The Red Arrow

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Just as she’d had a cocktail of emotions, now Alexia felt mainly relief, amusement and annoyance. She stormed down the hill towards Enyo. She was of the opinion that this had all been a plan by Enyo, and that recklessness made her angry because she was so worried.

“That was incredibly stupid,” she said crossly, just loud enough for Enyo to hear. “You’ve got to think of more than yourself! If it had…killed…you, what would we have done?!”

She was being a little irrational so she sighed. “I’m glad you’re alright. Let’s hack the head off and connect it to one of those rust buckets.”

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


"You are being unreasonable. I made a calculated decision and it paid off," Enyo responded frostily in her big sister voice. In truth, she'd simply made the best out of a bad situation since a huge wurm had been right in front of her. But it suited her better to claim that this had been her plan.


"Nonetheless, your concern is appreciated. You've performed well," she added in a somewhat softer, more human tone. Enyo was not exactly loveable, but she cared about her sibling in her own, strange way. Even if said caring usually manifested in tough love.


"Look at this. What a great kill. Heh, heh. We slew a great wurm on foot. They will sing songs about us," Mönchkhbat roared triumphantly. He gave Alexia what he believed to be a friendly slap on the shoulder. Presumably the clone did not appreciate the gesture from the big lizard. Especially since the slap was probably strong enough to make her stumble.

"Yes. Get its head hacked off," Enyo ordered the Kraal and a bunch of cheering minions.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
The code of the tough girl was to never show one cared about anything, so Alexia was a little embarrassed that she’d shown her emotions.
She neatly redirected it all towards Mönchkhbat. She glared. “Touch me again, lizard, and you’ll pull back a stump.”
“Heh heh, I like you!” the Kraal said, undaunted, and went to hack off the head with some of the minions.

Soon enough the monstrous head was attached to a sled behind the vehicle and they were driving back towards the city. Any Kraal they passed lifted their hand in salute as they did. Respect for the victory was evident.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Their primitive APC drove through the streets of the town, with the wurm's massive head trailing behind it on a sled. Enyo's expression remained unchanged when she beheld the saluting Kraal. However, on the inside she was pleased. Perhaps it was the respectful, but stoic reaction. Rousing cheers would make her deeply suspicious, for those that praised you the loudest tended to be the ones who left you hanging or stabbed you in the back the moment things went poorly for you. In her opinion, this was something her mirror had failed to realise.


The codependent, weak-minded Space Elves had praised and begged her for help. Then stabbed her in the back the moment things did not go the way they wanted or she seemed vulnerable. But they made good sycophants and looked pretty, so her mirror kept them around. It was something the Terminatrix would never allow to happen to herself. The only people she allowed herself to feel sentiment for were her siblings.


The primitive personnel transport came to a halt at the mesa's foot. Enyo disembarked, seeing that a welcoming committee had been assembled. It seemed to have quite a turnout. "I got your skull," she declared. Crisp, professional and laconic as usual.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
They guards eyed the massive head. There was no doubt it was real, as it stank and trailed slime behind. Besides, Enyo looked like she’d been inside the toothy jaws personally. They quickly parted, raising their hands in salute.

As they entered the amphitheatre again many of the same Kraal were still there. The Imperator seemed not to have even moved.

Even the formerly truculent Warlord Troag looked impressed. They, to a lizard, raised their hand in salute. Except the Imperator.

“You have proven yourself worthy. A deal will be made. You will pay our warriors and equip them, and they will fight for you. Betray our trust and you will be destroyed,” the Imperator said.

The mental voice whispered in Enyo’s head. “Striking down your creator? The circle completes. When that is done, return, we can discuss further.”

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Enyo was not the type to go native. But she found that she liked the Kraal's brutish warrior society a lot more than what hypocritical Core worlders called civilisation. It was straightforward, to the point and rewarded martial strength. "Acceptable. The warriors under my command will be given the best weapons and crush all enemies in their path. And if you betray my trust, I will destroy you," she said bluntly. Her words were not just a warning to the Imperator, responding in kind to the one he'd made. They were also directed towards the other Kraal present. If they backed her, they could expect bloody battles and booty.


Again, the Imperator touched her mind. Enyo disliked the mental contact as much as the first time, but now she was prepared for it and not caught by surprise. He got the mental equivalent of a curt nod. "Come on, Alexia, we have a legion to recruit."

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
The Imperator said no more. However, there was a steady progress of Warlords and Warchiefs down towards Enyo. It seemed like killing the sand worm had broken the ice for many of them. Now it was time for bidding in the area outside the amphitheatre.

“Outsider, my warriors are the finest in the assault. Say the word and a Tumen of my fighters will pillage and conquer in your name! The Pargaz Clan are strong!” one said.
“The Wormslayer will want better warriors than the brutish hordes of the Pargaz Clan. My warriors are equipped and capable of performing any strategy required. Clan Galbak is the best choice.”
“So long as that strategy is ‘charge the enemy like mindless rodents’,” their old friend Warlord Saal of Clan Yogir said. “You have seen my warriors, Wormslayer, if given the new weapons they will cut a bloody path across the stars, you know this to be true!”

The three growled at each other, clearly looking for an excuse to fight…or at least demand satisfaction.

Alexia looked between them, dubiously. A lizard was a lizard to her mind. It was pretty much a tossup which of them would be best. At least they knew Saal a little.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


And so suddenly the bidding wars had begun. Each Warlord was quick to claim that his warriors were the most badarse in the field. Two of the Warlords Enyo did not know at all. Saal of Clan Yogir she knew somewhat. He had lived up to his end of the bargain when he arranged an audience with the Imperator. That was a significant point in his favour.


Enyo was not the type to make decisions based on sentiment though. She did not speak until the three lizards had ceased boasting and insulting each other. She was a strong believer in economy of word. Getting all three seemed out of the question because the Terminatrix had the impression that warriors from different clans were more likely to fight each other than cooperate.


The Kraal were formidable, ferocious warriors with a martial ethos that appealed to her. But it seemed to her that their fixation on honour and glory, both on the individual and tribal level, held them back. "Pick one warrior each. Have them face each other in a duel to the death. Then we'll see who's most deserving."

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Most societies would have paused at this point to object either to senseless killing or a senseless waste of warriors. The Kraal were not there yet, and soon champions from each clan were arguing for the opportunity.

The Warlord of Clan Pargaz looked uncertain a second. “We should not fight for an outsider’s favour.”
“Afraid of losing, skink?” Saal demanded. “Your cowardice shames your already shameful clan.”
His honour questioned, the Warlord bared his fangs. “I will not have this questioned by you, soft-scale! The challenge is agreed!”

After much arguing and some bloodied snouts, each clan chose a warrior and they faced off against each other in a makeshift arena.

Mönkhbat looked unconcerned about the result, being more interested in the battle.
“Heh heh, blood is the measure of valour!” he declared.

Alexia for her part sniffed at the brutish sight. She was really looking forward to a warm bath where she could be away from this smell and these crude primitive lizards.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


As three warriors faced off against each other in the arena, Tyrone joined Alexia. The cyborg looked sweaty and was sure she smelt the part. She could not wait to get back to civilisation. "I see the lizards are eager to club themselves again. Not that they need much of an excuse," she remarked dryly.


She did not mind blood sport. Indeed, she enjoyed violence, but preferred the setting to be a bit more 'refined'. "I know a good spa on Vorzyd. Has a nice fashion boutique attached to it. When we're done humouring crude aliens and chasing robots, I'm paying it a visit. You can come." Conveniently, Vorzyd was one of the planets Enyo's mafia operated on.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Alexia nodded. “Brutish things,” she said with a nod. “Look at him, he doesn’t care who wins so long as his base instinct is sated,” she said softly, jerking a head at Mönkhbat.

The fight begun, with the warriors touching their weapons together as a sign of respect. Alexia found it hard to follow which was which except when she could see the glyphs on their armour. Rather than wait off to the side and let the other two exhaust themselves, all three attacked all the others in a messy, violent brawl.

An early blow, probably more by luck than design, had cleaved one challenger hard in the neck. The other two finished him off together. The unity lasted only a heartbeat as they soon fought each other, one with halberd, one with twin swords.

Finally, the halberdier struck, piercing his opponent’s chest with a straight stab. However, the swordsman hewed the shaft of the polearm, and with it still embedded stepped forward to behead his foe.

Wounded, the victorious Kraal turned to Enyo and bowed. His glyph was hidden from Alexia.
“Who won?” she asked Tyrone, squinting. They really did look all the same.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


"They all look green, ugly and brutish to me," Tyrone remarked. She was an unrepentant racist. "Wait, I believe it was..."

"It was the champion of Clan Yogir," Enyo cut her off.

"Oh, I was about to say that," Tyrone declared implausibly. "Well, I suppose it's the lizard we know."

"And perhaps now you will shut your mouth and focus on the job, Tyrone. Unless you would like me to appoint you as the Consortium's representative to the Kraal legion?" Enyo spoke imperiously. That had the effect of shutting the other Cyborg up.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
Alexia barely stifled a giggle, then took a breath. Giggling went against her tough-girl attitude, and Enyo would not approve!

So instead she watched as the champion of Clan Yogir came forward and bowed slightly.
“I have conquered!”

Warlord Saal was positively strutting as he approached.
“Clan Yogir has triumphed! We claim the right to ride to battle and glory with you across the stars! I pledge 1,000 of my finest warriors for your first campaign. If you return victorious more will come!”

This raised the immediate issue; where was Enyo going to house 1,000 lizard warriors? Alexia trusted her sister to have a good answer.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


Enyo was indeed very opposed to giggling. Anyhow, the contest was over, Clan Yogir had won. Time for Enyo to give a speech. She was a friend of brevity. "I accept your pledge of fealty. Together we shall conquer, lay waste to armies and burn cities to the ground. Competence will be rewarded, cowardice punished." Truly inspirational. Well, not really, but savage lizardmen probably did not enjoy flowery speeches.


"A bulk cruiser will be dispatched to house your legion. It will be crewed and commanded by my people and serve as a mobile base." The Kraal placed a big deal on honour, but Enyo liked being the one in control. Needless to say the captain would be a cyborg or droid. Amara is on Mon Cal to get us ships, she broadcast into Alexia's earpiece.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

Warlord Saal raised his blade into the air. “Kraal conquer and destroy! Kraal conquer and destroy!” The cheer was taken up, even by the losing clans. The prospect of a good fight…even for another clan…was clearly encouraging.
Needless to say they had no use for a casus belli, or could even spell it.

“Good, the sooner we get off here, the better,” Alexia sub-vocalised. She hoped Amara was not messing things up.

XXX

“Another mission well done,” Amara was saying at that moment on the far more moist Dac. She and her two friends were on their way back to their ship.
“Some good negotiating there, boss,” Faelar said with a grin. “I was hoping you’d use the voice on him.”
“Now, now, the voice only comes out for bad people,” Amara said sternly. “And though that guy was trying to rip me off I got myself a good deal.” Enyo would be pleased, she was under budget.

She paused. There was…something. The Force was telling her something was amiss, but what was it? Was it something with Enyo and Alexia on Karakorum? She’d felt something before, but that had been different, that had been an emotional connection with her ‘sister’, of fear followed by relief. This was ominous.

“Shosh, Faelar, go get the ship fired up,” she suddenly said, all joking gone.
“Is everything alright?” Shoshary asked, tensing up.
“It’s fine, I’ll join you soon. Get Zar’kahn to join you. Please,” she said.
They headed off, trading nervous and confused looks.

Amara was now alone on a long walkway overlooking the endless ocean. There was no one around, oddly. The feeling was getting stronger and stronger.
She coiled the Force about her, looking around. From inside her outfit her lightsabre slipped down into her hand.
The sound when it came was muted, a muffled ‘zap’, but Amara didn’t hear the sound, she didn’t need to. A maintenance hatch rose into the air and spun into place to block the incoming attack before she could even properly register the threat. Why not her lightsabre? In that nano-second she had been warned away from it.
It was well she had, for the stun bolt would likely have pierced her lightsabre’s defence or at least staggered her. As it was the metal plate fell to the ground unharmed.

Amara looked around, reaching out for the source of danger. A slight movement high above on a maintenance gantry. She grinned, who said Enyo had all the fun?

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


The Kraal cheered, raising their blades or war axes into the air. Unlike Siobhan, Enyo was not one for theatrics. Or speeches. "Let's get back to the Harbinger," she said emotionlessly. Until Amara arrived with the bulk cruiser, they'd remain on Karakorum.

Without a further word she turned away. However, as she did so, she was suddenly perceived a feeling of unease. It was not her own. It came from elsewhere - far away. Amara. For a moment she tensed. In contrast to Siobhan, Enyo had zero talent for telepathy, especially over long distances. So she could not reach out and see if something was amiss. She'd have to trust Amara. Her 'sister' was bubbly, naive and too kind for her own good, but she'd never let her down.

"Something up, Boss?" one of her minions asked carefully. Enyo was not volatile like the typical Sith or Dark Force-User. Far less prone to histrionics and sudden burs of rage, but it was always a good idea to tread carefully around a predator. Especially one that seemed disconcerted.

"No," Enyo's response was curt. She'd give Amara a call as soon as they were aboard the ship.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
A blazing tongue of orange fire emerged as her lightsabre activated. The shot which came next again she blocked with the metal plating, and it was well she did, for it burned through it and nicked her side. Disruptor. It seemed capture had turned into kill.

Amara knew the sniper would be taking aim again. She was in the open. It was time for something unusual.

Sabre deactivated, and from a concealed wrist holster she fired a grappling hook up, taking firm lodgement on a metal girder high above. She was flying! Just in time too, for another bolt of energy just missed her, burning a hole in the metal decking.

It hurt to hold on, to have all her body weight being pulled up in this way, but she persisted until she reached the gantry, where she cut the line and dropped down. She saw the assassin for the first time, red hair, black bodysuit, pale skin. The Force swirled strangely about them.
Archangel.

Amara had little room to manoeuvre on the small gantry and a long way to fall with only waist high barriers to stop it. The assassin stood, took aim, but Amara’s outreached hand summoned the Force to knock the barrel aside, and the shot went wide, then she was on them. A lightsabre slash put pay to the rifle.

It was not over though as a bar of burning violet lit to meet her own. Great, now they all have lightsabres.
The droid had raw strength and relentless vigour on its side as well as a total lack of fear. Amara on the other hand had the Force and a driving need to survive.
She’d duelled droids a lot, she’d learned how to use a lightsabre from them first after all! This assassin was not going fancy, but was delivering relentless strikes in a style not unlike Form V. Amara fell back from Form IV into Form III. Defence could only last so long though against the droid. She needed something to break the stalemate, and quick! Already droid had got some nicks in on her.

Droids don’t like lightning, you know.
Don’t even think about it.

She looked down. The gantry….

Amara leapt back, augmented by the Force, landing about ten feet away.

“Amara, you should come with me. Do not struggle. We will not hurt you, we just want to help you.”
“Your brand of self-help isn’t one I subscribe to. Too many brains in jars.”
“Your sister was peaceful, happy, and now you have made her suffer and struggle further.”
“Like hell she was. Here, catch!”

She hurled the spinning lightsabre. The droid did not try to catch it, but ducked as the blade whirled past.
The droid advanced against her now unarmed opponent.
“It is over. You missed.”
“I wasn’t aiming at you,” Amara said sweetly.
The arcing orange blade windmilled through supports like a knife through butter before whirling back at the droid from behind. Some sensory or programming quirk detected something, and the droid leapt aside as the blade passed, losing a significant chunk of its fleshy abdomen covering as it did. The blade flew back to Amara’s hand and she sliced it down at the deck.
With the supports cut and the weight of the droid, the gantry gave away with a grinding crash, falling to the hall far below, drawing the attention of security officers.

Amara stood and took a deep breath in the aftermath, reaching for her commlink.
Danger senses screamed at her…too late. Through the gantry blazed a purple beam, stabbing up. Through her foot.
She let out a scream and fell backwards. Her left foot was a burnt, mangled mess, but before she could react further a nightmare emerged. Crawling over the burn and jagged lip, the droid pulled itself up, lightsabre blazing like its flaring red eyes behind those deceptively human orbs.
Amara’s lightsabre blazed as she got to her knees. She couldn’t stand, not with one leg, so she took the next slash defensively, countered, but was deflected. The droid lashed out with a foot, kicking her hard in the face. It stunned her and the droid drew back its purple blade and stabbed….

Seeing double, it was hard to accurately parry, but she did deflect it enough so that the blade went into her right side rather than through her heart. The burning beam pierced cloth, flesh and muscle. A scream came from her throat.

Weak. Foolish girl. You could have ended this, torn it to pieces with a snap of your fingers. Now, you will die.
It’s not over yet, emo!me.

Amara focused what was left of her energy into a grip holding the blade in place. A mere move to the left and she’d be cut in half, but she held the droid in place so her blade could come up and take it off at the wrist. The lightsabre cut more out of her as it exited. Darkness was closing in, but she madly slashed, taking the droid’s legs, then finally a slash to the head. Droid head and torso, followed comically by its legs, fell to smash far below.

With a moan Amara fell forward. With her final strength she hit her commlink.
“Faelar…gantry…please.”
Her hand touched the…mess…of her right side. She was sure she should have more…body…there. As darkness took her she closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Enyo,” she whispered. Did she hear footsteps? Or was that the mocking of her dark self?

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


The Harbinger was not a luxury ship. Creature comforts were sparse. The aesthetics were Spartan. Still, as far as corvettes went, it was reasonably spacious and had all the amenities a military vessel required: Training room, armoury, showers, bunks, medbay. Presumably many a Consortium operative could use a shower after being exposed to Karakorum.

Enyo's destination lay elsewhere. Without a further word to anyone, she marched towards the communications room, not bothering to take a detour to the repair bay first. A few minions were present in the communications suite when she entered. She did not care to return to their salutes.

"Has there been any word from Amara?" a minion shook his head. "The Quasar?"

"Not since they landed on Dac, boss," one of them reported.

Enyo felt...something close to a sensation of pain. A mental as opposed to a physical one. Not her own. But visceral. "Leave." When they did not move fast enough, her tone became harsher. "Get out." Quickly the minions scurried out, as if they'd just been struck by a whip. Walking over to a communicator, she tried to hail the Quasar.

 

[Amara Zarides]

[member="Enyo Typhos"]
The holocomm was answered swiftly, and a very nervous looking Shoshary was depicted in the hologram.
“Boss Enyo, uhh…I don’t know what’s happened to Amara. She sent us back to the ship and…uhh…there’s been a disruption in the main plaza. Zar’kahn is investigating now.”

Suddenly, the hatch slid open and an unknown woman entered, wearing Jedi robes, followed by Zar’kahn carrying…Amara.

“Lay her down on the table. Eldorai, I need whatever kolto you have. The lightsabre cauterised the wounds, but that won’t hold for long, and we need to stop any potential bleeding. Kar’zun, I need you to get the bacta tank working. Once she’s stabilised we can take her to a proper hospital for recovery. Hmmph, Cathar, get off the comm and help me. Plenty of time to chat later.”

The Jedi looked at the holo-image, checked. “Siobhan? Hmm, makes sense. Anyway, this Amara girl was almost killed by an Archangel HRD, but I was able to stabilise her long enough for your Kar’zun to carry her back here. We’ll talk more soon, for now, I need to save the girl’s life.”

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Amara Zarides"]


It was good that Enyo had a naturally impassive face. Because she'd been...caught a bit off-guard. "That is...good. You have my thanks for helping her. Please do everything you can. She must live," she said quickly. The Cyborg was not a good actress, but her concern was genuine.


"Great, now Blondie has exposed us to a Jedi. Knew she couldn't handle it. Only a matter of time before she pours her heart out to her," a minion muttered under his breath. She was a female Twi'lek with a disruptor pistol on her hip and a partly cybernetic lekku. "Boss, we should eliminate the Jedi....aaargh."


Without even bothering to turn around and look the minion in the eyes, Enyo wrapped her willpower around her throat and lekku. The Twi'lek began to choke and spasm. Enyo's stern eyes fell upon Amara's posse. "Make sure she recovers," she grunted coldly, then turned off the communicator.