Bringing Heaven to Hell (Firemane)

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"], [member="Aeda Shaytari"]


It was done. The floor of the laboratory was strewn with corpses and stained with blood. Siobhan had watched the entire scene impassively as Mirien unleashed her vengeance, not making a single move. If she felt anything then it would not be seen written upon her face because it was obviously obscured by a beskar helmet. Her entire body was encased by her heavy beskar armour, which seemed to be like a protective shell that clung to her body like a second skin. So she stood there and watched, posture rigid. One might almost be reminded of a certain human replica droid. Then she calmly raised her bolt pistol and squeezed the trigger, gunning down what scientists and Bando Gora nurses that remained in the room. She ended up expending an entire magazine on them. Around her the creatures and unfortunate experiments died, taken out by Aeda and the soldiers, and then there was silence.


The truth was that she felt nothing. Finally she moved and walked over to the shelf at the end of the room, taking the holocron into her gloved hands and stuffing it into her backpack. One of the fingers on her bionic hand pointed to the cage that held a Klaxxi "We're taking that," she said emotionlessly. Such a strong contrast to how she had been before. She spared Mirien a glance as she moved to head out. "Let's go...Miri," the endearment at the end carried a slightly greater amount of feeling, perhaps proving that she was still a living person.


Then she walked away, nonchalantly treading over a corpse, assuming she even noticed it was there, though her boot made polite conversation with the face of a Bando Gora nurse. Well, what was left of her face since an APE round had the habit of quite literally shredding a target so the aforementioned face was probably a big mess. What with its brain matter being splattered all over the place. Upon reflection she would probably have to clean the sole of her boot after all the action was over.


Unfortunately, things could not be that simple and we do still need one boss fight. Shapes had been watching in the shadows, shielded from the eyes and Force senses of our heroines with potent Force cloaking abilities. Hidden in the darkness they had watched, mere spectators and shadows as the Bando Gora who had so foolishly thought they could be their masters were slaughtered. Now, all of a sudden, the shadows moved. There was no warning, for the miasma of malevolence that pervaded this doomed ship was all-pervasive. Just a sense that something was wrong. Siobhan looked upon Mirien and suddenly the three metre spider, invisible to her naked eyes, with thick vines and an exoskeleton thick enough to resist the blow of a lightsabre had thrown itself at her with reckless abandon and brutal force. Before she could react immense black spikes were pounding against her armour, knocking her against a table and driving her to the floor. A horrible crushing, snapping sound told of possible broken ribs. Well, that was terribly unpleasant and hurt like hell, as you can imagine, as she fell with a loud, resounding thud!


Now the spider beast had materialised and in the hull more shapes of its kind were suddenly appearing, malevolent and vicious predators that had clearly been waiting for the moment. Siobhan was dazed and the air had been forced from her lungs by the impact as she gasped for air. However, there was no reprieve for her as the Klaxxi came at her and pounced, moving with a speed greater than one might have expected for a creature of its size. She tried to summon her powers for a telekinetic blast but then the beast was upon her, its very large and powerful legs wrapping around her body, much like chains. She struggled and gasped for air when its legs gripped her throat tightly and tried to strangle her, cutting off the flow of oxygen as they tightened and began choking the life out of her. Presumably spider beasts were suddenly decloaking to come at Mirien, Aeda and the soldiers as well, but for now she could not think of that.


Given the fact that Siobhan liked to use her telekinetic powers to summon mind pincers to choke the life out of enemies a lot, it was ironic that she found herself on the receiving end. In any case she struggled as the spare legs of the beast went so far to grip her arms and legs, pulling and twisting them at unnatural angles. Her bionic limbs would be a lot harder to break, but her organic ones were a different one. Beskar was not useful when you were fething immobilised.


Then suddenly Siobhan exploded in an outburst of violence. The legs of the beast were gripped by an unnatural, brutal force and violently pulled from her throat. The beast struggled, but to no avail as Siobhan pulled and the legs were ripped off. Very sickening, crunching sounds were heard. But Siobhan was not done, being as she was pumped full with adrenaline. Pulling herself up her crushgaunts suddenly enclosed around the spider's bead and pulled so hard to rip it off. She tore herself free off the body by giving it such a hard kick to send it flying through the air and smash into another spider that had suddenly appeared. A massed telekinetic wave followed as she unleashed a surge of force energy, picking up dead bodies and a table along the way as she threw the creature against the wall, blowing a hole into it in the process.


"Klaxxi. You can't hurt their exoskeletons with blades. Troopers load APE rounds. Aim for the mouth and the legs!" At this close distance explosive bolts would be counterproductive and buckshot would just annoy them. aping to her feet her lightsabre jumped into her hand and ignited with a flash, moving to the side as a decapacitating thrust of a black leg smashed into the ground and parrying legs aside as she pulled back before with her mind she gripped a very large beam hanging from the ceiling and with a forceful pull brought it down to crush two spider beasts beneath it with a very loud thud as they were buried amid sickening, crunching sounds that were very satisfying to her ears.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

As the last of them died on the lab, Mirien's shoulders slumped. It was done, over with. This chapter could be closed with the end of the science lab, if it could be called that. The brunette felt every bit as shattered as the lab itself was. It hurt more than she wanted to bear. It was then that Naamah's thoughts crossed into hers. She clutched at her head for a moment, wanting to be left alone, to not be reminded of the horrors she'd committed so quickly. Already regret over how she'd handled the scientist was creeping into her mind.

After a moment or two, she shook the feelings away, pushed everything to the back of her mind. As she passed by the gurney with her things on it, she stopped only to grab the box of her belongings. Quickly she shoved the contents of the box into her own pack and started out the door just giving a small sad nod to Siobhan. She just didn't have the words to speak, nor the heart to attempt to find a way to justify what a woman she had been, a woman she didn't know, had done.

From there she spoke no words as she followed behind Siobhan, though she'd been keeping her distance, hanging back a little further than anyone else. More than anything, the Grand Inquisitor wanted to be alone with her thoughts, alone to mourn the ideal of who she might have been. It seemed after all, she was the criminal that the Atrisian people had so believed she was. They'd have been right to end her life, they should have.

She turned to look towards Siobhan as the impending sense of danger fell across her mind. But it was already too late, the Klaxxi were already moving. Moving much faster than Mirien had expected, but then truly she'd not expected them at all. She gasped desperately for air as one of them struck her across the chest, sending her flying into the wall with a heavy thud. Wincing she was quick to get back to her feet, drawing her saber in one hand, the vibroblade in the other.

"Piercing weapons work too!" She shouted over the noise of the battle, recalling that technique from Csilla. Internally cursing herself, she felt she should have seen this coming, should have known. But her own thoughts, emotions had distracted her from keeping watch on the tangled web of the force. She'd dealt with the monsters before, she should have known.

< We remember you. We will end you. > The voice inside her mind, instantly brought her back to the fighting in the tunnels on Csilla. The Klaxxi then advanced on her, a pair of them. Though the one behind her, was still invisible, waiting for the right moment to attack. Mirien was barely aware of it amongst all the other sounds, feelings, and dangers she sensed among everyone present. She couldn't even bring her focus down to just herself. Taking a step forward she had intended to slip under the Klaxxi as it tried to strike at her with it's front legs, but she wouldn't get that far. It was the attack from behind that got her.

Mirien let out an agonized scream as the monster from behind, thrust it's leg through her right shoulder and slung her to the ground with a sickening crunch. Bones certainly had been broken as white hot pain washed through her body. There wasn't even time really to assess how badly she'd been injured, as both creatures moved in on her. Quickly, she rolled to the side narrowly avoiding being impaled by one of their legs. Blood was everywhere, she could smell it, her blood. With muscles torn, her right arm hung limply at her side, quite useless to her now.

The pain driving her, she reached up to the ceiling and wrapped her telekinetic will around a beam, and sharply pulled it down, throwing it with great force into the first Klaxxi creature, leaving it squalling most horrifically as most of it's body was crushed beneath the metal. A second or two more and the creature slumped to the ground, dead.

Now it left her to deal with the bastard that had impaled her shoulder only moments prior. Turning, she wasted no time as the creature raced towards her, instantly she lifted her good hand and sent a telekinetic wave towards the Klaxxi, picking up all manner of debris along the way as she sent the creature flying into the far wall from her. Dazed it stumbled back towards her, and this time she leaped forward to meet it, as it opened it's mouth to try to eat her, she buried her saber into the roof of it's mouth, clean up to the hilt of the blade.

It's death, unfortunately was not quite as instant as she wanted it to be. The being managed to get a leg up, and hit her squarely upon the abdomen, doubling her over as it threw her down to the floor some distance away. Mirien came down hard. Having little control over her right arm, and the sheer force at which she was thrown, her armor did her little good as her elbow was folded in half backwards, drawing a harsh cry of pain from her as she gave a glance to the rather mutilated arm. For a moment, she just lay on the ground as the battle raged on. She just couldn't bring herself to try and push up from the ground, for fear of worsening her injuries.

Finally after what seemed like forever, with great care using her good arm, she managed to pull herself upright, and crawled over to the wall, leaning heavily against it. Her eyes widened as another Klaxxi appeared before her, poised to kill her.

< Dinner! >

If only it had known how annoyed she was. Mirien was flat out done with creatures trying to murder her today. "I am no one's dinner." She snarled as she reached out with the last of her energy, and brought a giant hand down upon the monster crushing it as you would an insect. Its innards splattered everywhere around them, blood and other matter pooling around what was left of the creature's corpse. From there, Mirien finally dared to look at her shoulder. It'd nearly been torn from her body in that single action from the Klaxxi in the beginning and no doubt that her other actions didn't help the matter either. Really all that was keeping her shoulder together was a bit of flesh a couple tendons and her armor.

"Sio!" She shouted, though rather weakly in truth. Her body was slipping into shock, and the former Inquisitor doubted she'd be able to defend herself again if someone was to attack her. Pulling some cloth from her bag, she pressed it against the wound, trying to at least slow down the bleeding. Unfortunately, she was going to need some medical attention and fast.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Aeda Shaytari"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

This writer is waiting for [member="Coryth Elaris"] since she just got found by [member="Tempest"] before actually responding with Kaida. However, they shall nonetheless post with a few miscellaneous NPCs since they have lives as well and all that. Anyhow, as has been said the Firemand and Eldorai forces on the planet had retreated into the ruins of the Bando Gora city beneath the surface before the bombardment of the ravaged world. Utilising the awe-inspiring power of technobabble handwavium Gehenna was being turned into something less ridiculously dangerous.


The payloads unleashed by the fleet were turning the planet's excess CO2 into H20 so that rain had begun to fall. At first the heat had been such that it turned to steam but soon enough it had begun to dissipate and sunlight escaped from the clouds. The temperature was dropping and rain was falling in thunderous torrents, probably for the first time ever on Gehenna. Lakes had begun to fall and the plains of battle were drenched in water, drowning the detritus of battle, the cadavres of alchemised war beasts, wrecks of tanks and enormous demon engines.


Needless to say this meant that those soldiers who had not been lucky enough to be evacuated via dropships were now stuck beneath the surface, with most of them having congregated in what had once been the industrial town of the Bando Gora, the hub of their massive war machine. This was a logical place to be because Firemane was setting up its base here. In a sense the extra manpower was useful because the officers in charge wasted no time with putting many of the soldiers to work to help with clean-up and construction duties. Undoubtedly many were not particularly happy about that but there was little they could do. By now the dead bodies and animal cadavres that littered the ground had all been removed and tossed into the fiery pit of lava, where the flames swallowed them. Likewise most of the rubble had been cleared away, blown up or made use of for the construction project.


And so the new base Firemane wanted to build was taking shape, with domed structures being erected where once the smouldering factories and spires of the Bando Gora had stood. There would be facilities for the scientists, workers and soldiers, likewise a few turrets to defend the base. The mapping of the vast tunnels and caverns was intensifying as swarms of probe droids and scout patrols on speeders were being deployed to survey and map every inch of them. Once this work was complete and the base was set up mining of diamonds could begin.


Needless to say a number of soldiers had little to do beyond sentry duty. This was a tremendously boring affair because unless someone actually attacked them nothing exciting happened. So they were not particularly motivated to take the task of being sentinels very seriously. Fortunately, they had all sorts of distractions available!


"Man, I'm fething bored. Missed all the action and now I'm stuck in this damn cave because it's soddin' raining. Why are we even building this base? Seems like a waste of creds to me," one of the Firemane mercenaries grumbled. It was less bloody hot here in the caves and he was using a straw to drink from his flask through his helmet.


"Missed all the action? Means you weren't eaten by a big spider or blown to pieces by a suicide bomber. Bando Gora's are so bloody psycho. Be happy it's just sentry duty," another mercenary said. She had found a way to use her time productively and was reading the popular magazine called Ashira's Angels by using her datapad. Apparently the connection was still good enough down here. At the present moment her attention was on a rather dazzling photograph of Siobhan Kerrigan.


"You're just happy because you get to oggle Kerri to all your heart's content. You could at least give me a look!" the first mercenary grumbles and tried to unsuccessfully snatch the datapad from her before his comrade finally relented and let him have a peek.


"Hey, guys, I finally got a Galaxytube connection!" another soldier, this one being a Rodian who for some reason also happened to be the one in the team carrying a missile launcher because that was not absurd at all, exclaimed excitedly. "It's lagging like hell but I just got the vid where the four feet ten inch redhead rides a Reek and cleaves that Dark Master dude in half. I can even get it in HD resolution!"


"About fething time! You also got the one where that black girl flew through the air and summoned a storm?" the grumpy mercenary asked as he immediately headed over.


"Someone's having a fanboy moment," the second mercenary snarked, for which her comrade elbowed her lightly.


"Oh, look who's talking, Miss My Lockers Are Full of Kerri Pics!"


"And you use every moment to get a peek!"


Unfortunately for the grunts at this moment a Sergeant came rushing over, naturally looking pissed off because that's what sergeants are for. "What the bloody hell are you doing there? Slacking on the job and looking at porn. Get your arses in gear and do you fething work, or I'll toss into the lava pit as well!" It was a universal rule that all Sergeants, no matter which race, gender, nation or creed, were psychopaths. Or perhaps this writer has been watching too many Hollywood war movies. Thus unfortunately the grunts would have to commit themselves to boring sentry duty for a while longer. But at least they were not on the ghost ship that was packed with dangerous monsters.

 

[Darth Libertas]

Meanwhile Naamah and her new crew of cannibalistic, bloodthirsty Bando Gora minions had finally made their way through the corridors and reached their getaway. A hole had been blasted into part of the hull and a small freighter ship had docked by using grapplers. Not the most elegant way to penetrate the vessel but enough to get in and the craft still looked intact, though it seemed like it had seen better days.


Anyhow, she had finally found her getaway along with her stolen loot and was now about to board when suddenly she was hit by an agonising sensation of pain. It was like someone had taken an icy knife and plunged it into her gut. Powerful ripples were felt through the Force and images flashed through her mind as comprehension dawned over her. Mirien was out there in the laboratory, fighting for her very survival. She was in terrible pain and Naamah winced as for a moment she beheld the monsters she and teacher had faced together on Csilla. For a moment her perception of reality shifted and suddenly she felt like she was on Csilla again, when she had been badly beaten by the Klaxxi and cornered.


Without a second thought, without a word to the others, Mirien instantly placed herself between the appearing alien and Naamah, stance firm, eyes lit with fiery rage. The line in the sand had been drawn and none of these beasts would cross it. "You shall not pass!"


The image was gone just as soon as it had come in a flash and she was back on the ghost ship standing in a dark, blood-stained corridor. Before her was the ship that could take her away from Gehenna. "Mistress, what are your orders?" one of the minions hissed in question, but Naamah seemed uncertain.


Mirien had saved her life back then. She should go back and help her, despite everything. For a moment the urge to turn back was so strong that it was almost overwhelmning and she could feel her body acting before even her mind did. But then another sensation overcame her and she stopped dead in her tracks.


Why do you want to go running back to her? Like a dog who comes whenever its mistress calls? She abandoned you on Atrisia. She's the reason the purge happened. And do you like really think she'd protect you from her sanctimonious friends. You said you hated her!


Naamah uncharacteristically hesitated, uncertainty written across her bruised and blood-stained features, for the words had a certain logic. Truth be told she did hate Mirien. She wanted to break her, completely and utterly. Yes, but if anyone gets to kill her some day it's me!


"Sio!" Perhaps it was the will of the Force or just the awesome power of space magic, which frankly is the same thing when you think about it, but through the ripples in the Force she heard the pained shout as it escaped from Mirien's lips and her features hardened, whatever compassion she might have felt leaving her.


That queen, and so her mind was made up. "Let's go and get me away from here. Move it," she growled at her minions and within moments they had boarded the ship and liberated it from the grapples that kept it tied to the battleship. She was in no state to pilot the ship and so one of the minions took the controls, powering up the engines. Within moments the small freighter had shot out into the vastness of space. Soon, unnoticed by the Firemane and Eldorai fleet, it would make the jump to hyperspace and leave the scene.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Mirien Valdier"]

Aeda had turned her back, content there was no opponent left to assail them. She had been wrong.
From the shadows terrible creatures had emerged, attacking with bestial fury.

As the Klaaxi had come into the room, Aeda had been out of there, but now she turned just in time to duck a swipe at her head.

The Grand Seraph discovered quickly that Siobhan’s words were correct, that their tough hide was resistant to even Sarixi and Sarzmigari. In these circumstances it was fire, courage and Kaeshana steel which would grant them victory.

Seizing a discarded metal bar from the ground she focused all her power into it so that the metal started to glow a dull red. Then, with her Sciia, she launched it like a scalding javelin right through the mouth of an oncoming monster. Its squeals and cries were a beautiful sound to the hard pressed Angelii.

One of their number fell, pierced through the heart by a claw, but the others rallied and with their Sarzmigar they drove it back and eventually overcame it, stabbing and hewing it until it fell.

“Siobhan, go! I’ll get Mirien!” Aeda called. A blast of fire from her hands forced the creatures back, but she needed to get closer to Mirien to pick her up.
Briefly, for the merest of instances she wondered if it was justice, poetic justice, that Mirien might die here. She had helped these monsters, she had been responsible for much death and misery.
No. That is not how I work. Damn what the Angelii or my cousin would do. That is not what I do. I have had enough of people making arbitrary judgements on me.

Handing over her Taegis she leapt, propelled by her Sciia, and stabbed down as she landed on the back of one of the beasts. Its armour protected it, but she had cut a heavy wound regardless. Leaping down she hewed its legs with her blade and blasted fire into its eyes.

Scooping up Mirien she ran for the door, but she was encumbered, and one of them slashed the back of her legs, trying to hamstring her. Her armour protected her, but she fell, Mirien beneath her, and the Klaaxi pinned her, scrabbling at her, trying to piece her back.

Using a blast of her powers, she propelled herself up, knocking the monster back, her Sarix came to her hand and thrust into its mouth, finally ending it.
Hauling Mirien onto her shoulder, she staggered from the lab, her legs bleeding, barely able to walk she pressed on. At this point it was pure, simple determination which drove her, the will not to fail and to save a friend. Even her will had limits though, and she nearly faltered at the battlefield with the xenomorphs, but she kept going, before finally falling to her knees near the shuttle entry, where the Angelii helped her and Mirien aboard.

A healer came to her, but she directed her to Mirien. “Her first. I’ll live,” she said, sinking down to the deck. She wished she could remove her helmet and breathe freely but…problematic.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Aeda Shaytari"], [member="Mirien Valdier"]


Unfortunately for Siobhan disentangling herself from the furious onslaught of Klaxxi was a bit more difficult than she would have liked. It appeared that as Aeda heroically sought to scoop Mirien up and mad a run for it with her Siobhan found herself getting increasingly cornered by the large spider beasts. Obviously Siobhan had a number of advantages on her side. For one she specialised in ridiculously brutal and wide-raged telekinesis attacks that were ideal for mass destruction and throwing very heavy objects. She was also protected by her beskar'gam, which was virtually unbreakable and provided a solid defence. However, it could not prevent blunt trauma and the Klaxxi excelled in delivering attacks with massive concussive force. It was also just a bit difficult to focus on unleashing a telekinetic blast when the spiders kept appearing right behind her or to her side and deliver a furious onslaught.


Her Force senses were useless because she plain and simply could not sense them. There were tendrils, tendrils seemingly everywhere as she ducked a furious swipe to her head then furiously brought up her lightsabre, a flash of blue light in the darkness, to bat away attacks as the beast's legs ferociously rained down blows upon her. Each blow was like the force of a hammer smashing into her and driving her back before she went on the offence, her blade slicing off spines and launching a series of furious blows while her other hand held a bolt pistol. Yes, wielding that ridiculously heavy hand cannon with one hand was tremendously ill-advised the recoil was a queen, something her hand would probably make her regret soon when the adrenaline wore off, but force-enhanced strength worked wonders and saw her through.


BANG BANG BANG BANG


The beast staggered and died as her APE rounds blasted right through its mouth and eyes and she rid it of its legs with her blade. There was no time for a reprieve or for her to catch her breath for another Klaxxi suddenly materialised and pounced at her. However, the Force was with her for once and so Siobhan was faster and managed to spin around to meet its attack. The legs of the spider that had just died were suddenly pulled from the ground by an invisible force and propelled through the air at the tremendous speed of improvised artillery rounds. The Klaxxi's open maw ate the legs and as it was struck Siobhan brought down a gigantic invisible, telekinetic hand upon it and smashed it. Its innards splattered everywhere and where its badly mauled cadavre landed a pool of blood formed. Siobhan was trying to make a run for it and provide cover in a rear guard action as Aeda dashed out but there was no reprieve for her when suddenly she felt intense pressure and pain shoot through her legs as it felt like large, powerful tendrils were suddenly gripping them in an ironclad, very tight and painful grip. In this very moment a spider decloaked and materialised before her eyes, having used her distraction to sneak up on her. In the same second it began twisting and very sickening, snapping and crunching sounds were heard as it enclosed its grip around her legs.


Completely losing her balance Siobhan fell to the ground with a loud thud and smashed into the corpse of a spider. Needless to say the impact of being thrust upon an armoured exoskeleton hurt like a queen and white hot pain surged through her. However, as she fell she used the momentum and violently lashed out by gripping the Klaxxi. Invisible fingers curled around it and it was violently thrown off her and propelled across half the room in an outburst of wrath. Even as it crumpled under her telekinetic grip and its bones broke it was smashed into the wall. Body parts were tossed through the air and ichor splattered across the walls and floor, joining the pools of blood that had already been formed.


Siobhan groaned as her body made polite conversation with the ground but managed to quickly roll to avoid the thrust of a clawed leg aimed for her face. Her weapons had fallen out of her hands but as a beast came she surged forward with her crushgaunts to plain and simply grab some of its legs and, as she held them in her powerful grip, twist them so hard to break them, while her other hand drove forward to deliver a powerful, force-enhanced punch into the face of the beast with such force to hit through its mouth and break its teeth. She roughly kicked the beast off her as she tried to stand but the exertions had taken their toll on her and her back hurt like hell.


It was then that another series of tendrils came for her. Debris was gathered by her powers and sent towards the beast in a shattering telekinetic wave to send creatures around her flying and scattering them to the winds, but then she cried out in pain as tendrils bashed through the damaged visor of her helmet and plunged into her organic eye. Above her now hovered a spider beast, having presumably been waiting in the wings all the time, having pounced down from the ceiling. It wielded its large, clawed tendrils to plain and simply tear out her remaining flesh eye, leaving nothing but a hollow socket covered in blood.


<< Dinner! Feast upon her flesh! >>


Siobhan bit down on her tongue to keep herself from crying out in pain, biting down so hard to draw blood. Blood coated the tendrils of the beast as it pulled her eye out. Dimly she could pick up more presenced suddenly manifesting. It seemed that now that Mirien had left she was on the dinner plaste as far as the spiders were concerned. The Butcher of Roche exploded. In this case this can be understood quite literally. Aphotic energy writhed inside her and she unleashed the ridiculously brutal, awe-inspiring power of the battering ram she was as she let loose with a massive wave of telekinetic energy. Omnidirectional in nature. The shockwave blossomed into a force explosion that made the entire room shake as if struck by tremors. Then with a mighty heave the entire ceiling above her in the laboratory was torn asunder and collapsed. Likewise as the roof dropped down upon the beasts and buried them, for their attempts to escape were futile as the walls dropped, a good portion of the floor gave way as well. A big hole formed inside the room as dead scientists and Reavers, cages, tables and spiders found themselves being plunged into the next level. It was if someone had suddenly detonated a bomb in the middle of the massive laboratory.

Boom. Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but suffice to say there was lots of carnage. Needless to say Siobhan fell as well since she did not have the focus to fly out in this very moment. Fortunately for her the fall was not that big but still bloody hurt as crashed into the ground with a thud. To make things even more annoying some debris made polite conversation with her legs, though fortunately for her one of them was artificial. It still hurt a lot and immobilised her. Then the wreckage was gripped tight by her powers and completely crushed into a thousand pieces. Her armour was badly battered and she was bleeding.


Slowly Siobhan arose and got up to her feet, gripping part of the wall for support as she felt her legs howling in protest at the exertion. She was breathing heavily, panting when you thought about it, and brought her bionic hand to her face, managing to pull her helmet off. A finger moved to where her organic eye was...or rather where it had been. Now there was nothing but a very bloody hole and the finger came back coated in blood. Sheer anger and rage coursed through her being at the sight. The air was thick with smoke and dust from the massive explosion, making her cough. Somewhere a bit away from her a Klaxxi, the last surviving specimen that had tried to attack them, stirred, likewise half-buried under debris. She did not give the chance to move for in her anger she simply reached out with her powers and beat down on it with a telekinetic hammer that hit it with the force of a speeder collision. Her good eye found her lightsabre and, though her flesh hand was shaking, she managed to call it into her grip.


Taking a very deep breath, she called upon what energies she had left with the Force and willed strength to flow through her muscles. Then she leapt high, very high, and jumped back up into the wrecked lab, landing upon her feet, though these were shaky. There was no resistance anymore, all spiders seemed to be dead. Well, she was not sticking around to test that theory and so she limped out of the lab and through the corridor back to the hangar. At this stage it was mostly pure determination driving her, but she kept going even as her legs threatened to die under her and pain shot through her back. In the darkness her bionic eye flared up, glowing a bright crimson. Passing through the halls strewn with the bodies of xenomorphs and technobeasts, she would reach the hangar, staggering. At least they could finally leave the cursed ship now.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

Mirien was doing all she could to hold on, but there was blood, so much blood. Despite the cloth held against the wound it still managed to run through her fingers with relative ease. Each moment she felt herself growing colder, more tired but mostly numb. Shock did have some benefits, not all of them good but the reduction in pain was always a welcome thing at that stage.

All she could do was watch the battle that surrounded them, thankful that the Klaxxi had somewhat ignored her since she had come to rest against the wall. As Aeda raced towards her, a look of gratitude spread across her features, though that was quickly wiped away as she screamed as her shoulder and elbow were jostled most painfully. Then soon the fall left Mirien in horrible pain crying on the ground as Aeda fought a most desperate battle to get them away. As she was lifted to Aeda's shoulder for a second time, Mirien could only whimper through her tears and she clutched at the most limp arm, trying to reduce the pain she was feeling as best she could manage.

Mirien managed to breathe a small sigh of relief seeing the shuttle now, and the approaching Angelii as well as the healer. She gave a small nod of thanks to Aeda, for it was all she could manage in that moment as they took her away to the medbay.

Instantly she felt her armor being pulled away from her body, with great care taken to cut it away from her right arm, to not due further damage to the badly wounded limb. Soon enough, left in just a sheet, a healer, and some medics worked to stabilize the brunette.

Synthetic bloods placed in the IV line, to start to replace what she'd been losing, as well as dosing the poor woman with a heavy sedative and pain killer combination to put her out of it. For she did not need to be awake for this part. Then a great effort was started to stop the bleeding with hands and clamps inside her shoulder. Her elbow would have to wait, though efforts were performed to stop the swelling. There were simply more important things to tend to. Mirien would need surgery no doubt once they arrived back on the main ship. Healers could work great miracles, but sometimes there were limits to even what they could do. For now, they'd kept Mirien alive and that was the important part.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Aeda Shaytari"]

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Mirien Valdier"], [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

And so, at last, our three wounded heroines were aboard. Aeda managed to help get Siobhan aboard with the other Angelii and they were soon departing.

Aeda took great pleasure in holding the detonator for a moment before pushing it. A flash came from the space hulk, and then multiple explosions shattered it into burning fragments.

She let out a breath.

“Lady [member="Tarissa Cadalthor"], we are incoming. Suffered heavy casualties. Kerrigan, Valdier badly injured, eight other wounded. Please prepare healers.”

She didn’t include herself. She’d get help later. She’d staunched her bleeding with her fire powers, and it was exactly as painful as it sounded, but she’d not made a sound as she cauterised her own gashes. She would not show weakness…not until she was alone anyway.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"], [member="Aeda Shaytari"]


By now the hangar of the ghost ship had been thoroughly looted and stripped of virtually anything that could be carried, flown out by minions or ported out via tractor beam. Undoubtedly the scientists working at Firemane R&D would conclude that Life Day had come early. Perhaps it would even give Elanil Saedaris some new toys to play with and improve on.



In any case Siobhan was now aboard the last dropship as it shot out of the hangar, with the remaining Firemane soldiers having likewise boarded a transport vessel, leaving the Bando Gora battleship behind them. Clearance was received from the Valora's Blade and soon they would be aboard. Siobhan was barely conscious at this point, having slumped down upon boarding. A medic had been so helpful to disinfect the gaping wound that had once been her remaining organic eye and apply a bandage for it.


Ah, well, at least she had not lost a leg again because that would have really annoyed her. She drifted off into unconsciousness as the realm of Morpheus claimed her and medics were about to help her out of her armoured beskar shell, her last words being an order to make a headcount of all Firemane and Eldorai soldiers who had gotten off the ship.

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Aeda Shaytari"], [member="Mirien Valdier"]


Tarissa was unsurprisingly still on the bridge of the Valora's Blade, though by now she was showing signs of being tired and fatigued after all the paperwork. Nonetheless she was alert when she received the transmission from Aeda. For just a moment there was a flicker of something across her features and she looked...close to actually concerned. Then the moment was gone and she composed herself. It would not do to appear otherwise, especially in front of her minions.


"Understood, Grand Seraph. You have clearance. Sending healers," she said laconically then cut the connection.


"We have wounded incoming. Lady Kerrigan and Valdier are heavily injured. I want healers dispatched to the hangar now," she said sharply.


"Yes, Lady. By the Goddess we shall do our best," one of the healers of Ashira spoke.


"I don't want your best. I want the best of someone better!"

 

[Darth Libertas]

Far away a freighter ship traversed the vastness of space, positioning itself to make the jump. The Eldorai fleet had other concerns so even though it was possible they might be detected it would be enough time for them to make their getaway. The small vessel rocked slightly and accelerated when the Bando Gora battleship exploded in a massive fireball, expelling an onslaught of debris and burning fragments.



Naamah was in the medbay, stripped of her badly damaged armour and having taken well to bacta and painkillers. Her stolen loot was at her side because she did not trust her minions. After all, the primitives had turned on their former mistress without a second thought and just quite literally eaten her flesh. They would just as gladly do the same to her if she showed weakness. Hence why did not intend to keep them around for longer than needed as cannon fodder.


She felt all the remaining lives being extinguished as the battleship was blown to pieces. Likewise she felt Mirien clinging to life as she was taken away. The sensation aroused conflicting emotions in her. "[member="Mirien Valdier"], you better live. You hear me!" Only she would get to kill her. One day. When she was done with playing games and a lot stronger. This one has decided that they shall finally have a character with telepathy. Then she shut the brunette out of her mind and took the holocron she had found with her remaining good hand, craddling it. Dark power emanated from the arcane device. Undeterred the ship jumped to hyperspace and disappeared from the system in a brilliant flash of light.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Mirien Valdier"]

"Grand Seraph, you will need to rest for a few days to recover, and you will need time in a bacta tank," the healer said.
"That will not be possible. Unless you have a mask that is wearable in the bacta," Aeda said. Her hood was pulled over her face, and her silk kerchief covering all but her eyes in case her first disguise is penetrated.
"Grand Seraph?" the healer asked with astonishingly poor skills of survival.
"My face cannot be seen," Aeda said softly, calmly. "It is the law. Do you understand?"
"Yes, of course. I..." the healer said.
"You do not understand. It does not matter. I will heal without the bacta tank. Now go, see to Lady Kerrigan and Lady Valdier."

The other woman left quickly and Aeda slowly, painfully stood, walking slowly to the mirror of her cabin. Some Lieutenant had 'given' the Grand Seraph her cabin, unwillingly probably.
Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to walk through the pain. Some of her Angelii, her two human friends, were dealing with much more serious injuries. Her weakness angered her.

She stood at the mirror and pushed her hood back, lowered her mask. Her face looked back at her. Her face, or the Queen's? To most it was impossible to tell, though of course Aeda knew all the differences perfectly. With a sad sigh she pulled back on her hood. Her true face was the mask, that's all there was to it anymore. She was not allowed to have her own. It was against the law...and Aeda knew it was right, but she didn't have to like it.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

Mirien for her part, was blissfully unaware of the danger she was in as she was moved from the medbay of the transport and into the main ship's medical treatment area. It wasn't long and Mirien was rushed into surgery, despite the blood being poured into her and the efforts to clamp down all the places she was bleeding from, she still was losing far too much blood. In the land of dreams where she was trapped, she'd heard a voice, familiar to her, at the same time it seemed so strange to hear her now, "Mirien Valdier, you better live. You hear me!" She had indeed heard her but the land of dreams prevented her any action to respond. It was up to her body, the skill of the healers, and the will of the Universe if she would survive now.

Hours easily passed by with the brunette in a struggle for her life as surgeons sewed together the veins and artery that had undoubtedly been shredded in the brutal battle. Muscle tissues were mended, bones reset, a few metal plates screwed in to hold the weakest of connections of her now fragile bones. Mirien undoubtedly would need time to heal and recover. Her elbow, while it too needed repairs, it was an afterthought to the surgeons. In no way would her shattered elbow kill her. The shoulder on the other hand could. Lastly one of the surgeons pulled a thin, long black spike from her shoulder, a gift from the Klaxxi's leg. It was tossed into a tray to the side. After all of this, Valdier finally seemed stable. Finally.

"Someone clean that bit, she might want a souvenir. Stars know I would after surviving all of this." An aide indulged the surgeon's request as the rest started the procedure on her elbow, while a more junior healer closed her shoulder up.

Soon enough Mirien lay in a comfortable bed, surrounded by all manner of devices to keep close watch on her while she recovered. After all, the woman was still in a rather fragile state. A few bags of blood hung above her, the last she would need this time. Eventually Mirien would wake up, her right arm, bound tightly against her chest to prevent even the slightest movement of the limb, as if the pain wouldn't be reminder enough. But all that work in surgery, was still only very fragile connections that the slightest jarring could undo.

The brunette blinked most tiredly a few times as she came to. She sighed in relief, ignoring the hurts, just happy to have lived. Turning her head, she glanced to her shoulder, not even slightly surprised to see how it was bandaged with the rest of her arm strapped down to her body. A glance to the tray table beside her revealed the spike of the Klaxxi that had broken off inside her, a good six inch long piece now preserved in a tube of fluid.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Aeda Shaytari"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"], [member="Aeda Shaytari"]


Once again Siobhan was in the ER of a medbay. As a matter of fact, she had never been to the medbay of the Valora's Blade, so this might be a new experience for her. At the rate at which she visited medical rooms as a patient, she should really start grading them by now. As it happened her injuries might be both less and in some cases more severe than those of her companions. Unlike them she had been wearing beskar'gam, armour made out of Mandalorian iron that was virtually unbreakable and as such she had not been impaled by the spike of a Klaxxi.


However, the visor of her beskar helmet had been shattered during her fight with the Klaxxi and in the process one of the spider beasts had destroyed her remaining organic eye by using its tendrils like a drill. Perhaps the beasts had managed to gaze into her mind and come across the past memory of Kaelin cutting the other eye out with a razor, thus starting Siobhan on the path of using significant body parts again and again. In any case, this left Siobhan with one good mechanical eye. Needless to say the gaping wound was cleared of blood and disinfected, since infections are nasty. By the time the doctors were done it would be bandaged, though the hollow space remained. Surgery would be needed to restore her eye either by implanting a bionic one, the same as she used for her one eye that remained, or cloning one. Presumably the second option would take more time and resources but that was for them to decide later when Siobhan was awake. After all, there were other patients as well.


Although her armour had not been penetrated Siobhan had suffered considerable blunt trauma. See, even the heaviest armour does not prevent that and it can be quite nasty. Xenomorphs and Klaxxi had viciously beaten and pummelled her, she had crashed and debris had fallen on her when her telekinetic onslaught blew up the entire laboratory, sending her falling into the room beneath. As a consequence several bones and ribs had been broken. Muscle tissue would have to be mended, bones reset and so on so forth. Her back was going to be a queen for quite some time and it would be for the best if she did not strain herself because her organic leg would protest strongly otherwise, since she would have a hell of a limp. What was more a cause for concern was the fact that all that blunt trauma had resulted in her suffering internal injuries to her organs. After all, it does not take much to puncture a lung. Considerable blunt trauma can easily jostle a rib into causing this.


To be more specific, the doctors would discover that her lung had been damaged. Synthetic blood placed in the IV was starting to replace the one she had lost through internal bleeding, as blood transfusions were required to keep her alive and going. Likewise she was being dosed with heavy sedatives and pain killers to keep her out of it. After all, there was no need for Siobhan to be awake and conscious while the doctors worked over her, identified the problem and then performed surgery that would hopefully help her. As it turned out her lung had been punctured and, moreover, she had suffered considerable blunt trauma to her chest that left the tissue so badly bruised and torn apart that it was not salvagable. So much that it was bleeding inside her lung and into her chest cavity.


"If it's left alone and not removed, she'll drown in her blood in no time. We'll have to operate now," the head surgeon said, apparently wanting to play Captain Obvious. "At the rate that woman is going we should just give her bionic organs. Hell, she almost has a complete machine body anyway," she muttered more to herself than to anyone else, though she got some disapproving glances from the elves in the operating room, before motioning one of the nurses. "Pass it on to Lady Cadalthor and Lady Alcori. Make it very clear we're not asking for permission."


Of all the organs the lung was probably the most dangerous to have removed and not replaced. Siobhan would have to be on a machine for a while just to breathe for her until the doctors could be certain that the other lung would be healthy enough to work on its own after implantation. Needless to say this would work disastrously, though this was a highly advanced Galaxy. In other words, in this fascinating adventure Siobhan had been temporarily spaced, lost an eye and would now lose a lung. Things had really gone well for her! For her part Siobhan was still completely out of it and stuck in the realm of dreams, oblivious to what else was going on. As a matter of fact her mental haven at present consisted of her and Galina going on a safari trip on Dahomey.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Mirien Valdier"], [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

The news had nearly been as bad as the adventure to the space station with Shadow. In some ways this was even worse. They had achieved so much today, won a great victory, and yet now it rang hollow for Tegaea.

She had excused herself from the bridge and gone to her cabin. When her aide Kayla came to see her, Tegaea was staring out at the starfield.
“Ma’am?”
Tegaea closed her eyes, leaned her head against the transparisteel. “I’m fine, Kayla. That’s the point, I always am alright. Siobhan goes into mortal danger and nearly dies. Even now they don’t know if she’ll survive. Why did she do it, why did she go to that hulk? She didn’t have to, there was no reason for anyone to go there, nothing they found can be worth this. And even if it is, why does she have to go?! This is why we employ people. She’s brilliant, but as she gets more and more injuries I wonder whether her strength is not declining; it’s happening more and more often. Eventually the blow will go that inch deeper…and then she’ll be gone forever.”
The aide was in the super awkward position of listening in on a private rant, being the tag-along to something way out of her job description.
“Ma’am…I should go and…” she said, edging away.
“Yes, yes, go away,” Tegaea said moodily. That was unfair, she was being unfair to the girl. That didn’t really bother Tegaea at that moment.
“Why do you do this to me, Siobhan, why do you do this to yourself?!” she said to the empty room, and the universe in general.

It was selfishness and self-pity driving her, she knew that, but at this moment she thought she had earned some selfishness.

She wouldn’t go over there though. No, not until she knew the prognosis and her wife was ready to wake. She’d seen enough of the inside of her wife for a lifetime. Maybe, just maybe, this would convince her to finally stop….

 

[Coryth Elaris]

[member="Tempest"] [member="Kaida Taldir"]

Coryth had patiently been searching the feeding room, she'd been stuck in, for a way out. Her Reek nervously glancing around as sounds from outside the door kept coming and going. Even Coryth didn't know what to make of what she was hearing. Either way she was determined to find some way out, that wasn't through the door.

Slowly she'd been working her way around the room, tapping on the walls, searching for a hollow sound. Anything that might indicate a passage upon the other side of the wall. It took time but alas she finally found one of the walls sounded hollow. About that moment, before she could truly investigate the wall, she heard a scraping of stone as Tempest came to her rescue. "Boy, am I glad to see you guys."

"Just Coryth if you don't mind." She said with a bit of relief as she reached out and shook Tempest's hand. The little redhead after all, kinda had a thing against titles. And truly she still didn't believe herself worthy of the Master title, but that was another story, a rant for another time.

"It's funny you should ask. I was already working on an alternate way out of this room." She stepped slowly over to the hollow sounding section of the room. "The stone sounds hollow here. There might be a passage behind this wall. However, bringing the wall down, presents a small problem as I don't have the means to break through the stone. I'm hoping you brought something a little ... explosive?"

 

[Tempest]

[member="Coryth Elaris"]
Tempest did indeed have just the thing. "Well then, Coryth, stand back. With your...uhh...friend." Tempest found herself looking at a very large Reek very close. Thee big creature sniffed her suspiciously, but it seemed that Coryth had persuaded it that she was a friend.

"Sergeant, bring up the detonator." Tempest checked over the wall and surmised it led to another door like which she had entered through. The key was applying enough power to demolish it, but not too much to bring everything down on them.

With everyone huddled as far as they could from that wall, Tempest offered a prayer to whichever deity might be watching...and pressed the detonator.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]


The rather garbled transmission had indeed reached Kaida and her unit. While most of the message had been butchered she understood enough to figure out that it seemed Tempest's squad had been cut off after presumably being attacked by monsters.


So since she had nothing else to do Kaida had commed Battalion Command and requested an additional platoon. While her force was still reasonably big, there were presumably plenty of beasties still lurking around. That done her reinforced unit was going on the move since they had been able to trace life signs. Whether their help would be needed was another question entirely but it was best not to take chances and in any case she was not doing anything important at present. Well, except perhaps blowing up more statues of Chaos Gods but even that got a bit boring after a while.


The Banner of the Kaeshana Confederation still stood tall and proud on the roof of the Bando Gora Citadel above the massive Skull Throne and the corpse of the Ewok who had been the literal puppeteer behind the curtain. If their help was not needed there was a chance the Eldorai soldiers might still bear witness to Coryth smashing things. Who knew, maybe one of them would have the presence of mind to film that and put it on Galaxytube for the entire galaxy to watch and fangirl over.

 

[Vaena Askari]

There was paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. It could be delegated to minions, but you could not trust secretaries and aide-de camps to actually work. Lists of casualties the Eldorai Ariane's Fist Armoured Battalion had taken during the battle on Gehenna, more casualty lists for the joint Firemane and Angelii task force that had just escaped from the space hulk. Datapad upon datapad detailing the salvage operations in space. Suffice to say debris had been largely cleared away. Likewise a detailed list of all the toys that had been stolen from the space hulk. Contrary to what [member="Tegaea Alcori"] was thinking, they had actually acquired several of those. Bando Gora alien starfighters and bombers, even some more ancient designs that seemed reminiscent of experimental technology used by the Old Empire. Likewise it appeared that Colonel [member="Mirien Valdier"], who was at present recovering in the medbay and presumably would be out of action for quite a while, had downloaded their entire database, which was a treasure trove of arcane knowledge and Sith alchemy.


Even a cage with Klaxxi had been recovered before everything went to hell. Of course, casualties had still been heavy. The doctors had performed surgery on Valdier, but only time would well whether she was out of the woods. It was still uncertain whether Siobhan Kerrigan would even survive the operation. As an old saying goes, there is no glory in battle worth the blood it costs. At this point in time Tarissa had given up on trying to keep herself awake through starcaf because it seemed even a steaming mug was having no effect on her. She also had the distinct impression that at some point she would need glasses given all the bloody paperwork she had to deal with.


More terraforming efforts would be needed to fully purify and rejuvenate Gehenna, but that would be left to Doctor Elanil Saedaris. A message had already been sent to the White Palace, informing the Star Queen of the Eldorai of the military success of the campaign. The report included a holopic of the Eldorai Banner being hoisted upon the Citadel of their barbaric enemies, who had been humbled and now lay prostrate before them. Soon there would be letters to write to the families of the bereaved, medals and decorations to award to those who had shown valour. This would cause even more paperwork. Those priestesses of the Goddess who were not healers were doing their part by beseeching Ashira not to withdraw her protection from those wounded who were still standing at the gates to the realm of Illyria, goddess of the dead.


After an indeterminate amount of time had passed even Tarissa got annoyed and excused herself from the bridge, putting her XO in command of the deck. The officer was reasonably competent and nothing important was happening, so she figured she could trust her enough. Tarissa's path did not take her to her cabin or the officers' mess, though her stomach would have assuredly appreciated an actual meal and drink that for a change was not stimcaf, but to the shrine of Ashira. Every Eldorai battleship had one, no matter how small, and contrary to the stereotypical depiction in certain holovids it was actually a place of prayer and not a 'literacy module'. It was a place of power and yet also of contemplation and peace. Upon entering this hallowed ground a sensation of serenity filled her as she looked upon the statues of the Goddesses and icons that greeted her.

Having reached the statue of the Great Goddess she came to a halt at a respectful distance and dropped down on one knee, bowing her head. It was written that Ashira had made the Eldorai in her image as her children on the sacred land of Kaeshana after the War in Heaven. After bringing forth her children and building the very first stone buildings at the site that would one day become Santaissa, she had ascended to the heavens. Those of her children who were pure of heart and intent would join her as angels upon death. Those who followed the path of darkness would be cast out into the fires of hell and suffer unspeakable torment for their crimes.


"Ashira, greatest of the Goddesses, Creator of the Eldorai, I beseech you not in my name but for those took upon the sword to do battle in your name and this world of evil. Blessed are those who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter. Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just. Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. Many valorous Eldorai stand at the edge of the river Acheron and the Ferrywoman of Illyria beckons them closer. I humbly beseech you not to withdraw your grace from them, for their time is not yet. I pray also for the humans who fought with us, for though they may not be your children, they have aided us in advancing your holy cause and shed their own blood against the spawn of hell," she spoke with great solemnity and true fervour in her eyes. This seemed to be one of the few moments when she showed genuine emotion.


"As for those souls who have ascended to sit at your side, their names shall be forever with us and example to follow. For those who carry your name in their heart there is no death, but the certainty of your heavenly love. For you are the fire at the heart of the world, our shining light in the darkness. Yours is the power, the kingdom and the glory."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

Tegaea’s moment of self-reflection and even self-pity did not last long. She had work to do, and it required her to be impassive, in control, and put aside what was happening on the Eldorai flagship.

“Ma’am, the atmospheric transformation is proceeding on schedule. We are continuing the atmospheric bombardment at the times specified by Doctor [member="Elanil Saedaris"].”
“Good. Report from our forces on the surface?”
“Base is almost complete, the basic parts anyway. Only forces not checked in are Lieutenant Tempest and Master Elaris, but Captain [member="Kaida Taldir"] reports they are still alive and moving.”
“That is well. I would hate to lose either of them.”
“Also, ma’am, your pirate…friend…would like a word.”
Tegaea sighed and headed to the comms room.

Kalinai was staring vacantly into space until she was nudged by Elaine.
“Ah, Tegs, we’re just about finished here. We’ll give you your share and be off.”
“Kalinai, I want everything inspected, and then we will divide things equally.”
“I’m hurt that you would even suggest I’d try and double cross you!” Kalinai said, all wounded dignity.
“Kalinai, remember the time you ‘mysteriously’ ended up with all the diamonds on that Bando Gora convoy we hit?”
“I quite forgot about them. There was so much other stuff that I couldn’t remember how that little bag ended up in my pocket.”
“Right. So we’re going to do this fairly.”
“Yes, oh divine mistress,” Kalinai grumbled.
“I’ll see to it, Lady Alcori,” Elaine said.
“Betrayed! Betrayed by my minions!” Kalinai wailed, shutting off the link.