Revenge is a dish best served hot (IC)

[RobRX]

"That my people are not quite content with this alliance, I can understand; it is a difficult transition time for all of us but that they would turn on me, their king and divine ruler, would be inconceivable. Their transgression will be met with harsh punishment!" Kharag declared, ready to use force if necessary to bring the Za'akis back to order, something the other Praetorians and the Delaztri would presumably oppose.

 

"But...but I cannot simply extract the information. Doing so would completely forsake their trust in me. I cannot allow myself to fall to such dishonorable and morally wrong actions. Simply asking would not work if these traitors are truly dedicated to my removal from power. However I cannot allow traitors to run rampant and destroy the unit of my people. The damage could very well be irreversible." The alien's anger built up and in a fit of rage, Kharag kicked the nearest wall, leaving an enormous gash in it. "Rrraah! Why?! Why is it so complicated now? I conquered an entire planet but I cannot maintain order without abusing force? Must I be a wise and honorable king, gifted with temperance and the ability to bridge all the people...or must I be a destroyer, a savage wind that destroy all that oppose it?"

 

Turning to Dragonid, he put a hand on his comrade's scaly shoulder. "Silvar Drash, for the purpose of elucidating this mystery I name you my champion; you will complete the tasks I cannot. If you suceed, then perhaps I can show to my people that we have nothing to distrust of strangers and that our alliance can only foster brotherhood. Do you accept?"

Edited March 26, 2015 by RobRX

[ca_lazerdwarf]

Dragonid nodded "I will see this through, find the traitors and save the alliance. You should continue to maintain order and see to the needs of the survivors. You serve your people well, you deserve your their respect."

 

"I will attempt to extract information from Vohl. Then speak to the rest of these, if I have to." He did not know how he would get them to talk, but this was not a problem to be solved by fighting. Until it was time to deal with Mohnak at least. "If there are further attacks, let me know."

[RobRX]

"You should watch your every steps, Silvar Drash. These assassins are capable of occluding themselves to our senses. Even mental ones, as you might have notived given how they have managed to sneak up on me so easily. I have to assume it has something to do with their flesh being replaced by cold machinery. As a fellow hunter, I can only assume that them striking again is not a question of if but rather when." As if almost expecting an attack, Kharag paused and look around and crouched a bit, clinging to the nearest wall. A small local animal scurried nearby; the source of the noises, no doubt. Kharag remained silent for a moment, before speaking up against. "These monsters are playing tricks with my mind. It feels as if they've been around me all day, ever since the attack. The fact I cannot sense them by any mean until they attack has undeniably left me on edge. For all I know they could be here right now. Or they could have left for good. On my world, I cannot allow myself to lower my guard, less it might spell my doom. It is not that I fear them but rather that I have little desire to be struck down by such cowardly means. And today has shown that our adversaries will find new lows to take us down." Once again, Kharag stopped talking and looked around. No sign of anyone, especially not the assassins. The alien applied the side of his earless head to the ground, as if trying to sense vibrations.

 

"Such an environment is still alien to me. It is very different from the stone and wood cities of my world. There are many new noises and smells and they are interfering with my senses and instincts. But no matter, in time even this new environment will be conquered." He then raised his bald head. "Not military." Kharag added, just to make sure, in case Dragonid would get the idea he was trying to actually conquer the Delaztri.

[ca_lazerdwarf]

"The Assassins disgust me," snarled Dragonid, "this is not how warriors are to act, but since we know they are out there I will keep every sense at attention. Perhaps their efforts to hide from your mental sesnse will leave them open to other detection."

"I know what you mean about these environmemts. My homeworld was also of more simple construction. But leaving that behind has had its perks." He gestured to the jetpack on his back.

"Now, as your champion, I must depart on my duty." He laughed at that to himself, once denied his status as a warrior, now a King's champion! If only for a short time. He set off in search of the Za'ali Vohl, in hopes of finding who was stoking discontent and rebellion.

[RobRX]

'I am sorry, Silvar Drash, but now I must stoop low and allow myself to use dishonorable methods.' Kharag thought to himself as the saurian alien left. The assassins had forced him to use deceit, but for his species this was considered a necessary act; one cannot fight a dishonorable opponent by remaining steadfast in their methods. 'I know you are watching me, creatures. Now watch as I play you. Watch as I expose myself, supposedly weakened and troubled. You have fooled me once and now I shall make you think you can fool me forevermore. I shall bait you, monsters. And when you reveal yourselves, I will destroy you.'

Edited March 31, 2015 by RobRX

[RobRX]

GM

 

Temporarily relocated to a different habitat, the za'akis warrior showed a completely different side to Dragonid after the horrific events of the day. Gone was the rowdy, noisy boisterous mood full of shouting and laughter. Every single one of them showed a weary face. While one would certainly expect a species so used to violence to not dwell too much upon loss, it was abundantly clear that their morale had been completely destroyed by such a violent attack that had left them completely defenseless and had costed them dearly. These dour-faced warriors were being overseen by Delaztri peacekeepers, providing an additional amount of protection to these hardened warriors. Perhaps such extra protection was currently needed, considering how easily these assassins had dispatched them the last time.

 

Once more the repugnant smell of their horrid drinks filled Dragonid's nostrils but this time around, people weren't drinking out of pleasure. After searching the crowd and making a few wrong guesses, Dragonid managed to isolate Vohl from the crowd. Currently the swordman was seemingly busy watching over the inebriated body of his brutish friend. "I sincerely hope you are not here early for the duel because, as you can see he will not be walking any time."

[ca_lazerdwarf]

Dragonid paused as he paased the peacekeepers, speaking a few words to the one in charge, "It is important that order be kept here, to prevent any riots from breaking out. But it is also important not to provoke more discontent. Avoid using force if possible." This whole compound could erupt at any moment if they were not careful, or if Dragonid did not find the traitors.

 

When he tracked down Vohl, he snorted with laughter "That would make the duel too easy, no honor would be restore." He looked at the unconscous drunk and sighed. "I seek a favor. I need somone to speak to, away from the king. I know you have little love for the Delaztri, but you were willing to listen, to talk while Mohnak itched for a fight."

 

Dragonid considered his words carefully, he did not know how much he could trust Vohl, but who else could he ask? "Know that I want to help you Za'akis. Violence smolders here, ready to ignite and destroy everything in its flames. Your friend is one of those embers, but I sense someone is stoking him, feeding his anger, leading him and others like him to destroy your people."

[RobRX]

GM

 

"It would be hard to tell if it even came from someone in particular. For there is something I need to explain." Vohl said, leading Dragonid away from the center of the camp, away from prying ears. Or ear-holes as the case may be, Za'akis seemingly lacked external ears beside ridges and spikes on the sides of said hole.

 

"Before I say this understand I am still loyal to Kharag." Vohl said, feeling perhaps he needed to be clear on the matter. "However, you need to understand that he was first and foremost a conqueror. That is how our people were united. Unfortunately, our king can be rather...aloof and removed from his people. Our culture and society is very highly competitive. But Kharag is too powerful to take down in a duel. Furthermore, there are many amongst his inner circle who are former royalty or their descendants. They bowed down to him but revenge is still strong in their heart. When the Delaztri found us, our God-King challenged their champion, a mighty warrior. A being capable of flying through the air without wings, a being which could lift entire mountains. Kharag was defeated and so we became part of this new empire. Our depose king did everything in his power so that this new alliance is to our benefit but..." The warrior sighed and took a swig from his drink.

 

"I don't need to explain this to you; he's no longer seen as invincible. And he has ennemies. People who feel it's perhaps time to replace him, to show how they are more worthy. Even if it means deicide. My guess would be someone in very high places. A general most likel-AH!" He suddenly stopped, suddenly hit by an idea. "Oh this is bad."

[ca_lazerdwarf]

"The King is not invincible, no, but if he was strongest among you before the Delaztri came, he is still the strongest among you now. Stronger, because the Praetorians stands beside him. These usurpers know that, if they have sent assassins of another race to attack him and his supporters. They cannot beat him in honorable combat themselves." Dragonid thought on Vohl's words. He could understand the wish of the conquered to fight back, but they had allied with traitors among the Delaztri, and these Technoassassins, they must all be stopped.

"A general?" he asked, as Vohl paused to think. "He would need power like that to control once Kharag is eliminated. Has one shown signs of disloyalty?"

[RobRX]

GM

"There is one. His name is Azahar the Fourth. His ancestor, queen Azahar the first was defeated and conquered by Kharag." He explained. Apparently Za'akis names were gender-neutral, judging from that example. "The royal familly of their land swore an oath of service to him and became one of the Great Houses. Azahar has always been a rather sour supporter. However he has remained amongst the inner circle due how competent he is. He was one of the first to voice his opinion about us joining the empire. Kharag considers him irrelevant but..." The alien lowered his voice down to a hush. "Kharag has the unfortunate tendency to generally ignore dissenting opinions, believing them to be worthless if the one championing them does not dare challenge him head on."

The alien took a moment to let his own words sink in. "Still I am not sure he would go that far, given his years of service. Perhaps I am too trusting myself. One thing I have unfortunately learned since we have left our homeworld is that not all killers approach you with their weapons drawn. In fact most seem content to smile at you while they plunge their daggers into your back."

Edited April 23, 2015 by RobRX

[ca_lazerdwarf]

"I prefer my enemies to come forth and face me as well. When some must admit they are no match for you in open battle, they must send assassins or plot behind your back." Dragonid snorted in derision. 

"Where are Azahar's quarters? Maybe there is evidence there that would prove him guilty, or show that he has been talking to someone outside the Za'aki. I know the traitors have contacts among the Delaztri." He did not want to go sneaking around looking for clues, but he did not want to alert Azahar to their suspicions by asking him questions.

[RobRX]

GM

"If you prefer your opponents to face you head on, then why yourself use such underhanded tactics? I understand the reasons, I simply do not agree. If my guess is wrong, you'll risk being branded an ennemy of our entire people." Vohl shaked his head, a hint of distress on his face. "No, we can't let any code of conduct hold us if those opposing us have none. The southern habitation complex, third habitation block, room number two. I will leave breaking into it to your discretion."

[ca_lazerdwarf]

"I would prefer a frontal assault, but even if I defeated the general I would not learn what I need." Dragonid said quietly. "I am already an enemy to some of your people, if I fail I will be enemy of more. It is a risk I may have to take. Thank you for your assistance, and your council."

As he left Vohl, he pulled the data pad out again. Flipping through the faces he looked for Azahar. Maybe he could learn something useful before he committed himself to breaking in. If he got caught he might not get a second chance.

[RobRX]

GM

Checking the dataslate, Dragonid found all the Delaztri had on this so-called Ahazar. Appearance-wise, he looked much like any other member of his species, which is to say vaguely like Paradigm or Traveller, but earless and with cranial ridges. His skin tone of a hue similar to Kharag, hinting at either the same ethnic group or general place of origin. The upper left corner of his cranium had a long, vicious scar in it, likely the result of either a blade or claw slicing it open and yet the alien had both survived and healed from having his skull almost cracked open.

As Dragonid approached the habitation complex, he spotted Kharag, who walked up to him. "I demand a report at once; tell me everything you know." stated the alien king, brusque and cold.

[ca_lazerdwarf]

"Kharag. Brother." Dragonid greeted the king. Something about the way Kharag spoke and moved did not strike the saurian warrior as normal. He wondered if he should trust even his fellow Praetorian.

"I have not learned much more." he said, "Discontent is widespread among your people. It appears some of your subjects are still unhappy over your conquest. Rumors say they see your alliance with the Delzatri as a sign of weakness, a chance to overthrow you. But no definite names of ringleaders. I must question more of your people, perhaps more forcefully." It made him uncomfortable to hide the suspect he had, but Kharag might confront Ahazar immediately, and spoil any chance to learn more.

[RobRX]

GM

"Are you certain you have not uncovered the identity of any possible traitor? I must know. If you have access to such information, state it now." Simply said Kharag in a tone still unusually cold, staring at Dragonid.

Their conversation was cut short as the sound of weapon fire erupted, further away into the Delaztri city, but still close enough to be heard. A beam of light erupted outward, similar in appearance and sound to the primary firing mode of these mechanical assassins. One of them was fighting somewhere in the city, but....who?

"We must not investigate. Leave it to the Delaztri authorities."

[ca_lazerdwarf]

"You have many unhappy subjects, Kharag, it could be any of them." Dragonid began but looked off toward the sounds of combat.

Kharag did not want to investigate, but Dragonid could not risk the assassins hurting more innocents. He also saw an easy chance to escape Kharag's questioning.

"I have to see where that fighting is, if the assassins have struck again they may leave clues, or their choice of target might tell us something." He did not wait for Kharag to protest, but flew off in search of the weapons.

[RobRX]

GM

As Dragonid took off with his jetpack, a beam erupted again; this one much closer and, in fact, aimed at him. Fortunately his scaly hide protected him from such point-blank fire. As the light died off and the smoke clearly, where Kharag once stood was one of the cyborg assassin; a different one but still clearly recognisable with it's head almost entirely replaced with metal pieces, wires, tubes and weapons. The left side of it's head whirred and sank back into the mass of metal doodads. Smoke erupted from the back of it's neck, as if it was venting it's excess heat from it's cybernetics. It assumed a combat stance, it's hands tranforming into weapons:

"This masquerade has lasted long enough. You die here."

 

[ca_lazerdwarf]

Dragonid felt the laser fire strike him in the back. He spun around, enraged that Kharag, as strange as he had been acting, would actually attack him.

As the smoke cleared, it occurred to him that he had never seen Kharag use lasers. His suspicions were confirmed as the cyborg revealed himself.

"Someone will die here." Dragonid snarled, "But it will be this worthless pile of metal, not me." He spat a burst of flame at the cyborg, melting flesh and electronics. The thing seemed barely able to stand any more, so Dragonid took his time, carefully lining up another burst of flame to dispatch it.

But the sudden sound of more laserfire in the distance distracted him and his flames flew well over the cyborg's head.

[RobRX]

GM

The flames singed the cyborg's body, especially it's mechanical part which began to malfunction from the intense heat. The creature raised it's metallic arms over it's head, trying to disperse the heat a little, but in vain as it only scorched and melted parts of it's forearms. When the fire died out, it's stumbled forward, taking a few steps, it's metallic parts creaking. "A-Adjusting...for...temperature...difference. R-re-reloading system." Unfortunately, the missed second burst of flame gave the cyborg enough time to adjust and adapt as it raised it's left arm, which unfurled. A laser beam was fire, but it missed Dragonid's head, only scorching the tip of his head, only causing a sensation of heat.

[ca_lazerdwarf]

"I do not have time for this," Dragonid said with anger as he ducked under the laser blast. He breathed again at the cyborg, bathing the whole figure in fot fire.

The intense heat melted and warped the cyborg's electronics and as it began to jerk and convulse, he just poured more flame on until the creature collapsed in a pile of red hot metal and charred flesh.

He walked over and gave the form a kick to make sure it was no longer active. "I am sure your employers did not pay you properly for this mission." He said with disdain before powering up his jetpack and flying off in the direction of the fight he had heard before this.. thing.. had interrupted him.

[RobRX]

As Dragonid arrived to the scene of the other battle, it became clear as day and painfully obvious what was going on. For some reason, Kharag was busy duking it out in the street with a pair of cybernetic assassins. It seemed that apparently he had found a way to provoke them into coming out of hiding and facing him head on but clearly that wasn't working out entirely as he had planned, as there were obvious injuries on him as well as a few splashes of purple across the street; his blood. Judging by the amount of collateral damage, the whole thing had clearly spiralled out of control.

"How does it feel, creatures?" Kharag said, picking up a chunk of debris to bash one of the cyborg's head. "How does it feel to receive divine retribution for your actions? Pffhah...hah..." He stopped his speech, taking a moment to breathe in, being quite wounded.

[ca_lazerdwarf]

Dragonid swooped in, seeing the King fending off the cyborg assassins. He had taken a beating, but Dragonid knew Kharag was tough to take down and might still be able to come out victorious without assistance.

But he was not going to let his ally fight alone when he could help. Landing beside Kharag, the Praetorian breathed another burst of flame at the nearest assassin. Perhaps surprised by the new arrival, or just heavily damaged by Kharag's assault, the cyborg was unable to properly defend itself and fell to the ground clutching at its red hot implants.

"Do you know that some of these things can disguise themselves and have taken your form, brother?" He asked Kharag as he turned to the remaining assassin.

[RobRX]

"I am more than aware, after all the first ones we encountered took the form of a member of my people." He said, snarling and clenching his fist tightly. "However, impersonation of an official is a crime punishable by death. And as my people's spiritual leader I also qualify as a priest. I must say, you creatures must be truly seeking death, for you have been marked to be thrice-executed. It is quite the achievement." He sneered at the mechanical creature left, showing his utter disdain.

Kharag glanced at Dragonid, before initiating a mental communication. 'I have deceived you, but it was a necessary deception. Do you remember my talk at how I felt uneasy and unsafe in this new environment? I lied.'

[ca_lazerdwarf]

"Though I did not know they could take specific forms and disguise themselves as you. You should be offended at how easy it was to dispatch your imposter." Dragonid said out loud for the assassin's beenfit.

To the mental confession, he thought "In what way did you lie? You do not feel unsafe here? With a traitor among your people and the Delaztri unease is wise, even if it is not as outwardly deadly as your homeland."  He did not like the tought of deceit, especially from one he had counted as an ally. He kept watch of Kharag out of the corner of his eye, the nagging feeling that he might be totally surrounded by enemies.