Post by Engram on Jun 20, 2016 11:48:32 GMT -6
Aisio Pendragon
The girl was quick in the heat of battle, something Cullen would be sure not to take lightly for the remainder of their battle. As the jumped back with the gust of wind, shards of ice flew in the direction of the knight and his ally. Cullen was quick to throw up his Aura’s barrier, but the gunner was not so lucky. He was impaled by several of the shards, dropping to his knees as he struggled to muster the strength to stand. Resilient as always, the man at least raised his gun to keep it on the woman as she distanced herself from the two of them. As Aisio spoke, Cullen listened closely - perhaps there were hints to the cause of this invasion in her words. By the sound of things, she was keeping to the same story from earlier. Eisen tried to have Aldous killed, and as a result Legion was attacking preemptively. He scoffed at the girl, spitting on the ground while he gritted his teeth. “Give it a rest, kid! Rift had nothing to do with the attack on Chairman Barnett!” He laughed, slicking his messy hair back.
Despite his confidence, Cullen was not expecting the whip, despite the fact that he should have. It coiled around the guard’s gun, swinging it at Cullen in an impact that caused him to release a slight “Oomf!” The guard was beginning to tire, and he painfully leaned over and rested on the ground. He was in bad shape, and Cullen was about to be. The explosion from Aisio’s whip caught the man off guard, throwing him to the side and into a concrete flower bed. He staggered for a moment, struggling to get to his feet. That is, until the click of a gun made him freeze in place. “Don’t move, soldier. If you value you’re life, you’ll surrender.” A voice said, distorted by the masks Legion’s soldiers wore for extreme conditions. Cullen raised his hands, glaring at Aisio as he surrendered to the guards that had made their way to the king’s door.
“Lady Pendragon, we’ll handle these two. Stand down and await further orders, Chairman Barnett will be arriving soon.”
Haru
As Haru made his escape, the soldiers began opening fire. “Damned kid!” One of the guards shouted. “Get him! Don’t let him get away!” One after another, soldiers fired off round after round in an attempt to gun the boy down. Two Guardian-class mechs armed their missiles and aimed them at the boy, firing off their entire arsenal before disengaging. “Dammit!” The leader of the squad yelled. A message buzzed in his ear, directing all Legion soldiers and their captives to the royal square - exactly where Aisio Pendragon prepared to confront the King of Rift. Chairman Barnett would be arriving soon. By this point, the forces of Legion had taken the city. The battle was over, the attackers had won. Paying no mind to the boy, the soldiers followed their new orders and started to make their way to the designated location.
[OOC: This post is short, yes. That is because Haru got away and more pressing matters are at hand.]
Ferr Aesir
The soldier grinned gleefully as the missile did its job. Didn’t hit the intended target, sure, but he had downed the enemy nonetheless. He dropped the launcher, readying his gun for whatever retaliation might be coming his way. His footsteps became frantic as he tried to find the man he had just shot down, doing his best to guess the trajectory of the man’s fall. Eventually, he found Ferr near an alley and raised his weapon at the man, switching it to full automatic mode. “Don’t move! I’ll shoot you, I swear to god!” The young man shouted, readying his rifle in case the man attacked. “Please...please don’t make me shoot you.” Tears began to stream down the young man’s face, the gun shaking as he trembled at the sight of the Legion Hunter. Just as the young man began to lower his weapon, a loud bang echoed from behind. Blood from the young man sprayed over the area, splattering the snow as well as Ferr.
As the boy’s lifeless body dropped forward, a Legion soldier that had climbed the earthen walls could be seen with a sniper rifle in hand. Without a means to communicate with the Hunter far below, he simply waved to Ferr and proceeded to climb down the wall. The same orders that had echoed throughout the battlefield made their way into Ferr’s ear - detain any you can find, and bring them to the Royal Square, just in the center of the district. Chairman Barnett would be arriving shortly.
Dusty Ghrian
The shadowy behemoth that the boy had summoned certainly did its job. It crushed several Legion soldiers, including the Legionnaires, and destroyed a significant number of Guardian mechs below. In fact, there were a few small helicarriers that would find themselves caught in the monstrosities attacks on the invading force. However, as Coquel expected, the beast dissipated when she struck the boy in the back of the head. She chuckled lightly at the young man’s response, finding it humorous in light of his current situation. She shook her head, choosing not to speak while she kept the gun to the boy’s head. She wouldn’t let herself get distracted, not now. It was the easiest way of getting killed in the heat of an invasion. The boy went on a small tangent about doors, at least that was all she gathered from what he was saying.
Then the small black orb.
Coquel didn’t know what to expect, but she quickly ducked down to avoid the explosion. This would give the boy a chance to retaliate, and while he did manage to knock Quel off her feet, she was quick to jump back up. Shooting the boy, she felt, was certain to end his life. Stuffing the gun back in her holster, her Aura flared as she activated another void of her Semblance. While he had managed to get a good distance from Coquel, to escape the full thirty feet of Gallows in such a short time was an impossibility. Had she not been quick on her feet and caught her fall, he probably would have escaped - but fate had chosen an alternative route. Coquel dashed forward, shortening the distance between the two of them. Once close enough, Second Void manifested, pelting the young man with supersonic bursts that would have felt like being struck with a bat several times.
Her goal wasn’t to kill, but to incapacitate.
Coquel drew closer, keeping the point of her sword directed at Dusty. “I'll say it one more time, boy. Surrender now. I will not offer you this chance again.” She said, her eyes focused on the young man that had nearly made a fool of her.
Coquel's AP: 690/740
As the soldiers followed their orders, bringing whatever captives they had taken at the time, the sun was blacked out by a large object in the sky. It was the flagship of the Kingdom of Legion, almost twice the size of the Atlas and colored a deep crimson red. This was the Golgotha, arguably the most daunting sight in all of Legion’s army, and the only ship to carry Chairman Barnett when he left the safety of Legion. A helicarrier left the ship, hovering over the square for a moment before finally landing. The guards that had interfered in Aisio’s battle with Cullen had broken into the building and had Eisen bound and on his knees. The King of Rift had never looked so vulnerable. As Aldous Barnett climbed out of the carrier, several soldiers cheered at the sight of their leader. He responded with a smile, raising his hand to all of them. His expression remained light, with an eerie sense of calm as he approached Aisio and the King, the latter of which had been placed near the former.
“Well done, Pendragon.” Barnett said, clapping his hands with a light chuckle. “Having you on the invading force was certainly the way to go, it seems.” His eyes shifted to Eisen, who furrowed their brow at the sight of the Chairman. “You look like you’re doing well, old friend.” The king spat at the chairman’s feet, scowling as he snapped back. “Go to hell, Aldous. You won’t get away with this, I assure you that. Rift will ne-”
The king stopped speaking as Aldous raised his hand, shaking his head as he laughed. “Get away with what, Eisen? Keeping you from becoming a tyrant? Keeping you from making another attempt on my life or the lives of Remnant’s other leaders?” He replied. “I don’t think you understand how much trouble you’re in, my friend. This invasion was sanctioned by Pinnacle and Setek. Did you really think I’d launch an preemptive invasion without support?” As the carrier drifted into the sky and back to the Golgotha, Barnett once again waved to the people that now flooded the square. With a deep breathe, Aldous spoke out to the people, his voice carrying to the very back of the crowd.
“Ladies and gentleman of Rift and Legion, today we are gathered here as a result of justice. As many of you know, not long ago an attempt was made on my life, an attack that your king had a hand in planning.” The crowd began to boo, shouting profanities until Barnett raised his hand and silence once again fell. “Centuries ago, the founders of our Kingdoms recorded our histories in the Annwals of Remnant, now stored safely in the Monasteries of Cela. These books contained everything about our world that they knew at the time of their writing, as well as laws and regulations that each and every Kingdom continue to follow to this day.” A Legion guard brought Cullen’s weapon to the chairman, and the man studied it for a moment as he continued his speech. “Today, Legion has severed the head of a serpent. What we once thought was a brave and noble lion was, instead, a cunning snake.”
His eyes drifted over to Eisen, who returned his gaze with one of hate. Barnett’s eyes swelled with tears as he released a heavy sigh. “One of the old laws dictates that, should a Kingdom ever commit treason against another, that the leader of the tyrannical movement be put to death. One that is slow and painful, to make an example to any future attempts to overthrow another.” The crowd began to cheer, but some also booed. Aldous once again raised his hand. “Please, please. Let me finish, my friends.” Hi eyes returned to Eisen. “You and I have been friends for many years, Eisen. It pains me that you would have conspired against me. All I’ve ever done was try to help you - to try and find your daughter in these difficult times. Because of that friendship, I’ve decided to take mercy on you.”
Eisen released a heavy sigh of relief, one that echoed throughout the square as many of Rift’s citizens did the same. The king was picked up and brought to the chairman’s side before being pushed back down to his knees. “In exchange for mercy, Eisen Sablier III, all I ask for is an apology.” Aldous added, smiling first at Eisen and then the people in the square. The king sat for a moment, debating whether or not to say the words that his attacker so desperately wanted to hear. He looked over to Cullen, who had since been shackled to keep him in check. The look on his face was one of worry, almost begging the king to keep his mouth shut. The two exchanged a wordless conversation before the knight nodded. Eisen looked up to Aldous, then to the people before them. “I...I, Eisen Sablier III, King of Rift and descended of Orrick von Eisenheim, conceded my kingdom as written in the laws and I...I...beg forgiveness for my transgressions.” He said, his voice shaking. “All I ask is your mercy, Chairman.”
Aldous listened to the crowd after the king finished his short speech, smiling delightfully. “I appreciate the gesture, Eisen. From one friend to another, you are forgiven.” The crowd grew silent, and for some among the crowd, time appeared to stand still. “I will give you mercy, Eisen, just as you’ve asked.” The chairman’s movements were quick and fluid, like water over pebbles in a stream. To some it was almost a blur, as Aldous displayed the finesse that made him one of Legion’s most powerful figures. Eisen gazed out to the crowd, his eyes wide. A crimson red line formed across his neck and, eventually, his head rolled off his shoulders. Aldous dusted off his outfit before throwing the scythe to his guards, then shot a quick glance to Aisio before eventually returning his attention to the awestruck square.
“Mercy is a quick death under the law, especially for the crime of treason.” Aldous said loudly. “Let this be a message to each and every one of you. We are Legion. We will not sit idly by and let our Kingdom be attacked by you - or anyone. Should anyone attempt to usurp our position from the Kingdom of Rift from now until the end of time, you will be strung up as traitors and left for dead - just as your filthy king should have been.” With nothing left to say, Aldous Barnett turned his back and entered the palace. The queen, as well as the king’s most trusted, were rounded up and brought to the Kingdom’s prison. The same became true of any soldiers that tried to get away. Those that couldn’t be caught were shot before getting too far. To the people that were compliant, the death of their king signified one thing.
Rift had fallen.
Legionnaires: 203/250
Guardians: 11/32
Legion Soldiers: 198/270
Legion Hunters: 19/27
City of Rift: 152 casualties
The girl was quick in the heat of battle, something Cullen would be sure not to take lightly for the remainder of their battle. As the jumped back with the gust of wind, shards of ice flew in the direction of the knight and his ally. Cullen was quick to throw up his Aura’s barrier, but the gunner was not so lucky. He was impaled by several of the shards, dropping to his knees as he struggled to muster the strength to stand. Resilient as always, the man at least raised his gun to keep it on the woman as she distanced herself from the two of them. As Aisio spoke, Cullen listened closely - perhaps there were hints to the cause of this invasion in her words. By the sound of things, she was keeping to the same story from earlier. Eisen tried to have Aldous killed, and as a result Legion was attacking preemptively. He scoffed at the girl, spitting on the ground while he gritted his teeth. “Give it a rest, kid! Rift had nothing to do with the attack on Chairman Barnett!” He laughed, slicking his messy hair back.
Despite his confidence, Cullen was not expecting the whip, despite the fact that he should have. It coiled around the guard’s gun, swinging it at Cullen in an impact that caused him to release a slight “Oomf!” The guard was beginning to tire, and he painfully leaned over and rested on the ground. He was in bad shape, and Cullen was about to be. The explosion from Aisio’s whip caught the man off guard, throwing him to the side and into a concrete flower bed. He staggered for a moment, struggling to get to his feet. That is, until the click of a gun made him freeze in place. “Don’t move, soldier. If you value you’re life, you’ll surrender.” A voice said, distorted by the masks Legion’s soldiers wore for extreme conditions. Cullen raised his hands, glaring at Aisio as he surrendered to the guards that had made their way to the king’s door.
“Lady Pendragon, we’ll handle these two. Stand down and await further orders, Chairman Barnett will be arriving soon.”
Haru
As Haru made his escape, the soldiers began opening fire. “Damned kid!” One of the guards shouted. “Get him! Don’t let him get away!” One after another, soldiers fired off round after round in an attempt to gun the boy down. Two Guardian-class mechs armed their missiles and aimed them at the boy, firing off their entire arsenal before disengaging. “Dammit!” The leader of the squad yelled. A message buzzed in his ear, directing all Legion soldiers and their captives to the royal square - exactly where Aisio Pendragon prepared to confront the King of Rift. Chairman Barnett would be arriving soon. By this point, the forces of Legion had taken the city. The battle was over, the attackers had won. Paying no mind to the boy, the soldiers followed their new orders and started to make their way to the designated location.
[OOC: This post is short, yes. That is because Haru got away and more pressing matters are at hand.]
Ferr Aesir
The soldier grinned gleefully as the missile did its job. Didn’t hit the intended target, sure, but he had downed the enemy nonetheless. He dropped the launcher, readying his gun for whatever retaliation might be coming his way. His footsteps became frantic as he tried to find the man he had just shot down, doing his best to guess the trajectory of the man’s fall. Eventually, he found Ferr near an alley and raised his weapon at the man, switching it to full automatic mode. “Don’t move! I’ll shoot you, I swear to god!” The young man shouted, readying his rifle in case the man attacked. “Please...please don’t make me shoot you.” Tears began to stream down the young man’s face, the gun shaking as he trembled at the sight of the Legion Hunter. Just as the young man began to lower his weapon, a loud bang echoed from behind. Blood from the young man sprayed over the area, splattering the snow as well as Ferr.
As the boy’s lifeless body dropped forward, a Legion soldier that had climbed the earthen walls could be seen with a sniper rifle in hand. Without a means to communicate with the Hunter far below, he simply waved to Ferr and proceeded to climb down the wall. The same orders that had echoed throughout the battlefield made their way into Ferr’s ear - detain any you can find, and bring them to the Royal Square, just in the center of the district. Chairman Barnett would be arriving shortly.
Dusty Ghrian
The shadowy behemoth that the boy had summoned certainly did its job. It crushed several Legion soldiers, including the Legionnaires, and destroyed a significant number of Guardian mechs below. In fact, there were a few small helicarriers that would find themselves caught in the monstrosities attacks on the invading force. However, as Coquel expected, the beast dissipated when she struck the boy in the back of the head. She chuckled lightly at the young man’s response, finding it humorous in light of his current situation. She shook her head, choosing not to speak while she kept the gun to the boy’s head. She wouldn’t let herself get distracted, not now. It was the easiest way of getting killed in the heat of an invasion. The boy went on a small tangent about doors, at least that was all she gathered from what he was saying.
Then the small black orb.
Coquel didn’t know what to expect, but she quickly ducked down to avoid the explosion. This would give the boy a chance to retaliate, and while he did manage to knock Quel off her feet, she was quick to jump back up. Shooting the boy, she felt, was certain to end his life. Stuffing the gun back in her holster, her Aura flared as she activated another void of her Semblance. While he had managed to get a good distance from Coquel, to escape the full thirty feet of Gallows in such a short time was an impossibility. Had she not been quick on her feet and caught her fall, he probably would have escaped - but fate had chosen an alternative route. Coquel dashed forward, shortening the distance between the two of them. Once close enough, Second Void manifested, pelting the young man with supersonic bursts that would have felt like being struck with a bat several times.
Her goal wasn’t to kill, but to incapacitate.
Coquel drew closer, keeping the point of her sword directed at Dusty. “I'll say it one more time, boy. Surrender now. I will not offer you this chance again.” She said, her eyes focused on the young man that had nearly made a fool of her.
Coquel's AP: 690/740
As the soldiers followed their orders, bringing whatever captives they had taken at the time, the sun was blacked out by a large object in the sky. It was the flagship of the Kingdom of Legion, almost twice the size of the Atlas and colored a deep crimson red. This was the Golgotha, arguably the most daunting sight in all of Legion’s army, and the only ship to carry Chairman Barnett when he left the safety of Legion. A helicarrier left the ship, hovering over the square for a moment before finally landing. The guards that had interfered in Aisio’s battle with Cullen had broken into the building and had Eisen bound and on his knees. The King of Rift had never looked so vulnerable. As Aldous Barnett climbed out of the carrier, several soldiers cheered at the sight of their leader. He responded with a smile, raising his hand to all of them. His expression remained light, with an eerie sense of calm as he approached Aisio and the King, the latter of which had been placed near the former.
“Well done, Pendragon.” Barnett said, clapping his hands with a light chuckle. “Having you on the invading force was certainly the way to go, it seems.” His eyes shifted to Eisen, who furrowed their brow at the sight of the Chairman. “You look like you’re doing well, old friend.” The king spat at the chairman’s feet, scowling as he snapped back. “Go to hell, Aldous. You won’t get away with this, I assure you that. Rift will ne-”
The king stopped speaking as Aldous raised his hand, shaking his head as he laughed. “Get away with what, Eisen? Keeping you from becoming a tyrant? Keeping you from making another attempt on my life or the lives of Remnant’s other leaders?” He replied. “I don’t think you understand how much trouble you’re in, my friend. This invasion was sanctioned by Pinnacle and Setek. Did you really think I’d launch an preemptive invasion without support?” As the carrier drifted into the sky and back to the Golgotha, Barnett once again waved to the people that now flooded the square. With a deep breathe, Aldous spoke out to the people, his voice carrying to the very back of the crowd.
“Ladies and gentleman of Rift and Legion, today we are gathered here as a result of justice. As many of you know, not long ago an attempt was made on my life, an attack that your king had a hand in planning.” The crowd began to boo, shouting profanities until Barnett raised his hand and silence once again fell. “Centuries ago, the founders of our Kingdoms recorded our histories in the Annwals of Remnant, now stored safely in the Monasteries of Cela. These books contained everything about our world that they knew at the time of their writing, as well as laws and regulations that each and every Kingdom continue to follow to this day.” A Legion guard brought Cullen’s weapon to the chairman, and the man studied it for a moment as he continued his speech. “Today, Legion has severed the head of a serpent. What we once thought was a brave and noble lion was, instead, a cunning snake.”
His eyes drifted over to Eisen, who returned his gaze with one of hate. Barnett’s eyes swelled with tears as he released a heavy sigh. “One of the old laws dictates that, should a Kingdom ever commit treason against another, that the leader of the tyrannical movement be put to death. One that is slow and painful, to make an example to any future attempts to overthrow another.” The crowd began to cheer, but some also booed. Aldous once again raised his hand. “Please, please. Let me finish, my friends.” Hi eyes returned to Eisen. “You and I have been friends for many years, Eisen. It pains me that you would have conspired against me. All I’ve ever done was try to help you - to try and find your daughter in these difficult times. Because of that friendship, I’ve decided to take mercy on you.”
Eisen released a heavy sigh of relief, one that echoed throughout the square as many of Rift’s citizens did the same. The king was picked up and brought to the chairman’s side before being pushed back down to his knees. “In exchange for mercy, Eisen Sablier III, all I ask for is an apology.” Aldous added, smiling first at Eisen and then the people in the square. The king sat for a moment, debating whether or not to say the words that his attacker so desperately wanted to hear. He looked over to Cullen, who had since been shackled to keep him in check. The look on his face was one of worry, almost begging the king to keep his mouth shut. The two exchanged a wordless conversation before the knight nodded. Eisen looked up to Aldous, then to the people before them. “I...I, Eisen Sablier III, King of Rift and descended of Orrick von Eisenheim, conceded my kingdom as written in the laws and I...I...beg forgiveness for my transgressions.” He said, his voice shaking. “All I ask is your mercy, Chairman.”
Aldous listened to the crowd after the king finished his short speech, smiling delightfully. “I appreciate the gesture, Eisen. From one friend to another, you are forgiven.” The crowd grew silent, and for some among the crowd, time appeared to stand still. “I will give you mercy, Eisen, just as you’ve asked.” The chairman’s movements were quick and fluid, like water over pebbles in a stream. To some it was almost a blur, as Aldous displayed the finesse that made him one of Legion’s most powerful figures. Eisen gazed out to the crowd, his eyes wide. A crimson red line formed across his neck and, eventually, his head rolled off his shoulders. Aldous dusted off his outfit before throwing the scythe to his guards, then shot a quick glance to Aisio before eventually returning his attention to the awestruck square.
“Mercy is a quick death under the law, especially for the crime of treason.” Aldous said loudly. “Let this be a message to each and every one of you. We are Legion. We will not sit idly by and let our Kingdom be attacked by you - or anyone. Should anyone attempt to usurp our position from the Kingdom of Rift from now until the end of time, you will be strung up as traitors and left for dead - just as your filthy king should have been.” With nothing left to say, Aldous Barnett turned his back and entered the palace. The queen, as well as the king’s most trusted, were rounded up and brought to the Kingdom’s prison. The same became true of any soldiers that tried to get away. Those that couldn’t be caught were shot before getting too far. To the people that were compliant, the death of their king signified one thing.
Rift had fallen.
Legionnaires: 203/250
Guardians: 11/32
Legion Soldiers: 198/270
Legion Hunters: 19/27
City of Rift: 152 casualties
