Night crept slowly over the moutains of Kohana. The forests were quiet, save for the few nocturnal animals just waking and going out for their meals. Gnarlpaw stood in the courtyard of the temple he had been serving at, just listening to the music of the night, watching the stars seem to twinkle to life, and smelling the fresh scent of forest after rain. The architecture of the temple around him was much like the greek parthanon, with great white marble pillars rising high to support a ceiling painted with intricate murals of the Kohanians greatest triumphs.
Within the night sky, the outline of a shooting star appeared, quite distant from the temple. It went brighter and brighter as time went by...and larger. It was no meteor. It was a figure in shining black ceramic, glowing red eyes upon its helmet. The pilot had come here for a singular purpose - find the Avatar. Why? Because he was there to be found. (continued)
As the figure approached a kilometer from the surface, it tossed away the burnt heat shield. Hot plasma burst from the jets in front, the acceleration slowing the figure down as it disappeared into the night - the glowing red optics all that remained as the armor regained its orientation and dropped into the forest with an earthshaking thud.
As the shooting star streaked across the sky, it did not go unnoticed. Some of the guardians from the temple, and the surrounding villages started heading in the direction that the star would have landed. With all the attacks that had been made against their people by the Star Destroyers, the last thing they would need is more of them right as their civil war was just coming to a close, and lives were being rebuilt. The first of the forces that would make it to the crash site would be that of the nearby Dy'Unnar village of Ro'Vella. Heading the group would be a To'Yaree mercenary named Silver Sky. Standing at over eight feet tall, and possessing all the scars showing he had made it through the military training programs only to be discharged for killing his superior in a drunken rage, Silver was quite the intimidating presence, with his white upper body, covered in branded tattoos and piercings and caryying a greatsword larger than most normal people stood tall.
The armor was easily seven feet tall if not more, long in the legs. As it stood, it looked out into the distance. The red lens adjusted as it saw what was coming...guardians, no doubt. No need to kill them...at least, hopefully not. The stealth, for now, was still active, and the armor lifted off the ground, quickly accelerating as it darted through the forests, the red optics and subtle distortion the only things giving away its
The group moved through the trees with practiced precision. Some of them were actually leaping from branch to branch, dressed all in black, some armored, others not. Silver wore nothing on his upper body other than the bear and wolf tooth necklace his father had made for him, while his lower body was covered in loose black pants. They fanned out slightly without a word from their leader as they neared the crash site, having no idea that as they did so, they ran right passed the stealthed armor. They would slowly converge on the still smoldering clearing that the intruder had landed on, surrounding it and drawing nearer to investigate.
There was nothing there, not even a crater - the only evidence that the armor was even there were scorch marks from the hot gases of the plasmajet engines, and the damage from the hot gases that had surrounded its entry. Certainly they would eventually find it, even stealthed; these warriors, though lacking in the department of weaponry, were legendary in their ability to track and do battle against technologically superior force. The records of the old battles...Kohana had survived them all. New battles would come to this world someday...silently, the pilot hoped they would be ready for them.
When all were in the clearing, Silver Sky moved to the center, where the scorch marks were to be found, and knelt down. Using the light of the nearly full moon, the large equine warrior began to inspect them. He had fought in the battle against the Star Destroyers and had seen the signs of the taint they left behind on his home. After a moments inspection he would look back the way they had come, reached over his right shoulder to grip and pull the sword free from where it hung on his back, and then sprinted off into the brush again, no longer trying to be stealthy himself, he had to catch whoever it had been who had dropped from the sky. This was not a ship he was looking for, it was a person. And while he had seen nothing on their way in, new he knew that his eyes would not be what would find it, they would have to rely on other senses to search out their prey. This brought a grin to the warrior's face.
It wouldn't be too far to the mountain, especially if the pilot kept low to the ground. Evading the trees would be an issue, so flying was out of the question. Sure...the pilot could probably fly above the forests, but that took the challenge out of it. The Avatar of Kohana certainly wouldn't approve if the pilot simply flew onto the mountain.A burning stench escaped her armor, from the high speeds that it reentered at and the plasmas it used to reorient itself. It would be easy to track.
As Silver and his group chased after the armor pilot, another group was heading right for it. The second group was composed of the actual temple guardians, mostly Kee'Awloo who would not be fooled by the stealth, being able to track almost completely by scent. They stood at the edge of the forest, and just waited, already knowing that someone, or something, was coming.
The pilot detected them...and knew that they were blocking the path. A sigh escaped the helmet - it seems there would be a battle after all. The red optics approached and stopped in front of the warriors, as the armor came into view - black as the night, with touches of grey. On its side, a rifle and a blade, and several explosives. On its forearms were other guns as well. "I seek the Avatar," the pilot called from the helmet in Yamataian - hoping someone there understood.
The gathered group would watch the armor materialize before them and quickly assessed the weapons of the intruder. When the pilot spoke, all of them looked to their leader in confusion, not able to understand the words. But the leader, who hadn't taken her eyes off the armor since it appeared out of the night's shadows nodded. "You fall from the sky, stinking of death, and expect us to allow you to see the Avatar? What reason do you have to justify this? Do you plan to do what your peers could not do, and kill off the last of what makes our people what they are?" The white tiger asked, slowly drawing the longblade from it's scabbard at the base of her tail.
"I come only to find what is here. I don't want to harm you," the pilot called again, drawing the blade - a simple longsword of rather nondescript design, made out of more modern materials. Even so, materials meant nothing - only skill. "If you attack, though...I will defend myself!"
Rolling her shoulders, the leader of the temple guards would notice Silver Sky and his group appearing behind the armor. "Defend yourself all you want, you will not see the Avatar after what your people have done to us. You come here expecting us to show how wonderfully grateful we are, but then you slaughter our people by the thousands to sate your bloodlust. You came armed, so even if we do not attack, you have already planned to kill us anyway, so your past has shown."
I've seen things you wouldn't believe. I saw the Elysian skyships fall to the surface of Geshrintall, all for a lie. I watched the Mishhu plague ships turn Albini into a lifeless ball of water. I've seen the ruins of Kennewes and the battles that still rage there." The pilot looked back, red monoeye glaring at the approaching Silver Sky. "I take no responsibility for the actions of my people...but I will not accept the blame."
The tigress looked to the other guardians and began to translate what the intruder had said, to which mass chaos began to ensue as they shouted opinions and feelings about what had been said. Turning back to the armor pilot, she would lift her head high in defiance. "Those gathered here feel that all should all accept the consequences of our actions. You come here and throw demands at us, and tell us that you will not accept responsibility or blame for what your people have done? Do you see all those gathered here? All of them would rather see you strung up by your entrails than give you any help whatsoever. I recommend you go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, before control is lost here."
"You hear, but you don't listen." The pilot stepped back, feet close together as the blade was pointed right at the tigress leader. "Come at me if you can."
Sighing softly, the tigress would slide her left foot forward slightly, almost looking to take on a martial art stance. She would move in a slow arc towards the power armor's left side, eyes narrowing as she held her sword at the ready. "Just as I said, always out for blood" And with that, she lunged forward, trying to catch the pilot with an upward slash.
The back engine panels were caught by the slash, falling to the ground. The pilot grunted, thinking that they should have been folded - there was no running now. And the armor was no guarantee of protection - the strength of these warriors, and the unknown materials they used, was enough to slice through even the hardened ceramic alloy. The armor stepped forward and quickly turned, raising its leg for a sweeping kick.
Seeing the panels fall off the armor, the tigress smiled. So, this wasn't one of the invincible warriors she had heard about, this was good, perhaps there was a chance at victory after all. Pondering the victory cost her precious seconds, and though she dodged out of the way by bending backwards to bridge and handspring, it wasn't planted correctly and she lost her balance coming down, stumbling backwards.
The pilot took the advantage, leaping and coming down, aiming to go on top of the warrior before she could recover. It would be difficult - killing any of these warriors would probably get the pilot killed by the Avatar, but getting to the Avatar was impossible without first getting past the guardians.
At seeing the leap by the pilot, some of the other guardians took a step to intervene. As she fell, however, the tiger waved them off with a grunt from the humiliation of falling combined with the pain of being landed on by the metallic body. She tried to think quickly of how to reverse, and tried to use the momentum of the armor to roll backwards still, and kick her legs up to wrap her booted paws around the armor's neck, just below the jaw.
The attack might have worked, were it not for the armored hood that wrapped around the neck - enough to keep the neck from damage. The pulse cannon on one end of the hood could be used here - but the stun function hadn't been installed yet. Red optics pulsed as the pilot jumped and flipped, trying to drive the tiger off or at least force her into the ground.
The tigress' eyes filled with fiery rage as her shoulders were each now pinned beneath a boot of the armor. She tried to raise her sword hand, but couldn't get enough rotation to try and trip the other off of her. She also couldn't get enough body torque, even with her feline agility, to get herself free. After swearing heavily in her native tongue, she would toss her sword away from her body, and tap the ground three times with each hand. "You win this round with honor, Outsider. However do not think that things will be so easy the next time." She would then move her shoulders trying to get up.
"You still don't believe that I'm not going to kill you, do you?" To demonstrate, the pilot rose the very tip of the blade to the tigress' neck, brushing the fur, before it was sheathed once more and the warrior was released from the pin. "We could fight until sunrise and I would draw no blood without need."
The tigress turned her head slightly to the side as the blade's edge brushed over her neck. When freed, she would kick herself up to her feet and walk over to get her own weapon, sheathing it with a little bit of flair. "I would not put it past you, but as I said, you won with honor. You did not use your ranged weapons, and also did not seek to finish me once you had me at a disadvantage..." She growled softly and narrowed her eyes again, but then bowed. "For that, you have my respect, and that of those I command. As for the village's forces, " She looked to Silver, who bowed his head as well. "It would seem that you have their respect as well. Congratulations, Outsider, it would seem that you have been given welcome to the Temple and Ro'Vella Valley."
The pilot gave a nod, and within the helmet a smile that couldn't be seen. "I will graciously accept your escort to the Temple." Picking up the discarded panels, the pilot hooked them to the skirt armor, and took place behind the tigress and near Silver Sky.
The tigress nodded herself, and took the lead in walking towards the Temple, with Silver Sky's party falling in behind the armor. "You must be careful running about in the forests at night. The Mokoi, or Shadow Beasts, come out at night and hunt for the flesh of the living. Our people have been taught how to fend off such attacks, but still it is dangerous." She tiger spoke over her shoulder as they walked, the path nearer to the village lit with torches, spaced every fifty feet or so, that cast eerie shadows on the group, and the stone and wood houses that made up the small village. Further up the path, on the other side of the houses, a narrow path led up into the mountains.
"I intended to meet them rather than you, to be honest. I've only heard rumors, legends about your people." The pilot followed close, glancing around at the scenery, and at the night sky. You couldn't see all the stars on Yamatai, that was for sure...
The guide laughed, nodding. "Yes, it seems that that is how most of the Outsiders hear of us. Most don't take the time to see if the legends and stories are true. That is good for us, I would suppose." She shrugged her shoulders and just kept walking towards the path leading into the mountains. When they reached the edge of the small village, the tigress stopped and turned to one of the others in her group. Speaking in Unnari, she gave instructions to her subordinate, and then he nodded and ran off ahead of the group, towards the temple. Once he had rounded the first bend in the path, between two monolithic statues, one that of a robed wolf with a staff, the other a feline of some sort with daggers drawn and crossed over her chest, both carved from the very face of the mountain, she would begin walking again. "We must let His Wisdom know that guests will be coming. You may have permission to be here in the village, but only the Avatar can grant you entrance to the Temple."
"I can wait. I have no motive to be here other than to be here. It's...how should I put it? My hobby, I suppose." The armored figure looked up at the mountains, at the statues, and at the temple that was the goal. The universe held so many secrets, legends, tales...even in this age of high technology.
The tigress couldn't help but smile at that. "You make a hobby out of coming to places just to be there. That is very...interesting." She would lead them down the path her scout had just gone, towards the large temple. "While you are here, I would ask that you do your best to show respect to the Avatar. I know that you off worlders look at us as savages, with outdated beliefs and customs, but they are OUR beliefs, and OUR customs. The Avatar is to us, as the Empress is to you." She did not know that this person was any different from the Nekos, Yamataians and Nepleslians who had visited previously. "So before entering the temple, you might be subjected to some things that seem a bit...odd." She stopped just long enough to look over her shoulder with a mischievious grin.
"I'll survive. We're not all the kind of butchers you think we are." The pilot neglected to mention the many changes in the political landscape in recent weeks - doubtful that the warriors cared much for it, or even believe it, but perhaps their Avatar would be interested in knowing. "I will respect your beliefs, and I will respect Avatar as I would my own Empress...no, I will simply respect. Our leaders are not exactly respect-worthy.
Nodding her approval of all that, the tigress would once again begin walking up the path. As it turned out that just past the statues was a staircase leading up onto a wide open marble courtyard with many more statues, each of which had small fires burning at their base where offerings were given. Apparently each was a god or goddess that the people of the temple served. Standing at the top of the stairs, just outside two oak doors at least a foot thick, was a robed and hooded figure leaning heavily on a wooden cane with a pulsating violet crystal in the top. When the party reached the base of these stairs, all of the Kohanians bowed to the figure. "A blessed evening to you, Outsider. We don't get many of your kind around here much anymore." The figure said with a smile, which could just be seen on the tip of his muzzle, which was illuminated by the firelight on either side of him.
The pilot did not bow...but only because another display of respect was needed first. Hands reached for the helmet and unclasped the bindings, freeing the pilot's head from its ceraimc prison. Fiery orange hair was released from its bun, falling down onto her head in tresses and curls, held back by two hairpieces on each side. She smiled widely as she kneeled, her eyes completely obscured by bangs over her face. "My name is Kiri. Callsign, Night Stalker. It is an honor." The voice that spoke was...hardly one of a warrior, somewhat high-pitched and cheerful.
Gnarlpaw grinned and bowed his head to her, glad to not have to talk to a monocular helmet. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kiri Night Stalker. As I am sure you have surmised already, I am The Avatar." He shifted his stance a little, to put most of his weight on the cane held with both paws in front of himself. "I was told that you bested my Guardians, which is both good for you, and bad for them." He looked sternly to the tigress, who had lifted her head. She nodded, spoke something in Unnari again, and all of her warriors stood and walked off. Looking to Silver Sky, the Avatar spoke in a more gutteral grunting language, and the equine stood, and without a word the villagers walked away. "Now, tell me what brings you here..."
"Nothing but the call to adventure," Kiri said, grinning widely...and then recovering to a more serious state. "Really, I've heard legends of this place, but very little truth. I wanted nothing more than to see it for myself." She raised her armored glove and coughed a bit. "That's...kinda what I do, see. As for your guardian, she fought well. Admittedly...I may have had an unfair advantage."
Lifting a paw to his chin, the wolf stroked the long white beard there, thinking. "You're probably right. That armor you possess must give quite an advantage in battle. My guardians are all top of their classes, and all specially trained individually by my own hand." He stepped down the steps carefully, to be on level with his guest, and then reached up to pull back the hood that obscured his features. What was revealed was not what would have been expected. Instead of an aged old man, the wolf was still rather young looking, handsome even, in a rugged sort of way. His eyes burned like golden fire as he looked at her, then over her armor. "And I would guess that if both yourself and my Guardian possessed such, the fight would have been different?"
"Different...but I would likely still win." A cocky grin painted Kiri's face. "Even so...it was difficult. With the first slice, my engines were removed." Pointing over to the panels hastily attached to the skirt armor. "This armor isn't a Yamataian model It's one of a kind...a prototype. Made for me by an old friend. He's mass-produced the design now, and he's doing quite well for himself."
"I must apologize for it's destruction then. My warriors are not trained to fight power armors such as yours. Most don't even understand that that is what they are truely fighting. Plus, with the advances in our sword making technologies, we are coming up with new ways of infusing metals. I would gladly pay for the damages in what little we have, but I don't think you will find it as valuable as my people do." Gnarlpaw leaned on his cane again and cocked his head to the side. "But I do think that it would be wonderful if I could get in touch with this friend of yours to begin talks to see if armor like that could be made for those in the military here at least."
"It would be...complicated," Kiri admitted. Perhaps now was the time to tell. "I can't guarantee safety of shipment, for one thing. In the past few weeks, the political situation has changed drastically. People who think like me, people who didn't like the way Yamatai operated...formed a new nation quite distant from here."
Gnarlpaw licked his lips and nodded slowly. "Hmm, I see. I can't say that I am overly surprised. After speaking with the Hand of War and Mistress of Judgement, I had my doubts that such a government could stay standing for as long as they had been. I am glad to hear, and now see, that there are those willing to do more than subjugate and obliterate all new species. That talking and learning are still foremost on some people's minds." He smiled.
"It...may not be as simple as that, to be honest. I will explain...there's a lot of history to go through, and I don't spend much time in Yamataian space." Kiri cleared her throat, before beginning her recount. "It all started when the first Emperor, Useu, revealed the truth about the great plague - that it was released, deliberately, by his corporation PNUgen to force an upgrade to the people's bodies. As he left known space, a new clan took control - the Motoyoshi. That was supposed to mean change, a less militaristic, internally stronger empire. It didn't work out that way.Yui continued militaristic actions that far outstripped Motoyoshi Katsuko's orders. It came to a head when an asteroid base known as Halna was attacked for harboring a race known as the Freespacers - I've met a few. They aren't exactly pro-Yamatai, but they're in no way a threat to them. But it didn't end there. A full-scale campaign to wipe out the Freespacers was mounted...though it was somewhat unsuccessful, the United Outer Colonies had enough, and split off completely. Right now...that process continues." Kiri looked to the side. "The reason I told you this is because my friend's corporation is located in UOC territory. Not only that, he works for the Lorath - their political status is in limbo, split between Yamatai and the UOC. Shipping lines are disrupted."
Gnarlpaw sighed softly, tapping his cane against the stone. "I have heard good things about the Lorath. They seem to be a race with their heads in the right place. I wish there was some way our two peoples could come to some sort of agreement on this. I could really use reliable armor for our defense forces, especially those currently on the Imhotep, the space station the Nepleslians were nice enough to give us. Perhaps if you were to get this friend of yours to meet with me, something could be worked out to mutually benefit both parties..."
"You have a space station? I didn't notice when I parked my ship in orbit." Kiri blinked - not that Gnarlpaw could see - but shrugged. "To be fair, I wasn't really looking. I know that your people don't have the ability to produce technology on your own, and aren't terribly good at serving it...but I believe arrangements could be made. But understand, I want to know what your goals are...the universe is dangerous for races with little experience in the stars. You could suffer the same fate as the Freespacers did."
Looking up at the stars in the sky, the lupine priest thought about that question. "To be honest, my people don't give much thought to the stars. There is little out there, most believe, to get excited about. The only ones who show any real interest are the Nether Reach, a rag tag faction of visionaries to believe that there is more out there than burning balls of gas, and a few space rocks. They have begun our first attempts at technology to get off the planet by ourselves. All they have managed to do, however, is blow themselves up time and again." He turned and walked back to the steps, sitting down on them. "My opinion is that if we left the planet, we would cease to be who we are. That we would just be more meat to throw at some impossible adversary. Look at the last time the Star Destroyers came. They landed on our planet, and destroyed one of our temples. There was vast amounts of information in that temple that could have been used to advance our society, and now it's just a crater on the Western Isles."
"There are secrets everywhere. Buried, perhaps. If you had technology before..." Kiri shook her head. "If you believe in your culture, it will never die. The stars hold unparalleled beauty...maybe I should take you to see the Blue Rift sometime. You're cuter than I thought you would be." Remembering herself, Kiri brushed a stray lock of hair away. "In any case...you're safe here, for now, with Nepleslia. They haven't brought landing troops, nor do they maintain any ships in orbit. I believe they seek to leave you alone more than anything."
Chuckling softly at the compliment, Gnarlpaw would nod. "I would have to agree with your observation of our relations with Nepleslia. They seek to leave us alone, just as you have said, so long as we volunteer ourselves should they ever need us. Which is what any nation would require of their colony. And maybe I will take you up on that offer to see the Blue Rift." He winked and then slowly stood up, sighing. "I think that if you would at least convey our interest in persuing trade, things will move in the direction that we need, and perhaps there will be something we can offer to move you forward as well. Perhaps melee weaponry, or at the least the ore and smelting formulas."
"I think the Funnyen would like you. Probably try to get under your robes, too, but they do that to everyone. Even me." Kiri shrugged dismissively, as though that sort of thing happened all the time to her. "We can negotiate up on the station, if you like...once we get up there. I don't see any ships around."
[PAUSED]
Within the night sky, the outline of a shooting star appeared, quite distant from the temple. It went brighter and brighter as time went by...and larger. It was no meteor. It was a figure in shining black ceramic, glowing red eyes upon its helmet. The pilot had come here for a singular purpose - find the Avatar. Why? Because he was there to be found. (continued)
As the figure approached a kilometer from the surface, it tossed away the burnt heat shield. Hot plasma burst from the jets in front, the acceleration slowing the figure down as it disappeared into the night - the glowing red optics all that remained as the armor regained its orientation and dropped into the forest with an earthshaking thud.
As the shooting star streaked across the sky, it did not go unnoticed. Some of the guardians from the temple, and the surrounding villages started heading in the direction that the star would have landed. With all the attacks that had been made against their people by the Star Destroyers, the last thing they would need is more of them right as their civil war was just coming to a close, and lives were being rebuilt. The first of the forces that would make it to the crash site would be that of the nearby Dy'Unnar village of Ro'Vella. Heading the group would be a To'Yaree mercenary named Silver Sky. Standing at over eight feet tall, and possessing all the scars showing he had made it through the military training programs only to be discharged for killing his superior in a drunken rage, Silver was quite the intimidating presence, with his white upper body, covered in branded tattoos and piercings and caryying a greatsword larger than most normal people stood tall.
The armor was easily seven feet tall if not more, long in the legs. As it stood, it looked out into the distance. The red lens adjusted as it saw what was coming...guardians, no doubt. No need to kill them...at least, hopefully not. The stealth, for now, was still active, and the armor lifted off the ground, quickly accelerating as it darted through the forests, the red optics and subtle distortion the only things giving away its
The group moved through the trees with practiced precision. Some of them were actually leaping from branch to branch, dressed all in black, some armored, others not. Silver wore nothing on his upper body other than the bear and wolf tooth necklace his father had made for him, while his lower body was covered in loose black pants. They fanned out slightly without a word from their leader as they neared the crash site, having no idea that as they did so, they ran right passed the stealthed armor. They would slowly converge on the still smoldering clearing that the intruder had landed on, surrounding it and drawing nearer to investigate.
There was nothing there, not even a crater - the only evidence that the armor was even there were scorch marks from the hot gases of the plasmajet engines, and the damage from the hot gases that had surrounded its entry. Certainly they would eventually find it, even stealthed; these warriors, though lacking in the department of weaponry, were legendary in their ability to track and do battle against technologically superior force. The records of the old battles...Kohana had survived them all. New battles would come to this world someday...silently, the pilot hoped they would be ready for them.
When all were in the clearing, Silver Sky moved to the center, where the scorch marks were to be found, and knelt down. Using the light of the nearly full moon, the large equine warrior began to inspect them. He had fought in the battle against the Star Destroyers and had seen the signs of the taint they left behind on his home. After a moments inspection he would look back the way they had come, reached over his right shoulder to grip and pull the sword free from where it hung on his back, and then sprinted off into the brush again, no longer trying to be stealthy himself, he had to catch whoever it had been who had dropped from the sky. This was not a ship he was looking for, it was a person. And while he had seen nothing on their way in, new he knew that his eyes would not be what would find it, they would have to rely on other senses to search out their prey. This brought a grin to the warrior's face.
It wouldn't be too far to the mountain, especially if the pilot kept low to the ground. Evading the trees would be an issue, so flying was out of the question. Sure...the pilot could probably fly above the forests, but that took the challenge out of it. The Avatar of Kohana certainly wouldn't approve if the pilot simply flew onto the mountain.A burning stench escaped her armor, from the high speeds that it reentered at and the plasmas it used to reorient itself. It would be easy to track.
As Silver and his group chased after the armor pilot, another group was heading right for it. The second group was composed of the actual temple guardians, mostly Kee'Awloo who would not be fooled by the stealth, being able to track almost completely by scent. They stood at the edge of the forest, and just waited, already knowing that someone, or something, was coming.
The pilot detected them...and knew that they were blocking the path. A sigh escaped the helmet - it seems there would be a battle after all. The red optics approached and stopped in front of the warriors, as the armor came into view - black as the night, with touches of grey. On its side, a rifle and a blade, and several explosives. On its forearms were other guns as well. "I seek the Avatar," the pilot called from the helmet in Yamataian - hoping someone there understood.
The gathered group would watch the armor materialize before them and quickly assessed the weapons of the intruder. When the pilot spoke, all of them looked to their leader in confusion, not able to understand the words. But the leader, who hadn't taken her eyes off the armor since it appeared out of the night's shadows nodded. "You fall from the sky, stinking of death, and expect us to allow you to see the Avatar? What reason do you have to justify this? Do you plan to do what your peers could not do, and kill off the last of what makes our people what they are?" The white tiger asked, slowly drawing the longblade from it's scabbard at the base of her tail.
"I come only to find what is here. I don't want to harm you," the pilot called again, drawing the blade - a simple longsword of rather nondescript design, made out of more modern materials. Even so, materials meant nothing - only skill. "If you attack, though...I will defend myself!"
Rolling her shoulders, the leader of the temple guards would notice Silver Sky and his group appearing behind the armor. "Defend yourself all you want, you will not see the Avatar after what your people have done to us. You come here expecting us to show how wonderfully grateful we are, but then you slaughter our people by the thousands to sate your bloodlust. You came armed, so even if we do not attack, you have already planned to kill us anyway, so your past has shown."
I've seen things you wouldn't believe. I saw the Elysian skyships fall to the surface of Geshrintall, all for a lie. I watched the Mishhu plague ships turn Albini into a lifeless ball of water. I've seen the ruins of Kennewes and the battles that still rage there." The pilot looked back, red monoeye glaring at the approaching Silver Sky. "I take no responsibility for the actions of my people...but I will not accept the blame."
The tigress looked to the other guardians and began to translate what the intruder had said, to which mass chaos began to ensue as they shouted opinions and feelings about what had been said. Turning back to the armor pilot, she would lift her head high in defiance. "Those gathered here feel that all should all accept the consequences of our actions. You come here and throw demands at us, and tell us that you will not accept responsibility or blame for what your people have done? Do you see all those gathered here? All of them would rather see you strung up by your entrails than give you any help whatsoever. I recommend you go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, before control is lost here."
"You hear, but you don't listen." The pilot stepped back, feet close together as the blade was pointed right at the tigress leader. "Come at me if you can."
Sighing softly, the tigress would slide her left foot forward slightly, almost looking to take on a martial art stance. She would move in a slow arc towards the power armor's left side, eyes narrowing as she held her sword at the ready. "Just as I said, always out for blood" And with that, she lunged forward, trying to catch the pilot with an upward slash.
The back engine panels were caught by the slash, falling to the ground. The pilot grunted, thinking that they should have been folded - there was no running now. And the armor was no guarantee of protection - the strength of these warriors, and the unknown materials they used, was enough to slice through even the hardened ceramic alloy. The armor stepped forward and quickly turned, raising its leg for a sweeping kick.
Seeing the panels fall off the armor, the tigress smiled. So, this wasn't one of the invincible warriors she had heard about, this was good, perhaps there was a chance at victory after all. Pondering the victory cost her precious seconds, and though she dodged out of the way by bending backwards to bridge and handspring, it wasn't planted correctly and she lost her balance coming down, stumbling backwards.
The pilot took the advantage, leaping and coming down, aiming to go on top of the warrior before she could recover. It would be difficult - killing any of these warriors would probably get the pilot killed by the Avatar, but getting to the Avatar was impossible without first getting past the guardians.
At seeing the leap by the pilot, some of the other guardians took a step to intervene. As she fell, however, the tiger waved them off with a grunt from the humiliation of falling combined with the pain of being landed on by the metallic body. She tried to think quickly of how to reverse, and tried to use the momentum of the armor to roll backwards still, and kick her legs up to wrap her booted paws around the armor's neck, just below the jaw.
The attack might have worked, were it not for the armored hood that wrapped around the neck - enough to keep the neck from damage. The pulse cannon on one end of the hood could be used here - but the stun function hadn't been installed yet. Red optics pulsed as the pilot jumped and flipped, trying to drive the tiger off or at least force her into the ground.
The tigress' eyes filled with fiery rage as her shoulders were each now pinned beneath a boot of the armor. She tried to raise her sword hand, but couldn't get enough rotation to try and trip the other off of her. She also couldn't get enough body torque, even with her feline agility, to get herself free. After swearing heavily in her native tongue, she would toss her sword away from her body, and tap the ground three times with each hand. "You win this round with honor, Outsider. However do not think that things will be so easy the next time." She would then move her shoulders trying to get up.
"You still don't believe that I'm not going to kill you, do you?" To demonstrate, the pilot rose the very tip of the blade to the tigress' neck, brushing the fur, before it was sheathed once more and the warrior was released from the pin. "We could fight until sunrise and I would draw no blood without need."
The tigress turned her head slightly to the side as the blade's edge brushed over her neck. When freed, she would kick herself up to her feet and walk over to get her own weapon, sheathing it with a little bit of flair. "I would not put it past you, but as I said, you won with honor. You did not use your ranged weapons, and also did not seek to finish me once you had me at a disadvantage..." She growled softly and narrowed her eyes again, but then bowed. "For that, you have my respect, and that of those I command. As for the village's forces, " She looked to Silver, who bowed his head as well. "It would seem that you have their respect as well. Congratulations, Outsider, it would seem that you have been given welcome to the Temple and Ro'Vella Valley."
The pilot gave a nod, and within the helmet a smile that couldn't be seen. "I will graciously accept your escort to the Temple." Picking up the discarded panels, the pilot hooked them to the skirt armor, and took place behind the tigress and near Silver Sky.
The tigress nodded herself, and took the lead in walking towards the Temple, with Silver Sky's party falling in behind the armor. "You must be careful running about in the forests at night. The Mokoi, or Shadow Beasts, come out at night and hunt for the flesh of the living. Our people have been taught how to fend off such attacks, but still it is dangerous." She tiger spoke over her shoulder as they walked, the path nearer to the village lit with torches, spaced every fifty feet or so, that cast eerie shadows on the group, and the stone and wood houses that made up the small village. Further up the path, on the other side of the houses, a narrow path led up into the mountains.
"I intended to meet them rather than you, to be honest. I've only heard rumors, legends about your people." The pilot followed close, glancing around at the scenery, and at the night sky. You couldn't see all the stars on Yamatai, that was for sure...
The guide laughed, nodding. "Yes, it seems that that is how most of the Outsiders hear of us. Most don't take the time to see if the legends and stories are true. That is good for us, I would suppose." She shrugged her shoulders and just kept walking towards the path leading into the mountains. When they reached the edge of the small village, the tigress stopped and turned to one of the others in her group. Speaking in Unnari, she gave instructions to her subordinate, and then he nodded and ran off ahead of the group, towards the temple. Once he had rounded the first bend in the path, between two monolithic statues, one that of a robed wolf with a staff, the other a feline of some sort with daggers drawn and crossed over her chest, both carved from the very face of the mountain, she would begin walking again. "We must let His Wisdom know that guests will be coming. You may have permission to be here in the village, but only the Avatar can grant you entrance to the Temple."
"I can wait. I have no motive to be here other than to be here. It's...how should I put it? My hobby, I suppose." The armored figure looked up at the mountains, at the statues, and at the temple that was the goal. The universe held so many secrets, legends, tales...even in this age of high technology.
The tigress couldn't help but smile at that. "You make a hobby out of coming to places just to be there. That is very...interesting." She would lead them down the path her scout had just gone, towards the large temple. "While you are here, I would ask that you do your best to show respect to the Avatar. I know that you off worlders look at us as savages, with outdated beliefs and customs, but they are OUR beliefs, and OUR customs. The Avatar is to us, as the Empress is to you." She did not know that this person was any different from the Nekos, Yamataians and Nepleslians who had visited previously. "So before entering the temple, you might be subjected to some things that seem a bit...odd." She stopped just long enough to look over her shoulder with a mischievious grin.
"I'll survive. We're not all the kind of butchers you think we are." The pilot neglected to mention the many changes in the political landscape in recent weeks - doubtful that the warriors cared much for it, or even believe it, but perhaps their Avatar would be interested in knowing. "I will respect your beliefs, and I will respect Avatar as I would my own Empress...no, I will simply respect. Our leaders are not exactly respect-worthy.
Nodding her approval of all that, the tigress would once again begin walking up the path. As it turned out that just past the statues was a staircase leading up onto a wide open marble courtyard with many more statues, each of which had small fires burning at their base where offerings were given. Apparently each was a god or goddess that the people of the temple served. Standing at the top of the stairs, just outside two oak doors at least a foot thick, was a robed and hooded figure leaning heavily on a wooden cane with a pulsating violet crystal in the top. When the party reached the base of these stairs, all of the Kohanians bowed to the figure. "A blessed evening to you, Outsider. We don't get many of your kind around here much anymore." The figure said with a smile, which could just be seen on the tip of his muzzle, which was illuminated by the firelight on either side of him.
The pilot did not bow...but only because another display of respect was needed first. Hands reached for the helmet and unclasped the bindings, freeing the pilot's head from its ceraimc prison. Fiery orange hair was released from its bun, falling down onto her head in tresses and curls, held back by two hairpieces on each side. She smiled widely as she kneeled, her eyes completely obscured by bangs over her face. "My name is Kiri. Callsign, Night Stalker. It is an honor." The voice that spoke was...hardly one of a warrior, somewhat high-pitched and cheerful.
Gnarlpaw grinned and bowed his head to her, glad to not have to talk to a monocular helmet. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kiri Night Stalker. As I am sure you have surmised already, I am The Avatar." He shifted his stance a little, to put most of his weight on the cane held with both paws in front of himself. "I was told that you bested my Guardians, which is both good for you, and bad for them." He looked sternly to the tigress, who had lifted her head. She nodded, spoke something in Unnari again, and all of her warriors stood and walked off. Looking to Silver Sky, the Avatar spoke in a more gutteral grunting language, and the equine stood, and without a word the villagers walked away. "Now, tell me what brings you here..."
"Nothing but the call to adventure," Kiri said, grinning widely...and then recovering to a more serious state. "Really, I've heard legends of this place, but very little truth. I wanted nothing more than to see it for myself." She raised her armored glove and coughed a bit. "That's...kinda what I do, see. As for your guardian, she fought well. Admittedly...I may have had an unfair advantage."
Lifting a paw to his chin, the wolf stroked the long white beard there, thinking. "You're probably right. That armor you possess must give quite an advantage in battle. My guardians are all top of their classes, and all specially trained individually by my own hand." He stepped down the steps carefully, to be on level with his guest, and then reached up to pull back the hood that obscured his features. What was revealed was not what would have been expected. Instead of an aged old man, the wolf was still rather young looking, handsome even, in a rugged sort of way. His eyes burned like golden fire as he looked at her, then over her armor. "And I would guess that if both yourself and my Guardian possessed such, the fight would have been different?"
"Different...but I would likely still win." A cocky grin painted Kiri's face. "Even so...it was difficult. With the first slice, my engines were removed." Pointing over to the panels hastily attached to the skirt armor. "This armor isn't a Yamataian model It's one of a kind...a prototype. Made for me by an old friend. He's mass-produced the design now, and he's doing quite well for himself."
"I must apologize for it's destruction then. My warriors are not trained to fight power armors such as yours. Most don't even understand that that is what they are truely fighting. Plus, with the advances in our sword making technologies, we are coming up with new ways of infusing metals. I would gladly pay for the damages in what little we have, but I don't think you will find it as valuable as my people do." Gnarlpaw leaned on his cane again and cocked his head to the side. "But I do think that it would be wonderful if I could get in touch with this friend of yours to begin talks to see if armor like that could be made for those in the military here at least."
"It would be...complicated," Kiri admitted. Perhaps now was the time to tell. "I can't guarantee safety of shipment, for one thing. In the past few weeks, the political situation has changed drastically. People who think like me, people who didn't like the way Yamatai operated...formed a new nation quite distant from here."
Gnarlpaw licked his lips and nodded slowly. "Hmm, I see. I can't say that I am overly surprised. After speaking with the Hand of War and Mistress of Judgement, I had my doubts that such a government could stay standing for as long as they had been. I am glad to hear, and now see, that there are those willing to do more than subjugate and obliterate all new species. That talking and learning are still foremost on some people's minds." He smiled.
"It...may not be as simple as that, to be honest. I will explain...there's a lot of history to go through, and I don't spend much time in Yamataian space." Kiri cleared her throat, before beginning her recount. "It all started when the first Emperor, Useu, revealed the truth about the great plague - that it was released, deliberately, by his corporation PNUgen to force an upgrade to the people's bodies. As he left known space, a new clan took control - the Motoyoshi. That was supposed to mean change, a less militaristic, internally stronger empire. It didn't work out that way.Yui continued militaristic actions that far outstripped Motoyoshi Katsuko's orders. It came to a head when an asteroid base known as Halna was attacked for harboring a race known as the Freespacers - I've met a few. They aren't exactly pro-Yamatai, but they're in no way a threat to them. But it didn't end there. A full-scale campaign to wipe out the Freespacers was mounted...though it was somewhat unsuccessful, the United Outer Colonies had enough, and split off completely. Right now...that process continues." Kiri looked to the side. "The reason I told you this is because my friend's corporation is located in UOC territory. Not only that, he works for the Lorath - their political status is in limbo, split between Yamatai and the UOC. Shipping lines are disrupted."
Gnarlpaw sighed softly, tapping his cane against the stone. "I have heard good things about the Lorath. They seem to be a race with their heads in the right place. I wish there was some way our two peoples could come to some sort of agreement on this. I could really use reliable armor for our defense forces, especially those currently on the Imhotep, the space station the Nepleslians were nice enough to give us. Perhaps if you were to get this friend of yours to meet with me, something could be worked out to mutually benefit both parties..."
"You have a space station? I didn't notice when I parked my ship in orbit." Kiri blinked - not that Gnarlpaw could see - but shrugged. "To be fair, I wasn't really looking. I know that your people don't have the ability to produce technology on your own, and aren't terribly good at serving it...but I believe arrangements could be made. But understand, I want to know what your goals are...the universe is dangerous for races with little experience in the stars. You could suffer the same fate as the Freespacers did."
Looking up at the stars in the sky, the lupine priest thought about that question. "To be honest, my people don't give much thought to the stars. There is little out there, most believe, to get excited about. The only ones who show any real interest are the Nether Reach, a rag tag faction of visionaries to believe that there is more out there than burning balls of gas, and a few space rocks. They have begun our first attempts at technology to get off the planet by ourselves. All they have managed to do, however, is blow themselves up time and again." He turned and walked back to the steps, sitting down on them. "My opinion is that if we left the planet, we would cease to be who we are. That we would just be more meat to throw at some impossible adversary. Look at the last time the Star Destroyers came. They landed on our planet, and destroyed one of our temples. There was vast amounts of information in that temple that could have been used to advance our society, and now it's just a crater on the Western Isles."
"There are secrets everywhere. Buried, perhaps. If you had technology before..." Kiri shook her head. "If you believe in your culture, it will never die. The stars hold unparalleled beauty...maybe I should take you to see the Blue Rift sometime. You're cuter than I thought you would be." Remembering herself, Kiri brushed a stray lock of hair away. "In any case...you're safe here, for now, with Nepleslia. They haven't brought landing troops, nor do they maintain any ships in orbit. I believe they seek to leave you alone more than anything."
Chuckling softly at the compliment, Gnarlpaw would nod. "I would have to agree with your observation of our relations with Nepleslia. They seek to leave us alone, just as you have said, so long as we volunteer ourselves should they ever need us. Which is what any nation would require of their colony. And maybe I will take you up on that offer to see the Blue Rift." He winked and then slowly stood up, sighing. "I think that if you would at least convey our interest in persuing trade, things will move in the direction that we need, and perhaps there will be something we can offer to move you forward as well. Perhaps melee weaponry, or at the least the ore and smelting formulas."
"I think the Funnyen would like you. Probably try to get under your robes, too, but they do that to everyone. Even me." Kiri shrugged dismissively, as though that sort of thing happened all the time to her. "We can negotiate up on the station, if you like...once we get up there. I don't see any ships around."
[PAUSED]
