Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC

Peterny - Prison
Nadenka Orlov

"Oh... I am sorry..." Said Nadenka, realizing what she had made him remember; even though, Alexei did not show any emotions when such decision was made, it was now clear to her that Alexei was affected. She was not so sure how deeply, but she realized that she pressed the button she should not have.

Nadenka, however, did not allow silence to enter. "You know, I can't help myself, but think you guys are not from Kaddath... For instance, how you treat others and how others treat you, it gives me that kind of vibe... Like you guys don't belong here or something...Are you guys from somewhere else?" Nadenka smiled faintly, then she shrugged. "Of course, I know I am shortening my chance to be set free as I get to know more about you and your allies...," Nadenka faint smile slowly became a cheery smile, "but, what can I say, my curiosity is something hard for me to ignore." Nadenka added playfully.

Ocean

- Lisa -

Bubbles had trailed behind Lisa in a swarm as air and water swirled around her in an ever-changing torrent. With her fingers now gripping the small box she'd retrieved from the sinking aircraft, she ascended from the depths, trying not to imagine how much water was actually between her and the surface. At least she wasn't so far down that she'd lost the sunlight.

Several moments later, she broke the surface and pulled the cord on the box, causing it to spring open and expand into a bright orange inflatable raft.

Of course, it was upside down, but she pressed a palm to it and a burst of air pushed it over so she could climb in. After a moment to collect herself, Lisa sat up and looked around, spotting Jax and Ehlana a couple dozen meters away.

"Over here!" She waved her arms in the air.

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Aegis

- Keynes -


"Frustrating in what way?" Keynes asked, holding the bag for Lenka to hit. He wasn't surprised that her first strike was somewhat awkward, but the second was better.

"Political history." He grinned at the words. "That's a loaded subject, especially with the way things are going currently. At least you'll have a front-row seat for all the action this time around."

Taking a step forward to move the bag into a different position, Keynes considered her question for a moment. "No, I don't think this is the most efficient way for you to gain strength. However, it is a great way for me to show you how much you already have."

-----------------------------------------------------

Capitol

- Alina -

"To an extent, I agree with both of you." Alina said, slowly lowering herself back into her chair. "While I am not above reproach, neither is this girl."


"Our history wasn't manipulated. Several of you got to watch events unfold first-hand." Her gaze shifted to a few of the faces sitting around the table. "I have no intention of handing over my position to some entitled little girl who thinks she knows best."


"If the people wish to elect a new representative, I'll stand behind it, but our administration is not built on the same kind of dynasty as our predecessor's. Even if her claim to the house of Adalia is valid, and she will be subjected to a DNA test as proof, that gives her no right to govern, only to the remaining holdings of her family."

She took a deep breath, turning her attention back to Lecarde. "No, I won't be meeting with her. She'll have to come to me. That's the only way she'll get her meeting, and if she makes any other moves before then, it will show her true colors to us and everyone else. That's the problem with making public declarations so quickly."

Middle of the ocean
- Jax -

To Jax's relief, Ehlana didn't seem interested in attacking him. Maybe the shock of the situation just hadn't worn off, or maybe she was more reasonable than he'd thought.

They treated for a little while, trying to catch sight of Lisa, when a bright orange inflatable raft emerged from near the wreckage.

"Over here!"

It was Lisa! She waved at them from the raft. She wasn't that far away, but swimming with Ehlana as dead weight wasn't going to make it easy.

"Please don't make me regret this," Jax told her, reaching through the water into the pocket of his uniform. Fortunately, the key was still inside. He unlocked her cuffs and nudged her toward the boat.

"Can you swim?" he asked. "Just kick your legs and paddle with your hands. Like this."

He gave her a demonstration, then helped her along toward the boat. When they reached it, he hoisted her up by the waist so Lisa could pull her inside, then scrambled up after her. Panting, he lay inside the boat and stared at the smoke drifting through the sky from wreckage.

--------------------------------------------------

Capitol

- Raidon -

Lecarde seemed to relax under Alina's forced calm. He nodded and even managed a small smile.

"Forgive me, High General," he said, "but I wouldn't want to come and meet with you on your own grounds if I were her."

"She'll want neutral territory," Serena replied. "She'll reject otherwise, I'm sure."

"Can we afford to reject this meeting?" Durmail said, brows furrowed. "If we don't give an appearance of cooperation, it might appear as though the government has something to hide."

Raidon glared at Durmail.

"The High General is not under obligation to meet with anyone who has demands," he said. "If this Ariana Adalia wishes to have an audience with the High General, she can do it the way any citizen of Kaddath would."

He nodded at Alina. If Ariana was anything like her father, he wouldn't trust any meeting that she would arrange.

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Peterny - Old Guard HQ

- Maxim -

“I suspect you have a location in mind that will let us retain an advantage?”

Maxim frowned these words and looked away from Kurik.

"Not us," he said. "I'll need you to stay here."

"We need to send terms for the meeting at once," Farrington was ordering his nearby men. "Even if Alina Grey rejects them, we'll still have an advantage with the first move. Either she agrees, or she looks bad for refusing negotiations."

Ariana was watching him, looking half-excited at the prospect and half-sulky at the fact that no one was paying her attention now that the broadcast was over.

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Peterny - Prison

- Alexei -

Alexei straightened up at Nadenka's apology.

"Nothing to be sorry over," he said brusquely. If he was giving the impression that this was affecting him, then he was losing his touch.

"You know, I can't help myself, but think you guys are not from Kaddath... Are you guys from somewhere else?"

Alexei froze and stared at Nadenka. She might already be a captive, but Maxim would kill him for divulging information about Arusia. He'd already screwed up enough. He couldn't afford to do it again.

"Keep speculating," he muttered. "It'll give you something to do."

Ergo Research - Gym
- James -

When he was done with his routine, James stopped. He took a deep breath and finally took a look around. Surprisingly enough, he’d lost track of time. It was easier than he thought, reconnecting to the movements and the weapon.

It seemed everyone had found something to work on in the gym and the group by the weight benches had dispersed. So he walked over there and grabbed a water bottle. Luke was still pumping away with an enormous weight on the bar.

James took a sip of water.

“When you’re done, do you mind spotting me for a set or two?” he asked the young man.

-----------------------------
- Lenka -

Lenka sighed. “Oh you know how it is, people see you faint once and they start to treat you like a raw egg,” she said. If it bothered her, she definitely played it down.

Her blue eyes focused on the bag again and she hit it again. Left. Right. Left. Right. She felt like she was getting used to the weight of the gloves and after a few more tries, the movement felt more natural to her and she allowed herself to put more force into it.

“I like politics,” Lenka said. “It’s like chess, just with more parties involved. And I do appreciate my front-row seat, aside from the fact that we’re a bit far away from the capital.”

She worked herself into a rhythm, her feet dancing lightly back and forth as she kept striking the punching bag.

“I’m not…” after while she began speaking again, but kept on punching the bag, “…physically intimidating,” Lenka said between breaths. “but all these monkeys in my basic combat classes…” she struck the bag again with more force this time. Apparently there was some pent up frustration. “…refuse to take me seriously.”

Her breathing was accelerating a bit and on a whim she switched from the classic jab and cross combination to an uppercut, leaning into it with her hips. Even though there wasn’t an immense amount of force behind it, at least her technique wasn’t faulty.

She pouted her lips a bit. “I think for that to be called strength I will need to work on it a little bit, but thanks for the motivational words.”

-----------------------------
Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

That was definitely not an answer Kurik expected. He looked surprised.

Well considering what had transpired before, where Maxim convinced Adalia and Farrington to make him part of the Old Guard’s Generals, he should have expected him to have alternate plans for him.

A smile played around Kurik’s lips. He felt like he was always one step behind, trying to catch up to what Maxim was already seeing.

“I see,” he said, his face returning to calm and he moved, so he could once again see Maxim's face. “And I understand.”

The thought of Maxim leaving without him had actually instilled worry for him. Kaddath was still a dangerous place, especially outside of this complex and if Maxim left it without him, who would make sure he was safe?

“Before you leave, you will have to clue me in on some of your plan,” he said in a whisper so only Maxim could hear it. “I don’t want to just sit around and twiddle my thumbs.”

-----------------------------
Middle of the ocean
- Ehlana -

Out of nowhere, a big orange life raft appeared in their sights. Lisa was already on it. Ehlana guessed she had retrieved it from the sinking ship. An impressive feat. Another wave swept towards them and Ehlana had to work to keep her head above water.

Suddenly, Jax produced a key from his pocket and unlocked her cuffs.

“What?”

Infinite surprise showed on her face. That was unexpected. For a moment she was still, considering her options. All her training screamed for her to attack him. To use this chance to escape. But escape to where? Was there a possibility she was getting out of this alive on her own? If she was being honest, unless she was prepared to die, there wasn’t really a way for her to effectively get rid of Lisa and Jax at the moment.

With a resigned sigh and a dark look towards Jax, she began to swim towards the raft. Yes, she knew how to swim, especially now that her hands weren’t cuffed together anymore.

When they arrived at the raft, Jax gave her a lift. Her grey eyes looked at Lisa for a second before grasping her extended hand.

“Thanks.”

Ehlana then retreated to the other side of the raft.

She sat down, still breathing hard. Carefully she peeled her wet shirt up to look at her side. The skin was irritated and red from the impact on the water, but nothing had turned blue yet. Her fingers probed around, but aside from being really sore, there seemed to be no serious injury.

Her eyes wandered over to Lisa and Jax, eyeing them carefully. She wanted to say something, but suddenly she felt her stomach churn and had just time to turn and lean over the edge before all the sea water she had swallowed came violently back out.

After short while the ordeal was over and Ehlana leaned back, rubbing her sore wrists.

Ergo Research
Luke Jaron

Luke stopped as James approached him for pointers, and Luke quickly put the bar where it belonged. Luke's eyes were wide and looked quite surprised to hear it from James.

"You are asking me to train you?" Luke asked, pointing his own finger at himself, and looked at Keynes side; Luke could see that Keynes was going to train Lenka, he then quickly stood up from the bench.

Amazingly, even Luke himself had lost a count how many times he had been doing that exercise, Luke did not look tired at all.

But, he definitely looked surprised by James' request; however, before James would change his mind or even give Luke any reply, Luke quickly looked at the training weapons and found a bokken like James have.

"Alright then, let's find out your understanding of your weapon first." said Luke, already having his stance ready with the weapon.

________________________________________________________________

Peterny - Prison
Nadenka Orlov

Nadenka giggled playfully, "It's alright, you don't need to have yourself on your guard like that much."  She smiled, "Here's an advice for you. Just say 'no', if someone have hit the mark." Said Nadenka, "Well, I won't push you if that information is pretty valuable, but really, I am sure you guys are going to make your appearance soon right? You can't win the battle if you do not have a name..."

What Belobog told her, it made senses now. However, Nadenka decided to keep it as a secret. "Okay then, how should I call your group then? You guys are not calling yourselves as old guard, so there must be some kind of name for you and your allies." Said Nadenka, with a gentle smile.

Ergo Research
- James -

James chuckled when he saw the surprise on Luke’s face. The young man caught on quickly and he willingly picked up his bokken and took his position opposite of Luke.

“I can see how it’s confusing for you,” he said quietly. “But I never had to learn to fight until I joined Aegis.”

“And after I had my strain silenced two years ago, I figured I wouldn’t need to fight again, so I let my training slide and didn’t keep in shape,” James explained. “I make my living working with computers.” He shrugged. “But the events lately have shown me how wrong I was.”

“So, I have some catching up to do,” he said. It pained him a bit to admit how badly he had let things slide. “And I read your file. I know what you’re capable of. You were next in line to take over the dojo. It takes great skill to achieve that. So I believe you have a great deal to show me.”

His goal here wasn’t to beat Luke. He knew he couldn’t hold a candle to what the kid could do. No, the goal was to train and improve and to do that, he needed to focus more on the movements themselves and not on the desire to land a hit.

James took his stance and raised his weapon. Then he stepped forward, initially aiming for Luke’s left collar bone, but in the last possible moment, he swung the wooden blade up and around in an attempt to hit his lower right side.

Ergo Research
Luke Jaron

Luke quickly replied James' attack with big round swing of his sword; at first it looked like Luke's block was fooled by James, but at the end, the circular swing came around to prevent James attack to connect.

Strangely, the force of Luke's Bokken met with James did not push James attack, but it allowed Luke's bokken to stick to James' bokken, then Luke's bokken slide through James' wooden blade and Luke used that momentum to close gap with James and quickly he used his another hand to push James down to the ground.

Ergo Research
- James -

James focused on Luke’s blade. That turned out to be the wrong choice. Luke blocked his swing easily, but instead of pushing his blade back, Luke was suddenly very close while still blocking James from bringing his bokken around.

In the next moment he found himself on the ground, with Luke standing over him. Instead of just giving up, he brought his legs around to swipe Luke off his feet.

In a fluid motion, he quickly stood up, raising his wooden blade again.

Ergo Research
Luke James

Luke was about to say something; however, he realized James had other plans than hearing out Luke's assessment.

As it surprised him, Luke somersaulted backwards, widening the gap between James and himself. Luke nodded as he come face to face with James again. "That was good." Said Luke, "But I got the feeling you are not used to this weapon. Maybe you had two weapons? Like two swords as your weapons?" Luke asked,  "Cause, when you are using one sword, you usually want to push the opponent away or have yourself away from opponent when the blade meets each other." Luke continued, "What you have demonstrated was how you don't mind my blade and yours sticking it to each other."

Luke took another bokken from the training equipment and gently passed it to James. Luke also got himself another one.

Luke had different stance ready, "Let's go again." Said Luke. However, this time, Luke rushed to James, quickly having right hand sword slashing vertically and as it does, Luke changed grip on his left sword and that sword slashed horizontally.

Ocean

- Lisa -

"You couldn't have thought to grab the raft before we exited the plane?" Lisa grumbled as she helped Jax pull himself up and into the small boat.

She chanced a glance over her shoulder to see Ehlana throwing the contents of her stomach into the ocean. So not a morale booster...

The raft itself was fairly small, built to hold a maximum of six adults, it wouldn't be uncomfortable for the three of them, but there definitely wouldn't be much privacy.

Still muttering under her breath, she fished her com device out of her bag and flipped it open. Arya had managed to snag her an experimental, waterproof one a few months back. Another reason she was infinitely grateful for her sister. Unfortunately, despite the fact that it was still working, the signal was non-existent. She should have expected as much.

"So, what's our plan, fearless leader?"

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Aegis

- Keynes -

Keynes chuckled as Lenka assaulted the heavy bag. "For someone who professes to like the thrill of a good chess match, you're thinking about this the wrong way."

He stepped around the bag, catching her next punch with his outstretched hand and twisting her around to capture both arms, pinning them to her sides. "Physical intimidation is a tool, but so is the lack thereof. You're thinking about it the wrong way."

Keynes spun her back around, letting her go, before stepping back behind the bag and motioning for her to continue. "Misdirection is one of your most powerful assets in combat. Most beginners think it's all about show of force and intimidation, and those things do have their place."

"But, at the end of the day, it's the soldier with the plan that wins the battle. Strength isn't something that is only measured in the force you put behind a punch. That's a shallow way of viewing it."

"Approach the situation like the deep thinker you say you are."

"Work the problem. Find the solution. Lay out the series of steps you need to take to achieve victory."

"That is strength."

Ergo Research
- James -

Now it was James’ turn to look surprised. How had Luke figured that out so quickly? A little dumbfounded he took the second bokken Luke held out to him.

“Yeah, I used to have two katanas,” he said, “but I haven’t practiced like that in a long time.”

However, he didn’t have time to properly think about it as Luke rushed in.

To his own surprise, holding two bokken felt much more natural than just fighting with one.

Quickly he took a step to the side and swung the wooden blade in his left hand around, countering the blade that came at him horizontally and pushing it in the way of the blade that was coming straight down vertically. Having thus pushed both aside, he used the bokken in his own right hand to aim a slash at Luke’s left side.

Ergo Research
Luke Jaron

Luke smiled at James' quicker response; it definitely showed that James was used to having two swords as his weapon.

As James pushed Luke's weapon away, Luke quickly straightened his left bokken to his arms' length, blocking his flanks with the left blade. Without a break, Luke changed his grip on his right hand bokken to slash it diagonally upwards.

Ergo Research
- James -

It didn’t surprise him, when his slash didn’t connect. Luke had quickly switched gears and blocked.

The bokken that flew diagonally upwards, hit his side before he could straighten out his right arm to stop it. Their blades connected and he pushed Luke’s right hand blade outwards to gain some room to move.

At the same time, he used the bokken in his left hand and brought it around and under Luke’s blade to attack his torso again.

Ergo Research - Gym
- Rise -

Rise poked Marcus in the back of the head and stood with her hands on her hips.

"Hey, looks like everyone' decide to pair up," she said. "Want to spar?"

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Middle of the ocean
- Jax -

Jax ignored Lisa's quip about grabbing the raft. It had all happened so quickly he hadn't had time to think much about supplies. Besides, with Ehlana vomiting in the background, no one was inclined to talk.

After a tense silence, with nothing but the sound of waves, Lisa dared to ask another question.

Yes, what was their plan?

Jax sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He had to think. He had to make sure they survived this. He had to get Lisa back to her sister. He had to get back to Alina, so she wouldn't have to fight her battles alone.

He opened his eyes. And he had to get Ehlana back too. Not just because Kaddath needed her, but because he was responsible for her safety and well-being.

"We have to see what we can salvage from the ship," he said, sitting up. "Once we know what we're working with, we can form a plan from there. Can you steer us with your Overlimit?"

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Peterny - Prison
- Alexei -

Alexei shook his head, half-annoyed and half-amused.

"Troublesome woman," he murmured. "I didn't say anything about winning battles."

He folded his arms across his chest. Was just genuinely that nosey, or did she thing she could use this information somehow? What good would it do her?

"You can call us what you want," he said, shrugging. "Won't make a difference when you have no one to share it with."

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Peterny - Old Guard HQ
- Maxim -

Maxim smiled. It was good that Kurik was willing to trust and cooperate with him, even when he didn't fully understand what the plan was. Of course, it seemed Kurik was still eager to know as much as he could.

"Understand," he said, "that I don't withhold information because I don't trust you. Sometimes, it's important that your reactions be... genuine."

He watched Farrington making orders about that negotiations for a few moments, then glanced at Kurik.

"I assure you. You won't be twiddling your thumbs long."

Middle of the ocean
- Ehlana -

Ehlana watched Jax and Lisa carefully, having moved as far away from them as she could in this small raft. She was surprised that Jax hadn’t immediately cuffed her again.

Slowly her breathing calmed down, but she felt sore and exhausted…everywhere really. Now that she wasn’t in mortal danger anymore, she looked around, but quickly regretted it. Aside from signs of wreckage, there was only water around.

Sea and waves as far as the eye could see. And sun, reflecting off the surface of the sea. Ehlana shielded her eyes from the sun. So much bright sunlight hurt her eyes. They weren’t used to it, working much better in dim light or near darkness.

Lisa and Jax ignored her and for a while she did the same. She had no desire to talk to them as they were discussing how they could salvage something from the wreckage. If they could, that would probably increase their chances of survival, even though Ehlana had no desire to go back into the water.

-----------------------
Ergo Research
- Lenka -

Lenka looked up, confused with Keynes’s words. His actions caught her by surprise and it took her a few seconds to raise her hands again and focus back on the punching bag.

“Let’s be honest here, this punching bag doesn’t really inspire creative thinking,” she said and sighed. However, she resumed her exercise, striking the bag with as much force as before.

For a while nothing could be heard, but the rhythmic thud when Lenka’s fists struck the bag. In her mind, she was still mulling over what Keynes had said.

“I think I get what you’re saying though,” Lenka said eventually. “If I can’t win using physical strength, I have to find another way. I can’t rely on force because that’s not my greatest asset. Does that sound about right?”

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Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

Kurik didn’t exactly enjoy being kept in the dark, but he somewhat understood why Maxim was doing it. It was a dangerous game they were playing and one mistake could ruin everything.

“Well, I trust you,” he simply said. Hopefully Maxim would supply him with all the info he needed for the next steps to work.

It was true, he trusted Maxim fully. After all that he had been through, the betrayal he felt from Kaddath and then his rescue that seemed like a miracle, for a long time he had trouble to even open up, let alone trust anyone. Over time, however, he had learned that he couldn’t close the world out.

Even though he was now loyal to Arusia, he was probably even more loyal to Maxim. It was him who had shown Kurik that it wasn’t in his character to stay solitary. All those hours they spent together while Maxim was running his tests and questioning him about Kaddath and his life had given him the confidence to trust someone again.

Peterny - Prison
Nadenka Orlov

"That's why I am asking you." Said Nadenka smiling, "I won't have anyone to share with, so why not?" Then Nadenka, stood up and got closer to door to see Alexei through the bar. She looked at Alexei with her big green eyes, "I don't like calling names, so let's start again. I am Nadenka Orlov. You are?"

Come to think of it, she barely caught his name.

___________________________________________________________________

Ergo Research
Luke Jaron

As James pushed his blade outwards, Luke did not let the momentum be hindrance, but he used that to quickly side step to the left side of James by quick spin.

James attack to his torso was then met with his right hand blade, then quickly having his left hand closing into the James Neck.

Luke could definitely see the great improvement with James; James muscle memory must be coming back to him. Especially when one had go through that battle ground, muscle won't forget that.

But, in Luke's eyes that was not enough; it was clear that James attack pattern had something missing.

"James, is there something I should know more about you? Like, two years ago, how did you actually fight?"

Luke asked as he could not figure it out.

Ergo Research - Gym
- James -

It was a good effort on his part, but not enough to trick Luke. The young man spun around and almost effortlessly curled a hand around his neck. James froze and lowered his blades.

“What do you mean?” he asked confused. “I don’t understand.”

Ergo Research
Luke Jaron

Luke looked at James thoughtfully, "It seems like you used to have something that could cover your big openings..."

But what? He could only make an educated guess. "...Strain...You had your strain silenced didn't you?" Asked Luke, not really sure if his guess was right.

Then again, that's the only thing he could think of. He had something in him that covered his flanks or some kind of element of surprise that probably have had made his opponent fall for it.

Unless somehow his strength deteriorated or something, that's the only possible conclusion Luke could come with.

"If so, we need to start eradicating your bad habit in fights." Said Luke, "For instance, understanding your weapon's pros and cons."

Ergo Research
- James -

“Yes, I had it silenced, but I don’t see how that…,” James began to say and then realised what Luke meant. He slapped his forehead lightly.

“Of course. That changes everything. I hadn’t realised.”

He gripped his weapons tighter and created a bit of space between them.

“Then tell me what I can improve. How can I change to balance not having a strain anymore?” he asked Luke, his blue eyes looking somewhat determined.

Aegis

- Keynes -


"If the punching bag doesn't inspire creative thinking, then think of something that does." Keynes responded with a grin. "At its core, combat isn't thought driven. It's all practiced scenarios and muscle memory."

He patted his hand on the side of the bag. "That's what this is for. Keep going until it feels natural, until the burn in your arms extends all the way down into your hips. The moment when you're so worn out that your body naturally moves in the most efficient way possible to conserve energy. That's your goal here."

He smiled as she continued to pummel the bag. Her form wasn't bad, but there were still too many pauses in it, like whatever was on her mind caused her to hesitate.

When she spoke again, he smiled, stepping away from the bag to pace around her while she continued to assault it. "Close, but not quite. There are times when physical strength might be your greatest asset."


"What you need to do is always be aware of what assets you possess and those your enemy possesses. Constantly calculating your conditions for victory and preparing a plan for every outcome."

---------------------------------------

- Marcus -

Having finally gotten off the running track, Marucs had only been sitting on the bench for a couple minutes when Rise approached him. His legs ached from the constant motion and the weight he'd been carrying, and his lungs were on fire. While he was in better physical shape than Rise, Marcus had no doubt that she had a few tricks up her sleeves. How else would she have become a member of the original Aegis?

"Sure."

Marcus pushed himself to his feet, and his legs locked up for a second. Grinding his teeth, he forced his muscles to flex, taking one step, then another towards the open portion of the gym, where there would be no obstacles in the way. With each step, it got easier, but he also lost tension, making him wobble slightly as he got into position.

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Council Chambers

- Alina -

"I think I just established that we make the rules." Alina responded, giving Lecarde, Serena, and Durmail a hard look. "If she wants to meet with us, I'm more than happy to do so. But, I won't have our already overstressed Council dragged all over creation at the whim of someone who might be the former High General's daughter."


"If nothing else, having her come here will allow us to verify that claim."

She took a deep breath, letting her head fall back against the chair. "I suspect she wouldn't have said as much without proof, but we're not obligated to meet with her unless she provides us with as much."

This whole day was turning into a headache...

---------------------------------------

Ocean

- Lisa -

"Salvage?"

Lisa rolled over and glanced at what little floating wreckage there was above where the aircraft had sunk beneath the waves. It looked like one of the wings was barely floating below the surface, but anything else was a combination of odds and ends from the cabin.

"I can get us over to the pile of floating junk, if that's what you mean." She pulled herself to the back of the raft and held up her palm, pulsing air around her fingertips to push the boat forward. "There's no way you're getting anything from the main wreck though. There was barely any light where I last saw it, and it had plenty more water between it and the bottom."

Ergo Research
Luke Jaron

Luke nodded, "Of course, I am here to help." Luke continued, "First of all, you need to understand your weapon. When you are using the two blades, you are increasing your opportunity to strike your opponent. But, you are also giving up the stable way to defend yourself." Luke swung two blades in the mid air then paused, and then he quickly changed his hand grips on each blade then each blades swung again. "Most people think that when you are having two blades, you are increasing your opportunity to attack by one, or two." Luke grinned and then quick succession, Luke sliced the air continuously, "That's wrong. Even with one blade, you are able to swing your sword with several times, but with two blades, you can do double of that."

Luke stopped his bokken and brought his bokken in front of James so that James could see it in clear view, then Luke showed James how he changes his grip on his bokken. It did not seems much different at first, because the bokken's blade was still pointing upwards; however, it was clear that Luke's hand changed its direction of the grip.

"I let go my blade in small window, and grabbed it again. Many master of dual blades do that too. Changing grip of your weapon makes your attack less predictable, and give you more flexibility"

Luke gave a pause. "Now, try that for fifty times." Said Luke in seriousness."For each hands. If you drop the blade, add another fifty."

Ergo Research - Gym
- James -

James nodded, listening closely to what Luke was explaining to him. He made a good point.

He blinked, trying to take in the movement of when Luke’s hand changed his grip on the bokken. When he did it, it looked quite fluent, the movement almost unnoticeable.

James sighed. “That looks difficult, but I can see how it would help me.”

His mouth opened a little when Luke told him to do it at least fifty time for each hand and add fifty for every time he dropped the blade.

Muttering to himself, he started with the left hand. Since he was left handed, it was his strong hand and should be able to replicate the movement easier than his right hand.

Concentration showed on his face. “One…two…three…,” he began to quietly count, moving the grip of his hand each time. It was slow at first, but about halfway through the first set, he had gained some confidence and picked up the speed. Promptly, he dropped the blade. James frowned and picked the bokken up and began counting again as he practiced the movement.

Just before the end, his concentration lapsed for a second and he dropped the blade again. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he picked the blade back up and continued counting. As he worked through his penalty sets, he wasn’t even sure if he was getting better or not. Three more times, he thought he had the hang of it and then a little mistake caused the wooden blade to clatter to the ground.  

A little smile played around his lips, when he was able to execute the last set without any mistakes, but it fell when he realised that he now had to practice with his right hand. That probably would be a bigger disaster.

“Okay, you can do this,” he told himself and took a deep breath to concentrate.

As expected, the movement with the right hand felt much more unnatural. It was slower, awkward and after just ten painfully slow tries he dropped the blade for the first time. James gritted his teeth. With enough practice he would get better.

However, that didn’t happen any time soon. When he had dropped the bokken already five times after just the first set, frustration began to show on his face. “Damnit,” he growled and tried to get some of his concentration back.

------------------------------
- Lenka -

“What does that even mean?” Lenka asked, sounding a bit winded and looked at Keynes. “Thinking, not thinking, having strength, not having any…you’re making it sound like I need everything and none of it.”

She continued working on the punching bag, but her frequency had slowed somewhat. She could feel the weight of the gloves.

“My body doesn’t conserve energy, it simply runs out and shuts down,” she said. As if to prove herself wrong, she increased her punching frequency again, almost dancing around the punching bag as she moved back and forth.

“What if they have magic?” she asked a little breathless. “That’s not something you can see, so I wouldn’t know they possessed it until they use it.”

Middle of the ocean
- Jax -

Lisa maneuvered the boat over to the wreckage, and Jax craned his neck over the side. Lisa was right that there was little chance of recovering much, but he had to try.

"Lisa, hold the boat," Jax said. "Ehlana, I'm going to need your help."

He sighed and slid over the side of the boat into the water once more. The chill shot through him, and he shuddered.

"Ehlana, stay near the boat. I'll pass off what I find to you, and you hand it up to Lisa."

Jax nodded, held his breath, and dived.

---------------------------------------

Ergo Research Facility

- Rise -

Rise raised her eyebrows as Marcus tottered over and wobbled as he tried to hold his ground.

"Geez, I hope this is a ruse to put me off my guard, or this is going to be a quick match," she said. With lightning speed, she raised her fan and swiped at the circle she'd conjured instantly.

"Maragi!" she called, sending a spread of fireballs shooting through the air at Marcus.

---------------------------------------

Council Chambers

- Raidon -

The council was silent as the considered Alina's words. Then, Serena cleared her throat.

"And the strain registration issue? Should we meet with this Lev leading the Anti-Strain movement?"

---------------------------------------

Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Maxim -

Maxim appreciated that despite the need for secrecy, Kurik was still willing to cooperate.

“Well, I trust you,”

Maxim faltered, his careful composure slipping for a moment. He closed his eyes, and then smiled - faint and tired, but warm.

"Thank you, Kurik," he said. "I hope that trust will never be misplaced."

"Maxim!"

Maxim turned as Farrington approached him and Kurik.

"We've received word back that High General Grey is refusing to cooperate and will only meet us at the capital," he said. "We can't risk High Lady Adalia by bringing her to the capital like that. I will bring a contingent of our diplomatic experts and-"

"High Lady Adalia must appear," Maxim interjected. "The meeting won't accomplish anything otherwise. Alina Grey won't compromise, but we're going there to curry favor for High Lady Adalia with the rest of the Council and the capital's people, not the High General."

Farrington narrowed his eyes.

"Sometimes," he murmured, "I wonder who's running this show."

"You are, of course," Maxim replied with a disarming smile. "My only intention is to council. The decision is, ultimately, yours."

Farrington continued to gaze at him when Adalia marched up.

"Of course I'm going. I intend to meet that usurper Alina Grey face to face," she declared. Farrington and Maxim exchanged looks before nodding.

"I assume you'll be wanting to bring your... associate along," Farrington added, nudging his chin in Kurik's direction.

Maxim glanced at Kurik before turning back to Farrington.

"No, I'll bring Belo," he said. "Kurik will remain behind in his duties that the High Lady so graciously appointed."

Adalia sighed impatiently and waved her hand. Farrington sneered and followed after her.

"Take your responsibility seriously, won't you?" Maxim said, his eyes sharing a meaningful look before following after them.

-------------------------

Peterny - Prison
Alexei

She might be right, but Alexei wasn't going to risk the chance of Nadenka using that information to damage Arusia.

His name couldn't hurt though. He shrugged his big shoulders.

"Alexei Stanislav."

He wasn't sure why he was bothering to talk to her like this. Maybe it was because he his failures made him feel out of place among Maxim, Kurik, and the Arusian contingent, and he was never going to feel at place among the Old Guard. They were just two outcasts out of place here. The main difference was on which side of the bars they stood.

Middle of the ocean
- Ehlana -

Ehlana watched as Jax went into the water as they arrived at the wreckage site. He was really going to try and dive all the way down to the sunken airship?

When he adressed her, asking her to help, she was too confused to answer at first.

Why wasn't he concerned that she would attack them? Though to be honest, at the moment that wasn't the primary thought in her mind, but it should still matter to them.

Sure, if she left the boat as well, Lisa wouldn't be in a vulnerable position while Jax was diving. It was a smart move, except... Ehlana had no desire to jump back into the water.

If she managed to stay in the raft, this could even provide her with a chance to get rid of Lisa and escape on the raft on her own, except she had no means to move it.

Tentatively she moved over to the edge of the raft, eyeing the water. It looked dark, cold and uninviting.

Slowly she shook her head.

"I'm not going in there again," she declared and looked at Lisa.

-----------------------------------

Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

Kurik smiled in return, but gave no answer. He was fairly sure his trust wouldn't be disappointed.

Then Lady Adalia and Farrington approached them. Quietly he watched the scene unfold and was relieved to hear, that Maxim wouldn't be going alone. Belo was a capable agent, at least until recently and would provide adequate protection.

Before they left, Kurik met Farrington's cold gaze and he sighed quietly. It would be hard to try and be at least polite to the man.

"Before you go, do you have time to grab a bite to eat and discuss some the particulars of my job?" he asked Maxim. He still wasn't sure why Maxim had insisted on getting him into this position.

Aegis

- Keynes -

"It means, use your head." Keynes practically growled. What was it with these youths and demanding an explanation? Couldn't they figure it out for themselves anymore? "But don't let yourself second guess your own decisions."


"The first key to any winning strategy is the ability to commit to it. No good plan comes to completion if you quit it halfway."

As she redoubled her efforts, he continued to pace around her, watching her form. "You said you wanted to be treated equally. So, you don't get to decide what your body can and can't do. I expect 100% from everyone under my command, and as of yesterday afternoon, that includes you. If you pass out, you'll get back up and keep going once you come back around."

He could tell she was feeling the strain of the constant motion now. Good. A little burn in the muscles never hurt anyone.

"If they have magic, you have friends. Aegis is a unit, not a bunch of single soldiers. Everyone is expected to carry their own weight, but where one of you would fail, the group succeeds. That's what belonging to a team means."

----------------------------------------------------

- Marcus -

As he staggered into a fighting pose, Marcus looked in Rise's direction. She held herself a lot like the woman he'd fought in the lab. Despite her appearance, she definitely knew what she was doing.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them again, there was resolve behind them. Even if his body was already strained, his spirit wasn't ready to admit defeat. It was really too bad that he was also now surrounded by fireballs...

Gritting his teeth, Marcus flexed his arms outward. "Rakukaja." The fireballs exploded against the invisible barrier, throwing up a brief flash of light between Rise and himself.

"Sukukaja." His toes dug into the mat as Marcus launched upwards, flipping backwards and kicking off from one of the beams on the ceiling. Twisting his upper body, Marcus shot through the air like a human-sized bullet that was aimed at Rise's torso.

----------------------------------------------------

Ocean

- Lisa -

"You're crazy!" Lisa yelled after Jax, but he was already in the water and headed down. With a sigh, she looked at her new shipmate, who didn't seem thrilled with the idea of diving back into the surf. To be honest, Lisa couldn't blame her. Unfortunately, there weren't exactly any better options at the moment.

"I won't force you to jump in." Lisa said, leaning back against the side of the raft. "But unless Jax finds an alternative means of propulsion down there, I'm the only one who can steer this thing, and I've already used too much energy today."


"So, if I go in and help him now, we cover less distance, which could be the difference between life and death out here, especially when we don't know what kind of resources we'll have to replenish our energy."

----------------------------------------------------

Council Chambers

- Alina -

Alina took a moment to consider her answer. With the new development, she couldn't exactly afford to leave the capitol, but meeting with the man could provide some insights into what people were thinking. Her gaze drifted back to Serena's and Alina took a calming breath.

"You meet with him. If you feel like his concerns are outside the spectrum of those we've already covered, arrange a meeting with the entire Council, and we'll hear what he has to say."