Disruption (IC)

Kradus let out hard yowls as the Metan's punches were thrown an the energy coursed through his enormous body. He backed away, his scales igniting as though electrified. His chest moved up and down with heavy breathing and his searing red eyes narrowed. He was very focused, gazing at this new transformation with all of his mind. He lifted his right arm, clenching a fist as the scales began to mutate, piling up and growing into huge plates, spikes shooting out until it was a massive club, up until his fingers, which elongated into spikes. Kradus' armor stretched back down to it, and formed to mutate with his body, it attached itself to the plates and filled them with an energy core, causing the cracks in between to fill with a red finish. His millipede-like legs all came together, coating back with more scales and finally molding into two humanoid legs, intensely muscular and being coated by the armor as well.

"You rise? You rise? I think not you filthy drood! Fall back down again! I liked you better when I thought you were dead!" Kradus said, swinging the new blade along his arm at the Metan with a force of most ferocious speed.

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Shancar blasted a long, thick, pulse in the way of Xej and Svar, causing rubble from the roof of the church to spill over and crash in their way. "You're not going anywhere Therus! It's time you face your fears and stop running like a coward!" Shancar shouted back. Shancar laughed, as he knew that Xej would be surprised by his sudden appearance. "Remember me? Yes... I remember you..." Shancar then flashed forward, landing between Svar and Xej and swinging his blades wildly.

A little ways into the forest, Isbar, who had gotten ahead, paused an raised a hand, bringing the others to a stop. Silently he pointed ahead. There was some sort of commotion ahead. Aarin cast a questioning look t Cipher, silently inquiring as to the next move.

Xej evaded the attacks with grace, avoiding each swing of Shancar's blades. Shancar was a fool, a vaunt Zraak whose mouth was his best weapon, and a dull weapon at that. Xej had been unfortunate enough to encounter him several times, though never killed him. Circumstances or superior numbers always seemed to prevent it. However, it was no less a surprise to see him. Xej had thought for the longest time that Shancar had been killed; either when the original Dominion crumbled, or slightly prior.
 
The Zealot looked to the side, searching for Lamor. He was as he had left him, perhaps minimally dustier.
 
Xej was so quick to leave the prison chamber as Unsilenced Retribution burst through the ceiling for several reasons. Firstly, he knew it was best to take the advantage as soon as possible. If he had stayed, the fighting might have have further hurt Lamor. Secondly, he was confident in his now partially artificial ally to deal with Kradus satisfactorily. Even without the Blue Orb, project Overcharge was a force to be reckoned with; even the Zealot himself could not stand against it.
 
Thirdly, a minor sociopathic tendency allowed him to abandon Unsilenced without a care. Some resentfulness at the Wreae's recent activity also contributed to this, just barely. Xej reflected on this coldly, before returning his attentions to the defiant Shancar. Drawing his dual-bladed sword, he made several deft slashes at the Zraak Superior Leader. He retreated from the skirmish for a moment when he overheard a snippet of conversation coming from within the adjacent chamber. A new voice, followed by Kradus's ever-present threats.
 
Something was wrong.

In a mere fraction of a second, two meter long, double edged swords materialized on the top of both of the Metan's gauntlets, detracting from the taken over armor of Unsilenced Retribution. With ferocious speed the Metan dashed forward under the blade of Kradus, using his right weapon to block and slow the incoming blow. As soon as he got within range, the Metan charged the left blade with brilliant red energy and slashed sideways. Before a proper counterattack could be mounted, it created a bubble of energy at the chest level and used it to propel itself backwards away from the lord of the Dominion, skidding to a stop about four meters by digging both swords into the ground and utilizing the friction created. It was clear that while Unsilenced Retribution's configuration of the Overcharge Project's armoring specialized in long range and enormous amounts of damage, the Metan preferred stunning agility at close quarters.

"Hollow words," The Metan spoke in an ominous, lifeless voice. "It is clear that my legacy is unknown to you. It is quite ironic how the great leader Kradus Krylen must resort to such petty insults in the heat of battle. A shame, really. The blade of words is usually as sharp as that of metal. Usually."

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Shancar's armor took most of the slash from Xej. Shancar's snout wrinkled. He then seemed to grin. "My master has been waiting for this day. I will not deny him the opportunity to take his prize, coward," Shancar said quickly letting loose an array of energy and then turning to face Svar. "And you..."

Shancar stopped short as he found himself staring down the length of Svar's railgun, pointed directly at his reptilian face. The metal projectile was prepared at the other end of the weapon and would be able to be fired instantaneously, whenever the Krathunian using it chose to. Svar retracted his helmet into his armoring, revealing a sly grin plastered upon his face.

"The great Superior Leader of the Zraak... Vulnerable like this," He mused. "However, you shall not have the honor and mercy of death today. You and your kind deserve nothing but suffering and degradation for the sins you have committed." Svar lowered the railgun to Shancar's chest and chuckled. "Have a nice time, Lrevai."

The railgun fired.

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Jiiran's tail smacked Netheun in his midsection, throwing the Ryun back a couple meters, but ultimately he landed on his feet. As this occurred, Netheun quickly checked the tracker on Unsilenced Retribution to find that the signal emitted by the Wreae had been altered, and matched that of a machine effected by Metan Rampancy. He needed to get to the Wreae as quickly as possible, before the Metan caused serious damage to the allies and friends of 8164392. Netheun created small platform with the particle wall generator to Jiiran's side and ran forward, leaping to the hardlight wall created while simultaneously attempting to hit Jiiran with an upwards blow with his sword. He jumped off the hardlight and onto the roof of a nearby building, sprinting as fast as he could towards the church.

((KVANUN TOMORROW, OKAY?))

Jiiran took the blow on the bottom of the chin, causing him to do a back-flip; however, he landed on all fours. Looking around, he spotted Netheun dashing along the roof tops, and climbed up after him; however, he didn't chase, but watched him for a moment, ascertaining his destination. Looking further ahead, his helmet picked up the energy from the battle between Kradus and the Metan.

Jiiran sat for a moment. He wasn't concerned with Netheun or the Metan; the only reason he had fought them was that he perceived them as something prudent to remove. His primary focus was to lead Kradus into his trap and destroy him. And according to his observations and readings, that's exactly where Netheun was heading.

He paused at the sound of a railgun firing. It came from near where Kradus was. Jumping to the ground, Jiiran began to make his way furtively in the direction of the church. As he approached, the sound of battle grew closer. Jiiran was distracted by voices nearby, however. Climbing some debris, he peered over and beheld the scene with Shancar lying on the ground. Jiiran didn't notice Lamor was looking at him until it was too late to silence him, however. To the Dranzoot, it would have looked like some large, exoskeletal lizard creature with no face on it's wedge-shaped head was peering over at the scene below it.

Kradus' abdomen was cut, although his armor was protective enough to keep it from reaching his scale plates. He came backward, looking at the Metan fiercely. His snout wrinkled, fangs baring. His blade burst open, the scales falling away and releasing his hand. His armor shifted around, making room for his rapidly shifting body. His voice rumbled out, more pounding than thunder.

"Your legacy is nothing. I will reduce it to dust. I return finding new enemies. These enemies tell me I am old and that much has changed... Well, so have I..." Kradus' eyes narrowed until they were red slits. As his pupils dilated, they became a bloodthirsty black. Kradus jumped onto a pillar, bouncing off of it and latching onto another and quickly dropping down directly behind the Metan. Intensely, his fists bulked up and he threw several intensely powerful blows. They were thunderous and simply spoke the transformation Kradus had become.

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Shancar found himself laying on the ground, in a pool of his own blood. He opened his eyes, looking up. As he tried to move, his entire body shot with pain. He gasped, painfully and looked over, seeing Svar and Xej. His eyes narrowed. "You... you... I-I'll show y-you!" Shancar gasped again. "Look w-what you've d-done..." he was breathing heavily, his eyes watering excruciatingly from the pain. Although Zraak tears were yellow and more like puss than anything. It only caused him to look more brutal. There was blood all over his face, sprayed from the hit. He leaned slightly up, reaching out as if to grab Svar. "You're mine..."

Cipher walked up to where Isbar was standing, and tilted his head to one side, as though listening, before giving a small nod, "That would be the commotion produced when a large number of Tani Yard agents are attempting to control recently captured feral Alutadons, I suppose. If they have not captured the number specified by this time, then I suspect that there is something amiss. They are either on carts or harnessed with leads; either way, their heads will be covered for the sole purpose of ensuring they cannot see, and it does not calm them down as it does with Atroxniks. Those taking leads must proceed with caution, and avoid walking directly in front of the animals, as they might use the opportunity to kick you, or gore you with their horns; they can be...somewhat troublesome. It is likely that more than one person is needed to control each Alutadon, due to their great size." He said.

Everyone proceeded into the valley, and for a time, they saw nothing but bamboo, although the noise and commotion up ahead grew louder with every step taken. After a brief period, the party emerged into a clearing, only to behold what looked like the aftermath of a natural disaster: A large amount of bamboo that had ringed the clearing had been trampled down by panicking animals, and a lot of the lush green grass had been stomped into oblivion under the Alutadon's massive hooves. In the center of the clearing, wooden carts with metal cages built into them hold a single animal each, but despite the fact that many animals had already been penned, there were not enough to contain all of them. The animals that could not be put in cages were the cause of the uproar. Massive male Alutadons, their gleaming antlers rising majestically out of the black sacks that had been tossed over their heads, wrestled with groups of at least five Tani Yard agents each; part of their reason for being outside the carts due to a lack of transport, and secondly, they were dramatically larger than the antler-less females.

In addition to the apparent struggle with the animals, there was an open white tent at the edge of the camp, where several agents were badly beaten in appearance, having been attacked by the animals. As a nurse dressed what looked like an antler-inflicted wound on a man's arm while he sat up on a cot, he clenched his beak shut to prevent from screaming, although everyone could tell that he felt like it. It went without saying that unlike the Atroxniks, the Alutadons were liable to become violent when threatened, versus running away, although one strongly suspected the males were responsible for the majority of the injuries. Cipher, who was aware that Spyros should have been among these men, scanned the area for a younger Pavolite around the same age as him. He suddenly looked back at the medical tent, before realizing that Spyros was among those agents who had been hurt.

Spyros, having taken off his pinstripe suit in favor of something more casual, was now wearing a black leather jacket of sorts, and a shirt that had been dyed a brilliant red, which was probably supposed to be worn under it, was draped over one arm. The lack of the shirt itself left Spyros' stomach exposed, revealing that he was wearing thick bandages all over his abdomen and chest area. The shirt itself was wet, as though it had been washed, although one with a strong sense of smell would detect faint traces of blood, and upon closer examination, there was the suggestion of some large scratch across the front of his leather jacket, also. Although he was relaxed, sitting on a wooden stool, and wasn't completely immobilized, whenever he did any sort of action that stretched his stomach, he seemed to flinch with pain. One could only conclude that Spyros had been slashed across his front at some point by an Alutadon's antlers, and judging by the marks on his jacket and his washed shirt, it had been from his right shoulder all the way down to his left hip on the first pair of legs.

Cipher, for once, seemed unsure what to say or do, for he stood there quietly for a long time, even as the Tani Yard agents took note and sent for the Chief.

Aarin gave an inclination of the head as the Chief approached. "You are in charge around here, I presume?" He gazed around. "You look like you could use some assistance."

The Tani Yard chief, in response to Aarin's statement, folded his arms, and frowned, as though puzzling over something, before opening his beak to respond, "The boy Spyros claimed that there would be strange people with Cipher's party, and that most of you would prefer to speak the tongue I am using now. I would not believe it, had I not seen and heard it with my own eyes and ears. Why you are choosing to speak a dead tongue is confusing, as you are supposed to attend a school in order to learn it. Where did you receive your education? It certainly could not have been any place that I am aware of." Overall, the Chief seemed a lot friendlier than Albus had been upon first meeting Cipher, perhaps because most people had begun to shape an image in their minds that Thundarian society was somewhat more barbaric than that of the Pavolites.

The Chief, after some reflection, lowered his head, cuffing the sleeves of his green tweed jacket, in a fashion that resembled the typical greeting of Chimerosu, but also a mild quality characteristic of a bow. He then straightened, his posture displaying the silver badge that was over his heart, clearly marking his high-ranking position. The jacket, which was just a typical uniform, it seemed, as all the agents were wearing green tweed, looked rather good on the Chief, on account of the greenish tinge to the iridescent flecks of color on his feathers. He formally introduced himself, "I am Chief Evans, pleased to meet all of you; and yes, we could desperately use some assistance in controlling these male Alutadons. A number of my men, as well as Spyros, one of yours, have been injured by these animals, and there is little doubt that the marks left by their antlers will leave deep scars."

Spyros, having noted the arrival of Cipher's people, winced as he rose from where he had been sitting, and walked over to the group, "Hey, people; what took you so long to get here?" He asked in a rather cool, laid-back manner, although one could sense this was just a way of hiding that his wound probably still hurt.

"It was a complicated journey," said Aarin, as everyone introduced themselves. "We've been having quite a few adventures." He paused and looked with some concern at Spyros' injury. "Are you sure you should be up walking?"

Meanwhile, Mott, Allé and Isbar had decided to get right down to business with the unruly Alutadons. Mott quickly had his feet knocked from under him, landing on his seat in a most undignified fashion. "Good grief!" he exclaimed. "It would certainly be a lot easier if they were not so lively."

"I say we knock them out," said Isbar briskly.

"Hmm," said Allé. He dug a bunch of things out of his pack, threw them together in a jar and shook them up. Opening and holding the jar at chest level, he gave a gentle experimental sniff, being sure to keep his nose as far away as possible. He quickly slapped the lid back on; even at that distance, it was making his eyes water.

"This should make them easier to handle," he said, coughing a little. "Just a little under the nostrils should do the trick, if you can manage to get it there. But be careful and don't put your face to close to. . ."

Too late. One of the Chimerosu had taken the jar and opened it right near his beak. He fell on his stomach with a thump, his eyes watering and a silly grin on his face. Holding his breath, Isbar pounced on the jar and closed it.

Chief Evans frowned at the agent who had sedated himself by accident, before rubbing the base of his beak, which was the equivalent to the bridge of a nose, as he shook his head, "Well, I suppose I shouldn't have brought the rookies along, they're the ones that seem to keep getting injured. It just goes to show you that no amount of training can truly make up for actual experience in the field. Technically, though, we normally only deal with Pavolites; we weren't expecting to have to capture and contain wild animals, and if ever the occasion came, not usually anything this big." He looked on regretfully as the rookie was grabbed by two of his colleagues, and dragged over to the medical tent. He shook his head, "No doubt the families of the agents are going to throw a fit when they find out they're being injured by something we aren't supposed to handle. They know the risks, though, that this can be a dangerous line of work for anyone."

Evans then received the jar of sedative from Isbar, and looked at Allé, "We'll see if this works; chances are that it'll take a stronger dose of whatever this is to knock out a bull Alutadon, but if we don't have to worry about injuries, that would make them easier to put in cages. We probably still need help lifting them, though, since each one weighs almost twice as much as the cows." With this statement, he went over and handed the jar to what appeared to be an older, high-ranking officer, who likely wouldn't make the same mistake as a rookie and open it right underneath his beak where he would get hit by the fumes. The officer went up to the largest of the bull Alutadons, which one strongly suspected was perhaps responsible for the majority of injuries, and opened the jar, having to use his wings to hurriedly fly back when it attempted to slash at the sound of the unscrewing lid, letting out an angry bellow. When the Aludadon leveled its head, the officer quickly ran off and held it right next to the animal's head, receiving a confused rumble in response, as the fumes hit the creature's nose.

After a few moments, the bull's assault having been halted, it finally wobbled on its long, skinny-yet powerful legs, and everyone had to move away as it tottered and fell over onto its side, having been effectively knocked out.

"Well, I guess that means it works then," said Aarin. "Let's get to work on the others."

Within fifteen minutes, the remaining bulls were sedated, and then began the work of caging them.

Mott took measurements on the bulls, and quickly figured out the best dimensions for caging them, showing his calculations to Evans.

-The surface of Kvanun-



The wind howled over the desolate, barren dunes of snow, whipping up the white particles while more fell from the sky. One may have considered the bleak scene rather peaceful. However, this tranquility would have been interrupted by the blasts of explosions, emanating from both the planet and its artificial shield, and the knowledge that Kvanun was being invaded. It was possible for one to see gaping, fiery holes in the distant shield of the planet through the thin cover of the clouds. It was this grandeur and destruction that Q'ren Talus reflected upon as he emerged from a rather large mass of billowing snow, created by the nature's frigid breath. He had never thought that upon returning to this place he would be greeted with such devastation. He was home.

Q'ren turned his head to the side, observing both the imprints his feet left in the snow and those materializing from the thick flurry. First, those who had accompanied him on the frigate Anomaly - Zjer, the Lieutenant Wreae Unit, Zizo Tai, Teglin, and Admiral Lirr. The last figure was followed by the army of Markovans, having been battered heavily by the Vrentus forces within the shield. Despite this, they had made it to the surface from the elevators, and journeyed to the wintry desert surrounding the ancient Krathunian archives that housed the artifacts that were so sought after by the Pact.

Q'ren turned his head back towards the horizon to observe a distant, fortress like structure composed of darkened metal and concrete. Normally, the archives would also be protected by a faint blue energy shield, but the Terminus Pact had already infiltrated the compound. With disdain and sickening anger Q'ren focused his sight upon the approaching swarm of Vrentus units, for now in their levitating sphere form, but the Greaters had already begun to morph into different entities, husks of Krathunian warriors who had died five centuries ago.

And then, the two armies clashed.

The blade of Markovan met the same, replicated sword of the Vrentus, and brilliant projectiles of energy and plasma reflected harshly upon the pure white snow as they seared across the sky. Q'ren fought several enemies, quickly eradicating of the Vrentus with the use of his SMGs and a new weapon - A glaive retracted from his gauntlet. As Q'ren pulled the spear-like weapon from the defeated shell of one Vrentus, he looked over to see the Wreae expertly dispatching of the enemy, using his highly powerful pistol to quickly destroy the shells of the energy beings. As he redirected his attention to nearby foes, however, Q'ren noticed something in the distance -A pulsating sphere of deep blue energy, seeming to cause the air around it to ripple, had appeared close to the archives.

"No," Q'ren uttered, staring in awe and fear at the orb. "Not here, not no-" Q'ren quickly activated functions in his armoring that enabled highly increased shielding as he paused and memories hidden long ago flooded into his mind.

"We will go back to the house, and mother will say a prayer so that the evil forgets our faces."

"The Loccalians speak of an ancient nemesis..."

"What is that thing?"

"...That invaded Ravena long ago..."

"You really do not know?"

"...Some say that, should they return, they will bring about another age of reckoning."

"It is the beginning of the end, Q'ren."

The Krathunian snapped back to reality as a Vrentus Greater's battleaxe sliced through the air towards him. Q'ren deftly dodged the attack and riddled the shell with holes with his gun. He looked up to see the enigmatic orb fading away. He quickly grew angry, and set his sights upon the objective - The archives. With rage fueled energy he began to rush through the Vrentus army, smashing through enemies, but not before shouting to the Anomaly crew, "Let's go!"

((Sorry, didn't have time for anything else, just needed this posted. And yes, a glaive is a spear-like weapon, not a chakram))

Evans mused over the instructions for building the cages, "Well, I don't know how long these bulls will stay knocked out, but I suppose we should just hurry up and build their cages before they wake up. I don't exactly like throwing wild animals in cages; it scares and upsets them, but there's really no other way to safely transport them." With this statement, he began giving instructions in the 'Pavolite Tongue' to the Tani Yard agents who were still able to work, and everyone proceeded to begin building cages to transport the Alutadons in. More wagons were sent for, and soon, the bull Alutadons were safely inside of perfectly-fitting cages, and loaded onto carts for ease of movement. Just as they finished, the smallest of the bulls woke up, and stood up inside of his cage, unable to see, because of the bag on his face.

The small bull tilted his head to one side, before pushing his muzzle up against the bars of the pen. After a moment, he shoved his face through the bars, and then yanked back his head, the sack catching on the bars of the cage and sliding off of his face, allowing him to see. He then glanced warily through the bars of the cage at the Pavolites, and the strange people wearing the cloaks and masks. He sniffed the air, before looking directly at Cipher, giving a snort, and letting out a strange-sounding bellow, almost as though he were happy. Cipher raised his head slightly, as though vaguely surprised, "I was wondering if that calf I found would survive in the wild..." He mused.

Ravage glanced down at Cipher through her mask, "You have raised a lot of wild animals, it would seem. That Alutadon doesn't like the cage he is in, but he is happy to see you."

Cipher shook his head slowly, "He was a runt rejected by his mother, the smaller of two twins. I took him and raised him, and I frequently used his shed hair for various purposes. When he was getting older, however, after about a year, I feared that he might accidentally harm me, or attack me in a fit of aggression. Alutadons are very sweet-tempered beasts at times, but they can also be very violent, as that older bull over there suggests," He indicated the largest one, still unconscious. "I released him into the wild, because as an adult, he no longer needed me, and as a creature that greatly surpassed me in size and power, I also could not help but feel threatened by his presence at times when he would behave in unpredictable ways."

Ravage sighed, "Well, he didn't forget you, but I do suppose you have your reasons."

Cipher flicked his tail, "It is best not to talk about it. Let us take the carts and proceed with transporting them.

Zizo swung a puzzled glance in Q'ren's direction. "Hullo, what's got his dander up?"

Lirr shrugged. Reversing his blades, he shoved them backwards into a Vrentus that came up behind him. "We'll find out soon enough, I suspect. Lets go!"

The group followed after Q'ren, covered by the still hard-fighting Markovan force.
_________________________________________

"Some pack-animals would be helpful," observed Allé, wiping sweat from his brow. "I don't suppose anybody brought any."

"Not unless you count Xenos," said Mott.

"I'm not sure he really qualifies," said Allé, "although he can doubtlessly haul more than the rest of us."

"What are you looking at?" said Mott a little grumpily to Isbar.

"It never ceases to amaze me," said the Virc. "How people manage to find the breath to waste on unnecessary chatter while doing this sort of labor. You'd have more energy if you kept your mouth shut and focused on the task at hand."

"No harm in making observations," muttered Mott. "Unnecessary chatter indeed! I happen to like a good lively discussion, especially one with some spirit."

"He is getting a little irritating," confessed Tevri quietly to Aarin as Mott chattered on to himself.

"He can be stubborn and unreasonable at times," said Aarin. "But he's a good-hearted person. He just has some quirks, as we all do."

With what was not a small amount of effort, the Chimerosu managed to haul the cages up the mountains, and at one point, Cipher told the Tani Yard to stop following, and to allow his group to take on the challenge by themselves. Upon this request, Chief Evans frowned, "What is up there that you're so determined to keep us from following you?" He asked, which seemed to annoy Cipher, as his tail twitched beneath his cloak.

"Pay careful attention, Chief Evans, to where these Alutadons are being taken. Spyros claimed in his message to you that this simple task of transporting a certain number of animals, could stop the raids on Pavo's borders, so who do you think we are afraid you will come in contact with?" He asked.

Upon this fact being brought to his attention, Evans paled, "The grey demons that people from the border talk about? You're afraid we'll be attacked with lightning?"

Cipher was seemed agonized that he had to answer a question regarding something that should have been obvious, "Yes, Chief Evans. the demons, who should more properly be referred to as Thundarians, are waiting for us on the other side of this mountain, and are already highly suspicious of us." After a long moment, Cipher was quiet, "There is a place north of here. Go there, and you will find a strange city. Wait for us, and when we return, you will learn what our mission is ultimately leading to. Do not touch anything there, and do not harm the flora, for it is all endangered, and of a special kind."

With this, Cipher led the Chimerosu soldiers over the mountain, leaving the agents of the Tani Yard to travel north, towards the abandoned Krylonian city.

Aarin moved closer to Cipher. "How do you think everyone will react when they know what is really going on? I have a feeling not everyone will be willing to forget their differences." He frowned. "It seems all to frequent that, when there's a status quot of hatred, there are always those who are desperate to maintain it at any cost."

Cipher flicked his tail, "Would you rather people continue to kill each other, and then drive both the Pavolites and Thundarians on the path of extinction?" He asked, letting the question hang in the air, in defense of his actions. "Change always brings some sort of strife, but it will mostly come on the part of the Pavolites who inhabit the borders, and the Thundarians who raid them." He said, keeping his voice calm and measured. "Chimerosu are not violent creatures by nature, but aggressive behavior is easily brought out when we must take action to protect one another. We prefer not to fight, unless we believe it is crucial to our survival or safety. Those who hold grudges will have reasons to do so, but we do not often unconditionally hate something."

Samir, now limping alongside Spyros, who was staying with the group, looked at Cipher, "You would expect the best of people, but that does not always happen." He said. "Chimerosu have always been kind, generous creatures by nature, because it is not normally in our nature to be hateful, but that does not mean we do not have the potential to behave in such a way. We give willingly because we are allowed to do so, and we like being generous with what we have. We do not so easily forgive when someone takes what we have by force."

Cipher huffed, in a manner oddly similar to something Ravage did, "My father was a Pavolite, and my mother was a Thundarian who raided towns on the border. Do you think they were the only two people who knew what I was when my mother laid an egg that was silvery-grey with flecks of gold, instead of pure black like charcoal? An entire community kept that egg a secret, because if the wrong people found out that the egg was hidden in some cave somewhere, they would search for it, and smash it if they found it. It would not have been out of a grudge, but because of the belief that Thundarians and Pavolites have nothing in common, even though that egg is proof."

Cipher's wings twitched, "They assisted her in faking her death, but others eventually became suspicious, and when my mother and father were found together having a conversation on one of the mountain-tops, they were killed by Thundarians, because they thought their relationship seemed unnatural." His hands tightened into fists, "I heard every word spoken, and I wonder when I recall it how many chicks like me were murdered because of that misconception. I am going to dispel it using so much evidence that they cannot possibly hope to argue it, and that city is the first clue they have."

At this point, Cipher hurried and walked on ahead, his wings still quivering as though he were thinking of flying away. Ravage now proceeded to walk up next to Aarin, "No matter how mature he is, Aarin, he is still a child." she whispered in his ear.

"I know," said Aarin quietly. "That is what concerns me. He is indeed in intelligent and wise beyond his years, but I fear he is still a bit too innocent. He looks for the best in everyone, something which I also have tried to do. However, over the years, I've learned to let that hope be governed by prudence."

Aarin looked in Cipher's direction. "It's good that Cipher can be optimistic, and, considering what he is and what he's been through, it's no surprise that he should be passionate about this cause. I just hope this goes well. I fear his isolation has left him with a lack of understanding of how others think."

Ravage shrugged her shoulders under her cloak, and continued walking next to Aarin, "Cipher does not exactly have a lack of understanding, Aarin, although I agree that his mind works differently from that of an average person." She said, keeping her voice low, and shooting a warning look at Cavernians through the eyes of her mask, demanding with her gaze that they avoid the temptation to eavesdrop. She continued, "You must not look at the way he feels about these things as though you were an outsider, but picture the world as he sees it. Even had he possessed social contact, he has the knowledge that Thundarians and Pavolites were once the same flock. Even had you been one race or the other, you would not be so willing to kill someone that you know is descended from the same ancestors as you; it would be the same as murder."

She watched as he walked ahead of the group in the distance, and Arrow rounded the group, walking up on the other side of Aarin, and scanning the mountain crags warily, as though expecting something to jump out and attack the soldiers as they made their way through the mountain range with the captive Alutadons. Ravage ignored the dog, and continued speaking, "Cipher's parents likely held the same beliefs that Cipher himself does, for most chicks learn their beliefs from their parents. His desire to do something about the situation, though, is only made stronger by what happened to him. He was orphaned at a time that he remembered it, or he is one of those rare chicks who retain memories from the days that they hatched, which is normally something that is forgotten. With this, he understands what it feels like to be loved, which is in reality, a blessing, but also a curse, for if you know what it is, and lose it, it leaves a gaping hole in the heart that is far more painful than had you never known it."

Arrow, staring down the mountain, began to growl deep in his throat, and Xenos, walking next to Ravage, moved his great head to look, as well. The hearing hound's ears twitched wildly, as he detected something, though he could not smell it, as the wind blew away from the group, carrying the scents away from them, and to whatever the dog heard. Xenos, however, could see much better than the dog could hear, and the Spiromander recognized the shape that he saw appearing in the distance. He made an odd burbling noise, and nudged Ravage's wing, which was more like a headbutt, from a creature so large. She looked at the Spiromander, then at Arrow, and quickly made a clicking sound in the back of her throat, silencing the hound, who still bared his teeth, but ceased to produce noise.

From the distance, a shape took flight, and alighted short distance away, bearing a black cloak and white mask like everyone else in the group of soldiers, although the talons visible on the hands were visibly sharp on an almost unnatural scale. The slightest tinge of red in the eyes of the mask gave away who it was, although natives on the planet would just think the stranger was a disguised albino with some unnatural appearance. Ravage scented the air, when the wind changed, and tilted her head to one side, "Blair? I had supposed you wouldn't be coming down to the planet. Everyone said you were struggling to control your new abilities." She said. Blair did not respond, and walked up to the group, stopping right in front of her, which prompted a hiss, "If you don't respond, I'll think you're going to attack me, which will become very ugly, very quickly." Her eyes darted from within her mask to where Cipher was, as though she were more concerned with his safety than her own, although Blair was closer in proximity to her and Aarin than the hybrid.

Blair folded his arms, "Rumor has it from a certain Cavernian on this planet that you have chosen to take an orphan under your wing. Watson was a talented actor, if you did not realize that he was awake when you were speaking with Cipher about that arrangement. He borrowed Aolani's transmitter, and told no one what he was calling for, but he told me whole story. He seemed concerned by it, for whatever reason, and I suspect he fears your desire to protect the boy will distract you from your squadron." he looked through the eyes of Ravage's mask, "I am the only one who heard, for reference, and there is so much noise on the account of those creatures over there that Cavernians could not hear our conversation from a distance, even if they wanted to. Regardless, I came to see if it was true or not, for I cannot imagine you doing such a thing."

Aside from Isbar, nobody but Ravage and Cipher were aware of the arrangement that Ravage would adopt him. Isbar had remained silent, and nobody was aware that the Virc had known, but Blair had now confronted Ravage, and it seemed that Watson had somehow heard the two make the arrangement. Aarin was present, and heard it, and this would have been the first time he had heard of it. It was still possible for one to have creeping suspicions, but whatever they were, they were now obviously confirmed.

Ravage winced behind her mask, but did not look away, "I have not forgotten my cadets, but if you object to my actions, and try to harm him..." Her pupils dilated, a sign of someone telling the truth, to their mind, "...If you try to hurt that flightling, I will kill you."

"We're too late." Q'ren stepped back from the archives terminal and looked to the group. They were currently located in a large, circular chamber a couple hundred feet below the stronghold, having taken an elevator after entering the fortress above. There were no Vrentus to be seen, however.

"How did this occur?" Lieutenant Unit 28515 asked, stepping forward as if attempting to look at the computer.

"According to this, the archives were accessed several minutes ago," Q'ren stated, his voice slightly strained as if in pain. "There are artifacts already missing, and I'm willing to bet that a group of those Krathun damned Vrentus are down there right now, taking them." He shook his head and sighed. "These items were, according to Theranis, stored away by the New Worlds government for further research after the retaking of the former territories. Due to the technology my people utilized being more advanced than the others, it would have given an advantage in this new battle... And now, it's lost." Q'ren suddenly gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, putting three fingers to the side of his head as if there were some sharp pain emanating from inside. The Wreae rushed over, seemingly concerned, but the elderly Krathunian waved it away with his hand. "I'm fine, this is nothing..." He grimaced at the last word.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard from one of the many hallways branching out from the chamber. Each was heavy and metallic, its thunderous booming echoing violently into the room. The group all turned to the source of the noise as the figure who had created it entered the chamber.



"You..." Q'ren growled, whipping out his SMG. "I killed you!"

"I thought you would have learned by now, Q'ren," Abarron responded, slowly observing each member of the group. He was enormous, looming over most and even being taller than the Krathunian. "Vrentus never die." He paused. "Let it be known that I did not lead this invasion on my accord. I am now acting under orders. My metaphorical throne had been... usurped, while I slept away following the last time we met."

"I have forgiven the Krathunians, and by extension, the Confederacy. I know now that you were slaves, as I am now, to a greater power, a force that I ultimately aim to impede, for the greater good of us all. However, Praedromus is standing in my way. I am sorry, Q'ren, but for now, orders must be respected." With that, Abarron rushed towards Q'ren, and with his upper right fist threw a punch direct at the Krathunian's torso.

The levitating plates around Q'ren's body activating, each locking into place where the Vrentus was about to strike. They successfully blocked the blow, but the amount of sheer kinetic energy in attack knocked Q'ren back. He slid for two meters before stopping at a kneel. Abarron lunged forward for another hit as Q'ren activated his gauntlet armoring and his glaive unfolded out of it. He blocked the subsequent smite with the silvery pole of his weapon and began counterattacking, swinging the glaive with mastery and grace, attempting to hit Q'ren with a blunt area or the one-sided blade at the end which glowed with red energy. The two seemed completely evenly matched,  being able to block or counter every single move that the other attempted. It was as if each knew exactly how the other fought.

However, a couple minutes in, Unit 28515 had enough with the clear stalemate. The machine began firing at Abarron using his plasma pistol, each shot fairly precise but accounting for Q'ren's presence in the close range fight. Abarron turned to face the Wreae, shoving Q'ren back, before running full speed at it, shrugging off each shot. He deftly grabbed the robot and lifted him upwards with one powerful hand, observing the mech for a couple seconds. However, electricity surged forth from Abarron's body, travelling into the machine. 28515 couldn't withstand the massive surge of energy. Power sources and AI cores overloaded and fried, and soon the machine was nothing more than a blackened husk. The rest of the group simply stared as Abarron dropped it to the ground, the metal clanking as it hit the floor. It was clear that, unless incredibly powerful, one could only fight the former Supreme and expect to come out alive if they were experienced doing so.

Abarron stared at the Wreae for a couple of moments, as if regretting his decision. He was about to speak when Q'ren took the opportunity to strike, leaping forward and activating jets in his armor to grab and tackle Abarron. They traveled horizontally through midair, and Q'ren attempted to stab his opponent with the tip of the glaive, holding the weapon close to the blade. However, as the blow was about to connect, Abarron threw the Krathunian off of him. The pole-arm weapon clattered away and Q'ren rolled onto the floor with a loud thud. However, he quickly recovered and grabbed the two knives he carried within his armor, and the two fought once more.

After several more minutes, Abarron was finally able to overpower Q'ren. Grabbing the front of his armor forcefully, the Vrentus slammed Q'ren to the ground. The Krathunian began recovering when Abarron activated the plasma generators in his gauntlets, lights on both pieces of armoring glowing with more ferocity as if to indicate the activation. Q'ren did not want to die, and paused, staring at his foe.

"I have no intention of killing you, Q'ren," Abarron said. "The enemy we face tomorrow will be greater than anything you have ever seen, and we will one day fight them, side by side. I cannot slaughter you now and sacrifice your usefulness, no matter what Praedromus wants." He hesitated, turning his head towards the tunnel he had come from. "That does not matter, however. We have everything we came for, though Kvanun was nothing special in regards to the artifacts. He simply... Chose it, likely based off of its sentimental value to you," Abarron continued. "I'm sorry, Q'ren, that you have to watch your homeworld burn with righteous and yet unjustified fires. I know the pain, believe me. Just... remember who your allies are." With that, he exited the archives.

Q'ren stood in silence for a while, staring off into oblivion. However, he soon turned to the others, breathing slowly and deeply. He was about to speak, but stopped himself upon seeing a blue glow reflected off the walls from behind him. He whipped around, his breathing intensifying incredibly quickly. "No," He muttered, staring deep into surface of the same pulsating orb of energy that he had seen outside.

The sphere remained in place for some time before rippling violently and exploding outwards in a flash of cyan light that blinded all those present temporarily. From this emerged a new being. It seemed identical to Abarron in terms of its form and shape, being taller than the Krathunian, with four arms and a pair of legs. However, its skin was instead a blissful white, and highly intricate silver armor decorated its surface, alight with blue. Upon seeing it, Q'ren's headache seemed to flare up once more, and he clutched his face in agony.

The strange being approached Q'ren carefully, and though it had no mouth, began to speak in a low, malevolent voice. "It has been quite an interesting day for you Q'ren, has it not? I hope that you didn't expect to see me here, asking for your assistance once more was supposed to be something of a surprise."

Q'ren gritted his teeth. "Wanderer..." He whispered, audible enough to be heard throughout the chamber.

The Wanderer leaned in towards Q'ren. "I can help you, as well, however. I know what you seek, and where it is, and by retrieving it, you would be returning one of my many favors. Mutual benefit."

"You know where the Seraph Catalyst is?"

"Yes," The Wanderer responded dryly. "But first... I don't think you've introduced me to any of your... friends. It would be quite easy for me to find out on my own, but for the formality, please."

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Elsewhere on Kvanun, the tide of battle was turning. The RWF fleet had received reinforcements, more quickly than had been observed in past battles, and each new vessel was, like the Wrath, upgraded to be even more powerful. An enormous Redshift class Heavy Carrier focused its long range fire upon the Vrentus Dreadnought, and in the disarray already present, managed to severely damage the Vanguard, including the Protector's shield generator embedded inside. With this, the Jorro'kil were able to defeat the Prime and access the shield based defenses. Massive railguns and energy cannons on the surface of the metallic shell began firing heavily on the Terminus Pact fleet, quickly annihilating entire sections of the fleet. The RWF ground team had also managed to bring down the Annihilation Parasite, bringing a large part of the Pact's invasion to a halt. Meanwhile, the Dralvik's defenses and magnetohydrodynamic cannons managed to bat away most of the fire from the Mondarian mech, and it fully focused on the massive machine, targeting it with a variety of weaponry.

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Svar raised a foot and pushed Shancar back to the ground. "Stay down, else I change my mind." He growled, sweeping down the Zraak's body with his railgun. Knowing the General wouldn't try something again, he redirected his attention to Lamor. He had to get the Dranzoot back to the Valence. However, Lamor Arius was staring at something in the distance, his pained eyes directed at something else. Svar followed his gaze to see Jiiran, recognizing him from the battle on Vathoris. He knew there was no chance he could even damage the warlord's armor, and decided instead to grab Lamor and begin running to their rendezvous point with the ship, a small building that had been heavily worn down by the battle but remained intact. Once inside, Svar laid Lamor down and kept watch on the inside, hoping that Jiiran did not follow him.

________________________________

The Metan was thrown back by Kradus' powerful punches, smashing into another wall. However, he emerged from the subsequent dust cloud much quicker, and with less damage taken. The AI quickly adjusted its own armoring, creating its two swords into scythe like fixtures that came down diagonally from each wrist, similar to a praying mantis. With this, he leaped towards Kradus, slicing downwards upon reaching the ruler of the Dominion.

Isbar paused a bit, his quills sticking out stiffly, always a sign that he was listening carefully. He slowed his pace a little, allowing others to pass by him as they walked. Slowly he began to work backwards; if there was going to be trouble, he intended to be there.

Aarin shot a shocked look at Ravage, not at the fact that she had taken a ward, but that she had accused Blair of intending violence.

"Ravage, what are you saying?" he said in a whisper. "Of course he won't hurt Cipher. Why would he?" He quickly turned to Blair. "We know you won't do anything of the sort," he said, "and I'm sure her taking someone under her wing (no pun intended) won't interfere with her duty to her squadron."

Aarin's mind was secretly reeling at this blatant threat Ravage had made. What was she thinking? Why would Blair hurt Cipher? Ravage had gotten awfully defensive of the young flightling; still, threatening Blair? What was she thinking?
_______________________________________

Zizo looked intently and curiously at the newcomer. Teglin looked scared. Lirr, who's blades were still drawn, frowned. Stepping forward, leaned on his blades in a business-like fashion. "Admiral Lirriva din Asmacar," he said, rather stiffly. He abstained from the regular Markovan gesture of trust. "I can't help but notice," he went on, "that you two seem to know each other, and I also notice that he does not seem pleased to see you." He gestured to Q'ren as he said this.
_______________________________________

The Mondarian mech's arm came off and drifted away, the section where it had been joined still glowing from the enemy fire that had blown it off. Still intent on it's attack, it continued with it's remaining anti-matter cannon. Five Markovan vessels approached the mech from behind, and activated their cutting beams, severing the remaining arm. The helpless mech was quickly destroyed by the Dralvik's weaponry.

A large group of Markovan vessels quickly began circling the Vrentus Dreadnought, torpedoes and cutting beams firing for all they were worth. Another group began to launch an attack against the large laser that the UFIAI was wielding.
_____________________________________

Jiiran jumped down from the pile and fired at the fleeing Svar, but the Krathunian and the Dranzoot were already in the shuttle. Jiiran stood a moment, debating whether it was worth it to pursue, but was distracted by the noise inside the church. Crouching, he slunk forward and stopped dead as the wall in front of him shook from an impact that broke a small hole in it. After a second, he crept forward and peered into the hole, and found himself looking at the Metan's back.

Jiiran's mind raced. He needed to get Kradus away from this church, and into the trap he had arranged. However, the unit he had fough earlier was in his way. Or was that the same Wreae he had fought earlier? It seemed different.
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From somewhere in the Ravena, two minds were in communion with each other. Sometimes one would move away from the other, going to some other corner of the galaxy to look in on something, but they mostly stayed near each other, speaking to each other.

Ravena is in chaos. I have not seen this much violence since the day our empire ended.

I know. Many things are beginning to move. I sense ancient forces awakening.

What about us? When shall we reveal ourselves to the Children?

Not for awhile, I think. I feel that the time for that is not yet here.

When shall it come?

I don't know. Somehow, I feel you and I shall be revealed separately, and not together. Such is the way of things.

Do you think it's possible that things might ever be as they were?

The second mind was silent at first. Nay, it shall not. That time, that empire, is done. It will never be again. We must move on and do what we can for the Children when the time comes. They must make their own way in this universe.

Another silence followed. What of that area I told you about? said the first. My thought cannot penetrate it. What is it that holds me back from there?

Something dark. When it's time comes, I think that may be your time as well.

In the immediate moments that followed, it happened almost too quickly for anyone to keep track of. Behind his mask, Blair's eyes flashed milky white as the third eyelids closed, and one of his hands shot out, the claws lunging for Ravage's throat. Ravage, however, anticipated the movement, and caught Blair's hand, an audible cracking sound heard as the mutated Cavernian's wrist creaked in protest, threatening to break with the force of her grip. Ravage stopped the sharp talons inches away from touching her, and Blair's third eyelids opened, his eyes red once again, blinking with apparent confusion. He looked at his wrist seized in her hand, and winced, pulling it away, and clutching it as though it hurt.

"Ravage, what just...?" He drifted off.

"I have nothing against you, Blair, I honestly do not, but I can tell just by looking at your eyes when it's going to happen." She said, her pupils contracting to thin slits. "Your natural personality makes it possible for you to quickly snap out of it, but it only takes a few seconds for someone's life to be stolen from them. Had I not been expecting it, your talons would have entered my throat, and I would have died." Her gaze drifted to Aarin, her eyes having lost all emotion in them, "It took me six years to gain the control I have, and even now, should I taste blood, or be sufficiently angered, I will still snap." Her eyes drifted back to Blair's hurt gaze, "You are a threat, Blair, because when the change first occurs, one can snap without any warning at all; they do not know the signs in themselves, or how to turn off the mental trigger that does it." She said.

Blair rubbed his wrist, "But I would never hurt anyone-" He began, but Ravage cut him off.

"It doesn't matter what your intent is. I will make myself clear now, Blair. I will try to stop you if you try to hurt someone, and I will try to spare your life in doing so, because control can be learned enough where people may trust you again, with time." She looked over at where Cipher was disappearing over the top of the mountain, "If you try to harm Cipher, however, that case would be different. I do not know how the UCN goes about adoption, but among Krylonians, it is considered to be sacred and binding. As far as I am concerned, the flightling I have taken under my wing is related to me as though I was his mother by blood. I have not yet performed the ceremony as according to the customs of my people, but I will take that belief seriously."

She looked him in the eyes through his mask, their faces inches apart, "With this being said, hurt him, and you will die."

With this, Ravage turned and opened her wings, flying up over the mountain and disappearing, leaving Aarin and Blair to consider her decision, along with Xenos and Arrow, the two animals looking highly agitated, as they still growled at the Cavernian. After a bit, Xenos snorted, and turned, proceeding to lumber slowly up the mountain after his master, looking over his great shoulders and giving a parting growl, before vanishing over the peak. Arrow, on the other hand, still growled, his hackles raised, as he carefully moved, never looking away, to follow after the Spiromander and the Krylonian. He walked backwards, before turning and running, having displayed a combination of fear along with the aggression of the moment, having ineffectively attempted to look fearless and strong, as Xenos had.

The Hearing Hound nearly ran directly into Xenos' tail, but stopped short, before uneasily walking on the creature's left side, next to his hindquarters, not wanting to be mistaken for a challenger. Xenos, however, with his powerful eyesight, noticed, and pushed the dog to walk next to his shoulders with his long, flat tail. Arrow's ears lowered, and he cautiously came up so that he was almost next to the Spiromander's head. What followed was a string of burbling and rumbling sounds from the amphibious creature. Arrow's ears pricked with interest, and he began giving small, quiet barks, as Xenos continued to produce a variety of different sounds.

It seemed the two were having some sort of conversation, although one was unsure of what it was about.

In a combination of neglect for his own safety and curiousity, Xej sprinted back into the room where the Metan and Kradus fought a temporary stalement, and observed the two titan-esque figures in wonder. To be able to deal with such punishment and come out off with a paint scratch was a fantastic ability, one he envied.

It happened then. A now recurrent dream, more like a living nightmare, and in the worst of situations. Blood was on Xej's claws, and one lay dying on his lap. He didn't want to remember. Its image was blocked, blurred, so he wouldn't have to face her. He couldn't face her. He feared he would go insane.

Xej, distraught and unaware, stumbled into the heated combat zone, straight into the Metan's line of sight.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Four arms... four arms.. Familiar, in some way." Zjer stated, peering at the odd face of the newcomer. "Zjer Kleires.. Zealot, of the Jorro'kil Free Absolute." He said, introducing himself.

"You intend to help us, then?"

Isbar ad not shown any visible reaction to Blair's episode; still, he figured if there should be a repeat, he should best be on hand. He allowed Aarin and Blair to pass him as he listened and attended to what they said, keeping a close eye on Blair in case restraint might be necessary.

"I'm sorry that had to happen," Aarin was saying. "Personally, I think Ravage can be a little harsh at times. But I'm sure she means well (as I'm sure you know as well). She has rather strong feelings, however. But I'm sure she'll be willing to help you with this, and if there's anything I might do, please don't hesitate to mention it."
_____________________________

Jiiran left the opening in the wall and headed off a little ways to where he knew his trap was hidden. As long as Kradus was so occupied, he had best make sure his own plan would work. Finding the controls he quickly threw a few switches to perform a test run.

Nothing.

Jiiran tried again. Still nothing. Hissing with anger, he quickly began inspecting his trap. There it was, a cut wire. His trap had been sabotaged!

With a snarl, Jiiran brought his fists down on the now ruined contraption. Again and again he struck it, until there was nothing left but dented and torn metal and wires. His rage still unspent, he took the individual fragments and tore them in half, throwing them far and wide. His rage burning, he flung around left and right, looking for something to vent on. Then, in his mind, came back the image of Lamor and Nvarn. He began to quickly make his way back to the shuttle. Somebody had to die!