Serena dove behind cover as the Kett squad appeared, Valkyrie at the ready.Of course the guards had panic fired, and of course the Kett had heard and noticed it over the gunfire of Fireteam 1's distraction. Because nothing could go right on their first mission. God forbid it be a simple and smooth extraction. "That could have been handled better." She muttered, looking up at her three drones. "Cloak, focus the Anointed." The drones beeped in unison, disappearing as they moved towards the enemy. She peaked over her cover, counting the enemies they have. She ducked back behind as bullets screamed above her, ricocheting off of the building behind her.
"Two Anointed, five Chosen. Dels are going to hit the Anointed from behind. No signs of any Wraiths yet, but I suppose that's the point of them." The Anointed were her priority. Fireteam 2 wasn't meant to be in a slugfest with the Kett, all of them being more suited towards supporting those who were good at that which happened to be everyone in Fireteam 1. That meant the Anointed had to be taken care of quickly, or they would end up regretting it. She brought up her omni-tool, readying her Energy Drain for when the Dels were in position. "Dels almost in position. Moving to eliminate the left Anointed's shields. Dex, can you hit the right Anointed with an overload and then shoot him in the skull with me on my mark? Dels will take care the left."
Upon hearing the turian's affirmative, Serena smiled fondly. It was just like old times. Though, hopefully, she'd be a better shot this time and less likely to get hurt and have to be saved. She winced briefly, touching the side of her neck where the scar was. Yeah. Not an experience I want to repeat.
As her omni-tool beeped with confirmation from the Dels, she took a deep breath. "Alright. Ready Dex? Three, two, one, mark!" She snapped up from cover, Energy Drain leaving her omni-tool the instant she was over the edge. Orange lightning crackled from her omni-tool, crossing the distance between the two sides in a heartbeat, wrapping itself around the Anointed and shattering the Kett's shields as it constricted and yanked. Simultaneously Dex's blue lighting from her overload leapt forward to crash into the Anointed on the right, illuminating the battlefield in clashing orange and blue. Serena smiled at the sight. Twin streaks of initiative justice. As the left Anointed stumbled, its shields gone, Serena quickly brought her Valkyrie up and fired at the Anointed on the right, old reflexes taking over as she compensated for the kick as the Valkyrie spat two shots at the enemy. Her rounds hit the Kett's shoulder, sending him stumbling backwards.
Hey, that's pretty goo- Dex's sniper round slammed through the Anointed's head, splattering gore on the sands behind him. ...But not that good.
Gatling fire roared to life as the three Dels unleashed shrieking death upon the Anointed on the left, the Kett struggling to recover from being knocked off balance. The bullets tore through him and his body did a macabre dance, shaking in place, before falling to the ground. "Evasion, keep them off balance. Don't get shot, please." The Dels beeped in response, slipping away from the returning Kett fire as the Chosen turned to face the new threat.
Serena ducked behind cover again, breathing a sigh of relief. Hard, fast, and she hadn't even lost her shields in the process. Only a couple of bullets from the Chosen had hit her, before they turned to deal with the threat of her Drones. Probably the smoothest thing that had happened to her in Andromeda. Which was sad, everything considered.
"Haze, I think you're slipping. That's me with one and you with zero still! Gotten rusty after your long sleep, or have I just gotten that much better since our last firefight together?"
Species: Humanoid fish people with primitive gills allowing them to breathe under water (in both fresh and saltwater) for up to 10 hours, webbing in their hands and toes to swim better, able to dive to depths of 130ft (40m), and have a clear, third, eyelid that allows them to see underwater. 'Cethosi tears' are often used to describe fake tears, as they get rid of salt build up via it leaking out of their eyes with water. They lack hair, instead having vestigial fins on the top of their head that start brightly colored and can be large, but dull with age. Indeed, that is the only sign of age.
Cethosi women are larger than Cethosi males, by an average of five inches. There is no noticeable difference in physical attributes, though the men are typically faster swimmers.
Population: 40 Million
Culture: Cethosi culture, unsurprisingly, is tied to the ocean. From it their demi-gods were born, on it they expanded and united the Cethosi tribe, and it gives them life and sustenance daily. They have a deep respect for the ocean, and go to great lengths to ensure that it is respected as well. The Mother gave us life, but she is a force of nature that will never be tamed, never forget that.
Every Cethosi is first and foremost a sailor and a fisherman, and every single one of them is a powerful swimmer.
The Cethosi honor code is fairly simple, with every man's word being his bond. If a Cethosi gives you their word, they will hold to it until it complete or they are dead. If it becomes known that someone is an oath-breaker, they will be shunned by the community at large, until they are forced to leave. Most leave the islands entirely, as any ship they take to another island will spread the word of how untrustworthy they are to wherever they land.
Cethosi practice exo-cannibalism, believing that if they eat their slain enemies they will gain their enemies strength. In war, to prevent vicious last stands that will result in more casualties than necessary, Cethosi go to great lengths to make it clear that anyone who surrenders and any wounded are safe from being eaten. Everyone who fights and dies against them, however, is fair game.
Cethosi believe that when someone dies, their power is spread throughout their family. Being descended from Demi-gods, every Cethosi thus has part of divinity in them, no matter how minuscule. After someone has died, their family thanks them for the power they are leaving. They are then given back to the ocean, to nourish that which has nourished them their whole lives.
Tattoos play an important part in Cethos culture, denoting rank, accomplishments, tribe, and which of the long gone Matra Tu they worship. It is rare to find a Cethosi that doesn’t have some form of tattoo on their body, and many tribes view it as a disgrace if you do not.
Geography: By and large, most Cethosi islands are pleasant tropical islands. Some have sheer cliff spaces or extremely shallow waters very close, limiting where ships can dock and land, but they are all clear waters and pleasant weather.
The main cluster of islands in Cethos is starkly different to the rest of the islands. Instead of easy, clear, waters, the approach is filled with dark, choppy waters with large rocks jabbing out at frequent and seemingly random intervals. All around the island are 'ship graveyards' where entire invading fleets met their doom or the royal family forced the rebels to enter the island on their defenses, sinking what remained the royal navy around the island. There is one main path through all of this, and that leads straight into the teeth of the island's defenses
The waters of Cethos are filled with exotic and magical creatures: huge fish whose scales shine with every color of the rainbow, mermaids playfully calling from the sea, giant squids sinking under the waves, talking turtles with gold growing on their shells, etc etc.
History: Descended from the many Demi-Gods ( Matra Tu ‘Mother’s Children’) of the ocean, whose final decree was that no impure would set foot on their holy islands, the people of Cethos have always preferred to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. The only recorded time in Cethosi history, before modern times, that they ever left their islands as a nation to interact with the outside world, was when Kratoria reached for allies against the Chan Ak Su-na the ‘Dark Invaders From Afar’ (often shortened to simply Chan).
Known as the Black Empire, the Ap Morgi, The Morghul Dominion, and a thousand other names in a thousand other tongues, the Chan had already gained a foothold on the Cethosi islands, and were embroiled in a bloody war of conquest against the Cethosi and the Matra Tu. The Cethosi and their gods were losing ground every day, only slowing the Chan at a terrible cost. The Kratorians landed on Cethos’ shores, and offered an alliance. With nowhere else to turn, the Matra Tu accepted. Together, they forced the Chan off the islands. Thus began Cethosi involvement in a centuries long war that would claim the lives of thousands of Cethosi and dozens of Matra Tu.
When the war was finally over, and the Chan finally defeated, the Cethosi retreated to their isolation again. The Matra Tu bid their former allies farewell, and settled into their isolated kingdoms, ruling over their islands.
It was only a few years later that Kratoria would return, demanding Cethos allegiance and servitude to the Kratorian Empire, a new power filling the void left by the destruction of the Chan. The Cethosi and their gods refused, and threw the Kratorian delegation off of their islands. Within days, a Kratorian fleet sailed across the ocean, intent upon conquering the isles. The Matra Tu would unite their islands again, and meet the threat in open battle in the sea. In the centuries that followed, the Matra Tu would engage the Semideums in titanic battles, entire fleets being shattered on both sides, and the Cethosi tribes awaiting to battle any Kratorians that made it to the Islands. The Empire never achieved its dream of conquering the Cethosi Islands, but they did inflict severe blows to the Cethosi population and morale. Bit by bit, year by year, the Matra Tu were being eradicated. History debates and wildly speculates on the cause, some claiming a curse from the Chan Ak Su-na, others from the Kratorians, still others simple old age, and yet more others that the Kratorians had poisoned them. All agreed that the war with the Kratorian Semideums aggravated the issue, and the results are all the same. Eventually, the Matra Tu were extinct as a race. Cethos was left without its defenders, and Kratoria wasted no time launching another invasion fleet. This one without Semideum, as they were needed for the war against Etresna and knew it to be below them to battle ‘island savages’.
The Cethosi, still united despite the death of their guardians, met the fleet in open waves. It was a desperate last stand. They knew that if the Kratorians were allowed to gain a foothold, they would be conquered within months. So they threw every ship they had at the Kratorian fleet, and did everything possible to destroy it. Ships were lit on fire and rammed into the enemy. Cethosi crews would madly rush aboard Kratorian ships with oil and fire, throwing it everywhere as they were cut down. Cethosi ships were thrown in front of advancing Kratorian ships to slow their advance to the island.
Hundreds of Cethosi ships were sacrificed, and thousands died. But it worked. Most of the Kratorian fleet was destroyed and those ships that weren’t slinked back to Kratoria. Another invasion never came, as Kratoria became ever more obsessed with defeating Etresna and lost its grip on the rest of its holds.
The Cethosi leadership that had united them during this battle all perished, and the tribes of Cethos fractured again. They only unanimously agreed to keep the Islands free of outsiders, and then went to their separate islands to live how they believed their Matra Tu wanted them too.
Even during the unification of the islands in the years 1650-1660, Cethos kept outsiders as much out of their islands as they could, even going so far as to execute those they found twice. Up until 1880, the islands kept as minimal contact with the outside world as they could. Their sacred decrees were everything, and they would not break it. When the year 1880 finally arrived, the Cethosi Civil War broke out and ravaged the islands for twenty years.
An officer of the Cethosi Navy, Gharn Lashk, had become the leader of a faction pushing for Cethos to open its borders and to increase contact with the outside world. Cethos, he argued, was falling behind in the arms race of the world and it would only be a matter of time before a stronger nation came and conquered them. He had seen the technology Etresna possessed, the armies of the nations that were only a short sail away, and new that his beloved Cethos would not survive a war with any of them.
His warnings were ignored, and he kept pushing. He kept pushing for their borders to open, for trade to be allowed, for them to become modernized quickly before someone took advantage of their weakness. After being stopped time and time again, stopped by his superiors and his king, Gharn took matters into his own hands. He had amassed a strong following, especially among the peasantry of the islands, and he could seize control. Gharn attempted to assassinate his king and the royal family. The attempt failed, and Gharn barely escaped with a handful of his followers. He vowed to return, and finish what he had started. The Cethosi Civil War had begun.
What would follow was twenty years of vicious naval battles, bloody beach assaults, and the massive ramp up of modernization and defensive fortifications on the islands. Ships and guns became more and more modern as both sides bought from outsiders, islands became entrenched on all sides awaiting the next assault. Gharn got all that he wanted and more. He only had to bring half of the islands under his control to complete his dream. He couldn't afford to let them destroy each other any longer. He needed to end the war quickly, so he reached out to the outside world. Specifically he reached out to Etresna, and made their alliance stronger. In return for Cethos' naval aid and keeping some of the islands they take, Etresna will help him win this civil war. Etresna fleets and military soon deployed in aid of Gharn's rebellion, and their aid proved invaluable in winning Gharn the war.
As Etresnamaden and Cethosi Rebels stormed the palace of the main island, the royal family and their last loyal troops barricaded themselves in the palance. It was a magnificent structure, made of ebony wood, that had been apart of Cethos history for hundreds of years. It was said to have been a gift from the Matra Tu, before they died. Gharn gave them one chance to surrender, to join him. They refused. Gharn set fire to the entire palace with everyone inside. As the Royal family burned alive, the flames of the old ways flooding the skies with black smoke, Gharn was crowned the new Matra Prunak of Cethos.
Ten years have passed since then. Gharn's reconstruction of the military and its fortifications on all the islands, in addition to Cethos acquiring two client states, has left the economy perilously weak. If not for its tight alliance with Etresna, Cethos would have no doubt been stuck with its devastated army and navy. The economy has slowly been built back up, exports previously kept within Cethosi borders being shipped out to other nations. With their navy strong, their army dug in, and their alliances sealed, Cethos stands ready for whatever this new era brings.
Territory Claims: All of the pink islands off the coast of Etresna.
Economy: The Cethosi economy is perilously weak. After the Civil War and the military rebuilding, the economy had no trade beyond Etresna to fall back on. While that was enough to prevent complete economic collapse, Cethos simply doesn't have the funding to increase and improve many things. With the recent discovery of oil on and off their main islands, the outlook is better. As trade opens and things previously kept from the world are sent out, their economic weakness might change. As of now, Cethos is tightly tied to Etresna for economic support.
Technology: While by no stretch of the imagination a leader of the pack in the technology arms race, Cethos has, with the help of their allies Etresna, kept themselves effectively modern.
Army: The Cethosi Army is divided into two divisions. The Islands Defense Force, IDF, is a small and purely defensive branch of the military. Numbering only 120,000 in total, the IDF is spread out across the island holdings of Cethos, entrenched in the fortifications built during the Cethosi Civil War, and repaired to modern specifications in the past ten years. Every island has some form of fortification, the smallest having pitfall trenches, barbed wire, and machine gun bunkers, the largest having coastal artillery emplacements, sea mines (not deployed), barbed wire, pit falls, machine gun nests, etc. The vast majority of active duty soldiers being veterans of the Civil War, the IDF stands ready and able to repel any possible invasion of the islands.
The Second Division of the Cethosi Army is the Islands Army. Numbering 180,000 standing members with another 100,000 on reserve the Islands is the projection force of Cethos. It is the force that will be sent forward alongside the marines to support allies or attack enemies.
Navy: With 600 war ships the Cethosi Navy is one of the largest navies on the seas of Narrev, if not the largest, and Cethos goes to great lengths to maintain their naval supremacy. As such, and due to their heritage and culture with the ocean, the Cethosi naval forces are much larger than that of other nations. The Marine Corps alone contains 980,000 active duty members and another 150,000 on reserve. These active members are spread across the navy ready to form a beachhead for allies, or help defend. The Marine corp is so large in its own right that it is more akin to the army of other nations, though they lack artillery, and as such are trained in land operations as well.
The Cethosi navy, technically, has access to thousands of other ships from centuries of Cethosi naval aspects. The Byuna Vasha are possessed ships with crews from centuries in the past, ranging from simple ramming ships to massive manowars. The vast majority of them are scuttled on the beaches, those with cannons and ranged weapons facing towards the sea for defence, and are more like to temples than actual warships.
The Cethosi Army and Marine Corp weapons designs are based off of Etresna, using the same base design as the make and models from the Etresnamaden military. The standard Cethos rifle, the Matra Wuban ‘Mother’s Wrath’ is based off of the Etremaden ‘Atassidaiir Vyye 1903 - Repeat Firearm Model 1903’. The Cethosi design was built with durability and functionality in mind, capable of operating even after submerged underwater for hours at a time or being used as a makeshift club, at the cost of some range. Every Cethosi soldier or marine comes with a dagger attached to their hip, and their bayonets are longer than traditional bayonets, making their guns looked more like spears than rifles. Melee combat and styles vary from island division to island division, as each culture has its own take and preference on how to fight.
Air Force: With no money to fund this innovative technology, Cethos has no airforce to speak of.
Magic: Cethosi magic is tightly tied to blood, flesh, and the consumption of it. Those two things are major factors amongst the mages of Cethos, as is ancestor reverence and worship. It is not uncommon for a modern day Cethosi mage to discuss things with the spirit of a mage who existed centuries ago, during the times of the Matra Tu. As an organization, the mages of Cethos are only loosely united by their investigation and cultivation of magic. Aligning themselves more according to their tribal lines than their universal similarities, there is no overarching organization to govern them. It is generally accepted, however, that the mages in the service of the crown have the power to shut down any research or development they deem dangerous to the Isles.
Cethosi magic is most well known for its use of the bodies of the dead. In various factories and special buildings across the islands, mages and those that work for them process the blood and flesh of the dead (enemies or volunteers) into vials of blood or packets of meat to be consumed. Upon consuming these, the Cethosi gains the physical attributes of whoever was processed into the vial or the packet. If a Cethosi was to drink the vial of blood, they would experience increased attributes for a few hours (a max of five, but it also depends on physical activity, with the shortest amount of time being an hour). If a Cethosi eats the package of meat they would experience increased attributes for a little longer than a day ( 28 hours max, but it also depends on physical activity, with the shortest amount of time being 20 hours).
Because of this, bodies of certain races are valued highly by Cethosi mages. They’ll pay top dollar for Uruk, minotaur, and elf corpses, and will pay any amount demanded if someone were to somehow get their hands on a semideum corpse.
They can get this process down to only a specific trait, used primarily with animal corpses. For example, an eagle’s blood would only lend the eyesight of an eagle to whoever drinks it, a bear’s blood would only lend the strength of a bear, so on so forth. These vials, while much more powerful, are much shorter lasting. They only last for a max of thirty minutes, depending on the physical activity, with a max of 15 minutes.
The Cethosi have developed a liquid, made from blood of course, that their bullets can be dipped into. When this liquid comes in contact with blood it causes the blood to turn acidic, making anything it touches burn in agony and, eventually, death (time frame depending on how fit and healthy the victim is). If the wound is washed out quickly enough, the effects are cancelled.
Cethos has also figured out how to tie the souls of dead sailors to ships they served on. These Byuna Vasha ‘Blessed Vessels’ have the souls of crewmembers who had been on the ship for years, and sailing in war vessels for decades. While the spirits are incapable of touching or interacting with the living world, they can possess the ship to tell the crew the max they can push it beyond recommended levels, they do not need rest or feel the elements (making them excellent look outs and guides through storms), and can tell the living crew the best way to set up things for the fastest and most accurate firing.
The same process is used to bind the souls of ancestors to buildings, allowing for their wisdom to be accessed for centuries to come. It is particularly popular amongst the cethosi mages.
Cethos has designed submarines made out of the corpses of dead sea leviathans. While these submarines are much more fragile and easily destroyed than normal submarines, they can stay under longer and move faster than their technological counter parts.
Cethos has developed a bone armor that covers the torso and head. Covered in blood runes and flexible, the bone is weaker than steel, but also much lighter. Incapable of blocking bullets at anything except extreme long range, it is more than capable of blocking melee weapon attacks. For that reason, and its lightness, most Cethosi soldiers come equipped with this light armor.
5 - Territory - Your nation is somewhat small, with room for perhaps a city or two and some farmland. (7-2)
13 - Tech - Your nation is decently modern, with an effective grasp of technology. It is by no means a trend setter, but it stays up.
17 - Army Size - The size of your army is formidable, and is maintained year-round. (7+10)
5 - Economy - Your economy is weak, and is teetering on a recession.
12 - Production -Your nation is a mix of agrarian and industrial. (14-3)
20 - Navy Size - Your nation rules the waves. Your merchant fleet is the best out there and your matchless navy seeps with tradition.
1 - Airforce Size - You have no air force.
20 - Mobilization Ability - It takes a week to mobilize.
15- Magic -Impressive, you can put lightning cannons in a lot of places, perhaps you've decided river patrol boats should shoot lightning instead of bullets
Traits
Masters of the Sea- Every Cethosi has been in a boat from the earliest time they can remember. They’ve been swimming since before that. They know the ocean, and all her fickle moods. As such, Cethosi ship crews are the most efficient in the world, getting that extra knot from their ships, firing those couple of seconds faster, etc etc. When in water, regardless of whether its swimming, beaching operations, or any other operation in the ocean, they’re much more at ease and skilled at it than other races.
Cannibals- Cethosi are exo-cannibals, meaning they only eat enemies slain in battle. However, their reputation as cannibals has rapidly distorted out of proportion. Enemies who face them are understandably afraid of this fate, making them more likely to break if they see defeat (and being eaten alive) rising. However, if they have nowhere to run this same fear makes them more likely to fight to the death instead of surrendering. The knowledge of the Cethosi honor code has eased some of these fears, but not many.
Battle Forged- Cethos only recently finished a brutal civil war that soaked the islands in blood. As such, all but the very young and the very old have experience in combat and war. The Cethosi army and navy is filled with experienced and hardened soldiers and sailors, ready from their time in the war. A large amount of the factories that they have are geared towards building weapons of war still. However, this has left their economy perilously weak, and there are still dissenters from the losing side, hidden away.
Naval Traditions- Cethos has always been a nation and a people that emphasizes navy and seagoing traditions over most others. As a result, it is only natural that most of their volunteers are for the navy and marine corp, making those military factions much larger than other nations, more akin to actual armies in their own rights. However, this also means that their army and artillery corps are much smaller than other nations.
Unfettered Ambitions- Cethos is playing catch up with the rest of the world. While they were being isolationist, the rest of the world was making advances in industrial and technological sectors. Now that they have reentered the world they are only kept afloat by their ally’s technological superiority and economic might. To stop that, any and all money Cethos can spare is going to creating a thriving and modern industry in within the nation’s borders, at the cost of other sectors.
Client States
Population: 27 million
Army size: 80,000
Navy: N/A
Overview: A mess of snarling tribes and contentious members, Hyan has always been a divided nation. Until Cethos arrived and forcibly united them, and continues serving as a peacekeeper and settler of disputes, the tribes had separated themselves into various city states. Once Cethos arrived, the tribes acquiesced to the greater Cethosi strength one by one, until Cethos had all of their loyalty. They were allowed to keep their autonomy, but with Cethos keeping a watchful eye on them.
Trait: War Dogs- The Hyan’s culture is based heavily around war and combat. It is built into almost every facet of their lives, and they are very prepared for and experienced in it. However, they are also extremely eager to fight in it and die in it. This leads to recklessness, such as charging heedlessly straight into the teeth of entrenched forces and artillery, giving away positions in a night attack, so on so forth. It also leads to officers being unable to control them, leading to acts of unnecessary savagery and cruelty.
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces 3 - Political Stability - This nation is doing alright. 6 - Nationalism - This nation is ashamed of its culture and is completely subservient to your nation.
Population: 10 million
Army: 50,000
Navy: N/A
Overview: Natives to Shrask, the Slaugs are a largely isolationist nation. They would much prefer to be left alone, even from each other, minding their own business. Alas, the ways of the world prevented that, and when Cethos arrived offering their navy in return for Shrask's allegiance, they couldn't refuse. Still, Cethos maintains a very hands off policy towards them, not wanting to anger them.
Trait: Good Things Take Time- The Slaugs are a very patient race. They move slowly in everything. Building, moving, going to war, firing weapons, the Slaugs are slow and precise. When they do get to completing what they’re doing it is usually with masterful purpose. Their creations are superbly built and beautiful to look at. They move into a purposeful location. They strike at a key area in a war. Their weapons hit hard and powerfully. The Slaugs move slowly, but never without cause or impact.
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces 5 - Political Stability - This nation is peaceful and stable. 3 - Nationalism - This nation is somewhat nationalist, and is fiercely independent.
Other:
Alliances
-Etresna
-Nahs'rahk
I may elaborate upon the numbers and some details, but its done.
When Maeve awoke, she was angry. No, extremely pissed off would be a better way to describe it. They had only managed to put her in the fish tank because she was nearly unconscious from using the Overdrive. She hadn't strangled Angel for getting them into this mess, for getting them kicked out the Ourosboros and then getting them one good investigation from being at the top of every alchemist in the world's 'Kill as soon as possible' list, because she couldn't get the energy to do so, and then they threw her into that stupid godsdamned fish tank. As she stumbled out, landing in a crouch. "Stupid. Fucking. Tanks. Stupid fucking Ante Mortem, always fucking up the mission with their stupid fucking plans and 'oooh I'm bored'. Had to outrun a godsdamned tsunami in Brazil, had to run away from a fucking earthquake in Michigan, had to run from a shitty explosion in Siberia, every fucking time they get involved it goes to shit." She hissed, clenching her fists as she stood upright. She hated the feeling they left her. The weakness, the fuzziness, the borderline helplessness. All things she wanted to leave far, far behind her and to never look back at.
Picking herself up, she made her way over to her clothes, rolling her eyes at Samad's words. "Keep up the goodwork buddy, I'm sure that if you keep hating your partner and lifeline in this world for simply existing, it'll fix all your problems you have. Cause that's how it worked last time, right?"
She leaned against the wall, glaring at Angel as he summed up their situation. "No, actually. No ice cream. Lets start with answers, instead. Like, why the fuck did you murder the Ourosboros management? Why the fuck was that Chimera going for specifically you? And what the fuck is the plan for making sure we don't get put at the top of everyone's 'too murder' list?"
Kiara's peaceful oblivion was disrupted by the fish tank opening. Ah well. Another time. She landed on her feet, rising slowly from her stumbling. She was used to this by now, having been in more than her fair share of highly damaging, but ultimately successful, operations by AMRO. Far to many, at this point. She could feel Maeve's wrath over their links, smoldering like a fire ready to ignite into a raging inferno. She herself was just wearily accepting. The Ante Mortem were always an unpredictable force of chaos and destruction. Having them on their side was as dangerous as holding a cobra by the tail. Very dangerous to whomever they were wielded against, but also incredibly dangerous to whomever they were wielded with as well. She had come to expect every mission to go sideways whenever they were involved. Hopefully without too much damage too themselves and their allies.
She only sighed as Maeve snapped at Samad for treating his partner like he always did. There was nothing to be done on that front. They were either going to come together, or they were going to die. Kiara would just stay away from it if they fell apart and died. She got dressed, calmly, accepting the new situation the Ante Mortem had thrust them in. She merely sighed again at Maeve's angry questions. Angel wouldn't give them a straight answer, and Reri wasn't going to even bother answering at all. All they could do was go along with whatever half cooked idea they came up with.
Serena raised an eyebrow at Ryria's glare and subsequent icy bluntness. Great. Another abrasive personality with an arrogance complex. Just when she thought she had already met her fill of them in the galaxy. "Oh, you're right. I forgot that Asari have eyes in the back of their heads and that they can focus those eyes to detect the slightest dust rising of a predator whose every fiber is designed to be stealthy while she focuses on a fire fight right in front her while trying to support her allies in the middle of said fire fight. My bad." Sarcasm dripped off of every word, a fire to push back the ice.
"History is littered with the bodies of people who didn't take precautions because they 'were able to handle themselves'. The drone will stay if things get hot. As for the other two, I can only help them when things do get dangerous."
She merely chuckled at Hazan's irritation. He'd get over it. "Don't worry Haze. We'll let you lead to the rendezvous with them. It'll be-" She suddenly cut off as an SoS popped off onto her omni-tool. It was generic, but legitimate. It certainly wasn't the scientists. They're SoS would have been specific and tailored to them. So who sent it?
Serena widened her signal to catch any replies or repeats. When she caught the reply, it made her blood chill. It was close to the original initiative. Just close enough to make any civilians or anyone desperate accept it and make themselves vulnerable. Vulnerable to be taken, or killed even. She was just about to make a message to Tazen when the EMP went off. She cursed as her shields fizzled and Del hit the ground with a thump. She was luck Sarah was so high up. The little bot would have been destroyed by the fall if the EMP had hit her. Chaos erupted as Tazen and Dex took out a squad of Kett, and Fireteam 1 attacked. She moved quickly over and picked up Del, rebooting the drone as she went.
She snorted as Dex's voice echoed over the comm. "Next time give me a warning, yeah? Nearly broke Del. Haze take up lead. You're the best at finding a path so we won't get shot." She released Del as the robot reset itself, flying into the air with a solid beep. "Del, Tres Amigos" The drone beeped again, splitting into three. "One of you stay behind Ryria and watch her six for wraith's and other enemies. The other two float around Haze and I, help us keep clear." The drones beeped, and took their respective places. Serena followed Haze as he led the way to the rendezvous with Tazen and Dex Valkyrie raised and ready.
"The college won't tolerate anyone souring relations with Eania because they couldn't swallow their pride long enough to be polite whenever a noble happened to speak to them. Which is doubtlessly the only reason a noble would want to fight you, since we're novelties at best. Mages from the famous College of magic. A curiosity to be satisfied. Nothing worth even playing politics with, much less challenging to a fight without being provoked. So, my oily troublemaker, I'd suggest that if a noble talks to you, you smile and nod. Because if you get thrown in jail for provoking one of the nobles you so despise, I doubt the College will bother trying to save you. Besides, for the vast majority of this festival we're just going to be 'among the commonfolk'. You should be totally at ease. Not to much though, of course. Representatives of the college, and all that. You're going to be watched very carefully.
Althalus spoke from across the carriage, leaned backwards against the wall. His eyes had been closed most of the ride, catching up on rest for the festival to come. He was dressed in rough, homespun clothes of simple tans and whites. For all the world, he looked like another Eanian farmer or laborer, coming to the festival for a good time. Of course, he still had his knives hidden carefully on his body. He wasn't foolish enough to trust a festival like this to go smoothly. He stretched, sitting up, and turned his attention to Lyn."Shimmerstone. The Light of Eania. I've been here a few times on business. Its nicer than most cities, the people are kinder. I suspect it has to do with the over-saturation of Billant temples in the city, promoting good will and kindness to all but a select few. The best time to be in the city is now, however. Dancers, acrobats, storytellers, merchants, tricks with all kinds of weapons, reduced prices at taverns and inns, and general good cheer all around. Once we get past telling them how honored we are to be invited to this honorable city by its honorable leader on this most honored of days, we'll have a great time. Who knows? Maybe there'll be some Herbamancers you can talk to. I hear that those in Shimmerstone are second only to the elves beyond the mountains." He smiled and winked at his daughter, settling back against the wall.
Aramir
"Of course!" Aramir exclaimed, peering out the window like a small child. She was ecstatic. This was her first time being to anything close to a festival, and it showed. She kept to her normal clothes, the only thing being different is that she didn't have her bow on her. Why should she? They were in the seat of Eania's power. Anything that could successfully attack here was much stronger than she could damage with her bow. And besides, she still had her magic. "Can't you hear it all? The bustling crowd, the laughter, the sizzling food. This is gonna be great. Well, after we go and talk to the people that invited us here. That's the important part, obviously. But the fun part will be after we get out of there and get to go to this festival. I don't even know what all goes on in it and I intend to find out thoroughly!"
She glanced over at Helena and then nudged her shoulder lightly. "You could probably even make a few coins selling your drawings. I'm sure they're are plenty of people who'd want to buy some."
I know it has been a long time since I last gave you an update. Been nothing really to update since the Borealis crew all split up you know? Hopping from job to job, fixing mechanics. I'd given up on looking for Vellios and was just kinda coasting, tail spinning would be a better way to describe it, aimlessly. Then I heard about the Andromeda Initative, and suddenly had another goal. This galaxy is harsh and polluted with hatred (and doomed to die if you believe commander Shepard and all those other 'Reaper' advocates). We've screwed up our chances here. But Andromeda, Andromeda is hundreds of years away. A new chance. A new beginning. You'd probably call me an idiot for going with it, Tonka already has. But hey, you know me. Ever naive, ever dreaming. Anyways, there was a point to this message, other than an update on how and what I'm doing. Since I'm going to be going a galaxy away, I just wanted to say goodbye. One last time. I'll never forget you, and all that you did for me. I'll rebuild that robot of yours (really sorry about getting him torn apart again. Who knew Vorcha could be so angry?) and commemorate you in Andromeda.
Goodbye, old friend.
Requiescat in pace,
Serena
Sent an hour before departure.
You fucking coward. You're a piece of shit, you know that? The motherfucking space jellyfishes have spine than you do. How fucking dare you. I can forgive you for running away with only a pathetic piece of shit of a letter as an apology. I can forgive you for hiding from me for fucking years and not even giving me one single shitty little update. I can forgive making me think you had died, because I thought surely, fucking surely, you wouldn't just disconnect from me completely if you were alive. You would have at least sent one little damn message to let me know you were alive, and why you couldn't contact me.
How fucking wrong I was!
I can forgive all of that Vellios. I really can. What I can't forgive, you son of a bitch, is suddenly showing up at the Andromeda convention, letting me see you, and then running away and hiding from me. I can't forgive you for being that much of a chickenshit. What are you afraid of Vellios? That I was gonna kick the shit out of you? Cause I was, and I am. You knew that. That I would suddenly see you as any less than I already have? Give me a fucking break. I've seen you at your worse. You're still high in my opinion. But you're absolute bastard. You're a fucking coward, and I never really thought of you as one until now.
I wasn't going to send this last night. I figured I was having a knee jerk reaction, and it wouldn't help to send you such an angry message. But you know what? Fuck that and fuck you.
Don't fucking die in Andromeda. I'm going to find you and kick the ever living shit out of you. Then I'm dragging your ass back to meet the rest of the crew who came along, so they can kick the shit out of you.
Frankie said nothing as he took the shovel from Shepard's hands and helped the man dig the grave of his son. There was nothing to be said that the man didn't already know, or doubtlessly cared little about. So, the massive super mutant merely took the shovel, looking much smaller in his hands, and started digging where the caravan driver started. He didn't know how far the man wanted to dig a grave or how long they had to dig, but he moved as quickly as he could. The boy deserved a proper burial at the very least. If they couldn't avenge his death they could at least ensure that he remained at rest for eternity, with no grave robbers or scavengers picking at his bones. Frankie slowed as he noticed the old man slowing down, his energy and will presumably running out. The super mutant's interest piqued as Shepard's shovel hit metal. It practically skyrocketed as the chest was revealed to be from Vault 76. The Silverfish! A chance to learn more about them, perhaps before they even became what they are today! He barely registered what Franz was saying, but nodded in agreement. This was too good of an opportunity to waste, even if they were motivated by two entirely different reasons for wanting to open the chest.
"I agree with Franz. We can't let an opportunity like this go past. Think of what we could learn from this if it possesses the right things inside! I'll open it a distance away from the caravan. If it is trapped, poisoned, cursed, or whatever form of unpleasantness you can think of, I am the most likely to weather whatever storm it can release. I'll carry the contents with me at the back of the caravan. That way, if anything comes looking for whatever is inside, I'll be the ones they come to." The super mutant was visibly excited, talking quickly and hurriedly, eyes glued to the chest. "Worry not, merchant. If you wish to sell any of the contents to whoever happens to walk past, I can serve as a mobile store front." Frankie nodded in what he hoped was a respectful manner to Shepard, putting the shovel to the side of the grave.
Reaching into the grave, Frankie grasped the chest and pulled it out, excitedly staring it over. He looked back over at Shepard, some of the excitement fading as he seemed to remember why they were here. "If you wish the grave to be deeper to deter robbers and scavengers as well, I have more than enough strength and energy to do so. Just give the word."
Frankie didn't react to Soldier's animosity. The man wasn't the first to want to kill him, and the super mutant doubted that he would be the last. Frankie himself mostly kept his distance from the group, talking to himself or into his recorder as he looked around him. He seemed particularly interested in the Brahmin, occasionally wandering close to the creatures to examine them, offer food, or idly pet them. It looked like he found the creatures cute. He'd ask Isaac or his father about the creatures periodically, regardless of what replied he would get the previous times, and then return to his comfortable distance from the rest of the group. Occasionally, the super mutant would wander off to the side of the road, excitedly talking to his recorder about something he had seen, and then hurriedly catch up with the caravan after satisfying his curiosity.
Of the rest of the caravan, Frankie found Rocket most endearing. The girl, at the very least, wasn't scared of him. She flitted around like a giant mosquito, quickly going from one person to the next with an almost infectious energy. It was almost enough to make Frankie smile. The rest of the group was less forthcoming. They hadn't really introduced themselves yet, and seemed to keep to themselves. He noticed somethings about various members, however, that caught his attention and caused him to stare.
Soldier, for example, seemed to be completely numb and deaf on his right side. He kept Frankie on his left at all times, and didn't react to things on his right as he would on his left. The blonde woman was definitely addicted to Jet. Hyperactive, seemed to think everything was too slow, occasional itching. Frankie wondered if they'd have to break her of the addiction cold turkey during the course of the journey or not. The man with the gas mask was blind in the left eye, as he kept most things on his right side and didn't react to movement on that side like he did the other. The tall, quiet, man with brown hair was off-putting. Frankie couldn't figure out exactly what but there was something...inhuman about him. The loud woman with the abrasive attitude, a former raider he had heard her called, had a nicotine addiction. Raspy voice, marred teeth, smokes always close at hand.
Fortunately, something else would always catch his attention before he stared to long, and he'd be back on his mutterings, examining something else.
As night fell, Frankie kept his armor on and a short distance from the fire. He didn't need the warmth or a bedroll to survive. His tough exterior protected him far better than anything the others could offer. Putting his puzzle ball up, he rolled on his side to sleep, wondering if Soldier would take the opportunity to crush his skull while he slept.
His question was answered as he awoke to screaming and death, none of it his own.
The super mutant moved as quickly as he could, staring at the corpse and the father, before moving his attention to the head as it fell from the trees and the devastation. He would help bury the boy and help the father grieve later, right now, Rocket and Soldier needed help. Picking up the aforementioned decapitated head, heedless of the blood, he examined it closely. Puncture wounds at the top of the head, messy cut. Not human then. Not Silverfish either. To much damage, not enough traps.
He looked over at Sylvia, and those joining her, briefly speaking.
"I will stay behind and help bury the boy. My size will only be a detriment in there. Be wary. Whatever killed him has claws, and it wasn't a silverfish. Something large did this. Find Soldier, you'll need his fighting skills, and Rocket as we don't want to explode."
Serena found the exercise exasperating and educational. Exasperating because Kargard did exactly what she told him not to and expected him to do, and charged forward like..well, like a krogan, and educational because she now knew she'd have to update Del's evasion protocols. He shouldn't have been almost entirely taken down by one sniper, biotics or no. It was fortunate that the exercise had ended when it did, otherwise the attacking team would have lost. With two members down and the defensive team already well set up, it wouldn't have been pretty. Unfortunately, the exercise ended because researchers were under attack and desperately needed help.
She had switched out her weapons in seconds, and Del had dumped all of his nonlethal rounds immediately. She had gone over all of her equipment while Sabinius had given them the briefing, reassuring herself. It was fairly standard. The Kett were testing their newfound strength, and they needed to prove that they weren't going to give in easily this time. This time would be different. This time, they were settled in, the planet was hospitable to them too, and they were prepared to retaliate.
Her helmet was securely on her head and she was sitting, hands clasped together, quietly praying in latin as they drew ever closer to the site. She prayed for their protection, the protection of the scientists, the souls of the scientists already lost, and the souls of the Kett about to be killed. She didn't know if they knew what they were doing, if they regretted it, or if they enjoyed what they were doing. She did know that they deserved her prayers as much as they deserved their deaths.
As they landed she felt the usual fear rising up within her, the choking panic and terror at what was going to come next. She took a deep breath, calming herself. She had done this before, and she will do it again. Another deep breath as she disembarked from the shuttle, hands briefly clenching on her valkyrie, and she was okay. She could still feel it, swirling beneath the surface, but she had it under control. It wouldn't weaken her this mission.
She nodded as Tazen explained the plan. "Sarah will go up, cloaked, to give us an overview. She'll be able to tag targets so you guys can move around them appropriately." The small drone flashed its acknowledgement once, cloaked, and then flew up into the sky. Once it was an appropriate height to see everything, Sarah stopped and started tagging targets to appear on the extraction team's HUD. The small drone was practically invisible against the sky, a tiny warp only noticeable if you looked straight up and straight at it. Settling in across from Ryria, Serena spoke quietly into the Asari's personal comms. "If things go south and we have to start supporting directly, I'll have to move up. All of my things don't have enough range. I'll leave one of Del behind to cover your six, and alert you if a Wraith slips behind you. Sound good?"
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Auz
Spoopy Scary
AlteredTundra
Lord Zee
