Samsara has sat in her quarters for a short while, after meditating for twenty minutes, she stared out the large window into space. It was almost as if she was searching for something, but she was really just lost in her own mind. Most of her thought were trivial things, some a little more serious but overall didn't have much of an effect on her. She still had a couple hours to kill before the war council, and she wasn't sure what to do.

With a sigh, Samsara turned to leave her quarters. When she opened the door, Master Kuro was standing right in front of her, about a foot away from her. She crossed her arms, [b]"Kuro."[/b] she said in acknowledgement of his presence. Kuro looked at her for a moment before inviting himself into her quarters. She turned to face him, closing the door behind her. [b]"To what do I owe the honor of the clan master's presence?"[/b] her tone wasn't grateful.

Kuro studied Shinto's armor, [i]"If you're done with your snide attitude, Samsara. I'd like to have a civilized conversation."[/i] he knelt down to pay his respects to Shinto.

Samsara kept her eyes on him as she stepped away from the door, [b]"This is a surprise. What? Are you suddenly nervous about this attack? Or is my council starting to get through that thick skull of yours?"[/b]

Kuro looked over his shoulder, [i]"I said that's enough, Samsara."[/i]

She kept her arms crossed as she faced him again, [b]"And your foolish actions are never enough, Kuro?"[/b] she points at Shinto's Loki Prime, [b]"He'd resent you for your actions. He'd exile you from our clan."[/b]

[i]"And why do you think I'm at my knees in front of him now?"[/i] Kuro said in a low tone, [i]"Guidance."[/i]

Samsara rolled her eyes, [b]"I hate to say it, but he's dead. The only guidance from him you're gonna get are twisted delusions formed in your head, and you're gonna think it was his words. Take the advice from me, Kuro, one of your advisers This assault on Tempest's dojo is pointless and only weakening our cause."[/b]

Kuro stood up, his bracelet channeling as his Excalibur Prime warframe materialized around him. He looked at Samsara, [i]"Fine. Face me, Samsara. If you win, I'll hear your suggestions."[/i]

Samsara called upon her warframe, the elaborate Ash surrounding her body. The glaive slid down from her wrist and into her hand, spinning and glowing as she channeled her warframe's power into it. Kuro drew his sword, a Dakra Prime, a weapon usually stored in a Prime Armory that was only accessible to the clan master. [i]"No shields then, Samsara?"[/i]

She shook her head, [b]"I want a mark on your body to remind you that you aren't unstoppable."[/b]

Kuro made the first move, he rose his sword and a great flash emanated from it, filling the room with a bright light. Samsara was blinded momentarily but took the moment to quickly drop a smoke bomb and vanish in thin air. When looked back, Samsara was gone in a plume of smoke. It didn't take long for him to catch on, he swung behind him, meeting her glaive, throwing sparks across the room. If she wasn't channeling, the dakra prime would have sliced straight through her weapon. Their weapons locked in place, Samsara used this to her advantage and span the glaive around, locking the blade on the inside of the glaive's structure. She span and kicked Kuro in the gut, staggering him back and disarming him. She kicked the sword across room and looked back at him. Kuro raised his fists, he was going to fight unarmed. The Ash was never built for honor, and while her moral code was, she needed to play to her warframe's strength in order to beat the superior prime. Samsara seemingly exploded into sparks and appeared behind Kuro. She kicked out his knee, sending him forward to the floor. Kuro's recovery was quick as he rolled and faced her, but she had teleported right up to him and swung her glaive. The blade digging straight through the armor surrounding his neck. Sparks flying from the severed bio-electric fibers.

Silence. They stood there, Kuro knew this was over, his warframe dematerialized into the bracelet. There, Samsara's keen glaive had drawn a line of blood across his neck. She held it there, if she wanted, she could have taken his life. Taken over the clan and ran it the way she wanted to. But she didn't, otherwise she'd be serving the purpose of the Lotus, and plunge the clan into turmoil. She kept her warframe on, but did away with the helmet. Their eyes met. Kuro raised his hands, [i]"I yield."[/i]

When she started to remove the glaive, Kuro swung his foot out and tripped her, calling his warframe once again. He made a dash to his sword but Samsara was already on it. She teleported to his blade and had it in her hands just as he was reaching for it. Kuro stopped as the perfect edge of the dakra prime prodded at his stomach. [b]"In a fight, there's no honor, Kuro. But if you yield. You better damn well yield. Do that again and I'll kill you. And it wont be behind a closed door. It will be for everybody to see. Get out of my room."[/b] she growls at Kuro and keeps a hold of his sword until he passes through the door. She handed the blade back to him, [b]"I'll give you my mind at the council, 'master'. I suggest you get that dealt with soon before people catch on to your latest blunder."[/b] she points at the damage done to the neck of his excalibur prime. It would leave a scar, that was exactly what Samsara wanted.

She headed back to the garden, for now. It was the only place she'd find some bloody peace since her room had become an arena. She kept her warframe on, in case she needed to suddenly defend herself.