[hider= Aegon Partinax] 

[b][u]Name:[/u][/b]
[indent]Aegon Partinax. Drakolix, a High Cipritine term for a race of mythical apex predators said to have stalked the Palevan wilderness in bygone eras; known for their bloodthirst, lethality, and cunning.[/indent]

[b][u]Race:[/u][/b]
[indent]Turian[/indent]

[b][u]Class:[/u][/b]
[indent]Havoc Soldier[/indent]

[b][u]Age:[/u][/b]
[indent]30[/indent]

[b][u]Sex:[/u][/b]
[indent]Male[/indent]

[b][u]Appearance:[/u][/b]
[indent]Aegon is broad-shouldered and tall, standing at an imposing seven foot one. He weighs two hundred pounds and has the build of a life-long warrior. His carapce is snow white and his eyes are a rare shade of violet. His mandibles and crest are long and prominent; and his fringe is longer than average though not as long as Saren's infamously sinister fringe. Aegon's face paint is red and is an elaborate pattern that covers most of his head, proclaiming his heritage as a member of a prominent Cipritine clan. A Blackwatch tattoo, a black turian skull, covers his right upper shoulder while his left shoulder depicts two black wings; the mark of an Armiger flier. His carapace is marked by a multitude of old scars. [/indent]

[hider=Backstory:]
[indent]Aegon was born a member of the Partinax clan, a family who had been fighting in wars since the Fuedal Ages. His father was the famed General Partinax, who had fought in the First Contact War, and his mother had been a captain in the navy and was of the Coronati clan; another prominent career military family. From a very young age, Aegon and his siblings had been raised to absolutely believe in the Hierarchy tenets of unity, duty, and victory at any cost. It was drilled in their heads that their destiny was to serve the Hierachy in the military and lay down their lives for the cause if need be. His parents both being high-tier and from prominent families, they had always been well provided for and grew up in comfort and luxury. 

Aegon was expected to be a proper turian, a paragon of the Hierarchy's tenets. This in fact bred his independent streak. Aegon had been a mischievous and curious child, creative in his childhood rebellions, but his father's lessons eventually convinced him of the merits of the cause and the necessity of ensuring the greater good of the Hierarchy. Though he never quite gave up being a trouble-maker. Despite this, he took to his studies intensely, finding immense satisfaction in learning to become a warrior. His parents taught him the basics of combat and strategy as soon as he could hold a stick. Aegon trained with mexta dueling, sharpshooting, hand-to-hand combat, and tactics and strategy long before he even set near bootcamp. Like the other children in his family, Aegon was being groomed for military command. All his siblings and cousins had completed officer school, so when his time came, it was only expected of Aegon to do the same. 

He spent two years in the Valluvian Officer's Academy, and excelled. He received stellar marks despite occasional disciplinary issues and graduated top of his class. The studies his parents had subjected him too had paid off and Aegon had been ahead of many of his classmates, both in strategy and in combat. In the academy, officer trainees took command of client race Auxiliary units for virtual training exercises and Aegon won many more exercises than he lost; nine times out ten with minimum casualties and maximum effectiveness. During training he had also displayed aptitude with melee weapons and jump-jet use as well as fireteam tactics. His skill and talent in warfare, coupled with just a nudge from his politically influential parents, led to his rapid advancement up a few tiers when he graduated. He was one of several recruits selected for special training, with a chance of mentoring under a Spectre and during this time he met Saren Arterius. Those close to him agree the older Turian made an impression on Aegon and by all reports, Saren had seen potential in the young recruit. However, while Saren recognized his talent, he recommended that Aegon first cut his teeth in the military to see what he was truly made of.

As such, immediately after training he was made a Lieutenant in the 26th Armiger Legion and given command of a shock platoon. The platoon was often loaned out to the 43rd Marine Division when the big military needed effective shock troops and Aegon had the opportunity to train with soldiers from all over Council Space. He learned the methodologies and doctrine of the Salarians, Asari, and Humans; and even had the opportunity to train with Compact Drell fighters and Elcor living tanks. In training exercises, he soon learned to effectively coordinate with fighters of all stripes, seamlessly integrating a diverse array of combatants into a cohesive plan. When the time came for Aegon to undertake his first live-fire mission, Aegon acquitted himself tremendously; wiping out a pirate base in one lightning fast strike with no casualties to his own team. 

His career would continue as such for a few years, often working in tandem with army and marine divisions in fast and furious raids against separatists, slavers, pirates, and all manner of malcontents; His stellar record eventually caught the attention of Blackwatch, the best of the best in Turian Special Forces, and he was transferred to the illustrious unit as an XO to a veteran officer and a promotion to Captain. It was during his time with Blackwatch, working with Hierarchy units both in and outside Council Space on both highly prolific missions and deniable operations, that he once again met Visenya Victus, a skilled Hierarchy Military Intelligence operative, and daughter of the infamous General Adrien Victus, who had been an old comrade of his father's. Visenya was the unit's intelligence attache and helped plan and gather information for several operations. As his unit's XO, they came to have a close working relationship, that would eventually grow into something more as the years passed.

Aegon proposed to Visenya shortly before he was promoted to Major and given command of his own unit. The wedding was a large affair and many operators from multiple militaries and luminaries from the prominent Partinax, Coronati, and Victus families were present. As a subordinate, Aegon had made an effective disciplinarian and major-domo, though he was not without his moments of self-inspiration despite orders. As a commander, he proved to have an even greater independent streak, often eschewing caution and doctrine for creative and destructive tactics. His career found him fighting Separatists on far-flung colonies, smashing pirate bases and slavery rings in the Traverse, and even assisting CDEM with Tuchunka peace-keeping missions. 

Virtually every mission Aegon led resulted in achievement of the mission directives, but often in ways that ran counter to traditional Hierarchy operations. He was very popular with his subordinates and fellow Operators but gained an unfavorable reputation among many superiors; and many in the underworld grew to fear him. Despite his liberties with decorum and doctrine, he was a valuable asset to the Hierarchy and was fated for even greater heights. His destiny was changed however on a mission involving a terrorist ring operating in a human colony in the Terminus that was preparing to strike a major Hierarchy training ground. Instead of consulting with the Alliance, Aegon deployed. 

They infiltrated the terrorist's base and would have eliminated the threat then if not for a chance encounter with an unarmed colonist. Aegon decided to tie up the man and let him live. The man later managed to slip his bonds and raise the alarm. The team discovered the colonists were actively harboring and assisting the terrorists and three members of his team were killed when hundreds of the townspeople rushed in with automatic weapons and mechs in addition to the terrorists themselves. Aegon and the rest of his team escaped, but without eliminating the ring leader. He realized he would not sneak in a second time and that there was no way to shoot his way in with his smaller team against a whole colony. His superiors would not authorize a ship-based bombardment, fearing public censure and war if Citadel forces were caught assaulting an independent colony. But the terrorists had to be eliminated in order to preserve secrecy and stop the plot. 

And so Aegon did something unthinkable. He contracted the help of a batarian pirate gang, and set them against the colonists. While the town burned, his team dropped in and eliminated the entire cell with extreme prejudice; killing the leader and clearing their base in a lightning attack that resulted in no casualties while gathering as much intel and crucial equipment as he could. As agreed, Aegon left the remaining arms and salvage to the Batarians but rebuffed them when they sought to take the colonists as slaves. Aegon challenged the pirate captain to a duel and killed him in single combat, allowing the surviving Pirates to leave with their credits and the colonists to live in the ruins of their town. Hundreds had died in the fighting, including many children. From intel salvaged from the mission, Aegon learned the name of the greater organization; Cerberus. Aegon did not attempt to conceal any of this from his superiors and was incredibly candid in his report. While Visenya and his XO lobbied intensely on his behalf, the brass saw the operation as a massive debacle and most moved to have him expelled from Blackwatch and demoted; with even a few speaking of a tribunal. 

However, operatives of office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance caught wind of the incident and intervened. Saren Arterius and Tela Vasir had both heard of the operation and been impressed with the results; particularly Aegon's out of the box thinking and willingness to go to great lengths to achieve his mission. They spoke on his behalf to the Citadel Council to have him inducted into the Spectres. The Council agreed and Aegon was even given a promotion after his induction; a fact that still ruffles some feathers today. Visenya was also promoted to a senior position in the Council's personal intelligence service and the couple moved to the Citadel; though they still owned property on Palevan. Though he was sad to leave his unit behind, Aegon knew he could do the most good in the Spectres without the constraints of bureaucracy. And so for the next several years, Aegon proved himself to be an incredibly effective Spectre; an overwhelming hammer were others were a scalpel. 

With Visenya's help, he built a network of informants and allies, many with criminal tendencies, and gathered a crew of rogues and troubled servicemen after rescuing a decommissioned frigate from destruction. When the Council needed a threat dealt with quickly and thoroughly, Aegon was one of their top choices. Visenya gathered his intel, Aegon formulated the plans, and with his crew of cutthroats and outlaws, they did the bloody work that couldn't stain the hands of the Council. His notoriety quickly grew and his power base expanded. During this time, Aegon and Visenya had their twin children and life seemed great for the Spectre. 

Later, Shepard outed Saren as a traitor; a revelation that shook Aegon to his core. He had respected the man immensely and had severe doubts about himself and his methods as information of Saren's crimes and excess came to light. He requested to be the one to bring Saren back to face justice but was denied. Instead, Aegon was tasked with investigating the Geth and their seeming return to organic space. He found little and was on a visit home to the Citadel when Sovereign attacked. Aegon quickly gathered his family and sent them to the Destiny Ascension, pulling rank in order to gain admission, before leaving to the Citadel Tower to escort the Council to safety, along with a few other Spectres. Aegon was onboard the Destiny Ascension and paled when he witnessed the destruction of the peacekeeping fleet. In an extremely rare moment of his resolve breaking, Aegon was on the verge of deserting his post to flee the ship on a shuttle with his family before the Alliance came to save the Dreadnought at Shepard's behest.

After Shepard killed Saren and saved the Citadel, Aegon was one of the doubters of Shepard's theory on the Reapers. He had respect for the man who saved his life and that of his family, but thought the affair to be a deception on Saren's part; a ploy to bring the Geth to his command. It was only later when Shepard was seemingly killed in a mysterious attack that his beliefs were challenged. They were shattered when Shepard returned from the dead and announced his intention to stop the Collectors. The Council did not allow any other Spectres to assist Shepard in his mission and Aegon decided to delve into the Citadel Archives to research all he could on the mysterious Collectors, the Geth, and the Reapers. 

During this time, he was deployed to Taetrus to assist Hierarchy forces with the pacification of the Facinus Separatist movement. He reunited with his father and father-in-law and was an instrumental part in the systemic dismantling of the Separatist opposition. When word came of Cerberus, Aegon remembered his old enemy, and was part of a Turian task force to assault Cerberus bases and bring their agents into custody. The operation was largely successful but the Illusive Man escaped their grasp. Meanwhile, Aegon learned more and more about the Reapers and came to the conclusion they were real and accepted them as a threat. After Shepard's arrest in the aftermath of the Bahak Incident, Aegon lent considerable support to Garrus Vakarian's task force. 

One of his siblings, a younger brother in the Marines, had been involved in a raid on a Cerberus lab run by the mysterious Director. His brother had been taken captive and attempted to escape before being killed. When Hierarchy reinforcements came, the Director was nowhere to be found. Aegon swore his honor on a vow to avenge his dead brother and bring the Director to justice, dead or alive, as well as to destroy Cerberus root and stem once and for all. He put his network to task on finding as much about Cerberus as physically possible, preparing to strike. 

The Reaper Invasion changed his plans tremendously. With his wife and children safe on the Citadel, Aegon took his shape and raced to Taetrus as it came under Reaper attack. He was the only ship to successfully enter the system, making a daring covert run as the Hierarchy fleets tried and failed to force their way into the system. Aegon tried to convince his father to evacuate before the Reapers landed but his father refused, preferring to stay with his men. Aegon, who had witnessed the destruction one Reaper was capable of, shot the General in the knee and carried him onboard, stuffing his ship with as many civilians as he could. He led several smaller vessels in a run to the relay with support from planetside forces and managed to evacuate numerous civilians, wounded personnel, and VIPS before the Reapers clenched their fist around the planet.

Aegon returned to the Citadel before leaving to fight the Reapers. Visenya came with him, leaving their children in the care of their convalescing grandfather, Aegon and his crew taking action as the Council itself was paralyzed. They made contact with Alliance and Hierarchy forces and became an effective special asset, Aegon going on to lead several so called N7 missions. Used to leading both special forces professionals and criminals alike, he was uniquely suited to lead the diverse and eclectic teams of skilled fighters who arose to covertly fight the war. He was not the only one, with colleagues such as Jondom Bau falling in with the galactic resistance. Cerberus reared it's ugly heads once more, and Aegon took great personal pleasure in fighting the terrorist group on several fronts. He was away on mission when Cerberus attempted to overthrow the Council with Udina's help. 

This incensed and frightened Aegon, as his family was put in danger though General Partinax had kept them safe. Pulling several favors, he had his family relocated to Rannoch along with numerous other Turian refugees and wounded from Palevan and other worlds after Shepard managed to bring peace between the Flotilla and the Geth. The Perseus Veil was largely ignored by the Reapers and with the dextro-amino environment, Rannoch proved to be one of the most relatively safe placed for Turian refugees. General Partinax, healed now, joined the war effort and assumed a position in High Command to fight the Reapers. The Partinax family, with their Victus and Coronati allies, were one of the main blocs that pushed for the ambitious ground assault to liberate Palevan. 

Aegon had experience dealing with Krogan and was one of the few turians whom the Krogan fighters respected, in no small part due to his reputation when working with CDEM. He was instrumental in bridging relations between the two rival species and was one of the principal planners in the operation along with his wife, father, and father-in-law, who was now the Primarch of Palevan. It was he who suggested detonating warp bombs inside Reaper ships using turian kamikazes. The plan called for many valiant turians to sacrifice themselves and would mean the death of countless civilians, but would also mean the return of large swaths of the homeland to their control. High Command approved, and Aegon fought with the Turian and Krogan special forces operators on the ground in the largest joint operation in Hierarchy history. He was one of millions to witness the Reapers exploding in the air as the army retook several cities and territories.

While Aegon acquitted himself in the war, it was not without cost. Many of his Blackwatch comrades died in the Miracle, and he watched his crew succumb to war one by one after dangerous mission after mission. Even other Spectres weren't immune, and many longtime friends and colleagues died fighting the Reapers or Cerberus. It was only Aegon, Visenya, and a handful of others left of the original crew when the time came to launch the final assault. He was on the Citadel, performing a service for fallen comrades when the Reapers came. Once more, Aegon rushed to rescue the Citadel Council though now with Visenya at his side. The pair rendezvoused with the Council and evacuated them and countless other evacuees to the Destiny Ascension as the fleets provided cover. Ignoring his orders, his own crew fought to give them covering fire and Aegon and Visenya could only watch and listen as the ship was lost with all hands to overwhelming Reaper attack. Thanks to their sacrifice and the sacrifice of many others, the Council was saved.  

With renewed fire and an even greater thirst for vengeance, the couple linked up with Primarch Victus' fleet en route to Earth for the final assault. They accompanied the Primarch on his flagship and were among the first Turians to land on Earth in the Hammer Assault. With his experience coordinating the Miracle, Aegon was instrumental in organizing the survivors of Hammer and the London Resistance into a coherent army to fight the massive Husk force. Aegon and Visenya fought side by side with Primarch Victus in London and saw the most hellish fighting in the war, even worse than Palevan. They attempted to charge the beam to the Citadel but had to drag Primarch Victus back to safety when the retreat was sounded. The Hierarchy forces held their line, but were on the verge of breaking; and Aegon had sustained numerous wounds. Death seemed imminent, but suddenly a red wave of energy enveloped the world and the Reapers were defeated.

Aegon spent a short time recuperating on the liberated Citadel while Visenya helped her father coordinate with the humans. He found himself to be one of the most senior Spectres alive in the wake of the Reaper War and had gained much renown and influence for his central role in resisting the Reapers. Aegon canvassed the galaxy, searching for new Spectres to fill out the ranks while undertaking a few missions to ensure galactic stability during the reconstruction. Aegon and Visenya left to Rannoch to bring their children back to the Citadel and the family remains there to this day; though the family visits Palevan and plans to resettle there once the worst of the turmoil has passed. Aegon found no shortage of work and was always busy in the year that followed. 

When whispers of insidious threats rising to threaten galactic peace, Aegon decided to be proactive this time around. Along with other Spectres, and with support of Hierarchy High Command, Aegon and his fellows convinced the Council to form a Spectre-led covert task force to ensure stability and to neutralize threats to the galaxy before they became concrete and destructive. It would be a task force with no official authority and complete deniability, both made up of the best military operators and the deadliest independent agents. Task Force Katabasis was formed with Aegon as it's field leader. He requisitioned a Hierarchy frigate and assembled a new crew. He needed the best of the best for a ground team, no matter where they came from, and he had Visenya gather dossiers on likely candidates while he found the best support staff and crew he could, many of them with questionable records. The Council also saddled him with a partner Spectre, ostensibly so Aegon could train him but he suspected they wanted his "partner" to keep an eye on him should he step too far out of line. 

Aegon is a veteran of numerous deadly missions, several ship engagements, two massive battles, and the deadliest war in history but only time will tell if he can whip up the extreme personalities of his potential squad into a coherent fighting force to stop those that would threaten the galaxy at large. Whether or not he can, blood will be spilled. 
 [/indent] [/hider]

[b][u]Psyche Profile:[/u][/b]
[indent]Aegon, at his core, is a career soldier from a long line of career soldiers. His family have been military commanders and war heroes since turian clans fought with swords and axes. As such, war is not just his duty, it is his life. He is never truly happy unless some crisis is being dealt with, and he is a man who would be ill at ease in peace. From a young age it was ingrained in him that it was his duty to protect the Hierarchy and maintain peace in the galaxy by serving in the military. As such, he has pursued his family calling even above and beyond what was expected of him. His central drive to protect the galaxy have morphed him into a man who has nearly no limits. The safety of the galaxy is paramount above all else, and Aegon will go to nearly any lengths to ensure that safety. If given the choice between killing ten to save a hundred, he would not hesitate. 

In the military he was known for ruthless and brutal tactics that quickly and decisively defeated the enemy as well as demoralizing them too much for them to ever raise arms again. Despite this, he takes no joy in inflicting harm, and in his mind only does what is necessary to keep innocent lives safe. This has resulted in a maverick of a man, a turian who will readily ignore orders when his judgement tells him it must be done. Aegon does not have a black and white view of the galaxy either, and is noted for having many contacts in the criminal underworld. He thinks of his network as a necessary evil to combat much worse offenders such as slavers, terrorists, pirates, and rogue governments. Even inter-species prejudices and xenophobia mean nothing to him. If something or someone can be used as a tool, he will not hesitate to use it in his mission. Aegon's unrelenting drive to safeguard Council space both make him an excellent Spectre and mark him as one of the most dangerous people in the galaxy.

Despite all this, Aegon is not without his sentimental side. He is a noted family man, and is capable of forming long-lasting and meaningful friendships and is famed for his acerbic wit. His family and those he love are what keep him tethered to the galaxy and stop him from truly becoming a soulless killing machine, and those he holds dear are the one thing that challenge his devotion to the so-called greater good. [/indent]

[b][u]Specialty:[/u][/b]
[indent]Aegon is a Spectre, the best of the best. In officer training, he excelled, achieving top marks in the prestigious Valluvian Academy and graduating top of his class. Instructors noted Aegon's creativity, tenacity, pragmatism, and confidence in command. He excels at fireteam tactics and is no stranger to war room meetings, having studied every major military leader and battle in Turian history; as well as the military history of many other races. Whereas other Spectres are master infiltrators and spies, Aegon is a frontline combatant through and through. After completing officer training he was placed in the 26th Armiger Legion, cross-training with the Salarian, Asari, and Human militaries and taking part in countless daring raids before finally being placed in the legendary Blackwatch special forces unit as an officer. 

While he understands the value of stealth and subterfuge, his preferred methodology is to hit his targets in a surprise attack with overwhelming force and destroy them thoroughly before they even have time to react. Aegon is meticulous in his planning however, preferring to know all the variables and account for all details before he strikes, but is still flexible enough to modify plans on the fly when the situation warrants it. He helped plan several raids against Hierarchy enemies of all stripe and before he was discharged, was one of the most highly decorated infantry officers in Blackwatch history, earning several accolades. He excels at lightning strike missions and is one of the Hierarchy's top experts in counter-insurgency operations, earning a bloody reputation among Turian Separatists. 

After years of training and combat, Aegon honed his skills to a razor edge. His natural athleticism was further enhanced with the latest in genetic enhancements and his speed and reflexes are legendary. He was trained to survive in a variety of hostile environments with nothing but his wits and is a master in both tracking and evasion. In close quarters combat, he is a master of the pistol and assault rifle; able to draw and land a clean headshot faster than the blink of an eye. Aegon is also recognized as one of the top martial artists in the military, a master of several unarmed styles as well as omniblade, knife and sword techniques. He is an expert with jump-jets, seamlessly blending high-speed propulsive maneuvers with melee attacks and is able to accurately fire when hovering in the air. Simply put, Aegon is one of the deadliest warriors in the galaxy.

He also has extensive connections in the Citadel government, knows special forces operators in several foreign militaries, and has significant pull in the Hierarchy; being on a first name basis with more than one Primarch and numerous members of Turian High Command. His father is the famed General Partinax, and Aegon himself is a member of the upper citizenship tiers; as such he is one of the most influential members of the Hierarchy and commands political influence to rival most galactic politicians, business magnates, and flag officers. Aegon has an uncanny talent to acquire useful, if dangerous and unconventional, operational assets, often from dubious origins; and in the course of his Spectre tasking has built a formidable resource network. It is rumored he has contacts in criminal organizations all over the Terminus systems. As such he was the natural choice to head the covert Task Force Katabasis as it's field leader.  [/indent]

[b][u]Powers/Skills:[/u][/b]
[indent]Havoc Strike
Stimulant Pack
Adrenaline Rush
Frag Grenade
Flashbang Grenade
Concussive Shot
Cain Trip Mine[/indent]

[b][u]Equipment and Resources:[/u][/b]
[indent]M-96 Mattock Heavy Rifle
M-77 Paladin Heavy Pistol
Fragmentation and Flashbang Grenades
Cain Trip Mines
Numerous military-issue talons hidden on his body
A monomolecular mexta sword, a personal family heirloom named [i]Sacrifice[/i]
Dual omni-blades
An Personal Propulsion Unit
Medium Phantom Armor

[/indent]

[hider=Sample Post:]
[indent][color=red] "I said no." [/color]

The Batarian's nose burst into a red spray as Aegon's fist crunched into his face, knocking the man flat on his back. The pirate instinctively reached for his gun, but choked when Aegon pressed his foot into his windpipe as his comrades leveled a wide array of weapons directly at Aegon. The Turian, foot on the pirate, gun aimed at the ring-leader, was eerily calm as his own team leveled their weapons right back at the Batarians. 

The pirate captain snarled, "Let him go." 

[color=red] "I will, once you agree that the colonists will be left alone." [/color]

"We had a deal, bird-nosed scum." 

[color=red] "We did, but that was for salvage. Not people." [/color]

"These human rats, [i] are [/i] salvage. We did your dirty work for you, now we take our prize. Skilled laborers and pretty women will help us recoup our losses. Good men died for you Turian." The town was in flames, various prefabs in pieces while all around dead humans littered the ground next to some Batarians. The dirt was stained with blood and moans and wails could be clearly heard over the roaring of the fires. One girl was crying next to a man with a large hole in his chest and several dozen men, women, and children looked on with panicked eyes as snarling varren with their Batarian handlers stood nearby with guns drawn. 

[color=red] "They died certainly, and you will be handsomely rewarded for it. With all the weapons and tech left in that base. But the people stay." [/color] His team was outnumbered five to one, but they showed no signs of nervousness. Their black helmets hide their expressions and their bodies were absolutely stable shooting platforms. They arrayed themselves in a circle, rifles with clear shots on the captain and several other targets in overlapping fields of fire. There was no cover, they were surrounded, but the Batarians were the ones sweating. They had watched a small team of six destroy a whole base of armed terrorists and leave virtually unscathed. Aegon was the only one whose face can be seen, but he showed just as much emotion. 

"That's not going to happen Turian. Let us leave with the humans and I'll let you all go. Hell I'll even give you a discount for our services. But this is none of your business. You didn't seem to care about civilians when you had us attack. This is just us collecting the spoils of war." 

[color=red] "War is war. Slavery is slavery." [/color] The Batarian under his foot continued to wheeze, barely able to breath as Aegon and the Captain stared each other down, neither backing down. Aegon could not, would not let them take the humans as slaves. And the Captain couldn't back down in front of his men without looking weak. Neither would leave the confrontation without severe casualties if a fight broke out, though Aegon was confident he and his men could wipe out the majority of the pirates and the captain before the team was completely incapacitated. He couldn't call for air support from his ship either. The frigate would have no kinetic barriers in atmosphere and the Batarians had enough fire power to bring it down. They were at an impasse and it seemed the only way he and his men would leave this confrontation alive was if they let the pirates take the humans. He listened to the cries of the little girl, smelled the burning flesh. He couldn't let them take the humans. But his duty to his men outweighed his duty to humans who weren't even Citadel citizens. He had to choose one. Unless...

[color=red] "Let's settle this the old way then. The way my forefathers did, and yours if memory serves. One on one, me against you. First blood. No guns. If I win, you leave the colonists alone, take the salvage, and go. If you win, you let us leave unharmed and take the colonists and the salvage." [/color] 

The Batarian scrunched two of his eyes in thought while the man under Aegon's foot choked out, "Brother don't-" 

"Shut up, Kol." The Batarian glowered, "You think I'm stupid? You turians train with your talons since you can all walk. And you're Special Forces. In a bare knuckle brawl, I don't stand a chance. Same as if we had a shoot out." 

[color=red] "I didn't say anything about hand-to-hand. I said no guns. Omni-tool functions, knives, fists, biotics, anything you like. Just as long as there's no guns or grenades. Fair fight." [/color] 

"Hmm. How do I know you'll honor your end?" 

Aegon stared back before suddenly lifting his foot off of the younger Batarian under his boot. The man gasped for breath, rolling on the floor as Aegon kept his gun up. The man got to his knees, crawling for a bit, before finding his feet and unsteadily walking to his brother. The Captain gestured and a man came forward to take him into the fold, keeping his gun up the whole time. 

[color=red] "A show of good faith." [/color] 

The Captain smiled pointedly, "And how do you know I won't kill all of you when I beat you? In fact what's to stop me from killing you all now?" 

[color=red] "Because my ship is hearing every word. They might not have precision turrets but they do have bombs, missiles, and cannons. You kill us now or betray my men, and there won't be enough left of you to fill a thimble." [/color] 

The Batarian frowned, "You'd kill all of the humans? Just like that? I thought you wanted to protect them?" 

[color=red] "I would be doing them a favor. I've seen what your kind does to slaves. You have my word I will honor the terms of the deal. And you have my word I will make sure you will be blown to hell if you betray it. Do we have an agreement?" [/color] 

The Batarian's expression became pensive and a long moment passed where Aegon's finger tensed, anticipating him to order his men to open fire. Then the man said, "On my world we don't fight to first blood. We fight to the death." 

[color=red] "Then that's how it'll be." [/color] 

"Then you have a deal, Turian," He tilted his head to the left and dropped his gun. Aegon nodded back and holstered his pistol. 

A voice filtered over the radio, "You don't have to do this. I can have another team on the ground in a few minutes. Just give the word." 

Aegon said nothing and drew his sword, placing his feet apart and gripping the curved blade in both hands, standing sideways with the weapon raised. The Captain stepped forward and his armor grew spikes while glowing blue whips trailed down from one hand and an omni-tool materialized in the other. 

The men stared each other down. Seconds turned into eternity as they looked into each other's eyes. Everyone, even the humans, were absolutely silent and the world shrunk to just Aegon and the batarian across from each other. He waited. 

The Batarian made the first move, firing ballistic blades from his omni-tool before following with an electrified submission net. Aegon ducked beneath the blades and raised his sword, the monomolecular blade slashing right through the net as he twisted and drew several throwing talons, before sending them flying at the Batarian. 

The pirate jumped to the side and Aegon fired up his thrusters, jumping into the air before plummeting toward the man with his sword raised high. The Batarian stepped backward and lashed at Aegon's foot with his biotic whip, wrapping the dark energy tendril around his boot and pulling Aegon toward him as his omni-tool glowed in the shape of an enforcement gauntlet. 

Aegon flung another dagger and the captain threw up his gauntlet to shield his face, Aegon speeding up with his thrusters once more and charging directly at his opponent. The Batarian saw him coming and dissipated his whip, throwing up a disk shaped barrier just in time to deflect the sword. Aegon ducked low and swept the Batarian's leg before slashing at his side but the kick rebounded off of his bladed armor, and scratched Aegon's leg plating while the blades caught Aegon's sword in the torso armor. 

The Batarian, shield still up, threw his fist back and lashed out with a charged enforcement gauntlet. Even with his enhanced durability and armor, the blow would have severely inured if not outright maimed or killed Aegon. But Aegon was too fast and swayed to the side, avoiding his blow before striking him in the arm with his own elbow. The bladed armor cut Aegon but the man grunted in pain and twisted to the side, exposing his head from behind the shield. 

Aegon cut with his free hand and his sharp talons clawed down the man's cheeks making him shout in pain and recoil. Aegon drew back his sword and spun, attacking and battering the biotic shield with quick, precise, and strong strikes. The man was forced to his knees and Aegon knew the barrier would fail eventually. The pirate knew that too and he deflected the sword once more before collapsing the shield. Aegon flew backwards with his thruster pack just as the man detonated his blade armor. Shrapnel cut at his armor but he was protected from the worst of it. 

The pirate created another whip and struck the ground right in front of Aegon, blowing up dust and debris and forcing him backward. Aegon jumped up into the air and another whip wrapped around his sword, pulling him down. Aegon released the sword and materialized dual omni-blades, killing his thrusters to dive at the Batarian. 

The man raised his omni-tool and Aegon activated his thusters to dodge to the side and avoid the ballistic blades. He landed with a roll on the ground and lashed out with his omni-blades, both of them cutting across the Batarian's now normal armor. The man cursed, wounded, and aimed a swift kick at the Turian. Aegon grabbed the leg with both hands and twisted his body, flipping the Batarian and smacking him down to the ground. 

Aegon swiftly kicked him in the side, driving out his breath and another omni-blade appeared in his hand, driving forward to bury itself in the batarian's chest. The Batarian roaring, wrapped his fist in blue energy and stuck his hand out as the blade rushed forward. A biotic blast threw Aegon back and he used retro-thrusters to arrest his movement and land softly. The Batarian charged forward, enforcement gauntlet glowing. 

Aegon tried to fly to the side, but a whip wrapped around his chest and held him in place as the fist came flying. Aegon threw up his arm and hopped to the side. The gauntlet glanced off of his arm and blew the thruster pack on his shoulder to pieces. Aegon was thrown to the ground and the Batarian raised both arms to finish him off with dual whips. Aegon's hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword and he rolled forward, too close for the Batarian to strike. 

As he passed, he came to a crouch and struck at the Batarian's side, sprinting forward before turning to cut his back. The Batarian cried out and twisted back to swing at Aegon with a whip but Aegon ducked under the whip and lashed out, cutting deep into his arm. The pirate stumbled and tried to raise his other arm but Aegon knocked the arm back down with a foot before slashing him across the chest, stepping forward, and driving the sword straight into Batarian's chest. 

His sword popped out from the man's back and Aegon stood there, close as a lover, as the man breathed shallowly right next to his ear. His body drooped and Aegon allowed it to slide off of his sword. The Batarian's brother cried out and rushed to the man, sobbing and shouting frantically trying to apply medi-gel while the captain breathed unsteadily and the blood pooled beneath his body. His eyes glazed over and he muttered incoherently as Aegon stared at him. 

Aegon flicked the blood off of the sword and looked at the blood spreading in the dirt, filling his field of vision and staining his boots. He looked into the pirate's eyes, drew his pistol, and shot him twice in the head. 




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[b][u]Notes[/u][/b]
[indent] - Aegon's treatise on small-unit tactics and counter-insurgency is required reading in Hierarchy officer training. 
- He holds a championship medal for the Palevan swordsmanship tournament, and won several sparring competitions in Blackwatch and units and ships he was attached to. He also won several pistol fast draw competitions.
- His wife is Primarch Victus' daughter, they have a twin boy and girl with another child on the way. 
- Aegon is often used as a bedtime story to frighten children by both colonists in far-flung outposts and low-tier citizens in the mega-cities. Turian Separatists think of him as one of their greatest enemies and he has garnered equal parts hatred and respect among several krogan clans due to his joint-operations with CDEM. 
- In the aftermath of the Reaper War, Aegon is lobbying strongly to attain the position of Warden of the Citadel, an ancient military title bestowed in times of great emergency. This would grant him command of all the Citadel peacekeeping fleets. Several in Special Tactics and Reconnaissance back his campaign while many others say the title should fall to Commander Shepard.[/indent]
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