Twin Exiles

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
It was time. Eyrecae had been tunelessly whistling as she filled some water bottles. No one had paid any attention to her. The three in the mess were at a table idly playing cards and drinking.
When she received the message Eyrecae carefully put down the latest bottle then unearthed the bottom of the crate showing a recess where her sword was perched.

Drawing the blade she walked out into the main area of the mess. One of the crew looked up, started and reached for his blaster.
“Thou unmuzzled idle-headed flirt-gill,” she declared in the most dramatic way possible.
It had the desired effect as the three stared at her instead of doing anything.
With that out of her system Eyrecae slashed twice. Blood sprayed as the ancient weapon found its mark. The last crewer fell backwards, getting the table between them, but it did not help him. A concealed wrist mounted blaster flared and he fell backwards.

Soon there was alarms and they would start coming for the newly arrived ship. Tryana took cover behind some crates and aimed the blaster she had been given. It was a bit different from normal, but after a couple of ranging shots she was firing shots which either killed or pinned down the enemy.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


Blaster fire could be heard coming from the distance. Alarms blared. Pirates who only moments ago had been idle were suddenly roused into activity. Kaida watched as guards spread out, heading towards the source of the disturbance. The base went on high alert. Good.


Her gauntlet-covered hand grasped a cryoban grenade. She primed the small explosive and lobbed it into the fray. As it sailed through the air, her cloak dropped. The ball landed in the middle of some guards and detonated. Cold air filled the hall as the supercooled substance escaped. Guards caught in the immediate radius were flash frozen, those further away had to deal with frostbite.


Silver light erupted from Kaida's lightsabre. The elegant weapon hummed. A guard was knocked on his back by a blaster bolt, as her fluid moves intercepted the energy of shots and sent them back to the scum. Another fell when she thrust her weapon through his neck. She felt a stinging burn when a bolt slipped past her defences and struck her. Her armour absorbed the shot, but the thermal energy spread across her body. Making a gesture, she slammed the pirate into a wall.


As she dashed towards the control room, a technician inside manipulated the controls. The door was slammed shut in front of her. For a moment she examined the console on the wall. Then she pressed her hand to the door and concentrated, pouring cold into it. Then gas filled the hallway she was standing in.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
“Four,” Eyrecae said aloud as she withdrew her blade from the body of an Eldorai pirate. The fact her kin had fallen to piracy and slaving didn’t really concern her much. They were wrong, and they would pay. Simple.

The alarm was raised and soon enemies abounded. One came down a passage at her so she threw the sword, end over end so it pieced the woman’s chest. Reaching out her hand the blade ripped free and sped back to her hand so she could continue the battle with a large Trandoshan. The lizard got a blow in with its axe, but it did not pierce her armour, and the crushing internal damage had little effect on her. Instead she was able to cleave the creature down.

“Six,” she said with satisfaction.

She went in search of more enemies, conveniently drawing them away from Kaida.

Meanwhile the ship defence continued, with the droid having to literally drag Tryana away from a grenade which would have turned her into pine scented goo. The twin distractions were working though. However, they’d need Kaida to implement her plan quickly before they were overwhelmed.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


The door was turned nice and frosty. If Kaida had been a 90s villain of the Mr Freeze variety, she would have made lame ice puns. However, she was not. Finally, she withdrew her hand from the door and 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.


Kaida perceived a warning through the Force. Too late. A canny pirate had triggered what looked like a small antenna dish, no bigger than a dinner plate. Kaida's helmet had decent ear protection, but a hard sound gun hit bloody hard - even through armour. Sudden agony burst inside her skull, an explosion of sound and sheer force.


It blew out her eardrums. Blood seeped out of them. The noise was absurdly loud - enough to knock her down to her knees. The assault hit her like an iron bar in the face. A burly pirate charged her. She tried to focus, bringing up her sabre to parry his sword when he launched a powerful downward slash. She was dazed and there was enough power behind the swing to knock her sabre out of her grasp.


Giving her no reprieve, the pirate grabbed her by the throat, holding her in a vice-grip as he choked her. Who knew, maybe she'd killed one of his buddies earlier. Either way, it became difficult to breathe. Or stay conscious. Anger surged through her as cold-blooded, survival instinct took over. Her head became as hard as rock, and she headbutted him, ramming her forehead onto his nose. The pirate roared in anger and pain. Staggering, he dropped Kaida to the ground.


A concealed wrist blaster spat a scarlet bolt that kissed his shoulder. Thrown into a violent rage, he charged her, seeking to hew her down. Kaida cartwheeled to avoid a ferocious blow, called her lightsabre into her grasp and parried his next strike, before removing his dominant hand with a slash to the wrist. He crumpled to the ground when she thrust her burning silver blade through his stomach.


Another sonic blast thundered. It bloody hurt, even with a Force bubble wrapped around her skull. A rib screamed in protest at such abuse. The corsair did not get the chance to fire a third time. Eldorai speed propelled Kaida forward, and an icy will wrapped around the hard sound gun and the hand holding it, freezing both. His fingers suffered. Then she cut the man down.


It was only know, as the pirate lay dead at her feet, that she saw it was an Eldorai. Traitor, she thought to herself. Contempt filled her icy heart. There was nothing more repulsive than someone who'd sold out their own race. She took a deep breath, her breathing laboured due to the injury she had sustained. A glance towards a monitor showed her that the situation in the hangar was approaching critical. So she headed over to a security console, inserting a computer spike. It would take her a bit until she was in the system. She'd start venting scum into the void once she was inside.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
“Seven,” this man had his leg severed at the knee, followed by a quick thrust to the throat. As Eyrecae advanced she encountered more enemies, these ones firing a hail of blaster bolts. Her blade whirled, deflecting some shots, others hit her, but they barely slowed her.

She hurled the blade, but an enterprising Rodian dodged aside. He made a triumphant sound…before the blade boomeranged back and pierced him, sticking in his back.
“Eight,” Eyrecae said as she ripped the blade free. The pirates were having none of this seemingly unstoppable woman and were fleeing back towards the hanger…little knowing there was already a battle occurring there.

However, as Eyrecae turned to follow, a blast of lightning caught her full in the back and sent her sprawling. Jumping to her feet she turned to see the door opening and an armoured woman emerging.

“You tangled with the wrong woman, Haerith.”
Eyrecae brought her blade to the salute. “Of me, a most unkind word used, though quite untrue. As yet, of that, I have not indulged.”
“You’ll get your fill soon enough once I break you and find a nice buyer for you. What are you? You’re not Angelii, you don’t feel your Sciia. It’s all tricks and nonsense.”
“In truth, is not all war in equal part brutality and deception? Of my Sciia, I possess not the powers you do, but others I have instead. And of you, child, what brings you here to this lonely end?”
“Better than bowing and scraping to the Queen. I’m just a simple woman making my way in the galaxy.”
“This way is, of course, across the bodies of those you destroy? Of this, I cannot allow.”
The fallen angel drew her Sarix and lightning crackled in her hand. “You can’t allow? Try and stop me, Haerith.”
Eyrecae nodded, and moved to the attack….

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


Finally, Kaida was inside. Looking through security cameras, she could see that Eyrecae was tangling with a fallen Angelii. Another traitor. She might as well leave her to that. It would be a good test. The chatter between them annoyed her though. Battle was not the place for 'witty' banter. However, matters were more troubling in the hangar.


Tryana and the droid - Kaida had yet to learn its name - had taken out several hostiles, but were now pinned down. The pirates had brought in heavy weapons. "Get yourself to safety," Kaida spoke caustically into their communicators. That was all the warning they got before the frost elf activated the controls. Air was vented and pirates were pulled into the cold, merciless embrace of the void.


She moved on to other areas. "Located captives. Transmitting map. Free them. Opening cell doors," she spoke in her cold, emotionless voice. However, as her nimble, callused fingers moved over the controls, there was suddenly a surge in the Force. Grabbed by an invisible hand, she was slammed into a computer monitor.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Pirate Queen and Paragon circled before closing to battle. The pirate had her Sciia, it was true. She could call upon it to blast her opponent with lightning, throw her back with blasts of telekinetic energy and absorb attacks with the same. However, the Paragon was vastly stronger and tougher, and did not rely on electronics to fight. Further, her ancient blade could deflect or absorb lightning.

Back and forth the battle raged. Time and again Eyrecae was knocked aside or down, but always got up again, her smile growing, and her vigour increasing rather than flagging.

Finally, they faced each other in the ruins of the room. Alerts were blaring, and the pirate was nursing several nasty wounds.
“I don’t know what the hell you are, but you’re tough,” she gritted out.
“And of you, I see why it is you would be an Angelii. Would that you devoted yourself to a project of valour rather than dishonour.”
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“You are correct, you must be punished for your crimes.”

Blades clashed once more, and the pirate was desperate in her fury, striking at Eyrecae again and again, her blade clashing, occasionally scoring hits, but the Paragon’s defence was solid.
With a last final effort the pirate brought down her Sarix in a devastating slash which Eyrecae parried. Then, to the pirate’s utter surprise, as the blades locked Eyrecae released one hand and grabbed her right wrist.
Desperately the pirate extended her hands and blasted lightning into her enemy’s face, the helmet shattering to pieces and racking her face. Eyrecae, in pain and searing agony, slashed her blade furiously and without aim. The lightning stopped.

The pirate looked down with rising shock. She was being literally held in the air by Eyrecae. Below her was nothing but blood as her severed leg poured her essence to the deck.
Eyrecae lowered her to the deck. Her face was skeletal from the lightning blasts which were taking time for her to heal.
“Sleep, daughter, you fought well. What is your name?”
Life was leaving the pirate’s eyes, but she was able to gasp out one final statement. “Cayvara Dael. I died…free….”
“Nine. I shall remember you. Your deeds were monstrous and you deserved the death given, but your skills were worthy.” She spoke in her ancient tongue as Cayvara expired. Reaching down she tore the dog tags around the woman’s neck and picked up her Sarix, then stumbled back towards the hanger.
She had no communicator, lightning had taken it, so she took one from a slain pirate.
“Kaida, I am coming. I dealt with their leader.”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


Ouch. Getting her head slammed into the computer monitor hurt. Sparks flew as the monitor was smashed. Blood flowed down her forehead. Gritting her teeth, Kaida regained her bearings. A single opponent stood in the doorway. It was an armoured Qadiri male wielding a Force imbued blade. Another traitorous dog who needed to be put down.


She called her lightsabre into her grasp. The yellow blade ignited with a snap-hiss and she assumed a fighting stance. A forceful telekinetic push rippled from her, blasting him into the corridor after slamming him in his legs. That ought to hurt him. Kaida moved to engage...and found herself frozen. A tremendous, unnatural pressure was bearing down upon her. Or rather it was affecting her armour. She realised it was a magnetic field.


She struggled, trying to break the Qadiri's hold upon her. But it was to no avail. Moreover, the armour was closing in on her, crushing her inside it. Her helmet began to crumple as it compressed around her head. Ths made it difficult to breathe. Fortunately, she did not need somatic components for her ice spells.


Kaida was often labelled as unemotional or as cold as ice. There was a truth to this. She had...difficulty expressing some emotions. Exagggerated displays of happiness and joy vexed her. The same applied to sadness and fear. However, she did anger pretty well. But it was not burning, passionate wroth. More like a cold fury that was carefully nurtured, only to blast outward when least expected. This was what produced the cone of ice that rippled from her, engulfing the room in arctic cold. The kind of cold that messed with equipment and caused fingers to fall off.


The concentration required to constrain and crush a Master was immense. The same applied to abruptly disengaging and defending yourself against her. The blast of cold knocked him over, then ice spread over his body, seeking to turn him an ice statue. Concentrating Kaida advanced, dodging a computer he threw at her from behind. A shockwave rippled from her enemy as he broke his attempted confinement. But he was shivering and in pain.


With a grunt, he cartwheeled away to avoid a downward cut from her lightsabre, but sparks flew as she scored a cut into his shoulder. Calling his blade into his grasp, he channelled the Force through it. Both circled each other, then their blades clashed. Being blessed by the Force, his blade was able to resist a lightsabre. But it soon became apparent that she was the better duellist. Her strikes were more precise, her footwork more focused. Up close it was more difficult for him to concentrate to cast his spells.


Both called upon the Force to enhance their strikes and pour more power into them. Time and again, one was blown back or suffered a cut here and there. Kaida called upon elemental lightning to electrocute him and he staggered as he summoned a stone skin to shield himself from the blast. Dashing forward, she met his glowing blade with her own, pushing it aside. Chanelling ice through her mailed fist, she smote him upon his neck. The terramancer howled and grasped his neck and Kaida smashed him with a kick. His landing was hard.


However, as she raised her lightsabre it refused to budge. Then suddenly sparks flew and the power cells blew up. She was quick enough to drop the weapon, thereby avoiding getting her hand blown off. But the explosion dazed her. Seizing his chance, the Qadiri grappled her, applying a grip as strong as the earth and throwing her over his shoulder. She was slammed into the ground. She got up, but her vision was hazy. Pouring his power into his blade, he launched a stabbing thrust towards her abdomen.


It pierced her armour in a gap, causing blood to spill down towards her thighs. One icy, gauntlet-covered hand grabbed it to keep it from penetrating further. Her eyes turned a crystalline blue and frost pearls manifested on her skin. She fired her concealed wrist blaster. A cry of pain escaped him. And she flooded his lungs with water. Enough to make him feel like he was drowning in an icy river. He struggled and with his grip loosening, she pulled the sword out. She dodged a furious punch he threw at her, and launched a furious cut to severe his hand, using his own blade.


He howled in anguish as it fell to the floor. As he staggered, he stared at her with hatred in his eyes, but also resignation. "What are you? A royalist? A self-righteous Shadow? Doesn't matter. Same thing," he snarled in his native tongue. "Go ahead, Eldorai. I died a free...," he did not get to finish his line for she ripped his throat away with an arcing cut. He let out a horrible gasp and collapsed.


In pain, Kaida breathed heavily. She dropped the blade, nursing the wound in her torso. Her communicator beeped as Eyrecae sent her message. "Acknowledged," she said tersely. Fiddling with the communicator, she hailed Tryana and the droid. "Status?" she demanded. Hopefully they had made it out of the hangar.


((Can you bot Tryana and the robo dude? Give them something to do. Have her kill some bad guys)).

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Tryana had just been getting the hang of war in the stars with this sun-rifle when the metal demon had pulled her back inside the void-vessel.
“What is happening?” she asked.
“Unless you want to be a lot more dead, we’re getting ready to leave. The Icy One has disabled the interface shield and…” he saw her glazed look. “Kaida has made it so you die in the hanger. We need to be in here.”
“So what now? I’ll get the engines ready. Hmm, think you can fire a big version of that rifle?”
And so that was how Tryana got to use the controls of the concealed repeating blaster. All things considered she got the hang of it quite quickly, and as the ship took off she was able to fire with some accuracy against enemy fighters.
The droid meanwhile was piloting. “Mistress, this hanger is wrecked, we’re heading for the second hanger. You need to open the bay doors. Also, sensors indicate that there are prisoners being kept in the rear areas of the station.”

Eyrecae was in a considerable amount of pain, but focussed on the com-link. “I will rescue the prisoners, you open the doors, I will see you there,” she said. It was hard to talk when nanobots were rebuilding your skin, so she had to drop the flowery speech for now, as much as it pained her.

And so Eyrecae went on the hunt. Most of the slavers and pirates had fled, but one remained to bar her entrance of the cells. He’d been in the process of dragging out a cuffed Eldorai, no doubt as a takeaway souvenir. He barely saw her before her blade embedded itself in his back. Her foot came down on his neck with a crack, and he was still.
“Ten.”
The slave looked petrified. A woman whose face was half a skull and which seemed to be regrowing before her had just killed her captor. She fell to her knees awkwardly.
“Up, child, I am of now your deliverer. Take up his weapon and guard this approach.”
“Uhh…I’m still tied up!” she said meekly.
Eyrecae, who had been approaching the cages, sighed. She turned the girl around, grabbed the two sides of the cuffs and pulled. There was a crack as the chain broke.
The other prisoners watched as she approached, her blade smashing through each lock.
“Move, for this is your only chance of escape. Take up the weapons of your masters, fight for your freedom, or die in slavery.”
And then she was off, her gaggle of freed prisoners following behind.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


Kaida, sadly, did not possess nanite with regenerative qualities. Or nanites at all. Fortunately, she had her Sciia. She breathed more heavily than she would have liked as she made her way towards a computer terminal in the by now rather wrecked control room.


One hand nursed her stomach wound. Scarlet ichor had seeped out and stained her thigh. Ethereal energies flowed through her as she summoned her Sciia to reduce the pain. Her brand of Force healing was a bit idiosyncratic. It produced a strong, cool chill and her skin seemed to harden, as if turning to ice. However, it stopped the blood loss. Her other hand manipulated the console.


"Done," she grunted into her commlink, stepping away. Picking up the discarded Force imbued blade, she staggered out of the control room. Her path would take her towards the direction of the secondary hangar. Presumably she would meet Eyrecae on the way there.


By now most of the pirates and slavers had fled - or were dead. She came across some bodies. One was still breathing though. He stopped doing that when she put a bullet through his skull. She heard noise and spun, spying a pirate trying to drag a captured Qadiri away.


Having noticed her, the pirate spun around, holding his captive in the classic 'I have a hostage and will blow her brains out' position. "You want this haerith? One step closer and I'll kill her!" she shrieked, tightening her grip on her captive while holding a gun to her head. The pirate was an Eldorai female. "Drop the gun, and let me leave."


Kaida did not blink. Or show any visible reaction. Her face looked like it had been carved out of granite. "Drop it!" the pirate yelled again, sounding more agitated. The frost elf saw something in the eyes of the young Qadiri. Defiance. The girl spat a Qadiri curse. Kaida fired. The bullet went through the slave's shoulder and into the Eldorai's chest. The slave cried out in anguish, the slaver staggered and hurled her into a wall with enough force to break her jaw.


xxx


Swiftly, the freighter dashed out of the hangar. By now the bodies of several bodies were floating inside the cold void of space. In space, no one can hear you scream. As a matter of fact, one can also not hear explosions in space, though this is commonly ignored due to rule of cool. Space would probably not even have explosions. But that would be boring.


Anyhow, Tryana was strapped into the gunnery and putting a big sun-rifle to good use. She was quickly getting the hang of it! Some of the pirate starfighters made a beeline for the freighter, correctly identifying it as the source of their misery. The freighter rolled as bolts flew in its direction, some striking its deflector shields.


Tryana concentrated, taking aim. She said a silent prayer to the spirits. Perhaps they were with her, for she felt there was something guiding her. Calming her breathing, steadying her aim and focusing her mind. The sun-rifle lit up the darkness of space. "I've hit him," she exclaimed excitedly.


"Don't get cocky, elf," the droid reminded her in his dull monotone.


More fighters crossed over to their ship, raking it with fire. Sparks flew through the cockpit. Tryana swung around the turret and engaged. Being only used to bows and arrows and, at most, the bolt action rifles used by the Qadiri, she still took her time with shots. The droid fired the forward cannon as one pirate fighter streaked past and it disintegrated into tiny fragments.


"Would you kindly deal with the rest?" The two remaining pirate fighters split to confuse any attempt to target them, before roaring back into an attack run. One fighter was hammered by Tryana's bolts, vanishing in a hail of fire. The other evaded and the freighter shuddered as lasers tore along its deflectors and outer hull.Grimly, Tryana jammed the turret to the right. She heard something whisper inside her mind; the inner voice marked a pathway, leading her towards the fighter. She took a snap shot and the fighter was blown apart in a flash of spire and plasma.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
And so by the time the ship touched down in the second hanger both Kaida and Eyrecae would be arriving. Her small gaggle of former slaves and prisoners crowded behind her as the Paragon approached the ship.

“The captives, they are coming with us,” she said flatly. Her skin had mostly regrown by this point, but the hair and pigmentation was still appearing. The hair especially was disturbingly spooling out of her head like thread.

Tryana meanwhile lay back in the gun controls, barely stopping herself from shaking. She had done it! The thrill of the hunt was everything at that point.

“You performed above average for a first encounter,” the droid commented.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


And so the party returned to the ship. This was important because one would have to gather the party before venturing forth. A bunch of former slaves accompanied them. This included the injured Qadiri a pirate had used as a human shield, only to realise that did not work on the Full Ice queen.


"She needs medical attention," Kaida grunted to the droid, indicating the Qadiri girl. The elf had given her some, but emergency treatment could only help so much. She noted how messed up Eyrecae's face looked, but did not comment. Her face was rebuilding itself, she was alive and had presumably prevailed in her fight. Making an issue out of things was pointless. "Was the leader an Eldorai?"

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
“A former Angelii named Cayvara Dael,” Eyrecae said, tossing over the dog tags from the dead Eldorai. “Her powers were considerable, but not considerable enough,” she said in a matter of fact tone.

They boarded the ship. The former prisoners were quite rightly keeping a distance from Eyrecae. She paid them no mind as she entered the ship.
“Depart now, I feel. We have completed this task set before us. Perhaps this will show us to be worthy in their eyes, or perhaps not.”

And so they left the little asteroid behind, explosions and flames could still be seen billowing out of it.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


"I knew her," she said in a matter of fact, icy tone, catching the drog tags. Cayvara Dael had served with her. They had fought against Bando Gora, rebels and Kar'zun. Kaeshana's desolation changed that. She could have broobed on about this, felt regret and remembered better times.


But she did not.


Cayvara had broken her oath and become a slaver, a leech who lived off the life blood of her people. A parasite. To regard her as something else would be pointless sentimentality. Traitors did not deserve sympathy. There was no good side of them that should be remembered. Only their victims deserved it.


Eyrecae's response merited a grunt from her. And so they took off. Kaida removed her helmet and breathed in, dark hair tousled and matted with sweat and frost pearls. Inside the freighter, Tryana, who was slowly coming down from her high, was seeing to some of the wounded slaves.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
The trip through hyperspace was uneventful, and swiftly they were approaching their destination; the Shadow Knight fleet.

Eyrecae had spent much of the flight eating, though she had kindly shared what she had with the freed prisoners.
The droid was tutting about ‘excessive consumption causing high maintenance costs’ but she paid it no mind.

By the time they were coming in to land Eyrecae was back to her old self. She even gave Tryana a pep talk, though one with perhaps a few more words and more violent exhortations than most such talks had!

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


When the ship came in to land, a welcoming committee consisting of Ylaea and some Shadow Knights who were dressed in civilian clothes and were presumably medics awaited them. Seeing the trio descend the landing ramp with the rescued slaves and her droid in tow, Ylaea gave them a friendly wave.


"The victorious heroines return. And my ship is still in one piece, which is great. I worked very hard to get it," she declared cheerfully.

"You won it in a card game by cheating," Kaida corrected gruffly.

"So? One of the players was a Toydarian. Force Persuasion doesn't work on them," Ylaea retorted. Looking at the procession of slaves, she snapped her fingers and her posse moved forward to help them. "Poor souls. We'll take good care of them. What happened to her?" she asked, pointing at a bandaged Qadiri girl whose arm was in a sling.

"Scum used her as a shield. Shot through her," Kaida replied simply.

"Oh...couldn't you have done something less...brutal?," Ylaea sighed. "I'm glad to see she survived it. Her mistress is real important in the Shadow Knights."

"Pale elf saved me from slavery," the Qadiri suddenly spoke up in somewhat broken Eldarai. "Will tell Lady Ashkala this."

"We'll take good care of you, dear," Ylaea said sweetly as the injured Qadiri was led away by a medic.

"Who's Ashkala?"

"Qadiri big shot. We are racially inclusive, after all! She's a big deal because she's great at instinctive astrogation. Got a whole cult of navigators. I can give you the whole rundown on our complicated politics later. For now, the committee is waiting for y'all."

"You knew the leader of the pirates was an Eldorai."

"Of course! It's why you were sent in the first place. I assume you iced Cayvara to death for being a traitor?"

"No, Eyrecae slew her. Let's get moving."

"Some day I'm going teach you small talk," Ylaea muttered. "Hey, Eyrecae, had fun being in a fight after napping for millennia?" she asked cheekily. "How did it go for you, Tryana? Bit different from what you're used to, huh?" she wrapped an arm around the wood elf.

"I see how it is. As usual, the contribution of the unremunerated, artificial, mechanical labour is dismissed. I am, after all, a mere droid slaved to my programming," K-4B9 spoke. "By the way, Mistress, the food supplies aboard your vessel have been depleted."

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Eyrecae beamed. “Ten I slew in this battle. Of course it was invigorating to be once more surrounded by the chaos and blood of battle. Their leader was strong, but still she perished beneath my blade.”

She looked to the droid. “Of this, the machine was most useful. Think not that its lack of flesh impeded it.”

“You Eldorai say the weirdest things,” the droid complained.

However, they were soon on their way to see the council. One wondered whether Kaida would be one day hanging up on this Council when they dismiss claims.

“You return,” the leader of the Rationalists said. “Judging by the report and the surveillance footage, it seems you performed well in battle.”
“Was there no other way to retrieve the situation with the hostage, Ms Taldir?” the Aspirant asked. “These captives deserve better than being shot through because you could not think of a better idea.”
“At least she is alive and free – more than she would be without her,” the Harbinger put in sharply.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


As a matter of fact, this was just a recruitment committe, not the leadership council. Thus assuming Kaida passed her trials, she would never have to deal with them again. The same applied if she did not. The Shadow Knights' actual leadership would be less inclined to tolerate Renegade Shepard esque antics. They would probably regard Captain Anderson as a spineless whimp.


"She survived, she'll recover, she'll remember that freedom is purchased with blood," Kaida responded sharply. Someone else would have considered being just a little diplomatic. But she was allergic to the very idea of thawing a bit. "We completed your task. What is your verdict?" Coming from her, it sounded like a challenge rather than a polite request. Kaida never made polite requests.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
This writer was aware of this, but misphrased.

Regardless, they seemed to confer, and then nod. The Rationalist - who happened to be in the room and who was definitely not the leader of anything - nodded.
“Your skills we feel would be an asset to us. Ylaea will provide a ship with co-ordinates to a rendezvous point. She will also give you a transmitter code, wait at the point and you will be met. Recruitment is about balancing risk and reward. You are not the first Angelii to come to us, and you won’t be the last. We’re taking a risk with you, but we feel it is worth it. May fortune lead your steps.”
“May the Mother watch over you,” the Aspirant said.
“Good luck,” the Harbinger commented laconically.

Eyrecae cracked her knuckles when they exited. “Newly knighted with mantles of Shadow, it seems we are. What is next, Ylaea?”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


"Oh, now, you get team colours. There's capes. Shadowy ones, of course. And every two-bit party will want to send you invitations to join them. Maybe Icicle can inspire the Young Squires with a rousing speech!" Ylaea declared happily, knowing it would annoy Kaida.

"No," the cryomancer said flatly. "Stop being absurd."

Ylaea sighed dramatically. "You see, big girl, this is the kind of attitude I have to put up with. I open the doors for Kaida to join my hip rebel band after she spends years complaining about her bosses, and what do I get? No doubt she will complain about her new bosses, too."

"If they're incompetent."

"Yes, because you're the sole one able to judge that, dear."

"I get things done, instead of wethenning around."

Tryana looked at the two, then Eyrecae. "So...are they friends or not? I am baffled," in a quieter tone, she added. "Does the icy Eldorai have any friends?"

"Sometimes I wonder why I stick with you."

"Sex, combat ability, common sense," Kaida retorted.

"Inability to emote. Though there is the wall-slamming, furniture-breaking sex, I'll give you that."