Personification Life: EPIC (IC Thread XI) [CLOSED]

[Torsiedelle]

"Oh. My. God."

This was stupid. Drova was stupid for being so damn emotional, and she was stupid for knowing when to calm down and shut her mouth, and then it really didn't help as much as she'd think, having her friends sit her down and try to make sense of it all, at least when she knew that now they'd have their two cents on it.

And there was also her "Friend" from back home. She just wished she'd leave her alone.

This was just too damn stressful and annoying, being given such news literally right when she'd gotten back from a month of family issues, and money issues, and a collection of other stupid issues, and then freaking out and fucking up like she always did. All she wanted to do was sit down and relax for once.

Torii sighed, for a good five seconds or so, and facepalmed. She was supressing a frustrated laugh. "Wow, and not even ten Goddamn minutes home, and I just have to get caught up in this stupid shit again."

She really wished that the American wasn't with her. She turned her head, just enough to let the woman know that she was adressing her, and spoke up. "Will you get out!?"

Audette huffed and rolled her eyes. "Geeze, like Mother like Daughter. Fine, I'll keep an eye out for you, though."

She backed off again, for good this time; no use in sticking so close to the little drama queen.

Torii sighed again and pushed her seat out. "I, uh, guess we should go get him, right?"

........

And around the corner he went! The first new person Oumech had seen was a strange winged fellow, who nearly ran into him. Was he in a rush? He wasn't who the Sith was looking for, however. As he stepped up to the second floor, he wondered just who he'd run into.

[The Carlisle]

Kale grew wide-eyed and her mouth fell agape a bit as Torii spoke. She was utterly shocked at the things she were saying. It brought up a near instinctive desire to slap Torii on the face, though she suppressed it and kept her hands down, more out of a desire to not make a scene than for her being a "friend". Why?! WHY!! Why did any of that shit matter!?!?! Torii and Drova were boyfriend a girlfriend, so none of that shit SHOULD matter if they were in a relationship!!! Fuck it should never matter but Torii somehow felt it did! Was she even serious about their relationship?! Was this just a fling to try out the "exotic" boy?!

Kale let out a heavy sigh, breathing out an air of displeasure. Gio talked before she could speak, saving Torii from a yelling and giving Kale a good couple seconds to let her decide to not make a scene. Of course that didn't last long, as Drova reacted with righteous anger. He had damn good reason to be angry, as it seemed Torii didn't think the relationship checked out enough arbitrarily made boxes in order for her to take it seriously. She stayed where she was, looking at Torii. Sadness from finding out what a friend truly was showed on her face, mixed in with the anger and displeasure. She briefly looked over to Gio, the sadness showing more, and almost said with her facial expression "I don't even know anymore" before looking back to Torii.

[Northwest Slobovia]

"Sandy-human? Could Mahrl see hand? Squib largely identify other by touch. Fur super special koovy! Can detect many-many minute detail, plus Mahgrl no good telling human apart usually unless spend ton of time with. Touch mean I know who are by touch, and too-many smells in air now to do by smell. Squib normally greet by rubbing cheek together. In Maghrl experience, most human greet by hand" He stuck out his small furred hand out to the man, offering a handshake in other terms as a way to help the Squib identify him later if not by clothes.

It took Sandy a second to realize that the Squib merely wanted to shake hands, so convoluted was his explanation. "Shaking hands? Sure. I'll mind your claws." Sandy clasped Maghrl's hand firmly, or at least as firmly as the differences in anatomy would allow. If Maghrl could distinguish him by smell and not by sight, better to give the Jedi enough of a scent to work with.

She glanced over at Sandy, a concerned look upon her face that clearly stated he would need to be here.

Sandy had been listening to the exchange between Primordial and Anais, and had caught Anais' beckoning gesture. Her worried expression told him it was now urgent, and the Jedi's mention of another with his gift allowed Sandy to leave with the most grace possible. "It's always possible that whatever means brought you here, brought another from your dimension. Perhaps I should allow you to look into that?"

Sandy returned Anais' glance, then turned to both of his conversational partners. "I think I'll have to. As I mentioned, I'm responsible for the healers here. It seems I'm being called to duty. My apologies to the both of you. I'd like to talk longer, but I'll have to do that another time. Please, enjoy the feast!" With that, Sandy dabbed his lips with his napkin, stood, snatched up his wine glass, and strode to the table where Primordial, Anais, and Sterling were talking.

"I do think Anais' idea of a conclave might be better than going to each magic user individually. Last time I was here I very much remember many people who had access to magic. I'd be interested in joining that to learn about other kinds of magic myself. I'm not very worried about people taking the secrets of Equestrian magic, mostly as it requires parts and appendages only our species has. Is there any other people who could help organize that? I don't know who still lives here, and I was a bit of a shut in last time I stayed."

It appeared that in the few moments it took Sandy to excuse himself, the conversation had taken a better turn, and he slackened his pace, arriving at little more than a friendly saunter, addressing those at the table with a warm, relieved smile. "A conclave? We're going to hold a conclave?"

Sandy greeted each in turn: "Hello, Anais"; "You must be Baron Primordial. I'm Sandy Bela; Amanda said I should talk to you"; and finally, "You're a returning resident? I'm not sure I've met any others before. I'm Sandy, coordinator of the Building's healers. Welcome back. An informal meeting would be a good start, since there are so many of us. I've lived here for a year, and I met some of our spellcasters only yesterday."

[Swith Witherward]

Rache and the Smelly Fuzzmonster

Excellent! Rache didn't expect the ponies to follow, but it delighted him when they did. It also got them working as a team behind the beast and away from the massive claws now closing in on him.

The pony's eyes narrowed. He'd need to time his movement well. Pegasus wings were more effective than his massive leathery ones, and he'd traded distance for agility. He'd need it to harass the beast; manifestation would only summon more of his kind to a dimension that really, really didn't need to be embroiled in Chaos bullshit. Yet Rache preferred his toys... oh yes.

The massive claws whistled as they tore the air, narrowly missing Rache as he burst straight up from position. The Daemonpony laughed to mock him. "Ah, I know what it is to be your size," he barked at the creature. "Heavy damage, but you're no swifter than a man swatting at a fly."

He focused his power once more as he wheeled and flew to harry the beast, this time shaping his manifestation into something practical. The dagger attached to his right leg morphed into a scaled down version of his two-headed axe, and the metal of its twin blade ripped into the slender form of an impossibly long whip. Rache wasted no time in closing the distance while keeping track of the claws. The whip, easily as long as the monster's arm, snapped out to lash its eye. But Rache was still not fully adjusted to his new body. His attack went amiss. The tip kissed the creature's face instead, and sparked flames into the monster's fur as it tore away.

Rache retracted it as he spun in the opposite direction. For a fleeting moment he wondered if the creature was fire proof. Or, if he wasn't, how badly would he stink if caught ablaze?

[Mincaldenteans]

Pots, Kettle, Conclaves and Turkey, ohhh myyyy...

"I would think I'm hardly upset with you," Anais said with a slight frown, keeping the cup of tea within her grasp as she took a quick moment to gather her thoughts. Was she truly upset? She couldn't tell, and likely she would have to reflect upon her own reactions for the future. One thing was certain, however, and it was time to take the gloves off, "I'm merely concerned in the manner in which you've approached this. Like changing properties of an apple to say, a pear, you can't possibly think its the same fruit. They may share similar properties, share similar textures, but are they not completely different? And so it concerns me that you've approached us with the idea of utilizing the expertise of the casters without comprehending, or even respecting, their art. Merely gathering information for the sake of it - anyone can do that, sir."

As calm and poise as she maintained during their discourse, a visible sigh of relief flashed past Anais' features when Sandy had arrived. With Sterling's support for a conclave, the ritualist felt bolstered in her stance and that perhaps this talk would finally turn to the right course of action, but it was too soon to tell given Primordial's staunch position. Anais kept her hands wrapped around her mug as Sandy joined them and nodded with intent to quickly get her fellow healer up to speed.

"Primordial would like to gather information on the building's magical residents. He feels that such information would prove beneficial for the future, especially given the fiend attack. Logistics, in short, and how each caster might be better tasked to a given role. I agree and don't: utility for the sake of it can be found in any field, but it's hardly germane to the goal of understanding each caster and respecting their expertise and how they might better handle a situation. That said, and the varied permutations along with the schools regarding magic, I suggested a conclave rather than simply divulging information."

[New Aksarben]

Sterling nodded, smiling at the newcomer named Sandy. "Hey there, I'm Sterling, obviously a unicorn from Equestria, though the second part might not be so obvious. Same place my friend Willow Streaks is from, if you've met him previously." Sterling said, giving a bit of a bow from his seat to Sandy. "And yeah, I'm a returning resident. I got pulled back to Equestria by some strange pony against my will, unintentionally abandoning Willow here in the process. I really hope he's not too mad about that..." He cut himself off, before shaking his head and nodding in affirmation of what Anais was saying.

"It would be neat learning about the different schools of magic that reside here in the residence, And a meeting meant for that sort of meet up would be a lot more interesting, and we'd get to learn about each other and possibly make friends!" It was a bit typical for an Equestrian like him to put priorities on friendship. "Didn't make many last time I was here, and I'm guessing others have left. Though I do see Gio over there. I'll have to say hi a bit later to her too. When, uh, she's not busy with the argument those two seem to have gotten in." He happened to see the winged human storm out a bit ago, and had heard snippets of the conversation, though not enough to really understand what had happened.

Sterling happened to glance back towards where Sandy had come from, the strange purple furred life-form that slightly reminded him of a slim Diamond Dog without a tail seemed to be carefully watching the exits of the room that lead to the lobby intently. The pony wondered what had his goat, it was supposed to be a happy feast, it wasn't like a fight was about to break out or something evil about to show up.

[Giovenith]

Building

Fucking called it.

Giovenith shook her head and tried to analyze what to do. She didn't know why Drova chose to extend his anger and blame to all his friends, but drama made you think and say silly things she supposed. Not wanting to launch into a lecturing rant (knowing Torii wouldn't actually listen to that), she chose to gently place a hand on her friend's shoulder and frown.

"Torii..." she paused, as if holding up the pressure from the words. "... You never really liked him all that much that way, did you?"




Rache and Willow

The ghouling didn't hear or have the mental capacity to understand Rache's taunts, but was nonetheless frustrated and confused by the sudden shift in tactics by the ponies. It hadn't yet begun to feel the desperate sawing of it's wings by the soldiers, apparently lacking nerve feeling in the mid and outer tips, and focused instead on crushing the insane pony that dared to face it one on one.

It pushed itself forward with a roar seeking to crush Rache and anything else that fell in it's way, but instead found itself jerking to the side as it reeled back from the sting of the unknown weapon. The ghouling screamed and jerked about, giving an extra wild ride to the pegasus soldiers in back; some managed to hang on and continue sawing, and some were shaken off though quickly rebounded and went back to work at the sawing.

Indeed, putrid smoke filled the air as some of the creature's unwashed hair caught flame, thought the fire wasn't spreading nearly fast enough for that to be it's immediate undoing. However, shocked by the sensation, the creature howled again and swiped at it's burning face, managing to run it's own claws down against it's flesh in deep gashes in an attempt to wipe away the flames. It was a deeply painful but not deadly cut to the beast, though down below, small waterfalls of the creature's thick, dark green blood poured down onto the streets, efficiently scattering the pegasi who remained below like roaches. Despite that unpleasant mess, Rache had managed two critical blows in one: The lash, and the monster's unintentional self-harm.

Positive cries erupted some distance away, as the pegasus soldiers worked together to successfully carry away the sawed away half of one of the ghouling's wings.



Snow and ice scraped away as Willow slid on his hooves down the mountainside, wobbling to keep balance and not fall on his back. The angles and the coloring of the snow made going down deceptive for flight. He kept his eyes peeled for the reddish-orange and black that would be Pansy, cringing as he heard the distant roaring of the battle, now hidden by the wintry mists. He had to be quick, but he could not go back up without her.

Unlike the mountain range the unicorns resided in, this terrain was unsettled. Pansy and he had landed in a bowl-like concave formed by two slopes meeting, the place steadily filling up with snow as it blew down hard. He briefly thought to curse out the other pegasi as idiots for choosing now of all times when he remembered with a small horror that they were not the ones responsible for this. It only quickened his pace, kicking up fresh snow as he galloped the rest of the way down.

"Pansy!" he called out into the emptiness, his breath forming large white clouds and echoing off the large spaces. He hoped this area wasn't avalanche prone. He also needed to be quick for fear that the howling wind would soon make his voice inaudible. "Pansy!" Willow ran ahead, trying to mentally track the direction she'd fallen. His hoof since kicked a spear half buried in the snow, and he knew he was close.

Looking behind him to gauge how long it would be before the snowfall covered his trail, Willow dug his hooves especially down in the drift and charged ahead, so that his tracks would be both easier to follow again and so that he could possibly find more spears. He continued to call out Pansy's name until finally, mercifully, he heard a muffled response in the distance and instantly ran toward it's direction.

There she was, standing there mid-climb at the bottom of the other slope! Willow blew snow backward as he put on a flying burst of speed to get to her.

"Private Pansy!" he said, landing next to her. "Come on, we've got to get out of here."

"Stuck," she said, grimacing.

"What?"

Pansy jerked one of her forelegs, and Willow bent low to use a wing to wipe away the fresh snow that was covering her hoof. There he saw the problem, her yellowish hoof had been caught in the slit made by two rock ridges in the mountain, and from the way she was jerking, it seemed she was in threat of hurting seriously herself if she tried too hard to pull. Oh jeeze, this just kept getting better and better!

Immediately, Willow got to work at trying his best to push the rocks away. "How did you get caught?!"

"I tried to climb back up, and my hoof just sunk in..."

"The way back is the other slope!"

"I didn't know, it's snowing!"

"How could you not-"

A screeching howl interrupted and stilled them, as it was much closer than either of them knew the battle to be. Slowly, hearts pumping, they looked around them and tried to affirm that it had only been the wind. No such luck. From the now picking up mists crawled several hairy forms, smaller than the ponies, but still menacing none the less.

"Babies!" gasped Pansy, affirming what the other pegasus' feared.

Thinking fast, Willow bent low and picked up two of Pany's scattered spears, handing one to her and positioning one for himself. His face scrunched in determination. "We got this."

One of the baby ghoulings leaped forward and caught itself on the tip of Willow's spear, twisting and mangling around on it until it ripped off the welded metal head with its teeth and jumped backward to rejoin it's brothers and sisters, bending and twisting the metal chunk in it's mouth before realizing it wasn't flesh and spitting it out with distaste. It's twisted form landed near Willow's hooves.

The artist looked from the chewed up spearhead to the babies, his determination dissolving into fear as he grimaced and folded his ears. "We may not got this."

The ghouling babies screeched out and moved in, springing like jumping spiders upon the ponies. Pansy and Willow responded with their own screams, though not so much out of aggression as unfiltered terror, as they swatted away the attacking monsters with the spears and kicks. The babies were far easier to take on than their parent, but they still posed a danger, and the two young adults struggled to keep up with their fact leaps and rebounds. Willow attempted to use the now headless spear as a bat to whap a few away, but most depended on his own natural instinct to buck and stomp them away. Pansy being the more trained of the two was actually competent in use of her spear, running through and killing a few of monsters when she was able to, but due to her stuck position was far more limited in her ability to do so, depending on Willow as her main shield against death.

The attacks were easy to deflect, it was the sheer tenacity of the creatures that was the problem. Aside from the few Pansy had killed, they just kept coming back again and again no matter how much the two beat them away. Many of them sprang at once so that Pansy and Willow were pushed to the edge of their agility to meet every attack, and the sheer speed and strength needed for the fight was already beginning to wear down on their energy. Willow realized with grim terror that this was probably the beasts' tactic: Tire the two of them down until they slowed down or stopped, then swarm in for the meal.

Probably having the same thoughts as Willow, Pansy asked in a scared voice: "What are we going to do?!"

He couldn't lie to her. He fought hard against quickly freezing bits of tear in the corners of his eyes. "I don't know..."

A baby screeched and bounded again, arcing through the freezing air and toward the heads of the sitting duck ponies. It flared it's immature but nonetheless deadly claws, having timed itself to wait till the prey was distracted by one of it's brothers, intent on running the two through their eyes and into their brains. Willow and Pansy barely just had time to look up and only begin widen their eyes in terror, the beast already too close for them to move fast enough to deflect...

Dark green blood scattered across the snow and into Willow and Pansy's faces as the two halves of the leaping creature's body went flying backward and rolling out onto the snow, a lanky arm on each flopping about uselessly until they settled motionless on the ground. The two's hearts had all but stopped, as had the rest of the ghoulings, just as confused as they were.

From the mists landed a form with a heavy drop, immediately crouching down in front of the two other pegasi and facing off against the monsters.

The one who asked about the weather, it dawned on Willow, tingling all over as he recognized the young guard from the original storage station. He'd followed them?

Said guard wasted no time greeting the two cheerfully now as he had done with Willow before, deadly focus now on the ghoulings. The creatures clawed at the ground, hissing and snapping in aggressive displays as the blue pegasus made motion to begin circling them, wordlessly warning and daring them to come closer. Screeching yet another tiny battlecry, the babies bounded in at once yet again, this time focusing all their efforts on taking down the newest aggression.

Gauntlet knives flashed out, and so began the miniature righteous slaughter. In the first move the teen guard ran a blade through and quickly threw it against another, using the extra weight from it to press down and stomp the second to death with a swift push, pulling the blade back outward when through and facing off against the others. A third tried to jump onto his side, only for him to roll across the ground with it, gaining the top advantage and stomping it's bones in.

Pansy and Willow realized this was not excuse for them to stop their own efforts. Encouraged now by the extra assistance from their rescuer, they continued to fight off the ghouling babies with new resolve, Pansy staking more and Willow kicking harder, forcing himself to get over the squeamishness of feeling their bones break beneath his hooves. The three of them worked in vicious tandem to cut down the leaping swarm, the area around them slowly piling with motionless black clumps in the snow.

The remaining babies screeched in frustration and confusion, taking a moment to leap and dance around the bodies of their fallen siblings, a few lapping at the green blood in the snow and trying a nibble on an arm or two. The young guard took this moment to sheath back in his blades and jump backward to join the two other pegasi.

"She's stuck!" Willow told him urgently, showing him the rocks the now more-squirming Pansy was trapped in.

Gritting his teeth, the young guard reeled back and brought his front hooves down hard on the rocks, sending hairline cracks through them. The armoring of his sheathed gauntlets allowed him extra force and protection in the task, and he stomped down hard on the rocks two more times before they finally cracked open, freeing Private Pansy, just as the remaining babies began to recompose themselves and move in again on the ponies.

"Fly, fly!" the young guard ordered, and the three wasted no time shooting upward into the air, facing off against the wind as they rushed back towards the edge of the city.

The remaining babies followed, but due to their immature wings, were unable to keep up as the pegasi made their way free-of-challenge to (relative) safety.

[Torsiedelle]

Torii bit her lip. Gio had actually done what she had wanted her to do for a while. She appreciated the lectures, even if they did get old, but she really just wanted someone who wouold understand what was wrong, and say only what needed saying.

Now, all she had to do was replly without making a bigger idiot of herself.

"Uh, well...I mean...look, I don't really know.", Was her answer, long and drawn out. "To be honest? I, uh, didn't know what to do when we got into this. I liked, well, someone else, but they already had their own life, and I didn't want to be a bother on them."

She wanted to go get her friend, but...

"I talked with Myra about it, and she made some good points, I guess, and I thought about Drova. He's a cool friend, and I didn't want to disappoint him and say I was gay, and we already did a lot together, like be each other's Valentines, and go to that dance, and, well, that's about it."

Torii shrugged. "I didn't want to disappoint Drova. Now I have to go try and apologize. I don't know, I just always mess up and make people mad when I try and do anything. I just need to make things right. "

[Giovenith]

"Torii, you can't do this to people," Giovenith shook her head, placing both hand on both her friend's shoulders now. Deciding to throw away sugar, the godling chose to be blunt: "Look, I know you really, really, really want to be in love. It's been something you've wanted most since the day I met you. But this..."

She gestured after Drova, to Torii, to Kale, to everywhere around them, perhaps more on confused frustration than real point.

"... this isn't how you go about it. You can't get with someone just because they're willing to be with you. It hasn't worked for you before, and it's never going to work. Rejection is always less hurtful than tricking someone - you know why Marcus and Drova got into a fight? Because Marcus thought Drova wouldn't properly honor and appreciate you. Now, you've shown he was half-right, but only it was the other way around: You seriously hurt Drova and you know it. He's already been through a lot of grief regarding this, and this was the last thing he needed."

Slipping away from the girl, Giovenith backed up and stood beside Kale.

"And you need to make things right on your own. I'm not going to tell you what to say other than that you've got no room to be defensive when you do try to speak with him; this is something you need to learn through better experience. Either way, I think we can all safely say there's no restoring this thing."

It was cold and heavy, but not untrue.

[Torsiedelle]

"But I only said yes because..."

Because of her talk with Myra? Torii sighed. "I'll apologize, Gio. Don't worry. I'm just going to go now.", She turned to pursue her friend. "I shouldn't have gotten into this in the first place, if it would end up hurting him. I'm a bad friend."

She didn't want to go alone, not that she'd be apologizing with help, but still, if she needed to, then she'd do it. Torii turned and followed after Drova. She picked up her pace, hoping he wasn't too far gone by the point that he wouldn't hear her.

"Drova?", She called out. Would she need to go up to his apartment? She was already on her way, just in case.

Meanwhile, just after Torii had left, her new guard stepped back in. She hadn't left after all, it was clear, though now she was more concerned with taking a seat nearby than she was looking after the girl. Torii knew the place, but she sure didn't. She'd just stick around and see what was up with the other people there, to try and get a feel for the place.

"So, uh, is she always like this?", She quietly gestured to the other two girls. "The brat? Because she ain't really the epitome of calm and collected."

[Primordial Luxa]

Primordial
Primordial greeted Sandy with a slight respectful bow of his head. “Ah yes. She spoke very highly of your skills in the arcane I actually had plans to seek you out but its wonderful that you’re here now.”

Primordial felt a tad by ired by the fact their was so much push back against his original idea. However, he didn't let it build or fester due to his lovely state of intoxication and was able to relax. He had originally wanted to create a more mechanical and regimented process, perhaps because he was used to bureaucracy or because his style of magic was much more technical. However he was a politician, by birth and he knew when to be authoritarian and when to be democratic.

So he used his telekinesis to pulp and grind the cranberries, nuts and peas in the air into a liquid noisome sludge which he allowed to drip into his drink. The alcohol and condensed food produced a pungent smelling bled and the Luxan Baron swallowed it quickly before saying “Well… let it never be said that I am inflexible or pigheaded. I can tell a conclave is much more inviting so I will organize one which any magic user or group can attend.”

[Tsuyoi Tekikoku]

Tsu awoke from her sleep, she appeared to be in her room. She must have fell asleep on the roof and Edge must of came up and carried her down to bed. Anyway, it was time for her to get up and get dressed, she was planning to spend time with some of the other residents of the apartment, after all that fighting and action from the fiends, some relaxing time is called for incase they ever come back.

Out the door she went, after having the wings grab themselves some breakfast and a short chat with her sister. Tsu directed herself down towards the dining room, she figured that some of the residents would have gathered there and as she entered, she saw Gio, Kale and a new face, she hasn’t seen that girl around before. But it didn’t matter, she would get to know her in time. Tsu waved over to the trio. “Hello~! How are you three today~?” she asked with a bright smile making her over to the three girls. her own wings greeted them as well with sharp tooth filled smiles.

[Swith Witherward]

DINING ROOM

Adrastus stopped ticking. The rare occurrence caused the brooding Ocho to lift his eyes to assess whether the ancient cyborg had died. His companion's pallid skin seemed to drain completely of color.

"S'up?" his head tilted and concern furrow his brow as he observed the silent cyborg. Perhaps someone forgot to wind him, or plug him in, or whatever the hell it was this species did to stay running. He didn't relish carrying the two-ton brute down two flights of stairs, but if needs required it...

The cyborgs skin then began to return to its normal hue, then surpassed it. Red, redder, holy shit! The thade wondered if the man were about to explode. Explode he did, thought it was manifest in a flurry of movement the thade hadn't thought him capable of. Adrastus pushed himself to his feet and tossed his napkin aside.

"We have news of Usseio the Younger," the words were spoken too darkly for Ocho's liking. "Nila has recovered him."

Recovered? This didn't bode well at all. Ocho rose from the table. "What do you mean?"

But the massive Archimandrite didn't respond. He pushed his way past tables and occupied chairs, heavy footfalls rattling the plates as he strode towards the exit. Ocho was quick to fall in step. The pair skirted the teens without so much as a glance in their direction, and then hooked a right in order to take the utility stairwell at the far end of the hall.



LOBBY

The teenage babysitter, relieved from her unceremonious "pet-sitting" duties now that Nila had returned, bolted up the stairs and banged into the maintenance section's lobby door. It flew back on its hinges before slamming shut again. Myra's tanker boots left ugly scuffs on the bland linoleum as she sprinted through the lobby. Volker was just about to chew on her for running indoors, but the words caught in his throat to mingle with an unspoken Look Out! as the teen rounded the corner and plowed into Drova with enough force to knock them both to the floor.

The girl squealed and batted away at the white wings obscuring her vision as she struggled to disentangle herself from a Resident. It took several frantic heartbeats for her to realize that it was in fact Drova. Of course, the last she had seen of him was yesterday. She had no idea how things had turned out, or whether or not he and Marcus had patched shit up.

Marcus! Her hand latched onto Drova's shirt. "Giovenith! Where is she?"



IN A CLOUD CITY

Rache was unaware of the drama playing out far below and, had he known about the ghouling's offspring, he would have recommended swift euthanasia for the lot of them. Such was his way. But he was currently preoccupied with the shaggy behemoth in front of him.

The Daemonpony had made several passes already, each time imparting a bit of pain with his whip to occupy the creature. He used the swirling blizzard as concealment, drawing away each time to become lost in the white winds. He wasn't unscathed, however.

Rache panted as he clung to the air just out of the monster's reach, his flank and back quivering from a wound caused by a miscalculated dive. Ichor seeped from the gouged flesh though the fluids turned to ashy mist upon coming in contact with the snowy air. Undeterred and already regenerating, the pony focused his mind on a final, desperate solution. The other ponies' success meant that the thing's flight capabilities were diminished. Rache had no means of determining how much, however. Things worked differently here. In fact, he didn't have to flap very hard to stay in the air so it was entirely possible the same strange physics applied to his foe. No matter. He'd batter the thing to the Warp and back if such a task would preserve Willow and his innocent kind.

The whip absorbed into its gauntlet to free up a leg. His free hoof curled around the axe blade to stabilize it between joint and pastern. A preternatural calm came over him. There wasn't any need to invoke a god's name or offer a battle cry to a pantheon. Rache's ears flattened. His lips pulled back into a sneer. Fuck this shit.

Rache rocketed forward in unholy silence and allowed the whistle of his axe to serve as a death knell. It savagely struck the claws sweeping towards it. The daemonic blade hewed two fingers cleanly from the hand and opened a pathway directly to the monster's head. He kicked in his own power, his speed increasing to deliver the mother of all headbutts. A resounding crack! echoed off the buildings as pony and monster connected.

Tiny pinpricks of light burst into Rache's vision. He became dimly aware of the monster's head snapping back. The force of impact had lifted it from the city's edge, and now Daemonpony and ghouling found themselves sailing backward in a graceful arc. Feathery wings unfurled to roll him through the cold air. He burst into motion again to drive the thing to ground. His axe's wicked edge struck home, cleaving through fur and skin to kiss bone, and then again on the back-swing to do more damage. The weapon was far too small to pierce the skull but he'd be damned if he didn't try!

A sudden, searing pain caused him to wince; a claw had just done a number on his flank and Khorne's mark! Rache roared in indignation and hefted the axe for a final sw-

WHAM!

This is what happens when Daemonponies pay more attention to their foe than they do the ground.

Rache's roar twisted into muffled, agonized screams as he died twice in quick succession; first from impact, then from the monster impacting and sandwiching him between body mass and rock. The thing's stench overwhelmed. Rache coughed and sputtered and absorbed his axe. New energies pressed through him to mend bones enough for him to crawl from under the brute. The creature's head listed to one side as the Daemonpony wiggled himself into fresher air.

"Willow!" he winced as his rib cage protested the effort. "You... better... be... alive!"

[Monfrox]

Oh thank the lord and praise the heavens. This may end up better after all. Brit sighed heavily, smiling over at Chrys. Yes, this was something they needed desperately.

"Well, Miss Clover the Clever, we are very grateful for your help and for getting out of that situation back there. I would also go so far as to say that I really could do with a change of clothes if it's not too much trouble. But enough about that. You are right. We are not from this world. I would love to go back, but looking around tells me that things aren't the way they're supposed to be. I'm sure we can help each other out if it's okay with you?"

Brit had dropped the act at the door as they walked with the unicorn. This was a ray of sunshine, and she would follow it as far as she could.

[The Carlisle]

After Torii left, Kale's head turned to Gio, her face showing a mix of anger and discomfort. "There's more to Torii's lying that's a problem. Those things she said...ughh..." the girl said, letting out a groan/breathe. The plant girl was still uncomfortable with the things Torii said about Drova. Skin color, abhuman, nationality. It struck a cord in her, one that rang badly within her. "Was she always like that Gio?" she said, disbelief bleeding into her words.

She turned her head to the woman that seemed to be partnered to Torii. Calling her a brat caused Kale to grimace at the woman, but she shrugged. She honestly didn't know, especially with this new revelation made her doubt if she truly knew much about Torii to begin with. Plus, she has been doing so many other things with other people, she didn't get a chance to notice. Last thing she remembered with Torii was her leaving. She was sad, but calm. But... that was one moment in many others she was not there for.

She looked surprised when Tsu came over. Her grimace turned to a weak smile for the girl, greeting her with a wave. "Good I guess... It's nice to see you Tsu," she said, giving a slight laugh. At least someone here was happy. The winged girl's joy helped uplift the mood a bit.

[Giovenith]

Building

"Hey Tsu," Giovenith sighed, but exchanging a look with Kale. "Not so great. Just a little personal drama is all."

Kale was honestly probably having an easier time at this than Giovenith, because she allowed herself to feel the scorn and indignation at Torii's beliefs. Giovenith didn't really have that luxury. It was almost her unspoken job here to remain somewhat unbiased in her interactions with the residents, mostly so they would actually be willing to listen to her advice.

"Unfortunately, yes," the godling admitted to Kale. "Believe me, she's actually better than she used to be. Torii means well, she does, she doesn't hate anyone, but... she definitely grew up in a different world than some of us. To her credit, she does try to improve herself like you just saw, but we still have these instances from time to time."

Rache and Willow

If there was one piece of luck that the time travelers had had at all during their time, it was that ponies didn't often forget about those they didn't hate.

It didn't take at all long for a whoosh of air to signal the return of several pegasus soldiers, who had immediately flown after Rache during the ghouling's fall in order to guarantee his safety. Several gathered around the body, inspecting it this way and that to make certain it truly was dead, while several other ponies flocked to Rache to assist him. There was lots of chatter and marveling at what he had done and his survival, until one armored hoof reached out and gently pulled him to his feet.

"Brave stranger, you have done the impossible," said the pony, who was more prestigiously armored than her peers and given a space that emphasized her apparent high ranking. "Cynisca thanks you!"

Although the monster was now dead due to Rache's efforts, the remaining pegasi apparently wanted to make extra sure, as they had begun to fly away and return with small patches of clouds. They were intent on thoroughly roasting the thing with lightning, damn the smell, and then allowing the blizzard to cover the remains. It was a puzzle of what they would do about the inconvenience of such a large corpse near the edge of their city, but it was a minor problem compared to the astounding victory they had already experienced.

"Come, we will make sure you are taken care of," the high-ranking mare said, motioning for two other soldiers to flank Rache and help him fly back up the slope to the city while the thunder behind them began to boom. As they were flying, the daemon got a little exposition. "I am Lieutenant Star Catcher, a Cabinet Member here in Cynisca and current acting regent in our true leader Commander Hurricane's absence. The Privates who first alerted us about the ghouling told me what little they heard about you and your young companion's arrival here. We will find him for you..."

There was no need. As soon as Rache had been escorted back into the city's edge, frantic calls heralded the simultaneous return of Willow, Private Pansy, and the other young Private, who glided in from across the street intent on making it to their companion and leader respectively.

"Rache!" Willow rushed ahead in the air, stopping in front of the healing daemon and Lieutenant. "You killed the thing! I was running, and I had to save Pansy though, and then we got attacked by little versions of the monster, and then thus guy saved us, and, and, and..." The winded and frazzled pony struggled to eloquently explain.

"Is this true Private Pansy, Private Cloud Duster?" Star Catcher asked the adolescents.

"Yes ma'am," the young guard, Cloud Duster, answered a smile and salute. Pansy only looked down and folded her ears.

"Well, it seems we've all been out-doing ourselves today," the Lieutenant praised, nodding. "Good work. But the work is not done yet; come along, all of you, let's get out of the way as this is cleaned up."

With that, the group at long last left the battle area into a cleaner, more secure part of the city. They soon found themselves in a more official cloud building closer to the heart of the city, Rache escorted to a cozy cloud sofa despite his rapidly healing injuries and handed a small bowl of flavorless mush (for presumed eating). Willow was allowed to stand near him, though Pansy and Cloud Duster stood off to the side as they were probably trained to do when somepony like the Lieutenant addressed them. Star Catcher removed her helmet, letting loose white hair with pink and blue streamers, and Willow gauged her to be about in her late 40s, though looking good for that.

"Obviously, the circumstances of your arrival has been quite strange," she said, speaking to the future individuals. "I've been in my position for some time, and I've never heard of pegasi who took such long absence from the city before. You don't look old enough to be done with the agoge yet." She directed the last bit at Willow.

Not having a real excuse, Willow shrugged and said, "It's, complicated?"

"I would imagine. Regardless though, it is good you arrived when you did, given the miracle your friend here performed with the ghouling. Even if you have missed out on training, it is certain he has not. What are your names?"

"Mine is Willow Streaks, and his is Rache, ma'am."

"Rache and Willow Streaks, Cynisca is in your debt," Star Catcher said with a head bow. "If there is anything at all we can do for you, only ask, and I shall make sure it is given."


Yuna and Aegis
Brief collab between Gio and Prim.

Smart Cookie slowly raised her eye at Aegis. Given the situation, she didn't think he was in much of a position to be counter-interrogating her, however she decided to go along with it. She had nothing to hide and it was likely that it would make the two feel more comfortable with speaking to her.

"Fine," she said, nodding. "If that'll make ya feel good. What do ya mean yer not ponies? Are you spirits a some sort?"

“No we're not.” Aegis said flatly “We are fairly normal bipedal mammals who, and I am making an assumption here, suffered a magical catastrophe as a result of some Equestrian items a pony friend of ours possessed.”

“What is that discus that the chancellor had? I recognize it as one of the objects that transported us here.” Aegis retorted as he asked his own question.

Bipedal mammals. Smart Cookie narrowed her eyes in skepticism, but didn’t raise that concern. She had no idea (yet) what the term “Equestrian” referred to, but decided to charge on.

“It is the Fertility Disc,” she answered, eyes shifting back at the door the Chancellor had bounced out of. “It’s an old thing, passed from Chancellor to Chancellor for as long as we have elected a Chancellor. A piece of our history. When you hold it’s middle hole up to the sun, the gylphs tell us what degree the land around the disc is fertile and healthy enough. It tells us when the Earth is sick or in need of more urgent care, or if we are being successful in our work. With this blizzard, the readings have been getting worse and worse…”

Needing a slight moment to compose herself, Smart Cookie walked away from the two and settled a hoof on a window ledge, peering out at the falling snow piling high outside. She winced and folded her ears. “This blizzard, we’ve been watching it closely. We know the land better than any other creature, and many of us have determined that even if this winter eventually comes to an end, even if the snow melts away, the land itself will be so thoroughly damaged that it may never yield life again. This winter… it’s killing more than the products of the earth. It’s killing the earth itself.”

Perking up in attention, she turned again to the two. “Are you here to help us? Hurt us? Anything?”

Aegis was not usually a kind hearted or sympathetic person but Smart Cookies melancholy touched him slightly granting him a strange feeling which he was unaccustomed to feeling. He shivered a bit as the wind blew suddenly into the room and his more convention anatomy sent a signal to his brain which was equally foreign. Throught chattering teeth he explained. “We just want to get home. We know you’re kind from our friend and we would be loath to do anything we don’t absolutely have to. But we dreadfully miss our home. I have a feeling that your chancellors Disc may be part of that, and if you let us merely examine it we would help you in anyway we can.”

The pony narrowed her eyes once again, not out of hostility but analysis. Looking at her, it would be easy to predict that she wasn't fooled very often, despite growing up in a society with ponies who often easily were. Maybe it was part of her inherent talent, but Smart Cookie always had a knack for sensing the truth, even if that truth seemed ridiculous. Still...

"Awlright," she drawled. "We'll see. I'll let ya see the Disc, but only when nopony else is looking tonight. Also, Imma need you to play along for now, given what ponies have begun to think of you two."

“Deal” Aegis said with obvious relief that showed he had no interest revealing his secret to anyone he didn’t have to.

With that, Smart Cookie trotted over to open the door-

"Are you done yet?" Chancellor Puddinghead demanded, standing right in front of the door.

"AHH!" Smart Cookie doubled back, nearly having a heart attack at her boss' unexpected close up. "Chancellor, ya scared me!"

"Scare, shmare, something serious has happened! Come on! Right now!" And the leader ran away again.

Looking confused, the secretary beckoned Aegis and Yuna followed, and the four of them made their way through a now heavily howling winter storm all to the way to another small home some turns away from the Chancellor's cabin. They were quickly welcomed in to the tiny abode, and were brought to a room where a pony lay passed out in bed with another by her side. They were the same twins that had been trying to track down Razzalia, Chrys, and Brit, the "Puffy and Sassafrass" mentioned earlier by the mob.

"Chancellor, it's terrible," Puffy cried, eyes twinkling and hooves to mouth. "We tried to get the carrots back, we did, but the witch attacked us with one of 'er sorcery tricks. She threw Sassy hard, she did, and now won't'en wake up."

Sassafrass, the one Razzalia had wrapped around a tree, was clearly still breathing in her primitive little bed, but not looking good otherwise.


Brit and Chrys

"Of course," Clover agreed. "I've got plenty of spare robes, I'm not much one for dress up either."

The three of them soon came upon two mighty doors that towered all the way to the ceiling, Clover opening them up and breathing in the crunchy smell of paper the glided out. "And I'm not one for parties either. If anything I should be thanking you two, you gave me an excuse to escape back here."

The library, like most of the unicorns' tastes, was magnificent. The giant room was circular, with the walls slightly curving inward but nonetheless managing to keep the books in the towering shelves that lined them in place. There were tables and furniture for the public who stopped in, but also closed off areas for seeming more professional work, and in the very middle of it all was a giant, golden astronomical tracking piece that dwarfed the ponies and rose all the way to the high ceiling. The ceiling itself was topped with a stained glass dome, the inscriptions of which seemed especially ornate and sacred.

Clover winked out and appeared at the table nearest the astronomical leviathan, gesturing over to her new companions. "Come, come! We'll begin here."

[The BranRiech]

"Giovenith?" Drova mumbled.

At first glance, the form of Myra flying into him was surprise enough to render a slight growl from the slighted Prince. He swung around, in preparation to land a solid punch in the girl's face. The potential for energy was gone though, and Drova lowered his raised fist, his wings smushed into the wall he was now leaning on. "M-Myra? Look, I'm not in the mood right now." He sighed, shaking his head. "But I think she's still in the dining room."

He sighed.

"Why, dare I ask?"

He knew being an asshole wasn't the best course of approach, but it certainly made him feel a little better than he currently did, what with the girlfriend who really didn't want to be his girlfriend in the first place.

--

"None of this tripe makes sense . . ." Yuna shook her head, taking off after the group.

Her bounding legs gave her a better sense of speed, letitng her fully appreciate her new form to the fullest of it's potential. She may have been lacking her small arsenal of magical abilities, and her wings, but damn, being a pony gave one quite the running-speed. It was there, in the new cabin they were welcomed into, where she became even more confused. Unaware of the plight of their other friends, not even sure if they were in the same world as them, Yuna looked down at Sassafrass.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Was this really the world her friend Willow hailed from? How could creatures so adorable be so . . . Brutal and barbaric. First the false-witch trials, threatened to be burned at the stake, and now this? She stepped forward, craning her neck down. "W-what are the extent of her injuries, like . . . Uhm . . . Shoot." She shook her head. "I-I know a good bit of medicine, but I don't know what's wrong with her."

[Torsiedelle]

A series of quick thuds from her boots beckoned Torii's descent down the stairs, as she girl hit the first floor and picked up her pace. She was close to outright running before stumbling out and witnesses her other friend colliding with Drova.

Torii ran up, ready to apologize, before Myra had cut them off, in a seemingly urgent tone. She stayed back, unsure what to do. She wanted to apologize, yes, but was it appropriate to interrupt them right now?

.......

"Whoa."

Oumech stood near the door, peering into the dining room. What a crowded place. It was lively, though, and there was quite a diverse cast of characters. This place certainly was interesting! Like one of those dusty Outer Rim clubs that one would see rebels and smugglers hanging around at. It had a friendly vibe to it all, though, if a bit tense and busy. Maybe he'd check it out.

It was also where another Force user was located, he knew. Either way, their contact was inevitable, so he'd just knock out two birds with one stone here. This would be interesting.

[Giovenith]

Yuna and Aegis

"Well, well," Puffy struggled to explain. "After the first witch stole the carrot bag from one of our storage shed, me and my sister went after her, and we were gettin' real close. I think she met up with the two other witches, and we were about to get 'em and the food back, but one of 'em put a trick on the ground and it threw Sassy into a tree! Ah've never seen sorcery up close before! It was horrible! She went so high up and hit so hard, and, and, and..." Her lip began to quiver.

"Shhh, honeycomb, it'll be alright," Smart Cookie moved to comfort her.

Chancellor Puddinghead merely shook her head, disturbed by the story but also seeming deep in thought.

"Chancellor, we need to cut off the trade with 'em!" Puffy suddenly begged Puddinghead. "We didn't take away the trade, but they keep stealin' from us anyway! It's not fair! The Birds too! They're bad varments, evil! They don't deserve to share our food!"

"Let's focus on one thing at a time, girly," insisted the Chancellor, deflecting the subject and turning attention back on Puffy's sister. "Yuna, perhaps some of her bones are broken?"

[Tsuyoi Tekikoku]

Tsu looked both at Gio and Kale, she knew something was up. She could tell it in their voices, and from their eyes. Then she heard they were talking about Torii, this sparked her curiosity the most. “What happened with Torii?..” she asked, her smile took on a serious expression. Tsu still cared for Tori, not like a loving way, but more of an ex who just wants to be friends again kind of way. She was worried but didn’t plan to meddle in Torii’s life unless she needed to.

Her eyes were firmly locked onto Gio and Kale, “Please tell me...I want to know what happened with her...I haven’t talked to her since we got into this world and dealing with the fiend attacks..” Said as the tone of her voice sounded more and more worried.

[Swith Witherward]

Myra's pale face fell. Rapid breathing gave away her stress and fears. Drova's harsh tone was unexpected, but understandable. She'd just plowed into him, and the guy probably didn't appreciate that. But he was also a friend, and a friend to Marcus even if they'd fought.

"I gotta find her," her voice cracked, though she spoke in a whisper. "It's Marcus. They brought him in. I was pet sitting that targ thing, and they brought him in and kicked me out. I think-"

Her face pinched tight at the horror of the memory. But it was unfair to burden Drova with her angst. The shy, nerdy girl balled her emotions and pushed them deep down. "I need to find Giovenith because he's hurt. Or, worse. They wouldn't let me near him."

A high pitched whimper oozed from her, and she cast her eyes down. "She deserves to be there. They'd let her. I know they would. And if they don't, she doesn't fool around. She'd get answers. Right Drova? She'd do that?" Myra's brows lifted as she pleaded with him to affirm something that none of them really had a say in.

[The BranRiech]

"I mean . . . Agh, again, she's probably in the dining room still." Drova sighed, even making the effort to point in the general direction. His head turned, in an effort to make sure he was pointing the right way, and saw Torii standing there, shocked to see them both. His eyes narrowed, and he looked back to Myra, with nothing but a death-stare in the girl's direction.

"And . . . Kicked you out . . . He was hurt?"

Drova still didn't feel like he was on the best of terms with the young man, yet he still considered Marcus a friend, in a looser sense of the word at least. "Shit, is it alright if I uh . . . Come along?" He asked, sighing, his head shaking, wings drooped down. "I don't want to deal with her right now." He gestured over where his former girlfriend was standing, listening to the two chatting over Marcus' condition.

[Fvaarniimar]

LOBBY

There was a disturbance in the Force. Consequently, there was also a minor one in the lobby. The chandelier above the reception desk trembled, and then the lightbulb unscrewed. Volker sighed. Now? Really? What was it this time? An anthro alligator? A scribe from some ancient time. Or... oh gods, no... possibly a French mime? He folded his newspaper and rocked to his feet while the light bulb completed its spin.

POP! It vanished into the socket.

BLOOP! Out popped a body. Well... maybe not "popped". More like the body oozed, shapeless as it fell, only to reform once it struck the lobby floor. Volker leaned over the desk's high counter to observe the newcomer.

"A friend for Aegis!" he quipped upon catching sight of the mask. A soft click indicated that the light bulb was now back in place. Volker's head nodded. He lifted the clipboard and slammed it into the desk, breaking Demens' potent sleep spell.

"HEY! Are you Sozewe Oumech?" he continued to stare over the edge. "Wake up. You're far, far from home." His face vanished behind the counter. He'd wait, as patient as can be, until the new Resident righted himself.


UA

"Your cell phone won't have a signal here," Rodney patiently explained to Rmwtyliin. "You'll just eat up its battery while it desperately tries to find a signal. Unless you switch it to airplane mode."

He brushed aside the hair things littering his former seat, and then settled back into his former place. "The sooner we get moving, the better. I have concerning matters to deal with back at the Building." In fact, his only concern was the fact that the stupid bitch, NST, had gone off grid. Son of a fuck, HOW? Why did she have to be so ornery?! His eyes settled first on Thaddeus and then on Septimus. Damn human males couldn't be trusted around expensive equipment. Blah blah equality, blah blah. It pissed him off to no end.

Oh, but the construct! Damn thing couldn't go anywhere without getting herself into a predicament. How many times would the government have to step in to sort the damages she caused? His brow furrowed at his own reflection in the truck's rear-view mirror. "Stupid NST," he growled under his breath. "I'll decommission you for this one."

The knowledge that he carried heavy gold bars in his torso for nothing - because ammo was worth more! - further dampened his mood. Fine. Drive. Go. Get your primitive fossil fuels. The Nifid crossed his arms and lapsed into a broody pout.

"Oh. Uh, why -" I doubt he has time to explain. "Okay." Need to find this. Something felt as though it could click into place. A bit of scrolling and it did. and it did. Touch... here. Her eyes widened. Thankyouspirits! Out loud, she said, "Thank you for thinking of me. After hitting the Settings button, she started reading the menu to herself, sounding it out. "Ah-ee-rrppll-ah-n -" Is this it? I do not have to sound out the whole list! Tap. "Aheerrpllahn mohd izzon..." Ugh! Waking Duncan, she repeated it a bit faster. "Ahrrplahn-moh-dizonn. Kkahllz ahnd mehssahg-es ah-rr-ii oon-ah-vahiilahbbl."

I think I did it! She grinned, exultant. "That helps a large amount! Is there any other information you wish to share, Rod-nee Boddkins?" More things you think I should do, for example...or perhaps the reason you are upset? The pout is worrying. I thought we were okay now...

[Torsiedelle]

Oh no...Marcus? Something happened to him?

He was the one person that she had wanted to see more than anyone right now. She never had to worry about drama with him. They were cool with each other, and he was the closest thing to a brother she had. If something was wrong, then...

She needed to apologize to Drova, but then what about...

"Marcus is hurt?", Her voice cracked. "Please, I want to come, too. Drova, I want to apologize, and Myra, I want to know what happened to Marcus."

[New Aksarben]

"Whoa."

Oumech stood near the door, peering into the dining room. What a crowded place. It was lively, though, and there was quite a diverse cast of characters. This place certainly was interesting! Like one of those dusty Outer Rim clubs that one would see rebels and smugglers hanging around at. It had a friendly vibe to it all, though, if a bit tense and busy. Maybe he'd check it out.

It was also where another Force user was located, he knew. Either way, their contact was inevitable, so he'd just knock out two birds with one stone here. This would be interesting.

Maghrl was pretty much staring at the newcomer, or at least what he could see through the door. That was the Force Sensitive, the Squib was sure of it. But he looked... like a droid? Must be a cyborg of some kind. Droids couldn't be force sensitive, anyway. "Asdra-human, Maghrl think that Force User there." He believed it was fairly obvious who he was talking about, seeing as there was only one person who had shown up at the dining room. He gestured anyway, having forgotten about his idea to help memorize their scents and such through touch.

"No look Jedi.... Not quite sithy either... Maghrl unsure what make of it..." He said, frowning as he brought one hand into his cloak to grab onto his saber, just in case he needed it. The squib had no idea what to make of the newcomer, but from his clothing he knew he would stick out as a jedi very easily. Albeit a very small and non-threatening one, but that was part of being a Squib. Without prior experience in the species, people tended to discount their ferocity in battle or skill at negotiations. The Jedi waited for the potential Sith to do something, wondering just how much of the man was cyborg and how much was organic. He must still have an organic brain, otherwise his connection to the force would have been severed long ago.