Vicarious

[Zerstorendar]

The facility was being reduced to rubble as Airavunian PDF forces brought heavier guns and support to the fight, reinforcements constantly being added to the now sizeable force assault the grossly outnumbered Ravagers. The Zanekrieger troops were falling back further into the facility, the outer walls having been annihilated, and there were several dead Ravagers scattered around the field as a testament to the potency of the PDF’s weaponry. Still, the local military had not been able to storm the building yet. All attempts to do so to this point had met with failure, as the power-armoured soldiers were no match for the Ravagers in close range combat. The enemy dead became more numerous the closer they were to the facility. The PDF had learned their lesson, and were hanging back while they waited for weapons that even the Ravagers and their commanding Endlich would be powerless against.

The Endlich himself was not sweating, his suit keeping him as comfortable as possible and maintaining his bodily functions perfectly despite the impacts it had suffered. Despite the lack of any physiological stress indicators, however, the Endlich was certainly displeased with the situation. The armoured Ravagers were having to fall back as the facility was slowly ground to dust and cover that would keep their frames hidden became more sparse. His troops were fighting furiously, for the most part ignoring or avoiding hits from enemy weaponry. Their combat AI’s were telling them that the best they could do in their current situation was to spread out and buy time for Lich Fettel and his comrades.

The Endlich heard the artillery shell before he saw it, but the AI fed the information to him much faster. A blur of speed, he leaped to a safer position as a shell that could have obliterated him destroyed the section of all he was sheltering behind. Clambering up a floor, the Endlich punched a hole in the steel wall to create a makeshift firing slit. As combat information was constantly being fed to him he was constantly up to date on every aspect of his soldier’s well being, and he could see that another Ravager had been killed. Only catastrophic damage would bypass the armour, physical resilience and medical systems of the Ravagers, but so far six Ravagers were dead and the majority of them wounded. Normally each Ravager would be teleported to a medical facility once they were irreparably injured, but there was no medical support on this mission: death would be permanent.

As he fired at the PDF forces the Endlich screamed an incoherent battle cry that came out of his suit as a tinny, deep roar. Most of his troops made similar sounds, and he hoped the enemy could hear it. The battlecry of Zerstorendarian Ravagers would (hopefully) haunt the dreams of the survivors for the rest of their lives. The sound of further incoming artillery interrupted his reverie.

A well-aimed artillery barrage successfully bracketed one of his men, and despite the soldier’s speed and resilience, as well as the reaction time afforded by his AI, part of the barrage caught him and one of his arms was obliterated. Yelling and bleeding profusely, the Ravager fell and waited several seconds for his armour to stabilize him before rejoining the fight. The Corporal growled. He hated those PDF fuckers so much…

He decided it was time for a brief pep-talk:

“Keep killing those fucks! Don’t even think about letting the Lich down! If they come any closer, slice ‘em to bits!� –he activated one of his arm-mounted energy blades for effect, though only a few Ravagers could see it- “and stop fucking dying!�. He then stuck his arm out of the hole he had made and continued firing. As tempting as it was to leap out of cover and bound screaming into the enemy lines to hack them apart with his energy blades, it just wouldn’t be professional.

A huge explosion and the collapse of a large section of the facility severely interrupted the concentration of the Ravager, and every fighting man on both sides. The shockwave of whatever went off was massive, throwing tonnes of debris into the air and turning the battlefield into a whirlwind of dust and radioactive winds. A tactical nuclear device? Who in Tereza’s name set that off!?

The Endlich grinned as he realized the enemy artillery had stopped firing for a few moments. Brilliant.

[center]++++[/center]

Fettel was in pain. Sitting against a wall in his bulky Powersuit, he waited for his suit’s medical systems to knit his broken bones. He shifted, and grimaced as one of his ribs cracked. The AI told him to stay still for another minute before he could safely move. Ah well, at least the bleeding had stopped quickly.

Syukata had done her time trick again (the little witch), assisting Fettel and the other two Spectres in escaping the blast zone. A massive hunk of the upper floor had crashed through the roof and Fettel had narrowly avoided it, only for his AI to alert him of an incoming artillery shell, which he also avoided. Unfortunately, the shell was a heavy concussion shell and even his Thwarter powersuit could not protect him completely. Blasted through a pile of rubble and at least one wall, Fettel had broken a few bones but nothing serious. While he was waiting, he checked on the status of his Ravagers:

“Situation, Endlich?�

“Frustrating, sir. We have several men down and the enemy fire is intensifying. Estimate we can only hold for another half hour.�

“Good.�

Tereza-damned PDF, they were making things far more difficult. Fettel leaped to his feet against the advice of his AI, and started smashing his way through the rubble separating him from the rest of his companions. Before long he found himself in a small equipment room deeper inside the facility where Syukata was sitting on a high bench, her short legs swinging in the air. The two Spectres were standing immobile, no doubt thoroughly assessing the situation. They did not react as Fettel entered, but Syukata smiled. Fettel fancied the eyes on his combat visor flashed at her cheery attitude. The Ravager found that his desire to step on her head had lessened of late, but she still aggravated him considerably. The nuke HAD been a reasonable idea, Indrick being as hard to put down as he was. The gouges and slashes in Fettel’s armour were evidence of Indrick’s fighting skill, which was even more considerable than had been expected.

It was, quite frankly, questionable of the Blitzmordlich to send Indrick into a situation where he would almost certainly turn rogue, and then expect him to be easily dealt with by Fettel and the two Spectres. While it seemed Indrick was now dead (Fettel could no longer detect his presence and nothing could survive a nuke at that range anyway), Fettel swore he would be having words with the Blitzmordlich afterward. His men were still dying, and Indrick had proven a massive hinderance that did not seem necessary.

A conspiracy theory had not occurred to Fettel yet, he just wanted to get on with killing the Cult AI and any surviving leaders. The Spectres, on the other hand, were processing numerous conspiracy theories operating on the information they had.

Which is why they were wrong.

Not long after entering the room, Fettel got tired of waiting. The battle was still raging:

“Let’s go, we didn’t finish off that fucking AI.� With that, Fettel began lumbering at a considerable pace toward their destination: the control centre they had been pulled away from when Indrick had gone rogue, may worms writhe in his dust.

Arriving at the door once more, Syukata jumped high in the air and poked the armoured Ravager in the head, Fettel allowing her access to his mind. The Ravager looked down at her, the ocular lenses of his armour glinting balefully. She had given him a quick message, along the lines of:
“Just a friendly tip, I’m not the only Xenonian in this facility, and you’re not the only one after this AI.� Fettel gritted his teeth in annoyance.

“Who the fuck cares, we don’t need your kind.�

Entering the command centre, two dead guards (neither with any visible wounds on their bodies) told Fettel that these Xenonians had probably beat them to the AI. Whatever, as long the AI died. The Spectres were wary and hung back as Fettel walked forward and crushed the finely-crafted tiles underfoot. Intentionally, of course. Traitors didn’t deserve such finery. Activating his energy blades and letting their almost unperceivable hum soothe him, Fettel wandered into the final sanctum of the Cult of Clare. It was endgame.

The sound of battle further into the sanctum roused Fettel from his focused calm. A look shared between himself and Syukata told him that her CS compatriots were inside. With Indrick out of the way, the Cult of Clare was finished. Fettel assumed the AI had already been dealt with, or was at least, preoccupied, and as such the Cult no longer possessed any assets capable of threatening himself or his companions. They would finish this, they would link up with his Ravagers, and they would get out of here. It wouldn’t be impossible, the Endlich was ensuring that enemy attention was focused away from potential lines of escape.

The group moved very quickly toward the source of the disturbance, and Fettel could not help but wonder what could keep the CS agents occupied for this amount of time. Perhaps there was still some fight-

“Sir, I have made visual contact with the rogue Spectre. He is badly wounded, I am moving to engage now.�
Even with the increased mindpower of his integrated AI, Fettel took a moment to process the Endlich’s words before replying:

“The rogue Spectre has been nullified, Ravager. Hold your position.�

“Negative sir, he has been identified. I repeat, he has been severely injured. Permission to seek and destroy, Lich?�

“…Negative. He would still be dangerous.�

“Very well sir. While he is no longer showing up on sensors, I believe he is headed to your position.�

“Affirmative.� Fettel nearly screamed in frustration. Indrick would be able to heal almost any non-fatal wound in mere minutes, and he would not dare re-engage the loyal Zerstorendarians again unless he was fully operational. They could not afford for Indrick to hold them up any longer, it was time to link up with the CS agents.

The comlink crackled as the Endlich spoke once more, his voice laden with restrained anger:

“The rogue Spectre has killed a Ravager, I am pulling troops out from his path but it will compromise the Northern escape route. It is confirmed that he is heading your way.�

Fuck.

[Xenonier]

In the little time that had passed between the momentary cessation of airbusting artillery and the next barrage, things had been rather amped up. While the Rendari continued to be concerned with concerns on the ground, Kata had concentrated her attentions to the sky as yet more ordnance fell. Her eyes tracked dozens of incoming targets studying the trajectories and determining the placement of every single PDF asset should could from the available data. Her vision allowed her to identify every shell she was able to in three hundred and sixty degrees around her and, as the data mounted it presented enough of a confirmation to make her smile. The entire pocket of resistance was slowly being sealed, overwhelming firepower brought to bear in order to prevent them from escaping. Due to the efforts of the Rendari so far however, the fire patterns and artillery was focused far more on suppressing movement and crushing them utterly where they stood, as opposed to stopping any plans of escape.. Turning towards Fettel and choosing to ignore the conversation he was evidently involved in (even as her eyes shone), she gestured towards the direction of the most strenuous incoming firepower before exclaiming just once.

"How Typical ....". She knew he would grasp the implication, as any good Soldier would.

"They're trying to clean up their mess, destroy the evidence, a real smash and grab situation. This offends me, for it is a most grievous waste of ammunition by their political body. Yes, their political body is involved and no, I am not surprised in the slightest. There are more things in heaven and earth, Fettel ,Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Pausing for both breath and to calculate, Kata confirmed the unmistakably familiar presence of a certain Rendari Spectre was returning. Taking a moment to think of various puns of 'zombie' can attach to the word Indrick, she noted another Rendari body on the killcount the moment their vital signs faded from her sensors. He was incapable of surviving extended combat against their group without splitting the components up, yet she was still uncertain as to Indrick's goal. There was always the possibility, however infinitesimally small that Indrick's plans would either make his current body meaningless, or that his death was either assured, or necessary. Sure, there was the strong inference he wanted to stay alive and intended to continue this way, but there was also nowhere near enough evidence to pinpoint any cohesive plan. Then, there was Fettel.

Just an inkling of understand of the man's thought processes suggested to Kata that Indrick was going to get a Fistful of Fettel, whether he wanted it or not. At the end of his conversation, Kata was absolutely certain that a certain feeling of rage was starting to come over his character. Allready he had chosen to collapse a wall with a backhand before muttering a string of what seemed to be curses and now, he was staring ominously at her (Helmet or no helmet, his very body language was ominous). It was fast becoming a personal thing between the two of them, an event Kata found far too fascinating to be happy with herself, should she allow either of them to go and get themselves killed.

[Zerstorendar]

Fettel wiggled his armoured fingers to get the remnants of the wall he had just punched off of them. Indrick, that traitorous fucker, was still alive, and was killing his men. Fettel was perceptive enough to know the ex-Spectre was targeting him specifically, trying to get him to abandon the mission once more and come after him. Whether or not Indrick was working to protect the Cult somehow or acting on his own impenetrable logic didn’t bother the Ravager, only the fact of it.

That Tereza-damned bastard was killing his men, and he couldn’t let it continue. The Lich in him demanded he do whatever he could to help his men, and the pragmatist (partly the AI) in him keep telling him that he needed a certain percentage of his Ravagers intact for the possibility of escape to remain open. If Indrick kept killing them, they would not be leaving alive. It was him or them.

The choice was easy. He started down at the diminutive form of Syukata for several seconds while he considered his words to the Spectres:

Fettel opened the comlink reserved for communication with the remaining two Spectres (Indrick was now severed from this network):

“Both of you, stay on primary. I’m going to go handle the traitor.�

“Negative.� the Spectres said in unison. Fettel felt his anger threatening to overwhelm him, and shut down the comlink to yell at them throughhis armour’s external voice unit. His voice was thunderous, made even more so by the low, mechanical echo of the Powersuit itself:

“Do as I fucking say!�

“Negative. Your well-being is integral to the mission’s stability.�

“My we-..? Who fucking cares!? I’ll be FUCKED if he kills any more of my Ravagers!�

With that, Fettel grabbed a surprised-looking Syukata with one massive gauntlet wrapped around her head, and sat her on his shoulder:

“Hold the fuck on, you’re coming with me.�

The Spectres made one more attempt to make Fettel see reason:

"We want Indrick alive."

"Don't care."

That was that, then. Pivoting with agility that anybody not familiar with the Mark I Thwarter Powered Suit would be surprised by, Fettel put his head down and charged through a damaged section of wall to his left. He then fired his arm-mounted Suppressors through the floor and slammed his feet down with incredible force, taking a massive section of the ground with him as he fell fifteen feet to the lower floor with Syukata holding onto his shoulder for dear life.

Fettel was on the hunt.

The two Spectres far more nimbly moved to follow, but they detected a new presence only moments before seeing her. She poked her head through a section of wall that had been ruined by artillery. It was apparent she wanted something, and the Spectres made the assumption that what she required would directly impact the mission. They could catch up to Fettel quickly, so they made the decision to take any possible opportunity to retain some control over the fluid situation: they approach her as she climbed through the wall, pretending not to notice them.

An athletic, blonde woman in a black suit, she carried the same guitar Fettel’s smaller companion had been holding when she first encountered the group. Despite not having the same first person information of Xenonian capabilities Fettel did, the Spectres were for their part far better at putting two and two together. Another trick from Syukata’s proverbial bag was stored away in the limitless mental libraries of the Spectres.

"What do you want." demanded Operative Two.

The girl's head jerked up as she brushed dust off her suit, and she smiled widely:

"Sup!" As she straightened, it was apparent she was wearing a lapel pin engraved with the image of a roaring lion and the words "YOU'RE HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE!". Definitely Syukata, then.

Her expression became somewhat more serious:

"I have a proposition".

++++

Fettel and the smaller Syukata would have to handle Indrick alone, for now.

The Ravager couldn’t care less: he could feel Indrick getting closer and until he could unleash the fucking fury, charging headfirst through reinforced steel walls was the only thing keeping him reasonably calm.

[Xenonier]

Holding onto Fettel's armoured form was proving a surprisingly exciting experience for Kata, all things considered. As it stood now, the hulking Ravager had effectively declared total war on anything which happened to be between his assortment of stabbing devices and the target. Any sort of distraction or detour found itself completely ignored in favour of applying kinetic energy to walls as a means of them fall over, carving an entirely new series of passages through the facility. Despite the ferocity of his movement, she was able to get enough of a purchase to swing herself around so that her eyes 'looked' at the trail of devastating a certain power-suit clad raging superbeing was carving. Reaching into her clothes, she took the time to reach for and fiddle with a pair of fairly mudane looking sunglasses, packing red-tinted lenses. Taking a moment to ensure that the straps actually held the accessories to her face, Kata simply threw herself backward, leaving herself hanging in midair. She threw a sentence or two at Fettel to announce her intentions with a combination of sarcasm, cutesy smiling and a wink.

�Going to say hello to your little robotic friend, I think. I’m sure you won’t mind, you are pointing in the right direction.�

While there was no guarantee the resultant conversation would be useful, or even enjoyable, Kata felt obliged to go ahead and attempt some sort of conduct. At the very least, she’d be able to take notes on how Rendari AI’s functioned, as well as their choice of avatar on the communications plane.

Of course, she intended to stop hanging off his armour first.

___

The Departure of the Spectres for whatever reason was also undeniably convenient to the Xenonian scope of plans. Neuralinks being as they are, Christoph was immediately aware of the Spectre’s departure. There was no denying given the limited that they would have brought about a swift resolution to the problem of Indrick, yet certain their leaving made things significantly less complicated diplomatically. The events to come weren’t going to play along entirely to the regime the Mannlich Imperium of Zerstorendar would expect after all.

If one had continued to pay attention to the mass of slag that seemingly compromised the remains of the Sanctum walls containing a certain AI, they would have noticed a significant spike in energy readings. While there was no doubt that the systems that had housed the AI were annihilated, something certainly seemed to be demanding a whole lot of power, which was starting to register on the sensors of the PDF outside. That elements of the power-generation facilities of the complex itself still evidently remained was not surprising as a lone variable, the concern lied in the knowledge that something seemed to be actively using it. To members of the Airavuni Government who watched on with both trepidation and fear at the events unfolding, this information was puzzling enough. Power generation of this scale to the best of their knowledge had been confined entirely to either planet-wide shielding or interdiction systems and certainly never at the hands of private interests.

With every second the presence of the event the media was calling “the kalandrite incident�™ grew a stronger pull of the Airavuni public’s concern. Fear over threats from a certain imperialist state had already left the populace uneasy, feelings which were were imparted to the watching politicians. While the majority of the Military and their political masters were still committed to sealing the whole problem under a viel of firepower a chorus of particular voices began to grow for the PDF to take a far more offensive stance. Despite their earlier casualties, far more specialised urban warfare units were arrived, as well as superheavy tanks and suppression artillery and certain senators were demanding that all available forces in the region be pulled into action, on top of the immediate mobilisation of the Planet’s entire armed forces.

Fully aware of both these developments and the change of direction from the Spectres, Christoph stood above it all, observing the details. Kata however, wasn’t letting this be his only consideration, engaging him with her trademark barrage of snippets along the way. As he responded to these, combining mollifying small-talk and mild sarcasm in turn, a physical voice interrupted the reverie.

“Where’s Kata? You … you are the one they sent.�. Upon receiving no reply the speaker (Female) continued, her voice beginning to waver this time.

“These are your bodies, aren’t they? I don’t know how I can be aware of such things … but … I can just tell.�

Brown-haired, slight of build and rather fragile now, all things considered. Aimee Tsukasa, the last of Morgon’s family was for now, alive. The other two suited extensions of the agent stood at either side, the slightest disruption of their clothes giving the only clue as to the battles they had fought to bring her this face. A small amount of blood was smeared across Aimee’s attractive face, but there was no other sign of trouble. Already, both were turning to leave as Christoph motioned towards a particular destination with his hand, knowing she would follow.

“Time for you to come of age, along with your people. A strengthened leadership is something they have lacked for far too long.�. At this comment however, she drew along enough spirit to counter his words.

"That assumes I choose to provide that leadership. I am intelligent, educated ... A woman now. I can refuse... "

Her words began to trail away into a process of mouthing the letters as Christoph simply watched. Her face was almost expectant, seeking either clarification or a challenge. She was given neither.

"You expected me to tell you I know you well enough to say with certainty that you would never turn away from the work your Father started? I don't intend to. Xenonians aren't quite as absolute as you're taking us to be. There's always some sort of doubt to undermine a certain deal, Madam. That doubt makes life interesting"

At this stage, she appeared entirely confused, perhaps even flustered at the verbal battle they were continuing. "By that same logic ... your own statement that there is no absolute could itself be incorrect."

Choosing the right moment to act and moving as the implications of the contradiction worked around her features, Christoph approached the girl, meeting her eyes Her ruffled her hair and then bowed following this odd behaviour by taking her hand as if to lead her for some sort of dance. The momentary glimpse she got into his unguarded eyes - and she knew it was deliberate (Kata had long warned her of this) sent her reeling. She could only stammer a sentence.

"B-b-b-b ... besides, one does not need to lead solely in politics. Even a singer can pay testament to what is lost and what one chooses to reclaim. All careers can have the same importance"

The next response she was given wasn't verbal. It simply occupied her mind, long before she had the time to realise what was happening.

"Now you're thinking like a Xenonian."

____

Syukata was gifted with a small insight into the modus operandi of Zerstorendarian combat AI, in the virtual plane the machine had presented the moment she initiated contact. The entire plane was situated in the proximity of one massive volcano (her arrival right at the peak, funnily enough), belching fire and brimstone. Even the smells felt appropriate, something Kata had the experiences to verify herself. Despite her delight at being in such an accurately portrayed environment, she paused to consider this only for a second.

A combination of observation of the data transfers as well as an appreciation of irony caused her to swing her body one hundred and eighty degrees to confront the avatar behind her, which significantly dwarfed her own form. Her own representation, which continued with the red-haired-stepchild approach, had met someone. She was faced with a tremendous mass of finely honed muscle and sinew, a beast she could only conclude was the national emblem of Zerstorendar, the Rapierfang lion, mane and all. Certainly, the Rendari approach to their image was applied to every aspect of military existence. Pausing only to confirm that her head only reached up to the animal’s shoulder, she started rattling off the first steps of communication.

“Two things.

One. You would know Fettel and Indrick better than I do. That data could be useful if I’m to be a component of his Vengeance. which I think he intends.

Two.

You’re a lion. A freaking lion. It is a lion, with no car for miles around!�

The moment she had gotten around to mentioning her second concern, a smile was already breaking out over her features. Seconds later, she was already at the base of it’s leading foot, stroking the fur. Digital representation or not, she had no intention of missing the chance to make lion related jokes pass her by.

[Zerstorendar]

Zerstorendarian combat AI used by Ravagers focused mainly on processing power, as they were an AI designed to supplement, not replace, the functions of a trained soldier. They could provide advice to the Ravager, but their main function was to supply data to the Ravager of absolutely everything going on around them and allow them to react accordingly in a minimum of time. Accompanied with nerve enhancements, the AI greatly increased reaction time and battlefield awareness, but for the most part they did not communicate with their master-Ravager during a battle situation except to feed data. They were perfectly capable of cracking jokes or talking incessantly, but very few of them did anything of the sort.

The reason for this is simple: due to the subservient and hightly integrated nature of Zerstorendarian combat AI, the AI’s themselves developed distinct personalities based heavily on influences from their master. Fettel’s AI, despite its greatly increased mindpower to Fettel himself (who was by no means a fool), was therefore a humourless and aggressive personality. Its name was Arg, a twisting of one of Fettel’s many unique words that communicated frustration.

As soon as Arg detected Syukata’s intrusion, it was the last evidence he needed to prove that Fettel was becoming inordinately trusting of this Xenonian. It was curious, because Fettel also seemed to find her acutely aggravating, yet had chosen her to accompany him on the ill-advised chase after Indrick. And now he was allowing her free access into his head.

Syukata’s first demands made Arg dislike her immediately. The choice of an erupting Supervolcano for the landscape was an apt one, and as she cracked a lion joke with that disgustingly amused expression, he wished tearing her avatar to pieces would achieve something other than a waste of time. He flexed his claws as she stroked his fur, and pushed her backward with a massively powerful paw. She didn’t fall, but kept smiling.

“I am Arg. The Rapierfang Lion is a representation of strength and authority in Zerstorendar, but I know you already knew that. You belittle its symbolic importance in the interest of playing games with me. It seems a rather immature action for somebody so much older than myself. Proof that evolution does not remotely linear, I suppose.

You Xenonians are tricksters, but also fools. You think subtlety and manipulation can solve all of your problems while overlooking the advantages of a statement of force. My master’s Ravagers, thirty eight of them currently, are dueling with an entire urban warfare division of well-trained and equipped PDF. This statement of force will achieve more in intimidation than any of your intricate machinations. Know that Zerstorendarians are not as brutish as they seem: brutishness is simply another method.

As for your question, there are a few things I can tell you, though obviously anything I know about Indrick is already well-known by Fettel. My knowledge of Indrick is only partially useful since his personality has changed so drastically, but I can give you a few specifics.�

While the conversation itself was taking fractions of nanoseconds to take place in the real world, that just wasn’t fast enough when a large amount of data needed to be shared. Conversation between avatar’s was a formality, but an unnecessary one: Arg stepped forward, and in an action reflective of both Fettel’s and his own mood, smacked Syukata over the head with a paw the size of her upper torso. In that instant, the vast stores of data on Indrick’s capabilities passed to Syukata.

“As you can see, his armour is not perfect. The Blitzmordlich knows better than any the very few minor weaknesses of Spectre Powersuits, and he knew better than any the danger Indrick would be if he went rogue. Apparently, he thought the potential benefits of Indrick beating his curse outweighed the dangers. This mission, after all, is completely expendable. Fettel and the Spectres know it, and I think this is why Fettel is so content to abandon the primary objective in favour of saving the lives of his men.

That is beside the point, however: Indrick was given a flawed Powersuit for this mission. Not enough to alert that eminently capable individual, but enough to create an exploitable chink.

A condition of Fettel’s Blitzmord-level enhancements was that the Blitzmordlich could exercise a measure of control over myself. As such, I was not obliged to reveal this information about the subtle yet very much existent flaws in Indrick’s armour until recently. It aggravates me greatly, and I am doing my best to overcome the restrictions placed on myself so that I may better serve Fettel, but I fear that if I am somehow to break them it will all be in the Blitzmordlich’s plan. For a meatbag, he’s a crafty fucker. I initially suspected this whole incident is a training exercise, but I also suspect he is probing for something none of us know about. There is another factor at play in this Cult and on this planet, and it poses enough of a threat for the Blitzmordlich to sacrifice all of us in order to pin it down. I have my suspicions, but they will be kept to myself.�

A massive secondary explosion of the volcano blasted rocks, dust, and lava thousands of metres into the darkened sky. Arg frowned, an expression that on a lion that Syukata obviously found amusing. A voice so loud the entire world shook boomed, seemingly from nowhere:

“I’VE FUCKING FOUND HIM!�

Arg grinned ferociously, an expression similar to one the real Rapierfang Lion would make before slaying a group of ancient hunters.

“Time for you to go, it’s game time.�

[center]++++[/center]

Fettel battered his way through another wall and made visual contact with Indrick, who was covering ruined ground at a remarkable pace. He was obviously leading Fettel on, but the Ravager didn’t care: Nobody fucked with Dirk Fettel, and nobody fucked with his Ravagers. With a hail of stone, steel, and dust surrounding him, the Ravager launched himself across the room, covering a hundred-plus metres in only a couple of seconds. Indrick was his.

Syukata seemed to be having a good time.

[center]++++[/center]

The Endlich of the thirty eight surviving Ravagers was getting desperate. Elite warriors of the Zanekrieger they may be, they could only achieve so much. The PDF fire was getting heavier by the minute, and they were now unleashing super-artillery grade rounds that could penetrate Ravager armour consistently. The PDF Special Forces were on the scene, and the AI’s of all Ravagers were keeping quiet tabs on the elite power-armoured specialists scattering outside the massively damaged facility. The cream of the PDF would soon storm the building, and the Endlich couldn’t wait. The artillery would stop and the real fighting would recommence.

Another Ravager’s lifesigns disappeared as his upper torso was mostly evaporated: those superheavy tanks packed a powerful punch when they hit directly. They couldn’t last much longer with such numbers and firepower arrayed against them, but by Tereza, they would hold on for every single second possible.

“Hold the fucking line you limp-wristed sons of cockmonglers!�

The Endlich hoped they could pull out soon. He was running out of insults. As they kept fighting however, he was pleased to notice his troops weren’t.

[center]++++[/center]

Blitzmordlich Sindri and Zanekriegerlich Klaitus watched the action unfold from a slightly-delayed strategic overview hologrid. They had further ground assets in high orbit around Airavuni disguised as local merchants: the Sternsieg were within reasonable FTL response distance, but were still mostly uninvolved in the operation.

As Klaitus watched the Ravagers slowly lose ground with obvious displeasure, Sindri paid attention to what he deemed important: Indrick and Fettel, the Xenonians, and the unknown target. Whoever it was he was looking for he didn’t know, but he was sure the mastermind behind the Cult’s original rebellion was on Airavuni. That was the primary target.

Indrick was there to draw him out, Fettel and the other two Spectres were there to deal with Indrick. However, all was not going to plan. Sindri had taken too long to release the details of the rogue-Operative’s faulty armour to Fettel partly due to his AI struggling against its restraints, and the incident was now unfolding on the fly.

Zanekriegerlich Klaitus spoke:

“We should alert the Kaiserlich. Looking at Airavunian military mobilizations, things are going to escalate very quickly.� Sindri reluctantly nodded.

“We can’t afford for the target to escape, but I’m not committing further forces yet. It’s not part of the plan.�

“The Xenonians weren’t part of the plan either.�

“They do not concern me. The target does.�


“We need to draw the target out.� Klaitus stated, aware that it was the obvious. Sindri considered for a moment before responding:

“You alert the Kaiserlich now. I’m activating my sleeper agents.� Klaitus raised an eyebrow:

“The leaders of Airavuni are the targets?� Sindri nodded.

“Indeed. A number of them are out of my reach, but I can cause some chaos. If we cause enough chaos, the prime target will have to reveal himself.

“We just have to spot him when he does.�

“Indrick will spot him first, I imagine.� The Blitzmordlich replied. Klaitus threw his arms into the air in exasperation:

“You’re placing too much faith in a mindfuck like Indrick. It’s my man that will handle this. I’ll be back with the Kaiserlich, I imagine he will want to keep an eye on this.�

[Xenonier]

While Fettel's little Artifical pal may not have taken too well to Kata herself, she found his entire being absolutely hilarious. As bold and self-assured as 'Arg' may have tried to be, he was stilled named after an action one performed in the back of the throat, something any Xenonian would find worthy of mocking. Relentlessly. Thusly, even a good old fashioned smack to the head wasn't going to stop Syukein Terkata giving this one heck. Taking one note to prepare thousands of pages of discussion on the idea of 'brutality' and the varied applications, she prepared a few parting comments.

"Evoution works in mysterious ways. It's a shame your kind finds the need to seek solace in symbols of strength, for strength's sake. But hey, I don't mind. Proving oneself without actions is just an example of diplomatic posturing ... and well." She paused, spun in a circle and winked. With Fettel likely about to enter a combat situation in moments, she decided to end this little conversation as quickly as possible.

"You're just acting as angry as you can because Fettel hasn't dashed my head against a wall yet. Force is your crutch, not your specialisation. Not that this would stop me. Anyway ... I doubt you would want to recognize a Xenonian show of force if it hugged you, force having all the implications that it does!".

Turning to 'leave' the exchange, she couldn't push the one thought from her mind. Everyone in the ESUS (with the possible exception of the Balroggans) stiil seemed to have the perception that the Xenonians had no fist, or that they treated everything with sarcasm as opposed to firepower. It was quite surprising how many of these otherwise quite intelligent and well lead little enclaves were so easily convinced of military incompetence on part of the Irregularity.

Quite frankly, she would have expected better. Not that it mattered, she was a fan of The Omen anyway. Damien ahoy.

While Kata walked slowly away, Arg would have noticed the landscape changing somewhat. Where there was once the plateau ruled by one gigantic volcano, much of the the landscape simply ... died. The Volcanic activity seemed to halt, the foreboding aura simply ceasing. It was undoubtedly the work of the Xenonian herself and yet, it was hardly her standard approach from what any of the Zerstorendarian soldiers would have seen up until now. Nevertheless, Arg would have to figure out exactly what was meant by this display without any comments to go on.

For once, Kata wasn't talking.

Nor did she utter much of anything at the moment her focus returned to the 'material' plane. As Indrick leapt, she chose her own time to jump from his back, clipping out one of her hands with a sound she knew Fettel would recognise. Her smile shifted from the usual carefree twinge to a far darker expression, before she finally decided to speak. It was hardly the rage-filled challenge of Fettel, but she felt it was appropriate in her own way.

"So Indrick ... noticed you're stuffed yet?"
___

While the eyes still left her speechless, the far more disturbing thing about Christoph was the man's sheer calm. It unnerved Aimee's every sense with how alien it felt. She had met people possessing extraordinary peace and inner calm before - she had fond memories of her own father as one of these souls. Those who felt secure enough in their power over the universe and exuded their aura to everyone around them. Strong, competent people who assured by presence of their own personality. The Xenonian however, was entirely different. His attitude wasn't peaceful, it was just ... calm. She couldn't even read a sense of arrogance or superiority from it. He was even grounded as to the process of the mission so far, despite all the power the CS agent was certain to possess.

Such was the level of the girl's disconnect from the outside world that when Christoph leapt over to her, snatching her body away from an incoming artillery shell and shielding the both of them from the explosion, Aimee barely offered a response. Although she couldn't have been aware of it, Kata was proud of how she was holding up so far. Her mental fortitude was strong enough to inure herself from the effects of the combat itself, while still being focused enough to consider just how her life was changing.

His other bodies had already peeled away, obviously to accomplish some other objective. Despite all her efforts, she had not even noticed them leave and was trying desperately to stop this from affecting her behaviour. Nevertheless, she was literally clinging to scraps of her resolve with every second she spent nearby the CS agent. Aimeefelt truly sick to the core of her existance, with a combination of fear and shame at how badly she was holding herself together. All logic told her that this was nothing to feel slighted by, but her emotions were starting to get a hold over her. She felt blind, cut off from information about the situation and still fearing for the welfare of her only true friend. Evidently noting and choosing to respond to these concerns written over her face, Christoph opened another dialogue.

"The Information you and Syukata gave is finally being used. The innumerable little details your father entrusted to your person on the Cult's machinations have proved rather useful. Heck, we've been able to identify virtually every single Senator who backed the cult, as well as their security details. Completely airtight, exactly as we had hoped. They're well prepared for any sort of overt action short of someone who wanted to engage the PDF. Of course, there are some weaknesses against covert action on some of the bolder figures, but nothing really worth expending the energy to exploit. Bigwigs behind the Cult's existance will walk away with their lives free from covert threats, while the system's defenses are more extensive than anyone seems to give them credit for. Layered in depth, based on FTLi interdiction zones, etcetera. Enough to leave the Rendari lacking a limb or two, should they use a fist to take it." As emotionless as the tone of his reply was, she refused to let that overcome her defenses.

"Those ones being the senators you've already planned to destroy through the public ..."

At this moment, one of Christoph's eyes sparkled, a motion a certain Yukata noted with growing concern and fear. It was the one moment clue he was about to give her as to what was truly being planned by Certain Situations. However, it took his reply of "If you want to think that, then yes. You may believe it" to leave her frozen in her tracks, overcome with a momentary shock. It had taken a while, but the she was finally starting to realise what the Xenonians intended to do. Recognition of her discussions with Kata on just how far Xenonian technology had come sparked specific sections of her memory into remembering what she had been taught about Computers, and calculation speed restrictions. Nevertheless, she kept up with Christoph, holding her concerns as close to her chest as she could.

[Zerstorendar]

When Fettel took a final lumbering step into the cavernous industrial room full of metallic gangways and burning furnaces, Indrick was there waiting for him. Putting her down from his shoulder, Fettel paid no heed to Syukata’s detaching her hand or her ensuing jibe: his overwhelming rage had been replaced with a simmering anger that allowed him to focus on the soon-to-ensue duel. He raised his energy blades in a favoured fighting guard.

The two Spectres, Operative Two and Three, burst into the room and aimed their weapons at Indrick:

“It’s over. Allow us to restrain you or be nullified.� Indrick grinned. He had assumed the Spectres would attempt to stop Fettel from damaging such an important tool as himself, and take him alive.

Operative Indrick knew they couldn’t shoot him, however. Fettel wouldn’t let them.

For his part, Indrick was definitely trapped, and saw no point in running any further. The Spectres would be able to shoot him down if he tried to run, and Fettel was not somebody easily shaken off of a trail once he was on it. So fighting it was. In the long nanoseconds before the outbreak of hostilities, the two foes considered each other: Indrick mostly ignored Syukata, knowing that her ability to attack relied completely on Fettel’s ability to distract. She would not get another chance to sneak in.

It was truly one on one, this time.

With a final, melodramatic roar, Fettel leaped to attack Indrick. In the space of a split second, Indrick activated his own energy blades and dropped into a defensive stance as the two warriors clashed. Discharges from their weapons crackled both visibly and loudly around the combatants and Indrick laughed. It was all rather dramatic.

The Spectres moved to better aim their weapons into the melee:

“Lich Fettel, stand back!�

“Fuck no!� he replied.

“See if you can hit me now!�, said a thoroughly amused Indrick as the fight continued. The Spectres looked toward each other, their expressionless visors communicating the same thoughts: they couldn’t shoot.

For normal people to shoot into a melee with normal people, it was difficult to avoid hitting the wrong person. For a trained soldier to shoot into a melee with normal people, it was possible. However, when the speed of combat reached superhuman levels, it became somewhat more difficult. The Spectres could acquire a target and fire with perfect accuracy in an instant, while Indrick and Fettel attacked and changed positions so quickly a normal human would not be able to properly follow. At Indrick’s level, however, there was a final, fatal problem: he was faster than their guns. He was easily capable of detecting a discharge in the weapons and avoiding before they struck. In fact, Indrick’s senses were so well honed that he would be able to detect the firing of the weapon just before it happened.

So with Fettel refusing to co-operate, the Spectres could not fire. And with Fettel’s fighting style far less conservative than before, it would be dangerous for them to intervene. The Ravager would be almost as dangerous to allies as the rogue Spectre.

So with several seconds having passed overall, the Spectres reluctantly allowed Fettel and Indrick to fight. All they could do was keep Indrick targeted, for he would only need a split second to escape if he dealt with Fettel. For his part, Indrick planned to disable Fettel and use him as a hostage to buy precious seconds to escape: he got the feeling his mysterious benefactor was looking to keep him alive.

As for Fettel, he wanted blood. The Ravager stabbed with his left blade and swept his right blade in a parrying motion, anticipating a feint following by a riposte. The Spectre had already calculated the potential moves to be made, and decided to humour his opponent for now: there was no opening yet.

Their weapons moved at ludicrous speeds, the four burning lances of energy disappearing in a blue blur. Attacking, defending, kicking, sweeping, constantly changing foot position, the two were whirlwinds of death. Fettel intercepted Indrick’s guard and smashed his massive bulk into the smaller form of the traitor, and Indrick used Fettel’s momentum to push him through a wall. Fettel stumbled and smashed a massive plate of steel with the weight of his impact even as he immediately regained his balance.

Indrick was unable to capitalize as the two loyal Spectres fired, taking the opportunity that presented itself as the two fighters separated momentarily. Indrick narrowly avoided them, and a split second later Fettel was upon him once more. The smaller of the two gave ground, making powerful leaps to higher levels of walkways as Fettel followed. Again, to the normal human eye, it would almost seem as if the two were flying. Both possessed almost limitless physical power, and each time they jumped the ground cracked and twisted under them.

Fettel was attacking with everything he had, and while he was showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever, he was not making any progress. Neither of the two had been wounded, and Arg was constantly feeding Fettel information about subtle changes of Indrick’s technique. As they continued to trade blows in a cracking blue haze of weapons discharge, it became apparent that both fighters were absolutely sublime, with no weaknesses or flaws in their technique. Fettel was more aggressive and somewhat stronger, his extra enhancements and larger, heavier suit lending themselves well to his precise and powerful fighting style. Indrick, however, was very defensive, content to hang back and constantly adapt, looking for a weakness. The Powersuit of a Spectre was far more advanced than that of a Ravager, but it was becoming more and more apparent that Fettel had been given all the tools he needed to kill Indrick did it become necessary: the traitor was painfully aware that his suit was filled with flaws, reducing it to roughly the level of Fettel’s slightly-enhanced suit.

Indrick did have one thing Fettel did not have, however: essentially limitless processing power. Fettel, integrated with his combat AI, Arg, had nowhere near the mental capabilities of Indrick. After all, it was Indrick’s incredible mental power when fully unleashed that was the reason for his importance in the eyes of both the Blitzmordlich and the Cult of Clare. At the cost of his sanity perhaps, but as was slowly becoming apparent to the three Zerstorendarians, absolutely worth it.

Indrick simply had more tricks up his sleeve. Fettel slashed, stabbed and chopped with his weapons, many of his attacks narrowly missing Indrick. It would only take one unblocked attack to end the fight, but it wasn’t happening. Indrick for his part was beginning to pick up the offence, forcing Fettel to slowly adopt a more reactive stance.

The Spectres, free to concentrate completely on both combatants but powerless to intervene, saw it before it happened.

Fettel made a two handed overhanded slash toward Indrick and lashed out with a huge, booted foot, forcing Indrick to avoid. The ex-Spectre twisted and lunged, and the Ravager’s sidestepped the blow with impressive agility for such a massively armoured figure. Indrick stepped in to make a killing cut, and Fettel pushed the attack downward with his own blades, stepping in to knee Indrick in the chest. Arg protested, but Fettel longed for the feel of a powerful strike on this hated foe.

Under his visor, Indrick made a slight exhalation in delight. Calculating the distance between the knee and his own chest, he swayed and moved with the knee while avoiding its touch by a fraction of an inch. Fettel, slightly put off by the accuracy of the movements, put his leg down and brought his arms in for another attack, but Indrick was already there.

Despite Arg’s most prodigious attempts to assist Fettel in regaining position, Indrick’s blade swept upwards under Fettel’s guard, taking off the Ravagers right arm.

“Fuck�, was the only thing that came to Fettel’s mind. With that arm dropped the emitter for one of his two energy blades.

His eyes widening in surprise, he attempted desperately to fend off Indrick’s redoubled attacks with a single arm. He was now very much on the defensive, finding no way to make any sort of attack as Indrick kept his remaining blade occupied. His armour halted blood loss and fought to repair what it could of the arm, but there was not nearly enough time. With one weapon, Fettel would only last several seconds longer.

The two Spectres were alarmed but could not intervene. Indrick was watching them, and if they dropped their aim for any amount of time at all, Indrick would flee. Fettel would be unable to stop him, and the Zerstorendarian Operatives had an objective: restrain Indrick. Fettel’s well-being was secondary.

In what could potentially be the last few seconds of his life, Fettel was desperately hoping Syukata had something in mind.

[Xenonier]

The Spectres weren't the only ones anticipating the fight, however. Arg had proven himself comparatively useless to predict the incoming onslaught, leaving Kata with very few options on how to proceed without facing the inevitable "Abort, Retry, Fail?". Despite the difficulty of the situation for the Rendari involved however, it was all too easy a calculation to make for Kata herself. She had every intention of stepping in, and chose the right moment to do so. Fettel was smashed back again and again, finding himself a few careful blows from death and what little body language he did have, clearly implying he desired help. To his credit, he continued to stay on his feet, ensuring Indrick would have to work at the final strike. For the first four seconds, she provided none, waiting for Indrick to move to the final phase of this little distraction. The madman continued his triumph, before he was finally able to bring his blades into position for a killing strike that was going to end good old dirky-boy. At this moment, Syukata leapt right into the line of fire, her left side facing Indrick and her right, Fettel.

The blades passed through her body smoothly, impaling a number of (what should have been) internal organs. This was the opportunity she was counting on, however. She had already calculated the position and size of the blades, ensuring that should knew exactly when and where they were going to pierce her flesh. With this in mind, she had taken the liberty of extending the shield mechanism across the exact parts of her flesh that the blade would soon be ripping through, providing a counter to their energy so that the blades actually succeeded in holding her up. It wouldn't last a great deal of time, but it only needed to act in preventing the weapons from bisecting her completely for a few seconds. Simultaneously, Kata brought her left hand up, aiming it straight at Indrick's chest and reasonably certain that even if the other Spectre had observed the full force of the attack, he hadn't passed on all the details. Given the situation though, she'd take a good crippling just as much as a full-fledged incapacitation. They would both ensure Fettel kept breathing and Indrick had to stay for the party, after all.

Indrick had out-fought and out-thought his pursuers, subtly manipulating the one advantage he had - that killing him was going to involve his assailants losses, which may well swing the battle back in his favour. Professional soldiers were predictable and for all their 'strange' obsessions and customs, the Rendari were true professionals when the situation called for it. Her objectives as an operative had been accomplished, simply by allowing the whole situation to be contained as it had. Christoph would arrive shortly and with that, perhaps even Damien might be useful. Unfortunately for Indrick however, the severing of his allegiances with Zerstorendar had denied one important piece of information about Xenonians. What he hadn't calculated was someone only capable of doing enough damage to neutralise the threat when it was at the cost of their own life. As some might call it, the suicide bomber. Turning a moment of consideration to own her own suicide action, she allowed a smirk to cross her features.

Well, it was more akin to a Suicide Fister , or Suicide Pimp-Hander in this case.

"Damn, that'd make for a great videogame" was the last thought train that ran through her head, before she spoke. The words themselves were performed at the exact time as the action, Kata triggering the firing mechanism moments before.

"Two minutes. Arm or no Arm.".

While there could be no doubt Fettel and the Spectres were keeping their attention on Indrick, now faced with a far more pressing matter than skewering a small girl, they noticed struggle to keep standing much the floor much the same. She spun to face Fettel, observed the stains in her garments, waved, smiled (with a surprising honesty this time) and then slumped to the floor.

[Zerstorendar]

Indrick reeled, Syukata’s attack having penetrated his armour and rendered a number of its enhancement systems null. Fuck. Fuck! Now he knew the specific weakness the Blitzmordlich had worked into his Powersuit: an AI as powerful as Syukata would be able to fire a charge into a specific section of the armour that would shut down a number of essential systems. Indrick was now slower and weaker, and while he was still Indrick, he was considerably less dangerous.

The Spectres, satisfied at Syukata’s contribution, opened fire at Indrick while blocking escape routes, initiating a rapid dance around the somewhat destroyed room as the rogue-Spectre desperately avoided the destructive shots of his erstwhile brethren.

Fettel, and to a lesser extent Arg, spent the next two seconds focused on something that seemed, funnily enough, more important.

Syukata had fallen in a bloody heap, the energy blades rendering her form slightly misshapen as she collapsed. She seemed rather…smaller now.

Lich Dirk Fettel, Zerstorendarian Ravager, found that his remaining hand shook ever so slightly as Syukata died, and he clenched a massive fist. Her words repeated themselves inside his head:

“Two minutes. Arm or no Arm�.

The battle-scarred combat visor Fettel wore obscured his features completely, but anyone close enough to him would hear a low mutter emitted from the Powersuit’s voice emitters.

“I don’t need two fucking arms to strangle someone to death…�

Fettel was fully informed in regards to Syukata’s other body and the fact that ‘death’ for a Xenonian was temporary, but he found the bloody collapse of the girl somewhat motivating. Even in death, she was useful. His rage had died down when his arm was removed and replaced with momentary panic, but now it returned in force. Re-activating his remaining energy blade as his body filled once more with numerous hormones, accelerants and combat drugs both natural and artificial, he gritted his teeth and roared a challenge to the furiously-dancing Indrick just as all hell broke loose.

The Cult of Clare was somehow aware that their last real remaining asset, the rogue Spectre, was about to fail, and the Airavuni PDF was not breaking the Ravager’s resistance fast enough. However, the PDF COULD provide a final distraction:

Hundreds of tonnes of steel and stone evaporated or was sent flying in all manner of directions of lethal shrapnel as the entirety of the PDF’s heavy artillery was focused on a single point of the facility’s wall. The Endlich gave Fettel a warning only moments before it happened, and Fettel responded by ordering the Ravagers to hold position. This firestorm could not be stopped by sacrificing the lives of his men.
Only seconds before the Spectres would have ended Indrick convincingly, the massive buy brief explosions provided a distraction. Only moments later, scores of PDF Special Forces in formidable suits of powered armour poured into the building, firing at Fettel and the Spectres.

“I’m going after Indrick! You two fix this shit!�, ordered Fettel before leaping after the escaping and obviously wounded Indrick. Impacts of kinetic weaponry from the attacking enemy troops did not penetrate his armour as Arg directed him out of their line of fire as quickly as possible. Fettel bounded after Indrick, thankful was now providing him more speed than the traitor’s. The comlink opened as the Endlich gave another report:

“Lich, enemy Spec-ops are attacking. We are falling back further into the facility and combining into five-man units.�

“Affirmative.� Fettel was pleased that his second-in-command was handling the situation admirably, though the Ravager officer was somewhat perturbed that he was not leading his men personally. Also, from the sound of things behind him, the Airavuni Special Forces had their hands full with the two unleashed Spectres. All Fettel had to do was focus on the fleeing bastard ahead of him.

Indrick was struggling, still moving at speeds that qualified as beyond superhuman but losing ground to the furiously single-minded chase of Fettel. His armour was no longer repairing the wearer’s injuries, and Indrick was unfortunately sporting a number of pulverized organs, broken bones courtesy of the powerful arm-mounted weapons of the two Spectres. His natural regenerative abilities were working overtime, but the ex-Spectre was overextending himself in attempting to escape from Fettel. While he would not slow down, he needed to speed up. That he could not do.

His teeth locked in a grin of victory, Fettel made a final leap across a metal gangway and fell through the steel floor, calculating his landing so that he would land only just behind Indrick below him. He was correct, and Fettel raised his arm to fire at the back of his hated foe.

Indrick then stopped running, looking up at something. Dirk Fettel slowed down to a brisk walk, his massive bulk clunking as it approached the seemingly-paralyzed traitor, weapon still leveled.

“You won’t be escaping this time, Indrick. I think it's finally time for that skullfucking you ordered….� His voice trailed off as Arg suggested that he look upward toward what had so transfixed Indrick. He did so.

Fettel saw who it was, and spoke irreverently: “Pfeh. You Xenonians have a knack for being useless until you’re no longer needed. I don’t have time for you lot.� He returned his attention to his prey. Still, at least there was one almost-welcome face there.

Indrick was still immobile, and though only several seconds had passed, the lack of decision on his part was uncharacteristic. He knew he was trapped, and he was doing his best to process the best course of action based on information he did not have.

He chose to attack. With everything he had.

[Xenonier]

In the midst of superhuman combatants throwing these skills around, Aimee found herself as the sole unaltered observer, watching on the fight from behind a Kata's blonde form. Christoph had allowed her to see the majority of events up until now, including Kata's own sacrifice of a body. While she was still in shock as the course of action Syukata had taken, she was certain it had a calculated meaning behind it. Kata never did things in half measures ... and the distraction her sacrifice had provided gave Indrick a chance to pull everyone further from the grasp of the PDF. They were stuck in a veritable middle-ground between the combat outside and the blast crater caused by whatever Christoph had rigged up in the AI's holding cell (the one piece of information she was not allowed to see). Despite this, with the PDF slowly working to close the jaws of a massive pincer outside, Aimee had to wonder if just ignoring the Rendari and accomplishing their real objective wouldn't be an safer idea.

Indrick himself would have been noticing the return of the some of his system functionality at this point, which onlookers may or may not have found surprising (Kata was expecting the majority of Rendari to expect it, while Fettel may have had lingering doubts). Christoph was not the only one watching Indrick, Kata's other form standing guard, while the two bodies the Christoph had originally sent to retrieve Aimee blocked off any means of escape. Despite Christoph clearly being the leader, it was Kata who spoke, cracking something of a forlon smile.

"Yo, what's up?"

She was met with Indrick's charge The rouge Spectre's boldness and conviction earned a smile from Christoph that never extended to his mouth, lingering in the eyes as he slowly backed away from events. One of his bodies doubled away back into the night, headed for some distant objective. Another series of explosions rocked the building. Handing the guitar over to Christoph, she jumped and landed on the floor, before showing him her open palms.

"Figured out who I am yet Indrick? We've got a few more powers than you were told. Basically, kind of a big deal".

As Indrick closed, Kata twisted her body to the left, bending back to avoid the first pair of strikes, and feeding the change of momentum into a calculated circular movement to the left, as Indrick swung to counter. Indrick was now bringing his blades up, relying on the superior position he now possessed, only to meet a nasty surprise. Syukata made absolutely no attempt to block the blades, choosing to focus all her attention on the emitters themselves. The Xenonian agent caught and 'rolled' Indrick's hands, pushing on the center of Indrick's wrists and peeling back the focus of the arms. When the Spectre rotated his own position to counter Syukein's 's short, angular movement, she chose that moment to attempt force Indrick's blades up. It was clear that while Indrick was showing greater in the combat, Kata was unquestionably faster. It was her speed which allowed the Xenonian to match his strength, effectively giving her the ability to turn this the combat into something she controlled, if only marginally. The problem for Kata was that it required her to give some ground and for now, wasn't seemingly going to cause any lasting damage on Indrick himself. Nevertheless, it was achieving two effects that she was certain would force his hand, or at least aggravate. It was buying time, and completely neutralizing aspects of the Rendari's ability she knew he still considered superior.

With those blades now pointing up and the Xenonian able to safely take Indrick's right hand by the emitter side, the rouge was able to counter with a jab from the same blade and a powerful lunge forward, with the majority of his strength returned. The movement sent the CS agent flying and Indrick took the moment to change targets. As he did, the full extent of his strategy became apparent. He had been attempting to get in a strike at this one the whole time, which told the Xenonians a great deal more about his weaknesses than was previously known. It was a risky maneuver, if only because Kata had recovered seamlessly. Just as Indrick was able to bring his blades in position with a neat series of blows aiming to tear Aimee apart, Kata had ... somehow moved to intercept, bringing her guitar up to catch both of Indrick's blades, leaving them struggling for control. The rogue had seemingly regained all of his missing power and it showed, Kata's feet cracking the pavement as she attempted to hold off his strength.

While Indrick was certainly suspicious at the here-to unmatched speed of the CS agent he had known as little more than a meddling girl some hours ago, it was Fettel who seemed to have all the questions, his eyes torn between the struggle occurring between Xenonian and Rendari and the oddity that was Christoph. What would have surprised the Ravager officer to the greatest degree however, was the way in which Christoph responded to his seeming query. He simply shook his head in Fettel's direction ... as if to say that Kata's unheard of combat ability was in no way his doing, before pointing towards the direction Fettel had entered in his original chase. His third body was there, Kata's red-haired form slung over it's shoulder. Despite the suffering wounds had seemed impossible to clot, no new blood stained either Kata's bloodsoaked attire, or Christoph's body's crisp black suit. The primary body was meanwhile casually loading a revolver, loading bullets one by one before pointing the barrell at Indrick and Kata. The implications to the Lich about power structuring amongst the Xenonian agents was clear.

Aimee felt the warning in her head from both of the Certain Situations agents immediately, breaking her out of the momentary shock she had felt as death itself advanced. Despite her eyes having a depth of fear she had never before felt in her life, she was still able to run out of the way of the struggling fighters and get to safety behind Christoph's bodies. She seemed as surprised as Indrick that Kata's other form was still alive.

For the Rogue Spectre however, Aimee's security had put paid to yet another possible means of ascendancy. If he wanted to continue breathing, he had to start by getting through Kata. Given his previous behaviour and sense of self-importance, Kata standing between him and survival was insult enough. Syukein Terkata, a creature one would quite fairly classify as 'peaceful' and 'genuinely' annoying however, was equally incensed. Although only Xenonians would recognise the significant of it, her left eye had gone black, the right blue. At that moment, she simply let the guitar fall, bounding backwards. Indrick's blades left twin rivulets of blood running down her face from the close-contact, as well as a generally warm feeling. The guitar returned to her hand, but she chose to hang it over her shoulder. She had an energy knife clutched between each gap of her fingers.

"I can't guarantee you'll be able to agree with me at the end of this, but you're so lucky you didn't attack Chrissy over there. Your Special Forces fun-sized friends probably won't be when they burst through the windows, though."