Private Wildfire

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

"This is madness, stop, stop. I can pay..." Once Esmae Griffiths had been a powerful woman, a lady of means. Now her clothes were dirty, her eyes filled with fear and her hair soaked with sweat while she was dragged up the mountain. It was a long way down. A hot, dry wind blew over the Alkalan Mountains. "And pay you will," Elpsis said coldly.

Qadiri rebel soldiers, and even some Xioquo accompanied them, armed and grim. Esmae could not expect any solace from them. From up here, one could see the savannahs that stretched as far as the naked eye could see, and the hills. "I didn't know about any of this!" Esmae shouted, sounding increasingly frantic as they got closer and closer to the precipice. One of the Qadiri soldiers, a survivor of the Suqua massacre, kicked and spat at her. "You disgust me, umai," Sahmara Jai Saobana spat in her native Zandri tongue. "You think you're so mighty, you think you can bomb and chain us...but take your machines away from you, and you're worms."

"You didn't know about the camps? About the torture chambers you call 'screening centres'? You didn't know your drones bombed a refugee camp? Right, you're just an innocent lamb," Elpsis declared contemptuously. They had reached the precipice. "Time for you to meet their ghosts."
"No, no." Elpsis seized the woman's shoulder in an iron vice-grip. "I hope Firemane burns you all, all you savages! You...you lived in the stone age before we came...ungrateful..." And then Esmae was flung off the mountain. She fell for a long time until the body was finally smashed. The deep cracks inside Elpsis' face glowed fiercely, while she watched. No mercy to Firemane war criminals and profiteers.

In the far, far distance lay Suqua. The city whose people had entrusted their fate to her, who had looked to her for protection. Now reduced to rubble, and under the Firemane jackboot. But they would pay, they would all pay. And one day her fire would reach the Arx Aeternae itself, burning all the corrupt and wicked, the parasites and bloodsuckers. Wordlessly, Hazani Jai Bysara and Karrigan'Xalda stood with her, grim resolve written over their features. "May the spirits drag her into the burning light," Xalda swore.

"Did you get all that on camera?" Hazani asked a Twi'lek who was serving as cameraman, in a clipped, professional tone. She spoke Basic with a noticeable Zandir accent. The man nodded.
"Bring the rest," Elpsis ordered, back still turned and eyes to the sky.
"Yes, Mirza," Sahmara said obediently and quickly went about dragging the next prisoner forward.

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Monsters lived in these mountains.

That was the story Maeve was told. Radical terrorists. Murderous rebels. She hadn't seen much of Tygara, but she'd heard enough. Civil unrest plagued the remote world—cities left in ruin, hundreds killed—and Firemane had suffered the most.

She and the Jedi Council had received detailed reports of war crimes committed by the local rebels, along with live feed of innocent civilians being thrown to their deaths. Horrifying news, to say the least. So, when Firemane had asked for aid, Maeve had gladly obliged.

She had toppled warlords in the past. How was this any different?

Climbing the Alkalan Mountains, Maeve was accompanied by a small strike force of Firemane soldiers. The best of the best, supposedly. She had no idea why they were needed, especially when her only job was to take out the rebel general in charge of the whole operation, but she didn't complain. They would be the ones to help identify her target.

She was close. Maeve could almost feel it. A strangeness in the air, a feeling. For some reason, it was almost familiar, though she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

No matter. She continued to move uphill, closer and closer to the source of the feeling, her hand itching for her lightsaber. Justice would soon be hers to deliver.

Elpsis Kerrigan​

​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

"That was the last of them, Mirza," Sahmara said as a Firemane specialist fell to his grave. Before being captured, he had been employed at a screening centre to 'extract confessions' from alleged terrorists. Elpsis remained rigid, the cracks in her face burning so intensely it physically hurt. Her tattered cloak billowed behind her in the wind.
"Elpsis," Hazani interjected, "we have a meeting with Jazira Jai Ghazana, and the conclave." Jazira was the Qadiri equivalent of a general.
Elpsis finally nodded. "Yes."

There were so many concerns, and so little time. Food and medical supplies for the refugees who had sought shelter in the mountains, training for soldiers, reports from cells across Tygara and Arkas, counteroffensives - it all left her head spinning. Elpsis Kerrigan, rebel leader, Young Phoenix, queen. It all sounded like an absurd cosmic joke. And yet here she was. Because there was no one else to make amends for the sins of her mothers. For her own sin of having served an evil system. Ignorance was no shield from complicity.

As she turned away, she felt a prickling within the Force. There was a strangeness in the air. Something familiar, and yet she could not place it.
"Alpsis? Are you all right, sister?" Xalda asked softly.
Elpsis shook the strange sensation off her. "Yes, fine. Let's go."

xxx

The Firemane commandos were well-equipped and armoured, having been kitted out with the latest in Firemane gear. One of them, a tall human male clad in armour and wearing a cloak, was a Force-User, as could easily be recognised by the lightsabre clipped to his belt. He was a warrior of the Order of Fire. Curiously, there were no natives among the strike force. Drones were in the air, surveilling the terrain...and ready to strike once they got the go-ahead.

As Maeve and her companions ascended the mountain, they would soon bear witness to a ghastly sight. First they would come across corpses of captives who had been crushed by their long, long fall from the highest peak, then a dead Firemane soldier dangling from a tree. A placard around his neck read: 'I am a murderer of children.'
"Terrorist propaganda," the Order of Fire officer muttered disdainfully.
"Don't take the body down," a female Zabrak Sergeant grunted just in case any member of the party was feeling noble. "It's bound to be booby-trapped. Watch out for other traps, too."

 

[Maeve Linahan]

The bodies were one thing, but the smell? Just vile.

Maeve raised a sleeve to her nose. Partway up the climb, she and the strike team had come upon a number of bodies spattering the rocks, thrown from the highest peak above. Brutal, even for her. The same went for the man strung up on the tree ahead, a Firemane soldier whose body was already half-picked by vultures, a sign around his collar.

Strangely, it was the sign that caught her attention.

The man from the Order of Fire—whatever that was—brushed it aside as propaganda, but it left Maeve considering. Who had this soldier been? Questions brewed in the back of her mind, but she didn't think about it too hard. She had a mission to complete. Rebels to kill. The brutality she had witnessed was proof enough.

"No matter," Maeve told the others. "We move ahead."

She strode past the dead tree and the corpses. She pushed on until reaching a small opening in the rock wall, an entrance into the cave systems in the mountains, no doubt used by the rebels to maneuver around in order to avoid detection from passing drones or ships. Clever.

"I'm taking point," she said, walking towards the cave, reaching out through the Force to sense for traps. "Stay behind me. Try not to step on a landmine, if you can. I would appreciate it."

Elpsis Kerrigan​

​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

"Jedi Linahan, this is a joint operation. Don't presume command my soldiers," the Order of Fire officer said crisply. "With that in mind, your suggestion is sound." The Firemane commandos, a mixture of Force-Users and Non-Force-Users, advanced surreptitiously, being mindful of traps. It would not be long before Maeve was confronted with the first of those. Depending how aware she was, her preternatural senses might alert her to a false floor that hid very sharp, 30cm long spikes. The trap was rigged in such a way that the first step would not set it off.

A tiny camera, barely perceptible, was hidden inside a small hidey hole in the rock. Having perceived it, the Order of Fire officer made a gesture with his gloved hand, and the device was shorted out.

xxx

The command centre was a simple, utilitarian place. The computer array was dated, the chairs were not designed for comfort and it was chilly so far beneath the mountain. But it served its purpose. General Zahbhara Jai Ghazana awaited Elpsis. She wore a modern general's uniform, but without any flummery, with a rank insignia on it.

Gears and servos whirred when Elpsis walked into the room. She gave those assembled a curt nod. "Lay it on me, Jai Ghazana, what have you got?"
"A consignment of missiles has arrived at cache 11. Furthermore, Strike Group Emerald successfully ambushed Firemane troops escorting supply trucks. Eight wounded, four dead on our side. Our troops were able to escape with much of the cargo. Firemane has carried out a retaliatory drone strike."
"Casualties?" Elpsis asked.
"Unknown at present. Our scouts report a civilian area was struck, and at least one house destroyed."
Elpsis' jaw tightened.
"Such is war," Hazani commented. Not cruelly, but focused.
"Yes," Zabhbara looked at Elpsis. "The strike group sent a list of names for the dead and heavily wounded, so their families can be reimbursed."
"Good. Have it passed on to the money people." There would be quibbling about the expense, but she didn't care. Her mothers had valued their wealth more than their people. Thinking about them made the cracks in her face flare up.

Siobhan, author of Firemane's imperial delusions, lay beyond her reach, beyond her accusations. Tegaea was...still living the high life on the Arx, caring only about her money bags and her parties, utterly indifferent to the suffering of the people who bled for her wealth. Her time would come. Elpsis would take everything from her and leave her in the gutter.

"What about the village? Something should be done to help."
"It's one of many being bombed by Firemane, Elpsis," Hazani pointed out cynically, though no doubt realistically. "Today, it's this one, as we speak it's probably another one."
"Jai Bysara is correct," the General remarked.
"I'm aware," Elpsis said curtly, suppressing a sigh. "Have the cell send some supplies. Whatever we can spare."
Hazani looked like she was about to say something, then kept her peace.
"It is right to aid them," Xalda affirmed.
"In a more unpleasant, the Grey Knights have refused our offer for a contract."
"My sources report that one of their officers was seen at a bar on the Arx. A bar commonly frequented by Firemane officers, and the wealthy and privileged," Karrigan'Kalou spoke softly. The Xioquo woman's grey skin and dark uniform blended in well with the grey rock.
"Figures," Elpsis spat contemptuously. "Mercenaries."
"A necessity, and they have their uses. We have manpower, but we lack metal and the technological disparity between us and Firemane constrains us severely," Zabhara stated. "I strongly recommend reaching out to..."

"Uh, Commander," a Xioquo technician who had been monitoring cameras through one of the consoles, cleared her throat. "We have intruders at entrance 2. Look..." The camera footage that manifested on the monitor was grainy and of poor quality, but it showed Maeve's visage, and that she was not alone.
"Tell me what you see." Elpsis was not playing coy or too lazy to look herself, she genuinely could not see.
"Human, golden-haired, armed. I think I see a...sword of light."
"Your friend from Ziost," Rhea said, standing in the doorway, arms crossed.

 

[Maeve Linahan]

"I will presume however I like," Maeve said curtly. She didn't take kindly to the man's retort. Frankly, she didn't like him at all. Those who practiced the Force and were not associated with the Jedi Order were, in her mind, barely a step above the Sith—save for one exception, though Maeve hadn't seen her in a long time.

Advancing into the cave, she reached out through the Force, sensing for danger. Traps were practically expected, so when she approached the first, she stopped just a foot away from the edge. "A false floor," she whispered, raising a hand over the ground.

She could feel death just beneath it.

Taking several steps back, she used the Force to leap over the stretch of ground, landing safely on the other side. With the toe of her boot, she drew a line for the others to reach, then turned and waved them on. She wouldn't linger and wait. She had a general to assassinate.

As Maeve pushed deeper into the mountain, water trickling down from stalactites above her, she could feel the familiar sensation grow even stronger. What was it? No, who was it? When she closed her eyes, it almost felt like a bright fire. Not destructive, but vengeful. Like herself.

She followed that flame. Perhaps that would lead her to her mark.

"We're getting closer," Maeve told the others as they trailed behind. Her hand itched for her lightsaber. "Have you picked up on anything yet?"

Elpsis Kerrigan​

​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

The Firemane and Order of Fire commandos followed the path laid by Maeve, bypassing the trap with no trouble. Drops of water trickled down from the stalacites. The soldiers advanced surreptitiously, mindful of any further traps. Hidden spikes, IEDs, anything could be hidden inside the rock. But that was not what gave them pause.

The Order of Fire officer tensed when he felt the presence. Fiery, angry, vengeful. A bright flame burning in the dark, roaring with brutal intensity. "A Force presence," he said. "Strong."
"Seems to be emanating from deep inside," a female human lieutenant and evidently another Force adept said. "This wasn't part of the mission profile. We expected one cell and their general."
"We need to reassess the situation," the Order of Fire commander said, glancing to one of his soldiers. "Instruct our aerial assets to be on standbye...but don't strike until we're in the clear."

Deep inside the command centre, the rebels were not being idle. "I'm putting the base on high alert," General Zahbhara Jai Ghazana stated. "We must eliminate the intruders immediately."
"Wait a moment. Don't kill the Jedi...not unless it's unavoidable," Elpsis interjected.
"The Yedi is with Firemane," Xalda retorted firmly.
"For a change, I agree with the Xio," Hazani stated.
"The Jedi's not one of the stupid ones," Elpsis responded, glancing towards Zabhara. "Anyone with Firemane must die, but I'd like to talk with the Jedi first. I'll do it over the PSA. If that doesn't work, I'll take her head myself."
The General gave her a long, hard look, before nodding curtly. "Acceptable, Mirza. One attempt only," she turned to one of the Qadiri officers. "They wouldn't have dispatched a strike force without air cover. Prepare deployment of countermeasures."

Elpsis took the microphone in hand. "This is Elpsis Jai Saobana, Karrigan'Alpsis, Elpsis Kerrigan, Queen of Suqua. I have sworn vengeance, for all the evil Firemane has done. For the slave camps, the murder of children, the degradation of Tygara. Jedi Maeve, we fought Sith scum on Ziost. So let me tell you one thing: the only difference between them and Firemane is that they wear slick suits instead of black robes."

 

[Maeve Linahan]

"Reassess? We're nearly there, and if this base is as secure as your intel claimed, they might already know we're here." Maeve turned to the officer, her gaze dismantling. She didn't like the idea of waiting or turning around. Not when she was this close. "If you're so afraid of a single presence in the Force, then fine. Let me handle it. You can deal with the general."

Refusing to stay idle, Maeve continued on through the cavern, again feeling for the lightsaber hilt tucked on her waist. There was something odd about this place, that presence, and it made knots form in her stomach. She had the growing suspicion in the Force that her enemy was not ahead of her, but behind.

Had she passed a hidden door? She paused, looking back. That was when she heard the voice, a woman's, and one that knew who and where she was.

"Elpsis?" she whispered. The name rang softly in her mind. Maeve knew exactly who she was—the fiery-haired girl from Ziost, with cracks in her porcelain skin and eyes white as bone. Even after all this time, she could still picture her face, along with her little band of soldiers.

That wasn't all. Her words instantly struck out to Maeve: slavery, murder, corruption. She remembered the body strung up on the tree, then the quiet rumors about Firemane, a corporation that spanned the stars…

She whirled to the officer. "I know this woman. Is what she saying true?"

Elpsis Kerrigan​

​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

The Order of Fire commander stared at Maeve, expression hard and unwavering. "Not a single word. Elpsis Kerrigan is a traitor, a terrorist and a dark Force-User. Firemane has been a loyal partner to the Alliance against the Maw. Stay on the mission, Jedi Linahan," he said sternly. Some of his minions had spread out surreptitiously. Just in case the Jedi was misled by dastardly rebel propaganda.

On the other end of the line, Elpsis would be unable to hear whatever words were being spoken between Maeve and the Firemane officer. But she did leave the Jedi with some parting words. "Decision time. The oppressed...or the slavers and profiteers." Then she went silent. From the distance, Maeve would be able to sense that multiple presences were converging upon their position. She would also sense Elpsis' fiery presence drawing closer, though there was still quite a bit of distance to cover.

 

[Maeve Linahan]

"A Dark-Sider?" Maeve repeated, suddenly unsure. When she'd met Elpsis, the woman had been competent, strong-willed. They had fought a Dark Side cult on Ziost, for Ashla's sake! It made no sense for someone with such resolve to have fallen to the other side, and yet, Maeve had been absent for years traveling the Unknown Regions. Perhaps Elpsis had changed.

Think about this, she thought. Would she really lie to you?

Maeve looked at the officer. She wasn't unaware of the careful positioning the rest of the team were making, trying to find her blind spots, allowing the silence to stretch, the tension to grow. Who could she believe? The woman she'd come to know and respect fighting Sith? Or a bunch of corporate mercenaries she met the day before?

Her jaw clenched. The answer was obvious. Without another word, Maeve ignited her lightsaber, bathing the cavern around them in searing blue. Her bright hair almost seemed to glow, and she stared down the officer coldly.

"Stand down," she told him and the others. "I want to hear her out, and if you stand in my way, don't think I won't cut you into a thousand pieces."

Elpsis Kerrigan​

​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

Time seemed to slow. Or mayhaps it was just one's perception thereof. "Code Omega," the Order of Fire commander hissed to his men. Not through verbal or electronic communication, but through quick use of telepathy. Without missing a beat, several Firemane mercenaries, both Force adepts and Non-Force-Users, raised bolters or shotguns towards Maeve. The bolters were loaded with APE rounds, projectiles specifically designed to kill Sith...or Jedi, by making it very difficult for them to deflect them effectively without being injured in the process. The commander drew his lightsabre, illuminating the cave with a beam of purple.

A war cry came from the darkness. "Anhala!" Maeve would probably not understand the word unless she had taken a few Zandri courses in between purging Sith evildoers and being exasperated by the little monsters that were commonly called children, but it was the Qadiri word for freedom.
A lance of flame was launched towards Firemane mercenaries. Hazani led the charge, her enchanted sword wreathed in flames.

A second group led by Sahmara and Xalda moved to flank the intruders, and the staccato of gunfire filed the air. The rebel soldiers were, on average, less well-armoured or equipped than Firemane or Galactic Alliance troopers would have been. More than a few only had a glorified flak vest, helmet and a basic chestplate. They carried a mixture of blasters, slugthrowers, blades, maces and spears. But they were determined, angry...and it was close range, where they had an advantage.

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Maeve instantly felt the change in the air when the officer turned to the others, silent as the grave. She sensed hostility. She sensed an attack.

Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her lightsaber. Boltguns raised towards her, weapons she knew would pose a serious threat, but before she could start ducking or slashing, Maeve heard a battle cry from the shadows. It was a word she didn't quite understand, not in all her years of traveling the Outer Rim, but it told her enough.

It meant she did not have to fight alone.

Rebels came in from all sides, shouting and charging for the mercenaries. A gout of flames burst from nowhere, striking one of the men, and they bellowed as they caught on fire, thrashing about before emptying their clip into the cavern ceiling.

Utter chaos followed. One rebel woman leapt onto another mercenary, batting at his armored head with a makeshift mace. Another shot at a Force adept, nearly blowing their arm off with a single slug. In the span of a few heartbeats, Maeve searched the attacking rebels for Elpsis, wondering if she'd come to fight, to talk.

She didn't spot her, but it didn't matter. There was more important business to attend to, and that involved taking down that bastard from the Order of Fire. With a growl, Maeve rushed the man, swinging her blade in a downward slash.

Elpsis Kerrigan​

​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

The struggle was fierce and furious. The Firemane soldiers had been surprised, and melee was not to their advantage. Nonetheless, they fought fiercely...for they knew what awaited them elsewise. There would be no quarter. A rebel soldier fell backwards, armour shredded by bolter rounds. Cries of pain were heard when a grenade went off in the midst of some rebels. But those still standing pressed on.

As Maeve and the Order of Fire commander faced off, a Firemane mercenary levelled his bolter towards the Jedi's back. Ere he could fire, Zhaleh, an old acquaintance of Maeve from Ziost, willed ice to wrap around the trigger, rendering the bolter useless and forcing him to drop it and draw his pistol instead. Raising her rifle, Zhaleh fired. The high-calibre slug round smashed through the trooper's armour to tear the man's innards apart. The Zaldrani winced as a projectile slammed into her chest, knocking her back. She got to her feet to see her armour had stopped the shot, but was broken and had melted into her skin. With a Zaldrani curse, she ripped it free, burnt skin and all.

Karou, a scarred Xioquo veteran, had put Firemane mercenaries under fire with her shotgun. But with their heavy armour, the weapon only staggered them. Dropping it with a grunt, she grabbed her mace and smashed into the arm of a armored Firemane minion with such force she shattered the bone in his forearm, forcing her enemy to drop his weapon. She howled a Xioquo war cry, ramming her boot into the man's helmet when he fell. But an invisible hand from a Force adept raised her into the air and smashed her into a nearby wall. Then there was a cry of anguish when Hazani thrust her burning blade into the adept's abdomen. As he burnt, she clove through his skull. She grunted as a bolt sliced into her shin, shattering bone and setting her nerves on fire. She summoned her power and threw it out at the Firemane soldiers in form of a blast of wind.

Amidst all this chaos, a rippling shadow moved silently, their steps almost silent, and their shape a blur. Sword drawn, the infiltrator crept towards Hazani, as the Qadiri was directing her troops and fending off attacks. Until a blade born of shadow intercepted the stabbing thrust. The shadow blade flickered in and out, and Xalda manifested. Grunting, the Firemane infiltrator engaged the Xio.

When Maeve's lightsabre came sweeping down, the Order of Fire commander's rose to meet it. Their laser swords seared and cried, it was a terrible song of unyielding energy searing and seething with a great hiss. The commander grunted, but held firm. He was a master of his order, encased in heavy armour. Purple lightsabre held in both hands, he launched two heavy slashes - one diagonal top left, the other tip right - as he advanced, pouring all his prowess in the Force into boosting his strength and trying to overpower the Jedi.

From the flank came Sahmara, leading her squad. As she yelled commands and fired her repeater, she saw the Jedi facing off against the master. Immediately, she levelled her weapon towards the commander and fired a short burst. One shot was caught, another deflected by his armour's energy shield, but the third grazed his hip. Perhaps it would aid Maeve, perhaps not.

Suddenly there was the familiar whirr of gears and servos. Then the tell-tale snap-hiss of a lightsabre. Amidst cries of, "Phoenix! Phoenix!" a heavily scarred woman made her approach. She walked slowly, with a noticeable limp, but implacably. Her face was, for whatever reason, uncovered by a helmet, exposing a visage marked by deep scars and burning cracks. One ear was maimed. Her red hair was fire.

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Maeve could barely keep up with all the rebels emerging from the shadows. A great deal of them were women, she noticed, from the gray-skinned woman with the shotgun to the stranger with flowing dark hair and golden tattoos swirling across her face. There was even Zhaleh, too, the ice-maker from Ziost, part of the strike team led by Elpsis. It was an inspiring sight.

Spirited by their arrival, Maeve threw her might against the Order of Fire officer, though he proved an even match. His violet blade clashed against her blue, drawing cackling sparks. When he pushed forward, slashing this way and that, Maeve was forced to backpedal, parrying what blows she could, surprised by his strength.

The fact she was already on the defensive frustrated her, but better to be cautious than turned into mincemeat. The officer had his own hefty experience with a blade, more than she expected for a non-Jedi. She underestimated him. She wouldn't do so again.

Maeve was grateful when the blue-eyed Qadiri woman stepped in, firing her repeater and searing the officer in the leg. Just the distraction she needed. Pooling the Force into her hands, she hurled a burst of air at the man, aimed at smashing him against the wall. Not enough to pancake him, of course. She just needed to buy a little time for the real help to arrive.

Elpsis Kerrigan, former Captain and Witch Elder. Phoenix.

Maeve gave the officer time to recover, because her attention shifted over to the fiery-haired woman striding from the dark. A rare smile came to her lips. "Well, look who decided to show," she said. "It's been a while, Kerrigan."

Elpsis Kerrigan​

​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

The duel between Xalda and the Firemane operative raged on. Xalda's blade was invisible to sight, forcing the operative to rely on the Force and her reading of the Xioquo's body language to track its movements, and parry her strikes. Trying to gain an edge, the infiltrator feinted a strike with her blade, and fired the wrist bolter concealed in her left gauntlet. Not seeing the true strike coming quickly enough, Xalda was struck. The anti-armour projectile slammed into her chest, and she staggered. The armour absorbed some of the impact, but broke and her flesh was seared.

Bodies were dropping on both sides. The firepower of the Firemane mercenaries extracted a toll in blood. Rebels had been maimed, gunned down, stabbed. But they had numbers, and surprise and there was little room for the intruders to manoeuvre. Maeve's burst of Force power did not turn the Order of Fire commander into a pancake, as pleasing an image as that would have been. But it did knock him off his feet, and send him flying. He took the blow, focused on mitigating the impact by wrapping the Force around himself in a protective cocoon. He slammed hard into the wall, leaving him momentarily stunned. And then he felt another presence, as he rose. Elpsis regarded Maeve through her lifeless, milky-white eyes. "Good to see you." Her features momentarily softened somewhat. "Let's go kill some scum."

The Order of Fire commander's eyes narrowed. The fight was not developing in their favour, but they could still initiate a bigger strike if they got away...and then he would be rewarded. Code Terminus, he telepathically broadcast to his troops, and rose, lightsabre in hand. Whatever else he was, he was no coward. He would cover their retreat. Immediately, the Firemane mercenaries began to disengage, while firing salvoes into the rebel ranks and lobbing grenades. "Let none escape, no survivors!" Hazani shouted in Zandri and charged, her burning blade illuminating the dark cave. "Sahmara, enfilade fire!"

The commander drunk deeply from the well of power, harnessing the energies of the Force. Through his power, he summoned a massive, telekinetic wave, and directed it towards Maeve and any rebels in her vicinity. The eruption of Force energy swept forward like a scythe, aiming to slam into as many rebel fighters as possible.

Caught in the concussive wave, Elpsis was sent flying. There was a small thud when she hit the ground. She was in pain, but much of her body was a machine. Gritting her teeth, she homed in on the enemy commander. His aura was not the utter darkness of the Sith, but that didn't matter. There could be no mercy for the oppressors. Her cybernetic arm glowed red-hot, and a blast of scalding flame burst from her metal fingers towards the commander.

 

[Maeve Linahan]

"Great idea."

Maeve couldn't understate how glad she was to see Elpsis. She'd spent a long time out in the Unknown Regions, and although she'd returned to see a great deal of familiar faces, she had wondered many times if she would cross paths with Kerrigan again. She was lucky it hadn't been over clashing blades. She should've known trusting Firemane was a mistake.

A mistake she'd rectify soon enough.

The tremendous surge of the Force sent out by the commander met her like a tidal wave, but Maeve was ready. Lightsaber up, the Force rooting her to the ground, the wave slammed into her then parted, like water to rock. She still felt herself slide back, gritting her teeth at the sheer power thrown at her, but she wouldn't be overwhelmed. She refused to be.

Once the wave passed, Maeve flourished her lightsaber, eager to level the man's shoulders. The officer seemed to bat away the gout of flame that Elpsis hurled at him, though it clearly singed at his robes, burning the skin of his hand. He was strong, but not impossible to beat.

Together, she told Elpsis through the Force, hoping she could hear, and without another thought, Maeve charged towards the commander, slashing her blade low at his waist.

She could only hope that would give Elpsis the opening she needed.

Elpsis Kerrigan​

​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

Xalda staggered, in pain from the gunshot. Her chest felt like it was on fire. The Xioquo coughed. The Firemane operative stood over her, blade in hand, and wrist bolter levelled at her. But the Blade of Shadows still lay on the ground, unnoticed by her foe. In the moment the operator squeezed the trigger, Xalda wrapped her mind around the wrist bolter. The gun clicked. Reacting immediately, the operative swung her sword. Xalda ducked beneath the sweep, feeling the blade slice into her shoulder. She grabbed Shadow Blade and launched an upward sweep towards her enemy's legs. Her foe moved to parry, but without sight, she could not determine how long...or how short her foe's blade was. The Shadow Blade cut deep deep into her thigh, severing an artery, and was sprayed with blood. A cry of pain, the operative fell and Xalda was ipon her.

Chaos raged at the passage of the Order of Fire commander's concussive wave. Bodies had been hurled aside or broken, the cave itself shook. And Firemane mercenaries were in retreat, explosive bolts and blaster fire bursting from their rifles while they hurled grenades. Explosions echoed across the cave, as did cries of pain from both sides. Hazani grit her teeth when she rose, having been hurled around like so many.

Their commander remained rooted to the ground, firm in his defiance. Hazani had to concede that he had courage, if nothing else. But she other things to worry about. Sahmara Jai Saobana's squad had been moving up to provide flanking fire, but the commander's assault had disorganised their lines. Firemane troops were getting away.

She felt the heat rising inside her blade. Her mother's blade. Sahali Jai Bysara, heroine to the Qadiri, murdered by Firemane lackeys and sycophants. And she knew what to do. "Cover me!" she shouted loudly in Zandri. "Azali, cast your light upon us!" The night was dark, and haunted by demons, but Azali's flame banished all evil.

The Qadiri knight ran, as the air was awash with gunfire. Elpsis could use her Zari like a scythe to sweep away all opposition. Hazani...could not. Not yet at any rate. Once it had made her jealous. But she had other talents the human lacked. Subtler ones. The fire burning inside her intensified. Not the destructive wave of power Elpsis was so prone to call upon, but something more focused.

She was almost there.

A blaster bolt slammed into her, with her armour absorbing most of it, but leaving her with a burning pain beneath it. She grit her teeth. Salvoes burst from the ranks of her allies. Her golden eyes glowed. "Grenade!" she heard someone shout, and she dove for cover. An explosion thundered near her, and her ears rang from the blast. She tried to rise, and winced in pain, bloodied and bruised.

Still in a daze, she saw broken bodies of comrades and Firemane soldiers alike, Maeve and Elpsis locked in heavy combat with the commander, and Firemane mercenaries getting closer and closer to escape. The fires beckoned, and she unleashed them, sweat soaking her dark hair and trickled down her face. Her fire was not a sweeping wave or even the focused beam that was her hallmark...but a wall that came into being like a curtain suddenly falling like in a theatre play, blocking the exit route. A Firemane mecernary, desperate to escape, threw herself through the barrier, her howls of pain echoing. There would be no way out now.

Ere the commander could respond to this calamity, he was being assailed by a very aggressive Maeve. Perhaps it was tiredness from his earlier display of Force power, perhaps he simply underestimated her bloody-minded determination. Either way, his attempt to parry her aggressive slash failed. Sparks flew from his armour, and pain spiked inside his hip. He staggered. It took considerable willpower to remain standing. With an angered, pained grunt, he dug in his heels, drinking deeply from the well of power that was the Force.

Transluscent power surged through his fist, and manifested in form of a telekinetic punch towards Maeve's face. The commander delivered a powerful, sweeping ripose with his sabre, aiming to cleave Maeve from shoulder to belly. But a whirr of gears and servos was heard. The commander had already launched his attack, but the 'Wildfire' advanced. She delivered a furious, slash sweeping towards his side and underarm. And raising her mechanical, Force-powered leg, she attempted to stomp on his foot and set it on fire in the process.

 

[Maeve Linahan]

The invisible punch met her face like a brick. Head cocked to the side, Maeve tasted metal in her mouth—blood—and she felt her thoughts spill out one ear. A hit like that would've knocked anyone flat on their ass, but Maeve? She chewed up the blow and spat it right back out. She wasn't going to let this grease-bag beat her. Not a chance in the stars.

When his riposte came, she was ready. Turning back to face him, she brought her free hand up and caught his blade. Not quite with her fingers, but with the Force, stopping it just above her shoulder. Plasma hissed in her ear and she grimaced against the sheer strength he put in the attack. With a little more effort, he probably could've cut through her anyway.

Not that he had the time to, at least.

Elpsis swung in out of nowhere and burned a beautiful path through the commander's side. He cried out and backpedaled, if only to avoid a deeper cut, but not fast enough. Elpsis' leg stomped on his foot, trapping him, flames burning right through bone.

He could've kept on screaming. Maeve wouldn't let him.

With her own lightsaber, she spun and beheaded the man clean. His head flew off into the wall of fire that had materialized at the entrance of the cavern, consumed, and Maeve backed away from his collapsing body. She wiped her cut lip. A bruise was bound to show on her cheek, but she'd be fine.

Throwing a look to Elpsis, she nodded. "Thank you."

Elpsis Kerrigan​

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[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Maeve Linahan

The sounds of violence had died down. The final act consisted of the commander's agonised scream, a mere moment before Maeve sliced his head off, sending it flying into the blazing flames that had cut off his men's retreat...and made the cavern their tomb.
"Good to see you again," Elpsis powered down her lightsabre. Then she did something that would no doubt make Maeve feel rather uncomfortable. She pulled into a big hug. Fortunately, she didn't make it to constricting. That would have been uncomfortable given her manifold cybernetics.

She finally released her after a few moments. A scarred, battered but victorious Xioquo approached, clutching her wound. "Sister," Xalda said to Elpsis.
"You're injured." As hypocritical as that no doubt sounded, there was a note of accusation in Elpsis' tone.
"Victorious over our foes," the Xioquo declared, before wincing in pain.
"Get your arse to Shikoba," Elpsis insisted. "Good work, people."

"Get the wounded to the healers, scour the corpses for anything we can use," Hazani barked out orders to the rebel soldiers.
Xalda regarded Maeve, expression guarded but curious. "You are a Yedai my sister spoke of. You fight skillfully. I am glad she did not have to slay you."
Elpsis rolled her eyes."This is Xalda. She-", she was about to say something more when suddenly the tunnel began to shudder.

"Damn it. Alright, chit-chat's gonna have to wait," she grabbed her comm, "General," she used the Basic word for Zabhara's rank for Maeve's benefit, "dealt with the trespassers, what the fuck's going on outside?"
There were crackles of static before the Jazira responded, tone crisp and professional. "Drone attack run, as we suspected. Nemesis class. They can't collapse the mountain on us...but they can seal us in, and the tunnel you're in is exposed. Air defence crews have been mobilised, automated air defence turrets are being deployed. Get anyone fit to fight on those hills to help now."
"Got it," Elpsis cut the connection. "Seems like Firemane's decided its drones can bomb more than just weddings. Hazani, get anyone who's fit to fight and not needed to help the get out of here to the missile pods. Maeve, if you could help, that would be neat. You get to fire missiles." In anticipation of aerial attacks, concealed missile launchers and autocannon turrets had been set up in the hills around the base.
"On it, move it, people."
"Where are you going to be, ma'am?" Zhaleh asked.
"Taking the front door," Elpsis glanced towards the entrance of the cavern, which was still wreathed in flames. Her white eyes seemed to flare. "Time to get fiery."

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Despite everything, the hug surprised Maeve the most.

It was strange. She'd never been hugged before, never wanted one, but when Elpsis threw her arms around her, she found an almost bizarre relief in it, one she couldn't quite explain. Normally, she would have slipped out or brushed her aside. Instead, Maeve stood there for a long moment, blinking, before a smile rose to her face.

"I'm glad to see you too, Elpsis," she said when Kerrigan stepped back. She planted both hands on her hips. "Has it really been that long?"

As the other rebels gathered, Maeve glanced over to the other women with Elpsis. Introductions seemed to be in order, but there wasn't much time to offer handshakes or pleasantries, not when the mountain trembled against a series of carpet bombings. Dust and rock fell from the cavern ceiling.

Elpsis reacted like a true commander would have. Maeve didn't often take orders when it came from someone outside the Jedi Council, though she'd make an exception in Kerrigan's case. The woman had saved her life more times than she could count.

"Firing missiles?" she said. "Well, first time for everything."

As one of the rebels led her to a secret tunnel in the cavern, Maeve watched Elpsis approach the open entrance, stepping towards the flames, cracks opening in her skin. Part of her wanted to ask if she was going to be okay out there, but she realized how silly a question like that was.

Of course she'd be okay. She was a wildfire.

Elpsis Kerrigan​

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