Breaking Elysium

[Maelion Liates]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
The blast of the Force caught Maelion almost entirely off guard. She had seen Enyo move as if to throw something…but her hand was empty. Maelion registered what was coming a half second before the impact, but it was not enough time to get into a position to brace herself.

Maelion flew through the air and crashed down with a tremendous crash. Had she been organic it would have been a bruising, possibly even disabling fall. For a droid though she simply got to her feet and fired the concussion rifle again.

Her shot was quick, but she knew it’d not hit – it didn’t need to, just keep Enyo busy. Instead she looked to the shuttle and linked in her overrides to the ship. Slowly, it rose and then sped through the air, straight at Enyo.

Maelion did not expect the impact to disable the hybrid…so she reloaded her concussion rifle and readied it at the first sign of movement from the wreckage….

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

Amara meanwhile would have paid a large sum of money to have a camera at the moment she entered. After all, a woman on a floating sled being pushed by a rock man and when such sled contained 5 newly birthed clones was something to behold.

“Right, stop gawping. Get them into the capsules before they freeze to death,” she ordered.

There was an out of body experience when her clone was moved. Obscurely she wondered if she should cut her hair so that they could be told apart.

It was at that moment she felt a spike of…something…in the Force. It was from her sister.
“Enyo, do you copy? Neda, do you have an update on Enyo?” she asked.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Maelion Liates"]

"Negative. Hold your position," Neda grunted, resorting to use of her comm as opposed to her brain implant since Amara had not been cyborgised. Her voice sounded a little laboured.

Her mechanical reservoir pumped a steady supply of adrenaline into her bloodstream. It kept the Zabrak going despite her injuries. The Eisenkrieger continued their fighting retreat. With the Contingency droids backing them as up, they were less at risk, but she still insisted on being part of the rear guard.

xxx

Enyo knew better than to attempt to deflect the incoming shot with her lightsabre. A concussion rifle was a sonic weapon, and so blocking it with a laser sword was not possible. The clone had already been on the move when Maelion was slammed into the wall. Quick acrobatics and speed ensured the shot went wide. Unknowingly, she played into Maelion's hands, for at this moment the goddamn shuttle hurtled towards her like a supersized, starship-framed cannonball.


Alas, the HRD had her own version of technomagic. The ship sailed through the air at a speed that kept her from dodging. All she could do was give it a push, knocking it just a bit off course. The shuttle slammed into her with tremendous impact. The push meant the entire craft did not crush her. She was still buried and rolled alongside the floor for a good deal until the ruined craft came to a halt.


Warning signs flared up in her HUD. It was temporarily overwhelmed, before it managed to regain functionality. Various dots and reports helpfully informed her that she had sustained significant damage. Had she been a simple organic, she would have been crippled or turned into a pancake.


However, she was not an organic being. But the first thing she checked was her head, making sure her brain canister was not leaking. Should that happen the results would be catastrophic. Everything else could be repaired, if she prevailed. But her left arm was trapped beneath debris.


Try as she might, it would not budge, and she did not have the strength to lift the craft. Certainly not without leaving herself open to attack. Her eyes flashed a bright crimson. In this moment, she received Amara's message. "Gonna kill mother. Make sure our siblings are fine," she replied tersely and detached her own arm.


It took more conscious effort to harness the Force. Stretching out with her power, she sensed the labour droids in the bay. She pressed her will upon these automatons, bending their programming to her. They were not designed for combat, but would be a good distraction. So she commanded them to swarm Maelion and attack her with their tools. Only then did she crawl out of the wreckage, forcing debris out of the way. She would not be satisfied until Maelion had been turned into a smouldering wreck.

 

[Maelion Liates]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Maelion had her weapon recharged and was just waiting for Enyo to appear. However, as she was about to fire she heard the tramp of heavy feet. Turning, she saw the two labour droids closing on her.

Falling backwards to avoid an attack she opened fire, more by accident than anything, resulting in the concussion bolt piercing straight through that droid’s chest and continuing to the far wall.

That left the other droid. As she rolled backwards a heavy power lifter caught her hard across the jaw and knocked her back. The concussion rifle fell from her hands and she drew her lightsabre and moved to the attack.

Purple plasma cut down the droid quickly enough, but it had given Enyo a good ten seconds of time. No time to get the rifle back, so rather she stayed with the lightsabre and moved forward to attack. From her belt the bolt pistol came and fired rapidly at the hybrid, trying to get a first blow in.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Maelion Liates"]


Ten seconds was all Enyo needed. A beam of purple plasma manifested in her right hand when she ignited her lightsabre. She knew better than to attempt to deflect the bolt pistol rounds when she advanced. One rammed into her side, another made polite contact with her jaw, giving it a grotesque appearance. Another was avoided through deft acrobatics and hammered the wall behind her.


Based on past experience, Maelion might suspect that the hybrid was about to use her mystical power to throw her again. However, this was not the case. Instead she hanessed mechu-deru, an even more obscure Force power. A surge of it was directed against Maelion's eyes and their circuits.


It was broadly similar to using Destroy Droid, except no purple current escaped Enyo's fingertips. Indeed, there was no physical manifestion of the attack, for the power came from Enyo's mind. Ideally, the forceful onslaught would destroy one or both of Maelion's eyes or at least cause significant damage, impeding her vision.


It was followed up by a precise slash directed towards Maelion's outstretched gun arm, aiming to cut it at the elbow but equally fine with landing on her wrist. Phrik was absurdly tough, but the joint areas would have to be weaker to allow mobility and movement.

 

[Maelion Liates]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Maelion’s systems went haywire and her vision became fuzzy. Indeed, one eye became totally unresponsive just before the attack ceased, and the other became almost unusable.

And yet the HRD did not panic. Panic was something organics did. Instead, she switched to backup systems, enhancing and directing other sensors to pick up extra data. Further, the hanger they were in had cameras. It was not perfect, but together it gave her a decent sense of where Enyo was.

Still, the lightsabre blade hit home. She had shifted her arm enough so that it grazed along the forearm, tearing through the synthskin like putty. The phrik though remained. Prolonged, constant exposure could melt the phrik enough to cause a rupture, but not for these brief strikes.

Instead, she fought back. Aiming to take advantage of Enyo’s one hand, she attempted to lock their blades whilst using her other hand to strike the hybrid. The head was the weakspot, and so that was what she must critically damage.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Maelion Liates"]


Being one-handed, Enyo was at a disadvantage. However, she still had the Force, which she could use to augment her still considerable physical strength and draw upon more esoteric techniques. For now, she was on the defensive again. So she did something very simple when Maelion assaulted her: She took a step back, trading space for a little bit of time.


Their lightsabres sizzled loudly as they crashed. Twin blades of purple plasma rubbed against one another. Shoving her opponent's blade away, Enyo moved her head sideways to dodge the powerful punch, close to the last split second before it would have rammed into her thick skull.


It grazed her ear, scoring a glancing blow that left an impact and ripped skin. She would have to watch the damage though. If her head was bludgeoned enough, the results would be disastrous. Then she was on the offensive again, reacting with lightning speed. That arm Maelion had stretched outward to punch her with was seized by a powerful, invisible grip that wrapped itself around it like a chain of beskar, attempting to keep it from moving.


It was a restraint she could only maintain very, very briefly. But it would keep Enyo from getting punched and might give her an angle to unleash her powers. Given her past actions, Maelion might logically conclude that the hybrid was trying to have another go at her arm. But the strike was a feint. Her wrist twisted, and she delivered a slashing downward cut. A beam of burning violet plasma swept towards Maelion's left hip joint, seeking to open it up. Though diminished, the Force flowed through the hybrid, amplifying her speed and strength. Should Maelion manage to avoid the intended outcome, Enyo would press on and hammer her with strikes.

 

[Maelion Liates]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
As the lightsabre blade arced towards her left hip, Maelion sized up a dozen different scenarios in a microsecond. She needed to end this fight quickly before Enyo could use more of her powers, and whilst Maelion still had any advantages.

The safe option would be to block or step back from the attack, but that might provoke Enyo to resort to another use of foul Force trickery.

An idea came to Maelion’s head, and she acted on it. Reaching out her left hand she grabbed the lightsabre blade. Instantly the synthetic flesh burned away, and the hand began to glow as the phrik began to melt.

Maelion though ignored the warnings and stabbed with her right hand. Enyo now had no left arm, no way of physically stopping the blade as it speared right up at the neck joint of the armour, aiming to spear in, through this weakpoint and then up into the skull. Enyo’s skull was phrik, but the burning plasma blade could still wreak havoc if it hit home, raising the temperature of the brain box, potentially severing important components and more.

There was a clink as one of Maelion’s fingers fell off. Holding a lightsabre blade was a really bad idea, but sometimes necessary.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Maelion Liates"]


To an extent, Maelion had been able to turn the tables, albeit at significant risk. Suddenly, the HRD's purple blade surged towards Enyo's neck, intent on piercing it and wreaking havoc.


Enyo's skull and neck were phrik, but the joints were a weak spot. Moreover, she still had an organic brain. Unlike a droid, she could not simply shut down, reboot and fight on. Nor could she fight on if her brain was melted. Her neck twisted slightly, but burning plasma still shore into her neck. Inside her brain jar, the temperature still rose and the phrik began to melt where the sabre had struck. To call this unpleasant was an understatement.


Enyo had not been idle. Or succumbed to panic. In one quick motion, she had relinquished control over her lightsabre and dropped it, leaving Maelion to hold the burning blade. See, the hybrid had been restraining Maelion's hand with a Force grip. Or attempting to do so briefly at any rate.The HRD had apparently managed to slide out of that, but a lot of strength would have been required to hold Enyo's sabre at bay and keep it away from the droid's body. So this should make her lose her balance.


Then there was a bright flash when Enyo fired her mini ion disruptor. The rifle variant of this weapon could disintegrate organics and disable entire starships. Her palm sized version was less ridiculously overpowered, but still powerful. The electronic damage it could inflict was probably comparable to a good ion blaster. She would fire every single round at point-blank range. Her right foot rose and delivered a thunderous, Force-empowered kick towards Maelion's shin.

 

[Maelion Liates]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Would that Maelion had been prepared, as she could have worn armour or other tech to negate the bane of all droids; ion.

However, as the sabre was released, so too did her grip, another finger falling to the ground. It was all immaterial though as Enyo had raised her hand and fired. Impossible to block in time, though she had yanked her lightsabre out as the first bolt hit. The second was deflected more by luck than skill, and then the 3rd bolt hit Maelion as well.

The kick to the leg was the deciding blow, and Maelion toppled to the ground heavily. The droid’s purple sabre fell too, switching off after burning a cute pattern in the floor.
Maelion Liates did not rise again. Indeed, she seemed to have completely deactivated…suspiciously so in fact.

Enyo had won. One ‘mother’ down.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Maelion Liates"]


Even after the kick toppled Maelion, Enyo kept firing. All in all, she pumped five ion disruptor rounds into the HRD's body. Until she was certain that the droid would not wake up again as soon as she turned her back. But was Maelion truly gone for good? Suspicion swelled up inside Enyo, remembering Amara's fight with Vess Mk2. Doesn't matter. I win, she thought.


Finally she relented, lowered her arm and retracted the hand cannon back into her palm. Her lightsabre flew into her grasp, while Maelion's got a spot on her belt. Then she carved the HRD's head off. At long last, she switched off her blade and put it away.


"I need a vacation," she muttered. "Goodbye, mother. You won't be missed. If you come back, I'll just kill you again. Know that my siblings will be free and Archangel will be mine," she spoke to the head when she picked it up, before stuffing it into her backpack. Walking slowly, she picked up the discarded concussion rifle, slinging it over her shoulder. The weapon should serve her well.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
“Right, so…what order should we wake them up in?” Amara wondered aloud, pacing between each of the clones.
“Why not start with the one which looks like you? You’d make such a good pair,” Shosh said innocently.
“Pfft, I’m supposed to be the snarky one, kitty. No, that one will be awkward. Well, they’ll all be awkward.”

She stopped by the sole male of the group. She did not recognise him, but he was quite handsome in a severe way.
“We’ll start with him. Who is he, anyway?”
Shoshary looked over her notes. “Seems to be a clone of a Sith Lord named ‘Darth Shadow’.”
Amara froze. She knew that name. Her template had certainly known that name. The face was unfamiliar though…he was much younger than the images she had seen before. She could see the resemblance though.
Part of her wanted him to never wake up. More of her knew that just as she was not destined to darkness, nor was this clone.
“Wake him up, Shosh. Get some clothes ready. Zar’kahn, watch out for Enyo please. She and Neda have been a while.”

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Maelion Liates"]


"Mother is dead. Exiting facility. Prepare for takeoff." That was the laconic message Amara got from her older sister. Though the transmission was terse as usual, Amara might feel her sister's exultation via her empathy. Bottom line, Enyo felt as close to joyful as she had in a long time.


Limping and one-armed, she left the hangar bay behind her and passed smouldering wrecks of machines. However, as she made her way out, something called to her. She felt a prickling in the Force. It compelled her to step into a laboratory. A force field was active, shielding what looked like crystals to her. She heard whispers resonate in her mind, sounding like sirens.


Moving on automatism, her blazing violet lightsabre cut down some droids. Then she willed the field to go down, put the glowstick away and pocketed the crystals. They seemed familiar to her, like those she had acquired on Nar Shaddaa. What was even odder was that she could feel the Force emanating from them, but they also felt alive...


xxx

Slowly the young male awoke. His eyes fluttered open and he beheld his surroundings. At first he shielded his eyes from the bright light, for he was unused to it. For a moment he shut his eyes, pawing at them as the bright light dazzled him before he finally adjusted.


Finally, he stirred. His eyes fell upon Amara. He felt a feeling of familiarity. "Alexia?" he looked puzzled. "The...they woke you up first?" he sounded just a bit indignant. He looked around. He formed his words haltingly, for he had never spoken before. But his expression was alert.


"Where...are we? This is not...Archangel," he scrutinised the blonde, taking note of scars and all that. "You're...injured. How l-long have you been awake? Where is M-Maelion?" He locked eyes with Shoshary. "And who is that?"

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
The Contingency was departing the world. They had done their part. Archangel’s secret base was a blazing ruin.
As Enyo arrived back at the ship Zar’kahn stepped aside, nodded to her. “Nice gun,” he commented, looking at the Concussion Rifle. No comment on her looking like she’d been crushed by a shuttle. As she entered the door shut and sealed.
“Amara is talking to the new clones. I have not gone in for fear of them being shocked at my appearance. It may be wise for you to the same…until you are repaired.”
The Kar’zun was taking it all very well.

In the medical room, Amara was remembering her first awakening. How would she have felt if their roles were reversed.
“I’m going to be straight with you…Valerian…I’m Amara Zarides, and we’ve just rescued you from Archangel.” She held up a hand. “Let me finish, please. I was cloned by Archangel, told that Firemane was my enemy. I grew up with my sister Enyo, and only slowly did I understand the truth. Archangel used us, they put programming in our heads to control us, kept us from the truth, forced us to kill for them. We’re saving you from that, and one day I hope you’ll thank me. But if after reviewing the facts you want to go, we’ll not stop you. You’re my sort of brother, and I care for you a lot, and I’m here to tell you that an independent path is the only way which helps our interests.”
She sat down beside the clone. “Our templates knew each other well, but they were both cruel, evil, wicked people. I would save you from that fate if I can. Being a clone means we only look like our templates, not that we are them.”

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Sadly, Enyo's robotic allies would turn out to be led by a bunch of melodramatic fools who threw glitter at people and made them do annoying puzzles. At this stage she was still pleased with them. Upon returning to the ship, she ran into Zar'kahn.


All in all, Enyo looked like a mess. She'd lost an arm, there was a burning hole in her neck and her jaw had been ripped. The skin on her face was torn and shredded. She glanced towards the stone man. She actually liked him, as much as she could like anybody who was not a fellow clone. "You have a point. I'll go perform repairs," she glanced towards the room where Amara was busy acquainting clone Shadow with the new realities. "I am glad they're safe," she actually sounded animated and emotional.


xxx

Meanwhile, Valerian was taking things...well. He looked analytical. His eyes remained on Amara, studying her body language while he weighed her words. "I see. Hmm. Some things make more sense now that you put it that way. I have some memories about my template. Things turned out poorly for him," he finally said. "Of course, you could just be trying to put yourself in a good light and influence me against Archangel," he added.


His tone was rather matter-of-fact. "So far it is your word against my flash training. Do you have evidence to back up your words?" he queried seriously. He glanced towards Shoshary. "Is that a Croa? They're...unhygienic." He looked a bit disgusted.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Shoshary’s hackles rose and she hissed, showing her incisors. “How dare you call me a Croa, monkey,” she spat.
“Oh my, awkward. Shoshary is a Cathar, not a Croa. It’s an easy mistake to make.”
“Only if you are blind and stupid,” Shosh retorted sulkily.
“It’s OK, Shosh, you’re still my favourite catgirl.”
“I am not a catgirl!” Shoshary yowled unhappily and stormed off.
Amara smirked. “Good one, Val, you’ll fit in well here with…oh wait you were serious. Pfft, no, she’s not a Croa. Flash learning isn’t always right.”

More serious matters beckoned. “I can provide proof for you, yes. I have video footage of them using our programming against us. I can see on your back there you have a fresh scar from where they’ve implanted something. I can give you all of it, but for now I need you to help me wake the others up. They might not all be as composed as you are…stars know I wasn’t. Why don’t you start with Alexia, I’ll go with Thuella?”

XXX

Zarkahn nodded. “You did well, boss. Now all you and Amara have to do is convince them all. From what I’ve seen clones with free personalities often differ wildly from the template, like a child escaping cloying parents,” he added with a sagely nod.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


"Well, that was dramatic," Valerian said wryly after Shoshary had stormed off. "Though I suppose I would be angry as well if someone had erroneously compared me to something as repulsive as a Croa." I hope the cat is house-broken, he thought. What an arse!


However, the mask fell and he looked just a bit troubled when Amara mentioned implants. "We...have a deal," he finally said after he'd composed himself a bit. "I will help you wake the others and make sure they stay calm."

xxx


"I succeeded in leaving my template's shadow. They will do the same." There was a moment of awkward silence. Unlike Siobhan - or Amara - Enyo was not a social butterfly. Socialising made her feel awkward. Archangel had wanted a weapon, nothing more, and never taught her how to blend in.


"You've been a loyal companion. Especially to Amara. I am grateful for that," she finally said. Then she turned away and went off to fix herself up. She could only do so much aboard the Quasar, but she could make herself a bit more presentable.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Zar’kahn nodded. “You pair have provided me with purpose, entertainment and treasure. If you require aid in the repairs I am skilled in the arts of machine forging.”
Since Enyo was missing an arm she may have some logistical troubles.

However, they were interrupted by Faelar. “Boss…” she began, then saw Enyo’s condition. “Oh my…. Uhh…oh…Garnet is hailing you. She wishes to discuss with you.”

XXX

The next two clones would be roused from slumber. Thuella was coming to under the care of Amara. When the dark skinned girl’s eyes opened, Amara smiled.
“Hey there, just relax, I’m here to help. Things have changed a bit, Valerian can explain more, but I’m not Alexia, though the resemblance is striking!”

Meanwhile Alexia’s eyes opened and looked up at Valerian. She pawed at her eyes. “Val? What’s going on?”

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Enyo had already turned and walked to the door when the stone man made his offer. After some brief consideration, she nodded. Being one-armed made repairing yourself a little awkward, even if you had space magic at your disposal "That would be appreciated."


However, then Amara's Eldorai minion showed up. Enyo was not enamoured with space elves like her mirror. She could not really appreciate their ears anyway. Besides, most seemed annoying and pompous to her. "I'll give her a call," she said gruffly. "Tell the pilot to take off."


xxx


Awkwardness ensued. "Easy, I'm here," Valerian said reassuringly. "Things have taken an...unexpected turn. But hear me out. That lass over there is another Kaelin clone. Thuella is just waking up. And we're not at Archangel anymore. Calm down and I can explain."

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Once in the impromptu workshop, Zar’kahn showed he had some skills in droid design at least.
“The phrik for repairing your skeleton will not be simple to come by. We may have to manufacture a durasteel limb until we can properly fashion the phrik replacement. Aside from that, I can see a severe puncture under the jaw, lesser damage on the other shoulder and chest. Take the armour and clothing off so we can properly assess.”
Kar’zun were notoriously asexual; they simply derived no pleasure from it, and especially not from ‘carbons’.

XXX

Amara had heard hints of what her sister had done whilst under the control of Archangel. As Thuella came to, she wondered how Enyo would react to seeing her new clone sister she had already killed once.

Thuella looked up at Amara. “It’s…going to be hard to tell you and Alexia apart.”
“I suggest nametags!” Amara replied with a grin.
Thuella unexpectedly laughed. “Or you could shave your head.”
“Not likely, I like my impractical golden top!”

Two more to awaken.