True Love always Wins

[Ardgal Raxis]

“Moving out to the LZ, we need an update on extraction, now,” Virgil barked into the mike.

The jungle around the Godkillers flew by with every pounding step Ardgal took. Blaster shots rang around them, tearing through the trees. He gripped Homer strewn across his shoulders with all the strength he could muster. A blast to the left of him threw Ardgal off his balance, he faltered, landing on his shoulder, the fell onto the ground with a sharp groan. The shrapnel hanging out of his leg sprayed a fresh flow of blood at the movement.

Virgil dropped to her knees right beside him, shouldering her rifle. A trio of shots knocked three pursuers who got too close by into the next life. Ardgal drew the Hand Cannon from his belt. One of the guards came into the opening through the folliage, the blast from it ripped his chest open. The younger soldier behind him halted in his tracks terrified at the carnage, it gave Ardgal enough time to blast his skull inward.

“Extraction is eminent, the Attonment has landed,” came Argo’s voice from the bridge. “Getting past that AA fire was no small feat, boys.”

“Damn, I’m hit,” Hermes said dropping to his knees. He tossed his rifle aside. His right hand gripped the wound on his side. By the location, Ardgal could guess it was too close to his liver for comfort. Hermes’ other hand drew his blaster pistol, returning fire.

“We are pinned down here,” Virgil said ejecting her clip and ratcheting another in one smooth motion. With a tap on her glove, she switched to infrared. Four brightly lit shooters from the bushes became illuminated.

“Damn it, get out of here without me,” Homer said fumbling a grenade off his combat harness. “You kids are gonna be a hellva lot faster without me.”

“”No one gets left behind,” Ardgal’s voice was calculated, clinical. Homer tossed the grenade at him, Ardgal caught it without looking, hurling it into the four soldiers Virgil had found. The explosion killed them before they even had a chance to duck. “Send a hardback to our location.”

“Hardback en route,” Argo echoed back, “ETA, 5 minutes. Sit tight boys.”

“Doing our best,” Virgil said moving to Hermes. She grabbed the man by the back of his armor collar and pulled him to a safer location. Ardgal noticed the blood dripping from her right bicep. She hadn’t indicated the wound once. The woman was a badass through and through. “But its getting tighter every moment. Prep for corpse extraction.”

Even with the grim reality of impending death, Virgil’s voice was still stoic and cold as ever. But that was’t about to happen. Not as long as Ardgal had a say in it. He ejected his powerpack, slamming another into the chamber. “Hermes, are you mobile?”

“Yes sir,” said the man sending another round down range. “At my current bloodloss rate, I have a good 90 seconds before I go unconscious. Maybe four before I bleed out. It was a pleasure, sir.”

“Get moving. Now. Virg, carry Homer. I will cover you,” his voice didn’t leave any room for variance.

“Ard--”

“Now, that’s an order,” he cut her off sharply. “I will be right behind you.” He rose, sending a salvo of fresh shots into the folliage, "Move move move, now!"

Virgil shouldered Homer. “Yes, sir.”

She charged forward, never looking back. Hermes was not far behind, gripping his bleeding side. She heard the shooting and sounds of death intensify behind her. Like so much of her life, she cut the feelings off and stoically followed her commands, even if it meant one of the last people in the galaxy she cared about was dying.

__________________________​

Two Years Later​

“I think we have this one,” Hermes said handing the datapad to Virgil. He had managed to survive, but barely. Even though Homer had said emphatically there was no lasting brain damage from the blood loss, Virgil still had her doubts. Or maybe she had never realized how moronic he could be until after that horrible day.

She looked over the information before nodding at him. Maybe he was worth something after all. “I will send this over to her right away. Its the most credible lead we have had all day.”

She moved through the Attonment’s dark corridors, her boots hitting the durasteel floor with precise, measured steps. Even in a safe enviroment like this, she still wore her full Bes’garam, helmet included. It just felt safer that way. She finally came into the chambers for [member="Rashae"], presenting the datapad ceremoniously.

“Two days ago, a maximum security freighter was moved to a Wild Space prison on Oriam Mei. The heavy security indicated a dangerous load,” Virgil reported stoically. Despite her emotionless, cold tone, she could not have been more excited or ready to rescue Ardgal. she blamed herself for letting him stay. It should have been her. He should have gone and she should have fought to the bitter end. But he probably knew she would have--that's why he stayed instead, that damn bugger. “The manifest stated it was carrying grains and food goods, but the deep space scanners indicated a single life form in the cargo hold. And zero food stores.”

There was only one reason for that. There was only one person they could think of who meritted that much force to move, a super soldier design for maximum destruction. Ardgal Raxis.

Virgil gave Rashae a moment to process all the data before asking the obvious question. Rashae was in charge, so it was ultimately her call, “Should we act on this?”

 

[Rashae]

A flawless complexion marred by anguish looked at Virgil when she spoke. Light blue eyes turning to Ice blue right before the female super soldier. Rashae couldnt believe her ears. He promised to come back from that mission. Was he still trying to kill himself? Then the fear set in that he would no longer be in her life. She looked off to the side in numbed silence for a pregnant hour. Was she so stunned as to not even function? NO. She was rapidly moving through the information provided and calculating scenarios in as much as the wild torrent of emotions crashed through her mind like a maelstrom.

“ Enough. Lets get you patched up.“ Commanded the Minister in a very hoarse voice.

It took several hours to get what Rashae would call stable for the Godkillers. She went over see the care of the Godkillers that got pretty shot up including Homer. Her staff stabilizing the bodies while cybernetics experts stabilized the components. She was with Virgil first as she was taken care of. She looked at the woman behind the privacy screen. She made sure her armor was right next to her as she knew Virgil's habits. With a written warning to take it easy.

She went into her chambers slowly. It all was surreal. Her heart clenched the moment the door to her chambers whisked closed. She put a hand out against the wall as she curled her fingers along the wall. Her knees buckled right there as she sunk down onto the floor. She started to sob softly into her hands. She felt so lost and didnt know what to do. She hated not having a plan or knowing what she needed to do. The memory of his hand caressing her face and holding her close still fresh as she got up to grab the pillow he sleeps on when he comes to her ship. It smelled like him. Was she so cursed that happiness was denied her. Was that her fate?

It was several hours before she came out of her private space. Her face a mirror of stoic and ice. It was a practiced thing she learned long ago growing up in political intrigue. You either learn or you was devoured by that game. As her boots made a soft tick tack sound checking up on the Godkiller patients. They usually dont stay patients for long. Sure enough, as she entered Virgil's room, the female soldier was putting her armor on.

“I put orders to take it easy Virgil. “ she said in a slight hoarse sound in her voice.

There was a sigh that escaped her as Virgil reminded Rashae that she was fine. Rashae sat on the bed and sighed at that response. “You would go even if you was on deaths door. “

She starred off into the wall for a few minuites turning the silence to awkward. If Virgil knew anything about Rashae was that her mind was always turning. “Virgil. Collect the others and meet me in my office. “ She would order as she clenched her teeth.

The scientist got up and strode out of the privacy screen in time to see the woman put her helmet on. Once in her office she started looking at resources she had available. Once they got into her office the fire in her eyes lied about the cool calm exterior she tried to portray.

“how do we find him. I have resources outside of my own and the Godkillers. “ She would ask them straight up. “We will turn over every rock on every system but I want him found. Even if its just his... “ She tried to say remains but couldnt. She clenched her teeth to fight back the tears that threatened. She got angry with that as she barked out in a snappish way. “FIND him. “

Two years later.​

Rashae looked up as Virgil presented her with the data. She looked it over with keen scrutiny. The minster of science of the confederacy had grown quite waspish in these two years. Between the search for Ardgal and her duties as Minister of Science she didnt have much time to work out her emotions.

“Do it. “ She would command as she handed Virgil back the datapad.

“let me see what ships are available to escort my fleet to that system along with the Godkiller ships. “ She said to Virgil. Virgil had been a rock to her. Something to keep her even keeled a little which was priceless. Anyone around her saw the tension that Ardgal's absense has caused. The look on her face was like a serial killer looking for their next victim. “We will toss that ship from one end or the other. “ Whoever had him will soon realize that pissing off Rashae much less the Godkillers was not a good idea.

[member="Ardgal Raxis"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

[member="Rashae"]

Virgil took the datapad back with a nod from her T-visor. Rashae had quickly learned why Ardgal had made "Stone face" his second in command. No matter how hard life got or how many shatter gun rounds were flying through the air, she never lost her cool. Ever. The Mandalorian pressed two fingers to the side of her helmet, opening a comm line, "Argo, prepare the ​Atonement. We are green light."

"Yes, ma'am," came his polished, officer's voice, "I anticipated that order and took the liberty of already starting the hyperdrive calculations. We should be ready for jump in a matter of a few minutes. I hope you are ready for blood, captain."

"I am always ready for blood," she assured him.

The Mandalorian made her way to her room, which was little more than her personal armory with a cot against the wall. The woman made sure the door was close behind her before taking her helmet off. Her rage fueled her concentration as the warrior swung one of the gunlockers open. She donned a harness, lined with grenades of various usage. On her belt she strapped as many pistols as she could hold; disruptors, flechette launchers, sonic, plasma, a Punisher, and a Hussar. She slammed the door closed. The latch didn't catch, her fist came down on it, bending the metal under her blow. Virgil allowed her rage to take over, her fist pumled the locker door again and again and again, until it was too warped to even close.

"Damn it, Ardgal," she spat, letting out some of the rage she'd repressed for three years.

Location: Somewhere in hyperspace in route to the far unknown regions​

Time: 0324​

​

"So anyone wanna guess top ranks on what is down there?" Fesik said, tossing his sabaac hand onto the table.

"You cheating sh!t," said Mulrick as he threw his own hand down. "There is no way anyone gets that lucky, that many times."

Jerome gave a laugh as he tossed his own cards down as well. He leaned back and looked at the three other marines at the table with him, "You just suck, Mulrick. And no, but if I were to say something, its probably one of the general's girlfriends wanted a toy or something and he got it for her."

"All this for a toy?" snorted Fesik, "Come on."

"Why else would the orders be that strict for us to not go down there?" Jerome shrugged. "Its pride man, he doesn't wanna get exposed for a perv."

"Tell you what I do know," said Mulrick with a hard stare, "you sure as hell better not get any ideas."

"Come on, man we are just--"

The conversation was cut short as the ship was pulled from hyperspace. Alarms blared through the entire ship. A series of explosions rocked it, sending the cardgame on to the floor. Outside the veiwport Fesik could see a pair of bombers soaring past. An inderdicator ship wasn't too far away and a plucky triangle-shaped corvette, was charging the larger ship head on. His eyes narrowed, "What the hell--"

"Come on! Battle stations, everyone now!" came Mulricks command, "Its time to earn that fortune, boys!"

 

[Rashae]

Once the datapad was handed back to Virgil with a nod, Claudia would stand up to start putting on her lightweight armor that Ardgal himself designed and built for her. The skin tight nature of the armor left little room for anything else. The raven haired beauty would take off the cami top and underwear she had on and start putting on the under skin thing. He called it something but she couldnt remember. While she was dressing a little whine noise was in the corner.

“Alexa, We will get him back. “ She said with a defiance to death itself.

Alexa was one of Ardgal's creations that had sentience. Alexa had not let Rashae out of her sight since the man went missing. A great metal head leaned gently into the beauty as Claudia would pet the mechanical wonder as if she was petting a dog or a cat.

She then went to a communicator to send word to her fleet which was not very far away from the atonement. “Stephen. Get the hyperdrive coordiance from Argo. We are a go on this. “

“Yes Minister. Done” The ever stoic veteran would say as he smiled. The old guy liked Ardgal a lot.

It wasnt long till she was coming up to see this freighter for herself as they came out of hyperdrive. Her lightweight armor formed around her like a glove and accented about every curve she had. Rather it was wise for the Minister to be in the frontline of this or not, no one dared tell her any different. Not one soul in this mission would prevent the raven haired beauty to rain down judgement upon those who dare to take something that belong to her.

Alexa would be right be her side as she would stabilize the squishy doctor while the atonement would perform its maneuver to forcefullyh land in their hanger bay. The skies errupted in fighter aircraft from the fleet Rashae brought with her. All of this hardware raining down on this escort and freighter. The bombers and fighters tearing into the escort while the severance light carriers kept the freighter under a close eye once they took out their communications. Once the Atonement made their initian entry the dropships that Rashae had with her also came in a hot second after.

It was a good thing too as her escort get a bit peckish when they dont get much to do but escort. The space around the little escorted freighter was surrounded by bombers and fighters. It would take very little effort and short work to detain or eliminate resistance. Talk about overkill but that's what you get for pissing off the wrong people.

Rashae would calmly walk down the ramp of the atonement while everyone was running firing and carrying on. Meanwhile the warmachine Alexa was on high alert and walked behind the doctor in white as she went to find a suitable position to wait on the godkillers and troops do their job. She ordered to have survivors brought to her and orders were sent from her to search the ship stem to stern.

Meanwhile Stephen, the commander of Rashae's fleet held off at a distance with the white and red cross that clearly indicated medical was just across this bit of chaos waiting to help those who surrendered. Rashae did make it clear that if there were those who surrendered to not kill them. Now the ones who actually employed this whole shipment, well that would be another story. Which has yet to be determined.



[member="Ardgal Raxis"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

[member="Rashae"]

"Come on! Shift it! Shift it!" Mulricks shouted, urging his men on as they grabbed their rifles from the gun rack.

The marines charged, locked and loaded with their blastproof vests and helmets on down the hallway. Their ship, The Driftless, shook with each bombing and fighter run as its shields struggled to hold up. Through the nearby viewport he could see the triangled ship angling for a second pass, the two guns on its front nose were familiar. His eyes narrowed as he tried to remember from what he had seen before--

"Brace! Brace bra--" Mulrick's words were cut off as a pair of crimson beams jetted from the nose of the ship, blasting into the side of the Driftless.

Everything and everyone was knocked loose. The wall began to glow an hot orange, the walls vanished, replaced with a firey cascade of molten lava that imploded, before being sucked into the void of space. The troops in the hall were pulled in with it, their bodies thrashing wildly against their own deaths. Mulrick instinctively hit the blast door, sealing the chamber off. His eyes were glued to the viewport as the helpless bodies were sent flailing. Outside the fighters and bombers strafed, making criss-cross patterns on the hull that theratened to crumble them quickly. Suddenly it stopped, they all pulled back and he heard a voice in his earpeice that woke the man from his stupor. "We've been boarded! Landing bay! Boarding party!"

While Virgil did not believe it was wise to charge in head first, if Rashae was going to die, it would be long after her corpse had rotted away and the autonomous android processor in her body had run out of juice. It had the power to keep her animated for up to five minutes after she flat lined, and it would be a hell of a long time after that before Rashae died.

The Slatin gunship was hot on Rashae's heels. As it settled in on its props, the ship's guns blasted away, slaughtering anyone foolish enough to stand in their way. The gunship's massive loading ramp dropped, the Godkillers stormed out, blasters and guns ablazing. Virgil was at their head, her sharpshooter rifle nestled in her shoulder. Her eyes trained on the main entrance, where soldiers poured out. Pure cold rage flowed through her, enhancing her senses and speeding up he reaction time. The first soldier's head exploded in a mass of blood and flesh. The second didn't even have a chance to be afraid as the shot tore through his eye, sending gore out the back. Neither corpse hit the floor before her third shot ripped through the tender throat of another marine's exposed flesh. His head dropped, barely kept on his torso by a strand of flesh.

"Press ahead, kill whoever you find," she ordered. There would be no survivors. Anyone who surrendered, she would execute. Rashae may have been mercy but Virgil only knew how to execute and exact vengance.

Behind her, her own Basilisk, Rexel, stormed from the Slatin gunship, its massive claw feet scraping on the durasteel as it charged forward. Without having to look, Virgil did a backflip into the air, landing directly on her trusted mount's back.

"Oya, Rexel," she urged the beast on with a gentle prod of her heel.

Mulrick was a hardened soldier with few equals, but even he didn't know where these soldiers from hell came from. The pinpoint accuracy was insane, their ability to move and act was beyond human or Jedi he had ever seen. He hunkered down for cover behind a crate, the marines all around him were dropping like flies. He grabbed the sonic greande off his belt, tossing the pin aside, "Nade out!"

He hurrled it over his shoulder, following it with an autofire volley from his rifle. One of the females, her face covered by a T-slit visor leaned forward in a single motion, catching it with her left hand. Her visor locked eyes with him before hurling it back.

Oh. Sh!t.

The explosion knocked him back, Mulrick could feel his organs torn apart inside, one of his eyes was knocked from its socket by the blast. It took every bit of his grit to rise to his feet. He leered, crashing into the ship's wall. The woman raised her hand and all firing stopped. Mulrick alone was left, he knew it. He knew he would die here, but at least he would die like a man, not with his hands raised like the others. The woman dismounted her beast, standind beside the hot woman in her skin-tight armor.

Mulrick stumbled forward, drawing his vibroblade.

"Come on," he spat a mouthful of blood out. "Let's finish this."

He gave a clumsy swing towards her helmet, the woman stopped him, a swift blow to his elbow knocked his arm out of socket. Mulrick gave a roar of pain as he stumbled to his knees.

 

[Rashae]

Rashae would still walk her slow purposeful curvaceous style with that slow sumptuous figure eight that she stepped out in. The woman was in no hurry. The hulking Basilisk Alexa hulking over her as the fire fight would bounce off of her armor. Her shadow was over Rashae wishing that her Master's Mate would just ride her. It would be easier but no, the stubborn woman walked.

At some point in the chaos, her and Virgil managed to get to one space. “Hey I said to offer surrender. “ She said as she held a hand up to hopefully stay Virgil's hand. Though that didnt always work. These were the Godkillers, machines of war and distruction not peace keepers.

Rashae looked at the mercenary as data ran across her eyes as she sighed. The man would die if he didnt get medical attention. “Alexa, chair please. “ she asked the Basilisk as she would scoop rashae up in its claws as the Minister primly sat and regarded the dieing soldier. The white armored female took off her helmet and shook out her long raven wave of hair.

“You will die in about 30 min without medical intervention. Tell me who hired you and you will get it. Dont tell me and well you die. One way or another I will get what I want. “ Said Rashae rather casually and with an icy cold. Icy queen would come to mind. “my friend here will gladly execute you with no problems. “

Rashae tapped her knee impatiently. “i wouldnt wait much longer as my patience has been destroyed with the what was stolen from me. “

The com link goes off as she goes to her ear. “good, find the captain of the ship and anyone else alive. Can we like keep some alive? Seriously Hermes?” Godkillers what were you going to do.

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

[member="Rashae"]

A trial of blood seeped from Mulrick's lip as Virgil released him, taking a step back. She was rage, but she was rage under control. There would be plenty of time to kill him when Rashae was done. The man glared at her with his one working eye. He knew he was dying, he could feel it. With his one working arm, the man grabbed at his stomach. Inside he could feel the pain of internal hemmoraging. He had felt it before storming the beaches of Kashyyyk almost 20 years ago against the Republic. That had been for patriotism, this was just for a paycheck.

"Its just a job," he relented. "The man who got with us, who contacted me and asked me to help drum up a few units," Mulrick coughed, blood sprayed from his mouth onto her perfectly white uniform. "His name--his name," Mulrick winced, trying to remain conscious. The massive blood loss was taking a toll on him, the entire ship was spinning. His one eye couldn't focus on the curvy, sex-icon before him or the dominating Mandalorian beside her. "Her name was--Melissa. Tell Melissa I love her."

"You know how they are doc," said Hermes through the comm, his voice tense but professional too, "Its the first time I've been unable to control the 'Killers," he shrugged and added, "But, then again, this is the first time I've seen Ardgal captured too so we are all in new waters."

Mulrick dropped to all fours, his body upheld by his knees and one working arm. Virgil moved, unless Rashae stopped her to place the barrel of her side arm on the back of his head. He was a wounded animal in her eyes, he needed to be put down. It was virtually an act of kindness.

"Jean Bronval," Mulrick said at last. Unless Rashae stopped her, Virgil pulled the trigger, putting the wounded warrior out of his misery.

She stepped over his dead body if he was, or sidestepped the medical team tending to him. Past where the soldiers were making their last stand there was a massive vault door. A quick scan revealed no lifeforms on the other side. But there also was no way to access it quickly. The breach team came up behind her at Virgil's wave. The demolition experts quickly placed the explosive charges on the massive vault. She didn't move an inch as they ran for cover and ignited the charges. The shock-wave ruffled the caplet strapped to her shoulder pauldrons but she didn't even get knocked off balance thanks to her magno-grip boots. To anyone who didn't realize her secret, Virgil looked as stoic and impossibly badass as she could be.

Taking a series of steps forward she was the first in through the molten hole just large enough for a human to step through.

"Damn," Virgil said, showing amazement in her voice for the first time.

There he was, frozen in carbonite, suspended over the ground. Ardgal's face was as stony and stoic as ever, even encased in this material. He showed no fear, no pain. He was, as always, resolute. She wondered what had gone through his mind in those last moments, if he was still aware trapped inside there. She gave him a salute. She was glad she was wearing her helmet, she could feel her eyes watering. Her cousin, her only close and living family member was there. They had become isolated from their clan through the years. Her voice was thick with emotion, despite her best efforts as Virgil tried to say caually, "Suc'ye, vod."

She stepped aside, giving Rashae the chance free him. This was her right, as his lover. It was only appropriate that her face be the first he saw.

 

[Rashae]

Once the mercenary coughed up a name Rashae had her hand up to hopefully stay Virgil's hand from the mercy kill. She had given her word. A medical team came surging around the man at Rashae's signal. He would be whisked away to the Padme to surgery. Orders for guards to be around his bed at all times till he was sorted.

She rolled her eyes at what Hermes was saying to her. “Hermes you cant question someone without their head or their eyeballs shot out. Tell them I said I need survivors, thats an order. “

Safely dead was not a bad idea but she needed data and information. She had a name now. “Oh Hermes start searching information with my tech boys about a Jean Bronval. “ Like he didnt have anything better to do then dodge bullets, give him a research project.

They went towards the blast door where they had ended up with the mercenary. Alexa shadows Rashae without fail. An elite medical crew had gathered and caught up to her as she waited for the demolition team to blow the heavy door. The doctor covered her ears as it was blown. Virgil went in before much was settled. Probably a good thing. It took Rashae a moment or two to organize the crew and equipment as she brought whatever she needed to stabilize Ardgal in whatever condition he might be in.

Nothing would prepare her to see his face in carbonite. The raven haired beauty was not trained in mandalorian stoicism to these things. She was very emotional and passionate as she found herself running past Virgil and to the encased man she loved. She looked up at his face. Virgil saw resolute and stone. Rashae saw something deeper, she always did. One of the other doctors on the team gently reminded her that the thaw process should be started.

She sniffed a bit as she looked at the small console on the side to check how he was. His hibernation was progressing nicely it seemed. She gave a nod to one of the doctors to start the thaw process. She prepared a cocktail of medications to ease the discomfort of hibernation sickness. At least he wasnt half falling apart. The people in white surrounded the carbonite unit as they watched the thaw happen. Rashae watched in rapted attention as slowly his face turned to skin as the rest of him followed suit. She may have forgotten how much Ardgal weights considering he may do a faceplant as soon as he thaws. Then again it wouldnt be the first now the last time she would find herself underneath the man.

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

[member="Rashae"]

Modem. Adjust. Boot. Attempt: Failed. Log: Attempt number 1,243,678 failed because of hardware. Data inconclusive.

Modem. Adjust. Boot. Attempt: Failed. Log: Attempt number 1,243,679 failed because of hardware. Data inconclusive.


Modem. Adjust. Boot. Attempt: Failed. Log: Attempt number 1,243,680 failed because of hardware. Data inconclusive.


Modem. Adjust. Boot. Attempt: Failed. Log: Attempt number 1,243,681 failed because of hardware. Data inconclusive.


Modem. Adjust. Boot. Attempt: Failed. Log: Attempt number 1,243,682 failed because of hardware. Data inconclusive.


Modem. Adjust. Boot. Attempt: Failed. Log: Attempt number 1,243,683 failed because of hardware. Data inconclusive.


Modem. Adjust. Boot. Attempt: Failed. Log: Attempt number 1,243,684 failed because of hardware. Data inconclusive.


Any other mortal would have been graced with the ability to either eventually fall asleep or find themselves drifting into a semi-sleep trace state at the brain's innate need to protect their conscious from being driven insane by the sheer nothing. Even a being of lesser luck would have found themselves hallucinating. But Ardgal's cyborg implants refused to let him. In the even that he was rendered unconscious, they were designed to reboot him. It had served him right on Tanaab, when he and Rashae had first met after he free fell from low orbit with Virgil and almost died. But in an event when he was logged in suspended animation--it was hell as he was vividly aware of each passing second through the three years.

Without any external stimuli, seconds stretched into minutes, into hours, into days, into weeks, into eternity. There was nothing except the count. The endless cycle of attempting to reboot. He couldn't even reach back into his memories of Rashae or concoct a proper hallucination of her beautiful features. His cyborg implants refused to allow the man any peace that could make him succumb to the ease of the experience. No, there was just the count. It was enough to drive a man insane.

But Ardgal was no mere man. Death itself could not hold him back. Falling from low orbit, being ripped apart and put back together cell by cell, being reassembled and created as a shamble of life itself couldn't break him. He was no mere mortal. The Vong couldn't destroy him. Project: Madman couldn't twist him. Nothing could.

Modem. Adjust. Boot. Attempt: Failed. Log: Attempt number 1,243,685 failed because of hardware. Data inconclusive.


Modem. Adjust. Boot. Attempt: Success. Log: Attempt number 1,243,686 successful.


Ardgal could feel his limbs gain the slightest fraction of feeling in them once again. The layer of carbonite on him hadn't even fully melted away, it had warmed to a semi-liquid hot mess of flakes. He burst against the alloy, his body's jerking resistance sent the material in every direction.

"Will do, ma'am," Hermes said through the comm, his voice followed by an explosion in the background and several blaster shots, "Take, take, take."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!" his barbaric roar echoed through the vault, through the hall, and resounded through the ship. The God of War was back.

"Sounds like you found him," Hermes said meekly, the blaster shots had stopped abruptly. "And damn that does not sound happy."

Virgil knew exactly what that feral roar meant, and she knew Rashae. She had heard it only once before when Ardgal watched his parents gunned down right before him. Virgil stepped between Rashae and Ardgal, shoving if she had to. She did everything she could to keep them apart, this was non-negotiable. She was a wall of protective beskar and stoic, intense stares.

His eyes were wide open but he couldn't see anything. The flakes of white still beaded his dark skin. Save for the tight boxer briefs on his person, Ardgal was completely naked. Carbon sickness threatened to take him over, but his cyborg components refused to give in. He may not have been able to see, but he could smell and hear with intense precision.

He swung blindly to his left, his tree of a limb made contact with something organic. He swung right, making contact again with someone or something else. He would kill everyone here. His hand made contact to something metal and Virgil was sent flying at his blow. Her back slammed against the wall of the vault. She slid to the ground in a crumpled mess. Ardgal would escape and kill his captors. He would get back to her, he would find a way to get back to--then he caught that familiar smell. The smell of rubbing alcohol, Nubian shampoo, bacta, fine breeding, and a hint of her pheromones. The human entrapped in the machinery managed to take control once again.

"Rashae?" his body buckled as the organic took over again. He tried desperately to climb out of the casket he had been entrapped in for three years, only to fall on the cold hard durasteel. His fingers searched fervently in the direction he could smell her in. On all fours he crawled for her, his voice becoming frantic, "RASHAE?!??"

 

[Rashae]

“Hermes I don't need that right now. “ Completely ignoring the fact there was explosions and gunfire. The doctor had gotten used to hearing things like that in the background as well as various types of screams, yells and hollering. Expletives of all sorts in various languages. She tuned it out to deal with the matter at hand. Then He thawed just enough.

Ardgal.. st..” she didnt get that out when Virgil pushed her firmly back enough to knock her to her feet and slide an inch or two along the vault floor. “Virg!! “ then the roar. The Great Roar of a Warrior born. A Mandalorian Roar she heard about but never seen. Her heart did a bit of a flip flop. A couple of her medical team ended up being thrown to the side and then the heavier metal thunk of Virgil hitting the vault walls. It would make one pause and be in awe and fear.

Not that the roar didnt scare the raven haired beauty she feared something more than that. The one thing she feared is that the machine would make Ardgal forget. She feared that more than what that roar would produce. There was a brief second she thought he didn't remember her. That the machine side had won. It was across her face in an anguish as she closed her eyes and bowed her head then started to look away.

“Rashae” She heard. Her head would look back as he crumpled to the floor. Her muscles twitched and her heart leaped and flipped of a different sort.

“Rashae” would come louder with frantic and searching tones, insistent even.

She got up off the floor to bridge the few feet between them. “Ardgal.” She would say against his ear as she wrapped her arms around his head. “Its alright. “ She started tearing up and crying. “I .. I have some medicine to make you more comfortable. Your eyes will clear in a few hours. “ She would try to turn clinical as he needed treatment but she couldn't go into the cold clinical she usually was able to produce. She couldn't turn this off and on like a switch. It was both annoying and wonderful, irritating and invigorating. Love did that.

Someone handed her a hypo with the cocktail she had made for it and she pressed it against his throat without letting go. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to yell and scream at him for leaving her alone for so long but right now she couldn't. All of that anger, angst, waspish irritation melted. Her elite team was already on Virgil and the two others who got thrown. Scans were being done despite the fact Rashae was in the way. She would fumble for her equipment to try and take vitals even amongst the near crushing hold he had on her. “Its alright.” she said in a half sob. Rather that was to Ardgal or to herself was not clear. She at some point just let her team handle the clinical as she burrowed her face into his shoulder.


[member="Ardgal Raxis"]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

[member="Rashae"]

He felt her hand around his neck, he heard her voice in his ear. He seized her, wrapping both arms around the smaller woman. He pulled her close, greedily taking in the feeling of her body against his like a drowning man took in air. His physical strength was weakened greatly by the carbon-sickness but it didn't stop him from holding her as tightly as he could as he sat/crouched on the floor. His wide eyes blinked rapidly as she said his vision would come back in a few hours. He couldn't wait for it--the first thing he wanted to see was her face, just like the first thing he genuinely felt.

Virgil shoved the doctors away with her cold, intense, and self-sufficient way. She rose to her feet, shook her head to get the buzz out of her head from getting slammed into the wall like a punching bag. Her ears were ringing and the blow had made her black out but just like Ardgal, she too had cyborg implants that refused to let her be rendered unconscious. From behind the T-slit visor she spied the two on the floor. She took a few steps towards the two before stopping. To the very intense observer, her muscles relaxed under the layer of ShellSpider Silk that was her armor's underlay. He was alive, holding her and sobbing. They both were. Behind her helmet she smirked, they earned the moment of intense emotional release without her interference.

Ardgal's right hand combed through her raven hair, feeling the familiar luscious locks. He could feel tears streaming down his cheeks, he was unashamed to cry openly, especially with her in his arms. He relaxed, allowing the medical professionals to do their job and give any medication they needed, but he refused to let her go. He was unharmed, comparatively speaking, but they would find a series of freshly healed wounds; a slug round that had healed in his left side, a slash that had healed across right bicep, a blaster round that had healed in the center of his chest, a burn wound that had healed across his back. All were clearly freshly healed with bacta, but an astute guess would have found they healed before he was carbon frozen.

"Rashae, Rashae," he repeated her name with the sweet release that came with it. "I--I was afraid I lost you. That'd I'd never hold you again."

He moved, placing a passionate kiss on her lips. A hand cradled her neck, the other her lower back as he tightly held her there. What felt like an eternity of captivity was released in the ferocity of his kiss. He not only poured out his fervent, pent up passion, but also his fear, sweet release, and gratitude in what could only be described as cathartic passion. What felt like an eternity later, he released her from the kiss, panting. His chest rose and fell with heavy gasps as his fingers moved from her neck, tracing Rashae's face with a soft caress. He felt her tears and eased them away with his calloused fingertips. He couldn't see her face, but feeling it made it better.

He became aware of everything else. He could smell discharged explosives, molten durasteel, ozone, discharged blasters, blood, and death. He could feel the vibration of the ship under him. He could hear the sound of distant combat, with screams, shots, and clashing metal. He could smell the familiar smell of Mandalorian soap, nerf jerky, rations, and beskar that was Virgil. His body visibly tensed. He could all but see danger. His protective instincts took over. "Where are we?"

"Oh shi---," Hermes began, but he was cut off by a massive explosion.

The tender moment was sent crashing down by the sound of sires blaring overhead, the lighting turned red. The artificial gravity vanished and Ardgal could feel himself become weightless. A slight draft began to flow through the chamber, out the door.

"Hull breach!" Virgil said activating her magnogrip boots. They clamped her to the ground. She tilted her head to the side, catching the chatter on the comms, "Hermes and Squad Double Ace has been sent into the vacuum, the blast was in the life support." With one fluid move, she shouldered her rifle grab Rashae with her crushgaunt and Ardgal with the other if needed, "We need to exfil. Now."