You aren't paid enough for this

[Tathra Khaeus]

​Kurah Prime - Military Compound | Xirces Mercenary Base
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Xirces was a rival private military group. It dealt in small arms trades and various operations just on the fringes of Bryn'adûl territory. As the efficiency of the Bryn'adûl has become more apparent to the world at large, more and more of Xirces contractors have came to their side. This, has required a push into new territory.

​For the past three months, Xirces has lost battle after battle. Operations sabotaged by Bellator operators, and bases taken by Brutes. Whole militias wiped out by the Promethean Guard and even Tathra himself. Now, comes Kurah Prime.

​Above the planets surface, and just beyond their radar dishes range, ships holding a series of Hel Shard drop pods prepared for assault. A total of four ships orbited in the sky, each holding sixteen of the drop pods, each holding twenty or so Brute soldiers within.

​Tathra was on-board a personal transport, a fast and heavy ship. Alongside him was a small assortment of his Promethean Guard, namely Kabel and Cha'jen, two of his warriors. The others were, occupied. They were waiting from reports from the ground. Only three hours ago, a small team of Bellator operators had infiltrated the base, set to de-activate the compounds anti-air grid. Now all there was to do was wait.

​"We've been hunting Xirces for months now, it is time to put an end to them." ​Tathra spoke with a firmness not found in the other species of the galaxy, a iron will bound in a deep and patient voice. His eyes, circled the communication console only a few feet ahead. Soon he would make use of it, and launch the attack. ​"It seems as though they've scrapped together what remains of them to create a formidable offensive. You have saved many lives today Tathra, without you and your forces, the push into the facility might have taken days." ​Kabel's voice seemed strained as he paced back and forth, his helm covering his face.

​But, Tathra knew his eyes lingered on the massive War-Hammer that rested in Tathra's grip. The weapon itself was bigger than most creatures of the galaxy, it made even the fiercest warrior shudder. ​"You place to little face in your own abilities. Any Promethean Guard could crack their defences. I am here, solely because resources have been wasted in this search. I am here to see this done with. Quickly and.."

​Tathra's words trailed off as the communicator activated, a encrypted code arrived on their end; a series of numbers and letters that signalled one thing. The anti-air weapons were down. Tathra opened the all-systems communicator's channel.

​"All ships, launch!" ​A mechanical thud shook the Valkyrie as it disembarked, alongside nearly seventy drop pods. Just a little over a thousand brutes were headed to the planet below. Whilst the Prometheans had their doubts, Tathra knew the fighting would be over within hours.

| [member="Lirka Ka"] |​

 

[Lirka Ka]

Not paid enough indeed.

Lirka had no loyalty or any sort of true affiliation with the Xirces, the woman’s armored form walked among their ranks only because they had paid her to do so. She was a mercenary through and through, it was the pay and possibility of violence that kept her going with work like this. What was loyalty in the Underworld?

She regretted taking the job rather fast as the final assault was launched, this little proxy war she had signed herself onto for some shiny credits to buy something to clean her gear and drown in some cheap booze for a bit. But as her helmet head watched the pods make their decent she couldn’t help but snarl at the whole thing, well she had gotten the violence she wanted at least. Whatever that was worth to probably getting blown into pale skinned fleshy bits.

But Ka didn’t question, she heaved her “massive” (though only 2 Meters In lengths and remarkably thin for how efficient it was) Klaive into her hands. It wasn’t much compared to that Warhammer, not that she knew. Her danger sense was flaring all over the place, and that meant the fight was undoubtedly coming to her: she moved regardless though, quickly breaking into a thudding armored stride.

[member="Tathra Khaeus"]

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

​There was a loud thump as the large pod created a small crater in the ground, cracking the mountain side as the pod crashed through their communication tower, stopping a few feet away from any equipment, and causing the rock cliff to crumble and collapse downward into the ocean.

​The shards rained down from the sky, collecting masses of flame in their pointed hulls as they burst through the atmosphere, collecting in groups of sixteen as they rained down on several locations. The entire beach was covered in Shards, every few metres one landed. Dotting the beachfront with the mark of the titan himself.

​The massive shards appeared impenetrable to small arms fire, the Xirces mercenaries were scrambling to get their heavy armaments back online, but the Operators cut down the few who tarried too long in the shadows. Soon the beach was almost overrun with the sheer amount of Brutes that made to the shore. Still, even whilst Xirces nearly triple their numbers.

​Every brute made for ten ordinary men. On the other end of the complex, in the upper levels; Tathra was now exiting his personal pod, alongside him was Kabel and Cha'jen. ​"Cha'jen, meet the Operators at rally point Bravo. Kabel, hit the barracks. Kill those unprepared. I will flank the enemy and regroup with our Brutes."

​It was only a matter of moments and the three split off from one and other, the other two falling into darkness as the massive titan leapt over the rubble of the mountain; using his armours built in thrusters to carry him down to the large base built into the side of the mountain. Here, the fighting would be thickest; as this was the entrance to their hidden liar. The fight below was tough, Xirces had rolled out tanks and made use of their home advantage to set up a basic perimeter. Tathra raised his war hammer, bellowing through the air as his Brutes came into view.

The brutes charged almost half recklessly, rushing their first line as their massive plated armour protected them. He, would deal with the tanks. He leapt from the bases rooftops, using the thrusters built in to send himself spiralling downward as his Hammer collected the kinetic velocity of his movement, crashing down on the tank with enough gravitational energy to crush the tank itself and then some, the knockback threw Tathra back, but he flowed with the energy, allowing it to rip the Hammer from the wreckage of the tank as he used his bodies weight to throw Kyberfel into the second tank.

Tathra allowed the force to run through him, like the blood working in his veins, it moved to substitute for the pressure of combat; allowing his strength to be increased as Kyberel slammed into the side of the tank to his left, not destroying it but simply throwing it off its axis and onto its side.

In a moment, the mercenaries didn't know whether to aim at Tathra or the charging Brutes.

| [member="Lirka Ka"] |​

 

[Lirka Ka]

One Mercenary knew just what to do.

Run the other direction, Lirka skidded herself to a halt as she saw the absolute carnage. She enjoyed a good fight with s high emphasis on the good part, this was just suicide. Not the type of suicidal fight that paid well, just raw suicide. Impressive enough to see that...thing...destroy a few tanks. But she’d much rather not have her expensive gear shattered into nothingness. Or her bones. Or organs.

After her skid she turned right around, this was far too hopeless of a thing for her. Tough luck for this “Xirces”. Pay wasn’t even that good anyway.

[member="Tathra Khaeus"]

 

[Tathra Khaeus]

| NINE MONTHS LATER |​

​

The most interesting conversations only happened in backrooms. Backrooms, with locked doors and often too many bodies filled in tiny rooms. Tathra strained to remain comfortable in the small room, his red eyes beamed down at the small humanoids. In a small ornamental chair there was a man, slumped into the frame as two guards stood by his side.

​The room they were in carried a stench of red spice and grime. The man himself sat barely clad in clothing with grease covered fingers, and old sunken eyes. Tathra saw merely the makings of a front man, a face for the Kedemiera and their crew. Flanking either side of him, were two much more notable figures. One of which, he recognised. And no doubt recognised him.

​After the battle at Kurah Prime, the smokey burn of smouldering flesh filled the air. It took the Bryn'adûl a few hours to wipe out the raiding parties on the planet before they could finish off the remaining forces within. The push into the base had been hard, but nothing they couldn't deal with. By the time they were inside, the Operators had already cleared out the security tunnels and de-activated the remaining defences. Cha'jen had shown Tathra to their archives, which showed one Lirka Ka, escaping from the battle.

​Now, she stood before him. Once again in the employ of his adversaries.

​Tathra's red eyes held a glare on the woman's face for but a moment. Then, they returned to the man in the chair.

​​"So, I am to understand that your men took it upon themselves to corner and kill two of my Brutes. You encroached upon Bryn'adûl territory. Not the other way around."

​The man in the chair grinned, sitting forward slightly as his eyes fell on the towering Titan.

​"The Meridian Sons decide what is their territory. Not you." He laid back, reclining as his eyes held Tathra's gaze.

​Tathra scoffed, the massive Titan's smallest movements telegraphing a vocal amusement. ​"Big words, for a small sack of meat.-" ​Tathra took a single step forward, however keeping a sure enough distance as to not entirely alarm the guards. ​"- You Meridians, are new to this. I agree to come to your territory, and all the Meridian Sons give me is a spokesmen. I consider that insulting. Here are my terms. The Meridian Sons will pay for what they've done. One way or another. Ten thousand credits per Brute. Or I will wipe you out."

​| [member="Lirka Ka"] |​

 

[Lirka Ka]

The simple fact of the matter was: the hulking monster meant nothing to Ka, his organization meant nothing to Ka, and his enemies meant nothing to Ka. She simply made her way through the Underworld taking pitiful work for easy credits, honor was nothing compared to some easy credits.

This was an amusing enough encounter, considering she had run tail last time she had encountered him. The armored sentinel stood with her arms crossed over her chest as she watched these runts get what they deserved: Lirka wasn't willingly here she simply had made some wrong turns and ended up in their employ until she could easily kill them off.

Well, maybe that chance had finally showed itself.

[member="Tathra Khaeus"]