Postlude to Holocaust Part VI: Strangers

[jokemaster]

*Matt smiled widely*

Matt: Look at you. How'd you feel now?

[BattleDog]

*Drago makes a double take.*

 

Drago: I've seen you before somewhere as well! K'warra, just keep your mouth shut, you're nothing but trouble. The multiverse itself has little, if any, bearing on the current situation. We are concerned with armagedon in this dimension. I'll leave the other dimensions to the other Dragae

[Writer]

Elaina and Tanara came to stand with the group. Tanara stared briefly at Sir-Vin, but quickly turned her gaze to Drago, who was speaking at the moment. Elaina glanced at him, but without knowing the past of this group, she was not surprised. She merely thought of him as yet another person she would eventually get to know.

[Redwing]

*K'Warra grins*

 

K'Warra: So you are just as much of an idiot as I remember. Perhaps Jonathan - er, Guy - never explained this to you, but the people who brought me here against my will were affiliated with a vast organization that extends its reach across hundreds of thousands of different universes, including this one. Whether you like it or not, the big, bad outside world is knocking at your door. You're going to have to deal with it eventually.

 

*Looking at Sir-vin* First, nice to meet you, you look like you should be in bed. Second, I'm not talking about alternate realities so much as parallel universes, but hey, if you know something about those, why not include them too?

[jokemaster]

Matt: so what, they're like an inter-universal Black Sun?

[Redwing]

Guy: Yes, something like that. The Syndicate sent Shadows to meet with Black Sun in the early days of contact with this galaxy, in fact, before that organization was shattered.

 

K'Warra: I guess you would know, eh? I guess you must also know by now just how pissed your former employers are at you. I mean, they spent years, no, decades implicitly trusting you and then they find out you'd been a double agent all that time? Right under their noses? What a slap in the face that must've been. They've sure diverted alot of funds into bringing you in. I'm almost nervous just standing within ten feet of you.

[BattleDog]

Drago: You haven't improved musch with age, either, K'warra. Of course there are shadows in this dimension, we have run into them once or twice, even before this big mess. So far though they've never shown much in the way of competence.

[Redwing]

Guy: With the exception of me, my brother and sister, and one or two other members of that mercernary group, none of you but Heimdall, Marin and Aidan have directly encountered Shadows. Drago, you have never even seen one, unless you did so after I lost access to Syndicate databases several months ago. An incompetent Shadow is quickly eliminated, as the low-tier Shadow Heimdall encountered was when his group failed to capture the Asgardried, and partially destroyed their own scout ship in the process.

 

*K'Warra grins*

 

K'Warra: But perhaps he was making a comment on your work performance, Jonathan?

 

Guy: Drago is free to think what he wants of me.

[BattleDog]

Drago: How do you know the shadow saw me, Guy. Just for so you know, I haven't seen enough of you to form a proper opinion. Now I think you can see what I meant about getting rid of the gargoyle. He's stirring up trouble already.

 

Hal: We can't kill him for being a trouble maker, we can't kill him full stop and the Aesir are never going to listen to either of us.

 

Drago: We've been over that Hal, let it lie.

[Redwing]

((OOS: "blade", BD?

 

Also: I can't think of any way Drago would've actually encountered a Shadow. I'm assuming he's just confused because of the Black Sun parallel.))

 

K'Warra: *smiling* You seem to find it awfully hard to take sarcasm for someone who so casually calls others "childish". *to Hal* You normally kill troublemakers around this place? Harsh crowd.

 

Guy: *ignoring K'Warra and answering Drago* You haven't. You have an unusual life signature and it doesn't match anything in old Shadow databases. Further, I doubt you would recognize a Shadow if you saw one. Although if I'm wrong, feel free to tell me your account. I would find it interesting.

[Kuuki]

Sir-Vin *answering to K'Warra's 'bed' comment* "Thanks for the offer, but I've been in one for a while it seems..."

 

*K'warra's comment to Hal.*

 

Sir-Vin "Seems he still takes things a little too serious. Although from looking at your circumstances, I wouldn't doubt him..."

[BattleDog]

((Typo, Red:o Black Sun is something Drago has some history with, remember his "normal" role was black opps.))

 

Drago: It was about thirty years ago during the Civil War. I saw him personnally through a sniper sight at a distance of about mile. We'd been on Coruscant investigating a deal Black Sun were making with an unknown quantity.

 

Obviously at this time Black Sun was pro Empire and the Rebellion has generally taken a dim view of drug pushers. We had a mole in the organization, what he told us was that this was really big. We didn't want Xizor getting his claw into another pie so I took down the newcomers and another sniper took down the local scum. No survivors.

 

We had good intel but a lot of it didn't make sense. When I met you I remembered and it all fell into place. They called themselves Shadows, you see.

 

Just another dirty little war story from another big ugly war.

 

Hal: Sir-Vin, if you can't string a sentance together properly yet I suggest you do go back to bed. *To K'warra.* I kill anything I have to.

[Redwing]

((OOS: Well, no I don't remember. But what Drago's saying doesn't jibe with what Shadows would do, at all. The stupidest Shadow wouldn't be simply taken out by a sniper, at least not on official business (i.e. when they bring loads of protection).))

 

Guy: *looking at Drago strangely* None of the Shadows who met with Xizor's people were killed. The deal went nowhere because Black Sun collapsed before it could. Are you sure you remember this correctly?

 

K'Warra: You never know. "Shadow" isn't exactly the most creative choice as names go.

 

Guy: The Shadows didn't choose the name. Those who know of them did.

[jokemaster]

Matt: And tabloids aren't exactly known for their originality.

[Admiral Odin]

((I've been sick, hence the lack of replies.

 

Scar: Cracern, for all purposes is out of the story and heading back in time to where he meets the group in Cantina 6.

 

BD: ya, but again I'm sick and my brain doesn't want to work poperly))

 

*The Drake remains silent watching the exchanges with amusement in his eye*

[BattleDog]

((Red, well I have to justify Drago's assertion, don't I.))

 

Drago: Well perhaps I was mistaken then. If they were not shadows though then the question remains at to who or what they were.

 

*Shrugs.*

[Kuuki]

((admiral: *wants more story behind him ACTUALLY getting there. IE: major plot hole that wanted to be 'plugged up'*))

 

*Sir-Vin looking at Hal then raises an eyebrow.*

 

Sir-Vin "I need some coffee."

[Redwing]

((Scar: About Cracern: You should know by now that this is where you talk to me

 

Plus it's "caf" in SW, not "coffee"

 

BD: I thought that was an odd assertion for Drago to make, especially since Shadows haven't really been shown to be incompetent in anything they've done so far in the RPGs. Sure they couldn't capture the Asgardried in PtH 1, but keep in mind they weren't supposed to damage it or Heimdall in any way and knew little to nothing about Aesirian technology. Plus, that was a scout ship, equipped for scouting, and not much else.

 

Will post later :x))

[BattleDog]

((You know Red, by the time you've written post later you might as well have posted.))

[Admiral Odin]

((Scar: as Red said talk to him.

 

Red: The shadows have not touched the Asgardried they tired to capture Gulltop. A quick note the Asgardried is far more advance then Gulltop was))

[Writer]

((I'm incredibly confused... fortunately, you all are talking of things that really aren't of any importance to my characters...))

 

 

Elaina was frowning. She could make nothing of the conversation going on before her and turned to Tanara.

 

"Does this make sense to you?" she whispered. Tanara made no response at first. Then, slowly, she turned to her sister.

 

"A little," she answered. "Not enough to explain it to you." She smiled slightly. "Some things are not meant for us to understand. If I've learned anything from traveling with these people, it is that."

[Admiral Odin]

((Sorry, for the delay but I'm still sick so please bear with me))

 

[Time skip: 10 hours, it is in the middle of the night]

 

*The Aesir silently leave the Asgardried wearing cloaks and armor the Heimdall had just finished repairing. They walk slowly towards the beach were the three drakes stood next to a pile of lumber they had collected early that night. The wood was arranged like a tee-pee.

 

Coming to the drakes the Aesir formed themselves into semi-circle facing the Drakes with the wood pile in the center. Heimdall outstreched his hand and poke a word, fire leapt from his hand into the woodpile igniting it immedaitly. Idun then produced a silver chalice from under her cloak. The chalice had a scene of a battlefield intricatly carved into it, with two entwined drakes creating a handle.

 

Idun left the circle and walked to the drake who stood in between the other two and knelt on a knee holding the chalice up to the drake. The drake then spoke with his deep voice in for a couple of minutes in the Aesir's native tongue. When he was done the drake lifted it's arms above the chalice, slipped a talon under one of it's scales. Blood dripped down the drakes arm into the chalice for a couple of minute. Removing his talon from under his scale the bloodflow immediatly stops, and Idun stands.

 

Turning to face the rest of the Aesir Idun takes a sip from the chalice, her pupils widden from drinking the blood. Idun then hands the cup to Viddall who also takes a sip which like Idun caused his pupils to widden before handing it to Ragnar. The chalice was passed among the Aesir, each take a sip even Gerd, each having the pupils widden. Vidar was the last to drink from the chalice, and as his pupils widden he walked to the fire poored the remaining blood onto it and took a quick step back.

 

When the first drop of blood touched the flames it roared with life, stretching high into the sky. At it's pinnicale of the fire, nine flames form into minature drakes who fly towards the Aesir, trailing a strings of fire. The flame drakes hit each Aesir in the center of their chests causing them to stagger a litte, Gerd had to take a step backwards. The strings of fire followed the drakes into the Aesir. A minute later the fire was extingished having entirely been absorbed by the Aesir.

 

The Aesir gave the drakes short bows, turned and walked back towards the Asgardried in silence, cloaks barely moving as they walked.*

[BattleDog]

((So Drakes can be hurt!))

 

*Far away from the Aesir and out of sight can be heard the crash or steel as Drago and Hal fight, bear chested, in the moonlight. Both men have been at it for over half an hour solid and both are begining to flag, finally Hal manages to plant his boot in Drago's ankle and bring the bearded warrior down.*

 

Hal: You loose.

 

*He extends his hand and helps Drago up.*

 

Drago: I must be getting old!

 

*They both laugh.*

 

*From out of the darkness can be heard slow clapping, Allessa walks out of the shadows and crosses her arms infront of her.*

 

Allessa: Well done Hal, how much longer are you going to keep this up? I think we can all see you're as good with a sword as your father. Isn't it about time you learned some of his other skills?

[Redwing]

*K'Warra watches everything from the darkness, sitting silently on a rock.

 

A low fog moves into the area*

 

((OOS: Everyone, see discussion thread please. ))

[Redwing]

*The children and Raschel have long gone to sleep, except for Aidan, who reads on the beach with a small light.

 

As dawn approaches, fog increasingly blankets the area. As the sun begins to peek over the horizon, a thick cover of fog obscures all sight to within five feet.

 

K'Warra paces through the fog, nearly colliding with Guy*

 

K'Warra: Hello, seer. What are you doing up so early?

 

Guy: If you ever become blind, you might find that 'early' and 'late' lose much of their former meaning to you.

 

K'Warra: So you haven't had any premonitions? No visions? *looks around pointedly at the fog* Nice weather we're having. What do you think about it?

 

Guy: I think it fits with this planet's normal weather patterns.

 

K'Warra: But you checked, didn't you?

 

*Guy doesn't answer. He stares sightlessly off in the general direction of the sunrise*

 

((Kidnapping next post if anyone wants to do anything before then. Or post where your characters are.))