Clone encounter Part 3

[Luexena Deana]

Lynx curled her lips slightly, offering a small smile to Ryltar, then peered up to Edge, bringing her right hand to her temple, saluting him jokingly. Her lips were still pale though slowly regaining their coloring, though the young elf still appeared drained as if the Banshee she unleashed sucked some of her life as well. As the drow mage spoke to Edge, she huffed silently, raising two fingers, correcting him. 'Two circles'. The Ar'Tel'Quessir slipped off the cot, still a bit unsteady on her feet, taking out the holoprojector, activating it, poined to the armory and then to the living quarters, as if marking her destination. Then she paused, regarding Edge thoughtfully for a moment, questioningly, though was not sure how to ask her question until she got an idea and approached one of the laptops, typing the phrase up quickly (gods bless the drow and wish spells). [i:1q0m9f9t]"Is the battle over now?"[/i:1q0m9f9t]

[Zarae Zyne Kilanatlar]

the nurse(?) held hands up to keep her laying down, "take it easy."
the stubborn rogue, didnt listen sitting up a bit confused at everything, hearing their words.
"wha..?" she looked around, seeing all the injured and...
"dead?"
her hand went to rub her forehead as if from a strange dream that she remembered vividly.
and as usual, "and here i thought i was on vacation," she joked.

[veraka]

Edge looked over to Ryltar and nodded at the drow's explanation.
"Rarely do I agree with my squad on any one particular idea, especially our demo specialist," he jabbed a thumb back behind him towards Pyro, who was busy prattling on towards Lothir and a-now resurrected Zarae; "but this time, I think he has a point. Would you two be interested in taking up a semi-permanent position in the squad? I'm also normally not one for saying this as well, but you two seem to able to firmly grasp our technology, and with those strange . . . [b:23744qt9]magics[/b:23744qt9] that you both use, I'm beginning to wonder if she has me beat for being tech-savvy," Edge remarked to the drow, giving him a knowing grin that he was being half-sarcastic, half-serious.

The entire squad had never seen magic in use like that which Lynx cast, and it both spooked them at the thought of that kind of power existing in the hands of one person, but at the same time, it also made them all gap in awe, especially Edge, who was so accustomed to the technology that he dealt and worked with on a daily basis.

When Lynx gave her mock salute, Edge smiled and laughed a bit; If anything was a demonstration of the troubling life the clones led, it was how they really couldn't show emotion, despite how deeply they may feel it, for that was why most, if not all the time, the Theta's were cracking jokes at each others' expense. It was the only way they knew how to voice their emotions.

The clone then nodded at Lynx's idea of visiting the armory before giving the team some much needed rest, especially given the day as it had been up to that point.
"Actually that's a good idea; every single one of you needs at least some form of armor against laser weapons," Edge remarked toward Lynx and Ryltar.
Glancing at the labtop in Lynx's hand, Edge nodded his acknowledgment, "yes Lynx, the battle is over; and in no small part due to you I might add." He said this with a smile, which soon vanished as the first real wave of casualties came flooding into the medbay, among them was the young crying marine, who was weeping near the body of her lover.


Onix saw the newly arrived woman, strode on over to her, despite his colossal exo-armor, and placed an armored hand firmly on her shoulder to try and comfort her. However, what the young female marine then did surprised Theta squad's leader; turning around, the female marine looked up into Onix's crimson orbs, her own tear streaked ocean-blue eyes racking havoc on the clone's heart. Not even thinking twice, Onix embraced her, gently enveloping the young woman in a hug, even as her sobs of "he's dead" kept coming from her. Onix knew two things right then; one of those feelings was something he experienced all the time, the desire to right the mistakes that he'd caused.

The second, however, was somewhat new to him, as Onix had never been in a position of emotional empathy before. He'd seen, heard, and lived through death all the time, but this was different, and he knew it. As the marine's tears traced lines down his carbon-scored armor, Onix felt a fury come up within him as he saw Doctor Clinck drap a cover over the dead marine's body.

However it was Stalker, the usually calm, and concise sharpshooter of the squad, that slammed his fist down onto a table with force of a hammer.
"Damn it; is there nothing that we can do?!!" he exclaimed, his dark voice hiding a very hard, but hot edge to it.

Onix just raised his head and shook it. He looked from Maryne to a now raised Zarae and Lothir beside her, then to Lynx and Ryltar.
"Somethings, you just can't do anything about, but look into the distance and watch."

[Luexena Deana]

Lynx nodded her head enthusiastically at the suggestion to stay, then winced, looking over to the crying woman. Healing and raising the fallen was not... her field of expertise, though she wondered if there was something that could have been done. [i:2672wqdo]"What are our losses?"[/i:2672wqdo] she typed it up quickly, then turned to Ryltar [i:2672wqdo]"How many 'Raise dead' scrolls do you have stocked?"[/i:2672wqdo] Setting the laptop down, she began rummaging through her possessions, taking out a scrollcase. Opening it, the elf took out several bundles of scrolls, the thin fingers of hers moved through them as she checked each scroll and put several to the side, tucking the rest away before reaching to the laptop again. [i:2672wqdo]"Fourteen. Ryltar might have more. We can attempt to bring back some of your people... those that are not blown into space, that is. And only if their souls decide to return."[/i:2672wqdo]

[Aylstra Illianniis]

He ignores Pyro for the moment, still completely fixed on the newly raised Zarae. For just a moment, his hand goes to the pendant again, in both joyful thanks and sober remembrance of his own brush with death not so long ago. He rushes to her side, helping her to stand, knowing that she will be weak and confused for a while- perhaps even in some shock.

"Don't you EVER try something that foolish again, milady! Do you have any idea how worried we all were?!" He scolds her gently, though there is a hint of pure relief in his tone. He puts an arm around the rogue to steady her, clearly wanting to help in whatever way he can. "Besides, I used my last potion on you- how am I supposed to help you now if you get hurt again?" He chuckles, and suddenly pulls her close for a hug.

After a moment, he leans in, close to her ear, and the laughs turn into what might be soft sobs. "I really was afraid for you," he whispers right beside he ear. "I know we haven't known each other long, but I already care about you as a dear friend. I've already lost three women who meant a great deal to me; I don't know if I could stand to lose another."

He pulls away, and slowly turns back to Pyro, looking down at the two swords. "No, I'm not the only one who can use them. Aside from the few enchantments I put on them, they could have belonged to almost anyone. But, thank you just the same." He takes the sabers from the clone, staring down at them still. "I'm not even sure if I'm still worthy of these after what I have done. The names ring hollow now, somehow." He turns them so that Pyro can see the inscription written in elvish down each blade- Honor on one, Valor on the other.

Then he looks up at Pyro again, with a slightly wry expression. "I do hope you'll consider my request though. If I DO loose myself to the bloodlust, I would rather die by a friend's hand then live as the sort of monster my people are. Even if the ladies WOULD miss me. Think of it as less competition."

[Zarae Zyne Kilanatlar]

the nurse grabbed her equipment that they took off to help her and set them on the bed beside her.
the rogue gave the best pouting and innocent look she could to the 'scolding' by both the guys. she sat up with help still a bit unsure at the moment tho feeling rather good for what they told her.
"well, i guess i have several IOU's now," she said rubbing the side of her neck, "But i did have it under control. just a minor set back," she jested standing to her feet.
she didnt expect the hug but welcomed it, for some reason she didnt know right away and actually hugged back in the warm embrace till he pulled away speaking with Pyro.

Zarae looked around to the others, seeing the injured and dead all around. 'i sure missed alot' she said to herself. then she heard and saw along the roof a smaller sized Shade and smiled. the spider the size of a dinner plate descended down to her hands. she was glad the spider survived.
"ready to go back?" she asked. the purple foggy essence surrounded and then the spider was gone.
"how can i help?" she asked determined to be useful while strapping the belts on. her hands brushed the shirt feeling the large hole in it. she pulled the shirt up a bit to examine the problem and inadvertently exposing her lean muscled abdomen and the slight discolored spot left from the laser been. she saw just how blood soaked the material was. she would have to get it fixed and cleaned; good thing there was a couple changes of clothes in her pack.

[Drakashin]

Grisnaw blinked away his sleepiness and found himself on a table with a couple of needles in him.

"Aghh!!!" he yelled as he jumped off the table pulling the needles out, which only caused him to yell louder.

Then he noticed Zarae up and moving. Momentarily lost for words he just gazed stupidly for a second or two, then turned to Drakin and said quietly, "You killed me, didn't you!"

Drakin began to prepare another needle for the gargoyle, who let out a yelp of fear and ran from the room.

"Now maybe we can have a moments peace," Drakin whispered to himself.

[Calabask]

OOC: Blame Cataclysm. >.>

IC:

[i:3jbis6qx]"Raise dead scrolls?"[/i:3jbis6qx] He asked aloud. He had no idea how many he had and he looked to the large bags of reagents in his backs, the giant sacks that they were were now inside his magical bags and well... Now he wanted to curse them. He rummaged about in one, he never kept the raise dead scrolls in a scroll case, always in a magic bag as they hardly were needed. After what seemed like a half hour, he'd produce a bundle of them, quickly counting them out. [i:3jbis6qx]"I have ten."[/i:3jbis6qx] He replied before handing them to Edge. "[i:3jbis6qx]We would have lost much more, if not for you, Lynx.[/i:3jbis6qx]"

[veraka]

((. . . . Cal, you have [b:h5s22ek5]NO[/b:h5s22ek5] idea how close you are to that statement, even for me, and yes, I'm a World of Warcrack addict))

Edge first looked to Lynx as she typed up on the laptop that she had procured, and was about to respond when she handed the scrolls to him, followed immediately by Ryltar doing the same.

The clone stared at the scrolls blankly, as he held them in his hands; then he looked at the two, "I'm not sure how to say this, but. . " he stumbled for a moment; "thank you, both of you. I'm not sure how these work," he indicated the Scrolls, "but I think we'll be able to resuscitate all of our wounded and fallen marines, and brothers."


Pyro looked to Lothir with a now stern expression on his face; "Look, bard, I'm not gonna go and put a round through your skull just cause you think you might go a little nuts on the battlefield. If, however, you ARE in need of some help, I might give ya good smack to the head with the buttstock of my rifle. And why aren't such fine blades worthy of you; what do they shut off or something when you don't meet a certain requirement? That's kinda dumb."


Onix was still holding the crying female marine when Edge came walking over and told Onix the news. The clone leader repeated Edge's words to the sobbing marine, whom instantly stopped and stared Onix with eyes of wonder, awe, and oddity.
"Is that even [b:h5s22ek5]possible[/b:h5s22ek5]?" she asked in a low tone.

"You just saw the young lass over there revived from what should've been death, over there, did you not?" Onix asked back, waving an armored hand to Zarae.

The young female nodded her head, her eyes slowly brightening with hope that she thought she had lost.

Stalker was busy helping what medics there were in the medbay patch up the bleeding wounded. Looking to Zarae as she asked what she could do to assist around the place, the clone waved her over.
When the drowess would come over, the sniper would ask her "ever had medical training before?"

[Aylstra Illianniis]

Lothir shakes his head at Pyro's comments. "Well, that is your choice, I suppose, but you might think differently if you knew the kind of Hell I came from. Matrons routinely sacrifice their own children to their demented goddess, simply because the babes have the misfortune of being born the third son when their mothers wanted daughters. Males are treated as chattel and battle-fodder and nothing more. Torture and death are the punishment for almost any perceived disobedience against the whims of the High Priestesses. Piracy, murder, and deception are a way of life, and are encouraged and even applauded if the perpetrators are not caught. Assassins are among the most respected and well-paid individuals, and beauty and kindness mean nothing. Friendships last only so long as one person can use of gain advantage from the other, and are often ended with a knife in the back."

He takes a moment to let that sink in, then gives Pyro a very serious look. "Now tell me that a simple slap to the head would be enough to 'cure' someone who has sunk to that level of cruelty and evil. THAT is what I mean. I have always fought those very things, but now I am finding myself teetering on the edge of becoming the very thing I hate. There is a saying among my faith- 'be wary of the enemy you fight, lest you become like that enemy.' I never truly understood it until today. That spell I used down there on the surface during the battle- the one with the fiddle-bow that shredded that wizard- that spell is evil by its very nature, cruel and vile. I swore I would never use it, and here I am, using dark magic. Perhaps you've never known how tempting such power can be, but it is a power that corrupts everything it touches- even the soul."

He sighs, and turns to wave toward Lynx and Ryltar. "What they are doing is noble. I've always aspired to that, too. That is why I asked you what I did. It is easy to fall from the path, and some who do never find it again. But to fall into that trap of temptation and wickedness would destroy everything I have ever held dear. These swords are a reminder of those ideals- no, they would not stop working for me, but if I ever did sink that low, even using them would be a mockery of those virtues. I have heard of knights whose holy blades rejected them as unfit to wield them, and there is no clearer sign of how far one has fallen than to have one's own blade refuse to be touched by its owner. I do not wish to ever reach that point, but there is a part of me that fears I already have."

[Zarae Zyne Kilanatlar]

Zarae looked up dropping the ripped material and took a few tenative steps then when she was sure she had it, headed twords Stalker and seeing more of the damage done from the space battle.
"medical as in healing? no. It drove my sister to no end that I never could pick up the skills a [i:3u03hh6z]priestess [/i:3u03hh6z]would need."
she went searching thru her returned pouch for anything of use. the rogue hadnt been in the habit of keeping healing potions.
"i can read scrolls. maybe make some poultices, tho I tend to work with poisons more than healing herbs." (read scroll- use magical device?)

[veraka]

Pyro looked at Lothir and nodded slowly when the bard had finished; "I've never had the ability to saw someone apart using bones; but am I so different from you; not really. Ask yourself the same question if you're in my shoes, and you've got the capacity to annihilate an entire planet; I'm not talking about one person, I'm saying entire species lay at my finger tips and all I have to do is push a button. 'Ever had the power of the gods in the palm of your hand?' to coin the phrase. I have, and it's not a pretty thought. But I continued onward." Pyro said to the bard, patching up a nearby wounded marine whilst he did so.

"Do I think a bonk to the head will cure you of your near psychosis; probably not, but it will knock you out for a good hour, giving me and the team time to figure out how to deal with it, should that situation truly arise. My point is Lothir, I'm not gonna put a bullet through your skull just because you're fighting to survive. In war, it's do or die. You [b:10escigr]did[/b:10escigr], so you lived, that drow didn't, so he died. You can't call yourself evil for fighting for your right to live. If you do chastise yourself about that, then you're setting yourself for meeting with the Reaper himself next battle you face. "

"Look Lothir, I don't give a good goddamn about where you grew up, if you keep letting yourself be absorbed by these thoughts of your vindication of falling into an evil state of mind, you are only if you believe you have, which, judging by your present state of being, I'd say you've done just that. So know this; neither me, nor any of my brothers are gonna end your life on account of you teetering a bit over the deep end; however, if that teetering ends up being a threat to any of us, I [b:10escigr]will[/b:10escigr] follow through on your request. My point is Lothir, until you show yourself as a very REAL threat to either my team or the mission, I'm not going to bring harm to you because of some religious idealism that you stick too, and if it isn't that, then I don't know what it is."

Pyro turned to look the bard directly in the eyes, "I suppose, just due to circumstances, that me and my brothers might see a few things differently than you would or any of the others from Toril's surface. When you're fighting for your very right to breath the next mourning, most people don't be as stingy as you might think," he finished off with a smile to the bard, clapping a hand on his shoulder; "you'll be fine, Lothir. Trust me."


Stalker nodded at Zarae as she listed off her abillities to him, and her talents in the medical field.

"If you can read those scrolls and bring back those soldiers," he pointed an armored hand over to the gurney's with the dead laying on them; "then go for it; as for herbs and the like, anything that can treat burns or lighten pain would be of use."

[Aylstra Illianniis]

He sighs at Pyro's words, and nods. That was all I was asking, abbil. The truth is, that is precisely what I'm afraid of- going so far that I become a threat to EVERYONE, not just enemies. To the people of my home, everyone around them is an enemy- or at least a potential one. I understand what you mean about fighting to survive, but the funny part is that I wasn't. When I slaughtered that wizard, it was not just because I HAD to kill. At that moment, I WANTED him dead, if for no other reason than because I could. That is the difference. You can, but you do not want to. I did. Killing to survive is one thing, but that was sheer bloodlust for it's own sake. "

He looks off into space through a window, and frowns. "I don't think I am truly evil, but the fact that I could have slipped into that way of thinking so easily is more frightening to me than death. I've already been dead once, you see. In fact, I've been close to death more times than I care to remember- was even hung, once. Clawed to ribbons by a harpy, even half-crushed under a dead cave fisher and almost eaten alive by pyrimo. The point is that what you said about turning on you and your brothers or anyone else here is the very thing that worries me. Not because I feel inclined to, but for the possibility of doing it in the future. I'm just afraid that I might be slowly damning myself with all this fighting, because it has become so easy to fall into the mind-set of making my enemies suffer. A soldier kills,but most don't torture their enemies when they do it. I could have killed that wizard with my blades, but I didn't. What I did was torture for pleasure, nothing more."

He finally looks Pyro in the eyes and nods slightly. "But I suppose you are right, too. Maybe I am just tired and letting my fears take over, but it's something I have questioned for a long time- whether I am truly so different from my kin- and I still do not have an answer. Perhaps I never will. I sometimes think I'm just fooling myself by trying to be something other than what I was born as. The question, though is just WHAT that is." He shrugs, and turns away to the window again, then glances over as Stalker speaks to Zarae.

"I can read magical scrolls, too," he says, moving over to thepair. "Not as well as a wizard, but I'm familiar with magical writings. I can help, if needed."

[Zarae Zyne Kilanatlar]

Zarae took them as Lothir came over, she handed him half. "here, i'll start on one end. we can work twords the middle."
She gave Stalker a look, "I doubt I would be of use in that. we want to help not harm them."
she counted the sheets in her hand, then looked to the bodies.
"after all this, jumping into a tub of hot water and maybe crashing like humans do on a bed sounds like a good idea. assuming there's nothing better to do," she quipped then went to work.
starting on the opposite side of the bard, she carefully read the words, making sure to not waste a single scroll or mess up the spell. when life, if it did, reentered, some nurse came to help and she moved to the next body, tucking the blank sheet into her pouch (free paper). she continued this process till she finished her half.

[Luexena Deana]

Lynx set the laptop down with a silent huff, watching the two drow reviving the fallen, after it she turned to Ryltar and motioned with her hands, urging him to rise. As he did, she took out her spellbook and began flipping through the pages, pausing to point to [i:jx5g48sq]Telepathy[/i:jx5g48sq] and [i:jx5g48sq]Permanency[/i:jx5g48sq], then the elfess smirked, touching her forehead and pointing to his.