Dragonball M, Chapter 3: In Blood, Bone, and Ash! The Way Forward Unlocked!

[grampagen]

The quaking carried from the pinnacle of the chamber, and shook down to the arena. Colonel Willa Rautt dragged herself to her feet and both hands gripped Excalibur as she considered the words that passed between them.

"I think you know the answer is simple: The is no other way to oppose him, other than to 'deal' with him. If force alone were sufficient, if your ideas about us weren't rooted in...."

He let the word drop, thinking better of it.

"Either way, if you were to think about how to win, and the nature of our enemy, as opposed to lashing out like a wounded animal you would at least consider allying with us until this business is concluded. You've opposed him longer than any of us, save perhaps Jinzi. You no doubt have an insight that we may lack, in that respect."

The crimson of the Shingan burned bright as Held turned his gaze fully upon the Colonel.

"We're on a tight schedule. Undo the effects of that blade and return it to Jack. From there, we can discuss terms, if you'd wish..."

"Discuss terms...? Ha-ha-" Willa's mocking laughter died in her throat. In the aftermath of the battle, lacerated flesh, bruised jaw and now fractured ribs, she held the Sword of the King, and yet its blade could lift no higher than an inch above the ground before falling its to rest over the stone.

"You don't know what he is...what he'll take from you, and make the world around you forget it! Tell me another one, Offworlder, before you think you can bargain with my cousin's life. I'd estimate you have about a minute or two."

"Well said, my friend," Blizzar complimented. "It's true that we share a common goal, the deposition of That Man. He presents not only a threat to your world but the universe at large. I'll be frank, you were right in assuming I cannot understand your feelings in regards to your devotion to your homeworld. I come from a planet rife with opportunists and would-be tyrants, not too dissimilar to your 'distinguished' president. Those on the lower rung of Arcosian society, such as myself, learned to live like vermin. to glance up at those in control with biting hatred and a desire to one day topple them from beneath as they looked down on us from their pompous magisterial palaces. But it was not so easy"

"If you were not nobility, in order to survive, you would need to learn to game the system. Play politics with cutthroats and slavers before our noble rivals did and make a smart play to grant them a more lucrative offer. I could not escape this, despite fleeing from my world at an early age. Old enemies and hatreds drove me back in some manner. Am I a good person, am I trustworthy? Assuredly not, in regards to the latter. But, all in all, when the scales are tipped in favor of those who grow gluttonous as they feast on power, I can't help but be filled with contempt. These organizations you despised, filled with 'Xenos' and non-humans are working with the most capable of your people to steer your planet back into the right hands."

"Uncouth as they may be, you can certainly trust them. They've bled for this planet just as much as you, if not more so," Blizzar folded his arms and sighed. "And if blood spilt for the same cause isn't common purpose enough, I'm not sure what is."

Though her words were venomous when she spoke to Held, when Blizzar spoke, she appeared to listen cautiously. Silence passed between both sides for a moment as the chamber shook, and the Leylines that coursed through the stone foundations grew alight. Sensing a familiar presence in the distance, Willa reared back, lips parted in a strange, sinister smile.

Excalibur's diamond tip set on the ground and dug into the stone, the Royal Sword reduced to a crude crutch as she struggled not to kneel.

"The last time I came within your lot, your man Jinzi threw us away to rot," she seethed. "Compared to watching the world go to ****, I'd rather die."

Suddenly, a certain dreadful presence filled the area. Much like the means they used to get here, from the earth itself the heirs of two of the Five Schools returned. Both Ochazuke and Kenshiko looked like they'd been through hell, but their comrade still bore the unmending wound bound beneath bloodied ropes. Yet despite their condition, a certain subtle power ebbed through them, as if sourced from the chamber itself.

"You found it, didn't you, Sergeant?"

Upon hearing Willa's voice, Ochazuke turned and fell on guard, while Kenshiko idly faced the path toward the Pinnacle, staring at her hand wistfully as if she'd let something slip from its grasp.

"...what...are you doing? Sergeant!" she barked, though the effort visibly shook her, "We've come this far! Your gambit paid off, now take them out!"

Kenshiko swept her hand over her face, parting the blood-slick auburn tresses as she regarded first Blizzar, and then Held with the one eye she had that wasn't swollen shut, which turned sideways to Willa behind her.

"...and then what, Colonel?"

[Miburo]

The quaking carried from the pinnacle of the chamber, and shook down to the arena. Colonel Willa Rautt dragged herself to her feet and both hands gripped Excalibur as she considered the words that passed between them.



"Discuss terms...? Ha-ha-" Willa's mocking laughter died in her throat. In the aftermath of the battle, lacerated flesh, bruised jaw and now fractured ribs, she held the Sword of the King, and yet its blade could lift no higher than an inch above the ground before falling its to rest over the stone.

"You don't know what he is...what he'll take from you, and make the world around you forget it! Tell me another one, Offworlder, before you think you can bargain with my cousin's life. I'd estimate you have about a minute or two."



Though her words were venomous when she spoke to Held, when Blizzar spoke, she appeared to listen cautiously. Silence passed between both sides for a moment as the chamber shook, and the Leylines that coursed through the stone foundations grew alight. Sensing a familiar presence in the distance, Willa reared back, lips parted in a strange, sinister smile.

Excalibur's diamond tip set on the ground and dug into the stone, the Royal Sword reduced to a crude crutch as she struggled not to kneel.

"The last time I came within your lot, your man Jinzi threw us away to rot," she seethed. "Compared to watching the world go to ****, I'd rather die."

Suddenly, a certain dreadful presence filled the area. Much like the means they used to get here, from the earth itself the heirs of two of the Five Schools returned. Both Ochazuke and Kenshiko looked like they'd been through hell, but their comrade still bore the unmending wound bound beneath bloodied ropes. Yet despite their condition, a certain subtle power ebbed through them, as if sourced from the chamber itself.

"You found it, didn't you, Sergeant?"

Upon hearing Willa's voice, Ochazuke turned and fell on guard, while Kenshiko idly faced the path toward the Pinnacle, staring at her hand wistfully as if she'd let something slip from its grasp.

"...what...are you doing? Sergeant!" she barked, though the effort visibly shook her, "We've come this far! Your gambit paid off, now take them out!"

Kenshiko swept her hand over her face, parting the blood-slick auburn tresses as she regarded first Blizzar, and then Held with the one eye she had that wasn't swollen shut, which turned sideways to Willa behind her.

"...and then what, Colonel?"

The Nevadian had never been one to let an opening escape his gaze. His body moved on instinct as his mind justified the action.

Kenshiko's apparent reluctance had apparently wounded Willa more than anything Blizzar and himself had thrown at her. The battle itself seemed to have been an afterthought at this point.

Unfortunately, as she herself had said, Jack had precious little time to spare, and she had still refused to surrender.

Held's hand was forced, so to speak. There was no guarantee that Willa would see reason, even with Kenshiko's advocacy.

The point of the Nevadians spear shot forth like an arrow towards the wrist of the Colonel, poised to sever the hand holding Excalibur from the rest of the arm.

It was the most efficient way to handle the issue, unfortunately. Besides, such a wound was simple enough for the Nevadian to heal.

Admittedly, it would probably not endear Willa to the cause, but it seemed as if very little would at this point.

[grampagen]

The Nevadian had never been one to let an opening escape his gaze. His body moved on instinct as his mind justified the action.

Kenshiko's apparent reluctance had apparently wounded Willa more than anything Blizzar and himself had thrown at her. The battle itself seemed to have been an afterthought at this point.

Unfortunately, as she herself had said, Jack had precious little time to spare, and she had still refused to surrender.

Held's hand was forced, so to speak. There was no guarantee that Willa would see reason, even with Kenshiko's advocacy.

The point of the Nevadians spear shot forth like an arrow towards the wrist of the Colonel, poised to sever the hand holding Excalibur from the rest of the arm.

It was the most efficient way to handle the issue, unfortunately. Besides, such a wound was simple enough for the Nevadian to heal.

Admittedly, it would probably not endear Willa to the cause, but it seemed as if very little would at this point.

The spear flew noiselessly in its swiftness, the silence in the settled chamber broken by a sharp cry from Willa and the sound of metal glancing upon metal and flesh.

The Red Colonel collapsed on one knee, beyond her wrist, bone pushed through the skin. Even if she had wanted to grip Excalibur, in this state it would be impossible.

Nor would the blade be hers to reach, for as Held's spear tore through her arm she'd been thrown back, and unwillingly cast the blade out of the door leading to the chamber, sending it past the two golems Jack had commanded to cease and tumbling toward the abyss their brother had been cast down.

A hundred curses boiled up in her throat, the desperate summons of ki that would not come filled her aura with dread and fury, but for the sight of the heirloom falling away from her that stole away the last vestiges of her hope.

"...that...was the only thing...that could have ended that bastard," Willa seethed, impotently, as she bled out.

[Miburo]

The spear flew noiselessly in its swiftness, the silence in the settled chamber broken by a sharp cry from Willa and the sound of metal glancing upon metal and flesh.

The Red Colonel collapsed on one knee, beyond her wrist, bone pushed through the skin. Even if she had wanted to grip Excalibur, in this state it would be impossible.

Nor would the blade be hers to reach, for as Held's spear tore through her arm she'd been thrown back, and unwillingly cast the blade out of the door leading to the chamber, sending it past the two golems Jack had commanded to cease and tumbling toward the abyss their brother had been cast down.

A hundred curses boiled up in her throat, the desperate summons of ki that would not come filled her aura with dread and fury, but for the sight of the heirloom falling away from her that stole away the last vestiges of her hope.

"...that...was the only thing...that could have ended that bastard," Willa seethed, impotently, as she bled out.

The Nevadian sighed heavily as the colonel was disarmed. Although he was always a warrior, the negotiator in him found victory to be bittersweet. Willa would be of far more use to the effort as leader than as a corpse, or in prison.

But, alas. Where reason failed, force prevailed.

"You left us little choice in the matter." Held replied coolly, examining the colonel as she attempted to summon the dregs of her power to no avail. "Did you think we would simply leave Jack to die? To say nothing of your own efforts undermining our own."

The Nevadian stamped the point of his spear into the ground, mystical energy flowing throw it.

A slight rumble could be heard as the earth beneath began to part, Jack rising from his resting place in the underground tunnel and now laying prone on the surface.

"I just wish you weren't so blinded by rage to make such a misstep. If we dealt with that man first....Well, it's no matter now, I suppose."

He glanced towards the door, just in time to see the slight flash of a blade before it fell into the endless abyss.

A small curse escaped his lips as he realized him imprecision had cost them valuable time. Hopefully the pit was not as deep as it seemed, or atleast was more amenable to light than one would expect.

Held turned to Blizzar, "You mind getting that sword for me?"

He gestured towards his barely conscious ally.


"From what I gathered from him, he might be able to undo the effects of that blade, assuming he didn't bleed out first."

The Nevadian frowned. Speaking of bleeding out....

"I suppose I should do something about that wound of yours." Held mumbled to himself with a sigh as he turned to Willa, "I don't particularly relish letting valuable assets go to waste, and patiently allowing you to die when you're no longer a threat isn't exactly...."

He shook his head as he walked towards the defeated opponent. It barely mattered.

"Either way, I hope you're not such a sore loser you're going to try and rip my throat out for helping you or something like that....That would be awfully spiteful, when you consider you would likely die soon after, and with nothing to show for your efforts."

Held smiled wearily.

"Also, I'll probably put your hand back on if you don't make this a whole thing. We're both professionals, after all."

[grampagen]

One glance at Willa and it was plain to see how the bone past her wrist punctured through the flesh of her forearm, her hand hanging uselessly on from scarlet-stained skin, tightening and sloughed beneath her sleeve. Yet for as freely as the blood flowed, there remained a warning there for the Shingan. The ki, though rapidly diminishing, still contained the violence, the same fighting spirit that burned as embers in her eyes.

"There's nothing left. But no matter for you, outworlder," she seethed, "the moment this world falls as a result of your proxy battles with all the other damned aliens that follow you, you'll just leave."

Rautt paused for a moment, studying Held's face.

"...you scum. This isn't the first planet you've watched fall and abandoned. And the officer..." her grimace twisted as her upper body trembled with some sort of mad revelation from reading their minds.

Furthermore, where the blood fell, there was a unique resonance with the crystalline deposits that fed directly into the leylines of this place. As it had been with the great Golems rendered from the stones and ores of this place, there remained an inseparable link with the blood of Arthur's heirs and the land thrust into the depths of the Earth where Grinthorn had fallen his hand so long ago.

"Surrendering to your terms and dooming our world," Will continued, "Piss off, I'd rather watch you all bleed out."

Ochazuke had borne a similar wound, struck at the start of the combat, a cut that would not heal bound only by wrappings. Breathing hard, dark circles formed deep pits upon his already hardened features.

And Jack by this time, had lost a lot more.

Kenshiko crossed before them, standing before the group and her commanding officer in an instant. The damage she'd suffered from fighting with the Shadow of the Battle God atop the pinnacle struck one of her eyes shut, yet even through the limp that took her stride, she stood at the ready.

"Do it, Captain, Finish the fight!"

"I told you I'd serve the Corps. That as long as your vision would not compromise our goals of saving the Earth-"

"That's an order! Do it now!"

Kenshiko turned. The strap opened at her hip, followed by the soft click of a lifted safety and the heavy sliding of a gun barrel.

"Shut up." The pistol raised in Kenshiko's right hand, and a violent air of cruel distortion filled the area about her. "You can't even move, and you'll still lead them to their deaths for nothing."

Feeding ki into the chamber, the barrel began to glow. All the fury of the Tiger's Smashing Fist, Ko-ou Retsu Dan, sheathing the barrel pointing straight at the Colonel, whose hate-filled eyes parted to the whites.

"You wouldn't dare," the Red Colonel whispered, but the hell burning behind the Tiger Master's amber eyes"...the Legacy of Zxu'ro...what did you see...?"

If there had been any enlightenment for them upon the Pinnacle, whatever the Last Tiger had seen had, at this moment, all but rendered her soul in the violent shroud of the Asuras, etched into the walls eroded by the knotted roots of banyan trees in the outskirts of her homeland.

"We've seen how deeply your bloodline runs, all through the magic etched in the bedrock. But all I have to do is squeeze once and it won't matter to anyone. Nobody but all the comrades I've lost marching to your orders. You've made liars of them all, Rautt, and Hell has a special place for betrayal. Care to explain that to them, your royal highness?"

With the mutiny in place, Kenshiko turned to the others.

"Ochazuke. The sword. It'll respond to the descendants of Arthur, but it requires a person of a certain character to use it properly, otherwise it's just a finely crafted hunk of metal. Go get it."

The martial artist took a step forward, but with the level of injury he'd succumbed to, he could only fall to a knee, resting a blood-slick hand to the cavern ground.

"...I can find it by following the leylines of this place...but I will not be able to make the journey to retrieve the sword."

With the length of the battles and the wounds struck, coupled by the standoff in the Colonel's presence...it seemed that task would fall to Blizzar.

[KingofPie]

The Nevadian sighed heavily as the colonel was disarmed. Although he was always a warrior, the negotiator in him found victory to be bittersweet. Willa would be of far more use to the effort as leader than as a corpse, or in prison.

But, alas. Where reason failed, force prevailed.

"You left us little choice in the matter." Held replied coolly, examining the colonel as she attempted to summon the dregs of her power to no avail. "Did you think we would simply leave Jack to die? To say nothing of your own efforts undermining our own."

The Nevadian stamped the point of his spear into the ground, mystical energy flowing throw it.

A slight rumble could be heard as the earth beneath began to part, Jack rising from his resting place in the underground tunnel and now laying prone on the surface.

"I just wish you weren't so blinded by rage to make such a misstep. If we dealt with that man first....Well, it's no matter now, I suppose."

He glanced towards the door, just in time to see the slight flash of a blade before it fell into the endless abyss.

A small curse escaped his lips as he realized him imprecision had cost them valuable time. Hopefully the pit was not as deep as it seemed, or atleast was more amenable to light than one would expect.

Held turned to Blizzar, "You mind getting that sword for me?"

He gestured towards his barely conscious ally.


"From what I gathered from him, he might be able to undo the effects of that blade, assuming he didn't bleed out first."

The Nevadian frowned. Speaking of bleeding out....

"I suppose I should do something about that wound of yours." Held mumbled to himself with a sigh as he turned to Willa, "I don't particularly relish letting valuable assets go to waste, and patiently allowing you to die when you're no longer a threat isn't exactly...."

He shook his head as he walked towards the defeated opponent. It barely mattered.

"Either way, I hope you're not such a sore loser you're going to try and rip my throat out for helping you or something like that....That would be awfully spiteful, when you consider you would likely die soon after, and with nothing to show for your efforts."

Held smiled wearily.

"Also, I'll probably put your hand back on if you don't make this a whole thing. We're both professionals, after all."

"..."

Blizzar felt as if he could scarcely breathe. Unable to remember the last time he fought this hard, he acknowledged Held's request but would hold off on it, if only for a moment while he took some time to grasp his bearings and reassess the situation. How much blood had he shed from that battle alone, he wondered? How much time was wasted on attempting to smash through the captain's narrow-minded fervor to get her to see some semblance of reason?

But as his crimson eyes managed to pry themselves open to witness the fallout of their battle unfold, it seemed the reality of the situation was not lost upon all those clad in crimson.

One glance at Willa and it was plain to see how the bone past her wrist punctured through the flesh of her forearm, her hand hanging uselessly on from scarlet-stained skin, tightening and sloughed beneath her sleeve. Yet for as freely as the blood flowed, there remained a warning there for the Shingan. The ki, though rapidly diminishing, still contained the violence, the same fighting spirit that burned as embers in her eyes.

"There's nothing left. But no matter for you, outworlder," she seethed, "the moment this world falls as a result of your proxy battles with all the other damned aliens that follow you, you'll just leave."

Rautt paused for a moment, studying Held's face.

"...you scum. This isn't the first planet you've watched fall and abandoned. And the officer..." her grimace twisted as her upper body trembled with some sort of mad revelation from reading their minds.

Furthermore, where the blood fell, there was a unique resonance with the crystalline deposits that fed directly into the leylines of this place. As it had been with the great Golems rendered from the stones and ores of this place, there remained an inseparable link with the blood of Arthur's heirs and the land thrust into the depths of the Earth where Grinthorn had fallen his hand so long ago.

"Surrendering to your terms and dooming our world," Will continued, "Piss off, I'd rather watch you all bleed out."

Ochazuke had borne a similar wound, struck at the start of the combat, a cut that would not heal bound only by wrappings. Breathing hard, dark circles formed deep pits upon his already hardened features.

And Jack by this time, had lost a lot more.

Kenshiko crossed before them, standing before the group and her commanding officer in an instant. The damage she'd suffered from fighting with the Shadow of the Battle God atop the pinnacle struck one of her eyes shut, yet even through the limp that took her stride, she stood at the ready.

"Do it, Captain, Finish the fight!"

"I told you I'd serve the Corps. That as long as your vision would not compromise our goals of saving the Earth-"

"That's an order! Do it now!"

Kenshiko turned. The strap opened at her hip, followed by the soft click of a lifted safety and the heavy sliding of a gun barrel.

"Shut up." The pistol raised in Kenshiko's right hand, and a violent air of cruel distortion filled the area about her. "You can't even move, and you'll still lead them to their deaths for nothing."

Feeding ki into the chamber, the barrel began to glow. All the fury of the Tiger's Smashing Fist, Ko-ou Retsu Dan, sheathing the barrel pointing straight at the Colonel, whose hate-filled eyes parted to the whites.

"You wouldn't dare," the Red Colonel whispered, but the hell burning behind the Tiger Master's amber eyes"...the Legacy of Zxu'ro...what did you see...?"

If there had been any enlightenment for them upon the Pinnacle, whatever the Last Tiger had seen had, at this moment, all but rendered her soul in the violent shroud of the Asuras, etched into the walls eroded by the knotted roots of banyan trees in the outskirts of her homeland.

"We've seen how deeply your bloodline runs, all through the magic etched in the bedrock. But all I have to do is squeeze once and it won't matter to anyone. Nobody but all the comrades I've lost marching to your orders. You've made liars of them all, Rautt, and Hell has a special place for betrayal. Care to explain that to them, your royal highness?"


With the mutiny in place, Kenshiko turned to the others.

"Ochazuke. The sword. It'll respond to the descendants of Arthur, but it requires a person of a certain character to use it properly, otherwise it's just a finely crafted hunk of metal. Go get it."

The martial artist took a step forward, but with the level of injury he'd succumbed to, he could only fall to a knee, resting a blood-slick hand to the cavern ground.

"...I can find it by following the leylines of this place...but I will not be able to make the journey to retrieve the sword."

With the length of the battles and the wounds struck, coupled with the standoff in the Colonel's presence...it seemed that task would fall to Blizzar.

"...Oh, fine," the Arcosian sighed. Straining his mind, he used his telekinesis to not only locate the blade but attempt to slowly lift it from where Willa had planted it.

[grampagen]

"..."

Blizzar felt as if he could scarcely breathe. Unable to remember the last time he fought this hard, he acknowledged Held's request but would hold off on it, if only for a moment while he took some time to grasp his bearings and reassess the situation. How much blood had he shed from that battle alone, he wondered? How much time was wasted on attempting to smash through the captain's narrow-minded fervor to get her to see some semblance of reason?

But as his crimson eyes managed to pry themselves open to witness the fallout of their battle unfold, it seemed the reality of the situation was not lost upon all those clad in crimson.



"...Oh, fine," the Arcosian sighed. Straining his mind, he used his telekinesis to not only locate the blade but attempt to slowly lift it from where Willa had planted it.

As Blizzar followed the Leyline trail Ochazuke lighted through the bedrock, it led him past the Gate of the Ten and back into the sunken halls of the Kingdom of Vermillion. The moment he stepped from the chamber he found his powers of flight return; indeed having passed through that sequestered space, it was as if the airs within were no longer obscured to him.

Thus as he moved to the edge of the pit where the Iron Soldier and the Crystal Serpent froze in their last deathly actions, he also he felt Colonel Willa Rautt's presence at his back where she knelt, immobile and staring daggers at him.

There would be no fear of reprisal this time, however; their last attacks had seen to it, and Kenshiko's pistol remained trained upon her former CO, besides.

And so following the marked trail into the abyss, his telekinetic feedback aligned with Ochazuke's ki path confirmed that despite all appearances, there was a point where it ended. Past the porous marble of the manmade structures beneath the bridge that had been forced into the bedrock of the dead kingdom, upon a stratified layers of earth, Blizzar felt it there. Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur...

...he felt it there, and it wouldn't budge.

[Miburo]

One glance at Willa and it was plain to see how the bone past her wrist punctured through the flesh of her forearm, her hand hanging uselessly on from scarlet-stained skin, tightening and sloughed beneath her sleeve. Yet for as freely as the blood flowed, there remained a warning there for the Shingan. The ki, though rapidly diminishing, still contained the violence, the same fighting spirit that burned as embers in her eyes.

"There's nothing left. But no matter for you, outworlder," she seethed, "the moment this world falls as a result of your proxy battles with all the other damned aliens that follow you, you'll just leave."

Rautt paused for a moment, studying Held's face.

"...you scum. This isn't the first planet you've watched fall and abandoned. And the officer..." her grimace twisted as her upper body trembled with some sort of mad revelation from reading their minds.

Furthermore, where the blood fell, there was a unique resonance with the crystalline deposits that fed directly into the leylines of this place. As it had been with the great Golems rendered from the stones and ores of this place, there remained an inseparable link with the blood of Arthur's heirs and the land thrust into the depths of the Earth where Grinthorn had fallen his hand so long ago.

"Surrendering to your terms and dooming our world," Will continued, "Piss off, I'd rather watch you all bleed out."

Ochazuke had borne a similar wound, struck at the start of the combat, a cut that would not heal bound only by wrappings. Breathing hard, dark circles formed deep pits upon his already hardened features.

And Jack by this time, had lost a lot more.

The Nevadian frowned as Willa hit upon a sore point for Held. Her telepathy was more potent than he had realized so have been able to probe into the depths of his minds. Or perhaps, he was so haunted by the incident that a neat little corner of his mind was eternally reserved for the memories of that day.

He sighed in defeat. It would have been a waste of energy to try to explain the intricacies of that day, which he was made privy to years later. It wouldn't have mattered to Willa. Even without that knowledge she would likely have chosen death.

With it? It was impossible. Her spite and hatred towards anything perceived as an enemy blinded her entirely. It would have been pitiful if it were not so frustrating. But even then, Held could not help but sympathize. It was a difficult lot that earth had been forced to bear.

"You're too far gone." Held realized with a dejected tone, "You've gone absolutely rabid. Your fanaticism is so deep that you would rather risk this planet and the entire universe, rather than work towards our mutual interest."

It was insane. Confounding.

"...I almost feel like I would be doing you a favor by simply allowing you to bleed out." He continued, pinching the bridge of his nose in thought. "Although, I half-suspect that is what you want. No better way to galvanize your men than for you to be executed at the hands of the 'Xeno Menance' or whatever you wish to call us. Martyrs are fairly popular on any planet, I suppose."

She's far more useful to us alive than dead, even if she still holds sway.....Perhaps we'll have to take care to seal her in a particularly deep hole this time.

Before the Nevadian could voice his concerns further, Kenshiko made her objections to her former leader very clear.

Kenshiko crossed before them, standing before the group and her commanding officer in an instant. The damage she'd suffered from fighting with the Shadow of the Battle God atop the pinnacle struck one of her eyes shut, yet even through the limp that took her stride, she stood at the ready.

"Do it, Captain, Finish the fight!"

"I told you I'd serve the Corps. That as long as your vision would not compromise our goals of saving the Earth-"

"That's an order! Do it now!"

Kenshiko turned. The strap opened at her hip, followed by the soft click of a lifted safety and the heavy sliding of a gun barrel.

"Shut up." The pistol raised in Kenshiko's right hand, and a violent air of cruel distortion filled the area about her. "You can't even move, and you'll still lead them to their deaths for nothing."

Feeding ki into the chamber, the barrel began to glow. All the fury of the Tiger's Smashing Fist, Ko-ou Retsu Dan, sheathing the barrel pointing straight at the Colonel, whose hate-filled eyes parted to the whites.

"You wouldn't dare," the Red Colonel whispered, but the hell burning behind the Tiger Master's amber eyes"...the Legacy of Zxu'ro...what did you see...?"

If there had been any enlightenment for them upon the Pinnacle, whatever the Last Tiger had seen had, at this moment, all but rendered her soul in the violent shroud of the Asuras, etched into the walls eroded by the knotted roots of banyan trees in the outskirts of her homeland.

"We've seen how deeply your bloodline runs, all through the magic etched in the bedrock. But all I have to do is squeeze once and it won't matter to anyone. Nobody but all the comrades I've lost marching to your orders. You've made liars of them all, Rautt, and Hell has a special place for betrayal. Care to explain that to them, your royal highness?"

With the mutiny in place, Kenshiko turned to the others.

Held rubbed his chin in thought, considering the situation as it unfolded. It was partially out of convenience and strategy that Kenshiko made her move. But, it was readily apparent just how personal her motivations were as well.

The Nevadian stood uneasily as he considered what to say next. Kenshiko herself was not approachable under the best of circumstances--atleast the type of circumstances they tended to meet on--and Held could speak nothing to the intimate pressures animating the situation.

He knew little of Arthurs legacy, and while he had some knowledge of this fallen kingdom from which both Ochazuke and Kenshiko hailed, he was in every sense of the word a foreigner to this situation. He had joined this mission at the behest of a friend. He could grasp the implications of what could have transpired from the viewpoint of what was to come for the galaxy at large. He could see very of what had transpired, and how it informed the outrages revealed this day.

So, he did not try. It was behind his scope. His goal remained the same; only his interlocutor had changed.

"I won't be so bold as to presume you have agreed to join with us." Held began as he addressed Kenshiko. Willa was no longer in command, and whatever Ochazuke had discussed with her--along with the truths she discovered--at least made her willing to consider a path that differed from her former commander, "However, I hope you are somewhat more open to the idea of an at least temporary alliance."

He scratched his temple, attempting to recall something. "I believe you earthlings have a saying about a 'friend being the enemy of your enemy', or something along those lines."

Admittedly, We're not their enemies, but I think we've smashed our heads against that rock enough for one day...

[grampagen]

The Nevadian frowned as Willa hit upon a sore point for Held. Her telepathy was more potent than he had realized so have been able to probe into the depths of his minds. Or perhaps, he was so haunted by the incident that a neat little corner of his mind was eternally reserved for the memories of that day.

He sighed in defeat. It would have been a waste of energy to try to explain the intricacies of that day, which he was made privy to years later. It wouldn't have mattered to Willa. Even without that knowledge she would likely have chosen death.

With it? It was impossible. Her spite and hatred towards anything perceived as an enemy blinded her entirely. It would have been pitiful if it were not so frustrating. But even then, Held could not help but sympathize. It was a difficult lot that earth had been forced to bear.

"You're too far gone." Held realized with a dejected tone, "You've gone absolutely rabid. Your fanaticism is so deep that you would rather risk this planet and the entire universe, rather than work towards our mutual interest."

It was insane. Confounding.

"...I almost feel like I would be doing you a favor by simply allowing you to bleed out." He continued, pinching the bridge of his nose in thought. "Although, I half-suspect that is what you want. No better way to galvanize your men than for you to be executed at the hands of the 'Xeno Menance' or whatever you wish to call us. Martyrs are fairly popular on any planet, I suppose."

She's far more useful to us alive than dead, even if she still holds sway.....Perhaps we'll have to take care to seal her in a particularly deep hole this time.

Before the Nevadian could voice his concerns further, Kenshiko made her objections to her former leader very clear.

Willa shuddered, her composure shaking only from unconscious reflex; though her energy had been long depleted, her fighting spirit was as resolute as it had always been, and through the indignity she faced, held at gunpoint by her own officer, it was that same lingering devotion that kept her upright. As she fought against her own body, blood pooled beside her, weighing upon her fading consciousness on the precipice of shock, when she heard Held calculate the situation aloud, a long smile spread on her face.

"Our mutual enemy. Is that way the whole lot of you offworlders attended his summit, shook hands to meet his terms? Don't get it twisted, Privateer. You may work for Jinzi Pantaloon, but you just signed his sentence along with the rest of us."

The joke was so cruel she would laugh, had she the strength.

"If that's the way you'll fight him, we are already doomed."

Held rubbed his chin in thought, considering the situation as it unfolded. It was partially out of convenience and strategy that Kenshiko made her move. But, it was readily apparent just how personal her motivations were as well.

The Nevadian stood uneasily as he considered what to say next. Kenshiko herself was not approachable under the best of circumstances--atleast the type of circumstances they tended to meet on--and Held could speak nothing to the intimate pressures animating the situation.

He knew little of Arthurs legacy, and while he had some knowledge of this fallen kingdom from which both Ochazuke and Kenshiko hailed, he was in every sense of the word a foreigner to this situation. He had joined this mission at the behest of a friend. He could grasp the implications of what could have transpired from the viewpoint of what was to come for the galaxy at large. He could see very of what had transpired, and how it informed the outrages revealed this day.

So, he did not try. It was behind his scope. His goal remained the same; only his interlocutor had changed.

"I won't be so bold as to presume you have agreed to join with us." Held began as he addressed Kenshiko. Willa was no longer in command, and whatever Ochazuke had discussed with her--along with the truths she discovered--at least made her willing to consider a path that differed from her former commander, "However, I hope you are somewhat more open to the idea of an at least temporary alliance."

He scratched his temple, attempting to recall something. "I believe you earthlings have a saying about a 'friend being the enemy of your enemy', or something along those lines."

Admittedly, We're not their enemies, but I think we've smashed our heads against that rock enough for one day...

Though the fight had left Kenshiko temporarily blind in one eye from swelling, it brought a certain clarity with it .

"'The enemy of my enemy,'" she started, "That's how Alakazah first came about in this world, set his foothold with his little miracles making his little chosen tribes into petty emperors. The only records that remain are Arthur's, etched in the walls of this place, but that's the exact same sort of garbage that's put us on the back foot to where we are now. He's already wrapped his long, spindly hand around this world. Where we intervene, the best the Corps is able to do is stop him from squeezing. Another chance for a better tomorrow so long as we live to fight another day."

As she stare down the sights of her pistol at Willa her arm was still, poised, and confident in its discpline but for the finger than now laid upon the trigger.

"But this piece of **** was doing the exact same thing the whole time."

From her seat on the ground, Willa looked up to Kenshiko, then drift her gaze to Ochazuke.

"I wasn't the one that killed Kaibyo-"

Immediately Kenshiko pulled the trigger, and the ki-laced bullet that sprung out bust a crater beside the deposed Colonel that was as wide as she was tall, its edges glowing red hot.

"Don't you dare say her name! You used me! Me and every member of this outfit up there, we had nothing!"

"Did I? You all came to me, remember? That Man wiped out the borders, he stole our lives!"

"And who are you to talk? As far as I'm concerned you've done the exact same thing! How has anything we've done in the last six years lifted his hegemony?!"

Even with her ability to peer directly into the thoughts of another, Willa Rautt winced, and her eyes widened as it appeared as if she had finally run out of ammunition.

"When people see us, they only see fear, but when they see you, Rautt...they don't think much of anything, do they? You, the clout of your father, the Vermillion bloodline...Xeno!"

Kenshiko barked out to Held...who in spite of their hazardous correspondence over the last while, somehow had never yet been introduced by name.

"You and the officer talk a big game, but I'm through with playing around for somebody else. None of my soldiers deserve that. What are you going to to make it worth their while?"

[Miburo]

Willa shuddered, her composure shaking only from unconscious reflex; though her energy had been long depleted, her fighting spirit was as resolute as it had always been, and through the indignity she faced, held at gunpoint by her own officer, it was that same lingering devotion that kept her upright. As she fought against her own body, blood pooled beside her, weighing upon her fading consciousness on the precipice of shock, when she heard Held calculate the situation aloud, a long smile spread on her face.

"Our mutual enemy. Is that way the whole lot of you offworlders attended his summit, shook hands to meet his terms? Don't get it twisted, Privateer. You may work for Jinzi Pantaloon, but you just signed his sentence along with the rest of us."

The joke was so cruel she would laugh, had she the strength.

"If that's the way you'll fight him, we are already doomed."

Held felt the temptation to respond to the deposed Colonel well up inside him. It was pointless. She had fundamentally rejected the intentions of not only Jinzi, but Held himself.

No, it was bigger than that. She rejected entirely the concept of a coalition, that working together in any capacity against this threat to them all, only served to bring the earth to ruination. Held was not prepared to abandon his way of thinking, any more than she was poised to abandon hers.

He may as well have been speaking to himself, for all the good it did.

"I think the one thing that all parties here can agree on, Ms. Rautt, is that your opinion is neither sought after, nor required."

What an annoying woman.....If there was another way to fight him, one less foolhardy....

"I will say this. If there was another way to accomplish our goals, don't you think we would have considered that? Jinzi is hardly a fan of the man himself. If he thought there was another way, one that would actually work he would have gone with it. If simply punching that man into atoms was a possibility, I have no doubt that some of the more...restless.. of my colleges would have done it by now. Do you lecture moths on how cowardly they are for not rushing into the flame as well?"

He sighed. She truly was an annoyance. He got dragged into another debate with her despite himself.

Though the fight had left Kenshiko temporarily blind in one eye from swelling, it brought a certain clarity with it .

"'The enemy of my enemy,'" she started, "That's how Alakazah first came about in this world, set his foothold with his little miracles making his little chosen tribes into petty emperors. The only records that remain are Arthur's, etched in the walls of this place, but that's the exact same sort of garbage that's put us on the back foot to where we are now. He's already wrapped his long, spindly hand around this world. Where we intervene, the best the Corps is able to do is stop him from squeezing. Another chance for a better tomorrow so long as we live to fight another day."

As she stare down the sights of her pistol at Willa her arm was still, poised, and confident in its discpline but for the finger than now laid upon the trigger.

"But this piece of **** was doing the exact same thing the whole time."

From her seat on the ground, Willa looked up to Kenshiko, then drift her gaze to Ochazuke.

"I wasn't the one that killed Kaibyo-"

Immediately Kenshiko pulled the trigger, and the ki-laced bullet that sprung out bust a crater beside the deposed Colonel that was as wide as she was tall, its edges glowing red hot.

"Don't you dare say her name! You used me! Me and every member of this outfit up there, we had nothing!"

"Did I? You all came to me, remember? That Man wiped out the borders, he stole our lives!"

"And who are you to talk? As far as I'm concerned you've done the exact same thing! How has anything we've done in the last six years lifted his hegemony?!"

The Nevadian said nothing as he listened to Kenshiko's grievances against the former Colonel. He could only imagine how painful it would be to hear ones trusted subordinate essentially classify the path taken under your stewardship as a waste of time. To say nothing of the blatant Hypocrisy Willa had displayed.....Although, that was hardly surprising, was it? Held was not present at the tournament, but it was quite a shock to learn that the leader of the Red Raiders was in fact the daughter of what was then the mightiest human on the planet.

The strength of her pedigree was certainly impressive. Held supposed he could see why she decided to paint herself as yet another nameless face tread underfoot by That Man and his ambitions....But, that betrayed a lack of trust in the people who followed you. The revelation of her connection to Jack and Arthur, was simply a new variation of a very familiar theme.

Even with her ability to peer directly into the thoughts of another, Willa Rautt winced, and her eyes widened as it appeared as if she had finally run out of ammunition.

"When people see us, they only see fear, but when they see you, Rautt...they don't think much of anything, do they? You, the clout of your father, the Vermillion bloodline...Xeno!"

Kenshiko barked out to Held...who in spite of their hazardous correspondence over the last while, somehow had never yet been introduced by name.

"You and the officer talk a big game, but I'm through with playing around for somebody else. None of my soldiers deserve that. What are you going to to make it worth their while?"

Finally. A straight shooter.

"I suppose that depends on what they find to be worth their efforts" Held replied simply, "I don't speak for Earth's---" He paused.

"--Your Government, but Jinzi does trust my judgement. If nothing else, I can certainly get him to consider your hopefully reasonable requests."

He shrugged.

"Of course, that's assuming that this is the type of negotiation the requires his approval. State your demands, and we'll go from there."

[grampagen]

Held felt the temptation to respond to the deposed Colonel well up inside him. It was pointless. She had fundamentally rejected the intentions of not only Jinzi, but Held himself.

No, it was bigger than that. She rejected entirely the concept of a coalition, that working together in any capacity against this threat to them all, only served to bring the earth to ruination. Held was not prepared to abandon his way of thinking, any more than she was poised to abandon hers.

He may as well have been speaking to himself, for all the good it did.

"I think the one thing that all parties here can agree on, Ms. Rautt, is that your opinion is neither sought after, nor required."
What an annoying woman.....If there was another way to fight him, one less foolhardy....

"I will say this. If there was another way to accomplish our goals, don't you think we would have considered that? Jinzi is hardly a fan of the man himself. If he thought there was another way, one that would actually work he would have gone with it. If simply punching that man into atoms was a possibility, I have no doubt that some of the more...restless.. of my colleges would have done it by now. Do you lecture moths on how cowardly they are for not rushing into the flame as well?"

"So there it is. Our fate will have nothing to do with our own self-determination, but what you and Pantaloon write up."

The Red Colonel set in her broken armor set righted herself, but once she spat out her hateful words, she wavered. Her breathing was growing more ragged, slower.

"...what have you and the rest of them brought to the Earth ever since you landed here? You've made it a battleground for your wars and moved your men in to annex this world. Coalition...that's ransom."

The blood that fell from her shattered hand resonated with the ancient grounds. The crystalline leylines recognized it just below the surface as the line of the Kings of Avalon.

The force below shone, recognizing their descendant, but set in the stone of this place it could not speak, an illumination that brought no more than a facade of truth which could never be revealed from echoing memory.

The Nevadian said nothing as he listened to Kenshiko's grievances against the former Colonel. He could only imagine how painful it would be to hear ones trusted subordinate essentially classify the path taken under your stewardship as a waste of time. To say nothing of the blatant Hypocrisy Willa had displayed.....Although, that was hardly surprising, was it? Held was not present at the tournament, but it was quite a shock to learn that the leader of the Red Raiders was in fact the daughter of what was then the mightiest human on the planet.

The strength of her pedigree was certainly impressive. Held supposed he could see why she decided to paint herself as yet another nameless face tread underfoot by That Man and his ambitions....But, that betrayed a lack of trust in the people who followed you. The revelation of her connection to Jack and Arthur, was simply a new variation of a very familiar theme.

Finally. A straight shooter.

"I suppose that depends on what they find to be worth their efforts" Held replied simply, "I don't speak for Earth's---" He paused.

"--Your Government, but Jinzi does trust my judgement. If nothing else, I can certainly get him to consider your hopefully reasonable requests."

He shrugged.

"Of course, that's assuming that this is the type of negotiation the requires his approval. State your demands, and we'll go from there."

The First Sergeant kept her gun trained on Willa as the hammer slid back into place and began to glow.

"First, you leave this piece of **** to me," Kenshiko started. "She knows what we do to mutineers."

Willa's eyes darkened as pallor took her, yet none of the ferocity left her.

"The Raiders...are mine...!"

"We're not Raiders. That was always their name for us you bitch. Not anymore. That's the second condition, Xeno." she continued, "My soldiers have been fighting to avenge their right to live free. This island is the last place the Dragon hasn't cursed, and you'll keep the WG's eyes off of it. The Government made sure their borders have been long forgotten, guarantee me their lives will not be."

"I can tell you now I won't fall in line behind Jinzi Pantaloon. But if what you say is true...and he's our best shot...then I want in."
__

There in pit outside of the sequestered chamber, Blizzar would eventually find Excalibur. His telekinesis had brushed upon it, however it was not any failing of his strength that he was unable to recover the sword.
__

"The third condition..." She looked over to Ochazuke then. "You have something that I need. If we're going to take the fight to That Man...."

"Kaibyo spent a lot of time on that pipedream. The First Scroll of the Chimera school proves you and her weren't wasting time. However, the last lessons of the Phoenix and Lion Schools belong to my unit now."

Ochazuke drew his wounded right arm up as he faced the pinnacle. The bleeding slowed, but it did not stop. Gun trained on Willa, Kenshiko summoned a white hot flame into her palm and extinguished the exsanguination. Pain rendered itself beneath the crawling of a quickened, black scab, and just as shortly pink flesh regrew under the scent of Phoenix ashes.

"I know you learned the rest somewhere. We'll have an exchange of techniques and complete the system."
__

From this height, the blade that had hewn unhealing wounds among enemy and comrade alike had fallen with such directness that the hilt stood above the stone. Blizzar might see the top of its exposed blade caught in a fissure cresting atop a hilly depression. The telekinetic impression would not be enough to withdraw it, it was as if something was restraining it, pulling it backward.

Which was exactly what it was doing, for it was seized by a hand of its fallen guardian in the darkness.

Damask had indeed fallen in the battle with his brother Golems. Arthur's magic shed from the shell and now merged with the substance of his own creation. The enormity of the figure in the darkness shifted with the cavern, light crept into the ruin. He had become one with the earth, and the spark of Arthur's will in this place empowered him one the sword returned to the stone. With a clarity never before heard, the golem spoke a command.

Rise, Vermillion.

It started with a rumble from the base of the hollow chamber, then the tremble began to echo, carrying from the The bedrock of Charlie Base began to shift. Tremblind, the island began to rise over the tumult of the ocean waves, facets of the broken kingdom carved in stone filtered salt through the marble and limestone as the breadth of Charlie Base was now surrounded by terraced miles.

There, the columnal structures that had been fused into the bedrock began to rise from shale and dust, the broken kingdom no longer obscured.
__

Everyone who took the Red knew that it was in spite of the Red Colonel that a part of That Man's magic had been undone here, and yet in this place sequestered past the Gate of Ten, Willa herself stood outside of it. She turned listlessly to face the place she had been promised rise beyond her and all the venom died within her.

The fresco murals of the Dragon descending upon the kingdoms, once a beast, then a man that spawned miracles, the deceptions sown until the First Guardian rose up against him. How many stories had passed through the ages, generation to generation, carrying a warning wrapped in the promise of greater things?

How many had passed the Colonel's ears, that she would be the one to bring this unjust world to them? Though the shift outside of the chamber door could be seen as the change Damask brought carried across the realm, in here, the air carried only the scent of dust and salt.

Where they stood here in the foundation of the ancients, all was still, as if something had been set in this place by somebody outside of Arthur's kingdom, one who was not entirely part of the emergent story outside.

Carrying the rising foundations cloistered in the abyss upwards, Damask carried Blizzar up until the remains of Vermillion within Charlie Base once again saw light. Willa's features glazed over as she looked upon the Golem's visage, falling still as he rose upwards and left her behind.

Then Kenshiko raised the pistol, finger on the trigger, and rest its burning barrel to the back of Willa's head...

[Miburo]

"So there it is. Our fate will have nothing to do with our own self-determination, but what you and Pantaloon write up."

The Red Colonel set in her broken armor set righted herself, but once she spat out her hateful words, she wavered. Her breathing was growing more ragged, slower.

"...what have you and the rest of them brought to the Earth ever since you landed here? You've made it a battleground for your wars and moved your men in to annex this world. Coalition...that's ransom."

The blood that fell from her shattered hand resonated with the ancient grounds. The crystalline leylines recognized it just below the surface as the line of the Kings of Avalon.

The force below shone, recognizing their descendant, but set in the stone of this place it could not speak, an illumination that brought no more than a facade of truth which could never be revealed from echoing memory.



The First Sergeant kept her gun trained on Willa as the hammer slid back into place and began to glow.

"First, you leave this piece of **** to me," Kenshiko started. "She knows what we do to mutineers."

Willa's eyes darkened as pallor took her, yet none of the ferocity left her.

"The Raiders...are mine...!"

"We're not Raiders. That was always their name for us you bitch. Not anymore. That's the second condition, Xeno." she continued, "My soldiers have been fighting to avenge their right to live free. This island is the last place the Dragon hasn't cursed, and you'll keep the WG's eyes off of it. The Government made sure their borders have been long forgotten, guarantee me their lives will not be."

"I can tell you now I won't fall in line behind Jinzi Pantaloon. But if what you say is true...and he's our best shot...then I want in."
__

There in pit outside of the sequestered chamber, Blizzar would eventually find Excalibur. His telekinesis had brushed upon it, however it was not any failing of his strength that he was unable to recover the sword.
__

"The third condition..." She looked over to Ochazuke then. "You have something that I need. If we're going to take the fight to That Man...."

"Kaibyo spent a lot of time on that pipedream. The First Scroll of the Chimera school proves you and her weren't wasting time. However, the last lessons of the Phoenix and Lion Schools belong to my unit now."

Ochazuke drew his wounded right arm up as he faced the pinnacle. The bleeding slowed, but it did not stop. Gun trained on Willa, Kenshiko summoned a white hot flame into her palm and extinguished the exsanguination. Pain rendered itself beneath the crawling of a quickened, black scab, and just as shortly pink flesh regrew under the scent of Phoenix ashes.

"I know you learned the rest somewhere. We'll have an exchange of techniques and complete the system."
__

From this height, the blade that had hewn unhealing wounds among enemy and comrade alike had fallen with such directness that the hilt stood above the stone. Blizzar might see the top of its exposed blade caught in a fissure cresting atop a hilly depression. The telekinetic impression would not be enough to withdraw it, it was as if something was restraining it, pulling it backward.

Which was exactly what it was doing, for it was seized by a hand of its fallen guardian in the darkness.

Damask had indeed fallen in the battle with his brother Golems. Arthur's magic shed from the shell and now merged with the substance of his own creation. The enormity of the figure in the darkness shifted with the cavern, light crept into the ruin. He had become one with the earth, and the spark of Arthur's will in this place empowered him one the sword returned to the stone. With a clarity never before heard, the golem spoke a command.

Rise, Vermillion.

It started with a rumble from the base of the hollow chamber, then the tremble began to echo, carrying from the The bedrock of Charlie Base began to shift. Tremblind, the island began to rise over the tumult of the ocean waves, facets of the broken kingdom carved in stone filtered salt through the marble and limestone as the breadth of Charlie Base was now surrounded by terraced miles.

There, the columnal structures that had been fused into the bedrock began to rise from shale and dust, the broken kingdom no longer obscured.
__

Everyone who took the Red knew that it was in spite of the Red Colonel that a part of That Man's magic had been undone here, and yet in this place sequestered past the Gate of Ten, Willa herself stood outside of it. She turned listlessly to face the place she had been promised rise beyond her and all the venom died within her.

The fresco murals of the Dragon descending upon the kingdoms, once a beast, then a man that spawned miracles, the deceptions sown until the First Guardian rose up against him. How many stories had passed through the ages, generation to generation, carrying a warning wrapped in the promise of greater things?

How many had passed the Colonel's ears, that she would be the one to bring this unjust world to them? Though the shift outside of the chamber door could be seen as the change Damask brought carried across the realm, in here, the air carried only the scent of dust and salt.

Where they stood here in the foundation of the ancients, all was still, as if something had been set in this place by somebody outside of Arthur's kingdom, one who was not entirely part of the emergent story outside.

Carrying the rising foundations cloistered in the abyss upwards, Damask carried Blizzar up until the remains of Vermillion within Charlie Base once again saw light. Willa's features glazed over as she looked upon the Golem's visage, falling still as he rose upwards and left her behind.

Then Kenshiko raised the pistol, finger on the trigger, and rest its burning barrel to the back of Willa's head...

"The island is yours, and your sovereignty will be respected." Held replied simply, "I am certain Jinzi would have no issue with that, as long as you agree not to wield whatever power lay dormant down here against us."

Held resisted the urge to rub his head as he imagined the President of the world berating him for casually making deals where ancient powers were at stake...But on the other hand, Jinzi too had suffered at the hands of that man and the way he used the government to enforce his world order. Even as the president, that sympathy was bound to remain.


"I wouldn't presume to speak for Ochazuke about the heritage you share, however." He continued, neatly sidestepping the issue, "I would argue that is more of a personal matter than a business matter, and would prefer it remain that way."

The Nevadian kept his eyes on the Tigress's trigger finger as he considered her first--and perhaps most pressing-- demand.

"As for your punishment, I would advise against this course of action." Held replied as he considered his words, "Both for your cause, and because she has some manner of use."

Held sighed. He certainly could not blame Kenshiko for her ire--to put it lightly--towards the deposed Colonel. Perhaps were Held in her shoes, he would have been tempted to make a similar decision. But then again, he was not, and that allowed him the dispassionate clarity worth of the Shingan.

"I would point out that your raiders, for some reason or another have followed her through hell time and time again." He continued, his eyes growing distant as he considered the various variables, "I'm skeptical that even with your considerable influence, executing her in this manner would be seen as legitimate punishment for an accused traitor....Your very association with us and Jinzi would no doubt color the opinion of your men....I would prefer not to make Ms. Rautt a martyr if I can help it."

It was a legitimate concern to the Nevadian. The Red Raiders were zealous in their Xenophobia. Willa might have been blinded by her hatred, but the apprehension she shared about entrusting outworlders was neither unfounded, nor was it confined to her alone. It simply seemed too risky to execute her on the spot. It had all the makings of a banana republic by appearance if it was not carried out carefully.

"Of course, that is putting aside Jinzi's distaste for summary execution. Killing an unarmed soldier is generally a no-no." Held admitted, "But I do not think you are especially concerned about that at the moment."

While it was likely Jinzi would begrudgingly tolerate such a thing occurring, it was unlikely to be something that would simply walked off as the cost of business. It would make life more difficult for the Raiders to be seen as legitimate, and it would certainly get Held a lecture.

"I think a trial would be proper." He concluded, "In this manner, your men are appraised of her crimes and can see how she has mislead them, and we can avoid any appearance of impropriety as well. We can negotiate on what would be considered proper punishment, of course."

....With that said, I do have an alternate proposal which I think you might find amenable. It both removes Ms. Rautt from the picture while allowing her to be useful to us all."

[grampagen]

"The island is yours, and your sovereignty will be respected." Held replied simply, "I am certain Jinzi would have no issue with that, as long as you agree not to wield whatever power lay dormant down here against us."

Held resisted the urge to rub his head as he imagined the President of the world berating him for casually making deals where ancient powers were at stake...But on the other hand, Jinzi too had suffered at the hands of that man and the way he used the government to enforce his world order. Even as the president, that sympathy was bound to remain.

Kenshiko's chest heaved with a low chuckle.

"'Against us,' who do you think we're fighting for, Xeno? Don't get it twisted. This matter is Earth's. You should be asking if Pantaloon is on board. He'd better get his **** in order before That Man latches onto his aerospace work."

"I wouldn't presume to speak for Ochazuke about the heritage you share, however." He continued, neatly sidestepping the issue, "I would argue that is more of a personal matter than a business matter, and would prefer it remain that way."

The Nevadian kept his eyes on the Tigress's trigger finger as he considered her first--and perhaps most pressing-- demand.

"As for your punishment, I would advise against this course of action." Held replied as he considered his words, "Both for your cause, and because she has some manner of use."

Held sighed. He certainly could not blame Kenshiko for her ire--to put it lightly--towards the deposed Colonel. Perhaps were Held in her shoes, he would have been tempted to make a similar decision. But then again, he was not, and that allowed him the dispassionate clarity worth of the Shingan.

"I would point out that your raiders, for some reason or another have followed her through hell time and time again." He continued, his eyes growing distant as he considered the various variables, "I'm skeptical that even with your considerable influence, executing her in this manner would be seen as legitimate punishment for an accused traitor....Your very association with us and Jinzi would no doubt color the opinion of your men....I would prefer not to make Ms. Rautt a martyr if I can help it."

It was a legitimate concern to the Nevadian. The Red Raiders were zealous in their Xenophobia. Willa might have been blinded by her hatred, but the apprehension she shared about entrusting outworlders was neither unfounded, nor was it confined to her alone. It simply seemed too risky to execute her on the spot. It had all the makings of a banana republic by appearance if it was not carried out carefully.

"Of course, that is putting aside Jinzi's distaste for summary execution. Killing an unarmed soldier is generally a no-no." Held admitted, "But I do not think you are especially concerned about that at the moment."

While it was likely Jinzi would begrudgingly tolerate such a thing occurring, it was unlikely to be something that would simply walked off as the cost of business. It would make life more difficult for the Raiders to be seen as legitimate, and it would certainly get Held a lecture.

"I think a trial would be proper." He concluded, "In this manner, your men are appraised of her crimes and can see how she has mislead them, and we can avoid any appearance of impropriety as well. We can negotiate on what would be considered proper punishment, of course."

....With that said, I do have an alternate proposal which I think you might find amenable. It both removes Ms. Rautt from the picture while allowing her to be useful to us all."

Ochazuke flexed his arm, still slick with blood despite the wound that had been cauterized.

"Consider this less of a ransom, more of a quid pro quo," he said, "The lineage of Zxu'ro has been something we've been striving to recover. To each that come through with their end, the greater portion of the system shall be integrated."

Kenshiko looked over to him and curtly stated, "Agreed. I vouched for you once, now you vet me for Pantaloon."

To the matter of Willa, however, Kenshiko kept her pistol aimed at the back of her head where she knelt before her, seething.

"...you'd sell us out," Willa spat, "to that WG stooge? Traitor...coward!"

A sharp click sounded through the chamber. She slid the safety back on.

Then spinning it round the trigger guard, Kenshiko gripped the muzzle.

"Oh I don't know, Colonel. You've always been ready to compromise when it was convenient for you. So listen to Debon, he's giving you a way out."

She stepped around to face Willa, her arm shattered, her armour broken. Reaching down, she grabbed her by the collar and stood her up; though Rautt was the taller of the two, Kenshiko held her with a trifling ease such that her boots cleared the floor.

Willa leaned back slack in her grip, her black tresses spilling behind her. Her lips curled, a faint snarl rousing between them, no doubt mining her former subordinate's thoughts for some angle, a weakspot to shatter with her words.

"...you've damned us all...but if I take the fall-"

"Go ahead. Take the stand. Roll on us. Give them my name if you want to. The World Government will have a hell of a time chasing down ghosts with no public record, won't they? While you..." she grinned, "Daddy's little bastard girl, were party to the erasure of Turtle Island, and everybody knows it."

Fangs bared, she looked over to Held.

"Keep talking."