Far away from the solemn gathering that was taking place at the villa of Alcori and Kerrigan, Captain Kaida Taldir was seeing to the training of a unit of Angelii on a remote island in southeastern Kaeshana, away from the beautiful city of Santaissa and indeed from civilisation on the planet. Slippery rocks lined the way behind the beach, there was a powerful storm raging and from above rain sheeted it down in a strong downpour. A cool wind blew across the island with a howl. It was cold, rainy and windy, but then bad environmental conditions were good for training, or so the Captain thought.
She was clad in full battle armour, with her features obscured by a helmet, which had the side-effect of giving her voice a more imposing quality. It also had mini heat jets to clear fog and rain from them. Not that Kaida particularly minded the cold and the rain. After all, she had sort of a working relationship with them. Likewise the Angelii were fully equipped in the traditional armour the guard was known for, likewise carrying sarixi and sarzmigars, though for this exercise they would not need them.
With a drawn sarix Kaida pointed towards a number of mock-up armoured vehicles and old tanks that were standing upon a hill, their guns bearing down upon them.
"I won't say this twice so pay attention! Assume these are hostiles are moving to engage you. You're inferior in numbers and firepower and lacking in anti-armour weapons. The storm prevents air support from reaching you. You have five minutes left to live before they send you to Illyria in pieces." Not unintentionally morbid at all considering the subject matter of this thread.
"Retreat is not an option. The only weapon you have left is your Sciia. It has no limits, your ability to use does. Fortunately for you...it's very cold and there's a storm." Presumably some of the elf warriors did not appreciate the cold, but that was their problem!
"You must focus and harness your powers to lower the air temperature....very, very strongly and rapidly. Focus is key. Transform the raindrops into snowflakes. Now!"
The squad of Angelii focused as they drew upon their powers. Sciia was the term the Eldorai used for the Force and those among them who were Sciians had an affinity for elemental powers. In the case of Kaida she was a cryomancer, who specialised in harnessing ice and water. It was terribly convenient when power was out in her apartment and her freezer did not work! Kaida walked around, scrutinising each and every one of the recruits, making comments here and there, encouragements, biting criticism.
The temperature dropped noticeably all around them.
"Faster!" she surged.
"In battle there are no-dovers. Valora won't swoop down to save you!" The gust of a cold wind tore across the island and the rain drops that were pouring down in what could be called a flood hardened and crystallised into snowflakes. Kaida could feel the strong, palpable shift and the ripples resonating through the Force as the recruits exerted their will and made the elements bend to them. Still not fast enough for her tastes, but a start. They might actually survive their first battle and be worth her time. Gripped by the wind the rain of snow was driven across the beach and towards the tanks, bombarding them from above with heavy snowfalls.
They were now well and truly slowed in, but it was not enough, for while they were snowed in it was far too weak. A normal vehicle would be unable to move, but something like a tank was a harder nut to crack. Or rather, as in this case, impede.
"Now they're snowed in. Congrats. You there, Wing Leader Abriel, answer me: Will that keep you and your friends from getting blasted to pieces?"
"Err...I...don't think so, ma'am. They're treaded vehicles. They'd be able to break out after a while," the recruit got out after some stammering.
"You don't think so? At least that means you're thinking! It's important. Wing Leader Dinas, how do keep your friends from dying a gruesome death?"
This recruit had no trace of uncertainty in her voices and called out. "Ice!"
"My favourite word. You will lock the vehicles in a freezer by turning the snow to ice. In the process their engines will be iced and rendered useless. Congrats. You may be have what it takes to be Angelii. The temperature must be pushed further down. Minus fifty degrees is a start. Now!" She watched as the recruits tried and exerted their Sciia. The wind turned even colder and more powerful, snow dropped down in droves and here and there the snow that had engulfed one of the vehicles hardened and crystallised but...
"Congrats. You just died. I'll show you!" Kaida proclaimed as she aborted the exercise and, stepping forward so that all could see her, focused. Concentration was written over her features, cold steam escaping the open palm her gloved hand and her mouth, which for a moment obscured her helmet's visor though she did not need to see with the naked eye for this exercise. The scenery turned cold, very bitter cold, with some of the recruits shivering a bit. The snow pearls covering the tanks crystallised and rapidly transformed to ice. The snowy landscape was transmogrified into one of icy glaciers. There was ice everywhere, walls so thick that they appeared virtually impenetrable, with the vehicles having vanished from their eyes.
Kaida let out a breath as she turned her focus back to the group.
"There, that's what I want to see. Now shoot at it." A hailstorm opened up as high-powered scarlet beams lanced across the ice wall along with heavy duty explosives and bolter rounds, all peppering the wall. However, it held and the rounds simply bounced off it.
"Eventually...every wall will give way, but this'll save your life. The greatest Sciians of our people could conjure up snowstorms of immense destructive power. Imagine what can be done in combination with lightning. Since you couldn't build an ice wall, you should at least be able to destroy it. Not with a bucket and spade. Use your Sciia..."
At this moment suddenly an Angelii with the insignia of a Host Leader, clad in an ornate armour whose red colour was obscured by all the snow falling, came rushing towards Kaida, heavy boots stomping across the snow. "Captain. We just received word from the Citadel. Countess Kerrigan is in coma after a Sith ambush. They say she may be close to death. Her Majesty has mustered the fleet in case of attack. The Chaplain is holding prayer services at the White Palace to intercede with Ashira and Illyria."
There was a flicker of something on Kaida's face, though given how her features were hidden it could not be seen. For a moment she turned absolutely quiet and sighed slightly before her features hardened once more.
"I see. You're dismissed. Send a communication to the High Captain saying we can redeploy to Santaissa if needed," she said and waved the messenger off.
"Hope Illyria claims her. There's too many bloody human monkeighs corrupting our world," one Angelii muttered under her breath. Not quiet enough for very sensitive elf ears. Contrary to popular belief, they served a practical purpose beyond being the object of some strange fetishes.
In a blur Kaida had spun around and slammed her fist - her very frosty fist with ice wrapped around it so thick it counted as armour of its own - into her face. The girl's visor was smashed under the sheer force of the impact, her nose broke as thick ice connected with it and she was tossed back.
"Any more stupid comments we all know from Dashdae Eldorai traitors? Good! Now get that wall destroyed. I want it broken when our transport arrives!"
