• Closed • A Reluctant Alliance

[Rey'na]

1st Vhalar

Well, this was beyond just a clusterfuck.

As if an ex-con with an attitude problem wasn't bad enough, the reasons and dangers to this mission made a nice addition. Scalvoris could be swallowed into a world of dreams, outright destroyed one way or another, and the team had all of their own personal grudges. As far as she could tell, Rey was the most neutral aspect of this mission. While Max clearly had issues with her, none of it was personal aside from her being an Element. Sephira, however, seemed to have as many issues with Max as Max had with her. At least, compared to how she had seen the superior Element act around other people.

When Max made her laps around the room, Rey met her eyes, not letting herself show what fear she felt for the woman. Rynmere was the intimidating factor of this mission as far as she was concerned, and the ex-convict had more than just Rey'na to worry about. If Max proved to be a danger then Rey had full faith that Sephira would be there for her and willing to deal with Max accordingly. Yet the convict, aggressive or not, had a point. What they were doing was beyond just dangerous, and the Scalvoris military knew it. None of these people were spies, let alone trained enough to take on the entirety of Rynmere if everything went to dog shit.

Something about it, though, bothered her. If things did go south, as they easily could, what were three people supposed to do about it? There was no way they could wipe out armies in Rynmere, and even if it was just the piss-poor guards that the Iron Hand had at their disposal, it was enough to take out three people, no matter how skilled they were in combat. Rey had seen Sephira fight, and knew what she could do, but she'd seen Rynmere too. Seen the brutality some guards went to. Even during her stage of crime, with Lisirra at her side, it was often safer to avoid guards than to kill them.

"I'm in" she replied, keeping her eyes on Max as she did. "But why us? Scalvoris has spies, it has men and women trained to do this. We're soldiers, or not as the case may be, and we're being sent to infiltrate a shit-sty of a city with enough guards in Andaris to wipe a small army, let alone us. So what makes us the right choice?" she asked, eyes finally looking back to Kura with an air of concern to her. While she didn't think Scalvoris would ever send them to die, she had her doubts about the entire situation.

Cautiously, she gave a glance to Sephira, one of doubt. Whether she was having the same concerns or not the young Element didn't know, but surely she had some concern too. At least, Rey'na hoped she did. She would deeply hate to be in agreement with Max alone.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura watched quietly at Maxine processed the information she had just given the group, raising an eyebrow at the consumption of the drug, though she didn't say anything yet. Pierce, meanwhile, looked for all the world like this was just another day for him. At Sephira's objection, Kura raised a hand to let the soldier know she'd answer her in a minute. As she expected, Maxine did eventually choose to speak her mind. Kura remained silent through-out the response, but Pierce let out a smile when she mentioned killing the errand boy and looked at his boss. "My, she is rather like your little sister, isn't she?" he asked, his tone amused.

Kura smiled at the comment, but shook her head. "No, Ela's more even tempered. Her attitude is the result of youth. Maxine is older, but has never been given reason to learn control or discipline." she said, standing up and grinning slightly. "Which is exactly why you're here, Maxine. Rynmere is a land so anchored in old tradition that they won't be able to easily act to counter you." she said, glancing at Sephira as she said it. "As for your speculation, Rynmere broke their treaty with us. They're also quite busy burning their populace alive, which is another reason I want you on this assignment. You ride chaos well, Maxine." she said, before frowning slightly. "As for being disposable, no. If I wanted someone disposable, I'd hire mercenaries out of Yaralon. No, I don't deal in disposable people. If someone is disposable, then it is because they are useless. I fire disposable people, I don't send them on missions of critical importance." she said, before letting out an irritated sigh. "Truthfully, I had originally intended to go with you. However, the rest of the council demanded that I stay here. Evidently, a member of the ruling government going on such missions is a step too far for them." she said, her tone showing her irritation.

Then she looked at Rey'na. "Actually, Scalvoris doesn't really have much in the way of an espionage network. The government is young, and they are not...quite up to date with how international relations work. Possibly because, until I arrived here, they didn't seem to have any international relations." she said, before sighing. "As for why you three, I've already explained Maxine's presence. Sephira is one of our best soldiers and skilled at dealing with unorthodox situations. Rey'na, you've shown you're skilled at such things as well, plus Sephira recommended you." she said, before looking at the group. "You all leave tomorrow morning. You're taking the Eclipse Portals from Ishallr to Rharne, and then going to Rynmere from there, a shorter trip by several days. Sephira, you're in charge. Bring in foreign allies as needed, if you feel them trustworthy, and do whatever is needed to retrieve that stone." she said, before tossing a pair of boots at Sephira.

"These are for your extraction. Once you have the stone, place it on the ground and activate it. Send the rest of your team through to Scalvoris. I'll have a group of soldiers waiting. When everyone else is through, de-activate the stone and pick it back up. Click your heels while wearing the boots three times, and they'll take back to Ishallr." she said, sitting back down as she looked over the group. "Any questions?" she asked, her tone calm.

[Max]

One by one the puppets began to catch onto the intentions of the master pulling the strings. Doubt. That was the first to visibly surface when Maxine finished making her scathing observations. It arose next in Sephira, whose obsidian stare locked on Kura the very moment it became clear the ex-convict had been conscripted to her brigade. Max didn't need to toggle her enhanced hearing on to know the Special Assistant was voicing her disagreement. It wasn't as if the marked woman could blame her. Even she believed it to be the work of a desperate politician trying to find a solution to an impossibly dire situation.

The new Element's suspicion was palpable, too. She saw the strangeness in the summons, recognized that they were misshapen pieces that did not fit the puzzle to which they were assigned. It was a bad trial when the most junior of a squad began to fault the judgement of their superiors. The next bits were crucial. Councilwoman Kura's team was either going to band together or fall apart, the latter which would likely secure the doom of Scalvoris.

The marked woman turned her attention to Pierce when he spoke, head tilting slightly. She never knew the Councilwoman had a sister. The notion the calm, calculating political genius might've had an erratic, temperamental sibling more of Maxine's fiery ilk was an amusing one. The musing between Pierce and Kura regarding Maxine's behavior like she wasn't standing in the room was less so. She arched a challenging brow at the pair, and before she thought to strike back with icier words, the cunning Councilwoman connected her deductions with her point. She crossed her arms and considered Kura with her drug-dilated, albeit thoughtful, gaze.

Perhaps there was a method to this madness after all. She hadn't been offered a role in this mission to play soldier. Everyone who knew her must've realized she was incapable of that. Instead it seemed Kura wished to recruit her for exactly what she was: an unpredictable, chaotic force who feared the ire of no nation. There was opportunity for a woman like her to exploit in a place like Rynmere. Manipulating social unrest to her advantage had been her strong suit in the past, and though it ended with her riot being crushed beneath the heel of the much larger Element army, there was no denying the precariousness of the circumstance she'd made. This was not a mission in which it seemed anyone had intentions of collaring her. This was one in which Maxine could operate freely. The Ambrosia in her brain shot thought after thought through her mind, linking ideas and scenarios together faster than she could realistically consider them at the moment.

No. Stop right there. You're saying yes for a free ride. Fuck them, remember?

She had to admit, the concocted plan sounded easier spoken than it had to have been in practice. After all, Kura failed to mention one crucial detail: just where the portal stone was in Rynmere. Something of its caliber wasn't going to be unguarded. Best guess? It was in somebody's stronghold. That meant guards. Lots of guards. She smoothed over her expression. It was a good thing she didn't have much riding on the success of these efforts. As of yet, it was sounding like a plan that may very well be filled with casualties.

And you're not going to be one of them. Kill Francis. Dip out of there before they even realize you're gone.

"You want chaos?" Max entertained Kura with a smirk. "I'll bring you chaos. Just say when." She looked to her flank toward the spear-wielding Element with a look that was as filled with mirth just as it was mildly sinister. "Guess I should introduce myself now we're to be teammates." The marked woman extended her right hand out toward the stranger, looking to take Rey'na's in turn if she too offered her palm. "I'm Max. Ex-convict. Murderer." She flashed her teeth. They were all in for one hell of a ride.

[Aegis]

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Thread Review

Withholding review from Maxine, Sephira, Rey'na, and Kura until you grandfather into the current Wealth System. PM or DM me when you've done so.


Review Request: viewtopic.php?f=242&t=16103

Maxine

• Skill Points - 15
• Renown - 0
• Skill Knowledges
  1. Leadership: Conforming Only to Your Own Agenda
  2. Intelligence: Validating Information Based on Its Source
  3. Resistance: Ambrosia Keeps the Mind Sharp
  4. Negotiation: Agreeing to Hear a Proposition
  5. Negotiation: Knowing a Bad Deal When You Hear One
  6. Negotiation: Finding a Way to Benefit Yourself
• Non-Skill Knowledges
• Items and Other Rewards

Sephira

• Skill Points - 15 (Can be used in Rupturing or Attunement)
• Renown - 0
• Skill Knowledges
  1. Rupturing: Scrying - Technique
  2. Rupturing: Blending Attunement to more easily Scry an individual
  3. Tactics: Pulling your weapon before a combatant arrives.
  4. Leadership: Defending those under your command
  5. Discipline: Resisting the urge to retaliate against insults
  6. Tactics: Ensuring that you do not have a liability on your team.
• Non-Skill Knowledges
• Items and Other Rewards

Rey'na

• Skill Points -
• Renown -
• Skill Knowledges
• Non-Skill Knowledges
• Items and Other Rewards

Kura

• Skill Points - 15
• Renown - 0
• Skill Knowledges
  Tactics x 3
  Politics x 3
  Leadership x 3
• Non-Skill Knowledges
• Items and Other Rewards

Final Notes

If you have any questions, please PM me. Also please add the provided stamp to your review request found here and please update your CS with all of this information.

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