Denouement (Tygaran Alliance, Firemane and Friends)

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="HK-36"]


The Doctor shook her head. She seemed content with the droid being agreeable - and apparently not secretly plotting to process people while she was not looking. "I believe not for the time being. I imagine you'll want to visit the Abregado outpost on Arkas in the interim."


By the way, ARGH also had an outpost in the Yuuzhan Vong Galaxy. Siobhan had set it up after being annoyed about alien rights activists complaining about Firemane's refusal to hire Vong. So she'd decided to conquer their home galaxy, but eventually got bored and lost interest.


Alright, that was a joke. Muhahaha.


xxx

Meanwhile, the talk had died down in the hospital room, but Ariawyn was soon roused from her slumber when her comm suddenly chirped. Wiping the sleep from her one good eye, she managed to reach the device and activate it. "Yeah," she said tiredly, as the holographic projection of a younger elf woman manifested.


"Hey, is that the way to greet your sister?" the girl replied indignantly, but then concern overcame her. "You look terrible. What in Ashira's name happened to you? Are you going to be alright?"


"A rocket," Ariawyn said laconically. "I'll be alright. How are you...I heard there was...trouble?" she asked carefully.


"I'm fine. So is mother. There's rioting in Santaissa, but all is calm on Ashira's Light. We saw it on the news. The streets are soaked with blood...for what? I hope it is over soon. Just glad you're alive. Is it true Firemane betrayed us."


"A few idiots turned traitor, that's it. Don't believe any Shining Path claptrap," Ariawyn quickly quashed that thought in the bud.


"I feel for our people on Kaeshana. They're our blood. They did not deserve this. Why did Ashira not protect them?"


"They won't be forgotten. We'll free them - and avenge the fallen," she sighed and took a breath. "Listen, there are going to be some...changes in my life..."


"What do you mean? You're my sister and I love you no matter what," the other elf assured her, then furrowed her brow. "Wait, you're not dating a human monkeigh, right?"


"What?! No! This is serious...and I told you not to call them monkeighs..."

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Elincia Alanis"]


"I'm fine. It's just a flesh wound," she said disingenuously. "We must push on." The road to the mansion was clear, though littered with dead bodies. Once again, Eldorai had spilt the blood of Eldorai. It was a self-destructive, vicious cycle of violence that seemed to continue unabated, even when the survival of the race was at stake.


It sickened Askari to the core, just as much as the burnt flesh and stinking corpses, whose smell choked its way into the soldiers' rebreathers. The streets were soaked in blood. This could not be the Goddess' will. It had to end at last.


Finally, they could see the gates of their target. The Cadalthor residence was a palatial mansion, a testament to the affluence and splendour the clan lived in. This point was probably also driven home by the fact that these were not even their grandest dwellings. No, that title belonged to their magnificient Summer House further down in the south. To Askari, all of this was so decadent.


As they approached the gates, heavy gunfire came their way. Rockets flew back and forth, causing loud explosions as they detonated. Amidst the sounds of battle, the chants of Cadalthor guards could be heard, spurred on by fanatical Shining Path zealots. The attackers' bolters belched explosive shells, streams of flame lit up the space between the two sides.


"Radio Taldir and tell her we could use some heavy ordinance. Yelvetha, put your Sapphires on cover duty. Samara, enfilade fire," Askari yelled to make herself heard amidst the noise generated by the battle all around them.


The terramancers in the group harnessed their elemental magic, drawing upon it to mould the earth and make walls rise to offer cover. From a watchtower, a rocket screamed through the air towards the Angelii.


Heedless of the danger, Askari rose from cover and drew upon all her power to push back, knocking the rocket away with a blast of telekinesis and making it explode in mid-air before it could cause harm to her soldiers. Instead the shockwave hit Cadalthor soldiers. Shrapnel bounced off her suit's duraplast plating.


"For Ashira!" A Cadalthor zealot, face twisted in fanaticism and hatred, charged at her, firing her rifle from the hip. Having been focused on the rocket and directing things, Askari was a bit late to respond.


There was a feeling of warmth that was commonly associated with blood seeping out of a wound, accompanied by pain, and she cursed violently when she realised a bullet had ripped through her damaged suit and done something unpleasant. "Move on, take the mansion," she groaned while a medic pulled her down.


Dimly, she could perceive that the death charging fanatic was taken out when she was drilled by the hypervelocity pellets of a fellow Angelii's shattergun rotary cannon. Her body parts ended up being strewn across the blood soaked pavement. Her battle sisters were advancing in small groups, swarming through the gaps. But the fanatical militia kept charging them, wading through gun fire and elemental attacks that would have given sane people pause.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Nima Tann"] [member="Kaida Taldir"]

Tempest was too deep in her fugue of embarrassment, anger and determination to be thinking too rationally at this moment. Her heart was still thumping and the adrenaline still pumping.
“Yes,” she said bitterly, “They don’t forget, except for all those times we helped them. Their resentment is pitiful.”
She glanced over the massacre. She felt no regret. They knew what they were doing, and so had she. Siobhan would stand by her and in the same situation would have done the same, or so she thought.

“Let’s go,” she said, stalking off to the Yazgid. She held the door open for Nima though. It was hard to dislike the Twi’lek or be angry with her. She was too damn sensible.

And so they were off. The word had got around, and bar the odd shot or jeering onlooker no one stood in their way or attempted to hinder them.

Their target was a strong compound, able to resist the attention of regular criminals and rioters. It would not be enough to stop several Yazgids full of Angelii and an angry pair of Force masters.

Askari had already begun her assault, so now Kaida, Tempest and Nima could sweep in to catch them from the flank and break them up.
If Kaida wished, several more Archon gunships were available to add their destructive firepower to the battle.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Nima Tann"]


Kaida did not respond to either Tempest or Nima. At this stage, she was focused on one thing: Destroying the enemies of her people. Not of the Queen, not of the Council, not of Ashira. House Cadalthor and those who followed it had betrayed her people and the soldiers who'd bled in the killing fields of Kaeshana.


Bottom line, she was angry.


And so they were off. Their brief journey through the streets was unimpeded. Perhaps people had finally learned their lesson. Soon the compound was in their sight. It was big, grand and ostentatious, made out of marble and with a lovely garden and enough space to house a small army. Naturally there was an Ashiran chapel.


The mansion was a temple of decadence and self-indulgence. Ergo it would be razed to the ground. Askari, Elincia and their group had already begun their assault. Though initially under heavy fire, those Angelii were advancing. They'd also drawn the brunt of the enemy's fire, which increased the effect when the Yazgid brazenly charged into the fray from the flank, causing many of their battle sisters to cheer.


Death ensued as the rotary cannons and grenade launchers belched doom, tearing through the ranks of militia. "Cut off their escape. Let no one leave the villa," Kaida grunted. Her vehicle came to a halt and the Angelii spread out, unleashing their powers upon the fanatics.


Through the cloud of smoke generated by one of the Yazgid's launchers, Kaida advanced. "Askari, advance. We shall smash them between us, hammer and anvil," she ordered, not knowing her subordinate had been injured, but perhaps Elincia would pick up the comm.


"Tann, mind frak them. Tempest, blast them," she added. Her yellow lightsabre, glowing brightly and brilliantly, slashed blaster bolts out of the air. Her battle shield absorbed the blows of a fanatic's blade, before she thrust the weapon out of the way and embedded the point of her sabre in his stomach.


A zealot's heavy repeater roared, spewing out bolts of death. Moving rapidly as bolts tore through the ground, she drew upon her power to suddenly flash freeze one of the fanatic's arms. The limb blackened and died, then the zealot was taken out of the game as a pyromancer overloaded the gun.


Death followed Kaida as she advanced with her girls. She killed Cadalthor followers with her blade, froze them with her powers or ripped through their bodies with ice spears, causing pools of blood to form. The pristine, elegantly manicured garden stopped looking beautiful.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Fanatics charged. Fanatics died. They cried “Ashira is great! There is no Goddess but Ashira, all other spirits are demons!”
Tempest was tired, angry and annoyed. She could not even summon the energy to retort. So she killed them.

Actinic lightning seared out, joining with her lightsabre to hack through the enemy. Most of these cultists didn’t even bother with tactics, so eager were they got martyrdom that many charged willingly into the sarixi of the Angelii.

Tempest though was focussed on other things. As she hacked her way through she smashed into the compound, heading for the control room.
“Kaida, head for the upper floor. I’ll meet you there,” she grunted into her commlink.
A young cultist unloaded an entire staser magazine into her, with absolutely no effect whatsoever. Tempest showed them what a modern weapon was with one slash of her lightsabre which amputated both arms at the elbow.

At last there was just an imposing door blocking them from the control centre. It had been built strong, but not strong enough to resist lightsabres. With Kaida’s help they’d be through soon.

[member="Nima Tann"]

 

[Farryn Loragwyn]

"You can have me flogged or worse?" Farryn scoffed. "After what I've endured, I think I will be able to handle it," she spoke with a blatant lack of respect for the Priestess. The time she had spent unconscious, trapped in her mind had caused something to snap in her and the fear she had once felt had disappeared.

"Shade? Isn't that a little rude? I'm a ghost," Calix frowned and feigned offense echoing the lack of respect his twin had shown the Priestess. Although he appeared to keep faith, it was an act he had put on for his twin in his attempts to protect her and persuade her to make an attempt at living a normal life. "And I exist as such because of my love for my sister. I refuse to leave so long as I'm needed."

"You will always be needed," Farryn smiled at her brother with sad eyes then turned to the Priestess. "Our siblings, Faith and Cecil took advantage of the disaster of Kaeshana to murder my twin and injure me. Then, taking advantage of my incapacitated state, the pair slandered me, dishonoring my name so that Faith would take my place as successor of House Loragwyn."

[member="Vaena Askari"]​

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Nima Tann"]


"Seraph, we are moving into the lower levels, but have wounded. The traitors have set traps."


"Hold position and flood them with knockout gas. Alert our forces outside to be on guard in case there's a secret escape."


"Acknowledged."


"Seraph, the garden is ours. Host Leader Askari is injured."


"Idiot. Make sure she doesn't charge off. Bring your forces up and surround the villa. Get medics to our wounded."


A good portion of the professional soldiers amongst the Cadalthor's house guards had been killed during the fighting outside. This left fanatical zealots. Unsurprisingly, the Cadalthors considered a desire to martyr oneself to be a virtue...at least among the followers.


Kaida doubted that any of the aristos would be eager to follow the example of their followers and sacrifice themselves for Ashira. It was all just empty rhetoric that concealed their lust for power. Wherever she went, Death followed her like a trusted companion, embracing fanatics as they charged to their doom.


Kaida was tired, increasingly irritated and angry. There was no room for remorse in her mind. Nor was there room for traitors in the Eldorai nation. They had to cut out this vile cancer from their body. This was a cleansing. It was for the common good, if such notions were to have any value amongst the Eldorai instead of being convenient phrases used by the mighty.


So she slew. Zealots fell to clean, precise slashes of her lightsabre or ruthless stabs. Others went down after being pierced by ice spears. She was merciful enough to give them a clean death instead of letting them die from bloodloss.


Blaster fire rained down upon her and she dodged or cut bolts out of the air. Flying everywhere, the red-hot rounds tore vaporised a priceless artwork depicting the Founder of House Cadalthor and Ariane the Great crushing the Kar'zun. A slash at the wrist removed her opponent's gun hand. Then the burning yellow blade pierced her stomach, leaving a small hole inside it and ending her life even as the wound was cauterised.


"Please, don't hurt me! I'm not with them!" a frightened servant girl shrieked. She wore a collar and not much else beyond a very brief dress. Looking like the deer caught in the headlight, she trembled. "They've gone completely insane. Illyria has possessed them!"


"On your knees," Kaida grunted, slowly approaching the woman, for she was wary of a trap. Her danger senses flared...but it was not the scared young woman from whom she got the feeling of menace. No, that was behind her.


"There is no Goddess, but Ashira, all other spirits are demons!" a wild-eyed fanatic yelled, standing in the corridor. In one hand, she held a thermal detonator. "Paradise awaits me!" she activated the cylinder of explosive death.


Two things happened within the blink of an eye: The would-be suicide bomber was suddenly encased by a protection bubble and Kaida roughly pulled the servant girl away. Then the detonator exploded. A white-hot baradium explosion vaporised everything that happened to be in its immediate blast radius. This included the suicide bomber, who was left in pieces. A hole was blown inside the corridor, artworks and porcelain vases ceased to exist.


"Never saw the appeal of virgins," Kaida muttered disdainfully. She and the servant had been tossed back by the explosion, with the girl landing on top the Seraph.


"What?" the servant girl was trembling and probably thanking her lucky stars. She clung to the Seraph for dear life. Both had sustained bruises and Kaida was certain that her body would hate her tomorrow.


"Doesn't scripture say some nonsense about martyrs getting virgins to play with? I don't see the appeal. Their technique is nonexistent, they get clingy and want you to be gentle all the time. Dull," Kaida said in a scathing tone. "Other sources say you get wine. Doesn't do anything for me either." Eldorai heaven had mentions of paradise in a 'getting young maidens' sense...depending on what you read.


"We're...in the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by dead bodies and you...joke about paradise?" Slowly, she pulled herself together and got to her feet, though she was still shaking.


"It is a joke," Kaida grunted. "Get out. The medics will take care of you." Then the Seraph was off, running up the stairs towards the control room, where Tempest was presumably waiting at the door. It was time to end this.


"Be ready," she grunted when she reached her destination. One of her gauntlets retracted and she placed her hand on the heavy door. At first, nothing happened, but then she began to flood with cold. Pure concentration was written across her features as she poured her power into it. Not only would her cryomantic assault make the metal turn brittle, it would also make it easier for Tempest's lightsabre to force it open, as the rapid heating of supercooled materials caused them to shatter.

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Farryn Loragwyn"]


"Don't test me, girl. For that would only be the start. Ardarvia's handmaidens can inflict punishment upon you the likes of which you can only imagine. So mind your tone," the Abbess snapped in a stern, imperious tone. However, the words of the spirit and of Farryn gave her pause. Benevolent spirits and revenants were a rare phenomeon, but not unheard of in Ashiranism. Moreover, Byzantine power struggles were nothing new amongst the nobility. The girl could be lying and would still need to be put on trial, but Servilia was duty-bound to investigate her claims.


"Both of you make a serious accusations. You're aware that lying is a cardinal sin in the Goddess' eyes? If you speak in false tongues, you will not only be sentenced for withcraft, but for slandering a member of the peerage - in this world and the next. If there is truth to your words, the Church of Ardarvia shall protect you. You will be put to the Question and the truth shall be revealed." This was a fancy way of saying she'd be put on trial. "Doubtless House Loragwyn will learn of this and make an appearance."

 

[Farryn Loragwyn]

Farryn fought back her desire to roll her eyes and make some snarky comment. "My apologies," she said in an apathetic tone not meaning a single syllable of it. "And yes, I am aware," I wasn't born yesterday she wanted to add. "I will be sure to expect the Church's protection as I am no liar," she said rather unconvincingly.

Put to question and truth? The truth will be revealed? the Farryn sniggered. The 'truth' was the nobility's truth bought with gold and lies. Many times, she had watched her mother make back-alley deals so that some fiction favorable to House Loragwyn's circumstances would become truth.

"Priestess, if I may make a request of you, please pass on this message to Faith Loragwyn," she began then proceeded to speak words no Eldorai of good breeding should ever speak. "And I have a message for Cecil as well," she added after a pause and spoke another sentence full of obscenities.

[member="Vaena Askari"]​

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Farryn Loragwyn"]


In response to the foul language, Servilia gave Farryn a very hard slap across the face. "Girl, you are fortunate I am bound by oath to serve the truth or else I'd have you whipped for that. Such crucidites coming from such a graceful mouth might as well hint at malginant malice inside," she spoke harshly. Even her voice was like the crack of a whip on vulnerable flesh. "And my rank is Abbess. Remember it."

 

[Farryn Loragwyn]

Farryn winced, her cheek stinging from the Priestess' harsh slap. "My apologies, Abbess," she spoke in an unrepentant manner. "I assume you're not going to pass my message then?" she almost sounded a little disappointed. "That's a shame," she continued. "I guess I will have the pleasure of telling them myself later."

There was no fear in the albino Eldorai's eyes as she spoke, only apathy. With nothing to live for save the day where Faith and Cecil would finally receive their due comeuppance, Farryn had little concern for the outcome of her upcoming trial. Knowing her mother, her fate would probably be decided before the trial even commenced - such were the methods of the matriarch of House Loragwyn.

[member="Vaena Askari"]​

 

[Tempest]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
If Kaida was a 90s villain of the Mr Freeze variety she would be using ice puns at this point. Thankfully she was not.

Tempest grinned and waited until the doors were nice and frosty, then rammed her lightsabre deep into the metal. The rapid cooling and heating combined to warp even this thick metal such that a heavy telekinetic blow cracked it like a shattered tile. Half the door hung in place whilst a section at the bottom fell away.

Entering the room she saw two Eldorai hard at work sabotaging machinery. A fire had been lit in a trash basket and papers were curling to ash.

Tempest was having no patience with this. Stepping forward she seized one of them by the neck and hurled them into the broken door, rendering them unconscious. The other came at her with a knife, to which Tempest reversed her lightsabre and brought the end of the butt onto the woman’s head. She too crumpled.

The room was a mess, and whilst Tempest left Kaida to deal with the bonfire, she set about salvaging all the machinery she could.
“We’ll need a data expert or slicer for this,” she commented, wincing at the destruction. Stupid Eldorai saboteurs.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Tempest"]

​

​

Kaida was not the type to make ice puns. Or puns of any sort. In her opinion, they merited a caning. If the gentle reader is getting the impression that the Ice Lady was a wee bit obsessed with corporal punishment - and D/s stuff in general - they'd probably be correct.


Regardless, two Eldorai saboteurs tried to impede them. It went poorly for the saboteurs. This left Kaida to deal with the bonfire. The air temperature rapidly cooled as she drew upon her power to dose it with water and snow. Alas, few papers would be salvageable.


"On it," Kaida grunted, punching a button on her comm. "Captain, control room is secure. Get a slicer up here. You captured one of the parasites? Good," she cut the connection and glanced to Tempest. "You think I'll get in trouble if I mutilate one of the blue blooded's slime ears?" she asked in a flat, deadpan tone. Walking over to the two unconscious saboteurs, she cuffed them. If all else failed, maybe they could give them to the Ardarvian Abbess who was making such a good impression on [member="Farryn Loragwyn"].

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Farryn Loragwyn"]


"Fail to control your tongue and matters will go most...," unfortunately whatever the Abbess wanted to say was cut off when a nervous, slightly mousy looking lay sister rushed into the small room.


"What is it, Silaqui?" Servilia snapped irritably. Presumably the lay sister was not a relative of the late Queen Silaqui and just her namesake. After all, it was a very popular name for Eldorai females.


"Pardon the interruption, Abbess...but an, uh, messenger of the Noble House of Loragwyn has arrived. She wishes to speak with you and says she has a message from the honourable Matriarch meant for..."


"Quit your blathering, girl," the Abbess interrupted her, waving the girl's words aside as if they were buzzing insects. "I can imagine what message she wishes to convey. I would wonder how the 'Noble House of Loragwyn' could know about a prisoner who has been in our custody for less than a day, but I do not doubt that the walls have ears and certain people have loose tongues."


The lay sister, who looked like a deer caught in the headlight, could do nothing except nod. "Yes, Abbess. I informed the messenger that even her mistress must obey the conventions, but she was very adamant."


"I care not. House Loragwyn will receive the appropriate summons, then state their case. Tell the errand girl to go back to her mistress and take whatever coin she might carry on her person with her. Unlike some, I value justice and truth more highly than baubles."

 

[Farryn Loragwyn]

Farryn watched in silence as the mousy sister entered the room interrupting the Abbess mid-threat, and listened with interest to the conversation that ensued between the pair. As expected, it wasn't long before the sister spoke the two words she had been expecting - House Loragwyn.

House Loragwyn, of course. Farryn nearly rolled her eyes at the sound of the name. For her, it was as certain as death and taxes that members of House Loragwyn would try to get involved in her life whenever a chance presented itself. To her mother, she was a failure - a stain that ought to be wiped away so that their noble family tree remains untarnished. Although her heart had hardened, it was not completely stone and as much as she loathed to admit it, she still loved her mother and desired the woman's acceptance.

"Mother..." she whispered wishing that the very thought of the woman would no longer cause a pain in her chest; she needed to let go of the past and move on so that she might finally avenge her brother.

[member="Vaena Askari"]​

 

[Tempest]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Tempest looked down at the two women. “Probably not. They were armed enemies sabotaging vital equipment. Who’s the Grand Seraph going to believe?”
Once she might have suggested Kaida not take that step, but at this moment she was finding little reason to be merciful.

Some tech specialists were shuffled in and set to work. It was like CSI: Cyber, though with less pop songs and preppy explanations to the audience.
Tempest, aware that time was of the essence, stood near the door, helmet on, staring at the technicians. It certainly made them work harder, though with frequent glances behind.

Finally, when one of them glanced over a bit too often Tempest took a step forward.
“Technician, is there something you would like to say?” her modulated voice asked calmly.
“N…no, ma’am. Sorry.”
“Time is of the essence, technician. Less glancing, more working.”

Questionable as these methods were, they produced results. Within moments, through an array of cables, machines and datapads which Tempest could not have deciphered in a week, one of them turned.
“Major, Seraph, we’ve got something. Coded messages dispatched five hours and then three hours ago. The code was complex, but they didn’t have time to destroy the code books or the encryption keys.”

The message was:
Initiate Operation Righteous Flame at 9th Hour. Purge all outsiders and false believers. Our friends will assist. T

“T?” Tempest pondered. “Tarissa….”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Tempest"]


Kaida looked at the two bound would-be saboteurs with an expression of pure disdain. "Maybe Arryn had a point," she muttered. Presumably she did not refer to the famous heretic who'd been burnt at the stake centuries ago.


The technicians did their CSI: Cyber thing, while being suitably motivated by a very...stormy looking Tempest. Finally, their efforts produced results and they hit the jackpot. Kaida had a look of utmost frostiness written across her face.


"How unoriginal," she said flatly. "I need a secure line to the Grand Seraph right now."


"What about the prisoners, ma'am?" one Angelii guard queried, indicating the two saboteurs who were awakening from their slumber. They looked understandably pissed off about their treatment, since a certain 'black monkeigh' had knocked them out.


"You will not get away with this," one declared angrily. "How dare you let a monkeigh touch a noble? The Council will not stand for it. House Cadalthor is stronger than you can imagine. Release us now and we will...forget this transgression."


The other one tried a different tactic. "Shut up," she snapped at her companion, "you're only digging a hole for us. We only followed orders under duress. Let me speak to the Queen. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement."


"I'm not sure what disgusts me more. Your arrogance and idiocy...or your craven cowardice," Kaida looked from one Cadalthor to the other. She took her lightsabre from her belt and pressed the activation button, igniting the yellow blade with a snap-hiss.


"No...you cannot do this..."


"Ashira will...aaargh," cries of pain erupted when Kaida sliced across their ears, mutilating one for each aristo. A mutilated ear was a mark of shame amongst the Eldorai, and this was one of the traditional punishments the Seraph approved of.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
The Grand Seraph had been staring impassively down on Tygara when a young Wing Leader approached nervously.
“My…my Lady.”
“Speak,” Aeda ordered. Her masked voice was modulated and sounded even more taciturn than normal.
“Seraph Taldir has found information. She requests an interview in the Dome.”
“Lead,” Aeda said, turning from the window and chivvying the harassed young Angelii before her.
The Dome was a secure messaging room on the station, formed of super dense metals so that nothing inside could be heard or seen.

When Kaida appeared on the holoprojector the masked helmet of the Grand Seraph looked at her.
“Speak,” she commanded. No ‘Oh, how are you, Seraph, I hope you made it without difficulty.’ The Seraph was clearly alive and mostly unharmed, beyond that anything else was irrelevant.

The screaming, cursing and wailing of the two mutilated prisoners was creating a racket though, so Tempest stomped over to one, picked them up and slammed them into the wall, still holding a hand at their throat.
“The Seraph cut off part of an ear. She was merciful. If you don’t shut up right now I will cut off something even more important. Do you understand?” Her hand produced but did not activate her lightsabre.
They nodded wordlessly, the one in her grip seemed about to wet herself.
Tempest dropped the woman in disgust. “Besides, it’s rude to make noise when someone is on the holocomm,” she said grimly.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Aeda Shaytari"]


The only thing Kaida felt for the two wailing, cursing aristos was contempt. Their behaviour disgusted her. Cutting part of their ears was a mercy, though she doubted they would learn the lesson. Social parasites. Heavy labour seemed appropriate to her.


But they - and all of House Cadalthor - were just a symptom of the cancer infecting the Eldorai. Their society was rotten, and had been so for centuries. It was a system that rewarded backbiting, cared not for honour and kept an entire people trapped in superstition. The wheel spun on and on, crushing those beneath it. There was no point in stopping the wheel - only in destroying it.


She straightened when the holographic projection of the masked Grand Seraph manifested. "We tracked the signals to the Cadalthor residence. The traitors tried to sabotage their equipment, but we discovered this message. I am certain it is from Tarissa Cadalthor and a call to insurrection to put House Cadalthor in power, with support from traitors in the church and the army. Transmitting," she pressed a button and the message the slicers had found would be sent to Aeda.


"Furthermore, a Shining Path sniper was acting as an agent provocateur, murdering civilians to stir up rebellion against the government. More of the cultists defended the compound." The State Church, the religious courts, the cults - they all had to go. There was no Goddess, no benign higher power, only the cold, harsh reality of an uncaring galaxy.

 

[Vaena Askari]

[member="Farryn Loragwyn"]


The mousy sister, looking understandably flustered, quickly exited the room with more haste than dignity. This left the Abbess and Farryn alone. Servilia preened herself, looking more than a little like a certain Aurelia Saelari after delivering a rant.


On the bright side, she was not secretly an HRD unlike the scheming politician. Regardless, the clock was ticking. She turned to face Farryn once more. "The court will convene in an hour. It will be a tribunal of three learned clerics, including myself. Evidence will be presented, witnesses will be questioned and we shall divine the truth with the Goddess' aid - and pass sentence," she spoke solemnly. Apparently Farryn would not have a lawyer because juries were for monkeighs.