Shadow's Sting | Norris Trench Coat | PD-00 | Utility Belt​

(Contents: SOAR | Suppressor | Smoke Grenades (2) | Medi-kit)​

Tag: [member="Credius Nargath"] | [member="Vytal Noctura"] | [member="Nim'Harra"] | [member="Pom Stych Tivé"]​

Tess opened her eyes to see what had happened to her target. Only to see the winged queen standing and opening her mouth wide. A hideous screech emanated from the being and Tess was too slow to act on it.

An ear-piercing sound.

Tess doubled over and screamed back dropping her weapon and tried to block out the assault on her ears.

Sudden silence.

Nothing.

The Crow opened her eyes and stood up, but bumped her head on a black stalagmite that was pointed at where she would have been standing seconds ago. She opened her mouth in a groan as she reached back up to her throbbing ears, a sticky substance dripped from them. Looking at her hands she saw blood, her blood. That would explain why she couldn’t hear; the creature had blown her eardrums like they were glass windows.

She knelt back down, all comments or insults thrown at her went unheeded as she placed a had on the ground and the other on her rifle. The rumble she felt was weak, but not unnoticeable. Something was coming, no many somethings were coming and fast. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the group, seemingly unfazed by the screams or the sounds or vibrations of the hoard coming their way. How did they not care about the monsters heading their way? She paused and collected her wits, her rifle wouldn’t shoot fast enough, so she quickly placed it back on her back and withdrew her shotosaber and her combat knife. Mere seconds later the halls were filled with monsters, but they didn’t immediately attack.

Tess quickly glanced at the trio near the front of the room and guessed something they were doing was keeping them at bay. She ignited her orange shotosaber but decided to not rush into this fight, staying in a ready stance, glancing every few seconds at the happenings near the front.

 

[Daisy Americus]

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​

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Location: Landing Zone outside of Atiria Nest Beta
Gear and Armor: Armor | Slugthrower Pistols | KC-77N Hybrid Pistol | 2x Bandoleer of Thermal Detonators
w. [member="Kaden Farr"] | [member="Ardasz Verd"] | [member="Tiria Reinhart"]

​

Most Mandalorians tended to carry some sort of weapon. A gun. Or twelve. Plain-folk and spacers often made the mistake of thinking they were soulless pieces of metal. All the while the same prissy pants referred to them as arms. They weren’t. Arms were what her Mama hugged her with when she brought home her first kill. Maybe the cold kind were what the unfortunates got when no one hugged them enough. Either way, this warm-blooded warrior, felt every shot that discharged like a chorus of ale tankards clanking on a busy evening at the Sierra. It was heaven, so to speak. If one liked guts and that sort of thing.

Her slug throwers were in her heart, her love, the kinetic force that turned the faces of these nasty critters to porridge. Everything was going swimmingly. Daisy kept her back to Kaden’s and leveled as many of the treacherous little creepers that she could. [member="Ardasz Verd"], a mite crazy, but well worth his mettle in a fire-fight it seemed. She remembered him from a battle where they’d fought some big mecha. It was too bad they didn’t have one of those here.

<<A vacation sounds great. One with the drinks that have little umbrellas. Ah bet you’d get wasted off those fast as heck.>>, Daisy returned Kaden, finding the commentary soothing, rather than distracting. It provided distance from the gore at hand while allowing her to take all the joy she wanted in shooting the bugs. She’d been reluctant at first—But there was an old thrill. Her blood moved and for the first time in awhile she felt almost normal.

She could feel the Mandalorian at her side move and she fell back toward the cave with him to provide cover. It seemed like he was all in, with both feet, and ready to get this party goin’. Something pricked at her senses and she froze when that funny Forcie feeling sprung up behind her. Awe, chit. What now? The three-hundred and sixty-degree viewing system let her see what Kaden was doing and if it weren’t for the fact that she was a little busy she might have kicked him. <<You show off! Keep the pointy end over there as ah reckon ah’m not ready to die just yet.>>

Not everyone had cool tricks and magic.

Unfortunately, Daisy had bigger problems than figuring out how Kaden managed to wipe out a mess ton of the bad guys with a spear he’d basically pulled out of his shebs. Slug throwers were great against creatures like this. No armor. Pathetic, but, they were a legion. She was starting to get overwhelmed and a line of them separated her from [member="Kaden Farr"] and the reinforcements provided by [member="Tiria Reinhart"].

Chit. Chitty, chitty chit.

<<Uh..Ya’ll—This might be a bad time to mention but uh…ah’m about outta bullets.>>

Daisy kept firing but the inevitable was soon to come. The worst sound in the world. The click of trigger and no corresponding noise that signified something was about to die. The creepy critters began to swarm. What does a Mando do?

Panic smash. Whereas Kaden was all finesse and cool voodoo—Daisy did what felt natural. Her hands came together and she pulled at the Forcie juju by instinct. Her armored feet left the ground and when her fist came down a shockwave sent the grey-skinned beasts flying away. It wasn’t a huge radius but it gave her a little breathing room. The helmeted woman in purple armor stalked over to Kaden and stole his Ge'tal-kad from it’s scabbard. <<Mine now.>>

With that, and hopefully some help from their friends, she set back to work. She wanted to get these bombs going sooner than later. There was something much bigger than the rest of the uglies on the way and she wasn’t really sure what to do about it. They needed their big explosives for the nest.

 

[Kaden Farr]

​

Location: Inside Atiria Nest Beta​

Gear and Armor: In Bio, 2x Bandoleer of Thermal Detonators​

w. [member="Daisy Americus"] |[member="Ardasz Verd"] | [member="Tiria Reinhart"]​

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Weapons were life, at least they were for Kaden Farr. He had been eight when he fired his first blaster, ten when he picked up a slugthrower. His desire for revenge had seen him fighting in a civil war a young age, one which most did not fight, but those who had killed his parents had to pay. As he grew the weapons he collected became more than just tools to him, they became his most cherished possessions. The pistols he used now, a gift upon his return to life, had been holstered at his side every waking moment. Kaden did not go anywhere without them. They were effective, especially against this enemy. The only problem was he burned through slugs way too fast. Kaden came prepared, but he knew he would run out eventually. He couldn't focus on that now, it was only one factor in this fight. Another factor had her back against his, moving in time with him as though it was a well rehearsed dance the two could perform blindfolded.

Kaden did not recall moving this easily with another, not even Yasha. It wasn't a subject Kaden would bring up with Daisy later. It had been a touchy thing from the start of their relationship. The fact Kaden had once been married to Yasha Cadera and had a daughter with her, had almost been the end of what Kaden and Daisy had before they even had it. Fortunately they figured a way past that bit of information, and the two of them moved seamlessly through the battlefield together. The way forward had included alcohol, a lot of it. Daisy had never let Kaden live down the fact she had drunk him under the table that first night, and her crack about umbrella drinks was no exception to the teasing which Kaden suffered because of it. Kaden loved it, though he would never admit it, not that it mattered because he was convinced Daisy saw right through him. He couldn't hide anything from the blonde, nor did he try, often.

<<< "Tropical fruity drinks? C'mon I've been drinking whatever that stuff is your brothers have been pushing through that still of theirs," >>> Kaden replied with a small chuckle. <<< "You gotta at least give me more credit than that." >>>

There was not much opportunity to tease Daisy more, but the banter provided them both with something that was needed as endless numbers of bugs poured out the nests, distraction. It wasn't a distraction in the sense it threw Kaden off from what he needed to do, but rather it kept his mind off the fact they were being overwhelmed. They should have had more numbers, they needed bigger guns, and they sure as hell needed air support, in fact, Kaden cursed under his breath that it was taking so long to respond.

Had it not been for the fact Kaden and Daisy had the force, they would have been overrun. First Kaden used a darkshear which prompted a comment from Daisy, naturally. Neither of them understood the force enough to know what they were really doing, just that the could do what they could do. Darkshear was the only skill Kaden truly had mastered and only because his mother, Selene, had gifted him with the knowledge to use it. She had wanted him to live, and the times Kaden had used it most were in the moments where he needed to do just that. Daisy was next to use a skill, something of her own making, but just as effective.

<<< "Who is showing off now," >>> came the retort as Kaden tossed his head over his shoulder to find he and Daisy managed to find some distance between them.

It did not last long. The sound of her empty slugthrowers had caused a panic, though it was short lived. Kaden pressed ahead further into the nest, but not until after Daisy had taken his bes'kad.

<<Mine now.>>

Kaden scoffed at how easy she had stolen his sword, then chuckled at how she claimed it as hers. They had not even made their riduurok yet and she was already laying claim to his weapons. It was not matter. The sword had been a gift, and how it had been recovered was beyond Kaden's knowledge, regardless the blade was now in Daisy's hands. He shrugged, firing a shot.

**click** **click**

<<< "Chit!" >>>

Daisy was not the only one out of slugs, and she was not the only who had other options for weapons. His gauntlets had blades which could be used, but that was too up close for Kaden's comfort. Instead the Mandalorian warrior pivoted and reached for the KC-77N Hybrid Pistol holstered on Daisy's thigh. She was wearing armor, and Kaden had a helmet on which would keep her from seeing his face, but he pumped his brows and smirked at the gesture nonetheless. Raising the blaster, he took out more of the insects which charged and surrounded them. The two once again resumed their dance until the reached the center of the nest.

Kaden took in a deep breath. This was their chance to stop them.

<<< "There," >>> Kaden said pointing to the structural pillars which the creatures had erected. <<< "Place the charges on the weak points, set them for remote detonation, then haul shebs outta here." >>>

This was the easy part, or it was supposed to be. The rate at which the egg sacs burst open to reveal more bugs meant their window was short, very short.

Several bugs were coming up Daisy's flank. A few quick shots saw them dealt with.

<<< "Not letting any bug damage that beautiful shebs of yours," >>> Kaden teased. <<< "Let's get the last charges set and get out of here." >>>

They needed this nightmare to be over soon. Too bad Goliath was waiting for them outside.

 

[Startorn]

Mission: Break The Bone
Location: inside Atari nest beta
Gear: see bio

Startorn flew in his fang fighter towards two Solder's fighting to set the charges at one of the nests, good thing they were keeping tabs on all the Solder's and there positions, he dropped out of his ship at the front of the cave and shot his way through never stopping and grappling above them when he could, he reached the nest and heard the shots before he saw two other mandalorians fighting for there lives, as he reached them he sprayed flame in a wide arch around them giving them a second of breathing room as the beasts burned "who's got the charges?" He asked quickly firing off more rounds

 

[Nim'Harra]

[member=Vytal Noctura] | [member=Tessai] | [member=Credius Nargath] | [member=Tess Valnora]​

Even over the scuttling of a thousand feet as her children descended on the gathering, Nim could hear the brutish one speaking. The Queen couldn’t have rolled her eyes harder, but that wouldn’t be all she did. ‘Then you are even more the fool to come in here brandishing your lightning, weren’t you?’ Nim’Harra snapped back at [member=Credius Nargath]. ‘Perhaps if you had stayed and listened, watched and waited, instead of acting on that distinguishable mortal desire to attack, you would have realised the witch and I happened to be having quite a pleasant conversation… but alas. You are no better than I am. You take things by violence, by destruction, by death. And I don't think I'm wrong in assuming a larger portion of you enjoy it too.’

As the words poured from her mouth, the number of grunts seemed to grow. They were motivated by the sound of their Queen’s voice reverberating through the fleshy ground. They were encouraged by the waves of anger and frustration she felt. Just as they drew near enough to bare the jagged, yellowing fangs at the attackers the witch made her move. Sharp spikes of obsidian shot up from the ground and pressed their razor-sharp tips against any flesh they could find. The grunts were forced to halt in their attack, as was their Queen. Any movement she or they made would see them ripped into shreds, despite the thick armour they all naturally bore. It seemed for a moment that silence was the only thing left alive in the chrysalis chamber until the witch spoke… but it was no longer the witches voice that echoed off the walls. It was something else entirely.

When it spoke of irrelevance regarding any sort of plea the Queen might have come up with for her actions, the creature under question could only grin. Why should she waste any words if they were already so irrelevant? Whatever the witch heard, whatever this thing that controlled her heard, nothing would appease them. Those of mortal kind would only ever judge those acted against them, never their own actions. So, what was the point in using valuable breath on explaining herself to those who couldn’t even comprehend? There was none.

‘You want to kill me?’ Was there any surprise in her tone? Any animosity? Any sorrow? None. Instead it was a monotonous tribute to acceptance. The Queen had seen this coming. From the moment she and Atiria left Ipeka behind to seek greater revenge. The death and destruction they reigned would soon be reflected Atiria itself, and here it was. In truth, she was ready for it. Tessai was once again healed, and she had no doubt he would be happier living amongst people who looked like him, spoke like him, and acted like him. The hive was no place for a human, and she had no business involving herself with those who did not understand. With his health and happiness almost assured, Nim’Harra had paid back her debt to Epika, to Cazadora, and to her own past self. There was nothing left to do.

Nim lent forward a fraction of an inch, all too aware of the sharp point that broke through a crack in her armour and sunk into flesh. ‘So, do it.’ Deep crimson eyes locked onto the green flames before her, and the witch behind them, or whoever it was that was speaking through her. The stare was unmoving, unwavering, challenging. ‘You’ll be doing me more of a favour than you or your gods could ever comprehend… do it.’ Death had never been a thing Nim’Harra had intentionally sought out, but now that it was here, she felt she was ready. Ready to welcome it like an old friend. Ready to say goodbye to the shared pain and sorrow of millions. Ready to return to a form she felt was her own, even if it was a falsity created by the next life.

Even if there wasn’t a next life, at this point, eternal darkness was preferable.

 

[Luna Terrik]

​

Location: BOP – Defense setup
Time: 0820 Hours
Equipment: Personal Dauntless Armor, SC4 Blaster, Tactical Recon Handguns, XZ-77 “Buster” Comms Device
Post: 04
Tags: [member="Subject 73 Red"] | [member="Maeve Archeron"] | [member="Damsy Callat"] | [member="Lik Teh'Bones"]

​

The more firepower they poured toward that massive thing, the more that Luna realized that there might be no stopping that thing with the weaponry that they had on hand. Even with the rockets being fired toward that thing, and many of the mortars hitting their targets on the massive bug’s outer shell, it looked like the majority of the shots we’re doing little to no damage. The blaster cannons certainly weren’t, and it even looked like a lot of the shots were just reflecting off the goliath’s outer shell. Worse yet, there were plenty of the smaller creatures bursting toward the BOP around the legs of the much bigger bug.

Knowing that the blasters were doing the least of any weapon at the moment, Luna took the opportunity to head to the front of the base, calling out to those manning the big guns. “Gunners, focus on the smaller creatures! We need to keep them from overwhelming the base!” Following her own order, Luna began to send blaster rounds toward the advancing mob, able to blast a few of them away with some pinpoint shots. The combined fire of blasters held by commandos and the E-webs meant that the smaller mob was being held back, but that meant nothing for the ever-advancing Goliath that was getting closer every moment.

The cracking of the comm inside her helmet signaled an incoming transition, and the voice on the other side was much more appreciated than he would ever know. “General, this is gold leader. We are one minute out from the FOB and see a large boggy on our scopes. Need some help taking it out?” The redhead couldn’t help but grin lightly underneath the confines of her helmet. This was some timing on the bombers part. Luna quickly took cover behind one of the deployed shields, whipping out a pair of microbinoculars before responding to the squadron leader. “Gold leader, gold leader. Target is at..” She looked out and over the barrier, finding the range for the bombers. “40.7306 and -73.9850. Danger close, danger close!”

Knowing that’s all the squadron needed to work with, she stood once again, firing back down range to try and keep the smaller mob as stationary as possible. Within that minute window, the sounds of bombers streaking across the sky could be heard from the east, Luna turning to see them bearing down on the mob and the goliath. Brilliant flashes lit up the sky as the proton bombs were released by the ships, exploding in yellow flames on and around the massive bug. Smaller creatures were either decimated by the blasts or sent flying from the concussive force. The sounds and the flashes of the bombs falling caused quite a sight, prompting many of the commandos, including luna, to cover their facemasks to protect their eyes.

By the time she was able to uncover her eyes, the bombs had stopped falling for a few seconds, and what she saw gave the general a grim pit in her stomach. There had been a lot of good damage, and most all of the smaller mob of creatures had been destroyed. Even the goliath had lost a lot of flesh, including two of it’s limbs. Unfortunately, that’s about where the good news stopped, or that’s what Luna thought as the goliath slowly rose and let loose a loud, continuous roar, before starting toward the base anew. It would be too long until the bombers could circle back around…and now the defenders of the base we’re staring a ticked off, massive being that was bearing down on them. This sight was enough to prompt the general back to action, firing her blaster toward the massive creature even if she knew it was probably futile. “Fire everything at any exposed skin you can see!! Take that thing down!”

​

 

[Vytal Noctura]

Location: The Throne Room
Objective: 3 - Crush the Heart
Tag: [member="Nim'Harra"] | [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] | [member="Credius Nargath"] | [member="Tess Valnora"] | [member="Tessai"] | @Open

The pale woman present began to stride into the room from her place at its threshold. As she moved, the jagged edges crumbled to dust with the soft rustle of discarded grains of black sand. Nim'Harra's words had spurred her to motion. Without an attempt to justify her actions or plea for her life, the creature before them invited death.

Slowly the burning flames in Vytal's eyes grew fainter with each step. By the time she stood within arm's reach of the defiant Queen, the flames had gone out; but a green glow burned within the dark abyss of the pale woman's eyes. "I could. Perhaps should." Her right hand lifted to cup Nim'Harra's left ear. "But they don't want you merely dead." A chorus of loud, incoherent voices blossomed in the Queen's left ear. It last six seconds before Vytal drew her hand away. "Death is easy for those prepared to accept it. An execution too easy for those prepared to give it."

"It is time for you and your kin to repay your debt. Long will be the days. Hard, the trials." Vytal reached out once more to the spot between the other's breasts. "Do you accept these terms, or do you request leniency? More of your Hive may find a comfortable living with fewer restrictions in diet. In exchange, the Queen will be separated from the one she saved." An easier life for the monsters though far from the ease with which they fed this day, or a sufferable existence for their Queen that could better guide them? It was a decision that only Nim'Harra could make; neither the Witch nor the Host of Spirits would do it for her. It would be too easy to begrudge them for a decision forced upon her.

Once the decision was made, however, Vytal would make sure a pact was made to secure it. Word of mouth was insufficient given the strength of the Hive's Will and its corrupting influence. "You will serve at the pleasure of the Mandragora, and your ravenous hunger of this world ends. Now."

 

[Credius]

LOCATION: Making his way through, obstacles be damned
OBJECTIVE: Objective Three || Crush the Heart | BYOO
EQUIPMENT: Personal Armor see Signature, KRONOS AI

TAG: Pom Stych Tivé | Nim'Harra | Tess Valnora | Vytal Noctura

With the crystals making it pretty hard to move after both the queen's outburst and that damned witch seemingly pulling of something quite incredible, Credius could for the moment only listen to how the singularity berated him for his mortality and choices made through the flaws of said mortality. However, he could only shrug and let out a sigh. All he could do now was bear witness to the whole conversation going on between the singularity and the witch, while in the meantime using his cypher to stop KRONOS' safety meassures, he wasn't exactly keen on being this close to the target of any orbital bombardment, certainly not his own.

Luckily such actions did not take long, as his own override code on KRONOS was still active, allowing Credius to safely shut down the bombardment order. Since the others weren't doing much and the witch had easily cleared a path towards the singularity, the viceroy thought this might as well be a good a time as any other to study something, in this case those crystals which still had him in a bit of a bind. "Subtle, crystaline structure mock up...volatile growth indicating hairline fractures and unstable molecular structure due to..." The man moved his hands slowly to the tips of the jagged crystals which had jutted out towards him and practically all the other ones present. "I see...I see...That would indeed be an optimal way to remove this...hassle."

With the kyber crystals in his gauntlets soaking up the residue energy of the witch's instantly formed crystals, Credius started to slowly direct the force towards the crystals, vibrating the air at the tip of the nearest crystal at higher and higher frequency until eventually the tip of the crystal crumbled into dust. As this seemed to be the correct frequency, all Credius had to do now was copy this use of the force on a greater scale, not entirely impossible for someone with his extensive depth within the reaches of the force itself, but still not without risk. "All very nice and interesting of you, Lady Vytal...but I do not agree with your final decision in this matter," Snapping his fingers in both hands, from the viceroy's position a rather high pitched buzzing sound preceeding a gust of wind would be more than enough to alarm anyone present that the detainment in the form of the crystals had lost its use. Practically disintegrating around him, the viceroy clapped his hands, softly chuckling as he came closer with a cautious pace. "You bring no solution to the table, all but the very thing the Confederation of Independant systems stands on, not to be allowed within its borders."

Turning his attention towards [member="Nim'Harra"], the man let out a sigh. "Your words have reached my very core, your actions shown me the futility of the flaws within my nature, but even so...your own flaws have shown me that there is still some use for an old man such as myself," A soft chuckle escaped the man's lips, taking a step closer again. "You called me mortal, but ofcourse so are you, as you seem to hunker to death just as much as any of us poor mortal souls when afflicted with despair. However, what if I would be able to grant you not one, but two options? One in which you may see your true self restored to some semblance along with the man you seemed to cradle with such...pain in your mind. The other is simple, I can ensure the survival of your brood, a use for them, a continued existence following their nature and instincts...but in the end ofcourse it is all your choice and I will respect that choice, no matter if you choose life or death."

 

[Daisy Americus]

​

Location: Landing Zone outside of Atiria Nest Beta​

Gear and Armor: Armor | Slugthrower Pistols | KC-77N Hybrid Pistol | 2x Bandoleer of Thermal Detonators​

w. [member="Kaden Farr"] | [member="Ardasz Verd"] | @Tiria Reinhart​

​

​

Fighting next to Kaden was almost like being back on Concord Dawn. His movements were familiar. It gave her the sense that she had seen it before, even if she hadn’t, because it felt like home. These were the kind of battles she had learned to live through for the majority of her young life. Overwhelming odds and uncertain outcomes. Yet—There was always a drive to pull through. To survive.

<<Credit? Sure. Ah’ll give you credit…Credit for sippin’ like an old bag you mean.>>

Kaden had put up with some of the worst moonshine her brothers had created from fermented lawd knew what and somehow, still, had a functioning liver. Daisy just refused to give the Mandalorian an inch. If he couldn’t hold his liquor in the Sierra after talking about his ex-wife, while she had to absorb, and assimilate that knowledge? He would just have to suffer with his rep for going down faster than an air barge on fire. <<Should ah get you a nice fancy glass so you can hold up yer pinkie too?>>

When it came to tearing up all the bugs and the like they were fairly adept. Using Forcie Magic was not something she wanted to rely on, ever, but in a pinch, it was a weapon just like any other. When it came to Kaden calling her out for using a bit of a panic smash a little smirk played across her features. He wouldn’t see it from behind her helmet—But he would feel it all the same. <<Don’t be jelly. Green isn’t a good look on you.>>

When bullets ran low, and magic got dull, the sword she’d stolen came in handy. It felt incredibly light compared to some and truth be told swung through the air rather swiftly. She loosened her hand around the grip for a moment and the blade kept moving, before she took hold, and thrust forward to spear one of the hive right between the eyes. It went limp and she drew back to rinse and repeat. Her HUD kept her apprised of enemies swarming at the front and back. Her reaction time was swift and without fault.

Kaden reached around her and she allowed it despite not noticing what he was going for. Her armor alerted her that a weapon had been disengaged and she blinked. Oh, the Hybrid Pistol! She’d completely forgotten about it. Her lips parted to issue a complaint but in the end her jaw snapped shut. She’d stolen his sword; he’d stolen her gun. Fair was fair. With that—They mowed through their enemy and continued on. They would meet the weakest points soon according to the map.

Daisy nodded her head when Kaden pointed out the twin pillars that seemed to be holding this place together. Curiously, she shot off a flare, and was fairly stunned to see the cavern trail up as far as her HUD could follow. Beyond that—There were tons of creepy crawling insects. Pouring down the walls. Chit. Her systems were pinging like crazy with alerts from potential hostiles. <<Uh...We’ll need to be quick.>>

The insects nearby were shot down fast and, in a hurry, but of course, Kaden was more worried about her shebs than the mission. Her eyes rolled heavenward but she snatched the additional explosives from Kaden while darting ahead. They were easy enough to apply and time. Lick and stick. She pulled them out of their packs and attached them to the dark surface. The palm-sized sphere had some sort of adhesive coming from the back so it could stay where it belonged. <<Site A is hot and live…Moving to Site B.>>

Rinse and repeat. Kill a few crawlies and then attach the thermal detonators. Time was already short from the moment she applied the first set. They were set on a timer that would go off whether they had cleared the cave or not. Boom, would go the bugs, and boom, would go the nest. Daisy did not want to be anywhere in the vicinity when that happened. Hearing the final click of the last detonator Daisy pulled back and reached out to settle her hand heavily on Kaden’s shoulder. <<Time to jet, cyare.>>

They went out the way they came. It was nasty business. The halls were slick with hive innards and the leftover goop they seemed to be made of. The more they killed, the more there were, and the tunnel was only so large. When the murky light of…Whatever time it was, day, night, evening, dust filled sky broke through it was a relief. The pair spilled out of the entrance to the nest and kept on moving.

<<Fire in the hole!>>

Literally. The ground rumbled beneath them something fierce and actually tossed Daisy off her feet. That in itself wouldn’t have been so bad if every insect above ground hadn’t of started screaming something that broke the sound barrier while a bombing run passed through.

The Mandalorian woman found herself looking up at something that blotted out the light. A little dazed from the jolt it was only instinct that told her to roll out of the way. A large…Foot (?) came down and she could only stare up with a vague sense of prickling fear. It was the charred remains of the Goliath. Still kicking, and mighty, mighty pissed off that they’d just blown up a bunch of its kin.

Chit.

 

[Nim'Harra]

[member=Vytal Noctura] | [member=Credius Nargath] | [member=Tess Valnora]​

The voices mingled with those of the hive, playing a cautious dance as they wove in and out of each other. It was hard to make out their precise words over the clamour, so she simply assumed what they had to say was harsh. When the witch presented her deal, Nim forced a bemused grin on her face, and kept it there the entire time she spoke.

‘I agree to end my war on this planet. No more deaths. On either side.’ As she spoke her vehement gaze found its way to [member=Credius Nargath] and [member=Tess Valnora], but as a gesture of proof Nim’Harra withdrew her children. They all stepped back in unison, scuttling away from the obsidian daggers as best they could, thus away from the gathering in the chrysalis chamber. Up above on the surface, the rest of the grunts did the same. Whether they were knee-deep in battle or scurrying toward it, they all retreated. ‘But Atiria serves at the pleasure of no one, it is used by no one. We…’ She spoke specifically to the witch. ‘…might be willing to come to some sort of arrangement you. Kill me and be done with it, or release Atiria and myself in the trust that we will work together with you.’

Nim would not shift in this, and she flat out refused to acknowledge the ramblings of [member=Credius Nargath]. He had insulted her; the witch had at least been amicable up until the fighting broke out. Still, by refusing to end her life then and there, the witch had opened herself up to bargaining. It was hard to pass up the chance to let Atiria reign free as the witch had offered, but harder still was the thought of abandoning Tessai. In death, she found a reason, an excuse. It was easier that way. Leaving with her heart still beating, with the knowledge that she could never see him again? The human half of her would not allow it. Either way, no matter whether she chose death or trust, Nim’Harra could see no losing path for herself.

Still, she had offered the first branch of “peace” by withdrawing her children, from both the group here and their attacks on the surface. Perhaps it would be enough to sew the first seeds of trust.

 

[Eternal Finesse]

​

[member=Luna Terrik] | [member=Subject 73 Red] | [member=Credius Nargath] | [member=Vytal Noctura] | [member=Kaden Farr] | [member=Daisy Americus] | [member=Ardaz Verd] | [member=ToKola Bakari] | [member=Naomi] | [member=Maeve Archeron] | [member=Tess Valnora] | [member=Damsy Callat] | [member=Lik Teh'Bones] | [member=Tiria Reinhart] | [member=Tessai]​

For the battle of flesh and bone raging hard on the surface of Kinyen, it seemed there was no end in sight. Man and beast came to blows, and both struck their deadly strikes. Both had inflicted deep wounds, to the planet and to each other. While the war lit up the skies and sewed the fields with the blood of many, a different sort of war took place below. A war of words, and it seemed the Confederacy had won. In a sudden change of events, every grunt on the surface of Kinyen began to retreat. Slowly at first, as though the message to return was confusing. Even the Goliath, half beaten and smoking from the torrent of artillery that had been rained down upon it began to sulk back into the shadows from whence it came.

For man, the battle had been won and for beast, the time to repent was nigh. Kinyen was free of the plague that cursed it was withdrawing its influence. The surface would forever bare the scars of war, but in time they would heal. In time, the flesh that covered the planet and encased the fauna would fade. In time, the people of Kinyen would forget.

 

[Vytal Noctura]

Location: The Throne Room
Objective: 3 - Crush the Heart
Tag: [member="Nim'Harra"] | [member="Pom Stych Tivé"] | [member="Credius Nargath"] | [member="Tess Valnora"] | [member="Tessai"]| Open

Vytal frowned as Credius attempted to insert himself into the discussion. That he'd erased the sharp impediments did not upset her in the slightest; merely his suggestion Nim'Harra abandon an arrangement with her and instead accept his generous offer.

"Servitude is not required of the Altiria. Acceptance that the politicians of the Confederacy and the people of this world will be set against you, however, makes the Mandragora your greatest ally." Vytal extended both of her hands out toward the Queen. "Together we will discuss how yours may find a place in the galaxy, and perhaps -- in time -- the spirits may not haunt you in the next world."

A glowing ring shifted in the Viceroy's direction for a moment. Her gaze returned to the armor-plated woman as a commlink was lifted from her waistline. "Oracle to Black Thorn, send word to Ironside a case-fire is being negotiated." The ship in low orbit would relay the signal to [member="Luna Terrik"].

Oh, no, the spirits were not terribly satisfied with this arrangement. They certainly hadn't proposed it. But it was not her job to let spirits run free carrying out their every whim. A Nightsister or a Nightmother did what was best for both worlds -- the living and the dead. Sometimes, satisfying blind rage was not what was best. It rarely was. Directed rage, perhaps, but not blind rage from countless years of suffering and loathing.

"Now, let us discuss what is required for the Altiria's survival." Failure to meet their basic needs would result in a resurgence; one where they would not listen to reason having been betrayed. Fortunately, the Mandragora -- and the Confederacy -- had considerable resources with which to draw upon. And a hive such as this could prove a useful ally under the right conditions.

As for Tessai and Nim'Harra, well that would depend on the Queen and her hive. Vytal would use him as a bargaining piece. Death was easy. Separation was hard. But there could be ways to reach an arrangement where she could retain contact with the man. Despite what this hive might think, they were reasonable. Provided those they were dealing with were also reasonable.

 

[Kaden Farr]

​

Location: Inside Atiria Nest Beta​

Gear and Armor: In Bio, 2x Bandoleer of Thermal Detonators​

w. [member="Daisy Americus"] |[member="Ardasz Verd"] | [member="Tiria Reinhart"]​

​

​

​

Kaden let out a hearty laugh as though the pair were not waist deep in bug guts and giant insect larvae. They were not anywhere anyone would consider ideal for a date, and yet the way Daisy and Kaden were joking and getting on some might actually think the two thought they were. Maybe it was because Kaden felt comfortable with Daisy, or maybe it was because, aside from the setting, it was a great date for a Mando? Kaden did not have an exact answer, it just was, and that was okay. Besides, Daisy never missed a beat when it came to dishing it out in their banter, and she seemed to be going for the kill.

<<< “You were the one who told me to be careful… something about rotting my gut and singing my nose hair…” >>>

Her brothers made a strong moonshine or whatever it was they brewed in their still. What Kaden did know was that it would likely be put to better use stripping paint off the side of a weathered barn than fill a person’s stomach. There was much about his life on Haseria Kaden loved, the freedom which came with it, not having to perform to some standard others placed on him was one of them. All of that came because of the decision to be close to one person, and as much as Kaden tried to tell people he had not moved to Haseria for Daisy, he had. That had been the best decision he had ever made.

Daisy couldn’t even let his comment about her panic smash. The two went after each other jab for jab, but jealous? Maybe Kaden knew what it was to be jealous. He had certainly been accused of hit when Yasha had told him she wanted to remain open for political marriages and other spouses. Perhaps that kind of jealousy was understandable, but either way the thought hit a bit too close to home for Kaden. Had it not been for the smirk he could hear in Daisy’s voice it might have been misunderstood. Fortunately there was not a bone in Daisy’s body that was not caring toward him, even with what she knew of his past.

<<< Green, it is an ugly color I agree. I’ve always been partial to black,” >>> Kaden tossed back before the number of bugs they were dealing with caused the banter to pause.

The pair still knew where they were. It was a fight, and while small, the sheer number of bugs could overrun and kill them if they did not pay attention. The small bit of banter when Daisy took his bes’kad or the way he played at how close he got when his hand reached for the weapon which he had taken from her served as the cap to their witty play.

It was time to finish the job.

They were efficient, moving quickly, but it seemed Daisy was still concerned. Her voice came over the comm, their channel, telling Kaden they needed to hurry. She looked up. Kaden looked up. He nodded. It might have been better to have not known how many bugs there were in the place exactly, but that was that. However quickly they were moving before was no comparison to the pace they took now, with no loss to their efficiency. Placing charges was not hard.

<<Time to jet, cyare.>> came Daisy’s voice as her hand rest on his shoulder.

It was a shame they had to run out so quickly as it was the first time Daisy had actually used that term of endearment with Kaden. Whether it was intentional, or simply banter, Kaden noticed. He put a mental pin on that thought so he could revisit it later. Daisy was already moving out, and Kaden was not far behind her at all.

The warning came as the pair jettisoned out of the opening the went in. Debris, fire, smoke, more bug gut, blew out of the nest shortly after. Kaden was on the ground, as was Daisy, with little time to react. A massively charred bug was still kicking uncontrollably, a large foot coming down toward Daisy. Rolling, Kaden grabbed her and rolled out of the way again, stopping so he was on top of her.

<<< “There is a witty comment here somewhere that we should revisit later,” >>> he said before getting off of the blonde and helping her up.

That was when something odd happened. All the bugs began to retreat, even the injured Goliath seemed to be called away as though someone or something has drawing them back to some kind of central hive. A queen.

<<< “I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let that thing just…” >>> Kaden began to say before orders came over the comms to cease hostility. A ceasefire was being negotiated.

<<< “Bu’nas’a,” >>> Kaden cursed as the way was cleared for the dropships to collect the surviving members of the Confederacy. <<< “Just when it was getting good too,” >>> he said to Daisy as ship hovered near them.

Good to his word, Kaden made sure his boots were the last off the ground of the crew he brought with him. The fight was over, but rather than look at the carnage and destruction that had been caused in what would be considered a successful mission, Kaden could only look at Daisy.

A sigh was let out as he removed his helmet, breathable air filled his lungs as they pulled away from the ash and pollution of the battlezone. Kaden said nothing, and what he could have said was written in his eyes. There was no waiting for Daisy to remove her helmet, no more searching for the right moment. Kaden had waited far too long and he knew it. Perhaps it was how much the place reminded him of the Netherworld as they had entered the nest, maybe it was hearing Daisy use the endearment for the first time. Either way, Kaden closed the gap between them.

His movement was swift and decisive. With one hand he reholstered the weapon he had taken from Daisy, and with the other, he popped the seal on Daisy’s helmet. Both hands gripped the beskar and lifted it from her head. Kaden’s right hand moved behind Daisy’s head as if he was going to place his forehead on hers as he had done so many times before, but this time it was his lips which met hers. The kiss was not tentative, it was decisive and passionate. If ever there was anything Kaden could never express to Daisy with words, he did so with the kiss. This was the language he knew, the language of action.

His forehead rest against hers once the kiss broke.

“Ni rejorhaa'ir gar bic cuyir cuyir a jate tuur ash'ad kyr'amur, ner cyare.”*

Spoiler

* "I told you it was a good day for someone else to die, my love."